Criticism
The notion of Anonymous Christian has been criticized.
Fundamentalist Christians generally believe that the notion of Anonymous Christian explicitly contradicts the teachings of Peter, Paul and other Apostles. For example, Acts 4:12, "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." This group of Christians believe in "Christian exclusivism—the view that biblical Christianity is true, and that other religious systems are false."
Some Catholic groups, such as the Society of St. Pius X, have long battled against the rise of liberalism, modernism, and attitudes of inclusiveness in the Catholic Church, particularly since the Second Vatican Council. Anonymous Christianity, the Society writes, "is a very grave doctrinal error because it declares personal justification as being already realized for every man without any participation of his will or free choice and, so, without any need of his conversion, faith, baptism or works. Redemption is guaranteed to all, as if sanctifying grace were ontologically present in each man just because he is man."
Liberal Christians condemn the notion because, as Hans Küng put it, "It would be impossible to find anywhere in the world a sincere Jew, Muslim or atheist who would not regard the assertion that he is an 'anonymous Christian' as presumptuous". John Hick states that this notion is paternalistic because it is "honorary status granted unilaterally to people who have not expressed any desire for it." Hick further rejects the notion because the majority of people are born into non-Christian families. Anonymous Christianity, per this group, denigrates the beliefs of others by supposing that they are really Christians without realizing it.
Karl Rahner did not intend for the term to become derogatory, but rather to explain a mechanism by which non-Christians both present and those who preceded Jesus Christ might be saved.
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