A false, radical, and misguided unity is bringing Protestants and Catholics together to exalt the Holy Eucharist and ecumenism above the word of God. There is an endeavor underway in the interfaith movement to eliminate the practice of closed communion. According to Rome, we are all one, and we are all part of Christ; and for this reason, participation in the same Eucharistic bread and wine must be followed. The fruit of ecumenism is to get Protestants to embrace Catholic liturgies and sacraments, bringing them closer to Rome and thereby neutralizing the protest of the Reformation.
Hillsdale College is a conservative non-denominational institution founded by Baptists located in Hillsdale, Michigan. The Hillsdale Collegian newspaper published an article on November 21, 2024, titled “Speaker Advocates for Unity on the Eucharist” and argued the “Protestants and Catholics can find more common ground on the Eucharist” than most people think. [1]
The following was stated in the student college paper about bringing both religions together:
• “Transubstantiation can unite Christians, not divide them, author and theologian Brett Salkeld said in a lecture Nov. 18.” [1]
• “Hillsdale College Catholic Society hosted Salkeld’s talk, ‘Transubstantiation and Christian Unity.’ Salkeld has written several books, including ‘Transubstantiation: Theology, History, and Christian Unity’ in 2019, and serves as an Archdiocesan Theologian for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina.” [1]
• “The lecture attracted Catholic and Protestant students alike, leaving few empty seats in a basement Lane Hall classroom.” [1]
• “Dr. Salkeld’s work can help Catholics understand their own faith better, and it can help Protestants and others from developing a false understanding of that teaching,” said Professor of Theology Mickey Mattox. “I think he very much managed to do both those things. The event was a resounding success.” [1]
• “Salkeld said his emphasis on transubstantiation being an act of God, not man, is important to unite Catholics and Protestants around the Eucharist.” [1]
• “When Catholics and Protestants can agree on the real presence in the Eucharist, they can unite in Christian fellowship. ‘We need to affirm the same faith but not the same theology,’ Salkeld said.” [1]
When Catholic theologians are brought in to instruct Protestant students, they will cause them to adopt practices and beliefs associated with Catholicism. Central to this phenomenon is the increasing embrace of the Holy Eucharist, a key Catholic doctrine that the founders of the Protestant Reformation originally rejected. This shift is often framed as a move toward unity and ecumenism, but it effectively draws Protestants into Catholic understandings of faith. Over time, this trend raises profound questions about the distinctiveness of Protestant identity and whether or not there remains any reason to continue being separate.
The Protestant Reformation is far from over, despite significant strides made by ecumenism to bridge the divide between Protestant and Catholic traditions. The work begun by the Reformers of the 16th century remains vital, as their call to embrace the primacy of Scripture and reject man-made traditions continues to resonate in a world that often seeks to dilute doctrinal clarity for the sake of unity. The proclamation of the gospel in its purity, the rejection of practices and doctrines contrary to Scripture, and the need for ongoing renewal in the Church are as urgent today as they were in the days of Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli. Until the second coming of Jesus, the Reformation remains an unfinished work, calling believers to hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and to faithfully contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).
Protestants who participate in the ecumenical movement are helping to heal the deadly wound, which will lead to the following crisis:
“God’s Word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly, she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike” (The Great Controversy, 581).
“The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to reestablish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done” (The Great Controversy, 565).
Sources
[1] https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2024/11/speaker-advocates-for-unity-on-the-eucharist/
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