Ask A Baptist Pastor

[reformissionary]

Says Jesus. Matthew 16:18-19; John 21:15-19.

Would love to discuss those passages. Please quote them and explain how you get the Catholic view from what Jesus said. Appreciate it.

 

[Holly3278]

Steve,

Let me draw your attention to certain miracles that have happened within the Catholic church

1. How do you explain the bleeding Eucharistic hosts?
   How to you explain the hosts turning into the actual flesh of Christ
   Remarkably, one host started to bleed when a Priest who was consecrating it, was doubting the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
   How do you explain Eucharistic hosts that was preserved for two hundered years?
   (These miracles can be found at : therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/a3.html)
2. How to you explain the Marian apparitions that have happened all over the world. Especially the apparition at Fatima, where World WarII was predicted.

3)How do you explain bleeding crucifixes, crying statues of Mary, holy cards ooozing oil?

1. How do you explain the exorcisms that the Catholic Church has performed over the years. Its seem that this is really Christ’s Church if it is expelling demons.
2. How do you explain the fact that there is an unbroken chain of Popes from St Peter.
3. How do you explain the fact that no man started the Catholic Church(Unlike the Protestant Churches), but the Catholic Church can trace its roots back to Christ and his apostles?
4. How do you explain the fact that the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture at her councils at Rome, Hippo and Carthage?

Something for you to think about

Christ be with you
Jason

I do not doubt that his answer to all of these questions will either be the erroneous use of the following passage (or similar):

Matthew 24:24 RSV For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

or he will resort to the false “Mariolatry” claim for the one on apparitions and possibly the above verse as well.

 

[Rogerteder]

I really do find it amazing (I dont mean this to be insulting) that anyone who has read the bible, and read a little history cannot be convinced that the Catholic Church is right and Protestanism (of any kind) is wrong.

Ok so a questions: How do you explain the fact that there is no evidence at all that Christians believed in sola scriptura or sola fide (as the reformers taught it) for roughly 1500 years?

Please dont try to list a Church Father or two and take them out of context.

 

[jam070406]

Catholics should blame the Holy Spirit. It was his doing.

St. Francis of Assisi was called to rebuild the Church too. How come the Holy Spirit didn’t guide him to invent new doctrines, splinter the Church and send millions of souls into spiritual chaos and division that continues to this day?

 

[jam070406]

I really do find it amazing (I dont mean this to be insulting) that anyone who has read the bible, and read a little history cannot be convinced that the Catholic Church is right and Protestanism (of any kind) is wrong.

Ok so a questions: How do you explain the fact that there is no evidence at all that Christians believed in sola scriptura or sola fide (as the reformers taught it) for roughly 1500 years?

Please dont try to list a Church Father or two and take them out of context.

And how is it some Protestants, such as Steve, deny articles of Faith that even the reformers believed like the Real Presence & Mary’s perpetual Virginity?

 

[estesbob]

Catholics should blame the Holy Spirit. It was his doing.

You and i differ on how to interpret John:6 How do we resolve that?

 

[twopekinguys]

I’ve given more personal information on this forum than probably any of you. I’m a Protestant. I disagree with Catholics on some things. I’ve been reading a lot and interacting with local Catholics (as I’ve mentioned before) and trying to understand Catholicism because so many in our area are Catholic (31% of local population, as I’ve mentioned before).

I mentioned before that I know most people aren’t convinced on forums, that some who linger around behind the scenes may be, but that the discussion can be helpful for all involved.

I’ve never even pretended or implied that I’m looking into the 2,000 yr old Catholic church to see if it’s the truth. Asking the question says more about how much of what I’m writing isn’t being read by those asking the questions than anything.

**Check yourselves. Weigh my involvement here and my approach to the conversation against the pat answers many are giving me. Against the local fallacies, straw man arguments, false dilemma arguments. Stop for bit, reread some, and ask if I could actually be here just honestly trying to interact on issues of truth with the faith I’ve been studying on my own.

To be honest, we have been reading the threads, and unfortunately, it appears you are more interested proving Catholicism wrong than truly discussing or learning.

Your comment about your community being 31% Catholic is very revealing. The way you pose that comment makes it look like you are looking for a chink in the armour so to speak. I am very familiar with that approach since my grandfather was a Presbyterian minister for over 60 years. He tried it too, with little to know success.

You may be upset or unhappy with what you refer to as “pat answers”, but, if you do a little research on these forums, you will find you are not bringing any new arguments or views to the table. It has been done over, and over, and over again. That is why you are receiving what you think is a standard answer.

I may have overlooked this in some of your posts, so forgive me if these questions have already been asked/answered.

1. How long have you been a minister?

2.Where is sola scriptura mentioned in the Bible?

1. Isn’t depending solely on the Bible, a form of worshipping the Bible? ie Joel Osteen

 

[zach_dunn]

Catholics should blame the Holy Spirit. It was his doing.

I’m not so sure your Holy Spirit can be God. After all, God is not a God of confusion [1 Cor 14:33] and you say the Holy Spirit inspired Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli into different interpretations of the Bible? That - and also the fact that there are literally thousands of competing Christian denominations in the world today - sounds like confusion to me!

But, alas, I would assume you think any interpretation of the Bible that is not the Catholic (or Orthodox) one is the right one, right?

 

[wolfgang]

Against my better judgment

1. My name is Steve McCoy.
2. I’m the pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Chicagoland. Most Southern Baptists don’t feel comfortable in our church because we don’t fit the stereotype. I mostly preach expositionally through books of the Bible.

I believe in the** 5 solas** of the reformation: Scripture, faith, grace, in Christ, & for the glory of God. I adhere to the 5 points of Calvinism and believers baptism. I believe in a 2000 year old church, not 500 years. The essentials of the faith, of the truth of God as found in Scripture is what makes us as descendants of the Apostles. It’s not about succession of Popes, but succession of sound doctrine.

I am greatly concerned with much. A few examples…

1. “Real Presence” teaching of the Eucharist has lead to Eucharolatry. The symbol of Jesus has become an idol and therefore a false Jesus. The real presence of Jesus is with us in the Holy Spirit at the Lord’s Supper and in every place believers go.

That’s a start. Please don’t respond to this post by trying to refute every point. I get it. You don’t agree with my points at all. I assume that coming in. I’m just trying to tell you my starting point so as we talk you get a bit of what I believe and see and think.

So, let’s have some fun in the process and feel free to ask the baptist pastor. I’m open to the challenge.

Hi and welcome. I haven’t posted in a couple of months, but I wanted to say that I was baptized a Baptist and now I am Catholic. It will be interesting to see the discussions on this thread.

 

[mrclm]

I am curious as to how Baptists say they are sola scriptura, and criticize Catholics for following “Tradition” (not truly understanding what Sacred Tradition is btw), but yet the things that they do are also traditions. I mean really, where in the bible does it say that you have to go to church 3 times a week, and Sunday School, and wear your suit and tie, etc. If that’s how your church wants to do it, great, but don’t say it isn’t your tradition or custom or rule. It just seems hypocritical to me.

It wasn’t until 1545 at the Council of Trent that the Roman Catholic Church declared for the first time its official position that tradition was to now be equal in authority with God’s Word - the Bible. Once that was done the church had the freedom to add more and more traditions including much of what is now believed about Mary.

That reminds me of Mark Chapter 7 where Jesus gave some very instructive teaching about adding tradition to God’s Word.

It is important to understand that Protestants are not against tradition as long as that tradition is in accord with God’s Word. If tradition contradicts the Bible, you had better start questioning your tradition. The Bible is God’s Word, if it can’t stand on its own then it really doesn’t have God’s power and authority. Everything else must come under that, not along side of that, and certainly not above that.

 

[reformissionary]

St. Francis of Assisi was called to rebuild the Church too. How come the Holy Spirit didn’t guide him to invent new doctrines, splinter the Church and send millions of souls into spiritual chaos and division that continues to this day?

Why don’t you pray to him and wear his medal and put a candle in front of his haloed icon and maybe you’ll experience a Marian apparition! Oh wait, he’s the pet saint, right?

C’mon! That’s funny!

 

[jam070406]

Why don’t you pray to him and wear his medal and put a candle in front of his haloed icon and maybe you’ll experience a Marian apparition! Oh wait, he’s the pet saint, right?

C’mon! That’s funny!

Maybe it’ll work for you and your strawman.

 

[Rogerteder]

steve, Id be wrong if i didnt warn you that you maybe on your road to hell for rejecting the One True Church. The Catholic church under the Pope. Dont say you werent warned and dont say you didnt have enough information.

 

[estesbob]

It wasn’t until 1545 at the Council of Trent that the Roman Catholic Church declared for the first time its official position that tradition was to now be equal in authority with God’s Word - the Bible. Once that was done the church had the freedom to add more and more traditions including much of what is now believed about Mary.

The Church has always declared that Doctrines were based on tradition, scripture and the Teachings of the magestium. All doctrines concenring mary were present from the first century on.

That reminds me of Mark Chapter 7 where Jesus gave some very instructive teaching about adding tradition to God’s Word.

It is important to understand that Protestants are not against tradition as long as that tradition is in accord with God’s Word. If tradition contradicts the Bible, you had better start questioning your tradition. The Bible is God’s Word, if it can’t stand on its own then it really doesn’t have God’s power and authority. Everything else must come under that, not along side of that, and certainly not above that.

No Traditions go against or contradict Scripture in any way.

You and I disagree on how to interpret John:6. How do we resolve that?

 

[Maui71]

Why don’t you pray to him and wear his medal and put a candle in front of his haloed icon and maybe you’ll experience a Marian apparition! Oh wait, he’s the pet saint, right?

C’mon! That’s funny!

Wow is that your Christian charity? Is that how sincere you are about dialog? That really explains how you want to “learn” and “understand” Catholics?

I think that reply has been your deepest and most insightful.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Why don’t you pray to him and wear his medal and put a candle in front of his haloed icon and maybe you’ll experience a Marian apparition! Oh wait, he’s the pet saint, right?

C’mon! That’s funny!

Any faint, lingering notion that you came to these forums with any ideas about the Catholic faith that were not only incorrect, but insulting and hateful. . .

has pretty much ‘died’ with this post.

If you honestly think that you are having a dialogue with people when you sneer, mock, insult and deride their beliefs. . .

You are sadly mistaken.

Do you really think that Jesus is slapping His thigh, "You surely showed THEM, RM. Oh well done, that was SO funny. Because of course, those ‘cat-licks’ aren’t REAL Christians anyway, so you needn’t bother to show them any sort of CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE YOURSELF."

If that isn’t what you THINK Jesus is telling you, then why are you saying what you did?

May God enlighten you. And may He forgive, as we do, the hurtful nasty mean-spirited comments made by you regarding us and our dear Lord, and our relationship with Him.

 

[reformissionary]

Wow is that your Christian charity? Is that how sincere you are about dialog? That really explains how you want to “learn” and “understand” Catholics?

I think that reply has been your deepest and most insightful.

See, I knew Catholics had no sense of humor!

Have you heard the one about the Priest and a late night game of bingo?

 

[reformissionary]

Any faint, lingering notion that you came to these forums with any ideas about the Catholic faith that were not only incorrect, but insulting and hateful. . .

has pretty much ‘died’ with this post.

If you honestly think that you are having a dialogue with people when you sneer, mock, insult and deride their beliefs. . .

You are sadly mistaken.

Do you really think that Jesus is slapping His thigh, "You surely showed THEM, RM. Oh well done, that was SO funny. Because of course, those ‘cat-licks’ aren’t REAL Christians anyway, so you needn’t bother to show them any sort of CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE YOURSELF."

If that isn’t what you THINK Jesus is telling you, then why are you saying what you did?

May God enlighten you. And may He forgive, as we do, the hurtful nasty mean-spirited comments made by you regarding us and our dear Lord, and our relationship with Him.

Ugh. You guys are something.

 

[reformissionary]

Maybe it’ll work for you and your strawman.

Ah, see! That’s a better response! A little levity, people. Everyone is too tense. Let’s all take a deep breath.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Ah, see! That’s a better response! A little levity, people. Everyone is too tense. Let’s all take a deep breath.

Ah, the famous, “You people can’t take a joke (therefore I am obviously ‘superior’ to you because I made a joke. I am obviously more tolerant, more balanced, and thus more ‘right’ than you because I made a joke. If you don’t find it funny and ‘lighten up’ to my command it is because you are inferior, mean, grumpy nasty people because you can’t take MY joke”).

Sorry, we’ve seen that card before.

Please try again.

A little humility. . .

Well, people, I went a bit too far I guess. If you didn’t find it funny, maybe there’s a reason. And since as a **Christian pastor I should be giving you good example, **I’ll apologize for any upset.

That would have been what I’d have expected from a man of God.

Not an attack on the ‘lack of humor’ from the people you just offended.