Unscriptural Protestant Beliefs

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windlessuser

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I’ve perused this forum and the information is very fragmented at best. I’m curious to know -if any - what are some protestant beliefs that aren’t found in scripture (besides Sola Scriptura and Sola fide of course…even though sola fide is just a misunderstanding of semantics).

And please can we avoid this not turning into a flame war?

Yours in Christ
 
sure.

one is salvation by faith, and then that is it. not all Protestants teach this, but many take Paul’s words rather out of context to mean that after salvation by grace through faith, one need not do anything as a Christian. no discipleship. no emphasis on works or on bearing fruit.

another (more recent) is the ordination of women and of non-celibate homosexuals. again, entirely unscriptural.

they also deny the Real Presence, something attested to by all Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox and by the Assyrian Church of the East. 1,500 + years of Apostolic Christian teaching and dogma can not be wrong.

divorce after re-marriage. a very sensitive topic, but one whose Christian response in the Gospels is rarely heeded. marriage is not a sin to be forgiven so that you can get married again. it is an event, a sacrement, and a bond.
 
Wow, didn’t expect a response like that. I would just view that stuff as just a misinterpretation of scripture or just being very liberal and lax and or slack. Insightful perspective!
 
windlessuser said:
I’ve perused this forum and the information is very fragmented at best. I’m curious to know -if any - what are some protestant beliefs that aren’t found in scripture (besides Sola Scriptura and Sola fide of course…even though sola fide is just a misunderstanding of semantics).

And please can we avoid this not turning into a flame war?

Yours in Christ
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  • Protestantism’s roots (the heads of the revolt)were dividing from the Church of Rome in the 16th century. Look up the warnings in scripture about schism and division (and remaining, not returning to unity) . It’s condemned. What is the consequence spoken of in scripture for this offense?
  • Sola fide isn’t just a symantics issue.
 
crazzeto said:
I’d recommend reading Anna Scott’s Protestants: Sinner’s Prayer-What must it say and does it assure Salvation? thread over in the non-catholic Christian forum. There’s a lot of in-depth conversation regarding the sinners prayer (an ok prayer unfortunetly rooted and tied up in a completely non-biblical theology).
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i’ve never been a fan of this prayer. it’s not based on Scripture, and the notion that one can recite a prayer and be saved / a Christian strikes me as odd.

while i have heard of people coming to Christian faith through this prayer, i’ve seen other cases where the person says the sinner’s prayer, feels better / safer, and then continues living in sin as though it weren’t a problem.
 
steve_b said:
  • Sola fide isn’t just a symantics issue.
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Well to my knowledge, Sola fide means that one is saved by faith alone -using the protestant definition of faith.

As Catholics we define faith as Unconditional belief in God, Hope as Unconditional trust in God, and charity is unconditional love for God. And I dont remember which apostle said this, but we are to perform good works, showing our faith and hope expressed through charity(love).

The protestant definition of “faith” summarises the above concepts. Thats why I think it’s just a matter of semantics.

Correct me If I’m wrong.
 
windlessuser said:
Well to my knowledge, Sola fide means that one is saved by faith alone -using the protestant definition of faith.

As Catholics we define faith as Unconditional belief in God, Hope as Unconditional trust in God, and charity is unconditional love for God. And I dont remember which apostle said this, but we are to perform good works, showing our faith and hope expressed through charity(love).

The protestant definition of “faith” summarises the above concepts. Thats why I think it’s just a matter of semantics.

Correct me If I’m wrong.
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for many Protestants, “faith” can be summed up as a kind of intellectual understanding, or belief. as in “i believe that…and …and…”. and that since we are saved through faith and not works, anyone insisting on works as part of one’s saved Christian life or as neccesary as a Christian is preaching “works salvation” and is in error.

what is Biblical is that we are saved / reconciled to God through grace through faith in Christ, and that once in Christ, works must be the outcome of our salvation. we need to grow up in Christ and do what He has asked us to do. simply believing something will not save you, and faith without works or fruits is indeed dead. James and Christ both make this clear.
 
grace_singh said:
for many Protestants, “faith” can be summed up as a kind of intellectual understanding, or belief. as in “i believe that…and …and…”. and that since we are saved through faith and not works, anyone insisting on works as part of one’s saved Christian life or as neccesary as a Christian is preaching “works salvation” and is in error.

what is Biblical is that we are saved / reconciled to God through grace through faith in Christ, and that once in Christ, works must be the outcome of our salvation. we need to grow up in Christ and do what He has asked us to do. simply believing something will not save you, and faith without works or fruits is indeed dead. James and Christ both make this clear.
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So they don’t believe in good works of faith and hope expressed through charity?
 
crazzeto said:
Certainly not!
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That’s very unscriptural indeed:

[BIBLEDRB]1 Corinthians 13:13
And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.[/BIBLEDRB]

Is there anything else that they profess that’s not in the bible?
 
[BIBLEDRB]1 Corinthians 13

Charity is to be preferred before all gifts.

1 If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; 5 Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child. 12 We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known. 13 And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity. [/BIBLEDRB]

Wow, reading the whole chapter, I realise the gravity of what the protestants are doing, when they say faith alone…
 
crazzeto said:
Certainly not!
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mind you not all Protestants profess this. but it’s a confused belief which seems to spring from a mis-reading of many of Paul’s writings.

another thing i find in Protestant theology… an over-emphasis on God’s wrath, and our need for Christ so that we do not go to hell. now it is true that God can be wrathful, and that Christ’s work on the cross saves us from hell. but there is more to the Gospel than that. an emphasis on God’s mercy, grace, and love, and on actively, prayerfully following Christ is missing.
 
Not even close to being right!i

Is there any attempt at all to understand the BASIC protestant beliefs or do you just throw out what ever comes to mind?

IF ( I repeat IF) I called Catholics a bunch of …(fill inthe blank with any misconception that you can’t stand hearing)
 
grace_singh said:
mind you not all Protestants profess this. but it’s a confused belief which seems to spring from a mis-reading of many of Paul’s writings.

another thing i find in Protestant theology… an over-emphasis on God’s wrath, and our need for Christ so that we do not go to hell. now it is true that God can be wrathful, and that Christ’s work on the cross saves us from hell. but there is more to the Gospel than that. an emphasis on God’s mercy, grace, and love, and on actively, prayerfully following Christ is missing.
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Every single one? Certainly not, you can’t pin Protestants down (even a specific denomination) to a particular belief… Not even Sola Scriptura shockingly enough. But I would submit that it’s fundamental enough to be considered one of the main tenants of Protestantism
 
grace_singh said:
mind you not all Protestants profess this. but it’s a confused belief which seems to spring from a mis-reading of many of Paul’s writings.

another thing i find in Protestant theology… an over-emphasis on God’s wrath, and our need for Christ so that we do not go to hell. now it is true that God can be wrathful, and that Christ’s work on the cross saves us from hell. but there is more to the Gospel than that. an emphasis on God’s mercy, grace, and love, and on actively, prayerfully following Christ is missing.
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Ah, living in a protestant country (only 2% of the whole population is catholic, and lets not get into poor catechises) I’m rather familiar with the “scare” tactics some of the protestant ministers use. Isn’t that in essence very uncharitable? :confused:
 
windlessuser said:
Ah, living in a protestant country (only 2% of the whole population is catholic, and lets not get into poor catechises) I’m rather familiar with the “scare” tactics some of the protestant ministers use. Isn’t that in essence very uncharitable? :confused:
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What I’m going to say will probably offend someone, so there’s no real point saying “not to be offensive”.

Protestants target Catholics because Catholics are so terribly catechized. I would guess that of all people that call themselves Catholic, most of them probably have never read the Bible, and the majority have probably never read passed a few choice passages. For a great number of them, anyone could come up to them and spout some passage in or out of context at them and probably challenge their faith. That’s why you see so many “former” Catholics, because they had no idea what a Catholic believed before and had some evangelist come up to them, tell them their version of what Catholics “believe” and then “correct” them on that “belief”.

Catholics are easy pickings for both people who say we’re “unscriptural” (so your center-rights) and for people who say we’re “outdated” or too “dogmatic” or just “haters” (your liberal “Christian” and atheist types). That’s just the truth. Catholics who aren’t knowledgeable in their faith are targets for conversion because they’re easy. It’s not very Christian or charitable in the slightest, it’s more like a guy trying to get a date with a girl who just broke up with her boyfriend of 2 years; it’s picking on the vulnerable.

For Protestants, in the end it’s all about how many people they “save”, where for Catholics we want people to fully understand what they’re getting into when they go through RCIA. Hence why RCIA is 8 months and the “sinners prayer” is 1 minute.
 
windlessuser said:
I’ve perused this forum and the information is very fragmented at best. I’m curious to know -if any - what are some protestant beliefs that aren’t found in scripture (besides Sola Scriptura and Sola fide of course…even though sola fide is just a misunderstanding of semantics).

And please can we avoid this not turning into a flame war?

Yours in Christ
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I’m kind of surprised that no one has mentioned the pre-tribulational rapture yet :rolleyes:
 
We’re on a roll guys, lets Keep this List going! What about the elect I keep hearing about? I think its from the Calvinists.
 
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