P
Peter_J
Guest
^^ So you’ve never met any of the sort that call themselves Catholic (without being in communion with Rome)?
You already know so well, Jesus already established His Church 2000 years ago Matthew 16:16-19 . It’s the Catholic Church. There are no off shoots, no denominations, and no such thing as seperate but equal. Jesus hates division from what He establishes John 17:20-23.If one believes that “everyone wants to be called Catholic” then they have no experience with Protestants. Even among Lutherans, who claim to be catholic, there are many who distance themselves from that term other than reciting the creeds. In-fact, an ongoing concern for some Lutherans is that the church is becoming “too catholic”; this is especially evident in the ELCA when Apostolic Succession was re-introduced.
To be ‘catholic’ in some parts of the U.S. is to be viewed with suspicion and perhaps derision; such as the rural Midwest and South.
I would refer you to the Catholic-Lutheran dialogue over the past 50 years. You may want to read '‘From Conflict to Communion’ as Lutherans and Catholics prepare to celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation. To cling to outdated notions doesn’t enhance understanding and is contrary to what has been accomplished between Lutherans and Catholics. lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/From%20Conflict%20to%20Communion.pdfYou already know so well, Jesus already established His Church 2000 years ago Matthew 16:16-19 . It’s the Catholic Church. There are no off shoots, no denominations, and no such thing as seperate but equal. Jesus hates division from what He establishes John 17:20-23.
Luther, the father of Proptestantism, and the father of your particular group of believers, left Our Lord’s Church 500 years ago. That Protestant revolt became serial dissent down to today by all kinds of people. So when we finally get our heads around the magnitude of this dissent, and get to the bottomline, it seems to me, the question is,
Q: When Protestants regardless of stripe and name, see THEIR history and where they came from, how do Protestants, being sola scriptura folks, defend themselves against Romans 16:17-20 , Galatians 5:19-21 . considering there is no expiration date to that condemnation of division / dissension / schism (whichever word a person’s particular translation uses)
But even those principles are not uniform, either in their acceptance by groups placed under the heading of protestant, or even their definition.=Randy Carson;11220576]“Protestantism is one of the major divisions within Christianity. It has been defined as 'any of several church denominations denying the universal authority of the Pope and affirming the Reformation principles of justification by faith alone, the priesthood of all believers, and the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth” and, more broadly, to mean Christianity outside “of an Orthodox or Catholic church’.”
This, as well as various different points of origin, other than that of Pentecost. And it is here that the problem comes in.I think what you mean, Jon, is that to speak of Protestantism in any meaningful way requires great care and precision given the lack of uniformity in doctrine and style of worship, etc.
It is only meaningless when it is used to imply that there is or was a monolithic “Protestant Church”, which then splintered apart. When used as shorthand to identify that general group of communions that are western non-Catholic, then it is not meaningless.But the term is not meaningless.
Well said, it is Catholics answers forums NCR…bound to be disagreements unless we all play Pretend there are no differences that matter.I appreciate your sentiment. Though I disagree with looking at the division that we can see in this site as negative. In order to learn, we must approach that which we do not know or understand. This almost certainly guarantees a disagreement.
If there was not division between religions, this site would be a bunch of Catholics debating what shade of purple should be used in advent (which probably occurs in another folder of threads I’m sure).
The civility here is genuine, even with a little fast back and forth sometimes.
Happyness in this world is fleeting. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not something we can count on.
If it was important, I think we would have seen more campfires and songs when Jesus taught.
What’s not fleeting is what is true.
I think it can be, as any term not properly employed can be rendered meaningless. I do identify myself as catholic, but also use the qualifier evangelical, hence Evangelical Catholic, because typically when one says they are Catholic it is assumed they are in communion with the Bishop of Rome, which I am not.Would you then consider the term "catholic’ as rendered meaningless ?
Which brings us right back to post #185.^^ So you’ve never met any of the sort that call themselves Catholic (without being in communion with Rome)?
Jon will respond for himself, but my opinion is that the word “catholic” still means universal whereas the word “Catholic” apparently depends on who is using it!
Everybody wants to be called Catholic, but the folks who coined the term back in the first century are now headquartered in Rome.

Celebrate?I would refer you to the Catholic-Lutheran dialogue over the past 50 years. You may want to read '‘From Conflict to Communion’ as Lutherans and Catholics prepare to celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation. To cling to outdated notions doesn’t enhance understanding and is contrary to what has been accomplished between Lutherans and Catholics. lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/From%20Conflict%20to%20Communion.pdf
That would be my thought. Perhaps commemorate.Celebrate?
Wouldn’t quiet reflection and repentance be more appropriate?
At the risk of getting off onto a side road or byway, do people ever take you for a self-hating Lutheran? (If so I can sympathize, since some have thought me a self-hating Catholic.)Originally Posted by Randy Carson
Celebrate?
I would refer you to the Catholic-Lutheran dialogue over the past 50 years. You may want to read '‘From Conflict to Communion’ as Lutherans and Catholics prepare to celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation. To cling to outdated notions doesn’t enhance understanding and is contrary to what has been accomplished between Lutherans and Catholics. lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/From%20Conflict%20to%20Communion.pdf
- In 2017, when Lutheran Christians celebrate the anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, they are not thereby celebrating the division of the Western church. No one who is theologically responsible can celebrate the division of Christians from one another.
No, not self-hating. I have heard the term “Romanized” whispered before, however.At the risk of getting off onto a side road or byway, do people ever take you for a self-hating Lutheran? (If so I can sympathize, since some have thought me a self-hating Catholic.)
No, not self-hating. I have heard the term “Romanized” whispered before, however.
Jon
No, not self-hating. I have heard the term “Romanized” whispered before, however.
Jon
Yeah, and Randy Carson has twice accused me of being a “ninja Catholic”.
LOL…What a compliment, Jon; it doesn’t get better than that!Yeah, and Randy Carson has twice accused me of being a “ninja Catholic”.
Jon
I’m familiar with the talks. Keep in mind, while dialogues and commissions are good and needed, they are only dialogues. They don’t speak for or obligate the Church. There is nothing outdated about the status of division. There is no expiration date to those condemnations in scripture on division…no matter how long division lasts., division is division. Cutting to the chase, after 50 years of talk, can I receive communion in your church? NO. Are you invited to receive communion in the Catholic Church? NO. That tells both of us where communion is.I would refer you to the Catholic-Lutheran dialogue over the past 50 years. You may want to read '‘From Conflict to Communion’ as Lutherans and Catholics prepare to celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation. To cling to outdated notions doesn’t enhance understanding and is contrary to what has been accomplished between Lutherans and Catholics. lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/From%20Conflict%20to%20Communion.pdf
Oh, on the contrary, my friend. These agreements and declarations are taken quite seriously. Why would Catholic and Lutherans bother unless they were seeking reunification. Pope Benedict made very strong overtures to Lutherans and Pope Francis may take it ever futher. You may be very surprised by the time the 500th anniversary of the Reformation takes place in 2017.I’m familiar with the talks. Keep in mind, while dialogues and commissions are good and needed, they are only dialogues. They don’t speak for or obligate the Church. There is nothing outdated about the status of division. There is no expiration date to those condemnations in scripture on division…no matter how long division lasts., division is division. Cutting to the chase, after 50 years of talk, can I receive communion in your church? NO. Are you invited to receive communion in the Catholic Church? NO. That tells both of us where communion is.![]()
nothing happened with those overtures when Benedict was at the helm, and so we’ll see with pope Francis. All I can say, don’t assume anythingOh, on the contrary, my friend. These agreements and declarations are taken quite seriously. Why would Catholic and Lutherans bother unless they were seeking reunification. Pope Benedict made very strong overtures to Lutherans and Pope Francis may take it ever futher. You may be very surprised by the time the 500th anniversary of the Reformation takes place in 2017.
With all due respect, The Catholic Church prohibits Catholics from receiving communion in a Lutheran church. And the CC doesn’t invite Lutherans to receive the Eucharist in the CC. Special occasion refers to a Lutheran in proximaty of death.Also, Roman Catholics are invited to commune in Lutheran churches and Lutherans are invited to do the same on special occasions.