Cover
story Separated as chaff from wheat
The following is an excerpt from Tribulation Force, the
second book in the Left Behind series:
Buck spent the rest of the day
tweaking his cover story for Global Weekly on the theories behind the
disappearances.
Most interesting to Buck was the interpretation of the
event on the part of other churchman. A lot of Catholics were confused, because
while many remained, some had disappeared, including the new pope, who had been
installed just a few months before the vanishings. He had stirred up
controversy in the church with a new doctrine that seemed to coincide more with
the heresy of Martin Luther than with the historic orthodoxy they
were used to. When the pope had disappeared, some Catholic scholars had
concluded that this was indeed an act of God. Those who opposed the
orthodox teaching of the Mother Church were winnowed out from among us,
Peter Cardinal Mathews of Cincinnati, a leading archbishop, had told Buck. ...
This is a very difficult time. I myself am grieving the loss of a sister
and an aunt. But they had left the church.
They had?
They opposed the teaching. Wonderful women, most kind. Most
earnest, I must add. But I fear they have been separated as chaff from wheat.
Yet those of us who remain should be confident in our standing with God as
never before.
Buck had been bold enough to ask the archbishop to comment on
certain passages of scripture, primarily Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace
you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift
of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Now you see, the archbishop said, this is
precisely my point. People have been taking verses like that out of context for
centuries and trying to build a doctrine on them.
But there are other passages just like these, Buck
said.
I understand that, but, listen, youre not Catholic,
are you?
No, sir.
Well, see, you dont understand the broad sweep of the
historical church.
Excuse me, but explain to me why so many non-Catholics are
still here, if your hypothesis is right.
God knows, Archbishop Mathews had said. He knows
hearts. He knows more than we do.
Thats for sure, Buck said.
Of course Buck left his personal comments and opinions out of the
article, but he was able to work in the scripture and the archbishops
attempt to explain away the doctrine of grace.
National Catholic Reporter, June 15,
2001
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