Having recently joined this traditional Catholic forum, I am shocked at the total lack of authoritative sources posted by the people who disagreed with my postings on the thread on baptism of desire of the catechumen (and on practically all the threads that I've read since I'm here). I found the complete opposite from those that agreed with what I wrote, and defended my position. In other words, those that believe like I in EENS as it is written, practically always posted authoritative sources, while those that believe in BOD never posted any sources, other than their own personal onions. This is not Catholic.
I've seen this practice, of just posting personal opinions and personal beliefs, in the Freerepublic "Catholic Caucus" forum threads, and I expected it, since they are blind Novus Ordo's. But, to find it here in a traditional Catholic forum is quite shocking. This reveals to me that the situation of the Church is much worse than I imagined. If the Catholics that are supposed to know their faith, write no different than the ones that know nothing, then they are just one eyed men living in a country of blind men. In other words, these self called traditionalist, are only "knowledgeable" because they compare themselves to the blind Novus Ordos, who know nothing.
If the personal opinions of a Father of the Church, a Doctor, or a saint are not proof of a particular doctrine, what is one to say of a personal opinion of an anonymous blogger on this forum?
Let's raise the standards here on this forum, and require of posters to post authoritative sources for their beliefs, or ask them to not post at all.
Fr. William Jurgens: “… we must stress that a particular patristic text [a
particular statement from a father] is in no instance to be regarded as a ‘proof’
of a particular doctrine. Dogmas are not ‘proved’ by patristic statements, but
by the infallible teaching instruments of the Church. The value of the Fathers
and writers is this: that in the aggregate [that is, in totality], they demonstrate
what the Church believes and teaches; and again, in the aggregate [that is, in
totality], they provide a witness to the content of Tradition, that Tradition which
is itself a vehicle of revelation.”
The fathers of the Church are only a definite witness to Tradition when expressing a point held universally and constantly or when expressing something that is in line with defined dogma. Taken individually or even in multiplicity, they can be dead wrong and even dangerous. S
- St. Basil the Great said that the Holy Ghost is second to the Son of God
in order and dignity.
St. Basil : “The Son is not, however, second to the Father in nature, because the Godhead is one in each of them, and plainly, too, in the Holy Spirit, even if in order and dignity He is second to the Son (yes, this we do concede!), though not in such a way, it is clear, that He were of another nature.”
- St. Augustine wrote an entire book of corrections.
- St. Fulgentius and a host of others, including St. Augustine, held that it was certain that infants who die without baptism descend into the fires of Hell, and St. Augustine was so outspoken in favor of this error that it became the common
and basically unchallenged teaching for more than 500 years, according to The Catholic Encyclopedia.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 9, “Limbo,” p. 257: “On the special question,
however, of the punishment of original sin after death, St. Anselm was at one
with St. Augustine in holding that unbaptized infants share in the positive
sufferings of the damned; and Abelard was the first to rebel against the
severity of the Augustinian tradition on this point.”
Pope Benedict XIV, Apostolica (# 6), June 26, 1749: “The
Church’s judgment is preferable to that of a Doctor renowned
for his holiness and teaching.”
Errors of the Jansenists, #30: “When anyone finds a doctrine
clearly established in Augustine, he can absolutely hold it
and teach it, disregarding any bull of the pope.”‐ Condemned
by Pope Alexander VIII
Pope Pius XII, Humani generis (# 21), Aug. 12, 1950: “This
deposit of faith our Divine Redeemer has given for authentic
interpretation not to each of the faithful, not even to
theologians, but only to the Teaching Authority of the
Church.’”
Topic: Posting Personal Opinions Renders Forum Useless as aSource of Truth (Read 4443 times)