Are Baptists taught that Constantine founded the Catholic Church?

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I ran into a Baptist, a second baptist I meet who claimed Constantine founded the Catholic Church which I told him that it is untrue. I told him Jesus founded the Catholic Church. I also told him that it was in 325 A.D. Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which ended Christian persecutio, and th

He claim prove false because I told him that in 107 A.D. St. Ignatius of Antioch called Jesus Christ’s Church, Catholic. So the claim that Constantine founded the Catholic Church is false.

*Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not permitted without authorization from the bishop either to baptize or to hold an agape; but whatever he approves is also pleasing to God. Thus everything you do will be proof against danger and valid.
  1. It is consonant with reason, therefore, that we should come to our senses, while we still have time to change our ways and turn to God. It is well to revere God and bishop. He who honors a bishop is honored by God. He who does anything without the knowledge of the bishop worships the devil. May all things, then, be yours in abundance through grace, for you deserve it. You have brought relief to me in every respect, and may Jesus Christ do so to you! Whether I was absent or present, you have shown me love. Your reward is God, to whom you will come if you endure all things for His sake.* - St. Ignatius of Antioch’s letter to Smyrnaeans 107 A.D.
 
I never was taught that. Perhaps it’s the fact that I was only taught the basic, easy to overcome objections that I converted so easily.
 
I wouldn’t say their “taught” that Constantine started the Catholic Church. Most really never ask or venture into such. In general when the Catholic Church is brought up in the Baptist Churches it would be to mention a misunderstood doctrine.

Those Baptists that are a bit more inquisitive will usually start to develope questions. This will usually be because they’ve looked into history and suddenly come to the realization of the ancientness of Catholicism. This is obviously uncomfortable. However, the most natural source for information on this is to go to texts written by authors respected in the Baptist or protestant churches. These are the old legends and myths like Constantine started the Catholic Church and such.

So there isn’t a program perse it’s more like that’s all they have to go on. Unless of course they are willing to accept that their own documentation and/or writers could be wrong or have less that pure intentions. Most won’t go there.
 
I don’t think I’d ever heard that until I was much older, but by then I knew it was false.

In fact , I had a roomate in college who was Catholic (much to my parents horror), and we got into a discussion as to who founded our different churches. She, of course said that Jesus had founded her’s. I remember scoffing at that at the time. I knew that Baptists had been founded in the 1600’s, but I do remember that in order to make Baptists the older faith, I said that John the Baptist had founded the Baptist. :eek: :o It sure was nice, years later to be proven wrong and my roomie right! 😃
 
Rtconstant, your description of inquisitive Baptists describes my situation. But instead of looking for some Baptist spin on the subject, I typed in www.catholic.com and WHAMMO!

Here I am! Ex-Baptist…😃
 
This idea is a common canard among fundamentalists of all stripes. I have gotten so that I can refute it in 30 seconds. But keep in mind that they aren’t always interested in the facts. Brother Billy Bob said it and that settles it.
 
cestusdei said:
This idea is a common canard among fundamentalists of all stripes. I have gotten so that I can refute it in 30 seconds. But keep in mind that they aren’t always interested in the facts. Brother Billy Bob said it and that settles it.
Click to expand...
Im sincerely curious as to how you refute that belief in 30 seconds. Do you mind telling me?
 
Brian_C said:
Rtconstant, your description of inquisitive Baptists describes my situation. But instead of looking for some Baptist spin on the subject, I typed in www.catholic.com and WHAMMO!

Here I am! Ex-Baptist…😃
Click to expand...
LOL, I starting in my early 20’s I began to have this on again off again relationship with the Catholic Church. I had met a nun (a traditionalist) who I got into a theological debate with. I was so convinced that since my faith was based on the Bible and her’s was man made that it wasn’t even going to be a contest. Well, I ate some humble pie that day as that little nun took me to the mat and didn’t break a sweat!

My next thing was to go to my pastor because I was very confused. He gave me some stuff to read which espoused all the usual mythologies. I went back to her and got ended up with a fresh one!

Anyway, I actually got to like the nun and so we’d have converstations every now and then. However, while I was still a loyal Baptist I had started looking at Church history and the ECF’s as she had referenced this often. A few years latter I (by totally twist of fate) ended up helping her order with some copy right issues.

While there other people in the Order and the associated priory got to know me and we all kind of bonded. On my last day with them the children of their school lit a candle and said a prayer for me to Our Lady. At the time I thought it a sweet gesture but my belief is that something started then.

Well it took years but I continued working in my church (was ordained a deacon) and I kept studying. It started off with me starting to have different interpretations of the Bible. Then I started standing out from my Baptist bretheren by viewing Our Lady in much more reverent light. Finally after years it dawned on me that I was Catholic. I hadn’t spoke to a priest. I hadn’t went to RCIA but I was Catholic. I know that sounds weird but I had over time adopted pretty much identical beliefs.

LOL, I remember having religious conversations with Catholics and have them actually ask me “are you sure you’re Baptitst?”

So anyway, after I realized my conversion of heart I went the local Church and signed up for RCIA. I’ve never been happier.
 
I was so thankful for the experience that I volunteered to help with RCIA this year! 😃

Anyway…
 
I simply quote St. Ignatius of Antioch and ask how he could talk about the Catholic Church 200 years before Constantine was born? The ball is then in their court. Their ignorance is quickly made manifest since Br. Billy Bob has never heard of St. Ignatius.
 
I never heard that in the 8 or so years that I was a Baptist, but then the congregations with which I was associated did not exactly major (or even minor) in anti-Catholicism.

Neither did I hear that in the holiness Pentecostal denomination in which I grew up in the '50s and early '60s, but that may have been because the vast majority of my co-religionists of those days didn’t know who Constantine was, let alone St. Ignatius 😛

DaveBj
 
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