They haven't given up ...
The cute, cuddly Panda Bear of the World Wildlife Federation is on the web site of the movie, 'The Golden Compass'. That movie, as you may know, and the books it is extracted from is fervently anti-Catholic with select attacks on every Christian branch with the exception of the Church of England, whose Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, supports it.
The book the movie was made from was written by an Englishman, you see, and many of the arguments in it support that particular Christian branch. The production company hails from New Zealand, where again, hatred of the Catholic Church and love the Church of England is strong.
The Archbishop was also hotly against the invasion of Iraq and luridly opposes the continued occupation of that country by the United States.
Says the Archbishop of Canterbury, "We are doing all we can to support the Iraqi people."
Recently in a British Muslim magazine the Archbishop of Canterbury called the United States the ‘worst’ imperialist.
He further stated, “We have only one global hegemonic power. It is not accumulating territory: it is trying to accumulate influence and control. That’s not working.”
He then started talking in glowing tones about the British travesties in India, “It is one thing to take over a territory and then pour energy and resources into administering it and normalising it. Rightly or wrongly, that’s what the British Empire did — in India, for example.”
The movie ’The Golden Compass’ echoes and brings to the modern movie screen centuries of ignorance and hatred. Many of the misguided morals and themes of the movie are the same as those which have pushed many animals to the brink of extinction. Just which way is World Wildlife Federation headed? Towards the light of civilized society or into the darkness of fear and dread? The movie presents half-baked science and twists philosophical ideas until they make no sense - ideas like conservation, love, fidelity and honor.

This article was posted on an Anglican site and generated some interesting comments. It may be found at:

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/8190/

Sells

While the Gospels reflect the particular culture(s) of the Ancient Near East, Rome and the Hellenic world I do not believe that they 'dictate' a particular culture.

I see no problem in the great cultural diversity of the modern Churches. Yes, there are theological differences there too and that is the ground upon which there is merit in seeking some sort of unity/identity. That can be done... is being done to some extent... without necessarily merging the religious cultures that make us different.

I note that there is a recurring theme through your posts of the 'rightly ordered society'. If in this you have the idea that there is one particular ordering of society that is the ideal to which we might aspire and towards which we might work then I say that this is a romantic notion and I do not share your ideal. I certainly do not see ANY church that even comes close to representing such an ideal, however much they might talk about it.

Church Union was always a bad idea, still is! Obviously many of your Anglican colleagues think similarly else the Anglican Church would have 'United' along with the Presbyterians, Methodists and Congergationalists. At the very least it would have returned to Rome... just one more time!. The only good thing to come out of Union so far seems to be an increase in diversity so lets celebrate that

Thanks for the essay Peter. I think that Catholicism may not have been impervious from the cancer of enlightenment thinking. Certainly the discipline and centrality of the Catholic Church has prevented fragmenting which has troubled the Protestant church.
This being so the diversity of the Protestant church has been a great strength. It is questionable whether the rigidity of the Roman Catholic Church allows it to relate fully amongst diversity of community.

Today the Protestant Church with all its scruples and many faces has been a success in Africa, South East Asia and Korea. Perhaps I am wrong here, but it is difficult to imagine that The Roman Catholic Church could replicate such expansion

Craig7

There is no such thing as the Protestant church.....there are thousands of protestant "churches".....all competing with each other, and disagreeing with each other. What did Jesus say about "Father, may they be one as we are one"?

The article asks “Why do Protestants remain separated from the Roman Catholic Church after most of the reasons for their separation have disappeared?”

Maybe because they "think" about it and “choose” to remain separate from the Church of Rome (and separate from other protestants for that matter).

I would note, whilst the Church of Rome is fond of using religious intimidation to keep control over its flock, the excesses of the “inquisition” would no longer be tolerated (despite that the office still being maintained to this day).

Of course, some of us prefer our religious affiliates to have a better way of dealing with pedophiles than to move them on and blame the victims.

When the Church of Rome can move its administration and attitudes out of the 15th century it might have some relevance to protestants, until then, it will only find truck with those of an unquestioning, repressed or primitive spirit.