Why are you a Protestant(over Catholicism)?

[QuietKarlos]

Did you ask the question to correct people who are Protestant or do you really want to know why someone is Protestant?

It’s a forum I am allowed to talk to people about their and my beliefs. I opened the topic to have a discussion and give my opinion as well. I think that’s allowed.

And yes I did want to know why people are Protestant too.

Yea everyone says that… but they’re working on it. It’s just a matter of time befor they unit their differences.

I’m sorry but I’m just telling you that you can’t do this. The Catholic Church will never compromise and the if the Lutheran Church compromised they wouldn’t be much of a church.

I’m just trying to be blunt with you because I think this is a very important issue. Thank you and God Bless.

 

[Tommy999]

Short answer: born that way.

I am a Christian born into a Protestant family, as were our ancestors before us as far back as we can trace our family history (close to 400+ years). I guess you could say it’s a part of our family identity at this stage, as I’m sure being Catholic is for you and many cradle Catholics who can trace their family religious history back even farther.

Note: i realize people can convert and there are several former Protestants on CAF who became Catholics, just as there are former Catholics who converted to Protestant faith traditions on other sites or elsewhere in society.

I have nothing against Catholicism. It’s just not my faith.

 

[OddBird]

Is this not parallel with how Protestantism works: They have faith (everyone who says Lord, Lord) and that faith alone doesn’t lead them to heaven.

I think this is a naive view of Protestantism, at least historical Protestantism. The Reformers had a “know the tree by its fruits” approach of faith - ie, if you claimed to have faith but didn’t have works to witness for it, then your faith probably wasn’t faith at all.

 

[OddBird]

To answer the OP’s question, I’m a Protestant, although I was baptized in the Catholic Church, because the Protestant tradition is basically my first real contact with the Christian faith. The Eucharist and the Church Fathers are drawing me back to the Church.

 

[stoplooklisten]

Q. Why pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary?

A. Answers include:

• Mary was/is the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus wants his Mother to be honored.
• Over the centuries of the Church, many have obtained powerful answers from prayers to Mary.
• Mary is the woman who was prophesied to crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15)
• Mary “treasured these things up in her heart” and was clearly a source for the New Testament writers. Mary was there at the birth of Jesus, there at the first miracle of Jesus at Cana, there at the foot of the cross at the Crucifixion.
• Mary has made multiple appearances over the centuries including those at Lourdes and Fatima. Mary has continued to interact with the Church.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m not a Protestant, but my husband was a Presbyterian.

He stayed Presbyterian and would not convert to Catholic because he had been raised Presbyterian by his parents and grandma, and believed what he was taught and saw no reason to change. His father and especially his grandma, whom he loved as a child (she died when he was maybe 11 or 12), were devout Presbyterians and I think he wanted to follow in their footsteps of belief even though he didn’t like to go to church and almost never went.

He had difficulty believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He believed that when we gathered in church, Jesus was present spiritually, due to the assembly. That’s what “Real Presence” meant to him. Not that Jesus’s actual body and blood were present in the consecrated Host. We went round and round about it a few times.

I also suspect he believed in predestination of the elect, although we didn’t discuss that very much as I thought it was just too silly to even talk about.

I am not sure if he had any issues with Mary and saints. He had grown up around a lot of Italian Catholics and between them and me, he knew that saying anything derogatory about Mary or a saint would set off World War III. He did agree to help me say the Rosary a couple times for his deceased relatives when I needed to pray “in a group” in order to get the indulgence, so he would join in with me in order to make a group. I would pull up the prayers on our phone or laptop for him to read.

 

[Randolph]

Short answer: born that way.

I am a Christian born into a Protestant family, as were our ancestors before us as far back as we can trace our family history (close to 400+ years). I guess you could say it’s a part of our family identity at this stage, as I’m sure being Catholic is for you and many cradle Catholics who can trace their family religious history back even farther.

Note: i realize people can convert and there are several former Protestants on CAF who became Catholics, just as there are former Catholics who converted to Protestant faith traditions on other sites or elsewhere in society.

I have nothing against Catholicism. It’s just not my faith.

I have always been Catholic and will always be Catholic. I am also well-versed and aware of the fundamental differences between Catholicism and Protestantism.I won’t go into them here.

Differences aside… I have had the great privilege to be in close friendships with many evangelical Protestants. I must confess these friends were among the best people I have ever met. Their Christian faith and love for Christ and scriptures are to be admired. The small (Bible) group structure fosters and encourages faith and healthy Christian relationships/friendships.They spread the tenets of scriptures. They care for and love each other. They help and hold each other accountable for their words and deeds…Catholics can certainly learn a lot from their good examples of living out the Christian faith.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s true that “good Protestants” are often better examples of the Christian faith than “bad Catholics”.

 

[Hodos]

So I asked people in the forum why are they Christian and the discussion of Protestantism of course came up.

So why are you Protestant(rather than Catholic)?

For me, it comes down to a few central issues. I agree with the understanding of justification by faith and with the role of works in the process of sanctification that was clarified in the debates of the Reformation. I disagree with some of the doctrinal innovations that crept into the Church over time that led to abusive practices. I also disagree with the understanding of an infallible pope and magisterium that grew out of the medieval period. And I believe that the Lutheran confessions that arose out of the Reformation corrected those issues, and are in harmony with scripture and historic Christianity. Those are probably the major issues in broad strokes for me for why I believe what I believe.

 

[QuietKarlos]

Also can I add:
Luke 1:48:

48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

The only people who have filled this prophecy is Catholics and also the Orthodox.

 

[QuietKarlos]

Differences aside… I have had the great privilege to be in close friendships with many evangelical Protestants. I must confess these friends were among the best people I have ever met. Their Christian faith and love for Christ and scriptures are to be admired. The small (Bible) group structure fosters and encourages faith and healthy Christian relationships/friendships.They spread the tenets of scriptures. They care for and love each other. They help and hold each other accountable for their words and deeds…Catholics can certainly learn a lot from their good examples of living out the Christian faith.

I 100 percent agree, I have a story about this my self:

Before I was Catholic our family was on holiday a couple of years ago down to the south of Ireland. We met a group of protestants on the street. There was one adult and maybe 5 people in their late teens.

My brother (Catholic) and their leader got in a debate and my brother was very annoyed after it happened. My brother kind of lost the debate. The Protestants had a very good knowledge of scripture I must say.

The next day we went to the park and were playing football (soccer) and a couple of the teenagers came up to us. My brother walked away as he was annoyed about the debate that happened the other day.

So they came up to me and played football with me for a couple hours. I must say they are some of the nicest people I have ever met and they were really well humoured. We could learn a lot from them and people like them.

 

[Mishakel]

It’s probably obvious there are too many differences to cover in one post.

The biggest difference to me comes down to salvation. Both sides agree scripture is divine but they come away with vastly different theologies. Salvation is the reason God sent his only Son to die in our place. So if that’s the purpose of Jesus how do we attain salvation? How does a mortal enter into Heaven once this life is over?

We can only obtain salvation through God’s grace. Can anyone here claim they have earned the grace of God? No. This is a fact. There are no amount of good works that can earn the grace of God. Grace is a gift only. We are provided this lesson in Ephesians 2:8.

There are plenty of other theological differences but this is the crux of it. There is no bigger issue than that of salvation and the two sides are drastically different. There will never be reconciliation on this issue. Catholicism claims infallibility and in doing so could never admit to error. I and the historical view of Protestantism believe that only God and his Word can be infallible.

I hope that helps.

 

[QuietKarlos]

We can only obtain salvation through God’s grace. Can anyone here claim they have earned the grace of God? No. This is a fact. There are no amount of good works that can earn the grace of God. Grace is a gift only.

Catholics agree with you here. Would God not be able to give one grace to do good works? Of course. And us doing good works is cooperating with that God given grace. Not doing good works is not cooperating with that grace. So yes, our salvation is by ‘grace alone’ but not ‘faith alone’.

 

[Lenny]

Since there is opposition on key doctrines, they both cannot be ‘right’. Ex. The indisolubility of marriage

 

[Lenny]

Are you aware that Luther, by his own admission, was guided by conversations with the devil?

 

[CelticWarlord]

So why are you Protestant(rather than Catholic)?

People who have read my posts for the past year or more will already know my answer to this but I’ll go ahead and make my contribution.

I love Catholicism. I love attending Mass. I pray the LOTH everyday. I subscribe to the Catholic Register. Of the ten or so forums I take part in, this one gets the great majority of my online attention. In almost all issues over doctrine and teaching I side with the Catholic view. I could go on and on with my pro-Catholic stance but you get the picture. Yet I remain Protestant. Why, you ask? There are just a few teachings I do not agree with. I won’t address specifics as I don’t wish to sidetrack and derail the whole thread here. But in order to formally become Catholic one must state an honest belief in some key issues. Some of these go back to the very strict and controlling cult I was with for 22 years. Since I am not able to say I believe these, being a basically honest person, I cannot become Catholic.

At the same time I do not feel this is in any way impedes my faith journey. The obstacles I referred to are not enormous but are nevertheless there. Among my fellow Protestants I have been able to present a very credible witness toward dismissing a great deal of misinformation about Catholicism. Had I “converted” they would have said I’d just been brainwashed or coerced somehow. By remaining Protestant they have been very willing to listen and take another look at their own beliefs. I genuinely feel I am where I am supposed to be in the great scheme of things and have no plans to pursue a deeper involvement with the Roman Catholic Church. I enjoy my ongoing studies and wish to become even more well versed in Church history, doctrine, and belief. But I am totally comfortable doing so as an observer as opposed to a participant.

Blessings to you.

 

[QuietKarlos]

By remaining Protestant they have been very willing to listen and take another look at their own beliefs.

I never knew us Catholics were sending secret agents out to convert the Protestants haha.

There are just a few teachings I do not agree with.

If I found a doctrine difficult I would think that although it’s difficult to believe I trust the Catholic Church that it was guided by the Holy Spirit in creating it. But at least you are somewhat practicing the Catholic faith which is better than nothing.

Thanks and God Bless, I like hearing people’s opinions so thanks for your reply.

 

[Randolph]

If I found a doctrine difficult I would think that although it’s difficult to believe I trust the Catholic Church that it was guided by the Holy Spirit in creating it. But at least you are somewhat practicing the Catholic faith which is better than nothing.

I am reminded of a quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola: “Though I see white, it is therefore black if the Church deems so.”

I entrust my own self and my own soul in the hands of the Catholic Church—Christ’s faithful bride.

 

[CelticWarlord]

I never knew us Catholics were sending secret agents out to convert the Protestants haha

If that’s the case, Alistair McLean could have written a novel about me. LOL

 

[TULIPed]

So why are you Protestant(rather than Catholic)?

Partially theology and partially culture. The best way I can explain it is with a story (that I’ve told before here, so forgive me all of you that have heard it before.). I have a good Catholic friend who invited me to a Catholic Bible study at his church. I was excited to go. So I went, had a cup of coffee and some great fellowship to start. All the guys there were very welcoming and kind. We sat down to get started and the leader opened with prayer. “Dear Mother…”

Now I know that Catholics don’t worship Mary. I know the scriptural support for intercessory prayer. I understand the differences between worship and veneration. I get it. I do. But after growing up from the cradle as a Reformed Protestant, I literally wanted to run screaming from that Bible study. It’s a cultural divide - but it’s real. (There are more, but this is the best example.) There’s an aspect to being comfortable with a form and style of worship that, while not crucial to the faith, is nonetheless important. (I hear often on this site about “feel-good” Protestant services…you get the idea.)

Oddly the theological differences - while important and real, are less important for me personally. People who love Jesus do the same things whether they’re Catholic or Protestant. We care for the “least of these”. We show up on Sunday. We give sacrificially of our time, talent and treasure. We confess that we are sinners in need of a Savior.

We do these things whether we believe that we cooperate with God, or that He does it all. In short, we find ourselves on the same, narrow hard road following the same man towards the same hill, all with the same cross on our backs.