A Baptist Reconciliation of the Penny Catechism?

I would like to do a "Baptist reconciliation" (if you will) with each problematic item in the Roman Catholic Penny Catechism, but that would be a huge undertaking. I may pick at it and see where it goes.

The idea would be to address portions of the catechism that ostensibly conflict with the Baptist tradition I came out of (and am still sympathetic to)[1], and would look something like this:

 

A. Catechism

 

 

B. Response
Baptists ask for prayer from each other and pray together and separately. The main difference between this and formal "communion with the Saints" is that Catholic doctrine bridges death. If we can believe that those in heaven still hear us as though they were on earth, this inconsistency is resolved.

There is some support in canonical texts that those in heaven are aware of what happens on Earth:

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:10, KJV)

I have no problem envisioning angels and the dead in Christ sharing information in heaven. It's all speculation, of course, but it's not heretical or counterintuitive.

The same principle extends to Marian veneration and other instances where the earthly faithful talk to those that have passed on and ask them to pray for us.

I'd like to think it's possible. It would give me some pleasant reflection to consider that I might talk to Dad, or Grandma and Grandpa Cairns or Grandy or anyone else no longer here.

It's only nonsense if you dispense with the whole idea of prayer and an afterlife in the first place. If you accept some of that, the rest is not so difficult.

I suspect if I considered the catechism beginning to end, there would be only a handful of ideas that we could not reconcile by slightly altering our perspectives. Imagine if the Catholics did the same.

[1]
There are dozens of main-stream Baptist denominations; my own is/was GARBC (General Association of Regular Baptist Churches). And there are thousands of independent Baptists that claim enough Baptist distinctives to use the name. So there can be no one "Baptist response" to any doctrine just as there can be no one response to spinach; at some point, after you get past all the vitamins and minerals, it's a matter of taste, curiosity, stubbornness, preparation, condiments, etc.

(And if the condiments help you enjoy spinach, what's the harm? Many ministers right now would say "I'll tell you what the harm is" and I know where that conversations goes. If you really hate spinach that much, it's not for you.)

Many years ago, I prepared an adult Sunday school lesson (in a Baptist church) from the St Joseph Catholic Manual. No one knew what I did until I revealed that at the end of the class. Some were confused, some were incensed, and some were, I hope, pleasantly surprised. Of course, I cherry-picked uncontroversial sections, and I only did it once for instructional purposes, not to frustrate or confuse.


Started: June 22, 2012