Mary, Co-redeemer?

October 10, 1997

Mohler warns against veneration of Mary in magazine commentary

By James A. Smith Sr.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Reports of Pope John Paul II's apparent desire to grant "co-redeemer" status to the mother of Jesus Christ illustrate the unbiblical nature of Roman Catholic theology concerning Mary, R. Albert Mohler Jr. writes in an inaugural feature commentary for WORLD magazine.

[Mohler gives the impression that he believes the present Roman pontiff will elevate Mary to the status of co-redeemer, in spite of a Vatican denial. The interesting thing is that Mohler's take is opposite of that presented in the following feature story from

August 21, 1997.]

Religion Today

August 21, 1997

New Marian Dogma Not Likely

A current Newsweek story about a movement in the Catholic Church missed the mark, according to prominent Catholic theologians. The magazine's cover story suggests the pope is likely to proclaim a new dogma about the Virgin Mary. Because Newsweek failed to clarify important issues, the story will create havoc for evangelicals and Catholics who read it, theologian Michael Novak told Religion Today.

...The story focuses on a petition reportedly signed by more than four million Catholics, including 500 bishops and 42 Cardinals, asking the pope to infallibly declare as dogma, or revealed truth, that Mary is co-redeemer, mediator, and advocate for the faithful.

[Mohler shows a good understanding of Roman Catholic doctrine concerning Mary but is somewhat hesitant to pointedly say that Roman Catholicism teaches another gospel altogether. In being so politically correct, one misses the point with many readers.]

ECT - Richard Land

BaptistPress

Land delivers check, address at New Orleans' Founders Day

By Debbie Moore

NEW ORLEANS (BP)-- "It's easy to see why Southern Baptists chose to establish a seminary in New Orleans 80 years ago," Land said. ...with Christ's Great Commission in their heart, the seminary's founding fathers established a missionary training school in New Orleans in 1917, he said.

"A seminary (in New Orleans) would plant the Baptist cause in this city in a way that would immediately command the attention and the respect of all," Land quoted from a 1914 editorial by P.I. Lipsey, editor of the Mississippi Baptist Record. "It would be planting the siege guns at the enemies' gates. It would rally the Baptists and put heart into them and equip them for their work as nothing else could," Lipsey wrote in his famous impassioned editorial that finally rallied Baptists to do something with the idea that had been talked about since 1817. Three years later Southern Baptists, meeting in New Orleans for their annual convention, voted to establish the first theological institution to be created by direct action of the SBC.

New Orleans Seminary is unique among the six Southern Baptist seminaries, he said, in that it "has at its doorstep a laboratory on how to reach the world for Christ."

Land challenged Southern Baptists to "summon the boldness and vision of New Orleans Seminary's founding fathers as they launched an offensive on the city of New Orleans," just as the founding fathers of Christianity, who by their boldness were described as a people who turned their world upside down for Christ.

[Reading this, one has to wonder if while he was a student at NOBTS, did Richard Land ever realize that the thrust of establishing a missionary training school in New Orleans was for the express purpose of reaching LOST Roman Catholics throughout South Louisiana? In the days of the establishment of what later became the NOBTS, Catholic dominated South Louisiana was considered to be the greatest mission field in the United States. Dr. Land, as an endorser of the ECT document, is here giving conflicting reports, for if the founding fathers of NOBTS are worthy of emulation, then Richard Land stands in total contrast to their stance on Roman Catholicism. New Orleans and South Louisiana are still largely dominated by the same Roman Catholic religious system.]

Sexual abuse by priests

October 11, 1997

Five churches in the Archdiocese of Boston will hold special Masses to seek forgiveness and reconciliation with the victims of sexual abuse by priests. Church officials also said they would admit to mistakes they have made in handling abuse complaints. "The church has been part of the problem, and now it wants to be part of the solution," said archdiocese spokesman John Walsh. The church is taking the step after soliciting the opinions of past victims of sexual abuse.

[The Boston area has been affected lately with several cases of sexual abuse of children by priests.]

The next, even more ecumenical "Billy Graham"

A crowd of 6,500 people filled Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City Oct. 8 to hear evangelist Luis Palau. Five hundred churches representing 40 denominations are participating in the Greater Kansas City Luis Palau Campaign.

[Watch Luis Palau for his strong ecumenical stance.]