The end of Protestantism

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It would be interesting to know any statistics on the thoughts of some of the posters here. I don’t mean that disrespectfully at all. The churches I have been involved in have all been very active and growing - and they were all conservative and liturgical. I am a member of a small missionary minded Lutheran Church now where we have piano, violin, guitars and (:eek:) drums! We may break out in clapping if the song has a good rhythm, too. We’re growing.

There is potential for those mega-churches to run into problems after awhile…look at the Crystal Cathedral in California. They had to give up several years ago because they could not maintain whatever it was that kept people coming. (I think the Catholic Church actually bought the building.)

The Calvary Chapels seem to be picking up speed - they are one of the few churches that I watch online because of my inability to be at church a lot. Even with one in Ft. Lauderdale having had to work with a problem with one of their well-loved pastors, they regrouped quickly and without a lot of fanfare but allowing their members the ability to grieve from losing his leadership.

Again, what a great research project it would be to see either the rate of attrition or that of growth in the various Protestant denominations. Mother Angelica provided a great contribution to the Catholic Church by fulfilling her dream of bringing Catholic teaching and worship by way of satellite and TV. If it hadn’t been for her there would not be as many Protestants who come to the CAFs to learn about the Catholic faith.

God bless all!

Rita
 
KendraDZ1902 said:
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. :p:D
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The way Western socieites are going, though, it’s no longer a matter of protesting the Church that drives people to seek out spiritual associations. It’s become “what serves me and mine best–if at all.” The number of unchurched is growing by leaps and bounds–mostly from Protestant families for whom faith was merely cultural (Catholics have this problem too but not in as great numbers). Once all association with what was being protested in the first place dies away, people drift into unbelief and cults. This is why Protestant churches are seeing their numbers depleted–they watered down the Gospel so much that it is indistinquishable from the culture in which it lives.

So, people rightly ask themselves: “Why should I go to a building just to sing a few songs and listen to a talk I don’t want to hear when I can be spiritual in my own way at home–or not at all if that’s my choice?” And they have a valid point. This is why we Catholics need to evangelize–to let people know that the truth does exist, that Jesus is still with us in more that spirit or the congregation/family and that their lives can be renewed into the new humanity Christ established in his Church. :yup:
 
hal linsey – with his boo " the late great planet earth" really ignited many people and made the bible relevant to many back in the 1970’s…

they found that the ceremony’s and rituals-- were not led by the Holy Spirit–

and the 1967 charasmetc roman catholic revival was a result of that–

and 30 + years later you can see the result of that–

becasue it is so much easer – to count on a religious ceremony-- and blame the people-- if they – are seeking more-- or a real born again experience–

but there are charasmetic spirit filled conferences and places that teach and demenstrate the power of Jesus Christ–

just not in every catholic mass service-- or adult education lesson
 
ProdglArchitect said:
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.
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As Paul Harvey used to say on his radio program, “and now…the rest of the story”.

One might notice St Paul’s letter to the Church of Rome #8 doesn’t say specifically what happens to the person’s soul who causes division by leaving the Church and / or causes others to leave as well. Namely what is the consequence to those who commit the sin of division διχοστασίας dichostasia ] . St Paul answers that question in Galatians. The same Greek word used in Rom 16:17 for division is also used in Galatians 5:19-21 for dissension. The same Greek word in both letters is διχοστασίας ]. And what does Paul say happens to the soul who dies in that sin?

“they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God” Galatians 5:21 ] iow they won’t be going to heaven :eek: unless they return before they die.

Hence the phrase “outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation”.

#34
 
smead2942 said:
Do you think Protestantism will die out? I think so.
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No. I think you may see a re-alignment, however. One can see right now a growing rift in the sacramental / liturgical traditions along what one might consider political / secular lines.
Same-gender issues, female ordination, etc. are not issues that will be easily resolved. We can already see the more “conservative” sacramental/liturgical groups beginning to develop closer ties with the CC and EO. I expect this to continue, while the more "liberal"groups will find solace with each other, ELCA with TEC and PCUSA as an example example.

Jon
 
JonNC said:
No. I think you may see a re-alignment, however. One can see right now a growing rift in the sacramental / liturgical traditions along what one might consider political / secular lines.
Same-gender issues, female ordination, etc. are not issues that will be easily resolved. We can already see the more “conservative” sacramental/liturgical groups beginning to develop closer ties with the CC and EO. I expect this to continue, while the more "liberal"groups will find solace with each other, ELCA with TEC and PCUSA as an example example.

Jon
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Once Pandora’s Box has been opened, it’s near impossible to gather things back in. God Bless, Memaw
 
Memaw said:
Once Pandora’s Box has been opened, it’s near impossible to gather things back in. God Bless, Memaw
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It always good to recognize good wisdom!

My take is it boils down to two things:
  1. Protestantism teaches sola scriptura which opens the door to personal interpretation of the scripture and attempts to remove the true Authority of the Church. In other words in you don’t like what you hear then you can “invent” a different philosophy.
  2. Human nature is that people do not want to be accountable and will seek ways to justify their means.
Thus for many Catholicism seems suppressive and those people tend to attack the teachings of the Church and it’s true Authority. Obedience, humility and selfless service are not attractive to many but they are very important parts (IMO) of Catholicism and rightfully so.

Accountability and the real presence are what drew me to the Catholic Church and both have blessed my life but many will be unable to put God in front of their own desires. Therefore as long as there is an alternative there will be an audience. We can only pray for them.
 
From my perspective, things are going to hell in a hand basket. All over the world.

The forces of evil are, for now, gaining strength, increasing in popularity, and persecuting good people more and more. The whole gay marriage / lifestyle thing, for example, looks like a tsunami that cannot be stopped without divine intervention. And more and more Protestant denominations are caving in, in that area and many others. Perhaps we are getting close to “the end.”

At the very end, there will only be 2 sides - the Catholic Church, and everybody else. I suspect that before the end, holy protestants will migrate to the Church, and unholy Catholics will leave it for the “church of everybody else.”

God help us all.
 
Memaw said:
Once Pandora’s Box has been opened, it’s near impossible to gather things back in. God Bless, Memaw
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Well, the box was opened 500 years prior to the Reformation, but yes, division and schism are truly hard to resolve.

Jon
 
Unfortunately, I think not. Not while the human race is still going, anyway.

Not to be flippant or disrespectful or anything, but as long as people don’t question their beliefs, there will be Protestantism. It reminds me of a commercial saying, ``It makes sense if you don’t think about it.’’ Some people grow up in a Protestant community, never doubt the beliefs of their community (and hence never look into it), and… that’s how they live.

I’m saying this as a person who was baptized Methodist as a young age, grew up with no religion, became Baptist for a short time, then became Catholic. I knew essentially nothing of Christianity when I started going to the Baptist church, but I wanted to learn. So I looked into it, did reading (like the Bible), and discovered the Bible didn’t say what the Baptists were telling me. My wife and I read If Protestantism is True and did more research, then became Catholic.
 
smead2942 said:
Do you think Protestantism will die out? I think so.
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Oh, well, obviously, because it has only existed for five hundred years (more than certain people’s countries), has only produced thousands of classic works of art which continue to propagate it, and only continues to play a very important role in English-speaking and northern European culture. :rolleyes:

One of the curious facts of modern Protestantism is the extent to which it is becoming extra-institutional, operating physically outside of church buildings and in social contexts outside of church organisations. Quite a few people fail to notice this, and thus claim that declining numbers of bodies in pews indicate declining belief.
 
danzibr said:
Not to be flippant or disrespectful or anything, but as long as people don’t question their beliefs, there will be Protestantism.
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Why on earth should anyone imagine that you’re being disrespectful merely because you equate Protestantism with wilful stupidity? :rolleyes:
 
Mystophilus said:
Why on earth should anyone imagine that you’re being disrespectful merely because you equate Protestantism with wilful stupidity? :rolleyes:
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What did I say which equated Protestantism with willful stupidity? Rather than willful I might say unintentional (and the two are essentially opposites), and rather than stupidity I might say ignorance (and the two are independent).

I read a quote once, ``There are not a hundred people in America who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions of people who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church — which is, of course, quite a different thing.’’ By Fulton J. Sheen.

I used to be of the latter variety.
 
KendraDZ1902 said:
I questioned my beliefs, that’s why I’m a convert. Many people don’t question their beliefs, it’s just “how they were raised.” It is ignorance, not stupidity.
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I questioned my beliefs, which is why I didn’t convert to Catholicism. Many people don’t question their beliefs, and remain Catholic, or Protestant, or Hindu, or atheist. The representation of one particular belief position as the result of a failure of reason, and not of knowledge, is a discriminatory accusation of stupidity, not of ignorance.
Take a chill pill.
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Because discrimination is cute when you do it? Thanks, but no.
Did you really think that a question about the end of protestantism on a catholic site would praise protestantism?
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I expected that it would demonstrate the difference between those who are capable of discussing the topic reasonably and without such prejudice, and those who are not.
 
Mystophilus said:
I questioned my beliefs, which is why I didn’t convert to Catholicism. Many people don’t question their beliefs, and remain Catholic, or Protestant, or Hindu, or atheist. The representation of one particular belief position as the result of a failure of reason, and not of knowledge, is a discriminatory accusation of stupidity, not of ignorance.

Because discrimination is cute when you do it? Thanks, but no.

I expected that it would demonstrate the difference between those who are capable of discussing the topic reasonably and without such prejudice, and those who are not.
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I didn’t discriminate against anyone. And your passive aggressive BS shows you may not be capable of discussing this topic.

Jesus established one church and he didn’t wait 1500 years after his death/resurrection to do so. Sorry 'bout it. 👋
 
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