Comparing apples and oranges

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Peter at With a Grain of Salt has an interesting post on the topic of Preaching. His reflection is worth a read. Yet it made me think: do we too often compare apples with oranges? Is it fair (or logical) to compare Protestant hymnody with Catholic music? Or, as in the example above, Protestant with Catholic preaching? Or, in a more personal sphere, Catholic catechetical methods and Protestant educational programmes?

My issue is quite simply that the intended end (final causality) shapes the action. In the examples above - hymnody, preaching and education - do Catholics intend the same end as Protestants? Just because we do (externally) the same thing, does not mean we do (internally) the same thing! Agree?!?!

BTW: the Catholic preaching I have heard has been exceptional. It has, in the main, escaped the traps of attacking straw-men or a return to emptied slogans.

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