Can a protestant church be called a church?

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That last reference, ultimately, derives from me. But I allow its use, freely. Motley be lots of folk.
 
De_Maria said:
I also want to note that you seemingly use the words, protestant and evangelical, interchangeably, above. Whereas, I’ve frequently been chastised for doing the same. Not complaining. Just highlighting it for the readers.
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In my circle, the word protestant is not only NOT used, it has almost lost it’s meaning. We have new generations of people in the Church who have not been taught anything about it, pro or con.
This is why I have said on this site several times. for us we have no protest against you. I am not saying we all agree with you. But our energies are not consumed in trying to win you, or convert you, or stop you.

But, again, it is because for us our aim is focused on winning a lost generation entrenched in a culture hostile to Christianity.

For us, an evangelical can be a protestant too, but not necessarily. This means that his evangelical ways have left any fight against the Catholic Church. But as mentioned before, if you were to try and impose Catholicism on our group, I’m sure we would grow a new resolve to defend our convictions against what we would consider to be false doctrine on many levels. I’m sure there are those zealous protestants who would love to impose themselves on you.

I have made this site almost a hobby for me. I enjoy the challenge of articulating my beliefs against the many differing views. However, I am not trying to convert you to Christ. You already have him. For me, conversion is not the objective. This site is gratuitous by allowing me to offer my view to which I am grateful. But it is a hobby, mostly because I love theology.
 
tgGodsway said:
But our energies are not consumed in trying to win you, or convert you, or stop you.
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So true. I think this is true certainly across mainline denominations. Of course you can always find outliers - especially online.

I would say in our Reformed church, the only time Catholicism is brought up in a sermon or Sunday school, it’s referencing a Saint (Augustine gets a ton of air time as you might expect 🙂 ), and it’s positive and reverential.
 
De_Maria said:
We have vastly different experiences. Most Protestants that I’ve met are anti-Catholic
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My first experience with God was at my home Church, holy rosary Catholic Church. It was there the holy Spirit fell upon me and brought me down to the floor right in the middle of the Eucharist. I quickly leaned that our God isn’t a Catholic or a Protestant. My heart goes out to all people of all groups within the universal body. This is my belief.

But not everyone was raised, or had experiences with the holy Spirit, while sitting in a Catholic Church. I imagine some of them have never stepped into such a Church in their lives. They are ignorant people.

But hatred is not restricted to just being Catholic. Many so called protestants persecute my group because we classify ourselves as being Charismatic. You’re group is not the only one who call us heretics. They do to. But that’s okay. I don’t lose sleep over these matters.
 
tgGodsway said:
Well this is ironic. Three years ago I was channel surfing on the AM dial of my car radio and came across a Catholic radio station. …
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Lol! Very different experiences between you and I. Here’s my experience.

25 years ago, when we began homeschooling our children, we inquired into joining a Protestant group, SETSCHA. The first thing they told us is that Catholics were not allowed unless we signed an anti-Catholic document forcing us to accept the Bible alone as our sole source of doctrine. They had obviously put a great deal of thought into this to weed out Catholics or to convert them.

My wife and I didn’t sign. But we went to the first meeting anyway, just to see what they were talking about. The entire first 15 minutes of the meeting, a Catholic bashing session.

Move on, 15 years. I started a new job. They transported us by bus. First thing I see, a man wiping his face in an obviously sarcastic manner which I recognized even from 30 feet away. So I approached. As I suspected. An anti-Catholic Protestant bashing the Catholic Church and deriding the sign of the Cross.

Just a few days ago, riding in a company van, one of the Protestants bashing the Pope. I put a quick stop to that.

So, there you go. I have lived my entire adult life surrounded by anti-Catholic Protestants. Many of them are in my own extended family.
 
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JulianN said:
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De_Maria:
So, there you go. Apparently, you want to disregard this Protestant opinion. I don’t.
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I guess I’m going to stick with the Catholic opinion.

But as an aside, you are painting Protestantism with a very narrow brush. This may be the opinion of some Evangelicals, but I have yet to meet a member of a mainline denomination who did not describe their building of worship as a church. A quick look at the signs out front would serve as evidence.
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From what I gather we have cradle Catholics, lapsed Catholics, cafeteria Catholics, returned Catholics, new Catholics and now Protestant Catholics. ( Those that protest against anything non -Catholic).
 
It really depends on your definition of the word church… Really there is only one Church, but you can make a case that Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy are churches as they have apostolic succession and valid sacraments. Protestants have denominations…
 
De_Maria said:
With one Catholic opinion. As shown, there are Catholics who hold the opposite view.
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Since the one opinion comes from the Vatican, it carries a little more weight than the random Internet opinions.

Look, you do whatever you’d like. But if you insist on referring to the Lutheran church on the corner as a “so-called church,” you really should stop complaining about the people around you being anti-Catholic. You’re not exactly using language designed to evangelize.
 
Magistos said:
That’s news to me, speaking from my own experience as a Protestant …
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Is yours the only experience as Protestant? Or the only one to be taken into account?

Here’s what other Protestants say.

Excerpt:
Many people make the mistake of saying that ekklēsia merely means an assembly. This is a commendable start and is worlds better than “church,” but they forget that it means an assembly that has been called out from something. In ancient Greece, it was the assembly called out or summoned from the community.

This isn’t as strong an objection as the others I’ve posted. But it shows a strong preference for abandoning the use of the word “church”.
 
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Of course it’s not, and you know that, it’s even why I qualified it with “my own experience”. But by your own logic, is that link you shared to be considered the majority opinion for protestants? 🙃

To say Protestants are not all of a type, and then to group Protestants all of a type, to me, seems disingenuous.

However, I have my opinion. That plus 50 cents is worth 50 cents.
 
Magistos said:
Of course it’s not, and you know that, it’s even why I qualified it with “my own experience”. But by your own logic, is that link you shared to be considered the majority opinion for protestants? 🙃
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First of all, did I claim it was? No, I didn’t.
Secondly, are you suggesting that the majority opinion wins? In other words, if most Protestants believe one thing, then all Protestants must believe the same thing.

Or are you objecting that Protestants do not have a right to object to the use of the word “church” to their gatherings?

The question asked by the OP is, “can Protestant churches be called churches”.

My answer is, sure, but it would be a misnomer. They are not true churches for the reasons I have previously provided and, there are many Protestants who reject the word church applied to their confessions.
To say Protestants are not all of a type, and then to group Protestants all of a type, to me, seems disingenuous.
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When did I group Protestants all of a type. Through out my history on this forum, I’m the one who consistently recognizes the fact that Protestants believe all sorts of self contradictory things. Many an Evangelical on this forum has objected to my posting of the weird beliefs of some Protestants.
However, I have my opinion. That plus 50 cents is worth 50 cents.
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No problem. I think we’re all here to express our opinions.
 
Interesting. I have the same experiences…but the other way around. I’ve told my stories here about how I and my family have been treated as a non-Catholic (and in a “mixed” marriage) numerous times…and in some instances been called a liar.

I guess it just depends where you are and who you run into as I’ve been told not to paint Catholics with the same brush as what we’ve run into. I guess it depends which foot the shoe is on…¯_(ツ)_/¯
 
In the immortal words of Depeche Mode:

“People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
So we’re different colors
And we’re different creeds
And different people have different needs
It’s obvious you hate me
Though I’ve done nothing wrong
I never even met you
So what could I have done”
 
JulianN said:
Since the one opinion comes from the Vatican, …
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I’m sorry, when did the Vatican weigh in on whether a Protestant building is called a church? Perhaps you could post the document.
Look, you do whatever you’d like.
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Thanks. It goes without saying, though.
But if you insist on referring to the Lutheran church on the corner as a “so-called church,”
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Why? Many of the Protestants and yes, even the few Lutherans, whom I debate are not shy about declaring that the Catholic Church is the w*@&% of Babylon.

You see, I don’t mind that people speak forthrightly about what they actually believe. I simply hold them to their standard of Scripture alone. And watch them gag on their own words since Scripture upholds all Catholic Teaching.
you really should stop complaining about the people around you being anti-Catholic. You’re not exactly using language designed to evangelize.
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Who’s complaining? As I’ve previously said, I seek them out in this forum and on the internet. Why would I complain about them. If it wasn’t for anti-Catholics, I would still be stumbling around when expressing my understanding of the Catholic Faith. It is because they exist that I have honed and refined my explanations to the level that I have today. And I thank God for that!

Now, I have met anti-Catholics that I don’t like, but I’ve met Catholics that I don’t like. So? I’m sure that some of them and even many Catholics don’t like me, as well. So? As long as we can agree to disagree, I’m fine with that.

Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 11:19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

And again:

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
 
Do even the worst protestants go as far as to call a catholic church building the w*** of Babylon???

I understand calling protestant denominations “so called churches”, but the buildings?? What’s the point of that?

Not to mention there is not a good substitute for the word. Imagine having to say “go by the so-called church” every time you’re giving directions. Terrific.
 
BohemianBrother said:
Do even the worst protestants go as far as to call a catholic church building the w*** of Babylon???
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Lol! That is what is called a straw man argument. Did I say that they called Catholic Church buildings W*** of Babylon? Please quote me.

My point is that there are many anti-Catholics perfectly willing to say what they feel about the Catholic Church whether it hurts our feelings or not.
I understand calling protestant denominations “so called churches”, but the buildings?? What’s the point of that?
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I think you’ve missed a lot of the thread. I’m not going to go over it again. Please simply read through it.
Not to mention there is not a good substitute for the word. Imagine having to say “go by the so-called church” every time you’re giving directions. Terrific.
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As others have mentioned, Protestants have already found many substitutes which they like. Ekklesia, for example. If you read through the thread, you’ll find others mentioned.
 
I know, I just feel the thread devolved into something totally different than what was the original question.

We went from the discussion of what is the legitimate term for a protestant building to what is the true Church. We do not need to resolve that, it is not the topic of this thread.

Surely I know many protestants are hostile and rude. I just think the man in the question was wrong not in manners, but in the proper use of the language. I think it would be more correct if he said “this church (building) in which the so called Church resides”.

Sorry to interrupt the flow of the debate here.
 
De_Maria said:
My point is that there are many anti-Catholics perfectly willing to say what they feel about the Catholic Church whether it hurts our feelings or not.
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There’s many Catholics who do the same to their “brothers and sisters in Christ”…just say’n…
 
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