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The idea that “there is no salvation outside the church” is not taken seriously. Even the Roman Catholic Church has generally downplayed this venerable doctrine since about 1950. There was even a priest in the United States, Father Feeney, who continued to preach the old doctrine so enthusiastically that the hierarchy put pressure on him to stop. He refused, and the church excommunicated him in 1953.
Source:
North, G (1994). Unconditional Surrender: God’s Plan for Victory. 4th. ed. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, p. 229
My two cents:
That poor priest, being subjected to doctrinal relativism by his own hierarchy. I’m not focussing on whether the doctrine is true, I’m focussing on how one can be convicted for holding to his church’s values too well. I guess this is an extreme example, but I do admire the priest’s faith.
