Converting from Catholic to Protestant...

[CMatt25]

Hmmm. Jesus or a cheeseburger.

I’m thrilled to fast!

In reality is one regular meal and 2 smaller meals really fasting?

 

[CMatt25]

You forget, we are Protestants. Its like McDonalds. We get Jesus and a cheeseburger.

Today I had a double fillet o’ fish.

 

[PTD]

JonNC is so gracious in his argument I wish he was Catholic. Yet I don’t find it persuasive to quote from the Augsburg Confession. How many Lutherans have read it? I can’t believe they would find it an authoritative guide to Scripture or life, considering that the 2 largest Lutheran denominations in the US differ so drastically. The larger, liberal Lutheran body has effectively repudiated half of what their grandparents thought essential. The Augsburg Confession is just a piece of paper, unlike the documents of the Catholic Church with a living magisterium - living right now - to hold them up. Individual Catholics and other Christians may dissent from Catholic documents from the first century, or the 20th century, but there is a definite identifiable church, that does not dissent. In a way the Catholic Church is the only church a person can dissent from. In Protestantism, anyone can teach anything with equal authority. There is no living magisterium that can prove Martin Luther or Martin Luther King to be a better Lutheran or Baptist than the Moonies, for instance.(But I still wish more Catholics wrote as respectfully as JonNC).

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

JonNC is so gracious in his argument I wish he was Catholic. Yet I don’t find it persuasive to quote from the Augsburg Confession. How many Lutherans have read it?

I am not sure I would want to open that can of worms. How many Catholics have read our Catechism? I won’t hold it against the Lutheran Church for some of their more lazy members if they won’t hold ours against us

I am not sure the place of the Augsburg Confession in the Lutheran Church (is it an historical document? A binding Confession? etc) so I will let more knowledgable people speak to that.

God bless you

 

[pete_29]

In reality is one regular meal and 2 smaller meals really fasting?

I would say as a minimum requirement yes. I don’t think you can ask someone who does hard physical labor to seriously cut back their calorie intake. As for lazy bums like me, we should probably do more, but that’s individual choice. That’s the great thing about Lent, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

 

[CMatt25]

I would say as a minimum requirement yes. I don’t think you can ask someone who does hard physical labor to seriously cut back their calorie intake. As for lazy bums like me, we should probably do more, but that’s individual choice. That’s the great thing about Lent, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

I didn’t do too badly then today. I had one meal (fish sandwich and a side) and 1 small meal if you count a Pop Tart as a meal.

 

[pete_29]

I didn’t do too badly then today. I had one meal (fish sandwich and a side) and 1 small meal if you count a Pop Tart as a meal.

Is a pop tart really food?

 

[gamewell45]

gamewell45;6301674:

Not all Protestants would recommend joining the Freemasons due to their unbiblical teachings and influences. It is a mix of various religious beliefs. It’s basically due tothe same reasons that the RCC condemns joining the FM.

You are correct; there are some Protestant denominations who frown upon membership in Freemasonry. I don’t know of any mainstream denominations who explicitly prohibit membership. There is major disagreement between the Masons and the various religious bodies over the reasons therefore, but Masons figure that its between the church and their parishioners.

 

[climer97007]

gamewell45;6301674:

Not all Protestants would recommend joining the Freemasons due to their unbiblical teachings and influences. It is a mix of various religious beliefs. It’s basically due tothe same reasons that the RCC condemns joining the FM.

Protestantism is not being attacked and undermined like the RCC is by so-called Free Masonry. Free Masonry is anything but free, maybe 40 pieces of silver, that would be the price. It is a place for non-Catholic so-called Christians, Jews, KKK, Muslims, Hindus, and Budhists alike, the list is legion, where all of these can meet freely and plot against and to act in one accord to undermine the True values of the RCC.

This is the basis for the French Revolution. This is basis for the war in Iraq. This is the meaning of the Vietnam war, the Korean conflict, you name them, wars and rumors of wars, all cleverly employed to undermine the One and True Faith, the One and True Love of man for even His enemies. You want to overthrow militant Muslims? They need to experience the True Gospel of Sacrificial Love, not the brunt of bullets, of grenades, of nuclear bombing, of threats of annillation, of political bribary, or of financial manipulations.

This is the basis for the cooperation of the USA with aethiestic communist countries. This is Hillary Clinton, a self proclaimed Methodist, wandering around the world forcing Condoms and birth control pills on the unsuspecting 3rd world, in lock step with Communist China and Planned un-Parenthood.

This is the slow and persistent warming of the pot of Holy Water until it is boiling with the so-called justifiable hatred of a man’s race, of the aged, of the unborn, of the organized proliferation of pornography, of nude dance clubs going up next to schools, of the legalization of all manner of drugs, the reduction of trustworthy journalism to mere vehicles of propaganda, the reduction of True law to the chaos supported by the ACLU.

No, a man does not leave the Catholic Church with the intention of doing these things. Judas did not betray Jesus with the idea that Jesus was going to be Crucified. And yet, this is the end result. This is where departure from the One and Only True Faith leads, to the death of Christ. To the death of Christ in the womb, the death of Christ at the end of a needle, the death of Christ at the end of a noose at a midnight Crucifix bon-fire, the death of Christ rendered sterile due to STD’s, the death of Christ flushed down the toilet on the morning after, the death of Christ in the mockery of forgiveness, the death of Christ in the embrace of selfishness and pride, the death of Christ in the child of a parent without discipline or self control.

My Ash Wednesday Reflection… What bitter wine awaits the RCC on His Cross!

Gene

 

[Javl]

Is a pop tart really food?

Yep. Anything you eat is considered food, since it fuels the body ( with or without nourishment ).

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[Javl]

climer97007:

Protestantism is not being attacked and undermined like the RCC is by so-called Free Masonry. Free Masonry is anything but free, maybe 40 pieces of silver, that would be the price. It is a place for non-Catholic so-called Christians, Jews, KKK, Muslims, Hindus, and Budhists alike, the list is legion, where all of these can meet freely and plot against and to act in one accord to undermine the True values of the RCC.

This is the basis for the French Revolution. This is basis for the war in Iraq. This is the meaning of the Vietnam war, the Korean conflict, you name them, wars and rumors of wars, all cleverly employed to undermine the One and True Faith, the One and True Love of man for even His enemies. You want to overthrow militant Muslims? They need to experience the True Gospel of Sacrificial Love, not the brunt of bullets, of grenades, of nuclear bombing, of threats of annillation, of political bribary, or of financial manipulations.

This is the basis for the cooperation of the USA with aethiestic communist countries. This is Hillary Clinton, a self proclaimed Methodist, wandering around the world forcing Condoms and birth control pills on the unsuspecting 3rd world, in lock step with Communist China and Planned un-Parenthood.

This is the slow and persistent warming of the pot of Holy Water until it is boiling with the so-called justifiable hatred of a man’s race, of the aged, of the unborn, of the organized proliferation of pornography, of nude dance clubs going up next to schools, of the legalization of all manner of drugs, the reduction of trustworthy journalism to mere vehicles of propaganda, the reduction of True law to the chaos supported by the ACLU.

No, a man does not leave the Catholic Church with the intention of doing these things. Judas did not betray Jesus with the idea that Jesus was going to be Crucified. And yet, this is the end result. This is where departure from the One and Only True Faith leads, to the death of Christ. To the death of Christ in the womb, the death of Christ at the end of a needle, the death of Christ at the end of a noose at a midnight Crucifix bon-fire, the death of Christ rendered sterile due to STD’s, the death of Christ flushed down the toilet on the morning after, the death of Christ in the mockery of forgiveness, the death of Christ in the embrace of selfishness and pride, the death of Christ in the child of a parent without discipline or self control.

My Ash Wednesday Reflection… What bitter wine awaits the RCC on His Cross!

Gene

A GREAT post, Gene. Thank you. Too bad, though, that too many will disagree. Oh, well, maybe someday ( soon I pray ) all will wake up and realize the great sin and damage done.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[pete_29]

Yep. Anything you eat is considered food, since it fuels the body ( with or without nourishment ).

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

JOKE. see smiley at end of my comment

 

[Bill_Pick]

for some (many more than catholics like to admit) they are freeing themselves from systematic abuse and a hell centered theology that destroyed their self esteem, childhood, security, peace and left them with misery and fear as their only knowledge of love. But you won’t believe me.

Can you please tell us why you think it is a hell centered thheology

 

[ElisabethM]

Since I am part of the One Church started by Christ, that being the congregation of believers, the communion of saints, I am as home as you are.
But I’m curious where I was wrong here.
First, I quoted Augsburg in support of the Real Presence - taught by the entire Church.
Then I quoted Augsburg in support of Private Confession.
I offered a stance on Invocation, not explicit in scripture, that was not a condemnation, and finished with a similar stance on Adoration of the sacrament, also not explicit in scripture.
Where was I at cross purposes with scripture?

As for authority of Lutheran pastors to teach, the same as Catholic priests, Orthodox priests, etc. as members of the special ministry, called and ordained. That other may not recognize it is irrelevent.

Jon

There are light years of difference between what Lutherans teach as the “Real Presence” and the Catholic Church’s teaching of transubstantiation. I have to say, though, growing up with the Lutheran understanding of the “Real Presence”, accepting the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation was easy for me (as opposed to a Protestant for whom the bread and wine are only symbols). It was one of the “mores” I found in going from Lutheran to Catholic.

The Augsburg Confession may support private confession but in 47 years as a Lutheran, and I mean a REAL solid to-the-core Lutheran, I have never heard this mentioned from a pulpit nor heard of anyone who practiced it, except perhaps in a vague “counseling” session.

Again, the Catholic Church offers more. Confession is a sacrament that imparts real grace for living the Christian life. If one goes regularly, it affords the penitent real help in overcoming vices and practicing virtue. The common Protestant retort for Catholic Confession is “I confess my sins to God and that’s enough”. Or, in Lutheran churches, you have the common confession as part of worship. There’s nothing wrong with any of that but here is another great big MORE of the Catholic Church. It is easy to admit your wrongs to yourself alone with God (though self-deception makes it very, very difficult to go very deeply with one’s sins) or with a common prayer; it is HARD to humble yourself before a priest and confess your sins.

I plumbed the depths of Lutheran theology and the Lutheran Church, and found myself wanting more. The Catholic Church is that more I was seeking, and it is bottomless.

 

[JonNC]

JonNC is so gracious in his argument I wish he was Catholic. Yet I don’t find it persuasive to quote from the Augsburg Confession. How many Lutherans have read it? I can’t believe they would find it an authoritative guide to Scripture or life, considering that the 2 largest Lutheran denominations in the US differ so drastically. The larger, liberal Lutheran body has effectively repudiated half of what their grandparents thought essential. The Augsburg Confession is just a piece of paper, unlike the documents of the Catholic Church with a living magisterium - living right now - to hold them up. Individual Catholics and other Christians may dissent from Catholic documents from the first century, or the 20th century, but there is a definite identifiable church, that does not dissent. In a way the Catholic Church is the only church a person can dissent from. In Protestantism, anyone can teach anything with equal authority. There is no living magisterium that can prove Martin Luther or Martin Luther King to be a better Lutheran or Baptist than the Moonies, for instance.(But I still wish more Catholics wrote as respectfully as JonNC).

Thank you for your kind compliment. There are two documents, other than scripture, that a Lutheran ought to know; The Augsburg Confession, and Luther’s Small Catechism. I might add a third, that being the Apology. You are right that Lutherans - some to many - are probably poorly catechized - a problem I here about from Catholics here, as well. And I have a profound sadness that we are not living up to our Confessions. As another poster rightly points out, we don’t execise private Confession/Absolution as we should, and we are sometimes lax in our teaching and understanding of the Eucharist. Then again, I hear here the same frustration from Catholics.

Jon

 

[12kstj51]

I’ve been a lurker for quite a while. This thread stirred me to add some thoughts. One of the reasons I did not see here for converting from Catholicism to Protestantism is the foolish decision some of us make when we are very young to follow our spouse’s faith. When I married 33 years ago, I was in my teens, very young, and very gullible. By marrying out of the Church, I avoided pre-marital classes which my husband-to-be wanted nothing to do with. He was hardcore Baptist, very involved in that church, and wanted me to be the same. My parents were poor examples of Catholicism when I grew up, and the Catholic environment in which I lived was very liberal (we’re talking early 70’s here) and wealthy (my family was not); and to top it off, all of the priests during my elementary years were later accused of molestation. When I began to attend my husband-to-be’s church, I was overwhelmed with a loving church family which had a passionate love for God and who were basically in the same social class as me. It was easy to leave at the time, and over the years I became very active in my protestant church and very close to God, something which I could not do on the path I was on before I met my husband. Fast forward 33 years later, and I find myself returning to the Catholic Faith. I have attended Mass every week for the last 3 years with my widowed mother. I have learned a lot off of this website, and can see both sides of the apologetics wall that stands between Catholics and Protestants. Who is right? Only God knows. I love the Church and miss the liturgy, yet I am torn by leaving a church family I love, and a husband who is reluctant to be married before a priest. I wish I had had a strong Catholic upbringing and a supportive church family when I was young. I pray every day that God will show me the right thing to do, and I know He will.

 

[JonNC]

=ElisabethM;6304749]There are light years of difference between what Lutherans teach as the “Real Presence” and the Catholic Church’s teaching of transubstantiation. I have to say, though, growing up with the Lutheran understanding of the “Real Presence”, accepting the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation was easy for me (as opposed to a Protestant for whom the bread and wine are only symbols). It was one of the “mores” I found in going from Lutheran to Catholic.

Hi Elizabeth,
There seems more respect for each other’s view of the Eucharist amongst our leaders, and a growing consensus that we are not far apart.

The Augsburg Confession may support private confession but in 47 years as a Lutheran, and I mean a REAL solid to-the-core Lutheran, I have never heard this mentioned from a pulpit nor heard of anyone who practiced it, except perhaps in a vague “counseling” session.

Our new pastor, straight from seminary does. Pray that our pastors are being better trained in Lutheranism, instead of American Protestantism, which has been the central problem.

Again, the Catholic Church offers more. Confession is a sacrament that imparts real grace for living the Christian life. If one goes regularly, it affords the penitent real help in overcoming vices and practicing virtue. The common Protestant retort for Catholic Confession is “I confess my sins to God and that’s enough”. Or, in Lutheran churches, you have the common confession as part of worship. There’s nothing wrong with any of that but here is another great big MORE of the Catholic Church. It is easy to admit your wrongs to yourself alone with God (though self-deception makes it very, very difficult to go very deeply with one’s sins) or with a common prayer; it is HARD to humble yourself before a priest and confess your sins.

I plumbed the depths of Lutheran theology and the Lutheran Church, and found myself wanting more. The Catholic Church is that more I was seeking, and it is bottomless.

I am sincerely, honestly thankful that you have.

JOn

 

[ElisabethM]

“There seems more respect for each other’s view of the Eucharist amongst our leaders, and a growing consensus that we are not far apart.”

JonNC, I’d be very interested in reading the supporting documents for this assertion if you would provide them.

 

[Lady_Mariegrace]

Dear 12kstj51 -
i can totally relate to what you have to say. I am on the other side. i was raised all my life evangelical pentecostal etc. and have converted to Catholicism but i miss the fellowship, friendship, acceptance and the same societo-economic level. It is hard for me not to know the lingo, the secret passwords/prayers etc. and i used to be a Sunday school teacher, vacation bible teacher and i can’t seem to find my place in Mother Church. It is hard for me though i love the truth and the history and the liturgy.

 

[climer97007]

When I married 33 years ago, I was in my teens, very young, and very gullible. By marrying out of the Church, I avoided pre-marital classes which my husband-to-be wanted nothing to do with. He was hardcore Baptist, very involved in that church, and wanted me to be the same. When I began to attend my husband-to-be’s church, I was overwhelmed with a loving church family which had a passionate love for God and who were basically in the same social class as me. It was easy to leave at the time, and over the years I became very active in my protestant church and very close to God, something ***which I could not do ***on the path I was on before I met my husband. Fast forward 33 years later, and I find myself returning to the Catholic Faith. I have attended Mass every week for the last 3 years with my widowed mother. I have learned a lot off of this website, and can see both sides of the apologetics wall that stands between Catholics and Protestants. Who is right? Only God knows. I love the Church and miss the liturgy, yet I am torn by leaving a church family I love, and a husband who is reluctant to be married before a priest. I wish I had had a strong Catholic upbringing and a supportive church family when I was young. I pray every day that God will show me the right thing to do, and I know He will.

I believe that God will indeed fulfill this prayer of yours.

I am curious why you “could not” be close to God when you were younger. Was it due to Christ’s presence in the eucharist that kept you so far from Him? Was it due to your frequent confessions where He met you where you lived to give you His Love, Grace, Peace and His foregiveness? Was it due to your Confirmation and the descent of the Holy Spirit of God upon you that kept you far from Him in the Catholic Church?

I mean, what of these things makes it impossible, or to the point that you “could not” be close to Jesus? Or is it that you could not feel as okay with your choices and your state in life until you left the Abiding Presence of Jesus in the Catholic Church? You see, it is a two sided sword of Truth which He holds.

God does know the truth, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. You can know this Jesus. Coming to know Jesus is not nearly as much about study and trying to decide for yourself, as it is about Him making Himself known to you and you responding and being receptive to Him. This is the source of my points above.

Only God can make Himself present to you, and that presence is not defined by “accepting friends of your same social class”. We can find acceptance in any corner Bar, yet this human acceptance is nothing quite like the Abiding Presence of Christ making His dwelling in you. Having close accepting friends in a Baptist or any other church is no substitute for a True encounter with Christ Himself.

Now, Jesus has been making this happen for you all along the way, His Way. The question is, what has been your response to His action? What about your way has kept you apart from His Way?

Your husbands concern or fear about standing before a Priest of the Most High God is interesting. What is the basis for his fear, for his concern? Don’t tell me, ask him, your husband, and share this with God in prayer. Is it related to his own state of grace? This is where fear mostly comes from, knowledge of guilt, use of pride as a barrier to meet God more intimately, temptations of the devil, etc…

May God richly bless your prayer!

Gene