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heidi_storage
Guest
I remain Protestant because my best understanding of the Christian faith conforms most closely to Reformed theology.
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susanlo
Guest
I grew up in a Christian home, but did not really claim my faith until my teen years. It was after an encounter with the Holy Spirit that I could no longer believe that the Christian faith was just a cultural belief, but I knew that Jesus was real. I have been a Christian since that time. As I have moved to different locations I have been a part of churches of many different denominations and never had to change my beliefs. I had always considered all Christians to be united under Christ, and never was too concerned with this denomination or that denomination.
I always knew that Catholicism was a little different than the other denominations. I didn’t know much about Catholicism. My childhood was in a region where there were very few Catholics. (I met 2 people who were Catholic in my childhood). Then as an adult I started to meet more Catholics, and even had a family member convert for his wife. But it was a late night discussion with Catholic and ex-Catholic friends that really opened my eyes. I then was hit with the reality that my dear Catholic friend had been led to believe a Christian faith that was incredibly different than any Christianity that I had ever heard about. I also realized that we had come to believe a completely different history of the church. Her understanding of history disagreed with the history I had learned at church and public school. (She even, as a homeschool mother, had to find a special history book written by Catholics because she was led to believe mainstream history was wrong.)
After months of reading history books as well as reading writings from the first few centuries of Christianity, I felt no reason to consider becoming Catholic. Often Catholics claim to teach Christianity in its original form and accuse others of changing Christianity. Sometimes they will admit that Catholicism is based on the development of doctrine, and that Christianity had developed over the centuries. I actually think that the first few centuries of Christianity had it right, and that Christianity did not need to have doctrinal development in order to be a complete faith. My faith is in the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit and not doctrines developed over the centuries. The churches I have been a part of have all tried to emulate the first century Christians.
I still enjoy having discussions regarding religion and trying to figure out why people believe what they believe.
I always knew that Catholicism was a little different than the other denominations. I didn’t know much about Catholicism. My childhood was in a region where there were very few Catholics. (I met 2 people who were Catholic in my childhood). Then as an adult I started to meet more Catholics, and even had a family member convert for his wife. But it was a late night discussion with Catholic and ex-Catholic friends that really opened my eyes. I then was hit with the reality that my dear Catholic friend had been led to believe a Christian faith that was incredibly different than any Christianity that I had ever heard about. I also realized that we had come to believe a completely different history of the church. Her understanding of history disagreed with the history I had learned at church and public school. (She even, as a homeschool mother, had to find a special history book written by Catholics because she was led to believe mainstream history was wrong.)
After months of reading history books as well as reading writings from the first few centuries of Christianity, I felt no reason to consider becoming Catholic. Often Catholics claim to teach Christianity in its original form and accuse others of changing Christianity. Sometimes they will admit that Catholicism is based on the development of doctrine, and that Christianity had developed over the centuries. I actually think that the first few centuries of Christianity had it right, and that Christianity did not need to have doctrinal development in order to be a complete faith. My faith is in the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit and not doctrines developed over the centuries. The churches I have been a part of have all tried to emulate the first century Christians.
I still enjoy having discussions regarding religion and trying to figure out why people believe what they believe.
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Maximilian75
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I could imagine so… My family has irish roots and my dad was visiting in the 80s when they really started…
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MT1926
Guest
When I read this the first thing that came to my mind was…
I’m not saying your mother doesn’t love God. It just seemed to me by her believing the one talent (prayer), given to her by God, is only good for one thing (Worshiping God) would be like burying that talent and not using it for all that God intended for us to use it for.
It’s so we never forget that without the Crucifixion there could not be a resurrection.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
… 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
Keep asking questions. It’s all about the WHY? That’s why I am a member of the Catholic Church. She is the only one who could answer me, every time I asked WHY.
God Bless
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ltwin
Guest
Probably for the same reasons that people remain Catholic.
noun
a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
synonyms: division, split, rift, breach, rupture, break, separation, severance; More
the formal separation of a church into two churches or the secession of a group owing to doctrinal and other differences.
By definition, a schism is never one sided
Drive the wedge of division in deeper in order to welcome reconciliation. Interestingthe catholic church is here (as She will always be) and will’ve gladly welcomed you Home
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Jill
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For Protestants you have personal interpretation which the Catholic Church does not adhere to. In a Protestant church you will listen to the sermon and families will go home and discuss on which points you agree with the pastor and which points you disagree. On these points the pastor was correct and in these her was not. This is what we believe in our household.
You go to the church that most fits your beliefs until the pastor says something outlandish that does not align to yours. You leave the church. Pray for direction and search for the next church.
It is a sad state of affairs really.
So as a protestant, you pray for God to lead you to his church. Find me a church please. Alot of times if you don’t find it, perhaps you found others that are of like mind and you start your own.
All Protestant churches are touted to be divinely led. Surely the holy Spirit doesn’t have split personalities?
While I am working out my own salvation I wonder if the holy Spirit is leading or our own comfort levels.
I find the Catholic Church to be very different and I am totally out of my element when I attend. I do not understand what’s going on and I cannot make out the words being recited back by the congregation. I am holding on and waiting.
You go to the church that most fits your beliefs until the pastor says something outlandish that does not align to yours. You leave the church. Pray for direction and search for the next church.
It is a sad state of affairs really.
So as a protestant, you pray for God to lead you to his church. Find me a church please. Alot of times if you don’t find it, perhaps you found others that are of like mind and you start your own.
All Protestant churches are touted to be divinely led. Surely the holy Spirit doesn’t have split personalities?
While I am working out my own salvation I wonder if the holy Spirit is leading or our own comfort levels.
I find the Catholic Church to be very different and I am totally out of my element when I attend. I do not understand what’s going on and I cannot make out the words being recited back by the congregation. I am holding on and waiting.
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Jill
Guest
I’m not saying your mother doesn’t love God. It just seemed to me by her believing the one talent (prayer), given to her by God, is only good for one thing (Worshiping God) would be like burying that talent and not using it for all that God intended for us to use it for.
I will have to ponder the above. I like to see churches expand God’s territory and an issue I have with many churches. It reminds me of the hymn where you do not put your light under the bushel.
In the homily on Sunday the pastor stated you spread the gospel by first the life you live which draws people first to you and then to God when you share your story. It is exactly as I have thought. The best people I have known attracted me through first their lives and attitudes and then they told me what God has done for them.
Thank you for this.
I will have to ponder the above. I like to see churches expand God’s territory and an issue I have with many churches. It reminds me of the hymn where you do not put your light under the bushel.
In the homily on Sunday the pastor stated you spread the gospel by first the life you live which draws people first to you and then to God when you share your story. It is exactly as I have thought. The best people I have known attracted me through first their lives and attitudes and then they told me what God has done for them.
Thank you for this.
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Lenten_ashes1
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Welcome home
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undead_rat
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I am Anglican. I like Catholic services better and always have. But if I convert it will be to Judaism as I find Christian theology to be very much corrupted by ancient paganism. One of the most serious of these influences is the pagan idea of worshiping gods or a god in the human form. This is not done in Judaism. Another issue is the philosophy that Jesus died in order for mankind’s sins to be forgiven. The idea that one human being has to be tortured to death in order to enable YHWH to forgive another person’s sins seems contrary to the justness of our Creator.
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fasolislithuan
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That’s penal substitution, protestant theology, not catholic
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lilypadrees
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Jill, my now 86 year old mother was raised a devout Protestant. She vowed she would never convert to Catholicism. I’d tried for many years because I wanted us to be a complete Catholic family not a Catholic and Protestant family.
One day, while she was in the hospital, she questioned the person who came by to give me the Eucharist. I was stunned by her interest. After the person left, I questioned her to make sure she was serious. One thing I asked her was, “Are you doing it as a favor to me?” (I am a cradle Catholic.) She said, “No.” I cautiously asked her what made her change her mind. She said she felt the Holy Spirit was working in her. My mother converted for the right reason. She converted for God.
You see, Jill, no one can make someone become Catholic. Trusting in man and not God is a common mistake many Protestants make when if you stop to realize that Jesus is not only God, He was also born fully (hu)man. If Jesus (God) wants your mother to leave her Protestant religion and become Catholic, she will. Jesus is, after all, the Founder and the Foundation of the Catholic Church.
He will bring Catholics into her life who are a fine example of our living faith in Him. Catholics don’t just talk the talk. We walk the walk. We go where the need is and live our faith by helping others. We don’t just talk about our love of Jesus to others. We show our faith and our love for Him by going out among the people. Many Catholics are in service oriented professions like teaching and the medical field.
Why don’t you study our Catholic faith with your mother? Go to Mass and see for yourself. You may feel the Holy Spirit at work in you as well and you may decide to convert too.
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lilypadrees
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Catholics don’t worship gods or a god in human form. That is a common mistake Protestants make about us. We worship the One, TRUE God. Those people Protestants think we worship (ie: the Pope, the Virgin Mary, the Saints in Heaven) are merely an excuse for Protestants not to learn the truth.
Do you consider yourself a Christian, undead_rat? Do you know that if you convert to Judiasm you will have to give up your belief in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Or are you planning on becoming a Messianic Jew?
Why don’t you watch “Discovering The Jewish Jesus” on TBN and other stations before making such a drastic decision about converting to Judaism?
Tell me, if Jesus did not come to live on this earth and then to die for your sins and for the sins of the whole world, why did He come? Do you not realize that He took on the sin of the whole world and willingly suffered for us so that we would not have to suffer the full wrath of the Father? If He had not done that for us, we would all be in Hell when we die. None of us would have a chance of being with Him and with His Father and our Father in Heaven.
Like it or not, Jesus loved us that much. He wanted to spare us all the pain and suffering and so much more that we truly deserve.
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undead_rat
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Both Protestants and Catholics worship Jesus as a divine being. That is the same as worshiping the human form of God just as the pagans did. I was not talking about the Pope or Mary or anyone else.
In my opinion Jesus allowed himself to undergo death by torture in order to provide mankind with a perfect example as to how to follow YHWH’s primary Laws: to love and trust our Creator, and to love our neighbors. With all due respect to the Anglican and Catholic Churches, I really don’t think that our Lord’s terrible suffering had anything to do with persuading our Creator to forgive sins. After all, Jesus did have the power to forgive sins, and He could have forgiven all of mankind’s sins at anytime. Therefore, He did not need to undergo such a terrible torture for that reason.
In my opinion Jesus allowed himself to undergo death by torture in order to provide mankind with a perfect example as to how to follow YHWH’s primary Laws: to love and trust our Creator, and to love our neighbors. With all due respect to the Anglican and Catholic Churches, I really don’t think that our Lord’s terrible suffering had anything to do with persuading our Creator to forgive sins. After all, Jesus did have the power to forgive sins, and He could have forgiven all of mankind’s sins at anytime. Therefore, He did not need to undergo such a terrible torture for that reason.
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almost2
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Get aclur. Clue!!! Catholics are required. To go to a church. Or go tohell
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lilypadrees
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And why should Protestants and Catholics not worship Jesus? He is God the Son. He is our Lord and Savior. Do you really want to deny Him the worship that He deserves?
Romans 14:11 - “For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Jesus may not have needed to undergo such suffering and torture, iyo. But He did it for us. He did it in obedience to His Father and to our Father.
And I didn’t say that you were speaking of the Pope or Mary or anyone else. I said that many Protestants make the mistake of thinking that Catholics worship them.
Romans 14:11 - “For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Jesus may not have needed to undergo such suffering and torture, iyo. But He did it for us. He did it in obedience to His Father and to our Father.
And I didn’t say that you were speaking of the Pope or Mary or anyone else. I said that many Protestants make the mistake of thinking that Catholics worship them.
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lilypadrees
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Um, there are many Catholics who can’t get to Mass who watch it on television. Are you going to claim they will go to Hell because they aren’t physically present in their parish?
Please learn the truth about the Catholic Church and those of us who are Catholic. And stop spreading these outrageous lies.
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Dhc8_Type
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Because my dad is a Lutheran minister my grandfathers were Lutheran ministers 3 of my great grandfathers were Lutheran ministers. I’m here to learn about my wife’s mother’s faith.
Also my sister married a Catholic as well and I could never say what his grandmother said after my dad married his daughter about our faith. “We need Church now after that shame service to an illegitimate child.”
Also my sister married a Catholic as well and I could never say what his grandmother said after my dad married his daughter about our faith. “We need Church now after that shame service to an illegitimate child.”
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Vonsalza
Guest
As a Catholic, I couldn’t say that either and I’m sorry she said such a thing.
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