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smead2942
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Do you think Protestantism will die out? I think so.
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Kotton
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Main line denominations are losing ground but non-denom groups seem to be growing. There will always be groups that ignore the True Church Jesus founded. Will more find the fullness of HIS church?
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Della
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I don’t think it will–not for a very long time yet, anyway. 
As long as people meet in Jesus’ name he is there in their midst. He never said they had to have perfect understanding nor sound theology before he’d be there. 
God meets us where we are–because he reaches out to us in his mercy and love. As long as there are people who want to acknowledge Christ but can’t/won’t do it in the Church, there will be Protestant bodies. Only God knows if or when people will stop meeting like that–perhaps not until Jesus comes again. After all, now days any two people with two folding chairs and a Bible call themselves a church. 
As long as people meet in Jesus’ name he is there in their midst. He never said they had to have perfect understanding nor sound theology before he’d be there. God meets us where we are–because he reaches out to us in his mercy and love. As long as there are people who want to acknowledge Christ but can’t/won’t do it in the Church, there will be Protestant bodies. Only God knows if or when people will stop meeting like that–perhaps not until Jesus comes again. After all, now days any two people with two folding chairs and a Bible call themselves a church.
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smead2942
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Non-denoms will be the death of their own religion.Main line denominations are losing ground but non-denom groups seem to be growing. There will always be groups that ignore the True Church Jesus founded. Will more find the fullness of HIS church?
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Della
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What usually happens is:
- people come for music and the “show” such groups put on, but quickly tire of it. Such bodies are generally “all show and no go.”
- members start to disagree about theology or the actions of the pastor and splinter into two or more factions that start their own groups which often die out.
- the leader moves on/quits and the whole thing folds.
- the money runs out as people lose interest.
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LoyalViews
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Perhaps they’ll divide and divide, like if you cut a piece of cake into a half, then a quarter, and so on until you have 235ths of a fraction. They’ll exist, just extremely divided amongst themselves.
For example, despite the fact that Anglicans can’t be classified as thoroughly Protestant - as many are very Catholic in belief and practise - have you noticed how any one group that disagrees with the clergy of their province, goes off and forms a new, “biblically sound” Anglican ecclesial community? Look at the Anglican Network in Canada or the Church of England Continuing - all these are in contrast to the mainstream Anglican Communion.
Presbyterianism took a similar route. You have the Free Kirk and the regular Kirk. The Reformed Free Kirk and the Reformed Free Church, the Reformed Free Kirk (Continuing) and the Free Church (Continuing Reformed). Or, we could see an ultimately United Protestant Coalition. In Canada and Australia, this is the case where the Congregationalists, a fraction of Presbyterian, and other non-conformist Churches came together under a common banner - the United and Uniting Church, respectively. Within these two ecclesial bodies there is conflict over doctrine, practise, the inclusion of homosexual people in ministry, and even the divinity of Christ, whether a Presbyterian or Congregationalist form of government is more proper, or whether an episcopal system would be efficient. These are the problems of Protestantism which IMHO will be the end of those denominations.
The ultimate end of Protestantism is to everyone united back to Christ and His Blessed Mother, under the truth of the Catholic Church.
For example, despite the fact that Anglicans can’t be classified as thoroughly Protestant - as many are very Catholic in belief and practise - have you noticed how any one group that disagrees with the clergy of their province, goes off and forms a new, “biblically sound” Anglican ecclesial community? Look at the Anglican Network in Canada or the Church of England Continuing - all these are in contrast to the mainstream Anglican Communion.
Presbyterianism took a similar route. You have the Free Kirk and the regular Kirk. The Reformed Free Kirk and the Reformed Free Church, the Reformed Free Kirk (Continuing) and the Free Church (Continuing Reformed). Or, we could see an ultimately United Protestant Coalition. In Canada and Australia, this is the case where the Congregationalists, a fraction of Presbyterian, and other non-conformist Churches came together under a common banner - the United and Uniting Church, respectively. Within these two ecclesial bodies there is conflict over doctrine, practise, the inclusion of homosexual people in ministry, and even the divinity of Christ, whether a Presbyterian or Congregationalist form of government is more proper, or whether an episcopal system would be efficient. These are the problems of Protestantism which IMHO will be the end of those denominations.
The ultimate end of Protestantism is to everyone united back to Christ and His Blessed Mother, under the truth of the Catholic Church.
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MaryT777
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Interesting question…
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steve_b
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Here’s what Paul said to the Church of Rome
Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who make dissensions διχοστασίαςdichostasia = division / dissension / factions /sedition ] and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such, serve not Christ our Lord, but their own belly; and by pleasing speeches and good words, seduce the hearts of the innocent. For your obedience is published in every place. I rejoice therefore in you. But I would have you to be wise in good, and simple in evil. And the God of peace crush Satan under your feet speedily.
Romans 16:17-20
Fast forward to the 16th century and the Protestant revolt from the Church of Rome
Protestants being just one more, of The Great Heresies in historyPaul’s warning doesn’t bode well for anyone who divides from the Church of Rome.
Note: There’s no expiration date to Paul’s warning.
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ProdglArchitect
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At the very least, Protestantism will die out when Christ comes again. I’d wager it will die out long before that though. The very nature of Protestantism is to be schismatic. It will continue to cut itself into pieces until eventually it dies from blood loss.
Steve b’s post makes Paul’s teaching on the subject plainly clear. Any group which chooses to separate itself from Christ, the fount of life, is doomed to death.
Steve b’s post makes Paul’s teaching on the subject plainly clear. Any group which chooses to separate itself from Christ, the fount of life, is doomed to death.
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rweidn
Guest
Probably not. Interesting though that in my Church there were 20 of us received this Easter which is considered a large group compared to recent years. There were a good few in the run up going through the RCIA classes that were converting because they felt their Churches were changing the goal posts, for example ordaining homosexual priests. They felt their Churches were not providing stability and consistency.
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tvknight415
Guest
I just had a Life of Brian moment when reading this…
Peoples Front of Judea? Judean Peoples Front? What about the Popular Front??? He’s over there. SPLITTERS!!!
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lightbeamrider
Guest
The last Protestant assembly i attended met at a college sports arena. Live band, hand clapping, big crowd, mostly young, all upbeat. Heart rendering testimonials. The ushers were doing head counts. Then the predictable happened, They were called (?) to build a church. Never mind there was already a number of churches in the community. That is when i bailed out because i knew what was going to happen next. That is with old timers like me with a few bucks in the bank would end up paying the freight and doing the work. (How much skill or money do college students have?) Went to the Catholic Newman Center down the street. Back with the Catholics ever since.
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ProdglArchitect
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Welcome home ^^
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Ignatius
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Actually, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and the original reformers wouldn’t even recognize most to the 10’s of thousands of denominations as their offspring, though they certainly are. So, as has continually happened since the 16th Century they will continue to morph, inventing new doctrines and sets of beliefs, gradually loosing all connection to the Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy handed once for all through the Apostles toThe Church that Jesus founded.
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Goya
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Don’t know about dying out, but I will say that, imo, the internet has wreaked great havoc on Protestantism. So many sought to proselytize through it…yet instead, so much of the error of Protestantism has been exposed through it, to a much larger scale. This imo, has largely fueled the movement away from doctrine-bound mainline denoms, to the malleable non-denominational sects, since as long as you don’t stand for anything, you can’t really be nailed to anything (and no, the irony of that statement vis a vis Christ and the cross, is not accidental).
IMO, Protestantism will never end, because it is profitable to individual pastors.
This was a large impetus for Martin Luther, who visibly suffered as he saw the collection plates pass by, and could not partake…and it remains perpetually fuel for believers to stake their claim to this doctrinal hang-up or that, as the justification for opening up their own “franchise”, without any franchise fees–this is becoming even more apparent, as the ‘non-denoms’ have demonstrated (mainline would have the equivalent of ‘franchise fees’, and certainly franchise regs). Pardon my cynicism.
Add to this how many families are do deeply entrenched generationally, that to reject the faith of your families, is to admit that your grand parents and great grandparents…were dead wrong…that’s just not realistic. E.g.–we still have Judaism; and Judaism still has us.
IMHO, there is a place for Protestantism in the Church, though I have a heck of a time figuring out what it is. What I foresee ultimately, is not an annihilation or extermination of Protestantism, but a reconciliation of a significant number of protestant churches, with the Catholic Church. Something that would entail private profitability to the protestant clergy, the Sacraments, and a clear delineation of the Pope’s authority over the merged Protestant churches. But that’s clearly pure conjecture, and optimistic at that (I have a weak spot for our separated brethren, particularly being married to one, whose family has several pastors).
jmho.
IMO, Protestantism will never end, because it is profitable to individual pastors.
This was a large impetus for Martin Luther, who visibly suffered as he saw the collection plates pass by, and could not partake…and it remains perpetually fuel for believers to stake their claim to this doctrinal hang-up or that, as the justification for opening up their own “franchise”, without any franchise fees–this is becoming even more apparent, as the ‘non-denoms’ have demonstrated (mainline would have the equivalent of ‘franchise fees’, and certainly franchise regs). Pardon my cynicism.
Add to this how many families are do deeply entrenched generationally, that to reject the faith of your families, is to admit that your grand parents and great grandparents…were dead wrong…that’s just not realistic. E.g.–we still have Judaism; and Judaism still has us.
IMHO, there is a place for Protestantism in the Church, though I have a heck of a time figuring out what it is. What I foresee ultimately, is not an annihilation or extermination of Protestantism, but a reconciliation of a significant number of protestant churches, with the Catholic Church. Something that would entail private profitability to the protestant clergy, the Sacraments, and a clear delineation of the Pope’s authority over the merged Protestant churches. But that’s clearly pure conjecture, and optimistic at that (I have a weak spot for our separated brethren, particularly being married to one, whose family has several pastors).
jmho.
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Memaw
Guest
Seems to me they are becoming more liberal all the time and dividing until there will be to many fractures to have any strength for surviving. Prayers for all. God Bless, Memaw
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heidi_storage
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Not during my lifetime, anyway.
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esieffe
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KendraDZ1902
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I don’t think so. People are so stuck on personal interpretation that protesting the truth will never end on earth.
People may need an intro to Catholicism at the pearly gates, though.
People may need an intro to Catholicism at the pearly gates, though.
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Memaw
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