Protestant - Catholic - Protestant?

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I am not saying that Protestants are Catholic Christians or catholic Christians, and the Catholic Church does not teach that. I was referring directly to English grammar. So a Baptist is a Baptist Christian…

However, it seems like you wish to know more about the relationship non-Catholic Christians have to the Catholic Church. A person becomes a Christian and joined to the body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church, by virtue of his/her baptism. This can be difficult to grasp for people who have been raised in a non-sacramental Christian community. There is only one Christian baptism, it can’t be repeated. “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism…” – Ephesians 4:5. So properly understood in its sacramental context, all proper Christian baptism is universal, is valid to the Catholic Church and can be properly thought of as Catholic Baptism, not formally but sacramentally. So all baptized non-Catholic Christians are members of the Body of Christ, but incomplete members as the Body of Christ refering to the Universal Church, that is the Catholic Church. This is the origin of the expression “seperated brethren”.

This is too deep and important of a subject to adequately address in an online post, and I am probably inadequate for the task. A simple book filled with great wisdom regarding sacramental theology is “Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians” by Scott Hahn and Mike Aquilina. This book breaks down the sacraments and gives in depth readings from the Church Fathers, so it allows the reader to see how early Christians viewed Sacred Scripture in the sacremental context. It is a great introduction to both theology and the Chruch Fathers. For a much more in depth reading regarding what is actually meant by “The Church” and the relationship between the Catholic Church and non-Catholic Christians I would suggest slowly reading Lumen Gentium, one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council. It is available on the Vatican’s website. It will take some time but the reader will be rewarded for the effort.
 
Calgar,

We have moved off the topic of the thread and risk being removed from the thread, but taking that risk in consideration, could you please show me the defect in the logic. I am open to an analogy if you would like to make one for me.
 
Arrowsmith1994 said:
Calgar,

We have moved off the topic of the thread and risk being removed from the thread, but taking that risk in consideration, could you please show me the defect in the logic. I am open to an analogy if you would like to make one for me.
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No analogy needed.
Arrowsmith1994 said:
either some form of Protestantism is true or Catholicism is true or neither.
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Specifically, what truth are you talking about? How to gain salvation? I think there is actually agreement there.
 
Arrowsmith1994 said:
Stephen Korsman,
We can’t be subjective. Either Christianity is true, or it isn’t. If it is true, either some form of Protestantism is true or Catholicism is true or neither. But they are not both true at the same time. I realize that it is a broad sweeping statement, but just think about it.
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I believe in an absolute truth that objectively exists, and I believe that this absolute truth includes Catholicism. However, I do not believe that what I believe about absolute truth is itself absolute truth - my beliefs and opinions are my own subjective experience. Otherwise I’d be God.
Arrowsmith1994 said:
You may have had trouble getting Protestants to see the truth in Catholicism because some people engage you without any real ablility to change their perspective.
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That’s what I mean by subjectivity. Just as they have no real ability to change their perspective, so I also lack that ability.
Arrowsmith1994 said:
We are all social creatures and it completey rattles a person’s social network when they leave Evangelicalism to become Catholic. If people are not in a place to make that move socially, they can block off their ablility to see your sound reasoning.
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And so, while the truths and errors of religions are objectively either truths or errors, it is beyond out ability to rise above our subjectivity and objectively distinguish truth from error. All we can do is subjectively distinguish truth from error. And so a light may go on for one person and send them into Catholicism, and another light may go on for another and send them out of Catholicism. Both lights, irrespective of the objective truth of their destination, are subjective experiences shaped by their ability to understand and interpret whatever facts are floating around in their conscious and subconscious.
 
hn160 said:
Why is it that Catholics that become Evangelicals or Lutherans or the other way always try to be Protestant’s Protestant or the Catholic’s Catholic and slam their former Church?
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I don’t. 🙂

And I tend to get annoyed when I see ex protestants slamming protestants. The majority of those who do were never really serious about their faith in my opinion.

Knowing where I came from, makes me empathize better. I think that is a much better approach when it comes to sharing our Catholic faith. From experience, I know that Protestants who really practice their faith have a great love for Jesus and have a real desire to convert others, so that “they might have life”.

Once you understand that, you pray for God to show you how to share your faith with them in a way that makes sense.
 
Calgar said:
No analogy needed.

Specifically, what truth are you talking about? How to gain salvation? I think there is actually agreement there.
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Yes, there is a lot of agreement on how to gain salvation. I actually think that when Catholics and Evangelicals argue about “how to gain salvation” they are sometimes purposefully misrepresenting the other side’s true theology because both sides really believe close to the same thing, but use very different terminology to describe it. But there really are some differences between the two groups. The most obvious is sacramental vs non-sacramental faith. Either the sacraments were really established by Christ to be administered by the Church and they are really efficacious in dispensing sactifying grace or they are not. Now I recognize that some groups of Evangelicals/Protestants have some form of sacramental expression, but most of those groups don’t actually believe in the traditional teaching/theology on sacraments. I also recognize that many Lutheran, Anglican, and traditional Episcopalian groups have clear teachings on sacraments. Those groups are not seperated from Catholicism by what sacraments are, but rather on who may properly dispense the sacraments.
 
awantz said:
What about Protestant - almost Catholic - Protestant and by almost Catholic I mean going through RCIA and doing everything you need to do short of confirmation.
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my husband
ufamtobie said:
Calgar,

Those so called catholics that are in your church, were never truly Catholic, they are seeds just blowing in the wind.

Ask these so called catholic in your Baptist church, tell them if they went to Mass every Sunday, went to confession at least once a month, Have special visit and sat there adoring the Blessed Eucharist whether it be 5, 10 15 minutes or longer. Tell them did they believe in all the teachings of the Catholic Church etc… etc… if they answered no, to any of the above then they were never Truly Catholics. Amen

Ufam Tobie
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Actually, they were and forever will be true Catholics by virtue of their baptism.
 
I’m a Protestant Christian. My family was raised Catholic. What questions do you have? The reason I chose the Protestant church, and Southern Baptist, was because I wanted to learn scripture. My church not only has service but strongly encourages Bible studies. I truly wish the Catholic church would embark down that road. There is nothing more important than each of us learning that the Bible is a supernatural book. Once we embrace it, learn it for ourselves, not what other’s tell us is true, but for ourselves, it will truly change anyone’s life.
 
HolyJerusalem said:
I’m a Protestant Christian. My family was raised Catholic. What questions do you have? The reason I chose the Protestant church, and Southern Baptist, was because I wanted to learn scripture. My church not only has service but strongly encourages Bible studies. I truly wish the Catholic church would embark down that road. There is nothing more important than each of us learning that the Bible is a supernatural book. Once we embrace it, learn it for ourselves, not what other’s tell us is true, but for ourselves, it will truly change anyone’s life.
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Many Catholic churches have Bible studies. The Mass itself is full of Scripture. And finally the Bible is a Catholic Book.
 
I have heard of a few early saints who left the church two or more times before converting
I have yet to hear of a persons situation as your question states
 
aragonjohn1 said:
I have heard of a few early saints who left the church two or more times before converting
I have yet to hear of a persons situation as your question states
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Yeah. 🙂

I think we have to do a bit of seeking before we settle in and find home. Sometimes I think, and this is as a former seeker, that our search is inspired by pride…

I may be a victim of pride even now - I don’t know… but it is nice to settle down and say: This is where I believe truth lies and I will stay for better or worse. 🙂
 
In recent posts here people to be taking a black and white position on “the truth” regarding the correctness of the Protestant or Catholic position globally. The truth of what Catholicism and various Protestant traditions stand for is far to nuanced and complex to be boiled down to global statements about one side being correct and the other not correct.

As observed by Arrowsmith already, sacramental baptism is a common truth among most traditions that call themselves Christian. The Nicene and Apostles Creeds are accepted as a common liturgical prayer and expression of faith by many Christian traditions. Christians accept a common version of the NT as the inspired word of God. Depending on the Christian group, the Catholic Church shares much in common with many Christian traditions, especially core beliefs about Jesus Christ and his nature and salvific mission.

The infighting among Christians has been a scandal to non believers and a wound to the mystical body of Christ. Speaking as a faithful, practicing Catholic I want to speak and act in such a way to promote understanding and unity among Christian. For this reason I like to avoid “whose right” language in my fraternal dialog with other Christians. It goes without saying that I must be true to the teachings of the Catholic church in heat and practice. But I dont have to be dogmatic and try to force all my convictions on others.
 
I was raised Catholic then around 30 became Baptist, now 6 years later I am looking to come back to the Church. I left the Church because I was plagued by sin, guilt and shame. I found the forgiveness of Christ and his mercy in the Baptist church. I started studying the Bible and devoting my life to Jesus and his teachings. As I studied the more I started thinking back to my Catholic upbringing and beliefs. I found while wonderful the Baptist church was lacking. While I still don’t believe 100% in what the Catholic Church teaches it is the right place for me.
 
Can I ask what exactely what was missing in your Baptist Church that the CC has to offer, since it seems you were doing well in the Baptist church. you don’t need to feel like
you need to respond. thank you.
 
Mostly it was reverance and prayer within the service. The music was great and the sermons really touched me but I didn’t get the awe and personal worship of the Lord that I do in the Mass. I feel so close to Jesus during the Catholic Mass. I am pretty sure it is because of the Eucharist. I do listen to my old Baptist preachers sermons on podcast because I feel he really relates the Bible to my everyday life.
 
I see thank you, I listen to Dr. Charles Stanley and I like him, but I’m Catholic.🙂
 
gkrohm said:
In recent posts here people to be taking a black and white position on “the truth” regarding the correctness of the Protestant or Catholic position globally. The truth of what Catholicism and various Protestant traditions stand for is far to nuanced and complex to be boiled down to global statements about one side being correct and the other not correct.
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There is an absolute truth. However, I think much of the time Catholics and Protestants are speaking different languages and really share the same underlying truth, but don’t understand each other’s terminology.
 
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