God bless you! I wanted to respond to each of the points made in the movie. Before I do that, I’m opening with scripture because the Lord has revealed to you the importance of his Body and Blood that was in your hand in your dream. Originally, this was the last item I was going to mention, but I am placing this first (because the movie didn’t mention the memorial of Christ, it was under “error by omission” at the bottom).
The importance of His Body and Blood (from 1 Cor 11:23-32):
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. (1 Cor 11:23-32)
The movie is excellent in many ways, and generally correct. It is distinctly Protestant and not Catholic. You can see that the ones defending the truth are contrite and humble. The ones spouting heresies are prideful and disobedient (their hearts are in the world, not in Heaven). So, I’ve broken down the things we agree on, and those things which we don’t agree (this is typical of Catholic vs Protestant theology). I also want to emphasize that Father Richard Bohr is a heretic.
Although Father Richard Rohr is a Roman Catholic priest in good standing, his theology is dead wrong. The Catholic Church has the greatest saints and worst sinners. Keep in mind that one of the twelve was Judas. The actions of Judas do not diminish the Head of the Church who is Christ. Whenever a bad priest needs correction, the laymen must speak out which is exactly what is happening now. This link speaks the truth about him https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/dissident-priest-spouting-heresy-with-local-bishops-protection
Agreements:
Catholic theology is in agreement with the movie on the following (the numbers are “paragraphs” of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which explains official Catholic teaching):
- Homosexuality is a grave sin. 2357
- Original Sin applies to all men and requires atonement. 416 & 421
- Jesus was a ransom to appease God’s wrath (reconcile to God, not to Satan). 613
- Penal Substitution without Merit (also called Sanctifying Grace) 604
- Attribitutes of God: God is Truth and Love 231
- Attribitutes of God: The Wrath of God is Just 1861
- Attribitutes of God: God is Jealous 399
- Attribitutes of God: Sovereignty of God 303
- God is Not a “Child Abuser” 610
- Hell is real and eternal 1035
- God is Immutable (He does not change, nor His commandments) 2072 & 2086
- The Holy Trinity is One 253
- The Word of God is Inerrent (Infallible) 65
- Jesus did not “die spiritually” in Hell (but Jesus did go to “Abraham’s Bosom” Lk 16:22 to save the just) 633
Disagreements:
1) Sola Fide (Saved by Faith Alone?)
As stated in item 4 above, we agree that we don’t merit salvation. But, we have a free will created by God. Protestants fear being prideful if we think we merit anything. The fear is that we make ourselves to be equal with God. This is a misunderstanding of God’s love and God’s will. Here’s a couple paragraphs from the catechism:
Grace:
“Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God’s interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.” 2000
The preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace. This latter is needed to arouse and sustain our collaboration in justification through faith, and in sanctification through charity (love). God brings to completion in us what he has begun, “since he who completes his work by cooperating with our will began by working so that we might will it:” 2001
Merit:
With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator. 2007
The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man’s free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man’s merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit. 2008
2) Faith is Trust?
The movie compares “blind faith” to “100% certainty” and then cites Thomas putting his finger in Christ’s pierced hand to conclude that it is “Trust”. This is not accurate. Jesus did say to Thomas that “Blessed are those who have not seen, and believed.” (Jn 20:29). Here’s a couple points on faith from the catechism:
Peter Confesses The Christ:
When St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared to him that this revelation did not come “from flesh and blood”, but from “my Father who is in heaven”. (Mt 16:17) Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. “Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.'” 153
Certainty of Faith is more certain than science:
Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but “the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives.” “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.” 157
3) Error by omission. The movie doesn’t mention the memorial of Christ to “Do this in memory of me”.
The Memorial:
Because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: “This is my body which is given for you” and “This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood.” 187 In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:28) 1365
Take care,
Tim