Do Catholics and Baptists get along?

[Anesti33]

Your friend rejects the 7 sacraments

Welp, I can’t say she does. She attended a FHC/Confirmation Mass with me. Like I said, she doesn’t register or acknowledge any difference of belief. Yet, she has a deep faith and is very well-informed on all kinds of other matters. It’s baffling.

 

[stpurl]

Evil men? You mean St. Jerome and all the other Catholics (there WERE no other Christians at that point).

And I say Catholicism is a good thing as Catholicism was the first “Christian” faith, and remains the faith which holds the fullness of truth.

 

[Bluebright]

Thanks that is useful to know I’ve ended up at a prayer vigil for a mutual cause and some people are Baptist. I don’t want to offend them as they are very nice people and its almost excellent cause (the unborn). They are very respectful of us Catholics and our rosary praying and Litanies etc. I must say having read this.

 

[phil19034]

This is like asking, “do dogs and cats get along?”

The answer is: Some do & some don’t!

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are different kinds of Baptists.

Around here, they’re mostly Southern Baptists. By and large we do get along with them. Southern Baptists are hard to characterize, though, because they vary so much. As they jokingly say among themselves or to others who are friendly. “I’m not a member of any organized religion. I’m a Southern Baptist.” Some are virtually mainline protestant. Some are very Fundamentalist.

 

[twf]

Its more fundamental than this. They reject apostolic succession and the authority of the bishops. So its a given that they would also reject the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, which only makes sense within that context.

When it comes to Catholic apologetics, I often see people start with papal authority right off the bat. I don’t agree with this approach as papal authority makes no sense if divorced from its proper context - episcopal authority and apostolic succession.

 

[Anne1964]

I have cousins who are Southern Baptists and they hate what they believe Catholics to be. They have been taught the worst lies about our faith. The Pope is the anti-Christ, the Church is the whore of Babylon, we worship Mary and are all going to hell.

I went no contact with them several years ago because I was tired of them trying to convert me every time we met. The last time they were at my house for dinner my cousin’s husband refused to eat the food I prepared. They also refused to come to my mother’s funeral Mass so I had no blood relatives with me at Mass that day. I’m finished with them.

 

[tonyh12]

That’s v sad, I haven’t encountered that level of hostility sounds about as bad as it can get, prayers for unity, protect your heart.

 

[Sarcelle]

This is like asking, “do dogs and cats get along?”

The answer is: Some do & some don’t!

So the answer to this question should be another question.

Which Catholic and which Baptist?

I wonder if the hostility is more in places where Catholics are rare, like in Oklahoma.

I remember a thread here in this forum back in the day where posters were discussing how it was like to practice the faith in Oklahoma. They talked of the hostility they met there.

 

[Sarcelle]

I have a friend who grew up in a Southern Baptist family but since converted to the Lutheran denomination.

He’s had the same problem. In fact his family called the Lutheran denomination as that Papist Church.

They see no difference between Lutherans, Anglicans and Catholics. We’re all Papists.

I wonder how Martin Luther will react when he hears that centuries down the road the Church he founded will be viewed the same as the Church he rejected?

 

[Wannano]

This is like asking, “do dogs and cats get along?”

The answer is: Some do & some don’t!

I personally think your answer is not only brilliant but quite possibly represents the actual reality. I felt the OP was asking a genuine question that stemmed from actual personal ignorance about the relationship between the two churches.

It is not healthy, I think, to continue to tell the horrible stories we have about each other for it cuts both ways. I am not a Baptist, but I could give personal accounts about horrible experiences from Catholics but there is no point.

In my opinion it is even hard to identify exactly what a “Baptist” or a “Catholic” is because of the extreme variation of individuals represented within each camp.

If we (and myself included) could somehow focus on Christ as our Head and take our eyes off of others within the realm of Christianity it would , I think, speak loudly to an unbelieving world.

 

[Raxus]

I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum as regards getting along with Baptists: One of them called me (a Catholic) a necromancer to my face and said I was destined straight for hell, which I got a very good, long laugh out of. (I enjoy playing necromancers in fantasy games, so double the laugh for me.)

I’ve also dated a Baptist gal from a very nice congregation; they all tried hard to get me to sing in their Sunday services, but were very understanding when I (kindly) told them why I couldn’t as a Catholic, and still enjoyed talking to me /inviting me for potlucks and the like.

Just depends on the people, really.

 

[Peeps]

There are several types of Baptists.

There are hundreds of types of Baptists.

 

[Sarcelle]

Interesting.

If the Baptist Church is the true church why are there so many different versions?

 

[Peeps]

If the Baptist Church is the true church why are there so many different versions?

The Baptists do not claim to have “the true church.” They would say that the “true Church” consists of all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Church is not an earthly organization–it’s all of the believers in Jesus throughout history, and that includes Catholics who believe in Jesus.

The very nature of “Baptist” is forming new churches when there is a disagreement. That’s why there are so many of them with so many different names. It is not considered a “failure” or “flaw” when a disagreement leads to a group of Baptists leaving their church–it’s considered an opportunity to start a new community of believers within Christ’s Church.

Baptist churches vary greatly in how their churches look, sound, sing, pray, preach, teach. There is no way you can pin one down!

But the theology is generally the same–salvation through faith in Christ by His grace.

I grew up Baptist (Conference Baptist, which now have a different name but I’m not sure what it is. When I was little it was actually called “Swedish Baptist”).

When I was signing up to attend the Urbana Youth Conference in Urbana, IL, many years ago (when I was in college), the applications were on paper (no computers yet!). I filled in all the information–name, etc. Then I came to the “Check which church you currently are active in,” followed by a very long, at least 4 pages, of church denominations (Catholic was there!). There were Christian and Missionary Alliance, abour four different types of Lutheran (remember, this was back in the 1970s!), several kinds of Presbyterians, all the different types of Reformed Churches, (RCA, CR, German, Dutch, etc.)–but I flipped to the Baptist section–it went on and on for three full pages of the application!!! There were SO MANY KINDS OF BAPTISTS!! I found “Conference Baptists” and checked it, but I did ask my pastor why there are so many types of Baptists, and he told me pretty much what I told you above. That’s just the nature of Baptists–when there is disagreement, just start a new church–they’re all part of the True Church of Jesus Christ.

And that explains why some Protestants get upset when they are told that they cannot receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. They see themselves as members of the True Church of Jesus Christ, not outside of it. They don’t get it that the Church of Jesus Christ isn’t just a “spiritual” organization, but is actually a real, bricks and mortar, men and women, on-earth organization!

 

[Raxus]

They would say that the “true Church” consists of all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. T

Awfully convenient for them, eh?

The Church is not an earthly organization–it’s all of the believers in Jesus throughout history, and that includes Catholics who believe in Jesus.

Except Jesus explicitly built his Church upon one man, and explicitly gave power to that man and to others to baptise and forgive sins in a very certain way. The Church absolutely is an earthly organization, as well as a heavenly one. Those outside of it who otherwise believe in Jesus are sitting upon that Church’s doorstep, but they’re not in it yet.

The very nature of “Baptist” is forming new churches when there is a disagreement. That’s why there are so many of them with so many different names. It is not considered a “failure” or “flaw” when a disagreement leads to a group of Baptists leaving their church–it’s considered an opportunity to start a new community of believers within Christ’s Church.

The fact that hundreds of Baptists apparently got it wrong before the newest iteration got it right doesn’t lend a lot of credence to their claims.

And that explains why some Protestants get upset when they are told that they cannot receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church.

Well, they can learn their history and the reasons why if they’re so upset. I don’t feel sorry for them, frankly. They chose what they chose, and choices come with consequences.

They see themselves as members of the True Church of Jesus Christ, not outside of it.

Being wrong is often not easy. The best way to proceed is to learn from mistakes (and many do, to their credit).

 

[Peeps]

Being wrong is often not easy. The best way to proceed is to learn from mistakes (and many do, to their credit).

Raxus, I’m not agreeing with them. My husband and I both walked away from the first 47 years of our Christian lives–left our Protestant churches, shocked our families and children–we left it all to become Catholic. I agree with you. All I was doing was trying to answer Sarcelle’s comment about why there are so many different versions of “Baptist.”

 

[Raxus]

Yeah, I realized as I was going down the questions, and tried not to frame them in an “OH YEAH?!” kinda tone.

 

[Raxus]

I should add, sorry if I was too much of a butt. I don’t mind being one a little bit, but I try not to overdo it.

 

[Peeps]

I should add, sorry if I was too much of a butt. I don’t mind being one a little bit, but I try not to overdo it.

No need to apologize–I think you were very considerate and you made good points that will hopefully help people to understand the issues brought up by the OP’s question.