Honost Question to Protestants: NOT BAITING... PROMISE

[heisenburg]

Many protestants feel that Catholics are in error with respect to scripture… So a simple question arises…

Often When accused, Catholics WILL offer scriptural support for our views, Often we will also point to ECFs as backup for our beliefs…

however, when we use scripture we are accused of not using it properly…

but how do you know that WE are the ones improperly using scripture…

A good example is Romans 4.
A good protestant will say “see romans 4 says that we do not have to do works f any kind…”
A good Catholic will retort with… "but you missed that it is referring to works of the JEWISH law… "

Two definantly differing views of the same verse…

So…

How do you know that in general that your interpretation is right and the catholic interpretation is wrong…

Also, is saying catholics violate the bible really true? or should you actually say Catholics violate the bible as YOU understand it…

which once again leads into…

How do you know you are right

In Christ

 

[Rightlydivide]

I think that everyone uses their discernment to decide. Catholics have used their discernment to decide to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church based upon their understanding of scripture, tradition, and historical evidence.
Protestants have done the same but possibly not utilized the latter two as much.
A classic apologetic argument. One’s way of doing apologetics is fundamental. A good book is “Five Views on Apologetics”.

 

[Adam14]

Many protestants feel that Catholics are in error with respect to scripture… So a simple question arises…

Often When accused, Catholics WILL offer scriptural support for our views, Often we will also point to ECFs as backup for our beliefs…

however, when we use scripture we are accused of not using it properly…

but how do you know that WE are the ones improperly using scripture…

A good example is Romans 4.
A good protestant will say “see romans 4 says that we do not have to do works f any kind…”
A good Catholic will retort with… "but you missed that it is referring to works of the JEWISH law… "

Two definantly differing views of the same verse…

So…

How do you know that in general that your interpretation is right and the catholic interpretation is wrong…

Also, is saying catholics violate the bible really true? or should you actually say Catholics violate the bible as YOU understand it…

which once again leads into…

How do you know you are right

In Christ

I’ll give my thoughts as a “Protestant” while I can, since I’m about to begin the process of converting…that being said, maybe my opinion doesn’t mean much since you’re specifically asking protestants…

Anyway, this is a great question you ask. And it is one of the questions I asked myself after doubting many Catholic beliefs. Looking back, this is most likely the very question that “spurred” my decision to convert(99% sure I want to convert, anyway)

My answer to the question…I DON’T know that I’m right. I’m obviously starting to think the Catholic church is right. Before I began to learn about the Catholic church, as a protestant, I knew that it’s hard to tell exactly who is right when it comes to knowing what scripture says. My pastor was human, just as the pope, and I saw nothing that gave the pope anymore “say so” than my pastor.

The fact that I saw so much gray area in the bible, made me think that there is no way one person/teaching could be right about it.

Now, however, that “gray area” is actually making me realize that guidance is without a doubt needed. When I go to look for guidance, I think my current pastor is a good source(Lutheran), but I ask myself…“why not go back to the original body that compiled that very text?” So here I am…

Anyway, I probably made that a little too wordy, since you didn’t ask what my current beliefs were, but before I decided to convert, my way of thinking was as stated above.

 

[heisenburg]

Adam…

I’d rather have a long detailed reply than a short, sometimes sarcastic response some tend to give…

… And that goes for both sides of th isle…

In Christ

 

[heisenburg]

One’s way of doing apologetics is fundamental.

I think this statement is more true than you realize

How we study anything affects the results…

In Christ

 

[Mystic_Warrior]

Many protestants feel that Catholics are in error with respect to scripture… So a simple question arises…

Often When accused, Catholics WILL offer scriptural support for our views, Often we will also point to ECFs as backup for our beliefs…

however, when we use scripture we are accused of not using it properly…

but how do you know that WE are the ones improperly using scripture…

A good example is Romans 4.
A good protestant will say “see romans 4 says that we do not have to do works f any kind…”
A good Catholic will retort with… "but you missed that it is referring to works of the JEWISH law… "

Two definantly differing views of the same verse…

So…

How do you know that in general that your interpretation is right and the catholic interpretation is wrong…

Also, is saying catholics violate the bible really true? or should you actually say Catholics violate the bible as YOU understand it…

which once again leads into…

How do you know you are right

In Christ

We don’t know that we’re right. I’ve always used a concordance, commentaries, other believer’s viewpoints and of course the Bible itself to come to answers. I think that’s reasonable. It’s based on reason.

And I’ve had progressive realization on many points. I’ll look at a passage or doctrine one way and then I hear another viewpoint and re-consider if the argument is strong enough. I think we should all be willing to look further, broader and deeper to find the truth.

Peace…

MW

 

[JonNC]

Many protestants feel that Catholics are in error with respect to scripture… So a simple question arises…

Often When accused, Catholics WILL offer scriptural support for our views, Often we will also point to ECFs as backup for our beliefs…

however, when we use scripture we are accused of not using it properly…

but how do you know that WE are the ones improperly using scripture…

A good example is Romans 4.
A good protestant will say “see romans 4 says that we do not have to do works f any kind…”
A good Catholic will retort with… "but you missed that it is referring to works of the JEWISH law… "

Two definantly differing views of the same verse…

So…

How do you know that in general that your interpretation is right and the catholic interpretation is wrong…

Also, is saying catholics violate the bible really true? or should you actually say Catholics violate the bible as YOU understand it…

which once again leads into…

How do you know you are right

In Christ

Hi Heisenburg,

A good protestant will say “see romans 4 says that we do not have to do works f any kind…”

I don’t think a “good protestant” would say anything of the sort. While we may say that we are justified by grace through faith (alone), that doesn’t mean that works are not required of us, both works of the law and good works to our fellow man.

But to your main point I guess none of us really know. I also think that many times our differences are really agreements hidden by semantics and blindness caused by the sin of human pride (and I mean *all *of us). That is why I believe we must work hard in ecumenism to give the Holy Spirit a chance to reveal His truth in each other, and bring us to full unity.

Jon

 

[Rightlydivide]

I think this statement is more true than you realize

How we study anything affects the results…

In Christ

A unintended pun…perhaps. Regardless, my classes in Apologetics, even if from a fundamentalist perspective schoolwide, contained all the perspectives including post-modern to the overtly antireligous paradigms of many.

 

[mozart-250]

Many protestants feel that Catholics are in error with respect to scripture… So a simple question arises…

Often When accused, Catholics WILL offer scriptural support for our views, Often we will also point to ECFs as backup for our beliefs…

however, when we use scripture we are accused of not using it properly…

but how do you know that WE are the ones improperly using scripture…

A good example is Romans 4.
A good protestant will say “see romans 4 says that we do not have to do works f any kind…”
A good Catholic will retort with… "but you missed that it is referring to works of the JEWISH law… "

Two definantly differing views of the same verse…

So…

How do you know that in general that your interpretation is right and the catholic interpretation is wrong…

Also, is saying catholics violate the bible really true? or should you actually say Catholics violate the bible as YOU understand it…

which once again leads into…

How do you know you are right

In Christ

This sort of leads to the interesting (to me anyway) question of when is a theological proposition definitely Biblically false.

To me anyway, it is more difficult to prove a proposition definitely false than is thought.

Say for example…the “Immaculate Conception”.

Now I see nothing in Scripture that strongly supports the proposition (sorry Luke 1 seems quite weak). And furthermore Romans 3:23 does have that phrase “All have sinned…”

But does “All” mean every human that graced the planet earth? Have aborted babies sinned?

So, can I say for sure this is Biblically false? Interesting question…and I am not sure the typical Protestant apologetic on the issue (if I look at it from the other side) totally disproves Biblically the possibility that God could have done this. It is just that I have no reason to believe that God did do this.

So I prefer not to work from…this or that Catholic doctrine is definitely false. I prefer to work from I have absolutely no reason (or insufficient reason) to believe this or that Catholic doctrine.

I hope you can see the distinction.