For All the Protestants That Care to Answer . . .

[JohnnyReb]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

Would Catholicism still be Catholicism at that point? Confession to a priest…not a real problem with me. For me, purgatory seems to be more of a problem in addition to honoring of Mary and the saints…only because the scriptural support for it is not as strong as some other beliefs…IMO

 

[Rachel_Malloy]

In light of not derailing this thread, pm me if you want the answer to that.

You can both feel free to start a thread in apologetics and discuss it there too

Very good discussion… keep it up!



God bless-

 

[dessert]

I think that wouldn’t be catholic anymore. My dh would like that and he doesn’t think the eucharist is the living Christ ither. I try to tell him he could be telling the priest all the things about me he wanted but oh well. I have a nice story for you but you may have heard it before.
Once upon a time there was a small turtle and everyday this little turtle would climb up this tree to a branch a long way up and it would take it all day. It would jump off the branch and try to fly and of course flop right down to the ground it would go. Then the next day it would do the same and all day get to the top and flop down it would go. The next the same all day climb and struggle to get up there jump off and down it would go perplop. After about a dozen tries and a dozen days, the mother bird said to the father bird I think we should tell him that he is adopted.

When I was a catholic the first time I felt like I was jewish then when I joined the protestents I felt like I was a gentile, now as a cradel cathholic revert I just feel like I am at home and that is the “feeling” you might be aming for. I can’t give that “feeling” to him as I know I am the only one using the word feeling but he does now say that we are on the same page but I asked him are we in the same chapter and the same book?

You know this has to be a personal thing with the catholic church and you and God. Even everyone in my cc are on a different page married or single but we are in the same book and to me this is very important so mydh and I compare books some but in the end we can agree and we can disagree as long as we both like spagetsdi. dessert

 

[kellie]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

I am not sure.
I think they also dont like our teachings of no divorce, no contraception, no pre-marital sex, and transubstantion (did i spell that right?).

 

[dessert]

This is a VERY interesting question, as I’ve been contemplating Catholicism alot lately. I guess the one I have the biggest issue with is honoring Mary and the saints when Christ Himself said that “anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”. Who better to go to than God Himself with your prayers?

I wish you would start a thread on this as Mary and the saints is a big issue with my dh too and they did suffer so maybe I could get some comebacks of course in a gentle and loving way. thanks dessert

 

[jmcrae]

Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

I converted from Protestantism because I figured out that the Catholic Church is the one founded by Jesus Christ.

Once I figured that out, all of my objections (I had a great many) melted away, including the whole guitar Mass thing - they could have been offering virgin sacrifices to Baal; I wouldn’t have cared, because I would have known in my heart that Jesus required it, and that Jesus does not require for me to understand everything - but God is great - let me recount what happened:

As I was leaving my Protestant church for the very last time, I heard the Recessional; the organist was playing “Sheep Safely Graze.”

I said to God, “You have no idea what I am giving up now that I am becoming Catholic. Will I ever hear music like that again, as long as I live?” Because up to that moment, I had never heard anything but guitar Masses.

I went across town to what was about to become my parish, and as I walked in through the door, someone was practicing on the organ (I hadn’t even realized they had one) - the person was playing “Sheep Safely Graze.”

I just sat down in the pew and wept for joy, and then laughed at God’s amazing sense of humour. I’ve never looked back.

 

[jmcrae]

I am not sure.
I think they also dont like our teachings of no divorce, no contraception, no pre-marital sex, and transubstantion (did i spell that right?).

My biggest issue was no women priests - not that I ever felt called to the Catholic priesthood, but it just seemed very backwards to me that women were not included in the priesthood.

I understand that issue a lot better than I did before, but I needed to understand the nature of the Church’s authority before I could ever even start to understand that one.

 

[colliric]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

They already have that option, it’s called Anglo-Catholicism…

No need to make the catholic church itself get rid of those 3 important doctrines because it would mirror the Anglican church’s already existing doctrines which allow one to believe in heaven and hell without acknowledging the stricter catholic doctrines.

In facgt Anglican churches are so flexable on such issues such as Transubstantiation, some parishes(the Anglo-Catholicism ones) believe in the catholic doctrine for it, others believe in the evangelical point of view.

Non-Anglo-Catholic Anglicans are allowed to follow ordained Female Priests, while Anglo-Catholics do not allow it.

 

[Damascus]

I would have to agree. I read Frank Schaeffer’s (son of Protestant theologian Francis Schaeffer) Dancing Alone and he converted to the Orthodox Church as he found the Catholic Church too Americanized.

I don’t know if we have to go back to the Tridentine Mass (although that might not be a bad idea), but I agree that there are problems. At my parish, the pianist played like she was at a rock concert, and sounded like Jerry Lee Lewis during the Alleluia.

I have this book. I have also corresponded via E-mail with him.
Nice guy. Good read.

His opinion of his Church changed drastically after his son served…

Did you follow that? Still Orthodox far as I know. Its been a while since I had contact with him.

He is a nice man, and his book was very helpful to me in my past life, to get here now.

In fact, between him and Bishop Kallistos Ware, I dont know if I would be a Catholic now had it not been for their help.

 

[Zooey]

I would not want the CC to drop the traditions of honoring the saints, but I question whether all the Marian dogmas really needed to be defined as such, rather than remaining pious beliefs. I believe in sacramental Confession but I question the High Medieval shift from a view of the priest as doctor (still seen in Peter Lombard) to a view of the priest as judge, which resulted in a legal understanding of confession. And I don’t believe in papal infallibility, though of course there are various ways of defining it and it’s possible that some agreement might be reached, if the RCC was sufficiently clear about the decision-making role of the whole Church.

Let me underline, though, that at this point Marian piety per se is definitely an attraction rather than the reverse. As an Episcopalian I have access to the Eucharist at least every week and sometimes more often (let’s not debate the validity of our Eucharists, please–I know the arguments!), so while I’d like the opportunity to receive daily, that’s not the big deal for me. But I when I listen to medieval Christmas carols honoring Mary (as I have been doing this past Advent and Christmas), I feel great sorrow and anger at the way Protestants swept away this rich Incarnational piety as idolatrous. This is one of the biggest things I think I miss by not being Catholic–though of course nothing prevents me from stopping by Catholic churches and paying my respects to the BVM, and I do do that from time to time.

Edwin

(pretty much) what Contarini said…

 

[rr1213]

As I was leaving my Protestant church for the very last time, I heard the Recessional; the organist was playing “Sheep Safely Graze.”

I said to God, “You have no idea what I am giving up now that I am becoming Catholic. Will I ever hear music like that again, as long as I live?” Because up to that moment, I had never heard anything but guitar Masses.

I went across town to what was about to become my parish, and as I walked in through the door, someone was practicing on the organ (I hadn’t even realized they had one) - the person was playing “Sheep Safely Graze.”

I just sat down in the pew and wept for joy, and then laughed at God’s amazing sense of humour. I’ve never looked back.

Nice, very nice. I do think God has a sense of humor.

 

[mozart-250]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

First, even if for some reason my hang-ups with Catholicism were resolved, it would not necessarily mean I become Catholic. This is because I tend to be loyal to a fault to the local congregation where I am and would need justification to move. Also my personal situation works against any move.

One of my big hangups is not listed. This would be mortal sin (and I am Wesleyan). I’ve seen too many threads of Catholics paranoid over trivia like not doing the 1 hour fast before the eucharist,getting hit by a truck on the way out of mass, and getting sent immediately to hell. And the consensus here was yes you do go to hell. Talk about eternal insecurity.

My second big hangup is “One True Church” with the corollary that “Protestants are heretics” as that really (sorry) strikes me as arrogance. I would not want to become Catholic and then get that type of attitude over my brothers and sisters in Christ.

As far as the listed stuff:

• Your praying to Mary and the Saints doesn’t bother me (although I can’t in good conscience do it).
• I actually like to some extent how you honor Mary and the saints. At least you know your history. One of my favorite shows on EWTN is a real sweet elderly couple on the lives of the saints. Sheesh, many non Catholics I know of have no idea of the godly people in our shared history.
• I wish your marian dogmas (particularly 3.0 and 4.0) were downgraded to “you can believe this if you want to”. I have no reason to believe Mary 3.0 and 4.0.
• I think a strength of Catholicism is confession. Non-catholics keep their sins bottled up which is not healthy.
• I don’t agree with papal infallability, but agree that on some level God has been protecting your theology within some limits of error. I agree with 98% of the moral theology for example. If God had not been protecting your theology to some extent anyway, you would probably be worse than the Unitarians by now.

 

[happygal]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

As a protestant i don’t find honoring Mary or Saints an issue, but i would prefer solely to Honor Jesus and no others. Anyway i don’t find is wrong if i don’t honor Mary/Saint.
Dropping confession to a priest, is a no no no, since bible did mentioned that we are to confess our sins to one and other. I find Catholicism in fact are very traditional but i just cannot understand why majority of the Catholic i know (typically in my country) they don’t tithe, all most of them will tell me , they don’t earn much so cannot tithe, which i find it is a bad reason not to give tithe, for what we have are given by God, he just wanted to see your inner heart, despite the so called pittance pay. So what is consider a high pay to tithe, which i always wanted to ask them!! Isn’t Catholicism has their Philosophy and Principles of Tithing according to the Rule of St. Michael?? Yet why so many pple who claim they love God this and that, yet when comes to $$$, the true color shows!!! All they say, oh God will not blame me if i don’t tithe…Anyway of course God will not blame those who don’t tithe, coz he just wanted to see your real heart in giving back what he give to you…

 

[JesusforMadrid]

I would join the Catholic church if I felt that it were like the apostolic church, first century church in theology and practice: real presence yes, but not transubstantiation, no papal infalibility, no prayers to the dead, no extra biblical Marian beliefs such as sinlessless of Mary.

I wonder if the Anglican Church had united with the RC church, which they almost did, if there would have been an “anglican rite” which makes optional the RC beliefs and practices not shared by low church Anglicans or other Evangelical Protestants. If so, I could probably join that.

Even if the theology were acceptable, I don’t find the “high church” practice of the RC church very attractive. I know, however that many R Catholics love this aspect. So, the RC church would have to accommodate different styles and that would be difficult, as the talk above of “hippy masses” illustrates.

 

[JimO]

I would join the Catholic church if I felt that it were like the apostolic church, first century church in theology and practice: real presence yes, but not transubstantiation, no papal infalibility, no prayers to the dead, no extra biblical Marian beliefs such as sinlessless of Mary.

The Real Presence is a result of transubstantiation. You cannot have one without the other.

 

[apophasis]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

I think the largest “Protestant” issue is justification by faith alone (sola fide). Until the Catholic church embraces that truth most educated “Protestants” would not (could not) even approach her. And once she embraced and grew in that truth, many of her other non-biblical traditions would eventually fade away.

 

[Blue_Serenity]

I think the largest “Protestant” issue is justification by faith alone (sola fide). Until the Catholic church embraces that truth most educated “Protestants” would not (could not) even approach her. And once she embraced and grew in that truth, many of her other non-biblical traditions would eventually fade away.

Ah yes, sola fide.
What is your opinion of works? Can you do them strictly for the honor and glory of God, with no intention of meritting anything for yourself?

 

[Blue_Serenity]

I wish you would start a thread on this as Mary and the saints is a big issue with my dh too and they did suffer so maybe I could get some comebacks of course in a gentle and loving way. thanks dessert

Tell you what, you start the thread about your dh and I’ll chime in with my issues and maybe we’ll find some resolution, if nothing else, some understanding.

 

[Lee44]

I was just wondering that if the CC dropped their Traditions of honoring Mary and the saints, the sacrament of Confession to a priest and the papal infallibility doctrine, would Protestants become Catholic?
The reason I listed these is because these seem to be the main ones Protestants have issues with.
Also, if your reason is not listed in the ones I mentioned, feel free to share.
Protestants that converted to Catholicism can also share the reason why they converted, if they’d like.

I don’t have any problems with the sacrements and Saints. I do have problems with the Pope and Mary devotion. For me you would have to throw in birth control, ordination of female and married priests, the list just is to lengthy.

Lee44

 

[JesusforMadrid]

The Real Presence is a result of transubstantiation. You cannot have one without the other.

The Reformers Calvin and Luther both agreed with the “Real Presence”, but not transubstantiation. Luther, for example, called it co-substantiation.

In a sense, any Evangelical would say that Christ is really present, in Spirit, during the Communion.