What do you admire about other denominations or religious traditions?

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I don’t admire anything about other denominations or religions. Nor do I admire their religious traditions or disciplines.
 
I was gonna fully agree with you but then I remembered those Baptists that got rid of the Jesus staue because it was too Catholic. I don’t admire them but a part of me respects them for practicing what they preach even though misguided. Too many liberals within the Catholic Church water down the Faith in the name of ecumenism.
 
Recently Billy Graham’s son went to Berkeley to hold a rally of some sort or another. I don’t really respond well to evangelicals for the most part but I saw a little bit of the rally - Graham speaking, protestors, and I thought to myself how much courage that would take. You look at these Supreme Court cases, bakers, florists, Hobby Lobby, and you always have to add this footnote, they are evangelical. (let’s not forget the Sisters of the Poor…) There is a fearlessness, a commitment, that I think is really Biblical about this sort of thing; it is not natural to many Catholics (except maybe prolife activism) but Protestants do seem to channel it much more often and naturally. (also in the prolife movement) I like it. I aspire to borrow it. I believe it may well get them a number of points on high, in spite of being off base and in error about so much else in the faith. They are out on the front line, no problem.
 
FollowChrist34 said:
Recently Billy Graham’s son went to Berkeley to hold a rally of some sort or another. I don’t really respond well to evangelicals for the most part but I saw a little bit of the rally - Graham speaking, protestors, and I thought to myself how much courage that would take. You look at these Supreme Court cases, bakers, florists, Hobby Lobby, and you always have to add this footnote, they are evangelical. (let’s not forget the Sisters of the Poor…) There is a fearlessness, a commitment, that I think is really Biblical about this sort of thing; it is not natural to many Catholics (except maybe prolife activism) but Protestants do seem to channel it much more often and naturally. (also in the prolife movement) I like it. I aspire to borrow it. I believe it may well get them a number of points on high, in spite of being off base and in error about so much else in the faith. They are out on the front line, no problem.
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The fervent evangelical faith of the Apostles is what got most of them killed. It is not something you can borrow. Maybe, just maybe, they are not so off base and in error.
 
Some people might legitimately not find anything to admire in other faiths. We may also be defining admire differently. That’s ok, but I would ask do you find anything to admire in non-Catholic humans? Finding the good in something/someone isn’t the same as saying it is better than Catholicism or ignoring its errors. It can be a useful tool for evangelism. Plus, some of our converts may carry these very gifts with them in converting.

Edit: I reread the original prompt. It did say “currently lacking in your own.” I don’t think I was responding to that so much and others may have been.
 
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The Catholic Church certainly proclaims the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church fervently. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 24/7 around the world. Adoration chapels. Processions of the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Mother. Catholic religious orders throughout the world. Anywhere the Rosary is prayed in public. Anywhere there are Catholics helping to serve the poor. The St. Vincent de Paul Society. Missionarys throughout the world. St. Paul street evangelization. Catholic radio available all over the world. World Youth Day. World Meeting of Families.
 
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AlbertDerGrosse said:
I have a lot of respect for Evangelicals’ devotion to and knowledge of the Scriptures. This isn’t to say that I believe Sola Scriptura is sound theology, but I think we Catholics could stand to read it more, commit more of it to memory, and defer to it more in our day to day lives. Honestly if I needed to look up a passage but didn’t have recourse to the internet and had a random Catholic and a random Evangelical with me, I’d probably ask the Evangelical and take her at her word.
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You seem to be equating knowledge with memory. What good is memorization of Scripture if you are getting it wrong. Do you think protestants just picked up the Bible and came to their belief just like that? Of course not. Someone told them what particular verses meant. Actually Catholics have much more knowledge of Scripture because we don’t rely on our personal interpretation but on the Church that Jesus founded.
 
Honestly, fasting isn’t that ‘‘hard’’ once you get into the groove of things. I always had trouble fasting when I was Muslim but once I did it for like 5 or 6 days in a row, it becomes a habit and after that it become pretty easy provided you’re not doing manual labor or staying out in the sun . Not to mention, lot of Muslims really stuff themselves before the cut off times.
 
It would have helped to take a class or two in college about different faiths and their teachings. Like, I don’t know what Lutherans or Methodists believe, eg. You can ask when the subject comes up about someone being a Lutheran, and what they believe.
 
margaret42 said:
I don’t know what Lutherans or Methodists believe, eg. You can ask when the subject comes up about someone being a Lutheran, and what they believe.
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When you are talking about protestant lay people, I don’t think that denomination means a lot in regards to individual beliefs. A lot of cross-pollination between the different groups, and I don’t think its really due to change in beliefs. Sen. McCain and President G.W Bush both were baptized as Episcopalians and ended up as a Baptist and a Methodist.

I think with protestants its more of a conservative/liberal split, with churches of both kinds appearing in different denominations.
 
St. Mother Teresa(sp?) said, “I respect all religions, but am in love with my own”.
 
I use the Book of Common Prayer on the Bede app or Covert, for the major hours and the Officium Divinum for Nones and Terce. Best of both!
 
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I meant no disrespect. But I don’t agree with a lot of what Calvinist Evangelicals teach in terms of doctrine, the rejection of the Real Presence, the sacraments. I don’t think they fully understand the history and truth of the Church, by which I mean the original Church of Christ and the Apostles. And I question how much of the faith they live beyond just being ‘saved.’ My point was I admire the fervency of their faith and their commitment as Christians. And, in fact, I don’t need to borrow it; I have it. I do consider it a little “Protestant” though. The post was supposed to be a compliment.
 
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Is there an app with the BCP? Would love to know more if there is!
 
FollowChrist34 said:
I meant no disrespect. But I don’t agree with a lot of what Calvinist Evangelicals teach in terms of doctrine, the rejection of the Real Presence, the sacraments. I don’t think they fully understand the history and truth of the Church, by which I mean the original Church of Christ and the Apostles. And I question how much of the faith they live beyond just being ‘saved.’ My point was I admire the fervency of their faith and their commitment as Christians. And, in fact, I don’t need to borrow it; I have it. I do consider it a little “Protestant” though. The post was supposed to be a compliment.
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Thank you for clarifying . I think sometimes when we try to paint a picture, the human tendency is to use too wide a brush that causes distortment in the details that define the truth of the scene.
 
Thanks for the question!
There is a concept called “holy envy” that I think was first articulated by a Lutheran Bishop, Krister Stendahl. It is associated with one of his three principles for evaluating a faith tradition to which one does not belong. “Holy envy” is the appreciation (perhaps envy) of a religious practice/idea/teaching that exists in another’s faith tradition but is absent in yours.

I have Holy Envy for the Real Presence in the Eucharist embraced by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. I have never really understood those who have a problem with this doctrine. It is the most clear read of John 6. It is also a beautiful concept. One time per week (or more often if possible) Catholics literally bring Christ into their body. He joins with them. They return to their pew and contemplate this union for a handful of minutes. And when they leave mass, the communion is still part of them. Christ body, blood, soul, and divinity enters into intimate communion with those who partake. We are to be remade into the image of Christ, what could be a better step than this? I think Eucharistic adoration is quite wonderful too. I also love hearing the bells at consecration.

Anyway, I have Holy Envy!

Charity, TOm
 
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