What Catholics & Protestants Can Learn from each other

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In my home town in Ireland there is a Christian bookshop/coffee shop which regularly holds lectures, discussions, Bible study sessions etc. It doesn’t claim to be either Catholic or Protestant, but they encourage people of all denominations to pursue a strong relationship with Christ, whatever their faith background. I read in a local newspaper that their next topic will be ‘What Catholics and Protestants can learn from each other’. I don’t know if this will be a lecture or discussion, but am hoping to go along to it.

Have you got any suggestions or views on this topic? I presume they don’t mean it to be a session where Catholics and Protestants argue over the origins and legitimacy of their faith etc.; rather, I presume it will include issues such as liturgy, prayer…(though I don’t know what to expect really!).

So, any ideas on what Catholics and Protestants can learn from each other (positive ideas - not Catholic-bashing or Protestant-bashing ones please!!).
 
The things that Catholics can learn from protestants better are

1.To apply the lessons of Scripture (enhanced in Catholicism by the teachings of the Early Church Fathers, the great saints and philosophers) to day to day life.
2. To be more proactive if getting people to attending church, learning well their particular denomination beliefs and studying scripture.

The things prostestants can lean from Catholics.
  1. Respect for the early church fathers.
  2. The importance of uniformity of theaching and church discipline.
  3. In case of fundamentalists, the fact that you do not have to fear complicated ideas.
 
I would say on both sides
  1. Evangelization
  2. Helping the poor
  3. Actually living out your christian life on a daily basis–not just on Sunday.
👍 😃

I would like to know how it goes.
 
Catholics ought to learn:
  1. Singing is GOOD, even if you can’t sing well.
  2. Scripture isn’t scary and inaccessible to lay people.
  3. Your local parish ought to be a place where you are known and loved, not a visitor once a week forever.
Protestants ought to learn:
  1. The bible didn’t fall out of the sky without any other hints to help us understand it.
  2. If there is noone given authority to resolve disputes, then even good-willed people will never be able to resolve disputed questions.
  3. Sacraments aren’t symbols, they are the ordinary means by which God gives his Grace!
 
i think protestants can learn our connection to the saints that have gone before us from catholics.

i think catholics can learn to better engage our culture from protestants.

basically, protestants need to look back more.
catholics need to look forward more.

of course these cannot be done at the expense of truth.
 
NPC said:
In my home town in Ireland there is a It doesn’t claim to be either Catholic or Protestant, but they encourage people of all denominations to pursue a strong relationship with Christ, whatever their faith background.
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“Whatever their faith background” - that’s an illogical and heretic idea. 2 and 2 will always be 4 (sorry, protestants) and will never be 5, 10 or anything else.
What we can learn from protestants: more baptism in the Holy Spirit, more evangelising and effective ways of attracting people to the CC.
What protestants can learn from us:
Rosary:D
Radical following the Gospel (Mother Theresa vs multimilionaire Benny Hinn). If you want to be perfect, sell everything you’ve got, Mr Hinn.
Protestants still don’t know some of God’s messages - Fatima, st. Faustina, etc.
They can learn how not to hate other christians (many of them still hate us).
Obedience - Catholic “Thy will be done” instead of protestant “my will be done” (the result of such a way of thinking are thousands of protestant sects).
 
NPC said:
In my home town in Ireland there is a It doesn’t claim to be either Catholic or Protestant, but they encourage people of all denominations to pursue a strong relationship with Christ, whatever their faith background.
Click to expand...
“Whatever their faith background” - that’s an illogical and heretic idea. 2 and 2 will always be 4 (sorry, protestants) and will never be 5, 10 or anything else.
What we can learn from protestants: more baptism in the Holy Spirit, more evangelising and effective ways of attracting people to the CC.
What protestants can learn from us:
Rosary:D
Radical following the Gospel (Mother Theresa vs multimilionaire Benny Hinn). If you want to be perfect, sell everything you’ve got, Mr Hinn.
Protestants still don’t know some of God’s messages - Fatima, st. Faustina, etc.
They can learn how not to hate other christians (many of them still hate us).
Obedience - Catholic “Thy will be done” instead of protestant “my will be done” (the result of such a way of thinking are thousands of protestant sects).
 
I Think The First Thing Is What We Have In Common For A Change Then What We Disagree On.

Then I Guess The Truth, Start At The Beginning. The First Bible Written, The Books That Were Taken Out And Why.

The First Church, Which Was The Catholic Church, Then Why It Split. More Truth Then Fighting And Arguing.

Then Maybe Learn The Books That Were Taken Out. They Are All Scripture. What Would It Hurt.

Then Maybe We Could All Become One Again. The Way God Wants It. Start With Peter, Instead Of Fighting About It Read It And Except It For What It Says.

My Husband Was Protestant And Never Knew The Books Were Taken Out.

I Am A Catholic And Never Knew It Till Of Late.

Hey Whats The Worst Thing That Could Happen If They Read The Extra Scriptures. They May Not Believe We Cant Make Them Do That But Maybe Just Maybe They Can Understand Why We Do.
 
Catholics can learn from the Protestants how to lead a church with a married pastor.

Protestants can learn from the Catholics how to use a graven image without committing idolatry.
 
water said:
The Eastern rite of Catholic church does allow priest to be married.
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What is the eastern rite but a tiny minority that is ignored by Roman Catholics. It wasnt really a lesson learned. So can still learn it from the Protestants.
 
NPC said:
…Have you got any suggestions or views on this topic?..
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I learned that Christians who sincerely seek truth and who live their faith as they understand it, share more in common with each other than they often realize. I share much more in common with some sincere Protestants than I share with lukewarm Catholics. Sincere protestants may share more with Catholics than they share with lukewarm protestants too.

Seeking a relationship with Christ *is *seeking a relationship with Truth, for Jesus tells us He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus told the apostles the Spirit would lead them to all truth, but He didn’t give a time-schedule. We can learn patience with each other. We can learn charity as well, since the Bible tells us to speak the truth in love.

This can be difficult and frustrating at times, just as it can be frustrating to discuss math with a child if he doesn’t understand that 2+2=4. Nevertheless we can not hold unintentional ignorance against those who sincerely seeks the Truth.

The op mentions he is in Ireland. I imagine that in a country like Ireland with the history of civil unrest due to fighting between Protestants and Catholics, this task is even more difficult. Both sides can learn from each other the meaning of “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Those are my top four things sincere Protestants and Catholics can learn from each other: patience, charity, repentance and forgiveness.
 
Boy, I am exceedingly leery of these new ecumenical groups and efforts that try to gloss over substantive theological differences.

Beware of this. It’s possible to keep things at a superficial, generalized level. But at the end of the day, the problems and differences remain when you walk home.

I’d say Good Example is what each can learn from the other; there are fine, upstanding Protestants, who show a good Christian example. There are similar Catholics.

I also agree with BengalFan about Catholics looking forward. . . and the comment about improving the music!🙂
 
Maxply said:
I also agree with BengalFan about Catholics looking forward. . . and the comment about improving the music!🙂
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protestant christians does have a wealth of inspiring and lively spiritual music. some have already been copied by catholics.
 
AgnosTheist said:
that the roman church does not give due credit to the advantages of married priests in the east. so its not worth adapting in the west.
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I understand better now. So, what are the advantages? what are the disadvantages?
 
water said:
So, what are the advantages? what are the disadvantages?
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i think its best that you contplate on these things first. what are the advantages? what are the disadvantages? and overall, which is better? a married priest/pastor, or a celibate one?
 
gardenswithkids said:
I learned that Christians who sincerely seek truth and who live their faith as they understand it, share more in common with each other than they often realize. I share much more in common with some sincere Protestants than I share with lukewarm Catholics. Sincere protestants may share more with Catholics than they share with lukewarm protestants too.

Seeking a relationship with Christ *is *seeking a relationship with Truth, for Jesus tells us He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus told the apostles the Spirit would lead them to all truth, but He didn’t give a time-schedule. We can learn patience with each other. We can learn charity as well, since the Bible tells us to speak the truth in love.
Click to expand...
I think this is very true. I see that there are those who are devoted to their particular proclamation of the faith and want to exclude all who think even slightly differently from them as even being practioners of the faith.

Then I see others who are so committed to the person of Christ that they welcome anyone who seeks a relationship with Jesus regardless of how they came to seek that relationship.

I think that there are both Catholics and protestants who are more devoted to their own particular program than to Jesus, and there are both who are more devoted to Jesus than program. And probably right now, someone in each group reading this who wants to argue that I’m wrong for implying that one can seperate fidelity to Jesus from fidelity to the “TRUE” teachings of the “TRUE” Church. Which tells me that there are sincere believers in both groups and sincere religionists in both groups as well.
 
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