Jude Collins

Sunday 12 September 2010

Mr Paisley and the Pope


LONDON - JANUARY 31:  Dr. Ian Paisley, leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party joins protesters against the incitement to religious hatred laws as they demonstate outside of Britain's Houses of Parliament on January 31, 2006 in London, England.  MP's are voting on ammendments to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.  (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

I got a phone call today  (just after running a half-marathon in Derry's Waterside, about which more – maybe – anon),  asking me to participate in a discussion tomorrow morning on BBC Radio Ulster’s  Stephen Nolan Show.  The topic?  The Free Presbyterians’ planned  protest against the Pope visiting Scotland this week.

Where to start? Maybe with the Free Ps’ complaint that the Pope has said that other Christian Churches aren’t really Churches.  I think they have a point there. I know the Pope is the theologian but I don’t know a single Catholic who would say he or she thinks Protestant denominations don’t belong to real Churches.  So I’m with them on that and not with the Pope. Although I speak as an ignorant yob, you understand, not a theologian.

But are those the reasons the Free Ps are  protesting?  Maybe it’s because they don’t like the idea of the Pope’s visit to Britain being funded out of the public exchequer.  If they are, I’m kind of with them there too. The claim that the Pope is a head of state and entitled to have his visit funded by the people hosting him…I don’t know. Not totally convinced. The Free Ps could have a point. If that’s an objection of theirs. Which it might not be.

To be frank,  I suspect the Free Ps – to be led, I’m told, by the Rev Ian Paisley – is that they and he see Catholics as doomed to burn in hell and the Pope as the Anti-Christ.  That's the big motivator behind their preparations with the placards and megaphones.  You’ll remember – or do you? -  Mr Paisley in the European Parliament roaring his Anti-Christ objections at Pope John Paul's visit to that institution in the 1980s.  Yes, the Big Man has changed in many respects since then, or at least done things most people thought he'd never do, but something tells me he hasn’t gone back on the Anti-Christ one. So which is worse, would you say: to suggest other Churches aren’t real Churches, or to pinpoint one Church and declare its followers are going to hell and that their leader is the devil himself?

While you’re pondering that one, let me tell you my opinion. If the Anti-Christ thing is the basic reason for Mr Paisley’s planned protest - and I'm convinced it is -  then religious bigotry is alive and well. No question of  the Christian doctrine of love moving the Big Man to accept that others are entitled to a religious view different from his. What's more, I believe that saying a particular faith group is on its way to hell and is led by a leader who is Beelzebub incarnate sounds suspiciously like incitement to religious hatred.  Am I missing something?

9 comments:

  1. The Anti-Christ thing was supported by Martin Luther, John Knox, John Calvin and a host of other Protestant Reformers, it is not a `Paisley` invented thing ... indeed the foreword to the King James Bible, the Anglican 39 Articles and the Presbyterian / Baptist Westminster Confession all say the same.........The Free P`s had a half page ad in Saturdays News Letter which expressly laid out the scriptural objections to the Papacy and made clear it was the institution and theology that was targeted and not individuals out of bigotry or hatred.

    As to your suggestion of pinpointing one church, it is quite clear you haven`t much exposure to evangelical church preaching - it is not the church you belong to or do not belong to - there are only two types of people saved sinners and unsaved sinner - denomination is irrelevant!

    http://www.twitter.com/kilsally

    Tweets: RT @NIviews: William Crawley: Free Presbyterian leader says Moderator is wrong to attend a service with the Pope: http://bbc.in/a5naQQ

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - The Scottish Reformation 450 yrs - Rev. Gordon Dane preached Crossgar http://goo.gl/gnXp #pope #scotland #catholic

    Tweets: Calvin 500th Anniversary Conf Belfast..Rev Nelson Minister of Sixmilecross special series of talks to coincide Calvin’s Quincentenary

    Tweets: SermonAudio How the Dying Thief Smashes all the Teachings of the Roman Catholic Church - preached in England 28/8 http://goo.gl/90qs

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Should the Pope Come to Britain? preached in Oulton Broad, England 5th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/4VCp #pope #catholic

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Rev Dr Ian Paisley - Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian - Popes' true aims for UK Visit http://goo.gl/coff #pope #catholic

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Martin Lurther - Justification preached in Lisburn 12/9/10 http://goo.gl/vSDg #pope #catholic #christian #protestant

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Papal Visit - Right or Wrong? preached in Lisburn 12 Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/uN3g #pope #catholic #christian #god

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Garvagh Free Presbyterian - Church Popery vs Scripture - Pt 1 http://goo.gl/23eR #christian #jesus #god #pope

    Tweets: SermonAudio - from Newtownards - The Roman Catholic Mass http://goo.gl/F2rY (Rev Ron Johnstone, Grand Chaplain of Orange Order) #mass

    Tweets: SermonAudio - The Mass - A Blasphemous Fable and a Dangerous Deceit preached in Dungannon 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/rJQR #pope #mass

    Tweets: SermonAudio The Pope - that Man of Sin and Antichrist preached in Dungannon 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/HqaM #catholic #pope #christian

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Roman Catholicism in the Light of Scripture Pt 1 preached in Ballymena 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/SIlS #christian #pope

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Reformed Christianity vs Roman Catholicism preached Sun 12th Sep 2010 in Londonderry http://goo.gl/1Fz9 #pope #catholic

    Tweets: New SermonAudio App for Google Android Mobile Devices, 354,000 FREE MP3 sermons plus mp4 video http://goo.gl/cjDM #christian #god #jesus

    Tweets: Several tv progs on next week - mon on ch4 `trouble with the pope` by hitchens , tues itv/utv future of Christian churches in Ireland

    Tweets: Listen to Free Presbyterian Sermons this sunday (live) about Pope visit on http://www.sermonaudio.com/ or http://www.fpcaudio.org/ #pope

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Anti-Christ thing was supported by Martin Luther, John Knox, John Calvin and a host of other Protestant Reformers, it is not a `Paisley` invented thing ... indeed the foreword to the King James Bible, the Anglican 39 Articles and the Presbyterian / Baptist Westminster Confession all say the same.........The Free P`s had a half page ad in Saturdays News Letter which expressly laid out the scriptural objections to the Papacy and made clear it was the institution and theology that was targeted and not individuals out of bigotry or hatred.

    As to your suggestion of pinpointing one church, it is quite clear you haven`t much exposure to evangelical church preaching - it is not the church you belong to or do not belong to - there are only two types of people saved sinners and unsaved sinner - denomination is irrelevant!

    http://www.twitter.com/kilsally

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tweets: RT @NIviews: William Crawley: Free Presbyterian leader says Moderator is wrong to attend a service with the Pope: http://bbc.in/a5naQQ

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - The Scottish Reformation 450 yrs - Rev. Gordon Dane preached Crossgar http://goo.gl/gnXp #pope #scotland #catholic

    Tweets: Calvin 500th Anniversary Conf Belfast..Rev Nelson Minister of Sixmilecross special series of talks to coincide Calvin’s Quincentenary

    Tweets: SermonAudio How the Dying Thief Smashes all the Teachings of the Roman Catholic Church - preached in England 28/8 http://goo.gl/90qs

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Should the Pope Come to Britain? preached in Oulton Broad, England 5th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/4VCp #pope #catholic

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Rev Dr Ian Paisley - Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian - Popes' true aims for UK Visit http://goo.gl/coff #pope #catholic

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Martin Lurther - Justification preached in Lisburn 12/9/10 http://goo.gl/vSDg #pope #catholic #christian #protestant

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Papal Visit - Right or Wrong? preached in Lisburn 12 Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/uN3g #pope #catholic #christian #god

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Garvagh Free Presbyterian - Church Popery vs Scripture - Pt 1 http://goo.gl/23eR #christian #jesus #god #pope

    Tweets: SermonAudio - from Newtownards - The Roman Catholic Mass http://goo.gl/F2rY (Rev Ron Johnstone, Grand Chaplain of Orange Order) #mass

    Tweets: SermonAudio - The Mass - A Blasphemous Fable and a Dangerous Deceit preached in Dungannon 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/rJQR #pope #mass

    Tweets: SermonAudio The Pope - that Man of Sin and Antichrist preached in Dungannon 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/HqaM #catholic #pope #christian

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Roman Catholicism in the Light of Scripture Pt 1 preached in Ballymena 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/SIlS #christian #pope

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Reformed Christianity vs Roman Catholicism preached Sun 12th Sep 2010 in Londonderry http://goo.gl/1Fz9 #pope #catholic

    Tweets: New SermonAudio App for Google Android Mobile Devices, 354,000 FREE MP3 sermons plus mp4 video http://goo.gl/cjDM #christian #god #jesus

    Tweets: Several tv progs on next week - mon on ch4 `trouble with the pope` by hitchens , tues itv/utv future of Christian churches in Ireland

    Tweets: Listen to Free Presbyterian Sermons this sunday (live) about Pope visit on http://www.sermonaudio.com/ or http://www.fpcaudio.org/ #pope

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tweets: RT @NIviews: William Crawley: Free Presbyterian leader says Moderator is wrong to attend a service with the Pope: http://bbc.in/a5naQQ

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - The Scottish Reformation 450 yrs - Rev. Gordon Dane preached Crossgar http://goo.gl/gnXp #pope #scotland #catholic

    Tweets: Calvin 500th Anniversary Conf Belfast..Rev Nelson Minister of Sixmilecross special series of talks to coincide Calvin’s Quincentenary

    Tweets: SermonAudio How the Dying Thief Smashes all the Teachings of the Roman Catholic Church - preached in England 28/8 http://goo.gl/90qs

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Should the Pope Come to Britain? preached in Oulton Broad, England 5th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/4VCp #pope #catholic

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Rev Dr Ian Paisley - Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian - Popes' true aims for UK Visit http://goo.gl/coff #pope #catholic

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Martin Lurther - Justification preached in Lisburn 12/9/10 http://goo.gl/vSDg #pope #catholic #christian #protestant

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Papal Visit - Right or Wrong? preached in Lisburn 12 Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/uN3g #pope #catholic #christian #god

    Tweets: SermonAudio.com - Garvagh Free Presbyterian - Church Popery vs Scripture - Pt 1 http://goo.gl/23eR #christian #jesus #god #pope

    Tweets: SermonAudio - from Newtownards - The Roman Catholic Mass http://goo.gl/F2rY (Rev Ron Johnstone, Grand Chaplain of Orange Order) #mass

    Tweets: SermonAudio - The Mass - A Blasphemous Fable and a Dangerous Deceit preached in Dungannon 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/rJQR #pope #mass

    Tweets: SermonAudio The Pope - that Man of Sin and Antichrist preached in Dungannon 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/HqaM #catholic #pope #christian

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Roman Catholicism in the Light of Scripture Pt 1 preached in Ballymena 12th Sep 2010 http://goo.gl/SIlS #christian #pope

    Tweets: SermonAudio - Reformed Christianity vs Roman Catholicism preached Sun 12th Sep 2010 in Londonderry http://goo.gl/1Fz9 #pope #catholic

    Tweets: New SermonAudio App for Google Android Mobile Devices, 354,000 FREE MP3 sermons plus mp4 video http://goo.gl/cjDM #christian #god #jesus

    Tweets: Several tv progs on next week - mon on ch4 `trouble with the pope` by hitchens , tues itv/utv future of Christian churches in Ireland

    Tweets: Listen to Free Presbyterian Sermons this sunday (live) about Pope visit on http://www.sermonaudio.com/ or http://www.fpcaudio.org/ #pope

    ReplyDelete
  6. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/wintour-and-watt/2010/sep/14/billy-wright-northern-ireland

    ReplyDelete
  7. It is sad that the Roman church has became what is in substance a cult. She has a man/god instad of the God/man ( the Lord Jesus Christ)At her head. She makes mary into a godess.
    And has lost the consept of salvation by Grace only. Anti means instead of and against in Greek.

    ReplyDelete
  8. :for that day shall not come , except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

    1. Who Opposeth
    2. And exalteth himself
    We see the the head of the Roman Church here.
    2 Thessalonians 2v3

    ReplyDelete
  9. The real root of the matter is apon whom is the church built Christ or Peter? on this much hangs.

    ReplyDelete