How I view Catholicism and Protestantism

[Paris_Blues]

It is my understanding that Protestantism has a lot of truth but not the fullness like the CC, right?

I look at it this way:

Catholicism is a complete puzzle with no pieces missing (Fullness of Truth). Protestantism is an almost complete puzzle but many pieces are missing (one piece = pope, another = Eucharist, etc. etc.).

Is it kinda like that? If that’s the case, no wonder why I feel that my faith has been increased! The CC is the Answer!

 

[sententia]

I think that’s a good metaphor for it.

 

[Magicsilence]

View it like this.

The RCC is a car roaring to take people to heaven.

The protestant sects are cars too, only they are missing the engine (Eucharist), wheels (the Pope), and seatbelts (Mary). They can whoop shout and beep their horns all they like, but it isnt getting them closer to Christ.

Your analogy was good, i guess we should stick with whatever works for us.

In Christ.

Andre.

 

[awalt]

Very good metaphor.

I heard Jimmy Akin say the Catholic Church teaches the full and complete revelation of Christ and God, other religions have truth as well but they are not the full truth. Made sense to me.

 

[barsapp]

Paris Blues:

I look at it this way: Catholicism is a complete puzzle with no pieces missing (Fullness of Truth). Protestantism is an almost complete puzzle but many pieces are missing (one piece = pope, another = Eucharist, etc. etc.).

i’m not so sure about this approach… Protestantism is only a heresy that came out within the Catholic Church, as many others heresies did. So there is nothing good in heresy. Because you are basically rejecting truth. Pieces are not “missing”, they are rejected. There is no “good faith” in heresy, that “good faith” that you can find in a complete different religion, for example, Buddhism. Heresy is much worst, because you knew the truth from the beginning, and you refused it. nothing is true in protestantism.

 

[Didi]

There is much that is true in protestantism. I think ParisBlues’ analogy is a good one.

I heard one from another convert awhile back. He still loves his protestant heritage and looks at it as a fine Rembrandt painting. Much of his love for Jesus and the basic truths of Christianity he learned in his protestant faith.

His Catholic faith to him now is not just one Rembrandt painting, but a whole museum full of masterpieces! He didn’t reject the beauty of the one painting, just built on it and expanded his collection.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

barsapp:

i’m not so sure about this approach… Protestantism is only a heresy that came out within the Catholic Church, as many others heresies did. So there is nothing good in heresy. Because you are basically rejecting truth. Pieces are not “missing”, they are rejected. There is no “good faith” in heresy, that “good faith” that you can find in a complete different religion, for example, Buddhism. Heresy is much worst, because you knew the truth from the beginning, and you refused it. nothing is true in protestantism.

Except what it has from Catholicism.

Here’s what the Church teaches (from the Catechsim, promulated by HH Pope John Paul II, of happy memory):

818 "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."272 819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

 

[barsapp]

Didi:

There is much that is true in protestantism.

very little in fact, only what remains from Catholicism. As a heresy aimed to destroy the Church they first rejected the principle of authority, thus: Magisterium, Tradition, Sacraments, the very fundamentals of the Church. What did remain? Sola scriptura? Give me a break… From a theologic point of view protestantism is a disaster… it does not exist. And as I quoted many times before “protestantism is only a stop in the way to atheism”.

 

[barsapp]

JKirkLVNV:

Except what it has from Catholicism.

precisely (my post 8).

 

[lukefan]

I remember Mel Gibson putting it this way during one of his many interviews when Passion was released. When asked about his protestant wife he said, I think she’ll go to heaven but the Catholic faith gives you an easier road to get there. That isn’t exactly the quote but close.