July 18 1994

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A recent document entitled Evangelicals and Catholics Together gives a resounding yes to this question. The document was signed by a number of able Catholic scholars and administrators representing the new face of post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism and by a number of evangelical leaders whose commitment to evangelicalism no one should question.

A document on this topic should have been prepared and signed by all evangelicals three decades ago. Unfortunately, the present document could be interpreted as jeopardizing the biblical gospel.

No doubt most evangelicals who signed the document were motivated by their conviction that cooperation with Roman Catholics could bring immense good to our nation. Evangelicals and Catholics share values crucial to the well-being of society. Traditional Roman Catholics share our zeal against abortion-on-demand, pornography, special legal status for practicing homosexuals, euthanasia, and relativistic ethics, not to mention a dedication to honesty, fairness, sexual purity, and the integrity of the family. Most American Catholics share with evangelicals a deep commitment to human freedoms, including religious freedom.

With the spread of moral rot that destroys the roots of a free and just society, we evangelicals need to close ranks with our Catholic neighbors. And with Mormons, conservative Jews, and secularists who share our values. We must do this for our own good and the good of society as a whole.

This statement, Evangelicals and Catholics Together, rightly calls our attention to the importance of working together for the good of our nation and of all society. Unfortunately, it does not make equally clear how important are the doctrinal differences that still divide evangelicals and ...