Protestants Accursed?

[J.W.B]

Why does our Church say that they’re not anti-Protestant and regards Protestant churches as Christians but still says unless they convert to the Catholic Faith after they have been told it, then they are accursed?

 

[FuzzyBunny116]

Its not that. If they haven’t presented enough evidence and the other side has stuff against Catholicism that they have received, they aren’t neccessarily in trouble.

Oh yeah, Protestants that are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I believe are considered unified, although imperfectly, in the Church.

 

[bhlincoln]

The Protestant churches knowingly separated from the Catholic Church, so Catholics, believing the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Christ, will ALWAYS be opposed to the beliefs of Protestants unless they rejoin the Catholic Church, plain and simple. Our Lord said we must believe or be condemned, we do not have the right to pick and choose and interpret as we see fit.

“Anti-Protestant” is a very vague term and may be used by someone trying to be “politically correct”. The fact is, anyone Catholic who states Protestants are “OK” in what they are doing, or who somehow implies that Protestant beliefs are “as good as” the Catholic belief, those people are not true Catholics as we can see this thinking has ALWAYS been forbidden by the Catholic Church.

BH

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

bhlincoln:

The Protestant churches knowingly separated from the Catholic Church, so Catholics, believing the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Christ, will ALWAYS be opposed to the beliefs of Protestants unless they rejoin the Catholic Church, plain and simple. Our Lord said we must believe or be condemned, we do not have the right to pick and choose and interpret as we see fit.

“Anti-Protestant” is a very vague term and may be used by someone trying to be “politically correct”. The fact is, anyone Catholic who states Protestants are “OK” in what they are doing, or who somehow implies that Protestant beliefs are “as good as” the Catholic belief, those people are not true Catholics as we can see this thinking has ALWAYS been forbidden by the Catholic Church.

BH

“Anti-Catholic” is pretty vague too ​

 

[AlanFromWichita]

When I was lost, the accursed Protestants and “non-denominationals” found me and returned me to my Catholic fold. I’m like the lamb who wandered into the jungle and was raised among wolves for a while, then with some adaptation I am still trying to become Catholic again like I was born into and stayed with until about teenage years.

I put quotes around “non-denominational” because I saw something funny the other day, on this forum or not. It might have been a bumper sticker. Anyway, it was, “Catholicism: the ***real ***non-denominational Church.”

Alan

 

[Reid]

I was told in RCIA that the Catholic Church is the one true Church, and that all Protestant Christians in some way or form are Catholic if they believe it or not.

That being said the Church recognizes that some my fall away from the tree and start an new branch, but then what happens when that one particular branch breaks off and falls away?

There is a parable in the bible about this.

I see the root of the tree as our Jewish background and the Trunk and main branch the Church, some new branches as our many Protestant friends and then others who have even fallen away from the Protestants or have started an entirely new tree not connected to ours.

 

[Tom]

Reid:

I was told in RCIA that the Catholic Church is the one true Church, and that all Protestant Christians in some way or form are Catholic if they believe it or not.

There are several different meanings to the words “Catholic Church” one is the body of Christ which consists of every Christian, in this sense, yes the Protestors are within the “Catholic Church”. Protestants are our separated brothers, they are still “Catholic” (universal) in that they are still Christian and form the body of Christ.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I AM the vine, you are the branches.

All branches feed off the same vine, or they will die.

just thinking out loud…

He who is not against us is for us.

He who is against us will flip out if we respond with love and it will throw them off guard and we can whoop 'em in faith. God willing.

Alan

 

[bhlincoln]

If one does not follow the teachings of Christ as he intended, and rejects doctrines that Our Lord intended us to believe, that person cannot claim to be a Christian.

Tom:

There are several different meanings to the words “Catholic Church” one is the body of Christ which consists of every Christian, in this sense, yes the Protestors are within the “Catholic Church”. Protestants are our separated brothers, they are still “Catholic” (universal) in that they are still Christian and form the body of Christ.

 

[J.W.B]

bhlincoln:

If one does not follow the teachings of Christ as he intended, and rejects doctrines that Our Lord intended us to believe, that person cannot claim to be a Christian.

Are you sincerely trying to say that a Protestant who doesn’t believe Mother Mary was a Virgin her whole life, or The Assumption, or even Purgatory isn’t a Christian? Even if he has a love for God and in his life the Fruits of the Spirit show? I simply cannot accept that, for we are not to judge!

 

[J.W.B]

And if this is supposed to be the way us “Catholics” are to behave and believe, then I have no problem when Protestants call us “anti-Christians.” I wouldn’t blame them and would do the same thing if I were a Protestant.

 

[justcatholic]

I have to agree with the church on this one. My God, do you believe only Catholics will be in heaven? Give me a break. Certainly all who trust in Christ, no matter what religion will be saved.Whether Protestant or Catholic.

                           Our past Pope made a speech to the other world religions present, that even they would find salvation, even though they presently didn't accept Christ? So there is even hope for the heathen who believe in their God. 

                            Imagine, if you were born and raised a Muslim in the middle east. You would believe what you were raised into. God knows that and accepts **their faith ** as all they know. The God of this world will not send millions to hell because of being born in another religion. I agree with the late Pope John Paul on this one. :)

 

[mark_a]

J.W.B.:

Why does our Church say that they’re not anti-Protestant and regards Protestant churches as Christians but still says unless they convert to the Catholic Faith after they have been told it, then they are accursed?

I think every serious church says that if you know the truth and refuse to follow it, your doomed.

 

[J.W.B]

mark a:

I think every serious church says that if you know the truth and refuse to follow it, your doomed.

If you “know” the Truth that is. But how does an individual actualy “know” what we say is Truth? If one’s heart is so full of pride that even if God said the Truth to them face to face and still they denied it then they are doomed. But if they would accept it then they would not.

 

[Roman_Army]

J.W.B.:

Why does our Church say that they’re not anti-Protestant and regards Protestant churches as Christians but still says unless they convert to the Catholic Faith after they have been told it, then they are accursed?

That’s because the Catholic Church is the true Church that Christ instituted. Those that leave it jeopardize their salvation. Those who refuse to enter it after they learn the truth also jeopardize their salvation.

 

[J.W.B]

That’s because the Catholic Church is the true Church that Christ instituted. Those that leave it jeopardize their salvation. Those who refuse to enter it after they learn the truth also jeopardize their salvation.

Roman Army, are they to be experts on every single jot and tittle there is about Church history and every single religon? Or are they to take our word for it and possibly be in fear of decievment (even though it’s NOT decievment but they don’t know better). I guess the point I’m making is invincable ignorance. And like I said, if Protestants truely, truely knew it was God’s Truth and still rejected it as those who rejected Christ even after wittnesing His many miracles, then I believe they would be doomed. But if they would rejoice in it then I believe they will be saved.

 

[Roman_Army]

J.W.B.:

Roman Army, are they to be experts on every single jot and tittle there is about Church history and every single religon? Or are they to take our word for it and possibly be in fear of decievment (even though it’s NOT decievment but they don’t know better). I guess the point I’m making is invincable ignorance. And like I said, if Protestants truely, truely knew it was God’s Truth and still rejected it as those who rejected Christ even after wittnesing His many miracles, then I believe they would be doomed. But if they would rejoice in it then I believe they will be saved.

JWB

**I left my message broad. Of course there can be exceptions. It is impossible to know for sure who exactly is not going to be saved. Jesus is the final judge. Those that most likely might be considered rejecting truth are those that after so much good apologetics from a good apologist, still decide to reject it. Also, there are many protestant scholars who might know the truth and still reject it. Even some Catholics reject truth, will they be saved? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t want to be among them. My mother is one sadly. **

Our duty as Catholics is to reveal the truth to all and pray for those outside the flock. Hopefully, most will be saved.

 

[J.W.B]

I’m sorry about your mother. I will pray for her. I also like your name alot hehe. It’s perfect for being a Catholic

 

[Roman_Army]

**816 **“The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. . . . This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him.”

The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God.”

**817 **In fact, “in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church - for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame.” The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ’s Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism - do not occur without human sin:

Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers.

**818 **“However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers. . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church.”

-Catechism of the Catholic Church (816-818)

Above is officially what the Church teaches of salvation.
There is no salvation outside the Church, those that are outside the physical Catholic Church can be in spiritual communion with the Catholic Church if they are faithful and good.

 

[bhlincoln]

What I’m saying is if you voluntarily believe in the teachings of the Protestant Reformers, who discarded what the true Christian Church always believed in, then you are no longer believing in what Christ taught. These reformers changed to a different Canon, discarded Sacraments, and disregard the decisions of Councils just to mention a few things. Our Lord didn’t say we can pick and choose what WE are comfortable with.
If I’m your boss and I give you 10 things to accomplish by month’s end and you choose to do 7 because you didn’t agree with 3, did you do what I asked? Absolutely not, and you’d be terminated just if you had done nothing. Do what you are commanded or you are not an employee. Do ALL that Jesus asked or don’t claim you are a Christian.
Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us we can pick and choose, or interpret on our own.

BH
J.W.B.:

Are you sincerely trying to say that a Protestant who doesn’t believe Mother Mary was a Virgin her whole life, or The Assumption, or even Purgatory isn’t a Christian? Even if he has a love for God and in his life the Fruits of the Spirit show? I simply cannot accept that, for we are not to judge!