download the trinity how not to be a heretic

So a given person, an individual Protestant, can hold a heretical view, but depending on his intention or level of ignorance, not necessarily be a heretic himself, not in the formal sense, anyway. Protestantism is a heresy, and no amount of politically correct pandering will ever alter that. This is a man of bad will.īut a material heretic is a person who denies a truth that must be held by divine and Catholic faith, but who holds the heretical belief because of either invincible ignorance or because of an error held in good faith. 'Good faith' here means he thinks he is right and not in error, but on the contrary, is in possession of the truth. In other words, they have a bad motive and cling to a position purely out of pride, a position they know or suspect is wrong but are simply unwilling to admit it. The Church, in canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law, defines heresy as 'the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and catholic faith.' But as the Catechism points out, there are formal heretics and material heretics, and the difference between the two boils down to the individual's subjective disposition of his opinion.Ī formal heretic is one who is aware that his belief is at odds with Catholic teaching and yet freely and willingly continues to cling to the belief pertinaciously, meaning stubbornly.

A couple of necessary distinctions first, because the Catholic mind makes distinctions because distinctions must be made to arrive at correct understanding so right judgments can be formed - and then, of course, choices.įirst, Protestantism is a heresy, and no amount of politically correct pandering will ever alter that. We want to follow up on this theme regarding Protestantism, which seems to have really struck a nerve.

Download the trinity how not to be a heretic