Why are you Protestant?

[prodigalson12]

I’m not seeing a whole lot of real bashing going on here, I am seeing clarification upon what both sides believe, and in the cases, where the truth coming to the surface ruffles feathers, it’s about the truth, not about pleasing everybody, and the two often cause conflict which is understandable.

So far, I’m not seeing arguments raised in opposition to the truth, the real truth, what I’m seeing is how we are digging deeper into this in order to gain a better understanding of each others perspectives, and I’m learning a few things in the process, in others, it’s the same tired argument. With the leaning towards the reformation, if that is your stance, you must absolutely know what you are reforming from, this requires a better and full understanding of the Catholic church.

I can’t speak for all Catholics, but from my perspective, the Catholic church offers a fullness, kind of like the next stage of evolution to ones faith, that we must have a point of reference to start from, and if it’s within a protestant church, then so be it. The part that always has stuck with me, when I attend these services, I want more, much more, it’s like, we are just getting started, let’s keep going guys, I want a full service, not just part of one, and personally, if I was left to only Sola scripture, to only what is offered at these other services, I would be cutting myself short as to what God has to offer in this area. This in turn is not saying in any way that the denominations have no value, are backwards, or have no basis of spiritual understanding, but it is saying in my world, it’s a start, a good start, but just a start. Now, what I’m hearing and have experienced too often, there are too many that have been bombarded with anti Catholic teachings, this is to say, literature and understandings that are geared entirely towards a bigoted approach, too often the case, with zero foundation of a single grain of truth within them. Take note as an example, the Muslim church is so weak, it cannot stand any form of competition, it is a death sentence to convert to Christianity, yet on our end, protestants and Catholics alike, nothing of the kind is in place, yet often, converting from Protestant to Catholic entails the individual being ostrisized from their community and family? Why are we considered such a threat, honestly, what gives here?

 

[sckcd]

I love to visit protestant services on a regular basis, they all have some aspects I find appealing, yet often, I wonder, how many of the people that attend here are of their particular denomination that defines this one specifically as theirs compared to another. What is it in particular you choose this one and not another, what defines it specifically, how knowledgeable are you about it, compared to another and this being the very reason you stick to just this one?

I was raised Protestant, and have attended several different Protestant churches throughout my life. They were similar in doctrine on the big issues, but they had variances in smaller issues. I have for several years attended a Baptist church and I do love the church. I have stuck with it due to several reasons. I have felt moved by the Holy Spirit there. The congregation is warm and loving. The church as a whole is helpful to the community and reaches out. The theology is biblically sound. The preaching is inspiring. The music/songs moves me to tears. The children’s programs are very educational, biblically. Not all churches had all that. Some may have had unsound doctrine, or blah preaching, or sometimes the people were just not warm and welcoming, or something… when I found my current church I felt very “at home”.

I also wonder, how many of the members have given the Catholic church a second thought, much less, explore what it’s about and truly know what it means to be a Catholic? I know the question if asked of me would produce many reasons for why I choose it over the protestant denominations, I also think, are the same things that were in place during the reformation, the same now? Do they apply to today’s times, and if not, is there a reason to remain outside of it still to this day? I feel there are many that attend, not really putting forth an understanding of the times that existed during the formation of their denomination, and in many cases, they are there only because they have not explored other avenues at all, it seems often, simply saying the word Catholic, all of a sudden, a stream of thought, largely misguided about the church raises several red flags, like it’s this big unapproachable church and is beyond their reach to even bother entertain dialog with people that practice their faith within it.

I’m curious to see the response to it here, and I guess, in my case, I’m not afraid to attend and fellowship with Protestants, at their places of worship, I just don’t see that happening very often at mine and I want to know why as well.

I am currently attending both the Baptist and Catholic churches in my town. My husband is Catholic and we are now sending our children to the Catholic school. I have only been attending both since this summer. My husband hasn’t gone to church in years, but is coming back due to our son being in school there and my interest in it. If it weren’t for him and my son I probably wouldn’t be going to the Catholic church, but I think it’s all been put in place by God to get us to worship as a family. (For the past several years only our son and I have gone to church at the Baptist church, which my husband won’t attend.) It took God opening my mind and heart to the Catholic church to get us at church altogether, which makes me very happy. I am in RCIA and will maybe convert, not sure yet. Regardless of whether or not I do convert, I will attend both churches. To be frank, they compliment one another. Maybe not all Baptist churches (or whatever church) would be able to do that, but mine does. I get the hellfire and brimstone kick in the pants that I need at the Baptist church, not to mention the great worship music, while at the Catholic church I get the traditional Mass that goes back years upon years right back to Peter, and the beautiful quiet reverence of Mass. So honestly, I love both.

The reason, maybe, that you don’t see many Protestants trying the Catholic church is that it is sort of intimidating to a newcomer. Until I made a point to learn what Mass was about and why certain things were said or done, I was very much lost. So to a newcomer, it’s very confusing and feels over your head and you feel very left out. It seemed like it was one of those things that if you weren’t born and raised that way that you couldn’t ever really get it. But I am slowly getting it now!

 

[mpjw2]

I believe in God who is logical and I also want to be logical, so:
the CC cannot be equally good as protestant denomitions,
priesthood cannot be equally good as no priesthood,
bread and wine cannot be equally good as Body and Blood, etc.
Yes, we are right and protestants are wrong. And if you want to be logical you have to believe that somebody is right and somebody else who believes in something different is wrong. And there’s nothing wrong in being logical

I’m glad you are happy But Jesus never said: “blessed be the happy” or “happy ones will inherit the kingdom of God”. Jesus needs those who are obedient. Unfortunatelly you are not abedient, you are separated from the mistical Body of Christ - His Church, you disobey His vicar, you have no Eucharist, no confession and absolution. It means you are lukewarm. Sorry brother, but it’s not what Jesus wants.

and this is why I am not catholic.I would never say this about another brother/sister in Christ

no confession??

I confess to Jesus, you mean to tell me if you and I committed the same sin and confessed it to God, He may not forgive me because I am a non catholic christian?

by the way I attend a AOG non denominational church

thank you and God bless

 

[benedictus2]

With the leaning towards the reformation, if that is your stance, you must absolutely know what you are reforming from, this requires a better and full understanding of the Catholic church.

And on this rests the whole crux of the matter. Luther was correct in his appraisal of the Church in his day. There certainly was corruption. But what needed changing was behaviour and practice not doctrine. The problem is, what he changed was the latter.

And as soon as private interpretation came into play (questioning the authority) of the Church, then this certainly paved the way for the ongoing splintering of the protestant denominations.

This is where he failed to see Christ’s intent. This is why Christ did not write anything. What He did was establish a church. If Scripture is to hold primacy, then what Christ would have done was to write and establish the canon himself. But this He did not do.

 

[benedictus2]

I am currently attending both the Baptist and Catholic churches in my town. My husband is Catholic and we are now sending our children to the Catholic school. I have only been attending both since this summer. My husband hasn’t gone to church in years, but is coming back due to our son being in school there and my interest in it. If it weren’t for him and my son I probably wouldn’t be going to the Catholic church, but I think it’s all been put in place by God to get us to worship as a family. (For the past several years only our son and I have gone to church at the Baptist church, which my husband won’t attend.) It took God opening my mind and heart to the Catholic church to get us at church altogether, which makes me very happy. I am in RCIA and will maybe convert, not sure yet. Regardless of whether or not I do convert, I will attend both churches. To be frank, they compliment one another. Maybe not all Baptist churches (or whatever church) would be able to do that, but mine does. I get the hellfire and brimstone kick in the pants that I need at the Baptist church, not to mention the great worship music, while at the Catholic church I get the traditional Mass that goes back years upon years right back to Peter, and the beautiful quiet reverence of Mass. So honestly, I love both.

The reason, maybe, that you don’t see many Protestants trying the Catholic church is that it is sort of intimidating to a newcomer. Until I made a point to learn what Mass was about and why certain things were said or done, I was very much lost. So to a newcomer, it’s very confusing and feels over your head and you feel very left out. It seemed like it was one of those things that if you weren’t born and raised that way that you couldn’t ever really get it. But I am slowly getting it now!

If you can, get the book Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. I think this is a must for those contemplating to convert. Very, very good read.

Also, the Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn.

 

[mpjw2]

sckcd…

thankyou for sharing your story.

as a baptist I am sure you receive communion as a spiritual remembrance of our Lord’s sacrifice

In Catholic church, catholics believe the bread and wine are miraculously changed during mass to the body and blood of Jesus.

Another reason I am not catholic is I do not believe it.

So as you are offered communion in a catholic mass, the priest says to you “this is my body”

before taking the host tell the priest you are a born again christian

What do you believe he will do?

 

[sckcd]

If you can, get the book Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. I think this is a must for those contemplating to convert. Very, very good read.

Also, the Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn.

Thanks! I will get those. There is another I have heard about, “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” I think is the title. And I also would like to get, “Catholicism for Dummies”, lol, even though the title sounds silly.

 

[4EverHis]

I think it is a violation of the second commandment to use images in worship, and to have any images at all representing God, because God is a jealous God. So with crucifixes all over and paintings of Christ, and all of that, I was a little bit in shock.

Hi Dietz, we don’t worship the images but also, what do you think of all the times in the Old Testament where God commanded the Israelites to make images?? like the serpent in the desert, and the images of the angels, etc… why is that not wrong but the Catholic images are wrong in your opinion? just wondering… God bless

 

[sckcd]

sckcd…

thankyou for sharing your story.

as a baptist I am sure you receive communion as a spiritual remembrance of our Lord’s sacrifice

In Catholic church, catholics believe the bread and wine are miraculously changed during mass to the body and blood of Jesus.

Another reason I am not catholic is I do not believe it.

So as you are offered communion in a catholic mass, the priest says to you “this is my body”

before taking the host tell the priest you are a born again christian

What do you believe he will do?

I know I cannot receive communion there, and that’s ok. Not all churches have open communion. And my priest knows I am a Christian, but the communion thing isn’t his rule.

And my whole life taking communion, I have always considered the communion to be body and blood, not juice and a cracker. Believing it is truly body and blood is just as unbelievable as your sins washing away with water, but I believe *that *with my heart and mind, so why not the other?

The thing is, I have stepped back and opened my eyes. We worship the same God. Jesus died for us all. We will go to the same Heaven (or hell). The ways some of us worship are different, indeed. But (and this will get me into trouble with people on both sides!), I don’t think one way is necessarily better than another. I can love God and worship and pray in the CC or the BC. And the bible is taught there, too. The worship style is very very different, but that’s it. Once you learn what is what, it makes sense. But that’s just my take. I guess to each their own.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

by the way I attend a AOG non denominational church

Sorry I got a laugh out of this comment. You attend an Assembly of God (denomination) non-denomination church… so you are a member of a non-denomination denomination

God bless

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

before taking the host tell the priest you are a born again christian

What do you believe he will do?

I am a born again Christian… What do you say?

God bless

 

[kristanl]

Thanks! I will get those. There is another I have heard about, “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” I think is the title. And I also would like to get, “Catholicism for Dummies”, lol, even though the title sounds silly.

You also should get “Reasons for Believing” by Scott Hahn. I would say all three of those Scott Hahn books will keep you busy for awhile!! Yes, I think the Karl Keating book will be good for you!!

 

[NotTooSmart]

You do not believe in Catholic/Orthodox theology? But then based on what I have seen in your posts in the other threads, you know practically ZILCH about Catholic theology. The more appropriate phrasing for your position “I do not know Catholic/Orthodox theology so I don’t follow it”.

But if you stick around long enough (and keep your mind and your heart open) then you will learn more about Catholic theology.

The Muslims / Hindus / Buddhists are presumably all happy in their particular "churches’ as well but it does not mean that they are in the true of God.

Only to an extent. You and them get only so close to Jesus then no more unless you accept the entire, the whole Gospel of Jesus. You have to accept eveything Jesus said even the ones that might not make you “happy” because they are hard teachings.

Christianity is not a feel good religion. To go for that sort one always has the new age sort.

Another big reason why I am not Catholic is:
(4) Catholics believe that they are superior to every other Christian as evidenced by this post and other posts. The more the claims of superiority, the greater the burden of proof.
(5) When I examine the Catholic church, I do not see a superior church.
(6) On these forums I see a lot of self-righteousness, arrogance, judgementalism, and just plain rudeness. I do not see the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ.
(7) I do not even see contrition and sorrow for these attitudes. Instead I see self-justification and defensiveness.
(8) I do not want to be a Christian of the type that I see on these forums.

 

[Hisalone]

I am Protestant by birth…I am a “convinced” Quaker by choice.

The message of Friends is that God is a Present Reality. There is “that of God”, “Light Within”, “The Seed of God” within each of us. This Light guides each man or woman to faith if answered and followed.

I am a Friend because of their vision of new life in Christ. His life and work freed us from the “works of the Law”, he opened the Way for us to experience direct access to God as a Living Reality in our lives, without the requirements of rites and rituals performed for us by another. Each of us is priest and share in the Priesthood of Christ. No religious rite or ritual in and of itself bestows “grace”…grace is a gift from God to all. There is no “washing” or “sacred meal” or “special anointings” performed by another on our behalf. We need no priest, minister, book, ritual, rites or recitings to have access to the Life of Christ in our lives. Each of us can know the Truth experientially. It needs not be mediated for us by another man or woman for us or in our stead. No one stands “in the place of Christ” for us, we have access to God ourselves.

I have explored other faith traditions, but found them lacking…each other tradition told me I needed to perform some ritual or have it performed for me by another acting on God’s behalf…why have a representative of God when God Himself is available?

This is why I am a Friend.

nice

 

[benedictus2]

sckcd…

thankyou for sharing your story.

as a baptist I am sure you receive communion as a spiritual remembrance of our Lord’s sacrifice

In Catholic church, catholics believe the bread and wine are miraculously changed during mass to the body and blood of Jesus.

Because it is. IF you are truly a Bible Christian then you would believe the Bible. The belief that it is INDEED the Body and Blood of Christ is in the Bible. As a matter of fact, it is Christ who said so. But then of course, you only pick those words of Christ that suit you.

Another reason I am not catholic is I do not believe it.

And that you do not beliefve it has no bearing on its truth or falsity.

So as you are offered communion in a catholic mass, the priest says to you “this is my body”

Much you know about Cathoicism. At communion the words are " The Body of Christ".

before taking the host tell the priest you are a born again christian

He is not allowed to take the host if he is not Catholic.

BTW, "born again’ is a recent evangelical construct that started only the in the 1960s.

Jesus never said we must be “born again”.

 

[benedictus2]

Another big reason why I am not Catholic is:
(4) Catholics believe that they are superior to every other Christian as evidenced by this post and other posts. The more the claims of superiority, the greater the burden of proof.

A failure to read once again. Show where in this post I claim superiority.

"You do not believe in Catholic/Orthodox theology? But then based on what I have seen in your posts in the other threads, you know practically ZILCH about Catholic theology. The more appropriate phrasing for your position “I do not know Catholic/Orthodox theology so I don’t follow it”.*

But if you stick around long enough (and keep your mind and your heart open) then you will learn more about Catholic theology.

The Muslims / Hindus / Buddhists are presumably all happy in their particular "churches’ as well but it does not mean that they are in the true of God.

Only to an extent. You and them get only so close to Jesus then no more unless you accept the entire, the whole Gospel of Jesus. You have to accept eveything Jesus said even the ones that might not make you “happy” because they are hard teachings.

Christianity is not a feel good religion. To go for that sort one always has the new age sort."*

(5) When I examine the Catholic church, I do not see a superior church.

You have not examined the Catholic Church so please don’t fib. If you have, then you would know what we believe. But you know zilch about what we believe so, no you have not examined the Catholic Church.
(6) On these forums I see a lot of self-righteousness, arrogance, judgementalism, and just plain rudeness. I do not see the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ.
I do not see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in 33,000 splintered sects.
The Holy Spirit Unites. The Devil Divides.

(7) I do not even see contrition and sorrow for these attitudes. Instead I see self-justification and defensiveness.

I do not see any attempt to understand what we have written. I see only fear to face.

(8) I do not want to be a Christian of the type that I see on these forums.

Hmmm, there is Christian called NottoSmart in this forum. You are right not to want to be this type of Christian.

 

[benedictus2]

I’m not just a Protestant of any kind. I’m of the church who has kept sacred the 7 Sacrements which date all the way back to the Apostles and who was the church who attempted to keep all of what was good, wholesome and proper in tradition while screening out what was not useful, excessive and not appropriate for Christian worship.

Hmmm as far as I know the Anglican church broke from the Catholic Church because Henry VIII wanted a divorce (an Anglican friend of mine, yes, Anglican, said that his Chruch started because the Kind wanted to commit a sin).

You may have kept all 7 sacraments but it is also at the Lambeth conference in 1930 where contraception was first allowed and every other denomination followed there after EXCEPT the Catholic Church which held on to the truth whch all Christian Churches have have held for 2000 years.

And this is the beginning of the end… now you have women priests and bishopes, actively homosexual priests and bishops.

I would not be surprised if down the track they started officiating at gay marriages.

I hear a comment that when Rowan Williams was asked why he allowed the ordination of actively gay priests, he responded " We voted fof this on 1930".

 

[NotTooSmart]

A failure to read once again. Show where in this post I claim superiority.

"You do not believe in Catholic/Orthodox theology? But then based on what I have seen in your posts in the other threads, you know practically ZILCH about Catholic theology. The more appropriate phrasing for your position “I do not know Catholic/Orthodox theology so I don’t follow it”.*

But if you stick around long enough (and keep your mind and your heart open) then you will learn more about Catholic theology.

The Muslims / Hindus / Buddhists are presumably all happy in their particular "churches’ as well but it does not mean that they are in the true of God.

Only to an extent. You and them get only so close to Jesus then no more unless you accept the entire, the whole Gospel of Jesus. You have to accept eveything Jesus said even the ones that might not make you “happy” because they are hard teachings.

Christianity is not a feel good religion. To go for that sort one always has the new age sort."*

You have not examined the Catholic Church so please don’t fib. If you have, then you would know what we believe. But you know zilch about what we believe so, no you have not examined the Catholic Church.

I do not see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in 33,000 splintered sects.
The Holy Spirit Unites. The Devil Divides.

I do not see any attempt to understand what we have written. I see only fear to face.

Hmmm, there is Christian called NottoSmart in this forum. You are right not to want to be this type of Christian.

Exhibit A of what I am talking about.

 

[benedictus2]

Exhibit A of what I am talking about.

Exhibit Z of what I was trying to get at in my first item

 

[mpjw2]

I am a born again Christian… What do you say?

God bless

as benedictus said in 75, anyone who is not catholic (i.e. born again) in not allowed to take the host.

this statement comfirms why the priest at my wedding refused to serve communion to a born again christian in the wedding party.