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Author Topic: The weirdness of anti-Feeneyism  (Read 17216 times)

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The weirdness of anti-Feeneyism
« on: July 08, 2023, 10:37:59 PM »
Setting theological arguments aside, does anybody else find the opposition to Feeneyism* extremely weird?

What I find weird about it is that those who adhere to it are literally willing to break communion with zealous Catholics, call them heretics, deny them sacraments, etc. just to defend the illusion that some Amazonian Indian who's never heard the Holy Name of Jesus Christ can be saved. It's like despising a real-life friend for an imaginary one.

* I know that this term is loaded with bad connotations but I can't find one better to describe strict adherence to EENS while at the same time ruling out those who say they affirm it but end up denying it.

Re: The weirdness of anti-Feeneyism
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2023, 12:02:02 AM »
What I find weirdest about it is that people keep calling it "Feeneyism" instead of EENS.


Re: The weirdness of anti-Feeneyism
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2023, 12:05:13 AM »
What I find weirdest about it is that people keep calling it "Feeneyism" instead of EENS.
See the note at the bottom of my post. Nobody dares to deny openly EENS but many do surreptitiously, so a distinction must be made to only include those (like me) who take it in the literal sense.

Re: The weirdness of anti-Feeneyism
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2023, 12:25:31 AM »
I think that this is a "big picture argument" in favor of strict EENS/Feeneyism, one that doesn't get into the finer theological points.

Consider how much you have to stretch the dogma in order to protect an illusion while sacrificing the zeal for salvation that must characterize a Catholic soul.

I can't find it now but there was a funny short story on Father Feeney's The Point about a clueless Amazonian Indian being notified that he was saved. He didn't know what the Church and salvation were, who Jesus was but somehow he was saved. That's the absurd idea the anti-EENS crowd is trying to defend.

Re: The weirdness of anti-Feeneyism
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2023, 02:15:01 AM »
No one likes being called a heretic out of hand.  Baptism of desire and blood are in multiple catechisms, referred to in canon law, papal encyclical, and letter from the Holy Office, as well as St Alphonsus a doctor of the Church.  All this over the course of several hundred years.  If the Feeney people want to say someone is in error for believing in BoD and BoB, fair enough, but don't call us a heretic, because it's not heresy.  On the other hand the Feeney people do have seem to have some recourse to several Church Father's and other sources.  So, based on that they shouldn't be called heretics either.  I think not calling each other heretics and condemning each other over this issue would be a good way to generate some civility and good will.