Which Doctrines Do All Protestants Agree Upon?

[Ani_Ibi]

What I was ‘condemning’ were the Televanglists who bring out these hardly sick people and ‘cure’ them before our eyes. Benny Hinn is a fake, and has never cured anyone. He talks about 'someone in the TV audience being healed of " such and such. Such are nonesense.

Are you sure? I do believe that God will use anyone who is there to find his sheep.

 

[mgrfin]

Ohhh you reminded me, this is huge, when my friend (catholic) and I went to a 7th day seminar on end times we found out that there is NO division between protestants and catholics.

First off 7th day are Not protestant whatsoever, so leave them out of this catagory.

But the rest of us if baptist, nazarene, pentacostal, whatever ya are IF you worship on a Sunday, Then you are Catholic, PERIOD. no debate, you are Catholic.

and blah blah blah etc etc blah you all know

I was never more proud to be associated with Catholics.

So Sunday thats what we all have in common.

That is a clear and total misrepresentation of Catholicism. What day you go to Church is irrevelant to the discussion of the True Church. We even go to Sunday Mass on Saturday evening.

What has that got to do with the price of coffee in Brazil?

There is a whole system of theology and belief, and religious practice which identifies a Catholic. What day he goes to Church on is immaterial.

peace

 

[mgrfin]

just a question this is hard to follow because when someone suggests something its compared to the catholic chuch?

I thought the op was trying to discover what protestants agree on with other protestants.

just wondering . . . . .

Youre right Kitty. We should stay on thread.

But, e.g., Lutherans can’t agree with other Lutherans on what they believe; so how are we to know what "Lutherans’ believe.

Maybe, someone can get us back on thread, and find out the common doctrines of protestant churches.

peace

 

[Kitty_Chan]

That is a clear and total misrepresentation of Catholicism. What day you go to Church is irrevelant to the discussion of the True Church. We even go to Sunday Mass on Saturday evening.
peace

oh I know that and I hope you know, I know that,

but it still makes me Catholic in their eyes.

and Im good with that.

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

There is one ironclad doctrine that every Protestant church, out of necessity, must agree upon. It is that the Catholic Church is wrong.

Do they say the Catholic Church is wrong, or that they disagree with parts of the Catholic Church’s teachings? Isn’t there one ironclad spark that ignited the Protestant Reformation? What were they protesting and reforming? Wasn’t it corruption and abuses within the Church? Even Friar Savanarola was hung in Florence… no corruption there. So, while not a doctrine, every Protestant church could problably claim Church abuses and corruption as the spark that led to their birth. Ever wonder if the Catholic Church does not have the major responsibility for the birth of the reformation?

As far as doctrine, I agree with others who mention the Creeds. From newadvent:
“We believe (I believe) in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. (God of God) light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is to be adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We confess (I confess) one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for (I look for) the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

As a side note, interesting that the wording is “according to the Scriptures”, and not “according to tradition”.

Michael

 

[FrankLawrence]

As a side note, interesting that the wording is “according to the Scriptures”, and not “according to tradition”.

Michael

That is referring to the Old Testament Scriptures, as far as I’ve always understood it. That was what Jesus pointed out on the road to Emmaus, how He fulfilled the Scriptures.

 

[Teflon93]

Salvation is by Grace alone
Salvation is through Faith alone
In Christ alone
Sola Scriptura
Canon of Scripture
Trinity
Sunday is Christian Sabbath
All humans require a savior
Crucifixion
Virgin Birth

Thats only a start…

Hmm—are you sure ALL mainline Protestants believe in these? The Anglicans seem an exception to at least a couple.

 

[Teflon93]

Not seeing a lot of agreement thus far on this one—the standard is ALL Protestants agree upon these doctrines, which means the major Protestant communities.

 

[FrankLawrence]

Do all denominations agree that infants need a savior, too? We may need to strike that one from the list on those grounds.

 

[FrankLawrence]

They don’t all agree that Sunday is the Christian sabbath. Many believe that we are required to take a sabbath, but it can depend on our work schedule as to which day to take it.

 

[Kitty_Chan]

well Sunday was covered. and even if you go on a tuesday if the “main” service is on a sunday then you are a sunday church.

-=---------

Way back before the thread derailed a bit I was mentioning that when there is a non denominational conference, there is little talk of how we “dont agree” and a whole lot on how we do.

As well, depending on the gathering there is worship, and no one complains about how “different” it is.

Its not doctrines, specifically but agreement is found.

When we go to a christian concert, same thing, worship of God and unity of the attendees.

So there is agreement, just Catholics possibly are not there to see it.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

… So, while not a doctrine, every Protestant church could problably claim Church abuses and corruption as the spark that led to their birth…

A claim that is not bourne out by history. Most of the causes were political not theological. We have already hammered this out on this thread:

What caused the Reformation?

Specifically:
Ani Ibi:

1. 
   *]The Renaissance popularized humanism.
   *]Growth in trade stimulated materialism and cupidity.
   *]The plagues lowered the number of educated clergy.
   *]Corruption among some clergy exascerbated the need for discipline.
   *]Church/State boundaries became blurred.
   *]Nationalism was on the rise.
   *]In Luther was combined the genius of a Biblical scholar and bona fide cognitive distortions originating in childhood abuse and brought to a head by the Wittenburg Plague. link

1. 
   
   
   Teflon93:
   

   In a nutshell, the Reformation happened because there has been a constant pull against the Catholic Church since Pentecost, but it wasn’t until the fall of Rome, the Black Death, and the rise of Islam that Catholic Europe became weak enough to succumb to an attack from within.
   
   When the Thirty Years War resulted in a bloody stalemate and an exhausted Europe, the Reformers essentially won.
   
   Belloc argues (and I agree) that the reason the Reformation happened when it did was simple greed—the Catholic Church had accrued wealthy lands by this point, and the minor nobility wanted them.
   
   This was most prevalent in England, where a whole class of millionaires made by stealing monastic lands fueled Elizabeth’s rise to the throne and paved the way for Protestant England.
   
   The doctrinal disputes came later, once Calvin published his book about 20 years into the Reformation (Luther nails up his theses in 1517; Calvin publishes in 1536). It is often taught (when taught at all) in reverse order. link

   Over the final decades of the 15th and the early decades of the 16th century, the costs for administrating the early medieval state had been rising, in a considerable part due to a transition in warfare that forced rulers/estates to rely on costly artillery and mercenaries instead of (unpaid) knights.
   
   The cannon technology again made improvements in the fortifications of castles and city walls necessary. The partitioning of territories among the sons of a ruler resulted in the creation of new political centers (residences), another source of state expense. link

 

[mgrfin]

As a side note, interesting that the wording is “according to the Scriptures”, and not “according to tradition”.

Michael

You seem to forget, the Church believes in the Scriptures ("et resurréxit tértia die secúndum Scriptúras") and it believes in Faith, and it believes in Good Works, and it believes in Tradition.

This notion that only Protestants believe in the Scriptures is so much bunk. They put more value on Scriptures than Jesus did. Jesus, after He left this earth, sent his Holy Spirit to be with the Church and to defend the deposit of faith given to it from the outset, and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.)

peace

 

[runandsew]

What about the fundamentals of fundamentalism?

• The inerrancy of the Bible
• Sola Scriptura
• The virgin birth of Christ
• The doctrine of substitutionary atonement
• The bodily resurrection of Jesus
• The imminent return of Jesus Christ.

 

[Teflon93]

What about the fundamentals of fundamentalism?

**The inerrancy of the Bible **
Sola Scriptura
The virgin birth of Christ
The doctrine of substitutionary atonement
The bodily resurrection of Jesus
The imminent return of Jesus Christ.

Do all mainline Protestants agree on the bolded portions above?

 

[Philthy]

(1) You’ll have to exclude the Canon of Scripture reference because the Church of Christ only goes by the New Testament (unless the Church of Christ is excluded from the survey).

(2) You’ll have to exclude Sunday is Christian Sabbath reference because the 7th Day Adventists and other Christian groups claim the Catholic Church corrupted the original teaching and therefore worship on Saturday (unless such groups are also excluded from this survey).

Please refer to the OPs list of Protestant communities we are considering. Neither group you mentioned is part of that group.
If you wish to add those groups please feel free to do so.

teflon93:

We could start with the mainline Protestants and work out if that’s more productive.

Lutherans
Anglicans/Episcopalians
Presbyterians
Methodists
Baptists
Pentecostals

Any others that would be considered Protestant mainline churches?

 

[Pixie_Dust]

Do all mainline Protestants agree on the bolded portions above?

Dave Armstrong in Biblical Conversations:

“I challenge you to name even a single major doctrine that all Protestants agree on, which is not already a tenet where Protestants already agree with Catholics and Orthodox.”

 

[Teflon93]

Dave Armstrong in Biblical Conversations:

“I challenge you to name even a single major doctrine that all Protestants agree on, which is not already a tenet where Protestants already agree with Catholics and Orthodox.”

Precisely—we’re trying to get that definitive list to test that hypothesis.

The question could be alternately worded, “What UNIQUELY Protestant doctrines are held in common by all mainline Protestant denominations?”

We’re simply beginning with the second piece.

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

A claim that is not bourne out by history. Most of the causes were political not theological. We have already hammered this out on this thread:

Maybe we like the glasses we are viewing past history from? Luther was politically motivated? There as some who view Savonarola as one of the fathers of the reformation, and I think I read somewhere that there is a statue of him with Luther. Who was the Pope soon before Luther’s reformation? Alexander VI? If some hammered it out as politics, maybe they know something I don’t. Very possible. Though not so sure what happened to Savonarola, and Pope Alexander VI are not red flags to be ignored. After all, isn’t always the other guy’s fault?

Michael

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

You seem to forget, the Church believes in the Scriptures ("et resurréxit tértia die secúndum Scriptúras") and it believes in Faith, and it believes in Good Works, and it believes in Tradition.

This notion that only Protestants believe in the Scriptures is so much bunk. They put more value on Scriptures than Jesus did. Jesus, after He left this earth, sent his Holy Spirit to be with the Church and to defend the deposit of faith given to it from the outset, and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.)

peace

I didn’t forget that at all. Who said only Protestants believe in Scriptures. Seems a bit defensive. Tradition is important, as is Scripture which was handed down by the Catholic Church. Interestingly, when I refer to Scriptures in a conversation I am often asked if I am studying to be a priest. When I refer to Scriptures here, I’ve been accused of being Protestant, or it triggers a regurgitation of some Catholic apologetics publication. Sometimes it seems we as Catholics put more trust in Tradition and tradition, than we do Sacred Scripture. The Tradition and Scripture complement each other, and if there appears to be Tradition of tradition that does not complement Scripture, then that should be discerned. The Catechism teaches ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. That would be something most devote Protestants would agree on and practice, yet something that while officially taught by the Catholic Church, is not practiced by many devote Catholics, at least that’s been my experience at Sunday Mass.

Michael