Are there Protestants that don't believe that the RCC is the original church Jesus founded himself?

[Peter_J]

I think those that believe it do become Catholic.

These Protestants can usually be found at Holy Mass on Sundays and at an RCIA class at least one night during the week.

Well yes, there are certainly those people. Which raises a side question: do we call people who have made up their minds to leave Protestantism (resp. RCism, Eastern Orthodoxy) Protestants (resp. RCs, Eastern Orthodox)?

 

[Rohzek]

I find this question odd. I wouldn’t even consider my own church the same one that Jesus historically founded. Christianity has developed a lot over time. It used to have a lot of Jewish influences, but much of that has faded over time. The question isn’t which one is historically the same church, but rather which one has correct doctrine. The church of Gregory the Great was extremely different from the present church of Pope Francis. A prime example is the lack of icons or anything similar in Gregory’s church. This applies equally to the Orthodox Church of yesteryear. This is not to say that they were opposed to icons. But rather, it is to say that the concept of icons was foreign to them at the time because icons had yet to fully develop.

 

[MaximusBBS]

Maximus the four examples you site are similar to things I have heard. What is interesting is that I have heard such focused on Protestant churches. My mother was a cradle Catholic and my father Lutheran. He left his church over money and took years until he became a Catholic. I think family and my mother had a lot to do with his conversion.

I guess my point is that such stories are views of individuals reactions to person or persons representing a or the church. This is more emotionalism than logic or faith. Faith is what should bring a person to the Church.

Aren’t we getting off the subject at least on to a tangent in that we are siting examples but not looking directly at the subject of why some do not believe the Church founded in about 33 A.D. is not the true Church

Yes, when I was considering crossing the Tiber my dad read a book called “Born Baptist, Born Again Catholic” or something to that effect, and was pretty positive on this. It works both ways. One of my relatives posted on Facebook an article written by a former RC priest, indicating why he left the Catholic church, and the ways he believed the Catholic church was not Christian. All I could say after reading the article was that, yes, if my Parish was teaching what he believed the Church teaches I would have left too!.

That’s the tie in to the OP. The protestants I know who believe the RC is not a Christian church are mostly ones who hold views based on examples like I posted.

Two of my relatives who tend to post these anti-Catholic things on Facebook often cite the “fact” that the Catholic church doesn’t teach from the Bible as a reason it’s not a true church. I have yet to attend a mass where approximately half of the time devoted involves reading and teaching from scripture, and of course all elements of the mass have scriptural basis.

I got into quite a debate with my uncle back when that headline of “Pope Francis says Athiests go to heaven too!” was floating around… Of course if you read the actual interview Francis never said any such thing, but my uncle wouldn’t give, even to the point that he e-mailed his own pastor for backup… and his pastor (more or less) agreed with me that it didn’t appear Francis ever said that.

 

[KathleenGee]

When I read the stories about people who were Catholic and left…they appear to me to be fabricated or expounded on by the ‘gossip tree’. They don’t have credibility to me…and seem out of context to the situation.

My parish is reviewing a new program called, ‘Rebuilt’…and it is involving a parish in Maryland…that was almost humorous to me, reading the book, as I have seen such incidents throughout the years in various parishes…

‘Rebuilt’ is look at Protestant mega church models. My concern is Catholic identity and ‘deep Catholic’ spirituality for the more mature who are not so much into outward…may be even more extrovert type of religious expression.

The parish in mind made me laugh quite a bit…an unbelievable Catholic parish on the East coast…something that evolved out of Vatican II and the subsequent experimentation, and poor catechesis. Some parishes evolved into something like that mentioned in the book…so you had a few people controlling everybody.

The bottom line is that we are a consumer society…and so many times we come into a church…any church with a consumerist mentality…and not living the Gospel and nurtured by the sacraments in our spiritual growth.

Tonight find out…

 

[aidanbradypop]

Well yes, there are certainly those people. Which raises a side question: do we call people who have made up their minds to leave Protestantism (resp. RCism, Eastern Orthodoxy) Protestants (resp. RCs, Eastern Orthodox)?

Probably just calling them a Christian would work.

 

[aidanbradypop]

When I read the stories about people who were Catholic and left…they appear to me to be fabricated or expounded on by the ‘gossip tree’. They don’t have credibility to me…and seem out of context to the situation.

Care to go a bit more deeper here? I am a former Catholic.

 

[rfournier103]

I would say (for the most part) “no.”

1. There are Protestants that see the ‘Roman’ Catholic Church as a man-made organization that is NOT the Church that Christ founded. The TRUE Church (according to them) was forced underground and suppressed by the Pope of Rome and his Roman church.
2. There are Protestants that see their own ‘denominations’ as legitimate offspring of Christ’s Church. The ‘Roman’ Catholic Church took a wrong turn somewhere or other and their church broke away and got Christianity back on the right track.
3. For the most part, I think that 99% of Protestants really don’t care and have given it ZERO thought.

However… there ARE Protestants that DO see the ‘Roman’ Catholic Church as the Church that Jesus Christ founded. These Protestants can usually be found at Holy Mass on Sundays and at an RCIA class at least one night during the week.

I would say that 2 and 3 are probably spot on.

The Protestants that hold number 1 to be true absolutely fascinating.

If any of you have ever read Clarence Larkin (Baptist preacher, Bible Scholar, Catholic Church hater) you might actually be amused at some of his “timelines”. According to Larkin; the “Church of the Firstborn” was underground until about the 1500s - when open rebelion against the -]evil papist romanist synagogue of satan/-] Catholic Church by the Protestants allowed the “TRUE” chuch to resurface and begin preaching the “TRUE” Gospel.

Thankfully for we Catholics, there aren’t many who think like this -]crackpot/-] gentleman today. At least not many people of influence.

I actually think that in the years ahead, many hard core conservative Protestants will have to take a look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves whether or not they should ally with the Catholic Church regarding moral and social doctines. THOSE Protestants are running out of allies and may end up looking to the Church for reinforcements…

 

[aidanbradypop]

I actually think that in the years ahead, many hard core conservative Protestants will have to take a look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves whether or not they should ally with the Catholic Church regarding moral and social doctines. THOSE Protestants are running out of allies and may end up looking to the Church for reinforcements…

Evangelicals often side with Catholicism on many social and moral doctrines.

Not sure we need the reinforcements as you speak of because Evangelicals can stand solely, but it is always wonderful to go into battle with fellow Christians arm and arm.

 

[rfournier103]

Evangelicals often side with Catholicism on many social and moral doctrines.

Not sure we need the reinforcements as you speak of because Evangelicals can stand solely, but it is always wonderful to go into battle with fellow Christians arm and arm.

There is strength in numbers, my friend; and even if ALL like-minded Christians banded together, we would still be outnumbered by the secular/liberal types. Only TOGETHER will ALL Christians be taken seriously and our rights protected.

I honestly don’t think any one group of Christians can stand alone in the current social climate. I admire your confidence, and wish I had that much, but we need you, you need us, and we all need each other.

 

[spedteacherita]

This thread asks “Are there Protestants that **don’t **believe that the RCC is the original church Jesus founded himself?” (emphasis added) but what about those of you who **do **believe that? Why don’t you then become RC?

If you left off the “R” and just said “CC” I would answer that I’m still puzzling over things like the Marian doctrines (emphasis on the still) and have not come to any conclusions there. I’m not convinced yet that these were original doctrines from the Apostles and struggle with the thought that IF they were not original to the apostles - how do I trust other teachings.

***I’m only answering a question - don’t hurt me!

Blessings, all!

Rita

 

[Peter_J]

^^ Sadly, many Latin Catholics don’t realize or recognize that there are many *Churches *in communion with Rome – and will even refer to Eastern Catholic Churches as “Rites”.

 

[Peter_J]

P.S. Did that last post sound like I’m trying to push the conversation a certain way? I probably should have prefaced it with “On a slightly different note” or something like that.

 

[Peter_J]

There is strength in numbers, my friend; and even if ALL like-minded Christians banded together, we would still be outnumbered by the secular/liberal types. Only TOGETHER will ALL Christians be taken seriously and our rights protected.

I honestly don’t think any one group of Christians can stand alone in the current social climate. I admire your confidence, and wish I had that much, but we need you, you need us, and we all need each other.

I agree.

The thing is, radically anti-Catholic Protestants, and radically-Protestants, actually profit from fighting among Christians, so it’s very difficult to get them to stop engaging in it.

 

[spedteacherita]

I actually think that in the years ahead, many hard core conservative Protestants will have to take a look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves whether or not they should ally with the Catholic Church regarding moral and social doctines. THOSE Protestants are running out of allies and may end up looking to the Church for reinforcements…

I think the same can be true for ALL Christians whether Catholic or Protestants - especially right now as we face the disintegration of long-held social mores here in America. People living with each other and out of wedlock, single parent families, gay marriages, abortions - but, while I don’t see hard-core Protestants running to the Catholic Church, I do see conservative Christians allying themselves with one another to combat these issues…

Maybe I misunderstood your point…

Blessings,

Rita

 

[spedteacherita]

Evangelicals often side with Catholicism on many social and moral doctrines.

Not sure we need the reinforcements as you speak of because Evangelicals can stand solely, but it is always wonderful to go into battle with fellow Christians arm and arm.

Amen!! and though we may be outnumbered in the battle for these social and moral doctrines we have the strength of our Lord on our side. We must remember that young David stood up to a perceived giant…God can do much more than we give Him credit…

God bless, all!

Rita

 

[aidanbradypop]

Amen!! and though we may be outnumbered in the battle for these social and moral doctrines we have the strength of our Lord on our side. We must remember that young David stood up to a perceived giant…God can do much more than we give Him credit…

God bless, all!

Rita

Indeed!

 

[rfournier103]

I think the same can be true for ALL Christians whether Catholic or Protestants - especially right now as we face the disintegration of long-held social mores here in America. People living with each other and out of wedlock, single parent families, gay marriages, abortions - but, while I don’t see hard-core Protestants running to the Catholic Church, I do see conservative Christians allying themselves with one another to combat these issues…

Maybe I misunderstood your point…

Blessings,

Rita

I think you did misunderstand my point.

I am not saying that conservative Protestants will be scurrying back to Catholicism wanting to JOIN the Church; but rather banding together with Catholics to influence public policy and politics and together be a conservative voice. Instead of Catholics and Protestants *each *speaking out; Catholics and Protestants both speaking out together.

 

[LutheranScholar]

Amen!! and though we may be outnumbered in the battle for these social and moral doctrines we have the strength of our Lord on our side. We must remember that young David stood up to a perceived giant…God can do much more than we give Him credit…

God bless, all!

Rita

This is most certainly true.
Peace be with you, Rita!

 

[spedteacherita]

I think you did misunderstand my point.

I am not saying that conservative Protestants will be scurrying back to Catholicism wanting to JOIN the Church; but rather banding together with Catholics to influence public policy and politics and together be a conservative voice. Instead of Catholics and Protestants *each *speaking out; Catholics and Protestants both speaking out together.

Thanks for clarifying!!

Blessings,

Rita

 

[Z_Ninja]

That’s my dilemma. (I’m currently in RCIA, by the way, but have not yet been received and am still struggling with whether this is the right thing to do–as I have been doing for nearly 20 years now.)

Good luck to you. Faith is certainly a lifelong journey, so 20 years does not seem so long nor would 20 more years when it comes to your spirituality and faith. I’m a cradle Catholic, and while I’ve had a really good foundation instilled in me from my parents, I feel I have fallen away at times, but I continue to learn.