Why be Protestant? I would like to know

[The_Iambic_Pen]

Well, I guess you could say one reason I have trouble moving from Protestantism to Catholicism is that I know many more Protestants who love God and try to do what is right than Catholics. Unfortunately, most of the Catholics I know (in real life, not on this forum) live just like any atheist. I’m not saying I don’t know Protestants who are the same way, but based on my experience, there seems to be a higher percentage of “nominal” Catholics than “nominal” Evangelical Protestants. So, I guess my problem is not with official Catholic doctrine, but with the actual beliefs and behavior of American Catholics. Anyway, I’m sure as I meet more Catholics, my opinion will change, but this is where I stand now. I should say, also, that the committed Catholics I do know are very good examples of what a Christian should be.

God Bless!

 

[Orionthehunter]

The Iambic Pen:

Well, I guess you could say one reason I have trouble moving from Protestantism to Catholicism is that I know many more Protestants who love God and try to do what is right than Catholics. Unfortunately, most of the Catholics I know (in real life, not on this forum) live just like any atheist. I’m not saying I don’t know Protestants who are the same way, but based on my experience, there seems to be a higher percentage of “nominal” Catholics than “nominal” Evangelical Protestants.

God Bless!

I understand why this would affect you. Too often people don’t realize what they do affects the witness effect they have on others. I too lament how many of our Catholic brethren live marginal Catholic lives. But this may actually be a sign of strength in the Catholic Church. I once saw a poll once that showed that people raised Catholic practice to some degree their faith as adults than the other Christian faiths. I don’t know why this is true but I attribute it to stronger culture/family pressure and the Graces that we receive from the universal prayers from the faithful every Mass around the world for those whose faith is in crisis. And, if you were to ever talk to older Catholics who are now devout, you will often get stories of how they strayed when they were younger (sometimes to other religions and sometimes by marginally practicing their faith).

My point is that the Catholic Church teaches and stresses that our time on earth is a faith journey with peaks and valleys. It requires diligence on the part of each individual and the Church as a whole. I would rather have marginal Catholics constantly exposed to the Graces that come from the Church rather than people who leave Christianity completely as it allows for the redeeming Grace of Christ to one day bring them home.

Also, the Catholic Faith is not one of emotional hugging, songs, and fire and brimstone sermons. Sometimes I know this lack of overt emotion is percieved as a lack of “love for God” or somehow muted. But like so many things, the impression that appears obvious is sometimes not the Truth.

Pen, we are called to pursue the Truth and if you hear the Holy Spirit calling you to the faith, I suggest you do one or all of the following:

1. contact a local Priest and tell him that you “have questions”, and possibly even sign up for the Rite of Chrisitian Initiation of Adults to learn more about the Faith and Church Teachings,
2. participate in some seasonal communal devotions like the Stations of the Cross during Lent or Rosary during May or reading and Praying the Magnificat daily for a month,
3. and most importanly attend Mass for a year (don’t miss once for a year).

I’m very confident you will find people of great faith and love of Jesus Christ beyond your greatest expectations.

PS: Just because you attend RCIA, you will recieve no pressure to actually convert during the Easter Vigil. My cousin’s wife took the class three times in a row before she finally converted. My sister’s husband did it three times over 10-12 years before he finally did it. Not once did they ever feel pressure. In fact, Jeff later told us that he now wishes someone (the Priest, his Sponsor, his wife, or even me) had put some pressure on him, he’d have done it earlier and he’d have gotten the Graces of the sacraments earlier. But my sister says that isn’t how it works. We want everyone to accept the call freely and out of love of Jesus and not pressure from loved ones. God Bless. My prayer is with you.

 

[kaycee]

Orionthehunter:

I understand why this would affect you. Too often people don’t realize what they do affects the witness effect they have on others. I too lament how many of our Catholic brethren live marginal Catholic lives. But this may actually be a sign of strength in the Catholic Church.

 Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Php 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

1Th 5:16 - Rejoice always;

1Pe 1:8 - and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

1Jo 3:14 - We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.

 

[Orionthehunter]

Kaycee, I probably should have provided more detail about this quote in my prevous post- “I too lament how many of our Catholic brethren live marginal Catholic lives. But this may actually be a sign of strength in the Catholic Church.”

Not only is my experience where in my college and immediate post-college years did I no live a life worthy of a Catholic Christian but still went to Mass until the Graces consumed me to dedicate my life to be a better Christian but I know so many others. Maybe the best story I can tell is the one of my own Pastor.

Shortly after he came to our Parish he told how after college he lived a life that he called “fallen”, he still attended Mass. After about 10 years of living this life, he began to here is calling to the Priesthood. He is now one of the most pastoral, spiritual man I’ve ever met. It is a strenght that the “habit” of attending Mass and “trying even if it is just a little” can lead to great fruits when finally the power of the Holy Spirit become too strong to ignore.

 

[Church_Militant]

The Iambic Pen:

Well, I guess you could say one reason I have trouble moving from Protestantism to Catholicism is that I know many more Protestants who love God and try to do what is right than Catholics. Unfortunately, most of the Catholics I know (in real life, not on this forum) live just like any atheist. I’m not saying I don’t know Protestants who are the same way, but based on my experience, there seems to be a higher percentage of “nominal” Catholics than “nominal” Evangelical Protestants. So, I guess my problem is not with official Catholic doctrine, but with the actual beliefs and behavior of American Catholics. Anyway, I’m sure as I meet more Catholics, my opinion will change, but this is where I stand now. I should say, also, that the committed Catholics I do know are very good examples of what a Christian should be.

God Bless!

The only qualifier I might suggest is that you most likely have not been much exposed to Catholics who actually practice their faith by participating at Mass and the Sacraments as they should.

In my experience the numbers are about the same. There are those in both groups who talk it but fail to walk it. Yet in the end I feel that the judgement falls to me to insure that I set the best possible example and do my best to inspire others to follow Our Lord.
Pax tecum,

 

[The_Iambic_Pen]

orionthehunter:

Pen, we are called to pursue the Truth and if you hear the Holy Spirit calling you to the faith, I suggest you do one or all of the following:

1. contact a local Priest and tell him that you “have questions”, and possibly even sign up for the Rite of Chrisitian Initiation of Adults to learn more about the Faith and Church Teachings,
2. participate in some seasonal communal devotions like the Stations of the Cross during Lent or Rosary during May or reading and Praying the Magnificat daily for a month,
3. and most importanly attend Mass for a year (don’t miss once for a year).

As some of you may already know, I’m in an unidentified Middle Eastern country right now (which I’m sure you can all guess anyway… )with the military, so I’m not around a regular Catholic church. However, mission permitting, I am planning to go to Mass this Sunday with one of my Catholic friends in my Company. I’m not sure how it will compare to a Mass in a regular church, but I’m sure it will give me some idea of what a Mass is like. I imagine we probably don’t have RCIA over here, but I am definitely interested in starting it when I get back to the U.S.

God Bless. My prayer is with you.

Thank you!

Church Militant:

The only qualifier I might suggest is that you most likely have not been much exposed to Catholics who actually practice their faith by participating at Mass and the Sacraments as they should.

That is certainly true. I guess I really only know three people who are Catholics who really show a strong Christian faith (one of whom is a friend of mine from college who I am corresponding with about my search). As you can see, my exposure to actual Catholics has been very limited. So, I will readily admit that my impression of Catholicism (as practiced in the U.S.) isn’t quite based on reliable information.

Of course, as most people I encounter in the Army claim to be some kind of Christian (usually Protestant) without any obvious signs of it in the way they live their lives, it would not be fair for me to judge Catholics by a different standard. After all, I’m not going to have a negative view of the Lutheran Church just because a supposed Lutheran doesn’t do what the church even teaches. The U.S. is full of nominal Christians of all denominations.

God Bless!

 

[Sherlock]

[That is certainly true. I guess I really only know three people who are Catholics who really show a strong Christian faith (one of whom is a friend of mine from college who I am corresponding with about my search). As you can see, my exposure to actual Catholics has been very limited. So, I will readily admit that my impression of Catholicism (as practiced in the U.S.) isn’t quite based on reliable information.

Of course, as most people I encounter in the Army claim to be some kind of Christian (usually Protestant) without any obvious signs of it in the way they live their lives, it would not be fair for me to judge Catholics by a different standard. After all, I’m not going to have a negative view of the Lutheran Church just because a supposed Lutheran doesn’t do what the church even teaches. The U.S. is full of nominal Christians of all denominations."
God Bless!

Hello Iambic pen (and thank you for your service to our country),

One item to remember is that, as you have noted, “The U.S. is full of nominal Christians of all denominations”. Catholics (and by this I’m lumping together observant and non-observant) make up about 25% of the country’s population. Since the vast majority of the population identifies itself as Christian, that means that the vast majority of people in this country are Protestants of varying stripes. So, when you say that you haven’t met many fervent Catholics, keep in mind that you’re dealing with a minority population to begin with.

One’s own experience is very subjective—for example, most of my friends in the past have been Protestants of varying kinds (mostly evangelical). I’m afraid that only one (a Lutheran) is at all serious about her faith. The rest of my friends are as disinterested and lukewarm in their faith as they can be—“practical atheists”, essentially. What I have found, over the last few years, is that as I’ve grown more fervent, my new friends are (not surprisingly) also fervent. Since I am involved in my church, this means that the new friendships I have formed have been largely with similarly fervent Catholics—and it’s been a marvelous experience. I have enjoyed, with my Catholic friends, more well-rounded, meaningful conversations because I don’t have to avoid the “R” word (religion), which my lukewarm Protestant friends don’t want to discuss and don’t want to hear. So, my point is: if I were to judge a religion solely based on the zeal of its participants, I would dismiss Protestantism, especially the evangelical kind. But my personal experience is not a reliable guide. Therefore, I am not a Protestant (though I was one for awhile), because I find the theology flawed. I believe Catholicism to be true—and that is the reason why I am a Catholic now, not my positive experiences with Catholics.
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[b_justb]

Because Protestants have better pot luck dinners?

 

[Church_Militant]

b_justb:

Because Protestants have better pot luck dinners?

Not compared to my parish!

 

[Shlemele]

One word, Zwebach!

It’s a traditional mennonite bread and I could live on the stuff!

 

[Contarini]

Libero:

I never thought that Baptists were like that, In England they are like the happy clappers, with lots of music in church, plenty os stage plays of bible stories and a large involvement of the lay community. You also would not be able to tell if you saw the minister.

However I read a book by John Grisham and I got the impression that things were much the other way around in America.

Depends on what Baptists you’re talking about. Some are the way you describe British Baptists (and I’m pretty sure that not all British Baptists are like that). This is simply the trend among evangelicals generally. As a rule, in the U.S., the churches with the strongest sense of their denominational identity resist these trends most strongly. That goes for many Baptists. Many conservative rural Baptists in the South regard the “happy clapper” style with disdain and hold to a more traditional 19th-century revivalist style (not too unlike the old-fashioned British nonconformist “hymn sandwich”). It really depends.

Libero:

I also seemed to think that the Baptist and Methodist church dominated South America, not the continent, but the south of USA, with a very low catholic presence. Is this right or merely a misconception?

It’s basically right. Some areas of the South, like Louisiana and anywhere with a strong Hispanic presence, do have a lot of Catholics. And due to immigration both from the Latin American countries and from the northern U.S., the number of Catholics in the South is growing very fast. But basically you’re right. There are also a lot of Pentecostals in the South, and a good few Presbyterians, and a number of other Southern traditions. But it’s fair to say that on the whole Baptists and Methodists are the two most typical groups traditionally.

Edwin