I couldn't get this answered on the Appologist pages....

[aquabatix]

I have noticed more and more since I have moved to the South that many Protestant and other denomination churches us a name of a saint and in fact call their church St. (insert saint here) (insert denomination) church. How can a denomination that does not believe in the Communion of Saints use a name like this? Or more specifically, why would they? Anyone know?

 

[jpaul1953]

I have noticed more and more since I have moved to the South that many Protestant and other denomination churches us a name of a saint and in fact call their church St. (insert saint here) (insert denomination) church. How can a denomination that does not believe in the Communion of Saints use a name like this? Or more specifically, why would they? Anyone know?

 

[jpaul1953]

Hey fellow transplant to the south,

I too have noticed it but to the best of my knowledge the portestant churches that are named after Saints are the original protesters of the Church. They are Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalean (mispelled …sorry). Basically all these churches not only maintained their beliefs in the Communion of Saints, but also the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Mother, transubstantiation of the bread and wine, and the deuterocanonical (apocrapha) 7 books of the old testament.

The original KJV kept the Apocrapha books. The Apocrapha has been attacked because the original text of these books was not in Hebrew, but in Latin. That is why the Hebrews took it out, later followed by protestants of all denominations to further separate themselves from the Church.

May God bless you on your journey to the one truth.

 

[Eucharisted]

Perhaps they name their churches after saints in honor of the blessed.

 

[jpaul1953]

Hey Southern transplant,

One additional comment… St Paul is the southern protestants way of continually bashing the Catholics so they will have some other denominational churches with St Paul’s name on it.

The southern protestants have a tendency of misquoting St Paul in his opinion on ‘good works’. St Paul keeps stating that works of the law are nothing. As Catholics we agree with that statement, but the protestants misquote him. Works of the Law are associated with the 618 (I think) commandments that Hebrew Law contains, not the works of love that both St Paul and the Church profess that Christ expects from us. This is a major misrepresentation of St Paul’s teaching, but they stick by it regardless.

May God Bless

 

[bpbasilphx]

The Apocrapha has been attacked because the original text of these books was not in Hebrew, but in Latin.

---

**Not true. They DID exist in Hebrew when the OT was translated from Hebrew into Greek (the Septuagint or LXX) by Jewish scholars some 2 centuries before Christ.

Some ancient Hebrew versions of these books, in whole or in part, have been found in the last couple of hundred years. Others are referred to in the Talmud.**

 

[phoenix3212]

I have noticed more and more since I have moved to the South that many Protestant and other denomination churches us a name of a saint and in fact call their church St. (insert saint here) (insert denomination) church. How can a denomination that does not believe in the Communion of Saints use a name like this? Or more specifically, why would they? Anyone know?

I’d suppose they’re just honoring the person it’s named after. Likewise, the U.S. navy often names it’s ships after deserving individuals, as was the case with the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan.

 

[NCSue]

I have noticed more and more since I have moved to the South that many Protestant and other denomination churches us a name of a saint and in fact call their church St. (insert saint here) (insert denomination) church. How can a denomination that does not believe in the Communion of Saints use a name like this? Or more specifically, why would they? Anyone know?

Many Protestant denominations believe in the Communion of Saints, but it seems to me that they stop short of our Catholic view. Specifically, before converting to Catholicism, I knew of the Communion of Saints, but the notion was rather vague. Feast days for saints were basically not observed. I got the impression that most denominations felt that we would not know until entering heaven which people were numbered among the saints. Certainly no one I knew prayed to the saints.

So it’s rather like saying you’re “reading” when you pick up a “See Jane Run” book - it’s a start, but ONLY a start.

 

[Eleve]

The Apostles’ Creed, which about every non-Restorationist Protestant confesses, refers to the Communion of Saints, so I expect that most actually do believe in it.

 

[Willy_Jose]

I think protestants refer to all believers (past or present) as saints anyway. I understand it is consistent with their belief ‘once saved always saved’. The understanding of saints or communion of saints if different for a Catholic compared to a non-Catholic.

 

[StrawberryJam]

IMHO, this is very very simple.

Saints are all christians in the bible.
I do not think protestants disagree with that.
Maybe they simply don’t recognize non biblical saints that are cannonized by the catholic church?
This could simply be a matter of formal catholic church cannonization/vs. Biblical saint definition.

But, that is simply my guess.

Edit to add:

I dont think that protestants name non biblical saints even with the definition of what a biblical saint is as a title for a building or church, or anything.