"Jesus Seminar" Debunked - their 25th Anniversary is coming up Oct. 13-16, 2010. The Rosary is the best "Bead System" that highlights what Jesus SAID and DID, unlike what the Jesus Seminar participants have invented. This piece is a published Editorial of mine from The Baton Rouge Advocate in 2002 about the Jesus Seminar.

Yesterday’s Religion Section article (10/19/02 – F-2) about the “Jesus Seminar” raised some points that need clarification. It should be noted that there has been a clear Apostolic Succession in the Church from St. Peter to Pope John Paul II; likewise, since the beginning days of the Church, there have been Councils (“Official Seminars’) up till Vatican II.

The participants of the modern seminar seemed to imply a relativistic/democratic decision-making emphasis not given by Jesus. As noted by my Pastor, Rev. Msgr. Robert Berggreen (10/20/02 St. Agnes Bulletin):

The Magisterium of the Church is the teaching Church, the hierarchy, the Pope with the Bishops in union with him. It is Catholic faith that Jesus Christ gave the power to teach, to rule, and to sanctify to the Magisterium, to Peter and the Apostles and their successors (Mt. 28: 18-20).

Therefore, we as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, cannot simply pick and choose what rules or guidelines to follow – as if being “Cafeteria Catholics.” The modern seminar participants have even devised a bead color system to somehow determine what Words Jesus actually said or not! No matter how informed or broad we may think of our conscience, it can not contradict objective truth/morality. As Fr. Jeff Bayhi noted (10/2002 –Closer Walk Ministries):

Therefore we end up hearing many people preface their statements with, ‘I know the Church says it is wrong, BUT,’ or ‘I know the Bible says you are not supposed to do it, BUT,’ or ‘I know the Church says it is sin, BUT.’ These are the statements that lead us to our ‘BUTS’ getting in a lot of trouble. In effect, what it does is deny the fact that there is objective truth and that there are moral absolutes.

The Rosary is a beautiful meditative prayer that highlights what the modern seminar participants emphasize in the need for us to get better “in touch” with Jesus. The Pope has just added 5 new mysteries (“Of the Light”) to the Rosary that certainly pertain to this: Jesus’- 1. Baptism of our Lord; 2. First Miracle – the Wedding Feast . Cana: changing water to wine; 3. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus; 4. Jesus' Transfiguration; and 5. The Institution of the Eucharist by Jesus.