A BAPTIST reader says Catholics are pagans and idolaters, and I respond. An excerpt:

Protestant rationalists dislike things such as beads and lit candles and the crucifix’s image of Our Savior suffering on the Cross, which — because human beings inhabit the physical realm and not just the sterile world of the mind — is a constant reminder of the meaning of his suffering (and our suffering) and serves as a vital outward profession of faith. At the same time, they show no hesitation when it comes to waving an American flag or aiding their patriotism with various physical objects such as little replicas of the Liberty Bell or pictures of the Founders! I won’t accuse them of idolatry because I believe these things are reasonable aids to love of country but they can be used in an idolatrous way and they certainly point to Protestant hypocrisy on the issue of sacramentals and devotionals. Catholics have always believed in these outward professions of faith and reminders of the supernatural world, which many Protestants scorn hypocritically. In the end, the belief that these things are evil and idolatrous smacks of another inherited gimmick and marketing ploy, tricks of the trade to distinguish Protestant sects from the holy tree from which they came, a way to demonize their Catholic ancestors whose beliefs and devotions they now selectively reject. And you criticize Catholics for the sale of indulgences!

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