Does the Holy Spirit only reach Catholics?

[Lost_Again]

I’ve noticed that a lot of people get overly sensitive about some of the questions so please understand that I’m asking this one purely out of curiousity and mean no disrespect.

Been reading through a lot of posts today in this forum and ran across what I felt is an interesting pattern. There “seem” to be a lot of catholic commentors who believe that only catholics are touched by the Holy Spirit.

For example in one of the posts the person commented that (and I’m paraphrasing) “It was up to the Holy Spirit to get the protestants to see the light” (Sorry should have done a cut and paste)

So… my questions are…

Do the Catholics in this forum truly believe that only Catholics can be touched by or inspired by the Holy Spirit? If so Why? and if not, Why not?

Since my conversion to Protestanisim I have met some truly phenomenal Christian men and women who are as touched by the spirit as any Catholic I ever knew.

2nd part of the question

If the Holy Spirit does reach all of us (Christians that is)… then why would the spirit care if we were Catholic or Protestant?

Please NO FLAMES… I’m serious about hearing some of your views. I’m no theologian just one man trying the live his life the way the good Lord wants me to.

 

[PaulDupre]

For example in one of the posts the person commented that (and I’m paraphrasing) “It was up to the Holy Spirit to get the protestants to see the light”

If the Holy Spirit can touch Protestants so as to get them to see light, then that Catholic obviously believes that the Holy Spirit touches Protestants. Right? :ehh:

Paul

 

[blossom02]

Catholics do believe that the Holy Spirit can speak to any one, no matter what thier faith is. The why is simple, God loves all and created all.

 

[PaulDupre]

If the Holy Spirit does reach all of us (Christians that is)… then why would the spirit care if we were Catholic or Protestant?

That is a complete non-sequitur.

What, in your opinion, is the purpose or benefit of being “reached” by the Holy Spirit?

God bless you,
Paul

 

[Rolltide]

I would make an analogy between Protestantism and Catholicism like this:

Say I want to learn about firefighting. One way I could go about doing this is to teach it to myself. I could learn stop, drop, and roll, I could learn how to use a fire extinguisher, install and maintain smoke detectors in my house, take CPR and first aid classes, and in a pinch, I could even use my garden hose to save my house. I am independent of any particular firefighting “authority”, but I know what to do if a particular situation arises. My knowledge may indeed save me or others if the need arises. However, it is entirely possible that a house or building fire could be beyond my ability to fight it.

My other option would be to become a firefighter. I would learn ALL of the techniques available for fighting a fire. I would learn how to handle hazardous materials, or what to do in case of a terrorist attack. I would have special equipment to help me, such as fire trucks, ladders, oxygen masks, foam, and hoses. I would also, most importantly, have a team behind me to be watching my back, helping me and protecting me. I might also be trained as an EMT, to provide extra knowledge for helping those injured by the fire. Even when I’m not at the fire station, the knowledge I possess could help save my life and the lives of others.

Although both people are intelligent and capable of extinguishing a fire, who do you think is the better firefighter, and who would you rather have teach you about firefighting?

 

[Lost_Again]

In trying to be tactful in the wording of the question… something I’ll admit that I’m not very good at…You’ve all missed my point…

So let me try again…

A lot of the posts I mentioned were worded more like “if only the Holy Spirit could get through to those protestants all would be right with the world”.

My contention is that in my experience that the Holy Spirit does accomplish his works through Catholics and Protestants alike.

So… Why do Catholics appear to act like they’ve cornered the “Holy Spirit” market?

I’m getting frustrated with this forum as I came here seeking knowledge and all I seem to see is the same old Protestant Vs. Catholic **** hashed and re-hashed…

I am trying to re-discover my Catholic roots although I (at present) have no intention of returning the to Catholic Faith. I am a member of a Baptist church and often am challenged to maintain my composure when I hear protestants say absolutely stupid things about catholics and vice versa.

So please… a little patience and compassion here without sarcasm

 

[Alexius]

In trying to be tactful in the wording of the question… something I’ll admit that I’m not very good at…You’ve all missed my point…

So let me try again…

A lot of the posts I mentioned were worded more like “if only the Holy Spirit could get through to those protestants all would be right with the world”.

My contention is that in my experience that the Holy Spirit does accomplish his works through Catholics and Protestants alike.

So… Why do Catholics appear to act like they’ve cornered the “Holy Spirit” market?

I’m getting frustrated with this forum as I came here seeking knowledge and all I seem to see is the same old Protestant Vs. Catholic **** hashed and re-hashed…

I am trying to re-discover my Catholic roots although I (at present) have no intention of returning the to Catholic Faith. I am a member of a Baptist church and often am challenged to maintain my composure when I hear protestants say absolutely stupid things about catholics and vice versa.

So please… a little patience and compassion here without sarcasm

As an Easterner, I believe that “God is everywhere present, filling all things…” Therefore, I do not believe that there is anywhere or anyone who is without the Spirit of God. That includes Protestants, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Animists, etc. Everyone can experience God’s presence and dwelling. That said, there are limitations to those who do not have the new life of the Spirit as given through baptism and a sacramental life within the Church. They can express their experiences, but they cannot “speak” for the Spirit…

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

 

[qui_est_ce]

I’ve noticed that a lot of people get overly sensitive about some of the questions so please understand that I’m asking this one purely out of curiosity and mean no disrespect.

When you are talking about salvation, things are bound to get sensitive! Remember, you may be a bit defensive yourself for having left the CC for another denomination.

Been reading through a lot of posts today in this forum and ran across what I felt is an interesting pattern. There “seem” to be a lot of catholic commentors who believe that only catholics are touched by the Holy Spirit.

Remember you are on a Catholic Forum, so you are going to get a lot of Catholics “slamming” because Catholics have that chip on their shoulders that Protestants think Catholics don’t know their Bible.

For example in one of the posts the person commented that (and I’m paraphrasing)
So… my questions are…

Do the Catholics in this forum truly believe that only Catholics can be touched by or inspired by the Holy Spirit? If so Why? and if not, Why not?

If you continue to visit here, with an open heart, you will see that Catholics fully appreciate the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but are skeptical, because so many claim to be inspired of the HS, yet have disparate interpretations of the Bible.

Since my conversion to Protestantism I have met some truly phenomenal Christian men and women who are as touched by the spirit as any Catholic I ever knew.

AMEN!

2nd part of the question

If the Holy Spirit does reach all of us (Christians that is)… then why would the spirit care if we were Catholic or Protestant?

The HS does not “care” to which denomination a person belongs, the HS speaks through the Church. All Christian denoms belong to the Church, the body of Christ, but not all are in full Truth.

I think you are confusing religions with Truth. Catholics don’t think they are better because they possess the fullness of Truth. What most Catholics are trying to say is that the Church was built on Peter, the Rock, and the gates of Hell will not prevail. We, as Catholic Christians, are committed, responsible for living Truth. Because of this standard, anyone who falls short is held to a higher standard.

Perhaps it is the Priest Abuse Scandal which best exemplifies the standard to which the CC is held. Some of her standard bearers have truly missed the mark and it hurts. It is scandalous. It is hurtful, but no way this will divert me from the truth and beauty of the HCC.

God bless you Greg.

 

[Rolltide]

I thought my analogy was fairly decent, but let me put it another way. I would argue even more liberally than you would. I would argue that the Holy Spirit can work through anyone, even if their non-Christian. However, their ability to understand the truth and know what they are doing is right is limited by their understanding of God. For example, take the example of a Native American in a time before the arrival of Columbus. If he was sincerely trying to do his best to be a good and moral person, and since they were invincibly ignorant of the truth of Christianity, would this not be an example of the Holy Spirit trying to work through someone and reach them?

The fact of the matter is that the Holy Spirit does work through Protestants. They do many good works of charity that have helped people, and many people have at least been exposed to Christ that would never have been otherwise. However, Catholics would argue that since they don’t have the fullness of the truth, it limits them to a certain restricted understanding of Christianity, and makes it more difficult for the Holy Spirit to be heard. Likewise, it would be even more difficult for the Native American in my example to experience the Holy Spirit, but not impossible.

 

[ClaireS]

I’ve noticed that a lot of people get overly sensitive about some of the questions so please understand that I’m asking this one purely out of curiousity and mean no disrespect.

Been reading through a lot of posts today in this forum and ran across what I felt is an interesting pattern. There “seem” to be a lot of catholic commentors who believe that only catholics are touched by the Holy Spirit.

For example in one of the posts the person commented that (and I’m paraphrasing) “It was up to the Holy Spirit to get the protestants to see the light” (Sorry should have done a cut and paste)

So… my questions are…

Do the Catholics in this forum truly believe that only Catholics can be touched by or inspired by the Holy Spirit? If so Why? and if not, Why not?

Since my conversion to Protestanisim I have met some truly phenomenal Christian men and women who are as touched by the spirit as any Catholic I ever knew.

2nd part of the question

If the Holy Spirit does reach all of us (Christians that is)… then why would the spirit care if we were Catholic or Protestant?

Please NO FLAMES… I’m serious about hearing some of your views. I’m no theologian just one man trying the live his life the way the good Lord wants me to.

I’m Catholic. OF COURSE the Holy Spirit touches all Christians.

About part two:

The Spirit is to lead the church into all truth. What church?
Jesus prayed for unity. Did Jesus found one church or many? The answer is obvious. Is the church He founded visible or invisible? Talking about the church, He says you can’t hide a city on a mountaintop or your light under a basket. So it must be visible. Jesus founded the church on the apostles. He also said the gates of hell would not prevail against it. So it would come down from the apostles and would last.

IMHO pride, greed, lack of charity, stubborness, and other kinds of human sinfulness broke the unity of the church. Looking back, we can assign blame to many in the Catholic church and some of those who left. But the result is a lack of unity, confusion. Good Bible reading people of various denominations and within the same denomination disagree about what is true.

The Catholic church (despite the sins of it’s people) is the church that came from the apostles and is the teacher of truth.
Within it is the real presence of Jesus under the appearance of bread and wine which we eat and drink as He commanded. This is what Catholics believe.

So Catholics do think that the Holy Spirit cares that all Christians come to possess ALL the truth. What I am observing is that the many good Protestants of all denominations who are now coming into the Catholic church are bringing new life with them, putting new emphasis on practices like daily Bible reading and quiet time, praising through song, friendliness within the congregation, ongoing Christian formation of adults, etc. which we may not have emphasized in recent years.

We know that unity is the work of the Spirit and we wait on His timetable and try not to get in His way. So, this is the opinion of one Catholic trying to be open and not offensive.

 

[paarsurrey]

Hi

I am an Ahmadi a peaceful Muslim.
I understand from Quran/Islam/Muhammad that the angels/holy spirit do reach human being with following qualities.

Quran

[41:31]** As for those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah;’ and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, reassuring them: 'Fear not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the glad tidings of the Garden which you were promised;
[41:32] 'We are your friends in this life and in the Hereafter. Therein you will have all that your souls will desire, and therein you will have all that you will ask for - **
[41:33] ‘An entertainment from the Most Forgiving, Merciful God.’
[41:34] And who is better in speech than he who invites men to Allah and does righteous deeds and says, ‘I am, surely, of those who submit?’
[41:35] And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he, between whom and thyself was enmity, will become as though he were a warm friend.
[41:36] But none is granted it save those who are steadfast; and none is granted it save those who possess a large share of good.
Unquote

So the Catholic and non-Catholics could be benifitted from these verses if they have the above qualities, it is open for everybody.

Thanks