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mango_2003
Guest
How important do you feel a unity between the two sides is? Do you think it will be reached any time soon? Why or why not? Is important to Catholics to bring Protestants “home”?
~mango~
~mango~
- Status
C
_Christopher
Guest
It isn’t practical too speak of a Catholic and Protestant reunification, per se, because Protestantism isn’t a single entity. It has many flavours and there isn’t one leader, so to speak.
I think it is more realistic to convert individual Protestants through friendships and then get those converts to convert two more people, etc. It will grow exponentially.
And yes, it is important to be one Church again, as Jesus prayed in John 17.
C
chosunhoon
Guest
I don’t honestly don’t believe that a fully fledged reunion is realistically possible. But at least fellowship is important.
Only if they’re searching for other churches, or if they’re dissatisfied at their own church.
I don’t feel the need to evangelize them. I’d rather encourage them with what we have in common. And I’d only encourage them to understand the Catholic Church if they’re honest about finding out what we’re all about.
The protestant method of evangelism is something I don’t want to use upon protestants. Then again not all protestants are the same, but I’m assuming you understand what I mean: Trying to intellectually convince people doesn’t work for me. Only when they ask questions.
-Jason
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Puzzled
Guest
Somehow the system forgot who I was and lost all I wrote.
In short, imagine various protestant theological traditions as being lay orders in schism with Rome. What changes would have to be made for them to come under the wings of Rome as valid lay orders, as in the past, Franciscans and the Jesuits underwent?
In short, imagine various protestant theological traditions as being lay orders in schism with Rome. What changes would have to be made for them to come under the wings of Rome as valid lay orders, as in the past, Franciscans and the Jesuits underwent?
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Sanosuke
Guest
I was reading this book on the American Indians called “Touch the Earth” for a history project. The book was a bunch of memoirs and letters written by the Natives showing their anger and frusteration about having their land stolen.
II learned one important thing from that project: in the book, the Indians criticize the Christians because although they all have the same Book, the couldn’t agree on what it said. They argued that they didn’t need a Book that contradicts itself to tell them what to believe.
Unity gives Christianity credibility. 25,000+ denominations of Protestants along with 25,000 interpretations of Scripture does not. Christian unity is way too important to put under the table.
II learned one important thing from that project: in the book, the Indians criticize the Christians because although they all have the same Book, the couldn’t agree on what it said. They argued that they didn’t need a Book that contradicts itself to tell them what to believe.
Unity gives Christianity credibility. 25,000+ denominations of Protestants along with 25,000 interpretations of Scripture does not. Christian unity is way too important to put under the table.
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Puzzled
Guest
FWIW, there are about 300 protestant denominations, and less than a dozen interpretations of Scripture.
Not that that is somehow the way things ought to be, of course.
Not that that is somehow the way things ought to be, of course.
M
MichaelTDoyle
Guest
One way of looking at the issue of how many Protestant denominations there are, is that each Protestant church is its own mini-religion as each relies on their Pastor to interpret Scripture. I imagine some Protestants just rely on themselves to interpret Scripture. This makes every man his own religion and answerable only to his view of scripture.
That said, if I weren’t a Catholic, I’d certainly rather be a Protestant than a Secularist. I imagine its a much shorter trip home that way.
I often wonder if it is in God’s plan to reunite His church through the conviction brought by the Holy Spirit. With Islam and secularism, it sure would be nice to have a united front with Christ’s promise to Peter leading the way.
I’d hope that we can get together. It’s a wonderful dream: a reunited Christendom.
S
Sanosuke
Guest
Less than a dozen interpretations of Scripture? I watched a documentary on different denominations of Christianity, one of which took a certain verse about snakes to mean that God wanted us to go out into the woods, capture poisonous snakes, and dance around with them. Is this interpretatation of the Bible one of those “dozen interpretations” which you are talking about? Seems to me that people can (and do) manipulate Scripture to mean whatever they want it to. You can do that in more than 12 different ways.
Look in “The Plain Truth” (April 1991 issue) magazine, which stated that Christianity is divided into more than 25,000 sects, cults and denominations. Note that the plain truth is not a Catholic magazine, either.
Look in “The Plain Truth” (April 1991 issue) magazine, which stated that Christianity is divided into more than 25,000 sects, cults and denominations. Note that the plain truth is not a Catholic magazine, either.
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Puzzled
Guest
Sanosuke,
The Plain Truth is a cult magazine. Go to your local research library and look up one of the catalogs of Christian denominations.
You can only get 25,000 (or as some Catholics have multiplied it, 60,000 or 100,000 (at the last point, there aren’t that many congregations in the States!) by counting every single independant baptist church as a separate denomination, which isn’t really fair.
I’m talking about theological threads, when it comes to interpretation. Reformed, Lutheran, Wesleyan/Holiness. In reality, that is about it. You’ve got Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, Benedictine, VOF, Matthew Fox, Hans Kung, Scheelebex, Reiki, holististic therapy, buddhism, yoga, and oh, so many more, all under the same hierarchical umbrella, even is there isn’t much actual jurisdiction being exercised (praise be to God for Archbishop Burke!)
If every Protestant congregation is to be seen as its own mini-religion, then so is every parish and chapter house.
The Plain Truth is a cult magazine. Go to your local research library and look up one of the catalogs of Christian denominations.
You can only get 25,000 (or as some Catholics have multiplied it, 60,000 or 100,000 (at the last point, there aren’t that many congregations in the States!) by counting every single independant baptist church as a separate denomination, which isn’t really fair.
I’m talking about theological threads, when it comes to interpretation. Reformed, Lutheran, Wesleyan/Holiness. In reality, that is about it. You’ve got Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, Benedictine, VOF, Matthew Fox, Hans Kung, Scheelebex, Reiki, holististic therapy, buddhism, yoga, and oh, so many more, all under the same hierarchical umbrella, even is there isn’t much actual jurisdiction being exercised (praise be to God for Archbishop Burke!)
If every Protestant congregation is to be seen as its own mini-religion, then so is every parish and chapter house.
A
Apologia100
Guest
I wouldn’t put the Fransiscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, and Augustinians (you forgot Carmelites and Jesuits, and many others) under the same “umbrella” as Lutherans, Wesleyans (Methodists) or buddhists. These are Catholic monastic orders who are submissive to the Roman Pontiff, the others you mentioned are an ecclectic group of non-Catholic christians and Infidels.
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SPOKENWORD
Guest
If God is for us then who can be against. I believe it brings tears to the Lords eyes when he see the division in the Body. Jesus will not come back until the Body is one . The Body will one day be catholic again and when it is ,then Jesus the head will be in its place. 
I
ILO
Guest
If two independent Baptist churches do not answer to the same hierarchial organization, then they indeed are separate denominations. Each is free to believe or not believe as it wishes.
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Sanosuke
Guest
At any rate, I’ll just use the trusty phone book method.
Yellow Pages
Subtract out the non-Christian churches, and the Catholic Churches–which are all part of the same denomination–and you have your total of United States denominations. Note that no two Presbyterian, Baptist, etc. churches are the same.
I’m sorry, but being involved with a cult doesn’t make you entirely incapable of telling the truth.
Yellow Pages
Subtract out the non-Christian churches, and the Catholic Churches–which are all part of the same denomination–and you have your total of United States denominations. Note that no two Presbyterian, Baptist, etc. churches are the same.
I’m sorry, but being involved with a cult doesn’t make you entirely incapable of telling the truth.
K
Katholikos
Guest
The World Christian Encyclopedia (2001), in two 12" X 10," 850+ page volumes by David Barrett, is the definitive study on denominations.
Because it is a technical, statistical study, it is broken down into classifications finer than us non-statistical types would make in every-day usage.
Page 10 of Barrett’s study gives the number of denominations as 33,820. Many have used that number, including Newsweek Magazine. Others, using Newsweek as their source, have also quoted that figure.
I had an exchange with Protestant apologist Eric Svendsen over this two or three years ago. He said Barrett’s study shows in the final analysis that there are actually “only” 8,196 denominations. But that’s plenty, plenty to prove the fallacy of Sola Scriptura, I answered.
Christianity is a world religion. The denominations tabulated are not limited to the U.S. There are THOUSANDS, anyway you count 'em.
The reunification of Christendom is important only if Truth matters.
“All the waters of the Elbe would not yield me tears sufficient to weep for the miseries caused by the Reformation” (Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s co-conspirator in the wounding of the Body of Christ, Epistles, Book IV, ep. 100).
Because it is a technical, statistical study, it is broken down into classifications finer than us non-statistical types would make in every-day usage.
Page 10 of Barrett’s study gives the number of denominations as 33,820. Many have used that number, including Newsweek Magazine. Others, using Newsweek as their source, have also quoted that figure.
I had an exchange with Protestant apologist Eric Svendsen over this two or three years ago. He said Barrett’s study shows in the final analysis that there are actually “only” 8,196 denominations. But that’s plenty, plenty to prove the fallacy of Sola Scriptura, I answered.
Christianity is a world religion. The denominations tabulated are not limited to the U.S. There are THOUSANDS, anyway you count 'em.
The reunification of Christendom is important only if Truth matters.
“All the waters of the Elbe would not yield me tears sufficient to weep for the miseries caused by the Reformation” (Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s co-conspirator in the wounding of the Body of Christ, Epistles, Book IV, ep. 100).
S
space_ghost
Guest
if it were not important God would not have needed to establish one true catholic and apostolic church… makes no sence any other way…
K
Katholikos
Guest
Each denomination has a different interpretation of what Scripture means – and the same 66-book cut version of the Bible is the basis for every one of them. There are THOUSANDS of denominations, varying to some degree from every other denomination in one or more beliefs and/or practices. That’s why Protestants split – they can’t agree on what to believe and/or how to behave because each interprets the Scriptures for himself. So they declare their parent group ‘wrong’ and themsevles ‘right’ and start a new “church.”
To say that there are only 300 denominations and less than a dozen interpretations of Scripture is a denial of the facts.
Denomination denotes a different doctrine, with a different name.
The Catholic Church is not a denomination. She is the Nomination – the source from which all de-nominations ultimately originate. She is the Mother Church of all Christendom.
To say that there are only 300 denominations and less than a dozen interpretations of Scripture is a denial of the facts.
Denomination denotes a different doctrine, with a different name.
The Catholic Church is not a denomination. She is the Nomination – the source from which all de-nominations ultimately originate. She is the Mother Church of all Christendom.
L
lovethetruth
Guest
“How important do you feel a unity between the two sides is? Do you think it will be reached any time soon? Why or why not? Is important to Catholics to bring Protestants “home”?”
I feel there is an important need for unity as we all do believe in the same Christ and they way to salavation is still the same, Christ. However, I don’t believe it will be reached anytime soon,or ever in my opinion. The reason I believe this is because we still can’t get over that question about the 7 books in the Old Testament. I have a couple of writings one from a Catholic apologist, and another from a Protestant apologist and neither gives in to the teachings on the 7 books in the Bible. Each grabs at this or that information and quotes different things, so any hope of this ever uniting both religions is never coming true. In my opinion. I am Catholic, I believe what the church teaches as they have been around for over 2000 years. But that doesn’t seem to matter to some religions, including Protestants. All the readings from the saints I have read of people who actually lived and loved our church so much and many died for it don’t seem to matter to Protestants because again that is something they can never touch. As they don’t see what the real meaning of the saints are nor and actually foremost, they don’t wish to see what “saints” really are. But that’s ok, to each his own. Just so long as I’m left alone to practice my own religion I am not in charge of other people. I think it is important for Catholics who encounter a person who is truly asking the questions about our faith an they happen to be Protestant then maybe just direct them to true answers or to some good speaking event where they can actually witness a person who loves Christ and teaches the truth about our faith. I don’t feel I have all the truth, I have books but the CCC is what I would hand to them.
I feel there is an important need for unity as we all do believe in the same Christ and they way to salavation is still the same, Christ. However, I don’t believe it will be reached anytime soon,or ever in my opinion. The reason I believe this is because we still can’t get over that question about the 7 books in the Old Testament. I have a couple of writings one from a Catholic apologist, and another from a Protestant apologist and neither gives in to the teachings on the 7 books in the Bible. Each grabs at this or that information and quotes different things, so any hope of this ever uniting both religions is never coming true. In my opinion. I am Catholic, I believe what the church teaches as they have been around for over 2000 years. But that doesn’t seem to matter to some religions, including Protestants. All the readings from the saints I have read of people who actually lived and loved our church so much and many died for it don’t seem to matter to Protestants because again that is something they can never touch. As they don’t see what the real meaning of the saints are nor and actually foremost, they don’t wish to see what “saints” really are. But that’s ok, to each his own. Just so long as I’m left alone to practice my own religion I am not in charge of other people. I think it is important for Catholics who encounter a person who is truly asking the questions about our faith an they happen to be Protestant then maybe just direct them to true answers or to some good speaking event where they can actually witness a person who loves Christ and teaches the truth about our faith. I don’t feel I have all the truth, I have books but the CCC is what I would hand to them.
S
system
Guest
I have a first cousin who was raised as a Catholic who began reading the Bible and decided that Catholic Chuch is the whore of Babylon and all Catholics are all going to hell unless thy come out of that Catholic Chruch and be saved. He told that to his parents and sister and brothers who are all Catholics. He ordained himself and started his own church. So tell me how many fractions there are in the Protestantism? 
Our Holy Father
has worked tirelessly to promote Ecumenism and so should we. Until we are convinced that Ecumenism is a necessity to living out our Catholic Faith we cannot take the Lord’s Two Great Commandments; Love of God and Love of our Neighbor seriously.
Having worked now for many years through Marriage Preparation and as head of our parish RCIA and Adult Education Programs with people of different beliefs I find the best way to share with them what the Church teaches is done with respect and love.
Notice I said, “people of different beliefs,” not different churches.
That is because of the teaching of our Holy Father, John Paul II in DECLARATION *“DOMINUS JESUS”: *ON THE UNICITY AND SALVIFIC UNIVERSALITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CHURCH, that there is only one Christian Church - the Catholic Church who has the fillness of the faith passed down through the Apostles. The other are in fact ecclesial communities (faith communities) not churches who only have a part of the faith because they have rejected parts of the True Faith found only in the Catholic Church.
Will the Body of Christ be restored that we may all be one???
I honestly don’r know! But I do know that we need to work and love so that our separated brethen will want to join us.
Our Holy Father
has worked tirelessly to promote Ecumenism and so should we. Until we are convinced that Ecumenism is a necessity to living out our Catholic Faith we cannot take the Lord’s Two Great Commandments; Love of God and Love of our Neighbor seriously.Having worked now for many years through Marriage Preparation and as head of our parish RCIA and Adult Education Programs with people of different beliefs I find the best way to share with them what the Church teaches is done with respect and love.
Notice I said, “people of different beliefs,” not different churches.
That is because of the teaching of our Holy Father, John Paul II in DECLARATION *“DOMINUS JESUS”: *ON THE UNICITY AND SALVIFIC UNIVERSALITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CHURCH, that there is only one Christian Church - the Catholic Church who has the fillness of the faith passed down through the Apostles. The other are in fact ecclesial communities (faith communities) not churches who only have a part of the faith because they have rejected parts of the True Faith found only in the Catholic Church.
Will the Body of Christ be restored that we may all be one???
I honestly don’r know! But I do know that we need to work and love so that our separated brethen will want to join us.
D
Derffred
Guest
Overall I’d rate this as almost impossible. The Catholic church is so “deep” in comparison to the baptist church that it’s very difficult, some would say impossible, for people to convert to catholism. The protestant community strongly adhers to the congregation as being the church. This is in such stark contrast to Papal authority that many reel back at this idea. This is just one of the aspects of the area of apologetics, hence we have numerous forums, books, and other sources of information on this topic.
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Pro_Iesu
Guest
Well my two cents are A vast majority of protestants will probably come back to the truth since the New Springtime in the church is beginning. With this Springtime i beleive more people will thirst for the truth and our Lord, which is Christ. So even if the denominations don’t come back i think a great deal of their congregations will, who knows maybe a baptist church here an Episcopal chruch there. Crazy thing is many such things have begun to occur! SO keep praying for them.
An important thing is though the Catholic Church will never embrace Protestant teachings so the only way Protestants will come back is their acceptance of church teaching etc.
My friend was telling me about something related to Muslims and that Mary would bring them to christiantiy kind of like Our Lady of Guadalupe did with the Native Americans. Has anyone heard anything about this?
An important thing is though the Catholic Church will never embrace Protestant teachings so the only way Protestants will come back is their acceptance of church teaching etc.
My friend was telling me about something related to Muslims and that Mary would bring them to christiantiy kind of like Our Lady of Guadalupe did with the Native Americans. Has anyone heard anything about this?
- Status