Don't you think protestants are following Jesus Christ?

[Cyril_Of_Canada]

Well Catholics, what does the Church say about this? A protestant asked me this when I told him “I feel God has called me to follow Jesus Christ into the Catholic Church.”

What is a good catholic response to this question?

 

[Kanade]

The Church doesn’t say that people outside the RCC aren’t following Christ, and even acknowledges that good things come from non Christian religions. However, Christ’s ultimate call is to Catholic Unity (CCC 819).

Of course, the only Christian journey I can be sure of is my own. If Christians concentrated more on following Christ themselves rather than evaluating if everyone else is, things might be so much better

 

[Cyril_Of_Canada]

Thank you, thank you. What a loving response. Any more responses I can use?

 

[Monte_RCMS]

John 6 is especially important to me as a Catholic.

 

[joyfulseraph]

I was a Protestant too. Of course! I certainly was doing that as a Protestant, following Jesus to the best of my ability with the knowledge I gained from the bible and from sermons. There came a point when I wanted to have a deeper faith and be involved in a church that I knew was the closest to the bible. We should be following all of the bible, why ignore some of it?

 

[Kanade]

I was a Protestant too. Of course! I certainly was doing that as a Protestant, following Jesus to the best of my ability with the knowledge I gained from the bible and from sermons. There came a point when I wanted to have a deeper faith and be involved in a church that I knew was the closest to the bible. We should be following all of the bible, why ignore some of it?

Totally agree, what a great way of putting it. I was also a Protestant (Anglican), very much focused on the Bible and a huge believer in Christian unity. That brought me to a place where I realised that if I wanted unity, maybe I would have to be the one who moved. But if Protestant’s aren’t following Christ, that kind of change in me would have been impossible. I think anybody can follow Christ, irrespective of your denomination or lack thereof. Whether you can experience the fullness of faith outside of the Church is a different question, and I wonder if that’s what the people who posed the question to the OP are getting at.

 

[rcwitness]

“Protestants” are individuals. The Catholic Church is a body. The Catholic Church recognizes certain Catholic unity within Protestant communities. Individuals, whether Catholic or Protestant, have levels of personally following Jesus. Being Catholic does not guarantee personal fullness of faith. It does contain the fullness of faith within her, principally on account of the Scriptures (all 73 books and their parts) and His Eucharist.

 

[Kanade]

“Protestants” are individuals. The Catholic Church is a body. The Catholic Church recognizes certain Catholic unity within Protestant communities. Individuals, whether Catholic or Protestant, have levels of personally following Jesus. Being Catholic does not guarantee personal fullness of faith. It does contain the fullness of faith within her, principally on account of the Scriptures (all 73 books and their parts) and His Eucharist.

Do you mean that Protestant denominations are individual denominations, or that the people within them are individuals and not part of a greater body?

I would of course agree that the RCC offers the fullness of faith, but it is up to the individual to full partake in that. It’s not guaranteed.

 

[rcwitness]

Do you mean that Protestant denominations are individual denominations, or that the people within them are individuals and not part of a greater body?

I simply mean that protestants are individuals. It is not the same thing as Protestantism. One is a piece of the other. Catholics are not the Church, but pieces of the Church. Protestants have a certain Communion with the Catholic Church, namely belief and Baptism. They also have the Scriptures, though they interpret and practice different (and even oppositionally) within themselves.

Individuals and the whole are not the same thing, but share the same principles. One individual may be following Jesus “dimly”, while another “vibrantly”. Still, the vibrant follower lacks what Protestantism cannot offer.

I would of course agree that the RCC offers the fullness of faith, but it is up to the individual to full partake in that. It’s not guaranteed.

Right! Partaking doesn’t guarantee fully following. Partaking as a member of the Catholic Church is not necessarily personally following everything the Church Teaches.

I was raised non-denominational. I saw a genuine unity within the Catholic faith. I saw Scripture and Jesus fulfilled in the Mass. I heard the Father’s call to His Son’s Body and Blood. But I struggle to receive “worthily”. Now that term should be properly understood! I understand “worthily”, in this context, as both knowing it is by Grace we receive, and by cooperation with His Grace (or obedience, pureness, Godliness, Charity, faithfulness). We should not receive His sacrifice unless we have turned away from what caused Him to be sacrificed.

 

[rcwitness]

Cyril of Canada,

I suggest keeping your responses to them short and sweet. Allow a simple answer to remain with them for a time. If they pursue, then expound. But if you go into too many divergences, it will not bring clarity. I find most of them already have a cloud of confusion with anxiety over the Catholic Church. It’s difficult to address one issue at a time. Things must be prioritized.

 

[Kanade]

I simply mean that protestants are individuals. It is not the same thing as Protestantism. One is a piece of the other. Catholics are not the Church, but pieces of the Church. Protestants have a certain Communion with the Catholic Church, namely belief and Baptism. They also have the Scriptures, though they interpret and practice different (and even oppositionally) within themselves.

Thank you, that’s what I wanted to clarify, that Protestants being ‘individuals’ doesn’t mean that they’re not part of the Christian body in the wider sense through baptism. I completely agree with what you’ve said. I’m painfully aware of the internal conflicts within Protestantism, having not been Protestant enough for some other Protestants as an Anglican (although to be fair, as a convert I’m not Catholic enough for some Catholics I’ve met either).

I was raised non-denominational. I saw a genuine unity within the Catholic faith. I saw Scripture and Jesus fulfilled in the Mass. I heard the Father’s call to His Son’s Body and Blood. But I struggle to receive “worthily”. Now that term should be properly understood! I understand “worthily”, in this context, as both knowing it is by Grace we receive, and by cooperation with His Grace (or obedience, pureness, Godliness, Charity, faithfulness). We should not receive His sacrifice unless we have turned away from what caused Him to be sacrificed.

Amen.

 

[Wannano]

“Protestants” are individuals. The Catholic Church is a body. The Catholic Church recognizes certain Catholic unity within Protestant communities. Individuals, whether Catholic or Protestant, have levels of personally following Jesus. Being Catholic does not guarantee personal fullness of faith. It does contain the fullness of faith within her, principally on account of the Scriptures (all 73 books and their parts) and His Eucharist.

Once again I have to sincerely say I appreciate your statements on this thread this morning.

In terms of being P or C and having personal levels of following Jesus within those realms, how would you feel about a P that with strong conviction feels God has planted them where He wants them to be?

 

[rcwitness]

Once again I have to sincerely say I appreciate your statements on this thread this morning.

In terms of being P or C and having personal levels of following Jesus within those realms, how would you feel about a P that with strong conviction feels God has planted them where He wants them to be?

I believe they are not being led to that conclusion by God. One Protestant may be following Jesus more faithfully than many Catholics. But He is not judged against many Catholics, but Jesus.

 

[Contarini]

Well Catholics, what does the Church say about this? A protestant asked me this when I told him “I feel God has called me to follow Jesus Christ into the Catholic Church.”

What is a good catholic response to this question?

Yes. Many Protestants are following Jesus to the best of their ability, and may be doing so better than many Catholics. But we all see through a glass darkly, and we are all obligated to act on any light we have regarding ways in which we can follow Jesus better.

For many of us, this means seeking union with the Catholic Church in communion with Rome.

Edwin

 

[Contarini]

Once again I have to sincerely say I appreciate your statements on this thread this morning.

In terms of being P or C and having personal levels of following Jesus within those realms, how would you feel about a P that with strong conviction feels God has planted them where He wants them to be?

I would not argue with that. But then, I’m a liberal heretic by the standards of these forums.

My wife believes that God has called her to be an Episcopal priest. I don’t think it’s my business to sort out whether and how that conviction and my conviction that I ought to be in full communion with Rome can both be true.

Edwin

 

[rcwitness]

I would not argue with that. But then, I’m a liberal heretic by the standards of these forums.

My wife believes that God has called her to be an Episcopal priest. I don’t think it’s my business to sort out whether and how that conviction and my conviction that I ought to be in full communion with Rome can both be true.

Edwin

Hmmm… she should honor her head, and you should honor your’s. I can appreciate your dilemma.

 

[LiamQ]

Of course many Protestants (who are sincere) are following Jesus Christ.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is whether or not they are following Him in the fullness of truth while living Sacramental lives in His visible Church.

 

[Wannano]

I believe they are not being led to that conclusion by God. .

Rc, that is a serious charge. I have had a priest answer that differently.

 

[Peter_J]

“Protestants” are individuals. The Catholic Church is a body. The Catholic Church recognizes certain Catholic unity within Protestant communities. Individuals, whether Catholic or Protestant, have levels of personally following Jesus.

Exactly. (When I read the first sentence, I right away thought “So are Catholics”, but now I see there’s no need to say that.)

 

[Wannano]

I would not argue with that. But then, I’m a liberal heretic by the standards of these forums.

My wife believes that God has called her to be an Episcopal priest. I don’t think it’s my business to sort out whether and how that conviction and my conviction that I ought to be in full communion with Rome can both be true.

Edwin

I agree. We need to be careful.