Thursday, March 13, 2008

Behind the Scenes with Trish and Father Jim McGhee

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Father McGhee's response or lack of is so sad. Makes me weep for him and all my Catholic friends who are trusting in other than Christ and Christ alone. Emphasizes the need for prayer for those folks.

Becc@ said...

Thanks so much for posting this, it was very interesting!
I have a question though; How can he be a priest with a wife...? I thought they had to be "married to Christ", or something like that...

LivingForHim said...

Thanks for this. Very nice editing too! This helps me to understand and confirms what Catholics believe.

tank said...

The explanation is that if you were a married minister before you came "home to Rome", then you are allowed to keep your wife and remain a minister (become a priest). This might only apply to Episcopalian ministers.

Good luck with that debate on the authority of Scripture. As an ex-Catholic, I'd suggest sticking with Jesus and salvation. After all, the RCC is convinced that she invented Scripture.

Also, I was wondering, did the phone interview with Fr. McGhee ever get broadcast on the radio? Is there a place where I can hear the whole thing? Thanks!

Fish With Trish said...

Hi Tank, thanks for your input. Also, you can listen to the entire segment on The Way of the Master Radio. It starts about 40 minutes into the hour January 24, 2008 - Hour 1. Here is the link:

http://www.wayofthemasterradio.com/podcast/2008/01/24/january-24-2008-hour-1/

Also, you might want to read this blog of mine, it has to do with our follow-up:

http://fishwithtrish.blogspot.com/2008/01/trish-way-of-master-radio-and-father.html

Fish With Trish said...

xfrmdxrenewal, it is very sad. I really was burdened for him and prayed a lot after this encounter. You might be interested to know that because of this encounter it looks like a two on two formal debate might take place this year. Evangelicals vs Catholics on the authority of Scripture--should be good.

Becc@, I thought it was interesting that he had a wife as well. He is a liberal priest--that's the explanation. :-)

Thank you both for watching the video and for reading my blog!

Rhology said...

Trish,

1) I don't think it's necessarily a liberal thing that he's married... it is my understanding that one who converts from Anglicanism can keep his wife. I could be wrong. And the RCC certainly has a great deal of widely-accepted liberalism; I'm just not sure this is part of it.

2) Do you know who would be involved in the debate you mentioned?

Grace and peace,
Rhology

Fish With Trish said...

Hi Rhology,

The debate would be later this year (a formal 2 on 2 debate).

If all goes as planned David Rodriguez (a Catholic apologist) will be on the Catholic side.

It is all still in the preliminary planning stage.

Thanks for inquiring!

Mark Freivald said...

First, I'll be up front and let you know that I am a devout Catholic.

I have spent an immense amount of time working through the sola scriptura issue, and the two quotes in the video that come after the edited remarks from Father McGhee do not seem to support sola scriptura. The first quote says that the Scripture is profitable for teaching and inspired by God. The Catholic Church believes that is true--but the verse does not say anything about **scripture alone**, nor does it discuss what is necessary (or what context is needed) to understand Scripture properly.

Not only that--if it is read in context, you find more intersting things. Here is something from Catholic Answers:

Protestants typically read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 out of context. When read in the context of the surrounding passages, one discovers that Paul’s reference to Scripture is only part of his exhortation that Timothy take as his guide Tradition and Scripture. The two verses immediately before it state: "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:14–15).

Paul tells Timothy to continue in what he has learned for two reasons: first, because he knows from whom he has learned it—Paul himself—and second, because he has been educated in the scriptures. The first of these is a direct appeal to apostolic tradition, the oral teaching which the apostle Paul had given Timothy. So Protestants must take 2 Timothy 3:16-17 out of context to arrive at the theory of sola scriptura. But when the passage is read in context, it becomes clear that it is teaching the importance of apostolic tradition!


There is plenty to be read on Catholic Answers, but this snippet is also worth a gander:

Further, it is clear that the oral teaching of Christ would last until the end of time. "’But the word of the Lord abides for ever.’ That word is the good news which was preached to you" (1 Pet. 1:25). Note that the word has been "preached"—that is, communicated orally. This would endure. It would not be
supplanted by a written record like the Bible (supplemented, yes, but not supplanted), and would continue to have its own authority.

This is made clear when the apostle Paul tells Timothy: "[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). Here we see the first few links in the chain of apostolic tradition that has been passed down intact from the apostles to our own day. Paul instructed Timothy to pass on the oral teachings (traditions) that he had received from the apostle. He was to give these to men who would be able to teach others, thus perpetuating the chain. Paul gave this instruction not long before his death (2 Tim. 4:6–8), as a reminder to Timothy of how he should conduct his ministry.


The second verse you cite is even more interesting because it tells us not to depend upon *human* tradition, yet the tradition of sola scriptura is entirely human--it neither comes from the Holy Apostolic Tradition of *Christ*, nor from the Bible.

On the other hand, the Bible specifically tells us to hold fast to both written and unwritten traditions. (2 Thessalonians 2:15) Paul is speaking of the Traditions of Christ--not the traditions of man, and comprehending the Bible *depends* upon some level of tradition (it is even a part of tradition itself). So what tradition should you depend upon--the man-made tradition of sola scriptura that causes complete fragmentation of the understanding of Christ due to myriad human interpretations? Or the Apostolic Tradition handed to us by the succession of the Apostles?

By the way, I do present the above in the friendliest way, but I also think you were a bit uncharitable to Fr. McGhee about him being "upset" and "red in the face." What does that have to do with anything, even if it is true? When you get worked up in a passion about the Word of God, does that make *you* somehow less credible?

I don't think it is profitable for us to rely upon slick textovers of other peoples' words to make a case for our positions. The discussion certainly requires more depth and rigor than that.

GTytus said...

Thank you Trish for this segment. I heard this on Wretched radio yesterday and was so moved by Father McGhee's approach and brief presentation of the Faith. As a Catholic I pray everyday for the unity of all Christians, and pray especially for you this day. I hope your (first?) Catholic encounter with one who knows and practices the Catholic faith stirred your Spirit. I was once a lapsed Catholic, and after some difficult life experiences, much reflection, prayer, study (especially Catholic radio!!!), and work, I feel drawn to our Lord in ways I never thought was possible. My wife is an evangelical/baptist and we don't see eye to eye on some fundamental theology, but we try to find charity in all things. God Bless you and again I hope this encounter and this message finds you well.

- A friend in Christ.