To Protestants: Why aren't you Catholic?

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Paris_Blues

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And I want a honest answer too! I don’t want none of the “oh, it’s a freedom of religon!”…yada yada yada…

For Protestants who are NOT anti-Catholic and yet have nothing against the Church, why do you stay Protestant than???:confused:
 
Well, when I realized I had nothing against what the Church was saying and that it was right…I got into RCIA!😃

I’d say the reason many don’t come to the Church from protestant faiths overall is b/c it seems so hard. You don’t have to do a lot to be a protestant, in comparison. No confession etc. I think many are turned off by the length of time RCIA takes and even more by the fact that they have to sit in the pew while everyone else receives the Eucharist.

When I came to realize I believed whole-heartedly in Catholic Christianity I spent about 4-5 months going back and forth in my head before I even got the nerve to speak to someone at my future church. I’m sure I would or could have put it off much longer if I’d tried. I’ve met people in my RCIA who’ve attended the parish for years before deciding to go thru with it.

I love RCIA now and am going to miss it when it’s all over.
 
I will answer but not argue…not that you would Paris, just to anyone.
I am trying to be very very brief…so here goes.

Two reasons:

HISTORICAL
I believe that the Orthodox church is more accurate that the RC IF I were inclined to join a church because it is the most ancient.
The papacy is a later development and I think the RC overstepped, not the Orthodox church.

SCRIPTURAL
I have read the Bible throughout my life, since I was a teenager, and I think that Catholicism takes verses that are not foreshadowing and makes them such. I think Catholicism takes verses about the family of Christ and goes through mental gymnastics to explain why they do not mean what they plainly say(giving an opinion here folks). I think the emphasis on his mother is overblown. When I read scripture and look for what Christ and the NT taught…this is not it.

You asked Paris.
Have a good day.
Brian
 
🙂 Well!

I sometimes think many Prostestants already are, even when they are not aware of it: having hung around Methodists a good many years, I picked up that they, as well as other liturgical christians, use a baptismal formula that actually has (or HAD) the word “catholic” in it.

Take Paul Revere: In Revere’s time, early 1700s, a new born baby was all but snatched from its mother’s arms, and then rushed to the nearest baptismal fount, the ice smashed and the hastily-dressed minister, using whatever rite Puritans used at the time, made sure the infant got off to a good start, all this literally within an hour or so of birth.

Still, at the same time, I agree with the statement, that many people will argue about “freedom of religion,” and so forth.

Because one Early American history specialist made the wry statement that for many early colonial immigrants, coming to British North America in those early days meant “freedom FROM worship in ANY religion,” and that statements by historians to the contrary, show us only that “many Protestant propogandists are in the American history-writing business,” or words to the same or similar extent.

Keep it up!

Aurelio 👍
 
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BrianH:
Two reasons:

HISTORICAL
I believe that the Orthodox church is more accurate that the RC IF I were inclined to join a church because it is the most ancient.
The papacy is a later development and I think the RC overstepped, not the Orthodox church.

SCRIPTURAL
I have read the Bible throughout my life, since I was a teenager, and I think that Catholicism takes verses that are not foreshadowing and makes them such. I think Catholicism takes verses about the family of Christ and goes through mental gymnastics to explain why they do not mean what they plainly say(giving an opinion here folks). I think the emphasis on his mother is overblown. When I read scripture and look for what Christ and the NT taught…this is not it.
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The bulk of Scriptural interpretation is shared between the Catholic and Orthodox Church. So if you truly believe that the Orthodox Church is the most ancient, why do you not convert to Holy Orthodoxy? Sorry for the side question–just wondering. 😃
 
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Mickey:
The bulk of Scriptural interpretation is shared between the Catholic and Orthodox Church. So if you truly believe that the Orthodox Church is the most ancient, why do you not convert to Holy Orthodoxy? Sorry for the side question–just wondering. 😃
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No it is a good question.
The underlying issues to be addressed are the validity of apostolic succession as defined by Orthodoxy, scriptural intent and interpretation, and the precise teachings of Christ Jesus. Once I can square all of those, anything is possible of course.

While I respect an argument based upon how ancient something is, I find scripture to be full of examples of Christ’s disciples unable to grasp his teaching even directly from his lips. Early on, scripture seems to point towards divisions that occured 33 CE to 55 or so CE…but I digress.
BH
 
Dear non-Catholics, out of curiosity I’d like to know what is in your case the “unanswered question”, the point(s) where Catholicism fails to satisfy you, to put it briefly, why aren’t you Catholic?

Awaiting responses with great interest,
sincerely yours,
Emil Anton
Finland
(presently visited by Conan O Brien:)
 
dude…serious deja vu.
Do you know Paris?
There are two threads over this topic
BH
 
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Brian_C:
I’d say the reason many don’t come to the Church from protestant faiths overall is b/c it seems so hard. You don’t have to do a lot to be a protestant, in comparison. No confession etc.
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I would agree with this. The protestants that I know just see the Catholic Church as too controlling. My sister in law said she liked it because “protestantism is the great bouffet (Sp?) line of religion” take what you want to believe and leave what you dont, where as to be Catholic you must believe what the Catholic church believes.
 
I think we have more than 5 non-Catholics on this forum.

C’mon folks!😃
 
I’m going out on a limb here, and I’ll admit at the outset that my post is probably not going to be particularly “deep” or well thought out. I’m mainly responding to try to get my own thoughts in order. Why I haven’t converted:

Grew up Baptist, took a couple of other denominational detours, and I’m back to Baptist (at 36). I’m what you might call “disillusioned” but I don’t want to be a church-hopper, so for now I’m staying put. I have serious issues with the Baptists, but I feel I’m better off where I am now than nowhere at all, which is where I was for a few very discouraging years.

Live in an area of the country where there are few Catholics. One parish in our area to cover two cities, whereas there are Baptists and Methodists on every corner (and Presbyterian, and Church of Christ, and…) I only have two local Catholic friends (although that’s probably two more than most of my Baptist friends have), and neither are particularly devout. That’s why I’m here - there’s no one to really talk to about it, and I’m not ready to go visit the local parish priest just yet.

Family pressure. Not that I’ve felt any pressure to date, given that my family doesn’t know I’ve been exploring Catholicism at all. Tiny exceptions: my mom knows I’ve read M. Angelica’s bio and been to visit her shrine a few times - most recent visit was in November and I had an absolutely amazing experience of the mystery of faith at which I am certain my 3yo daughter actually saw Jesus…but I digress (maybe another thread for another time). My husband’s family is Church of Christ and his father considers him a black sheep because he is now Baptist. It was an enormous step for him to cross that road, so to consider becoming Catholic would be quite difficult. I’ve been feeding him spoonfuls, though.

In a nutshell, converting to Catholicism isn’t like trading in my Toyota for a Honda. It’s a big deal, and if I convert it will be with my whole heart without looking back. In the meantime, I’ll continue to pray the Divine Mercy with my secret rosary, read everything I can get my hands on, and seek the Lord’s guidance.

Peace and joy,
Andi

P.S. In regards to the family pressure section, please don’t anyone tell me that Christ is more important. I already know.
 
Paris Blues:
And I want a honest answer too! I don’t want none of the “oh, it’s a freedom of religon!”…yada yada yada…

For Protestants who are NOT anti-Catholic and yet have nothing against the Church, why do you stay Protestant than???:confused:
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not anti- catholic, but I don’t believe it’s the church founded by Jesus Christ, nor do i agree with some of their “rules.” I know others that follow scripture closer than the catholic church. i guess i don’t agree with their interpretation of the Bible.
 
ReflectHim, no offense, but I don’t think Paris intended this to be a “What’s wrong with Catholicism” thread. I believe the intent was for protestants who BELIEVE in what the Catholic Church says to explain why they haven’t officially embraced the Church (at least yet).
 
Yes, basically.

All I’m asking is why do non-Catholics stay in their denomination even after they hear the real Truthes about the CC?
 
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alsligh:
I’m going out on a limb here, and I’ll admit at the outset that my post is probably not going to be particularly “deep” or well thought out. I’m mainly responding to try to get my own thoughts in order. Why I haven’t converted:

Grew up Baptist, took a couple of other denominational detours, and I’m back to Baptist (at 36). I’m what you might call “disillusioned” but I don’t want to be a church-hopper, so for now I’m staying put. I have serious issues with the Baptists, but I feel I’m better off where I am now than nowhere at all, which is where I was for a few very discouraging years.

Live in an area of the country where there are few Catholics. One parish in our area to cover two cities, whereas there are Baptists and Methodists on every corner (and Presbyterian, and Church of Christ, and…) I only have two local Catholic friends (although that’s probably two more than most of my Baptist friends have), and neither are particularly devout. That’s why I’m here - there’s no one to really talk to about it, and I’m not ready to go visit the local parish priest just yet.

Family pressure. Not that I’ve felt any pressure to date, given that my family doesn’t know I’ve been exploring Catholicism at all. Tiny exceptions: my mom knows I’ve read M. Angelica’s bio and been to visit her shrine a few times - most recent visit was in November and I had an absolutely amazing experience of the mystery of faith at which I am certain my 3yo daughter actually saw Jesus…but I digress (maybe another thread for another time). My husband’s family is Church of Christ and his father considers him a black sheep because he is now Baptist. It was an enormous step for him to cross that road, so to consider becoming Catholic would be quite difficult. I’ve been feeding him spoonfuls, though.

In a nutshell, converting to Catholicism isn’t like trading in my Toyota for a Honda. It’s a big deal, and if I convert it will be with my whole heart without looking back. In the meantime, I’ll continue to pray the Divine Mercy with my secret rosary, read everything I can get my hands on, and seek the Lord’s guidance.

Peace and joy,
Andi

P.S. In regards to the family pressure section, please don’t anyone tell me that Christ is more important. I already know.
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alsligh,
I will pray for you and your family, that you may follow Christ down whatever road he leads you with the support of your family. I know its hard, I thought my family (although I was single, so that made it easier) would disown me when I converted. They didn’t, but the anti-Catholic cloud hangs over holidays together and most of our family visits.
If there is anything I can do, any way I can help, or any question I can answer please do not hesitate to PM me!
 
Hi Paris, “holy one would not see corruption” is applied to Mary by catholics, too many things related to Jesus is applied to Mary. I am serious concerned that catholics raise Mary up too high. Second, I do not see the papacy as infallible. It is my impression that the papacy thinks it is infallible because the pope says so. And, most importantly, I have read the scriptures all my life, and I simply don’t see roman catholicism there.

Psalm 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:31
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

rather than bore me with showmanship, use historical sources that are not apologetic, but are documentary in nature.

I rarely, believe anything an apologeticist has to say because they think in too much black and white like.
 
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