Not Above Criticism

One great thing that has come to me in blogging and reading other blogs is a series of concrete examples of how orthodox Catholics can hold diverging views in certain areas. This is done without losing any orthodoxy whatsoever. Harry Potter is a good example. Faithful Catholics can and do disagree on whether his writings are harmful. Personally, I don’t care. I don’t plan to read the books because I have too much else to do and no real reason to read them.

As an orthodox Catholic, I strive for 100% fidelity to the Magisterium. Does this mean that every post that I write will be in total keeping with what the Church teaches? I hope so, but I can misunderstand things as well as anyone. There is plenty of room for growth in my faith life. This is not to excuse those who oppose clear Church teaching on grounds of needing “growth,” but it is rather a statement of fact from someone who hopes to know, love, and believe the Church’s teachings.

For example, I read this post by Dale Price. He is writing concerning an article that criticized some of Scott Hahn’s views. I have not read the article and am not in a position to comment, but I wonder if the brouhaha is really little more than anger that someone would criticize someone who has done so much good for the Church.

Indeed, I think that Dr. Hahn is contributing greatly to the re-evangelization of the Church in the United States. Here is someone on fire for the Church and her teachings. However, just like anyone else in the business, he is not above criticism. For example, I find his view of the serpent in the book of Genesis as having threatened to kill Adam and Eve if they didn’t eat of the fruit to be out in left field. He also said that those who forget to go to Sunday Mass are still committing mortal sin because the commandment is to “Remember the Sabbath.” Those who forget “didn’t remember.” If he is speaking about people who genuinely forget, this is plain wrong. You can’t accidentally commit mortal sin. Of course, it is possible to deliberately forget. I don’t believe he made the distinction in his writings.

None of this nullifies the contribution he has made to the Church. Likewise, our own mistakes will not nullify our contributions either. However, we should always be willing to learn and grow in the faith.