And Catholics are not the same way? Last I checked, Protestant churches are booming in traditionally Catholic countries.
You said it yourself… You checked… but have you ever experienced it really? I am from a traditional Catholic country in Southamerica, and protestants have been there for almost a century, and even then their numbers have remained constant. (5% or less). There are some countries where there are some exceptions, no doubt, where an increase in Protestantism has been seen, but those countries has gone through some streneous circumstances, such as Nicaragua and their civil war in the 80’s, where American Protestant missionaries helped the people hand on hand with Catholic missionaries, so those who had more contact with the protestant missionary from the US became protestant, and those who were in contact with the Catholic missionary became/remained catholic. Thus you see that the INCREASE in protestantism in Nicaragua (from 5% to 20%), occurred during the 80’s and 90’s (CIVIL WAR years) really, even though the protestants have been there long before.
In some of those countries, in general there is a lot of poverty and ignorance. They do and believe what they are told, basically, if you fill their bellies and clothe them. And even if that is NOT the case, those Protestant converts FROM catholicism, MAINTAIN a RESPECT for their NEW MAGISTERIUM, which they gain, maintain and inherit from their Catholic upbringing.
I can easily DEMONSTRATE what I am saying, because the protestant churches there are VERY STABLE. I have never ever heard of a CHURCH SPLIT in those countries, which are VERY VERY common among the Protestant Churches here in the U.S. They believe what their pastors tell them regarding the intepretation of Scripture to follow and they don’t really question them. Not so here in the US.
The protestants that I have met in my country hardly EVER change denominations and they don’t even know what a church split is (just like Catholics all over the world). Here in the US, I have met protestants that have changed denominations many times (one that I know changed 5 times) and have experience church splits several times. I have met a couple that have even experience the birth of whole new denominations. THAT IS UNHEARD of in the Catholic Church.
What I have seen in MY country, is that really those Catholics that become protestants are those that were really NON-PRACTICING catholics. Never met a practicing Catholic that has become protestant in my country and I have been in contact with many protestant as my wife used to be baptist and her family still are. **And personally, I believe that those non-practicing Catholics that became protestants are now closer to GOD, as they were far away when they were Catholics but did not live their faith. Because their change to protestantism occurs, they have a comprise for change with God, and so they get closer to HIM than what they were before. **
Here in the STATES, on the other hand, really you find that practicing protestants are those who become catholics and they really do it on their own, through prayer and studying the bible diligently. Not so in my country in regards to the Catholics becoming protestants and in other countries like mine. They do it because they were not practicing their faith and they accept the bible interpretation given to them by whoever brings them to protestantism, without much questioning, prayer or studying. Had they studied and questioned, they would still be Catholic. I can atest to that, as my wife and her family tried to bring me to protestantism, and I started praying, questioning, and studying, when that happened, rather my wife became Catholic.
Many blessings,
E.C.
If you are serious, which I don’t see in your comments, there are resources. You demonstrate a lack of knowledge about Catholicism and I’m just stressing the fact that the more you display this “humorous” approach the more you will lack when speaking with knowledgeable Catholics. I never consider educating myself funny. Different perspectives, I guess…
