As a non-Catholic, do you pray to God for the forgiveness of your sins?

[JonNC]

When you were a Protestant, did you confess your sins to your pastor and then make reparation for your sins?

Yes, Lutherans do, as do Anglicans. This is a scriptural practice, as Christ provides the power to bind and loose to the Church. The Church carries out this command through its call and ordained clergy. It is further affirmed in the call that we confess one to another.

Or did you go directly to God not feeling you had to do anything else because your sins were already forgiven by Jesus on the Cross?

Isn’t going directly to God “doing something”? And if one thinks they need do nothing, why go to God?
This sounds like a straw man to me.

The Protestants I know personally and those I’ve conversed with online all scoff because we Catholics confess our sins to our priests who are acting in persona Christi.

Then you haven’t listened to the Anglicans and Lutherans here. For me, confessing and hearing the words of Absolution are of immense value.

Protestants claim there is no need to go to a priest for forgiveness when we are to go to God alone

Well, obviously your statement isn’t entirely correct, hence the need to stop using the term “Protestant “ in a blanket way.
That said, if you say the Lord’s Prayer, you do exactly that: you go directly to God to ask forgiveness of sins.
So, it is both.

 

[lilypadrees]

Obviously, I wasn’t referring to Lutherans or Anglicans but to the rest of the Protestants who post in these threads.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I never knew that Catholics perceived themselves to be a persecuted Church until I came to CAF. That concept is so foreign to my church for history bears that it was the opposite for my forebears

A significant number of us Catholics in the USA had ancestors who were coming to USA because their home countries were oppressing and killing them for being Catholics.

Depending on what states those ancestors chose to visit or settle in, and when they came over, many of them ran into more oppression and violence here in USA.

Yes, Catholics were persecuted, and there are parts of the USA where they still are.

I don’t see how anyone could miss this part of US history but apparently many people have. For JFK to just be elected President in 1960 was like when Barack Obama won later on. A lot of people couldn’t believe a horrible Catholic could be elected President and were terrified of what would happen to our country. One of the K’s in the KKK stands for “Katholic” because that organization spent more time oppressing Catholics in certain parts of the country than it did African-Americans and Jewish people.
This stuff was still happening at the time I was born.

And yes, some Protestant churches preach by name against Catholicism. If you flip to the right radio stations as you drive on major state highways, you will find some of these sermons. When I was a freshman in college (a private, non-religious affiliated, well-ranked school), an Evangelical student preaching in front of the student center asked me if I was Christian and when I said I was Catholic he went off on a loud rant about how Catholics weren’t Christians and quoting Bible this and Bible that and all this baloney. I had the good sense to just walk away.

In the 80s, the Seventh-Day Adventists mailed a book to our home called “National Sunday Law” that was full of anti-Catholicism on the level where the Southern Poverty Law Center should have listed whoever wrote it as a hate group. It called the Church the “Whore of Babylon” on about every other page. The Adventists in my hometown are still trying to live that down.

Oh, don’t forget those Jack Chick pamphlets that hate us so bad it’s actually funny…
but you get the idea

 

[JonNC]

Obviously, I wasn’t referring to Lutherans or Anglicans but to the rest of the Protestants who post in these threads.

Then say so. Don’t use the term Protestant in a way that is inaccurate. There are people who read the board and go away with the misunderstanding.
Say Baptists. Say American Evangelicals. Say Calvinists. They are categorized as Protestant, too. It would be unfair to them for a Lutheran to say Protestants believe in Confession to a priest just because Lutherans do.

 

[Wannano]

Obviously, I wasn’t referring to Lutherans or Anglicans but to the rest of the Protestants who post in these threads.

Lilypadrees, my friend, now you have hurt my feelings because I am neither Lutheran or Anglican!

 

[Wannano]

Wannano:

I never knew that Catholics perceived themselves to be a persecuted Church until I came to CAF. That concept is so foreign to my church for history bears that it was the opposite for my forebears

A significant number of us Catholics in the USA had ancestors who were coming to USA because their home countries were oppressing and killing them for being Catholics.

Depending on what states those ancestors chose to visit or settle in, and when they came over, many of them ran into more oppression and violence here in USA.

Yes, Catholics were persecuted, and there are parts of the USA where they still are.

I don’t see how anyone could miss this part of US history but apparently many people have. For JFK to just be elected President in 1960 was like when Barack Obama won later on. A lot of people couldn’t believe a horrible Catholic could be elected President and were terrified of what would happen to our country. One of the K’s in the KKK stands for “Katholic” because that organization spent more time oppressing Catholics in certain parts of the country than it did African-Americans and Jewish people.
This stuff was still happening at the time I was born.

And yes, some Protestant churches preach by name against Catholicism. If you flip to the right radio stations as you drive on major state highways, you will find some of these sermons. When I was a freshman in college (a private, non-religious affiliated, well-ranked school), an Evangelical student preaching in front of the student center asked me if I was Christian and when I said I was Catholic he went off on a loud rant about how Catholics weren’t Christians and quoting Bible this and Bible that and all this baloney. I had the good sense to just walk away.

In the 80s, the Seventh-Day Adventists mailed a book to our home called “National Sunday Law” that was full of anti-Catholicism on the level where the Southern Poverty Law Center should have listed whoever wrote it as a hate group. It called the Church the “Whore of Babylon” on about every other page. The Adventists in my hometown are still trying to live that down.

Oh, don’t forget those Jack Chick pamphlets that hate us so bad it’s actually funny…
but you get the idea

Thanks Tis Bear self, I guess being Canadian I never studied a lot of American history. I was ten years old in 1960 and the American presidency was a long way from my existence! I have read quite a lot about Kennedy now as an adult and understand about being the first Catholic president.

The Seventh Day Adventists in my community are not at all like some I have encountered while wintering in Arizona. Down there you get flyers on your windshield about the Whore and all that. I have yet to see that up here, in fact, one small Seventh Day group met for several years in the local Catholic Church basement on Saturday evenings!

 

[lilypadrees]

I have said so many times. As I recently told another poster, those I refer to as Protestants proudly refer to themselves that way. They are people I know personally or have communicated with on forums like the now defunct Amazon discussion forums.

An observation. When I first came to the city I now call home, I didn’t know what a Protestant was. I had always attended Catholic churches. Even so, the Protestants who live here weren’t ashamed to be called Protestants. Regardless of the denomination they belonged to, they made it a point to state that they were Protestants not Catholics.

I find it very sad that various Protestants who post here seem ashamed of the label and wish to be known by names other than Protestant. As a Protestant friend said to me about those who now wish to be known by different names, “Why?They’re still Protestants.”

You see, JonNC, where we live, if you’re a Christian, you’re either Catholic or Protestant. You aren’t Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or another religious beliefs system.

Where we live, being called a Protestant isn’t an insult. Regardless of the denomination, Christians who aren’t Catholic are proud of it. Doesn’t matter who the original Protestants were or whether you belong to the original lines, the Protestants here refer to themselves by the name anyway.

Therefore, I am proud to refer to them as such even though being Catholic, I disagree with many of their teachings.

 

[Childoftheday]

Strange framing of the questions. You’re most likely addressing only one segment of Calvinists…a large group of Protestants are Arminian not Calvinist.
I ask forgiveness because I am not perfect and don’t always walk in the Light. If we wish to keep drawing closer to Him, we need to Listen to the Holy Spirit and keep communion flowing between us.

 

[lilypadrees]

Don’t worry, Wannano. You’re where God wants you to be at this time. But should the Holy Spirit tug at your heart and soul to become Catholic, as He did my then Protestant mother, who grew up in the Methodist and Church of Christ denominations, run don’t walk to your nearest parish and tell the priest there that you have answered the Call to convert.

 

[Wannano]

It would absolutely do me no good to follow your advice if I feel the call to convert. The reason being, the closest parish to me has no resident priest and the place is locked and only opened for services! However, I am friends with all the people there and know the Priests who come from a larger city.

PS edit: I will let you in on a secret if you promise not to tell anyone…I actually have a key for the building!

 

[JonNC]

I have said so many times. As I recently told another poster, those I refer to as Protestants proudly refer to themselves that way.

And? It doesn’t change the fact that your usage of the term is inaccurate.

Even so, the Protestants who live here weren’t ashamed to be called Protestants. Regardless of the denomination they belonged to, they made it a point to state that they were Protestants not Catholics.

Nobody has claimed anyone is ashamed of the term. It just isn’t accurate when used regarding practice and doctrine. Someone can say they are proud to be South American, but that doesn’t describe them, since Brazilians are not the same as Peruvians who are not the same as Colombians, etc.

I find it very sad that various Protestants who post here seem ashamed of the label and wish to be known by names other than Protestant. As a Protestant friend said to me about those who now wish to be known by different names, “Why?They’re still Protestants.”

Who here has said they are ashamed of the term? I’m not. But it is not a description of practice and doctrine. Lutherans are Protestants but they are not Methodists. Methodists are Protestants but they are not UCC.

You see, JonNC, where we live, if you’re a Christian, you’re either Catholic or Protestant. You aren’t Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or another religious beliefs system.

No churches with the name Methodist or Baptist or Reformed or Wesleyan or Lutheran or Episcopalian?
These groups are not all the same. Never have been.

Where we live, being called a Protestant isn’t an insult. Regardless of the denomination, Christians who aren’t Catholic are proud of it. Doesn’t matter who the original Protestants were or whether you belong to the original lines, the Protestants here refer to themselves by the name anyway.

Straw man. No one has said anything implying they are embarrassed by the term.

Therefore, I am proud to refer to them as such even though being Catholic, I disagree with many of their teachings.

If you are proud to misrepresent the teachings of groups, I’m not sure what to say. When you say Protestants don’t believe in Confession to a priest, it is a misrepresentation of what some Protestants teach.

 

[QwertyGirl]

I don’t really believe in sinfulness the way the Church does. Rather, I believe we are here to learn and we make mistakes along the way. Mistakes can be intentional or unintentional. Not realizing our potential in a positive way is a bad thing and something we should do our best to avoid. I guess a major difference between what I believe and what Catholics believe is that I don’t believe in a higher power or God who judges our actions. Therefore, forgiveness from God isn’t necessary. There is no offense, other than worldy offenses (offense to other human beings, from whom I seek forgiveness from directly if I have commited a wrong.)

So when I pray, I do ask for guidance, direction, and desire to reach positive potential. I ask for help so I don’t repeat my failures. I ask for the ability to learn from them and to pull good from them. And, always, I ask for support in helping my fellow human beings in reaching their positive potential, too.

 

[GladTidings]

I’m not understanding what you are asking.

 

[lilypadrees]

Our priest gave a select few of us keys too. After he passed away, the priest who took over went all high tech. Now there aren’t any keys to get inside. Think of what will happen if it storms and all the power goes out.

 

[GladTidings]

You are right, the question was not targeted at Lutherans for example, but any non-Catholics.

 

[GladTidings]

I am trying to understand by starting a thread in order for people to reply and share their views and beliefs. I now realize my question might have sounded accusatory.

 

[whichwaytogo47]

One thing is that we are all Christian brothers and sisters. My understanding of an Evangelical Christian is that being saved is by faith that his death and resurrection on the Cross is adequate as he gave his life on the cross for your sins. Yes, it is based on the fact that you believe but it is also being humble enough to repent of your sins and believe that it is payment. Your fruits will show that you are repentant and obedient to HIS will.

It is true that they do believe in faith alone, but if you truly think about it: faith without works is dead. Your fruits will likely show whether you have given your life to Christ. If you love your Father, why would you live your life in contrary to Christ teachings? Would you show repentance (if you can change your life) or at least sorrow (if you are struggling to change your life) when you sin? Or would you openly rebuke Him because you’re saved by faith alone? Would you assume that just because you cannot lose your salvation that you would automatically behave in any way you want? At the very least, that makes you a weak Christ follower and more seriously, it would put into question whether you truly love the Lord and truly gave your life to Christ.

There are Catholic Christians, Reform Protestants, and Evangelical Protestants. They will each present the salvation issue differently and may regard different behaviors as being sinful, but they all believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The Catholic Church allows thru the sacrament of reconciliation an ability to repent your sins to the Father thru an intercessor, but anyone can go directly to God and if truly repentant, be forgiven of their sins.

Visiting Catholics seem to set them off. In these situations, Catholics learn very quickly not to say they are Catholic.

I have fun with them and have little problem saying I’m Catholic. I attend a non-denominational church and I think of the people who attend there as Evangelical Christians though I bet some are Reform churches.

I was raised non-denominational after we left the Lutheran Church, and I was told of the importance of asking God for forgiveness. At the same time, I was assured I would go to heaven because I was saved.

I’ve seen that too: the importance of repentance, yet the assurance of salvation for those who say the sinners prayer.

 

[JonNC]

I’m not understanding what you are asking.

I’m asking why you think there is a distinction between Confession (well, the sacraments in general) and faith. You said:

how do you justify doing that if you also believe Jesus died for all of your sins past, present, and future, and you have already been redeemed in full?

Asking forgiveness is part of faith, not distinct from it. The quote I referenced from scripture is,
**if **we confess our sins… Confessing is an expected part of faith.

 

[GladTidings]

I was raised non-denominational after we left the Lutheran Church, and I was told of the importance of asking God for forgiveness. At the same time, I was assured I would go to heaven because I was saved.

 

[Wannano]

I am trying to understand by starting a thread in order for people to reply and share their views and beliefs. I now realize my question might have sounded accusatory.

The question in your title of the thread is easily understood and easily answered. To have just asked that question might have given what you are looking for. When you spun different conditions into your opening sentences, I for one was lost on what it was for sure you were really asking. To me at that point, it seemed more like you were trying to state something without really stating it, rather than asking a question.