Is Protestantism REALLY a heresy?!?

[Paris_Blues]

I was flipping through that Catholic Answers book catalog I get in the mail once in a while and came across the Church History section and came across the book The Great Heresies.

The description included Arianism, Mohammedanism (Islam), Albigensianism, Protestantism, Modernism, etc.

If Protestantism is really a heresy, then why aren’t we doing something about it? Oh, maybe it’s because they are still Christians and should just let them have their religion and all that.

So it’s okay to have them know some error, eh? It’s okay for them to interpret Scripture alone thinking something means something when it means something else?

My point is, I DON’T want our brethren being “innoccently heretic-taught” (meaning they believe or teach something that’s really not true but it’s not their fault for not knowing) BUT like this country always says, it’s a choice for religion. Yada yada yada, now what?

I’m not trying to say go out and tell them to convert to Catholicism but how are we going to get the Fullness of Truth out there so that they can know it?

 

[trumpet152]

At the time (and this is to our shame), many Protestants know Christ more intimately and personally than many Catholics. Catholics must become the fullness of the faith before Protestants will come to the Church. To quote Dr. Peter Kreeft, “When Catholics become evangelized, Protestants will become sacramentalized.” The answer is sainthood. When both Protestants and Catholic become saints, we will find that we are together and unified.

 

[Paris_Blues]

trumpet152:

At the time (and this is to our shame), many Protestants know Christ more intimately and personally than many Catholics. Catholics must become the fullness of the faith before Protestants will come to the Church.

Maybe that’s why Protestantism exists because I know they love Christ which is good and when they love Him enough, He will bring them to the Fullness of Truth because that’s what He did with me!

 

[puzzleannie]

Paris Blues:

I wasIf Protestantism is really a heresy, then why aren’t we doing something about it?
?

what do you suggest? burning at the stake? drawing and quartering and hanging? the rack until they recant?

 

[Paris_Blues]

puzzleannie:

what do you suggest? burning at the stake? drawing and quartering and hanging? the rack until they recant?

Ha, very funny.

So I guess we shouldn’t do anything about it. Okay.

 

[buffalo]

Sure it is. Heresy means to cleave away. The Protestants certainly cleaved away.

 

[Matt16_18]

Paris Blues:

I’m not trying to say go out and tell them to convert to Catholicism …

Of course we should evangelize the Protestants. God doesn’t want the Protestants to continue to live in darkness cut off from the Eucharist.

Jesus founded ONE church, not 40,000 bickering and divided Protestant denominations.

“The truth shall set you free”.

 

[Paris_Blues]

Matt16_18:

Of course we should evangelize the Protestants. God doesn’t want the Protestants to continue to live in darkness cut off from the Eucharist.

Jesus founded ONE church, not 40,000 bickering and divided Protestant denominations.

“The truth shall set you free”.

True. That’s right. They do need the Eucharist. But it’s what they’ve been taught that has “blinded” them from the Truth darn it! They probably think Protestantism is more acurate then Catholicism though Protestantism didn’t exist for 2,000 years but since Catholicism is that old, Protestants might think that from all that has happened “ruined” the Church so to speak so they’re better off with Protestantism. Who knows!

Hey, if Protestants are out there telling even Catholics, why can’t we?

But then again, it comes down to choice of religion, is what my parents taught me.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

It is a heresy. It’s important to remember that most protestants are material heretics, not formal ones. As the Catechism says, they cannot be held to account for “the sins of seperation,” unless they themselves left the Catholic Church for another ecclesial communitiy (“Domine Jesus”).

I suggest gentle persuasion. Find our common points and build on that. Most Protestants that I know of genuinely love Jesus.

 

[CathChemNerd]

Paris Blues:

True. That’s right. They do need the Eucharist. But it’s what they’ve been taught that has “blinded” them from the Truth darn it! They probably think Protestantism is more acurate then Catholicism though Protestantism didn’t exist for 2,000 years but since Catholicism is that old, Protestants might think that from all that has happened “ruined” the Church so to speak so they’re better off with Protestantism. Who knows!

Hey, if Protestants are out there telling even Catholics, why can’t we?

But then again, it comes down to choice of religion, is what my parents taught me.

Hello Paris–welcome to the Church!

It sounds like you’re a prime candidate for doing some evangelization yourself. Why don’t you head back to your old RCIA process, hang out for a while, and then maybe sponsor someone else? They probably don’t want you being a sponsor for a year or so, just to make sure all the instruction “sank in.” But you could certainly give testimony to your faith journey, and that is one of the most effective ways of teaching those in error. So by doing that you would be “doing something,” just one person and one RCIA group at a time! Also, just by participating on these boards as much as you do, you are being a witness to the Faith for the protestant who might be lurking.

It’s not a matter of conversion by the sword, of course, but just take St. Peter’s advice (1 P 3:15) and always have your answer ready for those who ask about your hope. Don’t be shy (not that I’m too worried about that with you…)

CathChemNerd

 

[herry]

Matt16_18:

Of course we should evangelize the Protestants. God doesn’t want the Protestants to continue to live in darkness cut off from the Eucharist.

Jesus founded ONE church, not 40,000 bickering and divided Protestant denominations.

“The truth shall set you free”.

My Oh My,

They call the wafer God. When they go to adortation they say ‘im going to see Jesus’, or Im going to worship the lord in the eucharist.

I was told a story of a French priest in Canada who had to say mass every day in a rat infested parish. One day after a host was consecrated, it fell on the floor. The rats which scurried along the baseboards dragged it away and ate it. (whether it is true or not is irrelevent, things like this happen every day)

After this, the priest who recorded this story left the Catholic Church. He said “why do we worship a god that can be dragged and eat by rats? Or that is made with human hands?” Why do we worship a god that can be locked up in a chest, or fall on the floor?"

“I am the Lord, and that is my name, my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to any graven image” Isaiah 42:8

“Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples MADE WITH HANDS, as saith the prophet. Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What temple will ye build me? saith the Lord” Acts 7:48-49

When Jesus said to eat His flesh and drink His bood, He wanted us to beleive on HIm, and accept him as our sacrifice. “Jesus said unto them: I am the bread of life, he that comes to me shall never hunger. Her that belevies on me shall never thirst” John 6:35

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” Jeremiah 15:16

If you want to find Jesus’s Church, go outside and look at a vine. You will see hundred of branches, some going up and down. Some twist and turn. Some grow into each other, or around echother. But as long as they remain faithful to the original vine, they all bring forth the same good fruit. Jesus said “I am the vine, and ye are the branches”

Pax,

Herry

 

[ComradeAndrei]

I was told a story of a French priest in Canada who had to say mass every day in a rat infested parish. One day after a host was consecrated, it fell on the floor. The rats which scurried along the baseboards dragged it away and ate it. (whether it is true or not is irrelevent, things like this happen every day)

I just love SDA sensationalism! Would you care to back that up with anything resembling proof, especially that last part that I bolded? Stuff like that happens “every day”? That is a pretty tall claim to make, especially when you’ve given no proofs or evidence…

 

[Paris_Blues]

herry:

My Oh My,

They call the wafer God. When they go to adortation they say ‘im going to see Jesus’, or Im going to worship the lord in the eucharist.

I was told a story of a French priest in Canada who had to say mass every day in a rat infested parish. One day after a host was consecrated, it fell on the floor. The rats which scurried along the baseboards dragged it away and ate it. (whether it is true or not is irrelevent, things like this happen every day)

After this, the priest who recorded this story left the Catholic Church. He said “why do we worship a god that can be dragged and eat by rats? Or that is made with human hands?” Why do we worship a god that can be locked up in a chest, or fall on the floor?"

“I am the Lord, and that is my name, my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to any graven image” Isaiah 42:8

“Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples MADE WITH HANDS, as saith the prophet. Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What temple will ye build me? saith the Lord” Acts 7:48-49

When Jesus said to eat His flesh and drink His bood, He wanted us to beleive on HIm, and accept him as our sacrifice. “Jesus said unto them: I am the bread of life, he that comes to me shall never hunger. Her that belevies on me shall never thirst” John 6:35

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” Jeremiah 15:16

If you want to find Jesus’s Church, go outside and look at a vine. You will see hundred of branches, some going up and down. Some twist and turn. Some grow into each other, or around echother. But as long as they remain faithful to the original vine, they all bring forth the same good fruit. Jesus said “I am the vine, and ye are the branches”

Pax,

Herry

I think he’s trying to discourage us by saying that Christ is truly not present in the Holy Eucharist…that it’s just a piece of wafer.

Sounds like a Protestant or Fundamentalist here who could care less about which church to belong to…“For good sake, just belive in Jesus Christ and you’ll be saved!” is what they think.

Oh well. I’m going to continue to stay in the Catholic Church!

 

[maesoph]

I just finished a tape set that summed up the differences between Catholics and Protestants when I least expected it. The tape set was “Marriage and Family, God’s Perfect Plan” or something to that effect. Basically, if you look at both the fall and the redemption of man, they are both FAMILY events. If you look at the relationshiop between man and GOd, it is also a FAMILY based relationship. When you get right down to it, your individual salvation is also a FAMILY event. At the fall, you have a husband and wife falling down and at the redemption, you have the mother/son present. This is not a coincidence, this is also where the sacraments come from - the basic nature of the relationship between man and God - FAMILY!!!

For those of you that think this doesn’t matter, just look at Islam where the basic relationship between man and God is master/servant or owner/property and this does manifest itself in their culture big time.

Anyway, if you jump into Protestantism, you have a distinct ME and JESUS relationship vs. a FAMILY of God relationship. Christianity suddenly becomes all about ME and JESUS and not about a family. I do not have time to go into detail, I am at work, but there is a distinct difference bewteen the God of the Catholic Church (Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the Holy Family, Angels & Sts. as intercessors/helpers, etc.) and the God of Protestantism (JESUS and ONLY JESUS) - unless you are Pentacostal, and then you need the HS for a couple of back flips and speaking in tongues every now and then.

 

[shannin]

herry:

My Oh My,

They call the wafer God. When they go to adortation they say ‘im going to see Jesus’, or Im going to worship the lord in the eucharist.
I was told a story of a French priest in Canada who had to say mass every day in a rat infested parish. One day after a host was consecrated, it fell on the floor. The rats which scurried along the baseboards dragged it away and ate it. (whether it is true or not is irrelevent, things like this happen every day)

Herry Herry Herry, You’re at it again. Read what Jesus said to the crowd of Jews:

I myself am the Living Bread come down from Heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." At this the Jews quarreled among themselves saying, “How can he give us his flesh to eat?” Thereupon Jesus said to them:

Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

"For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the Father who has life sent me and I have life because of the Father, so the man who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from Heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and died nonetheless, the man who feeds on this bread shall live forever."

After this, the priest who recorded this story left the Catholic Church. He said “why do we worship a god that can be dragged and eat by rats? Or that is made with human hands?” Why do we worship a god that can be locked up in a chest, or fall on the floor?"

That’s like saying “Why do we worship a God that can be crucified”.

You should be ashamed of yourself for talking this way about the Holy Eucharist, especially in a Catholic forum.

When Jesus said to eat His flesh and drink His bood, He wanted us to beleive on HIm, and accept him as our sacrifice. “Jesus said unto them: I am the bread of life, he that comes to me shall never hunger. Her that belevies on me shall never thirst” John 6:35

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” Jeremiah 15:16

If you want to find Jesus’s Church, go outside and look at a vine. You will see hundred of branches, some going up and down. Some twist and turn. Some grow into each other, or around echother. But as long as they remain faithful to the original vine, they all bring forth the same good fruit. Jesus said "I am the vine, and ye are the branches"Pax,Herry

Jesus couldn’t have been clearer when he said that His flesh was real food. The problem with you is that you twist Bible verses to make a point. Herry, I will pray for your soul.

 

[smelton]

I think the difference is how Protestants veiw the church. We believe we are the body of Christ and that our faith is founded in Christ death and resurection. So in order for us to leave our faith would be, to us, saying Christ isn’t enough. I need the Catholic Church as well. I know that doesnt’ make sense to some people but that is how I veiw it.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

smelton:

I think the difference is how Protestants veiw the church. We believe we are the body of Christ and that our faith is founded in Christ death and resurection. So in order for us to leave our faith would be, to us, saying Christ isn’t enough. I need the Catholic Church as well. I know that doesnt’ make sense to some people but that is how I veiw it.

We, too, believe that we are the body of Christ and that our faith is founded on His death and resurection. We also believe that he intended to found a church or what he said to Peter in Matthew has to be discounted. To leave our faith would be to leave the Faith, the Church, the Family, that Christ gave us. It would be to say that what Christ clearly gave us isn’t enough, I need something else as well. You’re a protestant. If one demonination doesn’t suit you, you can go elsewhere. To us, the Church, as Jesus sees the Church (impeccable, faultless, His Spotless Bride), is inseperable from Jesus Himself. We believe that it is His Will that it be such. Obviously, the Church has and has had sinful adherents (from the top down), but it is still the Church that He founded. Read what the Fathers in the Patristic period believed (these were the disciples of the Apostles). It is indistinguishable from the teachings of the Catholic Church today.

Also, bear in mind, this was what all Christians believed until the Reformation. 1500 years.

 

[smelton]

JKirkLVNV:

We, too, believe that we are the body of Christ and that our faith is founded on His death and resurection. We also believe that he intended to found a church or what he said to Peter in Matthew has to be discounted. To leave our faith would be to leave the Faith, the Church, the Family, that Christ gave us. It would be to say that what Christ clearly gave us isn’t enough, I need something else as well. You’re a protestant. If one demonination doesn’t suit you, you can go elsewhere. To us, the Church, as Jesus sees the Church (impeccable, faultless, His Spotless Bride), is inseperable from Jesus Himself. We believe that it is His Will that it be such. Obviously, the Church has and has had sinful adherents (from the top down), but it is still the Church that He founded. Read what the Fathers in the Patristic period believed (these were the disciples of the Apostles). It is indistinguishable from the teachings of the Catholic Church today.

Also, bear in mind, this was what all Christians believed until the Reformation. 1500 years.

I understand what you are saying. Let me ask you this. Without the church would you still be Christian?

 

[JKirkLVNV]

smelton:

I understand what you are saying. Let me ask you this. Without the church would you still be Christian?

What do you mean? If the Church had never existed, or ceased to exist?

 

[RiverRock]

smelton:

I think the difference is how Protestants veiw the church. We believe we are the body of Christ and that our faith is founded in Christ death and resurection. So in order for us to leave our faith would be, to us, saying Christ isn’t enough. I need the Catholic Church as well. I know that doesnt’ make sense to some people but that is how I veiw it.

But remember, that’s a new invention. Nobody believed that for the first 1500 plus years. Why was that pulled out of a hat? Also, the point the previous poster made regarding family is right on!