Thread:

Dear Evangelical,

I understand that you're growing frustrated with evangelicalism, because it's theology, piety, & practice is shallow and short (historically).

You *assume* (fear) that Romanism really *is* the ancient church but until now you thought

that the evangelical theology, piety, & practice you learned was biblical and that church history was a big parenthesis.

But you're exhausted by the endless busy-ness of evangelical T, P, & P, and you're weary of the latest exciting "worship song."

You're tired of the scandals and you want something older, deeper, and more beautiful. You're looking for a more profound ethic.

Further, you *assume* that what you've always known in evangelicalism *is* Reformation T, P, & P. So, despite your misgivings

you begin exploring Roman Catholicism.

What if the story you think you know about church history is just as flawed as everything else the Evangelicals taught you?

What if your assumption that what you've always known in evangelicalism has next to nothing to do with the New Testament, the ancient church or the Reformation?

What if evangelicalism is a weird amalgam of bits and pieces from Pietism, mysticism, revivalism, & fundamentalism?

What if you need to query *those* assumptions before you begin exploring Rome?

What if everything you *think* you know about Rome isn't true?

What if we have no idea what the order of pastors was in the ancient church, let alone an apostolic succession?

What if no one had any idea of a papacy in the 2nd century?

What if there were only 2 sacraments in the 2nd century and that the five ecclesiastical sacraments were not officially recognized until the 13th century?

What if the very idea of an unwritten apostolic tradition didn't exist until the late 4th century?

What if everything that makes Roman Catholicism distinctive is really rather late?

https://heidelblog.net/roman-catholicism/