Grace Seeker:
Belief among the numerous, varying Protestant denominations is extremely diverse. This state
of affairs applies also to the different schools of theological thought among these religious
groups. Not unlike Protestants, Catholics sometimes privately disagree among themselves on
non-infallible teachings and on non-essential matters. But unlike Catholics, Protestants disagree on many essential doctrines which they believe are fundamental to the Christian faith. Catholics give a “sacred assent” of mind and will to the infallible teachings of the Church. For they are bound to accept these doctrines or cease to be truly Catholic. Catholicism is truly a unity in all the sacred teachings and traditions of the “Apostolic” Church.
Catholic apologists have pointed out that the problem of disunity in Protestantism is primarily
created by the absence of an effective means to determine which beliefs are essential or non-
essential to the Christian faith. Without a functioning magisterium each denomination is left on its own to rationalize and decide for themselves, for instance, whether it is scriptural to baptise
infants. Ironically, if one denomination judges that a particular doctrine is essential to the faith,
the other denominations have no effective means to refute that denomination’s doctrine, i.e,
‘high predestination’. An appeal to Holy Scriptures would be a futile method, for the bible alone
is an insufficient source for a theological confirmation: the Bible does not tell us which teachings
are essential and non-essential. It is a question of interpretation, bringing us back to square one. Meanwhile, each denomination claims to have given the correct (fallible) interpretation. One reason why I am not a Protestant is that I cannot figure out which denomination is the one closest to the divine truth, assuming I am not using the Catholic faith as a measuring stick. I believe my life is too short in order for me to make the right choice before I take the plunge.
To arrive at a decision I would certainly have to attend the services of countless different
communities. In the course of my window-shopping I could not expect to see a Lutheran pastor
conducting a service in a Calvinist church because of his differing belief in ‘baptismal regeneration’. Meanwhile, there would be no Calvinist minister in the Methodist parish across the street, for his sermon on ‘high predestination’ would offend many pious ears. He might even risk being dragged out and stoned to death.
Certainly, all the conflicting fundamental doctrines I would come across would confuse
the daylights out of me. In my quest for the true Protestant church, Lutherans,
Presbyterians, and some Anglicans would tell me in agreement with each other that
their teachings on “faith alone” do not exclude baptism as a means of justification.
But some Evangelicals and Dispensationalists would correct me by saying the belief in
baptism as a means of salvation is a direct violation of the formula ‘sola fide’. For they
equate the act of being baptised as a form of “works”. If Protestantism is confusing,
it is because the faith is inconsistent. And the list of major differences in the essential
teachings of Protestant denominations goes on and on.
I can walk into any Roman Catholic parish around the world on a given Sunday and find a
priest celebrating Holy Mass. If it happened to be August 15, then I could be sure to expect
a sermon or a brief comment (alas) on the Assumption of Mary. And not one priest could
refuse to baptise an infant on a Sunday afternoon because he rejected the practice of
infant baptism for theological reasons. Indeed, we have cases of dissent among Catholic
theologians in their private opinions and there seems to be a conflict between modernists
and traditionalists. But these matters are non-essential. Being a part of Catholicism means
we cannot pick and choose what we believe in, unlike Protestantism. We either
accept the sacred teachings and traditions of the Church or cease being truly Catholic.
With the Sacred Magisterium in the Catholic Church we have an official and united position
in the most important and essential doctrines. Protestantism cannot boast of such unity,
since the different denominations within this movement disagree on many essential doctrines.
Catholicism has a governing and teaching body -the pope in communion with the world’s
bishops- who speak for us and can articullate what the Church’s official postion is. There is
nothing comparable in Protestantism, and so the Protestant faith is a disunity contradicting
the intentions of Christ and his prophetic words: “On this rock I will build my Church.” He
said nothing of “churches”.
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