How do Protestant denominations justify themselves as the True Church?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rhys_Thomas_00
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rhys_Thomas_00

Guest
I don’t mean to offend anyone with this, I am confused as to how protestants can possibly believe that they are the true church when the origin of many of its branches can be traced back to a heretic (Luther, Henry VIII) over a thousand years after Jesus was born and died. Especially since most are proven to be just corrupted outcrops of Catholicism anyway, I struggle to see how the truth would have emerged if it came from something that was not true.
 
Last edited:
I don’t think they do, that’s why they church hop so much methinks.
 
There are a couple ideas I can think of that I have heard of.
  1. The Church became corrupted a few hundred years in, and the true Church went underground as it was persecuted by their corrupted brethren.
  2. They themselves are the true Church, the Catholics became corrupted and the split occurred during the Reformation.
  3. The Church lost its keys and a new one had to be made (Mormons, but they’re not protestant).
  4. There is no one true denomination, they’re all just emphasizing one aspect of Christianity and all equally okay.
  5. Our understanding of what is truly necessary and right has developed with time, and our forebears were mistaken or did not have the understanding and resources we have today to properly understand the truth.
 
Last edited:
Or this:
  1. The “true” Church is the orthodox (small “o”) Christian religion of the Fourth Century’s creeds, before Rome claimed a worldwide hegemony previously unrecognized in the East. Those Christians holding to the creeds of that time are all part of the true Church.
 
Last edited:
The stronger the sense of individualism, self-rule and self-sufficiency, the easier it is to decide for oneself what is true. The greater the sense of community and reliance on others, the greater the need for unity, continuity, tradition and leadership.
 
Rhys_Thomas_00 said:
I am confused as to how protestants can possibly believe that they are the true church
Click to expand...
It is really a simple case of redefinition, like the redefinition of “human life” so that it does not begin until after the child leaves the womb, and redefinition of 'marriage" so that it does not include one woman and one man.

Church becomes “the body of believers on earth”. This drops the marks of the true Church given to us by the Apostles.
 
Anglicans make up the majority of protestants that I converse with, and many of them make the claim that, “the one true church doesn’t exist (anymore)”.

That really bugs me. They’re Anglican and don’t even believe their church to be the true one? Why subscribe to any particular church at all?
 
Well I would suggest reading the applied deciple ship that saint Paul taught in 1cor.2. Or in 1 cor.14:25-26.
All of the teachings required the Holy Spirit
And signs and wonders following.
Mark 16:16-20.
Every denomination has a reason why they are … The denomination for you.

And sometimes they are right
 
Some Protestants don’t know the church history. They confuse the Reformation as being a stance against Catholicism believing all the while that at that time the other denominations were in existence.

Also from my experience it is very emotionally based. It’s comfortable. The churches that they were raised in and where they will raise their children in. It has become their identity, a piece of thread woven into the fabric of their history.

Deep roots now that it has been 500 years.
 
Why do you think that illogical.
Why do you, who suffer from wheat allergy, choose gluten free food? Cos its the best fit for you given your history, current circumstances, education, experiences and personality.
Or God simply calls you in one particular direction.

Buridans donkey is a fine theory but isnt actually true.
 
Last edited:
When untruth is said long enough, people tend to believe it as the truth. It is no wonder also why Church history is not often learned among them. And when they go into history, many of them become Catholics.
 
Per Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman (An Anglican priest convert to Catholicism): “To be deep in history, is to cease to be Protestant.”

It is quite puzzling to me as to why members of the Catholic Church have been pushing the Church towards Protestantism.
 
Last edited:
I don’t think they do claim to be “true”, in the same way the Catholic church does.
 
Thom18 said:
That really bugs me. They’re Anglican and don’t even believe their church to be the true one? Why subscribe to any particular church at all?
Click to expand...
They don’t feel like thet is important. Being right 100% of the time isn’t a priority. Values are different. It is ok.
 
Last edited:
Most Evangelical and Fundamentalist believe that the Church of God is an invisible Church in which all believers are a member.

Which to me means that no one Church is the Church that Christ built, so they can Church shop and still be in Christ true invisible church. That way, the Bible is their one and only authority.

They will join a church that believe and preaches what they believe to be true, equals subjective truth.
 
It was actually one of my Anglican friends who tried to claim that he belonged to the True Church and the Catholic Church was false. And that’s what inspired me to ask the question.
 
BlackFriar said:
Why do you think that illogical.
Why do you, who suffer from wheat allergy, choose gluten free food? Cos its the best fit for you given your history, current circumstances, education, experiences and personality.
Or God simply calls you in one particular direction.

Buridans donkey is a fine theory but isnt actually true.
Click to expand...
I hardly think you can compare something subjective (I have a wheat allergy, but not everyone does) to something as objective as which church is the true Church.
 
QwertyGirl said:
40.png
Thom18:
That really bugs me. They’re Anglican and don’t even believe their church to be the true one? Why subscribe to any particular church at all?
Click to expand...
They don’t feel like thet is important. Being right 100% of the time isn’t a priority. Values are different. It is ok.
Click to expand...
But it should be a big deal to them. If they aren’t so confident that their church is the true one, why should I consider conversion?
 
Thom18 said:
But it should be a big deal to them. If they aren’t so confident that their church is the true one, why should I consider conversion?
Click to expand...
You would have to ask them. The protestants I know don’t try to convert me, so I don’t know.
 
Thom18 said:
40.png
BlackFriar:
Why do you think that illogical.
Why do you, who suffer from wheat allergy, choose gluten free food? Cos its the best fit for you given your history, current circumstances, education, experiences and personality.
Or God simply calls you in one particular direction.

Buridans donkey is a fine theory but isnt actually true.
Click to expand...
I hardly think you can compare something subjective (I have a wheat allergy, but not everyone does) to something as objective as which church is the true Church.
Click to expand...
The problem my friend is that only God (and perhaps yourself) know that as self evident truth.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top