| Author | |
Kathryn
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 24 2009
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1520
|
| Posted: Nov 01 2009 at 10:47pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I may be getting ahead of myself and this might not work for us at all but I found a part-time homeschool program I was interesting in checking out. In looking around their website, I was looking at all the forms and came across this one registration form that caused concern. I know much of it is in line with our Creed but since it's not written exactly as we say it and I'm a Catholic convert there are a couple of these statements that caused me to pause and I'm wondering if they are out of line with our Catholic beliefs? I have numbered them to make it easier for anyone to address concerns they would have with signing this.
It is not within the scope of the Academy’s educational mission to teach church dogma or Christian doctrine. We recognize the authority of the parent in this area of instruction. Students and parents will be asked only to declare agreement with basic tenets of discipleship in Christ. If either parent or the student(s) cannot agree with the statement, please do not sign, and attach an
explanation.
I believe:
1. There is one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible;
2. There is one Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, one with God the Father and of the same
substance as God the Father;
3. He declared His deity in many teachings, including “I and the Father are one;” (John 10:30) and “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)
4. He came to earth in human form from heaven, for us, and for our salvation, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man;
5. He was crucified for our sins, thus offering perfect propitiation for our sins, perfect sanctification
from our sins, and complete redemption from the wages of sin, death;
6. After his crucifixion, he rose in resurrection, appeared to many, and left us with a final mission,
recorded in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go . . . make disciples . . . baptize . . . and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you;”
7. We can be saved from death to eternal life, according to Jesus’ words: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)
8. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father;
9. He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, and His Kingdom shall have no end;
10. The dead who have eternal life in Christ will be resurrected, to the eternal life in the Father’s
presence;
11. That God is a trinity of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit;
12. The Scriptures are God-breathed, Holy Spirit-inspired and created by God for our instruction and
edification.
I subscribe to the above truths:
__________________
Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
insegnante
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 07 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1143
|
| Posted: Nov 02 2009 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Kathryn, I may have missed something in my relatively quick reading, and I would have to do a little more research before I could say I definitely would or wouldn't sign this, but it actually is one of the most Catholic-friendly ones of these types of things I have seen from a non-Catholic source. I'm not exactly sure what "perfect propitiation, perfect sanctification, and complete redemption" mean in #5, and also honestly I don't even know what "propitiation" means at all, so I don't know whether that's doctrinally accurate. But it does look promising and like it may even have been meant to avoid hitting the specific points of common disagreement between Catholics and Protestants/evangelicals.
__________________
Theresa
mommy to three boys, 3/02, 8/04, and 9/10, and a girl, 8/08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
kbfsc
Forum Pro
Joined: Jan 26 2009
Location: Florida
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 216
|
| Posted: Nov 02 2009 at 1:19pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'm no expert, but I don't see anything that contradicts the Catholic faith.
There is a Christian (full-time) school in my area that went through a pretty big crisis a few years ago because their statement of faith included the obligatory Protestant sola scriptura. Catholics, including some veteran teachers, left and many tears were shed. Since then, they have tried to eliminate anti-Catholicism on campus, and the statement of faith now sounds just like the one you shared with us. The last bit no longer emphasizes the Protestant belief that scripture is the only authority, but rather that it is the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
I wonder if this part-time school you're looking into is likewise trying to build bridges with Catholics by having a similar statement in their statement of faith? Because I think it's pretty unusual for Protestants to describe scripture as authoritative instead of the only authority.
__________________
Kiera
happy mama of ds '02, dd '03, ds '06, dd '09 and little ones in heaven
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Willa
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3881
|
| Posted: Nov 02 2009 at 2:12pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I looked up propitiationat Catholic Culture.
I'm not a theologian, but the word looks like it's used in a Catholic-compatible manner.
__________________
AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Nov 02 2009 at 2:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I would agree with Kiera. The ones that excludes Catholics tend to be pretty obvious.
This actually looks almost completely based off the Nicene Creed.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Kathryn
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 24 2009
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1520
|
| Posted: Nov 02 2009 at 3:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you! This really puts my mind at ease. The 2 things I kind of questioned were: "no one comes to the Father but through Me.” I only question the implication of that verse because my Protestant relatives have asked/ criticized why Catholics feel the need to pray to Saints or Mary because we can't "get to God through them".
The other related to #7 and how we are "saved". Since I converted from a Protestant background and have many of my relatives still Protestant (and vocal at times), may be I was reading into this too much.
Thanks again!
__________________
Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Part time Homeschool "Statement of Faith"
