Just wondering...what do Catholics and Protestants like about each other?

[Blue_Serenity]

I like the way Catholics celebrate Christmas and Easter. Our church does a good job but the Catholics have the seasons of Advent and Lent preceeding the seasons as preparation.

 

[djrakowski]

Is there anything, anything at all, that you sincerely admire about the Protestant churches?

I’m a former evangelical Protestant and recent convert to Catholicism, and I admire quite a bit about my old church. With few exceptions, the evangelical Protestants in our area are deeply commited to prayer, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, knowing and studying scripture, and meeting the material needs of our community.

 

[mommyof4]

I like the Zeal of the Protestants as long as they don’t say that the Pope is the Anti-Christ and that the Vatican is the whore of Babylon.

Seriously though, I admire their commitment against abortion and other immoralities that we Catholic also condemned.

I also like the fact that they love Jesus and the Scripture. It’s a pity I could not share the Blessed Sacrament when them.

I have to go along with you on this, too.

Some of the best Christian witnessing I have ever had in my life came from my Protestant friends and co-workers. Their love for the Lord is very inspiring and contageous!

 

[cazayoux]

Our churches should get away from the run out of Mass, hop in our cars, and barrel out the parking lot, complaining that Mass lasted ten minutes longer than usual. I guess the Protestants call it fellowship. But don’t get me wrong. I’ll be Catholic until the day I die.

I do find that that mindset is not as prevalent in my parish.

I think JP2’s Lifeteen and JYM have reinvigorated our youth, and the adults that were left hanging as they grew up in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s are rediscovering our faith.

I greatly admire how social protestant churches are.

I think it’s great that Catholic parishes are moving toward that same personal connection between parishoners and the ‘mass’ exodus isn’t what it used to be.

michel

 

[TylerAlex]

… the evangelical Protestants in our area are deeply commited to prayer, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, knowing and studying scripture, and meeting the material needs of our community.

Agree with you on those points as well.

I also like their enthusiasm with music at services.

I appreciate their zeal in bringing people to Christ through overt, direct pledges like altar calls.

I appreciate their zeal (but do not agree with content) in their use of popular literature like “Left Behind.” I know many people who came to know Christ through these books.

They have strong Christian apologetics and vocal leaders like (I assume they are Protestant): MacArthur, Dobson, Hanegraaff, Youseff, MacDonald, Stanley, etc… . (Do not necessarily agree with theology but admire zeal).

Their services can be very lively and entertaining.

They, for the most part, are strong family and pro-life supporters.

 

[Sixtus]

I am Anti-Protestant because I am Anti-Heresy.

Boy you sure killed the thread.

What if someone said they are Anti-Catholic because they are Anti-Heresy?

Hoosierdaddy, yes can see where you are coming from.

Actually that has been said…many times, see any SDA site or publication including these threads.

Some might share that view [and the opposite] but expressing it is not in my view particularly helpful. We have lots more in common than seperates us, so let us celebrate our similarities

 

[Curious]

What a nice thread. And hello to everyone who might remember me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. I have a baby now!

Anyway

1. CONSISTENCY!!! While Catholics are having mass, Protestants are running around forming their own churches adding to the 10000000000000000000000000000000000000 different denominations there already are. :banghead:
2. The ritual and liturgy
3. the Eucharist is very very nice, even if I don’t believe in transub
4. devotion to prayer and to the needy.

There’s probably more. My two cents, most of which has already been given.

 

[KatieD]

I like the fellowship and welcoming of visitors one sees at some Protestant churches. I also would have to say that their study of Scripture is to be admired.

 

[tundramom]

during my period of what I like to call “Spiritual Whiplash” while I was attending both an A/G church and a Catholic one, I yearned that the two could somehow merge into one.

What I still admire about my Protestant brothers and sisters are their love of the Word. They truly know their Bibles better than a lot of Catholics… much to our shame!

I am now a Cantor, and I wish… oh how I wish that Catholics would sing like our Protestant brothers and sisters! We don’t have to be like the Praise and Worship music that I was used to at the A/G, but there are SO many good songs that we sing at Mass that if you truly read the words, the gospel message is weaved throughout!! Please… just for the sake of us converts, could we TRY to sing at Mass? Even if it is 8am on a Sunday morning??

SING to the Lord with all of your heart my Catholic friends!

in Christ
Steph

 

[lak611]

They have strong Christian apologetics and vocal leaders like (I assume they are Protestant): MacArthur, Dobson, Hanegraaff, Youseff, MacDonald, Stanley, etc… . (Do not necessarily agree with theology but admire zeal).

Can’t forget Billy Graham. He is one the very best. He wants everybody to come to know Christ and loves Catholics. One of my friends from Church volunteered on his last Crusade here in Cleveland.

 

[Syele]

during my period of what I like to call “Spiritual Whiplash” while I was attending both an A/G church and a Catholic one, I yearned that the two could somehow merge into one.

LOL Steph, I have had that yearning myself.

What I think is awesome about Catholics:

1. They have the oppurtunity to go to Church DAILY! (When I was in India, the protestant church there met daily, but I’m not there anymore… )
2. Catholics understand reverence!
3. Lent
4. Palm Sunday

 

[airforcemom]

I’m now living in an area that is not heavily Catholic and I have to say that the Protestants are nice but turn a little cool when they discover we are Catholics. Went in a book store looking to replace my Bible I lost in Katrina and learned later from a Catholic that we were put in the cult section of the store. I think that in southeast Louisiana both get along quite well - I even bought some Catholic books at the Baptist Bookstore in New Orleans years ago. I’ve had Bible study at lunch with several Protestants co-works and lots of enjoyable conversations. I can’t see that happening in Arkansas.

For those who think there is not enough fellowship in the Catholic Church or not enough Bible studies or other activities - talk to your priest and offer to start something. Unfortunately, we tend to leave everything to the priest who doesn’t have the time to do it all. Our small church was extremely active before Katrina but it was because a group of lay members stepped up to the plate and organized activities so the priest could do what he what is suppose to do. We had more activities than the larger churches and it helps to keep people from “church shopping”.

 

[Beno]

As a Catholic musician at a Presbyterian Church, here is a short list of things I like about Protestants (at least the ones I am familiar with):

They use the organ for hymns and sing all the verses.
They set aside time before the service to socialize.
They have the utmost respect for the Bible and many take time in their day to day lives to read it.
They have a zeal for mission work and to improving the lives of those who are less fortunate or less educated.
They have exciting activities and programs for all youth.
They buy and listen to Christian music in their lives outside of worship services.
They have great communal dinners.
They care for one another like family.
They are not afraid to put their money where their mouth is to support the work of the church.
They are extremely thankful to God for the gift of salvation.
They are not afraid to speak about their faith to others.
They have been respectful of my beliefs as a Catholic.

 

[Missa_Solemnis]

I am curious about the following…

First, for all the Catholics who care to answer…

Is there anything, anything at all, that you sincerely admire about the Protestant churches?

Conversely, for all the Protestants out there, is there anything you sincerely admire about the Catholic Church?

To get this started, I (as a Protestant) deeply admire the sense of reverence and awe towards God that is evident in the Catholic litanies…on top of which they are gorgeous expressions of prayer that most of the Protestant churches I have encountered don’t seem to include. Also, the idea that great beauty and worship don’t have to be mutually exclusive

Anyone else?

Zirconia

I like the open-minded attitude of many (definitely not all though ) Protestants.

In my parish, we get some Jehovah Witnesses every once in a while who try to talk to people after the Mass.

Our Priest will usually ask them to go away, but when they persist, he often gets very, very angry.

However when I’ve been to a few Baptist Churches, people were more than willing to discuss things.

I think its because Catholics get a lot of Catholic-bashing in the debate field…that causes them to be naturally on-edge.

While protestants are more relaxed in the field of Apologetics.

 

[Missa_Solemnis]

To be honest and true to myself and God.

I am Anti-Protestant because I am Anti-Heresy.

lol

At first I found this post kind of harsh sounding…but after thinking about it.

It makes a lot of sense.

 

[b_justb]

what do Catholics and Protestants like about each other?

I really love how easily they spread on a cracker.

 

[JoeyWarren]

Boy you sure killed the thread.
What if someone said they are Anti-Catholic because they are Anti-Heresy?.

You liked that eh? Well I would discard that since I know we were here first. So it’s a moot point.

There are things I like about the Catholic Church but I will share only one right now. I like how you guys have service every day! Would that we Protestants would do the same thing. We’d be following the Scripture we say we believe so much.

Protestant have a service everyday? I think I will start a new thread on this.

 

[lak611]

I like the open-minded attitude of many (definitely not all though ) Protestants.

In my parish, we get some Jehovah Witnesses every once in a while who try to talk to people after the Mass.

Our Priest will usually ask them to go away, but when they persist, he often gets very, very angry.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Protestants, they are non-Christians.

 

[Hello_Operator]

As a Lutheran, I feel I already have a pretty close connection with Catholicism (although there are probably plenty of people here who would love to disagree).

I love their reverence for the Eucharist, and I love to see it in my own church-body, as well.

I love their very visceral and sensual (as in it uses all the senses) liturgical worship, again another thing I’ve gotten to experience in my own church-body.

Those are the two big ones.