To: 
From: "Vern Humphrey" 
Reply-To: r_catholic-l{at}yahoogroups.com

To: seanmbrook{at}aol.com [mailto:seanmbrook{at}aol.com]
> >
>  I have sometimes discussed the Nihil Obstat and
>  Imprimatur.  Most often with hard line Trads who
>  seem to think that means we have to agree with
>  EVERYTHING a particular author said.  Actually,
>  the Nihil Obstat is simply an official declaration
>  that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal and
>  moral error.  It does NOT mean that all opinions
>  of an author represent binding doctrine.

You are correct -- it literally means "nothing obstructs."  There
is no requirement to BELIEVE what appears under the Nihil Obstat (unless it
recapitulates other material promulgated under the Magisterium.)
>
> > and the Imprimatur.  Is that important?
> >
>  Yes, it is.  If it purports to present Catholic doctrine,
>  it SHOULD have been inspected.

Which is what I was doing.

But a point I would like to make is that religious
"documentaries" are likely to be tampered with, and to be as
slanted and as biased as ordinary news reporting.
>
>
> > from blood, and from unlawful marriage.  He proposes a letter
> be written to
> > this effect, and Judas and Silas, who accompanied Paul and Barnabas back
> > north, carried the letter to the non-Jewish Christians.
> >
>  Correct.  And, I suspect Luke TELESCOPED into a
>  single meeting what probably needed several days of
>  debate and discussion to clarify.  Nothing wrong with
>  that.  Simply how some ancient authors wrote.

Correct -- what matters is the accuracy of the issue and decision.
>
> > VH> In the film, James is portrayed as saying veheminently that NOTHING
> > should
> > be placed on the non-Jewish Christians, and Paul and Barnabas return.
> > Later, Judas and Silas suddenly appear with the letter, and
> Paul goes into a
> > rage, condemning James.
> >
>  Grossly dishonest of the film!  This alone would make
>  me demand a refund.  Along with sending a letter to
>  the producers explaining its errors.

But think how many millions have seen it!

How many of them saw it with the New Testament in hand, riffling back and
forth to locate the source for each scene, and finding all the errors!

Many people must believe that what was shown was accurate.  After all, who
would tamper with the Bible?
>
> > many seemed deliberate to present a particular point of
> religious doctrine.
> >
>  Yep.  An UN Catholic form of extremism.  I think your
>  parish would do far better to order videos from "Ignatius
>  Press."  They seem to offer far higher quality.

We will -- these will not be shown.  But I wonder at the insidious nature
of the media.  How many Catholics saw this thing on TV and accepted it as
accurate?
>
> > VH> In another series of tapes, � �The Trial and Testimony of the Early
> > Church� � I
>
> > found things like � �The early church had no buildings, no vestments, no
>
> > hierarchy.� �
>
> >
>  Nonsense, of course!  Esp. the last point.  These tapes
>  should also be rejected as both false and unCatholic.

Frankly, I had not realized the depth of such falsehoods and how pervasive
they are until I took these tapes to review.
>
> > VH> But both Acts and the epistles of Paul clearly tell us that the
> > hierarchy of
> > bishops (episcopoi), priests (presbyters) and deacons was a very early
> > development.
> >
>  Correct.  I would add that some scholars like the
>  late Fr .Raymond Brown think that at first most, or
>  all presbyters were also bishops.  That is, the hier-
>  archy was bishops/presbyters and deacons.  It
>  was by the late first century that the three fold
>  hierarchy of bishops, priests, and deacons became
>  the norm.
>
>  And special buildings for worship and celebrating
>  Mass were coming into use by the end of the
>  first century as "house churches" became too
>  small to accommodate increasing nos.of Christians.
>
Well, to say THAT would be too "Catholic" for these actors and producers.
>


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