What would Jesus prefer??

[Righteousone]

I remember channel surfing and saw a Protestant minister jumping all over chairs and screaming over and over the same lines. Then I switched to the Catholic channel and saw the Holiness of prayers followed by the Holy Mass and followed that with Father Corapi, a convert to the Catholic faith and I stopped and wondered…which would Jesus prefer? It was quite obvious to me, and I tried to look at this not from a Catholic standpoint, but from common sense.

 

[puzzleannie]

I sincerely hope we are not using the behavior of ONE minister (whose denomination we don’t even know) to categorize ALL Protestant preaching and spirituality. why not contrast Catholic teaching and practice with one known denomination, rather than a blanket condemnation.

 

[Righteousone]

I sincerely hope we are not using the behavior of ONE minister (whose denomination we don’t even know) to categorize ALL Protestant preaching and spirituality. why not contrast Catholic teaching and practice with one known denomination, rather than a blanket condemnation.

No, I am using the behavior of several Protestant ministers.

 

[b_justb]

I think we should be very careful about these kinds of statements. When we speculate as to what Jesus prefers or what God thinks about this or that we tend to do two things.

• attempt to lower God to human standards or expectations
• attempt to elevate ourselves to Deity

Both are incorrect. God’s ways are not our ways. And God sees not according to human eyes.

Elation affects people differently. Can we not be gracious to those who express their exuberance for the Lord in a different manor than we are accustomed? If the path we are on directs our feet towards holiness wouldn’t one of the first instances of that holiness be humility and ingratiation towards others on the path to holiness as well?

I feel these kinds of comparisons are not conducive to the path of holiness and should be avoided.

I remember channel surfing and saw a Protestant minister jumping all over chairs and screaming over and over the same lines. Then I switched to the Catholic channel and saw the Holiness of prayers followed by the Holy Mass and followed that with Father Corapi, a convert to the Catholic faith and I stopped and wondered…which would Jesus prefer? It was quite obvious to me, and I tried to look at this not from a Catholic standpoint, but from common sense.

 

[Righteousone]

Every time Protestants are stumped with a thread, being their church history or whatever, it always leads to “This is unChristian” etc…why can’t you just answer a question? They are only questions…

 

[b_justb]

I am not a Protestant. I am not stumped. I have answered your question.

Why not try to find an expression that edifies The Church and encourages your brothers and sister in Christ instead of this kind of stuff?

Every time Protestants are stumped with a thread, being their church history or whatever, it always leads to “This is unChristian” etc…why can’t you just answer a question? They are only questions…

 

[water]

It was quite obvious to me, and I tried to look at this not from a Catholic standpoint, but from common sense.

Your answer is based on your common sense and how you were brought up in different environment of worshipping. It might not be the answer you get from Jesus Himself.

If the man jumps up and down with all his heart and with all thanksgiving, Jesus is pleased with him. Just like King David danced with no clothes on in the public to honor God.

If the man does all this for the sake of “a shown” then, no matter what it looks, it is not pleasing to Jesus.

 

[Righteousone]

This is a legitimate question. Let a non-Catholic answer it.

 

[Righteousone]

Your answer is based on your common sense and how you were brought up in different environment of worshipping. It might not be the answer you get from Jesus Himself.

If the man jumps up and down with all his heart and with all thanksgiving, Jesus is pleased with him. Just like King David dancing with no clothes on in the public to honor God.

If the man does all this for the sake of “a shown” then, no matter what it looks, it is not pleasing to Jesus.

Jesus said many will come in my name. I just know Christ would not like how they mock Him. King David is in no comparison to jibber jabber.

 

[2ndGen]

I sincerely hope we are not using the behavior of ONE minister (whose denomination we don’t even know) to categorize ALL Protestant preaching and spirituality. why not contrast Catholic teaching and practice with one known denomination, rather than a blanket condemnation.

Well, since all Pentecostals believe in that manner of worship (talking tongues, jumping around, screaming and yelling, etc…), then perhaps we should note that this applies to only Pentecostals and “some” Baptist denominations (are evangelicals automatically considered Baptists?).

That would be fair to the mainline Protestant religions that worship more reverently like The Lutherans and The Episcopalians, etc…

Technically, it’s not unreasonable to believe that 100,000,000 Christians believe in that manner of worship.

 

[2ndGen]

I think we should be very careful about these kinds of statements. When we speculate as to what Jesus prefers or what God thinks about this or that we tend to do two things.

• attempt to lower God to human standards or expectations
• attempt to elevate ourselves to Deity

Both are incorrect. God’s ways are not our ways. And God sees not according to human eyes.

Elation affects people differently. Can we not be gracious to those who express their exuberance for the Lord in a different manor than we are accustomed? If the path we are on directs our feet towards holiness wouldn’t one of the first instances of that holiness be humility and ingratiation towards others on the path to holiness as well?

I feel these kinds of comparisons are not conducive to the path of holiness and should be avoided.

Didn’t Jesus Himself tell us that when we pray, we are not to make a show of it, but to keep that private between us and God?

 

[2ndGen]

Every time Protestants are stumped with a thread, being their church history or whatever, it always leads to “This is unChristian” etc…why can’t you just answer a question? They are only questions…

I see it as a fair question.

I love those type of questions at me…it gives me an open door to prove people who are anti-Catholic wrong about out faith.

I welcome the “worshipping Mary” questions and the “where is that in The Bible” questions.

99% of the time, they dissappear after my anwers.

 

[2ndGen]

I am not a Protestant. I am not stumped. I have answered your question.

Why not try to find an expression that edifies The Church and encourages your brothers and sister in Christ instead of this kind of stuff?

Ok, folks, let’s just stick to the question at hand.

 

[b_justb]

Didn’t Jesus Himself tell us that when we pray, we are not to make a show of it, but to keep that private between us and God?

Yes he did. It’s not clear from the OP that what he was seeing on TV was someone/anyone praying in his first example.

If we look at the OT and the way in which the Israelites worshipped, it was quite the hootenanny. Folded hands in total silence and contemplation were not the rule of the day.

 

[AgnosTheist]

I remember channel surfing and saw a Protestant minister jumping all over chairs and screaming over and over the same lines. Then I switched to the Catholic channel and saw the Holiness of prayers followed by the Holy Mass and followed that with Father Corapi, a convert to the Catholic faith and I stopped and wondered…which would Jesus prefer? It was quite obvious to me, and I tried to look at this not from a Catholic standpoint, but from common sense.

Yeah its obvious that Jesus would prefer NEITHER.

Catholic: He shied away from formal costumes and ceremonies.

Protestant: And he wasnt usually chaotic. Though at one time Jesus was seen screaming and kicking chairs & tables. Poor peddlers. Whos bad now, huh?

 

[2ndGen]

Jesus said many will come in my name. I just know Christ would not like how they mock Him. King David is in no comparison to jibber jabber.

I’ll co-sign to that statement.

Besides, babbling in incoherent languages only happened once in The Holy Bible and God wasn’t happy with it…

Doesn’t this remind one of Protestantism?

Genesis 11:
4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Protestants decide to create their own churches built upon their own reasoning on how to get to God completely ignoring what God has already revealed.

5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

I cant’ speak for God regarding His feelings about Protetantism (“not” individual Protestants, but the religion itself)

6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Disobedience to The Church instituted by Jesus Christ.

7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

The Holy Trinity decides to put a stop to this fake church being created and protects the faithful from the ignorance of the fallen away.

8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Yep. That sounds like one religious movement falling apart into 34,000+ different denominations with different beliefs and different manners of worship and with different interpretations.

9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Being that earth can represent man (as man is made “of” earth…Adam literally meaning “of the earth”), this seems to show that God may have Himself made sure that ignorance couldn’t have risen up to confuse His Church as well. He did it with Babel…why not again? Could this have been a prophecy as to the Protestant revolt against The Church of Jesus Christ?

 

[AgnosTheist]

No, I am using the behavior of several Protestant ministers.

well that is like saying that sexual assault is the behavior of several catholic priests.

 

[bengal_fan]

this whole thread isn’t about what “Jesus would prefer” but what the author of the OP would prefer. obviously, the minister in question would say Jesus would prefer his style because he is passionate about what he believes which could be contrasted sharply with many american “catholics” and their lack of passion (i know, a blanket statement, but it’s what many protestants believe and experience with many catholics).

 

[FaithofAbraham]

Being that earth can represent man (as man is made “of” earth…Adam literally meaning “of the earth”), this seems to show that God may have Himself made sure that ignorance couldn’t have risen up to confuse His Church as well. He did it with Babel…why not again? Could this have been a prophecy as to the Protestant revolt against The Church of Jesus Christ?

I think it is more a prophecy of the Kingdom of the Antichrist, where all people who deny Jesus speak with one voice as Legion.

But for the topic question, I think these two address the problems in both denominations.

Matthew 6:1-6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 23:5-9 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

 

[ralphinal]

this whole thread isn’t about what “Jesus would prefer” but what the author of the OP would prefer. obviously, the minister in question would say Jesus would prefer his style because he is passionate about what he believes which could be contrasted sharply with many american “catholics” and their lack of passion (i know, a blanket statement, but it’s what many protestants believe and experience with many catholics).

I agree with you. A more important question is not how it is taught but WHAT is being taught. If the minister is not really preaching the truth (such as the health and wealth gospel), then Jesus would have a major issue.

That said, I had a professor in Psychology who did a study on the body language of many TV preachers. As a rule, the stances that they take, including inflection of voice, were hostile or agressive motions. I am not sure what to take home from that, other than the idea that one persons “enthusiasm” may be another persons “agression.” If that is the case, that they are seen as being agressive and not inviting, does this type of performance lend itself to spreading the Gospel?