Protestants; why won't you be CATHOLIC!?

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You know the more I read this boards the more I see how little non-cathloic think they know about Cathloic…I can see why they are not Cathloic
 
imjustme said:
I was born and raised Roman Catholic, including 6 years in Catholic Boarding school (in Italy - with nuns even!) and received Catholic Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage. With several priests in the family and being raised by nuns (and a very devout mother) I was well indoctrinated in the Catholic faith…sometimes going to regular mass on Sunday morning and Latin mass in the afternoon.

All the years as a Catholic, I never read a Bible from cover to cover.

Once I finally got around to reading and studying the Bible (in my 40s), I learned that there are many inconsistencies between the Bible and Catholic Doctrine. I began to research the many issues (false doctrine) and decided that the Catholic Church is not where I wanted to worship.

I actually went through a phase of being very upset at those who taught me…I reasoned that my parents and other lay people didn’t know any better…but how could the nuns and priests have read scripture and not realize that they were not the same as Catholic doctrine? My greatest regret is that I raised my children Catholic and I feel that I have somewhat failed as a parent for not researching sooner so that I could have set them on the right path from an early age. As God would have it, my son is now a born-again Christian and very involved in a Baptist Church (wants to be a youth pastor - praise the Lord!)…I am still praying for my daughter to find the true path…I know it will happen when God wants.

I wonder if you’ve ever read through the whole Bible and wondered about the inconsistencies.
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I had a very similar experience. I was not encouraged to read scripture from Catholic sources. When I was (by Baptists) I had a response very similar to yours. I ended up in a Protestant Seminary, but eventually studied by way back. It was a long journey, and I think one that could have been averted with better catechesis. What pursuaded me was the early church fathers, and a course in historical theology. I hope you will find these writings as well. It will be clear to you that the Church Jesus founded was, and is, Catholic.😃
 
Bill_Pick said:
You know the more I read this boards the more I see how little non-cathloic think they know about Cathloic…I can see why they are not Cathloic
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This is so true! When I misunderstood, I did not want to be either. It seems that the most alienated are those that were baptized Catholic, as I was, and were very poorly catechized. I just read where one person wrote that the HS told him during Mass to leave the Catholic Church. Amazing.
 
Bill_Pick said:
You know the more I read this boards the more I see how little non-cathloic think they know about Cathloic…I can see why they are not Cathloic
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I agree ,Bill. I’ve learned a lot from CAF, and much of it positive. I would say that the reverse is also true, and the more we learn (and love) each other, the more reconciled we will become.

Jon
 
guanophore said:
I had a very similar experience. I was not encouraged to read scripture from Catholic sources. When I was (by Baptists) I had a response very similar to yours. I ended up in a Protestant Seminary, but eventually studied by way back. It was a long journey, and I think one that could have been averted with better catechesis. What pursuaded me was the early church fathers, and a course in historical theology. I hope you will find these writings as well. It will be clear to you that the Church Jesus founded was, and is, Catholic.😃
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Thank you for validating my experience and sharing yours.
May I ask where you took the course in historical theology and who sponsored it?
 
imjustme said:
Thank you for validating my experience and sharing yours.
May I ask where you took the course in historical theology and who sponsored it?
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I spent three years at Ashland Theological Seminary. It is a conservative evangelical seminary that was highly recommended by the Methodist pastor of the church I was attending at the time.

I was was sent to study for a student pastorate. As I progressed, instead of being able to serve the Methodist circuit, I became more and more Catholic in my understanding. The reason the historical theology course was so pivotal is because I learned where all the splits originated. I realized that the Church Jesus founded was Catholic, and that all the other denominations had separated, departing from that One Church. Often it was not over doctrine, but the arrogance and selflishness or pride of the members of that Body.
 
guanophore said:
This is so true! When I misunderstood, I did not want to be either. It seems that the most alienated are those that were baptized Catholic, as I was, and were very poorly catechized. I just read where one person wrote that the HS told him during Mass to leave the Catholic Church. Amazing.
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Completely agree. I was “poorly” Catechized myself. I’m a “cradle Catholic” however, while I have had people wanting me to leave the Catholic Church and join their “church,” I never did. And I never had the Holy Spirit tell me to leave the Catholic church. Infact, he told me to go back. Took me 5 years to do so. 😛

I suspect that what that person took to be the Holy Spirit was some other … uhm … being.
 
GodIsGracious said:
Completely agree. I was “poorly” Catechized myself. I’m a “cradle Catholic” however, while I have had people wanting me to leave the Catholic Church and join their “church,” I never did. And I never had the Holy Spirit tell me to leave the Catholic church. Infact, he told me to go back. Took me 5 years to do so. 😛

I suspect that what that person took to be the Holy Spirit was some other … uhm … being.
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I suspect the same, given the level of hostility in his posts. 😉
 
I’m not Protestant, but the reason I have decided not to join the Catholic Church is further study on the first thousand years of Christianity, pre-schism. I see here a Church in which the Roman Pope is recognized as a 'Patriarch of the West, but I most certainly see no sign of universal jurisdiction (ultramontanism), apart from certain attempts by Pope Nicholas I and later popes to gain this universal jurisdiction. I see eve after the schism no sign of Papal Infallibility taught by the Church (the way it is taught in its modern form can be seen I think to be post-Luther. Also, I see that the Pope did not play the part in the ecumenical councils that Catholics say. No Pope personally attended any council, and the Church (eastern and non-Roman western) accepted the accepted the councils as binding without consulting the Pope in any special way. In fact, I was shocked to find that there had been initial Papal opposition to some of the doctrines of the councils. Also, there was the uncanonical addition of the filioque to the Creed of Nicaea, as well as questions of its truth. I confess that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.
 
Zundrah said:
Okay, since you asked, my definition of being CATHOLIC is this;

1 - Accepting the pope as the actual office place decended line from peter in the bible.
2 - That Christ literally meant “on this rock I will build this church”, and that the catholic church is the one church that remained the same church that was errected by peter.
3 - That you can pray to and with the communion of saints.
4 - That you can pray to Mary.

Does this make sense? 🤷 I think that I didn’t write these sentences properly…

Wait! I will add that you don’t have to go to catholic chruch to be catholic!

xxx zundrah (jennifer) xxx
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Afternoon,

So I have to agree with your personal interpretation of Catholic to be Catholic?
How protestant of you.:p:D

God’s requirements are so much simpler than mans.

smiling on my way to redbeans and rice.

jokingly your

Fr, Mark
ACNA
 
Zundrah said:
Protestants, what ever your denomination is, please tell me why you will not be Catholic!? 🤷

xxx jennifer xxx
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This is my answer to your question… As this is my personal view there is no room for discussion. I have the following reasons… Whether others have the same or view them as heretical is not a problem of mine.
Out of respect for the beginner of this thread I will not elaborate my views any further as this would lead off topic.


  1. *]I do not accept the authority of the pope.
    *]I will not agree to pray to saints.
    *]I will surely not agree to pray to Mary.
    *]I do not believe that “sacraments” play an essential role in salvation.
    *]I do not believe that there are Biblical grounds for a special priesthood and I disagree that leaders of local churches should have to be unmarried.
    *]I will not agree with infant baptism.
    *]I do not agree with transubstantiation.
    *]I do not believe in the Immaculate Conception.
    *]I do believe in the virgin birth, but I do not believe Mary stayed a virgin after giving birth to Jesus Christ.
    *]I do not believe that Mary is our spiritual mother.
    *]I do not believe in assumption of Mary’s body into heaven.
    *]I do not believe that indulgences have any effect.
    *]I do not believe that purgatory exists and therefore I do not believe that a mass can actually shorten the time there.
    *]I do not believe in the infallibility of the pope or the magisterium.
    *]I do believe in a separation of church and state.
    *]I do not accept the Syllabus. (In the Catholic Encyclopaedia Article it says in the section “Binding power” that “all Catholics, therefore, are bound to accept the Syllabus. Exteriorly they may neither in word nor in writing oppose its contents; they must also assent to it interiorly.”

    Those are my reasons and I am sure to stay Protestant…
 
Zundrah said:
Okay, since you asked, my definition of being CATHOLIC is this;

1 - Accepting the pope as the actual office place decended line from peter in the bible.
2 - That Christ literally meant “on this rock I will build this church”, and that the catholic church is the one church that remained the same church that was errected by peter.
3 - That you can pray to and with the communion of saints.
4 - That you can pray to Mary.

Does this make sense? 🤷 I think that I didn’t write these sentences properly…

Wait! I will add that you don’t have to go to catholic chruch to be catholic!

xxx zundrah (jennifer) xxx
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Wow…I couldn’t have said it better myself…so the 4 main points of your religious beliefs are based on a man (the pope), the church structure, saints, and Mary?

No mention whatsoever of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the Holy Scriptures (which would be mentioned in my definition of being a Christian)

To each his own, but THAT in a nutshell is why I am no longer Catholic. Thanks for making it so clear.
 
Hello,
I am new here. Please answer my question the best you can.

I have heard that if you are not a Catholic then you are not a Christian. Is this the teaching of rhe Catholic Church?

Thank you so much for your answer.

Benn
 
Jesus established one Church not 30,000 churches. I am praying for the people who are having trouble accepting Christ’s Church.
 
Sorry, you didn’t answer my question…

Does the Catholic Church teach that you are not a Christian if you not Catholic.

anybody else out there that can help me?

Thank you
 
Benn said:
Hello,
I am new here. Please answer my question the best you can.

I have heard that if you are not a Catholic then you are not a Christian. Is this the teaching of rhe Catholic Church?

Thank you so much for your answer.

Benn
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Benn,
Welcome to CAF.
The Catholic Catechism says this:
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."272
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scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm
Hope that answers your question.
Jon
 
Benn said:
Sorry, you didn’t answer my question…

Does the Catholic Church teach that you are not a Christian if you not Catholic.

anybody else out there that can help me?

Thank you
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871 “The Christian faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one.”

HTH

—edit—
guess its been posted already, but that the same place I quoted the CCC from, thanks Jon
 
imjustme said:
Wow…I couldn’t have said it better myself…so the 4 main points of your religious beliefs are based on a man (the pope), the church structure, saints, and Mary?

No mention whatsoever of **God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the Holy Scriptures **(which would be mentioned in my definition of being a Christian)

To each his own, but THAT in a nutshell is why I am no longer Catholic. Thanks for making it so clear.
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These are all areas that Catholics share in common with non-Catholic Christians, so why would that be an issue?
Benn said:
Hello,
I am new here. Please answer my question the best you can.

I have heard that if you are not a Catholic then you are not a Christian. Is this the teaching of rhe Catholic Church?

Thank you so much for your answer.

Benn
Click to expand...
No, this is not the teaching of the Church. The Church recognizes that there are many Christians who have not ever been exposed to the fullness of the Apostolic Teaching retained in the Catholic Church. They go on the portion of revelation which they have received, primarily in the Holy Scriptures, and are very devoted in their faith, even though it their access to God’s revelation is incomplete.

Protestants are like Apollos to a large extent, very fervent, but uninformed.
 
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