Catholics can be Christians?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Elzee
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
40.png
Elzee:
Have any of your ever heard this? Instead of saying ‘Catholics are Christians’, I’ve heard Evangelicals say ‘Catholics can be Christians’. If you’ve head this remark before, what do you say?
Click to expand...
It is a Protestant misconception and it seems like snobery. I don’t understand how they think they are even being Christian when they say it. It is best left unsaid. We all know Catholics and other Christians that are not living up to the titles. Let God be the judge.
 
I find it rather disingenuous when Evangelicals can point to fallen away Catholics and say they are not Christians. Yet they subscribe to once saved always saved. Does that not apply to Catholics in their minds. I think it is short sighted and the main problem with Protestantism. Yeah, and that they don’t know the fullness of being Christian.
 
“Catholics can be saved, but only if they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“Oh?”
“Right, and until they accept sola scripture, and quit worshipping idols, this can’t occur.”
“So in other words, a relationship with Jesus Christ means a relationship in the exact same way that YOU have a relationship with Christ, verbatim”
 
I also say Catholics were the first Christians-- for a mere 1500 years! How do they explain that 1500 year gap between Jesus and Protestantism?
 
What these people have the audacity to say, is that they can judge who will go to hell, something even the Magisterium of the Catholic Church dares not do. It’s UN-Christian on its face.
 
40.png
Fidelis:
In other words, for a Catholic to be a “Christian” he’d have to stop being a Catholic.
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I was taught!!! for 40+ years!
In fact, having told my dad the fact of my now being Catholic, He told me that several times, along with the word repeated often, in many ways, “Apostate”. Sigh. trying times ahead.
 
Catholics are “born again” or born of the Spirit if you will, at Baptism when our Original Sin is washed away and the mystery of Gods presense dwells within us making us His Holy Temples.

What I thiink Protestants refer to is are you sincerley trying to follow Jesus? Do you pray and live authentic lives. When they speak of being born again, I think they are referring to conversion experieinces.

Alot of their altar calls rely upon conviction. Pointing out the reality of our sin and the need for help and forgiveness. When people open their hearts and reflect upon this reality they are convicted and often have major changes in their lives when they turn back to God. Thus being “born again.”
 
When many Protestants say that “Catholics can be Christians” I think they mean if we are crypto-Protestants, having a Protestant theology and outlook and rejecting formal Catholic teaching.

Actually, make that virtually all who say that.
 
I personally have asked some who have said that Catholics *can *be Christians. What exactly do you mean by that?

The response?

Well, the teachings of the Catholic Church lead to great abuses like Mary worship but there are those who can not get led into that and truly worship God alone.

Or this other one where the basic thought was that those in the Catholic Church can “accidently” be Christian by not following all the teachings of the Catholic Church. Just like a Mormon could accidently be a Christian, not really understanding all that their church *really *teaches.

Just my personal experience. But I think the phrase can be meant nicely, like Ryan’s Wife has said, and not so nicely. Depends on who says it.

God Bless,
Maria
 
40.png
SPH1:
When many Protestants say that “Catholics can be Christians” I think they mean if we are crypto-Protestants, having a Protestant theology and outlook and rejecting formal Catholic teaching.

Actually, make that virtually all who say that.
Click to expand...
I assure you from personal experience that that is not true of most who say this. I have explained above what most evangelicals mean by this–they mean that the Catholic Church, like all other churches, has some people who are in a state of grace and some who are not. They may believe that these people make up a smaller proportion of the Catholic Church than of evangelical churches–but then many Catholics believe that Catholics have nore access to the means of grace than Protestants, so you can hardly complain if some Protestants believe the reverse.

Yes, there are those who think that Catholics can only be saved if they deny official Catholic doctrine. But based on my experience I think that these make up a small minority of those who would say “Catholics can be saved.” Generally those who hold this strict view would be very up front about qualifying it to apply only to people who were not “good Catholics.”

Edwin
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top