I definitely wouldn’t say that going to a Bible college is a waste of time. I have many Protestant friends, one of whom attended a nearby Bible college, and I’ve found him to be one of the most Christian people I have ever met. Every day he demonstrates Christian life and I believe he lives as Jesus would want us to live. He is very active in his church and recently he went to Russia to try to save a 14 year old girl from an orphanage.
He related some of his experiences to me over there with tears in his eyes, and I was touched not only by his stories but by his reaction; this Protestant, sad to say, experiences the faith more fully than many Catholics. My prayer for him and his family is that they find the Catholic Church and bring their fellow Christians with them! He/they know the Bible, they accept Catholicism as a valid Christian religion (we all know that some denominations do not) and somehow, at work among many non-religious people, we have a bond that goes beyond our attending training and getting tattoos together. (long story, but not a deranged or sinful one!
)
Anyway I also know other Protestants, some of whom come from other countries, who have claimed me, fully knowing that I am Catholic, as a “Sister in Christ.”
Overall, I do find good Protestants to be wonderful people, great friends, and pray that they find the same faith we did…their love for Jesus and worship would be such an asset to the Church and I feel that they help others understand through their own experiences and study some of the mysteries all of our souls long to understand.
I realize this sounds sappy, but sometimes we Catholics almost have an “us against them”’ mentality, but for the most part, Protestants are just Catholics who haven’t heard the full message! We should accept them as “Brothers and Sisters in Christ” just as they accept us and understand that God has a plan for them as well.
I fully believe God knew that Protestantism would develop and that it is part of his plan for the world…and in fact, as someone already brought up, look at what Protestant converts to Catholicism have already done!
There are no coincidences…sometimes it’s good to just sit back and watch God work. I honestly think God does things just to see if we figure it out!