Can a protestant answer this?

[Mickey]

SPOKENWORD:

Hi Mickey. Im sorry but I disagree,because you or others have gone to a dozen churches [protestant]doesnt mean they are all like that. You are basing your judgement upon your feelings which doesnt create an accurate picture. Its what you choose to believe but that doesnt make it right. Sometime it us that is the issue. ( God Bless.

I don’t mean to generalize, spokenword. perhaps it is because of my limited exposure to these services. But there does seem to be a common thread of an emphasis on the social spectrum. It surely is not an attack on any individual.

 

[Mickey]

SPOKENWORD:

Hi Gene,Yes singing is worship. Look in the book of revelation and you will see that there are Angels around the Throne Room who do nothing buy sing and worship God continuessly and forever.God Bless.

When you sing you pray twice!

 

[4_marks]

Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc. are part of the Catholic liturgical ebb and flow. Christ Mass is a Holi-Day (Mass, Holy Day). Protestants are not bound to observe a Catholic liturgical calendar. Some do, some don’t. It is basically up to particular protestant congregations and denominations to determine if they will formally observe these days/seasons.

I know a number of protestants that do not observe them because they are too Catholic and have pagan elements/origins.

 

[Katholikos]

SPOKENWORD:

Hi Mickey. Im sorry but I disagree,because you or others have gone to a dozen churches [protestant]doesnt mean they are all like that. You are basing your judgement upon your feelings which doesnt create an accurate picture. Its what you choose to believe but that doesnt make it right. Sometime it us that is the issue. ( God Bless.

The pattern of Protestant services is very much the same in every denomination. This is fact, not feelings. It is not what I or anyone “chooses” to believe. It is reality. I have personally attended many services in many denominations. I have seen many more denominations’ services on television. They all follow the same pattern – from the Crystal Cathedral to the AOG to the Southern Baptists to the Presbyterians to any Protestant denomination you can name.

The one exception are the snake-handling churches of the Southern U.S. where they drink strychnine and pass live rattlesnakes around as they’re singing. I haven’t seen the Methodists or Baptists do that. Though I don’t know why not, since all Protestants believe in Sola Scriptura, and the Bible clearly says Christ’s followers have been given the ability to drink poison and tread upon or pick up snakes without harm (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17-18).

Thank you, Mickey, for your support. Much obliged.

JMJ Jay

 

[Katholikos]

SPOKENWORD:

Hi Gene,Yes singing is worship. Look in the book of revelation and you will see that there are Angels around the Throne Room who do nothing buy sing and worship God continuessly and forever.God Bless.

The Book of Revelation is a description of the Catholic Mass as it is celebrated in heaven. Read Dr. Scott Hahn’s book, *The Lamb’s Supper, the Mass as Heaven on Earth. *

Rev 4:8: "Day and night they do not stop exclaming: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.” Even in heaven, there’s that “vain repetition” that some Protestants find so offensive.

JMJ Jay

 

[ahimsaman72]

Mickey:

Thank you Ahimsaman72,

Your explaination is the best I have received. God is not limited by time and space, so Christ is born everyday. This is why it disturbs me when anti-Catholics claim that the mass is a re-sacrifice of our Lord. Christ is born, crucified, and risen now and ever and forever, Amen.

You are very welcome. It is possible for protestants and Catholics to have useful dialogue after all, isn’t it?

Peace…

 

[ahimsaman72]

Katholikos:

Church services are not essential for most Protestants. They basically consist of a couple of songs, a couple of prayers, and a sermon which is more or less a Bible study, and heavy on the fellowship. Protestantism is a “me and my Bible” religion. Friends look around for other friends, and if they’re not there they hear about it. It’s fellowship (socializing) that brings them together, not an obligation to worship God. I didn’t know what “worship” meant until I became a Catholic.

For the liturgical Protestant groups – some Lutherans and the Episcopalians – attending church services is more important, though not absolutely essential as it is for Catholics.

There is no sense of sin or loss if one does not attend a Protestant service. The only loss is the opportunity to be among friends – socializing with like-minded people, being confirmed in their common faith.

The Sacrifice of Christ was the most important event in the history of the world. It’s important for me to be there, every day if possible, on my knees at Calvary, as that same once-for-all Holy Sacrifice is re-presented – as the New Covenant in Christ’s Blood (Luke 22:20) is renewed, and He offers us His Own Divine Life as food for our souls. It’s sublime worship.

I LOVE THIS CHURCH.

JMJ Jay
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

I had prepared a lengthy reply, but lost connection and my post. Here, briefly I will re-visit this post.

To summarize, each protestant makes his own decisions, has his own guided conscience in such matters of church attendance. It is a cultural phenomenon in the South (where I lived for 30 years) to go to church on Sunday to show you were a good, upright Southern Christian. There’s no denying that.

However, I personally for 30 years (as a Southern Baptist) believed it was sinful to miss church services and to not even tithe 10%. It is a Biblical principle to rest one day of the week and honor God. It is also an Old Testament principle to tithe from one’s income. I have believed these things the majority of my life. I do not now.

So, it really depends on the individual, whether Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, what have you. One’s consciousness of sin is individual at its nature. It cannot be forced upon a person to admit sin in their life. As Scripture indicates, part of the role of the Holy Spirit has been to convict the world of sin.

And, therefore, my belief based on that Scripture that the Holy Spirit alone can show a person their sin. No matter how much pleading, beating, killing we do in this world - we cannot change another person or make them see some things that we personally see. They must allow themselves to be open to change and knowledge.

To make general statements concerning acknowledgement of sin in individuals and attach those statements to their church affiliation is irresponsible and stereotypical. We should not make such statements. We have no polls, interviews, evidences to support any claims (that I know of). I have personal experience and others have their personal experiences. And those experiences are necessarily the whole truth.

Peace…

 

[ahimsaman72]

ahimsaman72:

I had prepared a lengthy reply, but lost connection and my post. Here, briefly I will re-visit this post.

To summarize, each protestant makes his own decisions, has his own guided conscience in such matters of church attendance. It is a cultural phenomenon in the South (where I lived for 30 years) to go to church on Sunday to show you were a good, upright Southern Christian. There’s no denying that.

However, I personally for 30 years (as a Southern Baptist) believed it was sinful to miss church services and to not even tithe 10%. It is a Biblical principle to rest one day of the week and honor God. It is also an Old Testament principle to tithe from one’s income. I have believed these things the majority of my life. I do not now.

So, it really depends on the individual, whether Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, what have you. One’s consciousness of sin is individual at its nature. It cannot be forced upon a person to admit sin in their life. As Scripture indicates, part of the role of the Holy Spirit has been to convict the world of sin.

And, therefore, my belief based on that Scripture that the Holy Spirit alone can show a person their sin. No matter how much pleading, beating, killing we do in this world - we cannot change another person or nation or race or religion or make them see some things that we personally see. They must allow themselves to be open to change and knowledge.

To make general statements concerning acknowledgement of sin in individuals and attach those statements to their church affiliation is irresponsible and stereotypical. We should not make such statements. We have no polls, interviews, evidences to support any claims (that I know of). I have personal experience and others have their personal experiences. And those experiences are necessarily the whole truth.

Peace…

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Katholikos:

The pattern of Protestant services is very much the same in every denomination. This is fact, not feelings. It is not what I or anyone “chooses” to believe. It is reality. I have personally attended many services in many denominations. I have seen many more denominations’ services on television. They all follow the same pattern – from the Crystal Cathedral to the AOG to the Southern Baptists to the Presbyterians to any Protestant denomination you can name.

The one exception are the snake-handling churches of the Southern U.S. where they drink strychnine and pass live rattlesnakes around as they’re singing. I haven’t seen the Methodists or Baptists do that. Though I don’t know why not, since all Protestants believe in Sola Scriptura, and the Bible clearly says Christ’s followers have been given the ability to drink poison and tread upon or pick up snakes without harm (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17-18).

Thank you, Mickey, for your support. Much obliged.

JMJ Jay

Like they say birds of a feather flock together. Sometimes I think you are the one thats protesting. I still think you are judging incorrectly. God Bless.

 

[Mickey]

SPOKENWORD:

Like they say birds of a feather flock together. Sometimes I think you are the one thats protesting. I still think you are judging incorrectly. God Bless.

Once again spokenword, katholikos is not protesting or judging–he is making an honest observation based on his experience. Remember, it was the protestants who fell into schism from the Catholic church. I would not say that katholikos and myself are birds of a feather. I would say that we are two sheep in the same fold–that fold being the one true church that Jesus Christ established…the Catholic church…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. One of my favorite quotes is from St Ignatius of Antioch. He was a disciple of the apostle John and appointed as bishop of Antioch by the apostle Peter. In his letter to the Philadelphians he said:

…do not be deceived, my brethren: if a man runs after a schismatic, he will not inherit the kingdom of God; if a man chooses to be a dissenter, he severs all connection with the passion.

Take care then to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His blood, and one alter, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow servants. Thus you will conform in all your actions to the will of God.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

Mickey:

Once again spokenword, katholikos is not protesting or judging–he is making an honest observation based on his experience. Remember, it was the protestants who fell into schism from the Catholic church. I would not say that katholikos and myself are birds of a feather. I would say that we are two sheep in the same fold–that fold being the one true church that Jesus Christ established…the Catholic church…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. One of my favorite quotes is from St Ignatius of Antioch. He was a disciple of the apostle John and appointed as bishop of Antioch by the apostle Peter. In his letter to the Philadelphians he said:

…do not be deceived, my brethren: if a man runs after a schismatic, he will not inherit the kingdom of God; if a man chooses to be a dissenter, he severs all connection with the passion.

Take care then to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His blood, and one alter, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow servants. Thus you will conform in all your actions to the will of God.

HI Mickey,Ill leave both of you[sheep] to graze on your thoughts. God Bless.

 

[Mickey]

SPOKENWORD:

HI Mickey,Ill leave both of you[sheep] to graze on your thoughts. God Bless.

Thank you. But the thoughts are for your grazing pleasure.