Yet then you have the opposite which many in and out of the church laud as wonderful and salutary -- that is when non-Christians stand together with Christians in interfaith events, especially one like this which is hosted by a Roman Catholic parish. They think it is cool when those who believe nothing in common act as if they believe everything in common -- which is, in a small way, what it means when you open the Lord's Table to anyone and everyone.
Perhaps it does appear odd that Christians might take matters of doctrine, faith, and confession so seriously that it prevents oneness at the Altar. We live in a world or relativism in which any truth is the equal of any other truth and none of them stand objectively forever. But the real craziness is when Christians give to non-Christian religions place and status that presumes these faiths are equal and the same as Christianity. The real craziness is when doctrine means so little that a sham of unity which ignores conflicts in confession of faith is preferred over honesty over the divisions.
We Lutherans love our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters but one thing we cannot figure out is why the Roman Catholic Church will sponsor an interfaith prayer service like this before the crucifix and altar or why the Pope will visit a Mosque and pray, among other things. We know Rome values doctrine and faith because they are pretty clear about those separated brethren (Christians) and the validity of their ministry and sacraments when it comes to ecumenical dialog. Rome is pretty sure that Lutherans are on the fringe of anything even resembling the Church and yet they find a way to host The Bhakti Center to lead kirtan with the sanction of the Roman Catholic Church on this gathering.
This is the craziness that confuses us and, we believe, confuses the world, too!
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The YouTube link notes that the video is unavailable.
"... one thing we cannot figure out is why the Roman Catholic Church will sponsor an interfaith prayer service like this before the crucifix and altar or why the Pope will visit a Mosque and pray, among other things."
What the Antichrist does is not surprising. And given the Missouri Synod's handling of the YS blasphemy and the Newtown blasphemy, it's not too surprising to see some Roman church behaving just as badly.
This piece by a friend of mine is a worthy offering in the "Why do you Lutherans practice closed communion?" category. It'd be especially helpful for non-Lutherans.
"Communion is inherently closed, and it's a good thing, too."
In addition to the ongoing problem of failing to correct aberrant Synodical members on the long-standing official position of closed communion, supported by Scriptural and confessional reasons, what is crazy about the LCMS is that, despite this long-standing official position on closed communion, the Missouri Synod lackadaisically promotes open communion with its FAQ condoning "early [pre-confirmation] communion."
The Hare Krishna interfatih service at the Parish of Our Saviour, Manhattan, may have something to do with the new pastor, Fr. Robert Robbins, who also discontinued offering the traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine Mass), and removed the artwork from the columns in the front. The previous pastor, Fr. George Rutler, was transferred despite the efforts of parishers to keep him there.
More at "Naked in New York: The Unceremonious Stripping of Our Saviour," "NY Church Wreckovation Angers The Faithful," and The Forensics of an AmChurch hit on a Good Parish – Our Savior NYC fits, and in other links available through Google.
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