Why do Baptists say Catholics are not Christians?

[pnewton]

Just curious where you attended seminary. My brother and another friend went to seminary in Louisville.

SET branch of Southwestern. It operated out of Houston Baptist University where I graduated.

 

[KathleenGee]

Brandall,

I appreciate reading your post. I know a wonderful Baptist lady, both very upright and very flexible who was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ by a Catholic priest, and always inserts that truth when meeting those who question our faith.

I was reflecting on a past comment – sorry – it goes back some pages – where a particular Baptist branch was stating that most Catholics it had witnessed were not professing Christians, but yes, there are some Catholics who are authentic Christians.

I would only add to that we are always taught not to judge other people, and really, that branch should not do that, because they are then acquiesing that they can judge the inner workings of one’s heart. Only God can do that.

And I wonder where this branch was located, and if it was in a place where there weren’t too many Catholics to begin with.

I do appreciate your comments and the fact that you seldom heard anything being taught against our faith. My mother and I were invited to a Baptist church by a neighor in the 1950’s when I was about 9 years old, and this man in a business suit got up and started renouncing our faith and saying we were of the devil, and I was so thankful for my Church and never went back there again as it frightened me very much and was not Christ centered assembly. I cannot help but believe now this was a minority community.

 

[Brandall]

Brandall,

I would only add to that we are always taught not to judge other people, and really, that branch should not do that, because they are then acquiesing that they can judge the inner workings of one’s heart. Only God can do that.

I love you man…
but that paragraph just strikes me as funny.

 

[speakttruth]

I’m not sure where people get their information. I grew up in a Baptist Church and have attended many of them. About the only time I heard the Catholic Church mentioned at chruch was during basketball season when our team played theirs. (We always won!)

Away from church, the only negatives I ever remember hearing was that Catholics were idolaters. I figured out in my teens, by myself, by going to church with Catholic friends that those that thought Catholics anything other than Christian, were mistaken. In every mass I ever attended, the salvation through Christ was all that was ever preached.

Now I realize that you can go on the internet and find nutjobs that spend their time denigrating the Catholic Church. Until I started investigating the Catholic Church for my own personal reasons, I had never heard the church described as “The Whore of Babylon”. My google queries would be along the line of “what is wrong with the Catholic Church”, etc. It seemed necessary to me to investigate why others thought it wrong. Along with the nutjobs spouting about the “Whore of Babylon”, there was a lot of the usual misunderstanding of idolatry and that Catholics misunderstood that all that was needed was faith.

In some of my searches, you can find a lot of Catholics that think the Catholic Church is on the wrong track and frankly, their discourses rank very high on the nutjob scale too.

As for the “Whore of Babylon” claim, I’ve spent a lot of time reading these forums in the last year or so. I’ve seen the phrase here more than anywhere else.

Now I’ve got to try and pull all these points together and make some sense, Might be daunting! By and large, all the Baptists I’ve ever known, have spent little to no time at all talking about Catholics. The attitudes and vitriol you might see on an anti Catholic web site or youtube video is not parroted by the average Baptist. There might be some with misconceptions but it is an honest mistake and they don’t spend anytime agonizing about it.

I recently spoke to the newest auxiliary Bishop for our Archdiocese. He is the first Bishop ever to have been born in the state of Georgia and was raised in the Baptist church and converted during college. He told me to not make the same mistake that he made when he converted. He felt he needed to distance himself from the Baptist church as much as he could. He said that was a mistake and he has since become very proud of his Baptist roots. He said the Baptists were a very God loving and very Jesus loving people and he was proud his religious upbringing started there.

No one’s perfect and there are those that are horrible in every collection of people and the Baptists have their share of those. For the most part, the average “man on the street” Baptist, is just trying to live his life as a good Christian and isn’t in the least bit concerned with what is happening at the Catholic church.

 

[usurercatholic]

Yes, very sure! :thumbsup:The following men all belonged to the Catholic Church to which I presently belong, long before Constantine lived. Why would you say: Constantine made the Catholic religion of the Holy Roman Empire? Also, Catholicism is not a different religion than Protestantism. It all falls under the umbrella of Christendom.

Ignatius of Antioch

Follow your bishop, every one of you, as obediently as Jesus Christ followed the Father. Obey your clergy too as you would the apostles; give your deacons the same reverence that you would to a command of God. Make sure that no step affecting the Church is ever taken by anyone without the bishop’s sanction. The sole Eucharist you should consider valid is one that is celebrated by the bishop himself, or by some person authorized by him. Where the bishop is to be seen, there let all his people be; just as, wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 A.D. 110]).

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

When finally he concluded his prayer, after remembering all who had at any time come his way – small folk and great folk, distinguished and undistinguished, and the whole Catholic Church throughout the world – the time for departure came. So they placed him on an ***, and brought him into the city on a great Sabbath (The Martyrdom of Polycarp 8 A.D. 110]).

Irenaeus

The Catholic Church possesses one and the same faith throughout the whole world, as we have already said (Against Heresies 1:10 A.D. 189]).

Tertullian

Where was Marcion then, that shipmaster of Pontus, the zealous student of Stoicism? Where was Valentinus then, the disciple of Platonism? For it is evident that those men lived not so long ago – in the reign of Antoninus for the most part – and that they at first were believers in the doctrine of the Catholic Church, in the church of Rome…

Peter speaks there, on whom the Church was to be built, teaching and showing in the name of the Church, that although a rebellious and arrogant multitude of those who will not hear or obey may depart, yet the Church does not depart from Christ; and they are the Church who are a people united to the priest, and the flock which adheres to its pastor…while the Church which is Catholic and one, is not cut nor divided, but is indeed connected and bound together by the cement of priests who cohere with one another (Letters 66 A.D. 253]).

thank yopu for providing more evidence-- that the early church members were killed because they wouldn’t worship or recant their belief–

because every thing changed after Constantine – it was the beginning of the one world religion-- based on pagan principles of religious management–
and every one has to obey the religious management team where all power and grace flow from-- but Jesus said his church grace was not like that-- from the least to the greatest–
the function of the roman catholic religion under Constantine was to control people.

grace only comes thru it’s management team

but i like – the 7 sacrements instituted by the constantine religious team-- they can make you feel “warm and fuzzy”

 

[joe370]

thank yopu for providing more evidence-- that the early church members were killed because they wouldn’t worship or recant their belief–

because every thing changed after Constantine – it was the beginning of the one world religion-- based on pagan principles of religious management–
and every one has to obey the religious management team where all power and grace flow from-- but Jesus said his church grace was not like that-- from the least to the greatest–
the function of the roman catholic religion under Constantine was to control people.

grace only comes thru it’s management team

but i like – the 7 sacrements instituted by the constantine religious team-- they can make you feel “warm and fuzzy”

I have no idea what you are talking about. You sound like my sister…No comment…There would be no point.

 

[speakttruth]

SEVERAL Points seem prudent here:

So long as the Commandment of Charity is adhered too [John 13:34] and one is serving God; it is a very good thing; that catholics ought to appreciate.

The Protestant ban on all Alcohol not biblically grounded. Christ drank wine; the Most holy Eucharist is infected from Transubstanuated bread and wine.

Like Gluttony; it is the OVER consumptions that is sinful.

Matthew 15:11 “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man”

TRUTH: Like God Himslef are singular

Christ abides ONLY One set of Faith beliefs that He did not wait over 1,000 years to make known

And in both the OT and the NT; God choose only One church; that one which he personally founded. Amen

Let us Pray that the Holy Spirit grant true Wisdom and courage so that God’s desire for a single church and faith can be reality.

Just noting this that the first miracle Jesus performed was changing water in to wine and it was said that the wine he changed was that like the first wine drank which was the better or more expensive wine and after you have had a few glasses then bring out the cheap wine because being merry you wouldn’t notice the difference. this is what he did. If he thought it was wrong to drink he wouldn’t have done this and his mother would have not asked. This was not about being a drunkard. It was at a wedding, a party. There is a big difference between being an alcoholic that is irresponsible to there family and drunk all the time, than having some wine at dinner or a special occasion. I don’t know what Bible the Protestants are reading, but Jesus must have drank wine with all his dinners like a lot of Europe does, because he would talk about the old wine skins verses the new ones. Obviously at the last supper he had wine and didn’t have it changed at that moment because he was still with us. They didn’t make grape juice back then either, they did not have a way to pasteurize grapes it was all wineas it fermented. Like anything as you said prudence is the key.
Just adding my two cents.

 

[KathleenGee]

I see it most presumptuous for a denomination to get up and state that most Catholics are not living the Christian witness. Who are they to judge and assume that they are???

That was the point. Only God can judge the soul, not man.

 

[october_baby]

This has been interesting and informative! God bless you and thank you.

 

[Elizabeth779]

They don’t think they we are Christians because they don’t know better, and they are stuck in their mode of thinking and do not even consider to look for the answer. They read books written by others who also do not know what the Catholic Church teaches. When they really want to learn what the Church teaches, they will learn if/when they obtain a Catholic Bible, Catholic Catechism, and other books that explain the Church’s beliefs. At tiems though it has a cost though, loss of friends, and maybe even family members.

And some of they do not seek, because they don’t want to know the answer, and they don’t want to be faced with needing to make a change to follow Christ to and in His Church.

 

[Phil_Marinus]

Just noting this that the first miracle Jesus performed was changing water in to wine and it was said that the wine he changed was that like the first wine drank which was the better or more expensive wine and after you have had a few glasses then bring out the cheap wine because being merry you wouldn’t notice the difference. this is what he did. If he thought it was wrong to drink he wouldn’t have done this and his mother would have not asked. This was not about being a drunkard. It was at a wedding, a party. There is a big difference between being an alcoholic that is irresponsible to there family and drunk all the time, than having some wine at dinner or a special occasion. I don’t know what Bible the Protestants are reading, but Jesus must have drank wine with all his dinners like a lot of Europe does, because he would talk about the old wine skins verses the new ones. Obviously at the last supper he had wine and didn’t have it changed at that moment because he was still with us. They didn’t make grape juice back then either, they did not have a way to pasteurize grapes it was all wineas it fermented. Like anything as you said prudence is the key.
Just adding my two cents.

You made excellent comments here as always Speaktruth.

 

[mlz]

I became Catholic a little over a year ago having been very involved with many evangelical churches( including Baptist) having fellowships with these many circles I know the views of many toward Catholics but two days ago I got my first taste of anti- Catholic views expressed to me. Just finding out I became Catholic I was " warned to be careful with priests and that there are dangers" — I practically laughed out loud ( but didn’t) so I asked them what " dangers"?!! He told me that there is only one mediator God and it isn’t a priest and that priests don’t want people to read the bible!!! I gave a short apologetic answer but he I could tell did not want to discuss more . It was so strange to see this not realizing how predjudiced some are toward the Catholic Church( being Protestant I never was like this) I am absolutely blessed beyond measure becoming Catholic ! We must pray for those who simply don’t understand
mlz

 

[mayogirl25]

Also you have to remember that for an awful lot of your more conservative evangelical protestants (not just Baptists), salvation is dependent upon having a certain emotional experience (inward conviction of one’s sinfulness) and praying a certain prayer (“the sinner’s prayer”).

Since Roman Catholics do not condition salvation upon these things, but instead upon different things, these conservative evangelical protestants believe that Roman Catholics are not “saved” and therefore are not real Christians.

I think you have hit the nail on the head in that evangelical protestants do not believe RC’s to be “saved” and that is it in a nutshell. A totally different mindset to mainstream thinking. So sad when RC’s are really the main ones following Christ and the protestants just having an off shoot type of stuff to follow. I am praying they will come back to the real thing.