Withholding credit even when it's due

Sometimes, people who help you like to remain anonymous. Why? In some circumstances, the result of their help, as good as it may seem to you, is an embarrassment to them. Huh? Right.

If I was tempted toward a particular gross sin and I went to a local bar and sat next to a prominent member of the community who had recently been involved in just that sort of gross sin, he may turn to me as a stranger in a bar after a few drinks and sadly admit to his failings and wish that he had never taken that road and admonish me to stay on the straight and narrow, etc. Seeing that the man is clearly worse off for having tried the things I was tempted to try, I might indeed be quickened in my resolve to avoid whatever that was. But if I wrote an article for the local paper, crediting that man by name for that help, I would expect a call or visit from him with a not-so-friendly tone, asking me to write another article discrediting myself in general and explaining that it was all a misunderstanding.

I have not written much in the last two years relating to my experience with the so-called “federal vision” as a Protestant and its role in my reconciliation with the Head of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I may do that some day, but for the last two years, my thought has been to avoid the potential call, visit, or email requesting me to explain publicly that no one should pay any attention to my story because when I was a Protestant, I was also a sinner, and therefore not able to reason properly.

I posted below regarding Matt Yonke’s article, On How the Federal Vision Made Me Catholic. If you read the comments to that piece, you’ll see a note from a “Douglas” who is wanting Matt’s email address. Now, you’ll see a new post on Matt’s blog HERE called “To be fair…” and if you had known where to look, you would have seen a blog post HERE from “Douglas” about Matt’s further “clarifications”.