Why do Protestants say Catholicism leads to hell?

[Cat]

wise word ?? human wisdom!!

4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Cor 2:4-5

I noticed you didn’t give any biblical evidence for what you believe.

As for the OP’s question, well isn’t it sin that separates mankind from God. Doesn’t the Bible teach that the wages of sin is death, which is eternal separation from God in hell.
*
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23*

Doesn’t the Bible teach us that God gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross to save sinners. Doesn’t God say in His written Word that He doesn’t want anyone to perish(go to hell) but that they repent.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Doesn’t the God teach us the following in His written word;
*
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph 2:8-9*

Saving faith is in Christ alone, not in baptism + Christ.

So the answer to the OP’s question is that sin takes people to hell and Christ Jesus alone takes you to heaven.

.

Would you like Biblical evidence? This is not a thread for presenting Biblical evidence for Catholicism.

If you would like “Biblical evidence” for the purpose of baptism, read it for yourself in the Bible–read ALL of it, not just the parts that support what you already believe. It’s there, right in plain black and white. Use your concordance to do a word study of baptism. Read it literally, don’t try to “interpret” it. E.g., when it says, “Baptism now saves you” (I Peter), don’t try to figure out a way to wiggle out of it. Believe literally what the Bible actually says.

Your statement that “sin sends people to hell” is one that Catholics would agree with.

But the statement that Jesus Christ alone takes you to heaven is NOT Biblical at all. I challenge you to take this to another thread and prove that the Bible teaches that Christ alone takes us to heaven. Start by reading the NEXT verse: Ephesians 2: 10.

And yes, you are right, I should not have claimed to have any “wisdom.” It was just an expression. I did not mean to imply that I personally have any wisdom, only what the Holy Spirit has given to me, and that has mainly come by gleaning the wise words of others that the Holy Spirit has given gifts of teaching and exhortation.

 

[guanophore]

Hi
I am Catholic and I get annoyed when I see on other forums other Christians saying Catholicism leads to hell.
Why do they say this?
Please reassure me because sometimes I get worried about it,.

Have you asked them? When you do, you will see how it is that they misunderstand our faith. Most Protestants have been taught many wrong things about Catholicism,and if one really did believe all those falsehoods, one would surely go to hell.

Isn’t it strange that many non-Catholics don’t believe in the Communion of Saints? It is only logical that we continue to pray for each other in this world and the next. After all, we are all part of the Body of Christ.

I don’t find this so strange. Once you separate the Sacred Scriptures from the SacredTradition which produced them, it is easy to see how this would fall out of the Teaching. We see only seeds in the NT for many things that were more fully developed in Tradition. Amputating the other half of Divine Revelation results in all kinds of misunderstandings, for example, that Baptism has nothing to do with water!

Luckily I have only seen this in a few fundamentalist groups that don’t consider themselves Protestant. They say they were never part of the Church.

These groups in particular seem to focus more on anti-Catholic rhetoric than their own relationships with God. Ironically, they’ll be the first to tell you to judge not.

My theory is that they say Catholics are hell bound because they are insecure…although, they’d NEVER admit it. It seems like they repeat the same lie in order to convince themselves they are right.

It is instructive that the say they were never part of the Church, yet they probably accept many Church Traditions (since they don’t realize where they came from in the first place). They also define themselves by what they are NOT (Catholic) instead of what the are.

With all Respect, we non-protestant biblical christians see you depending on another gospel ( Gal 1:6-8 ) where you are putting your faith in Mary and in “sanits” in heaven for your prayers. We see you giving Mary or the saints creadit for what only God should get credit for like deliverance or healings. We honestly see you as having a misguided faith in anything but Jesus.

Our friend Daniel here gives us an excellent example of my points above.

1. All “bible christians” are, by definition, Protestant, because they reject the Authority appointed by Christ to shepherd His Church. This is the essence of being Protestant.
2. The “other gospel” referred to in Gal 1:6-8 is one different from which the Apostles preached, and that includes everything that stems from the Reformation. Jesus taught that “he who hears you, hears me” there fore, by rejecting Apostolic authority, one automatically embraces something less than Jesus intended.
3. Having faith in the other members of the Body of Christ to intercede on our behalf is entirely scriptural.
4. Jesus never taught a "just me and Jesus’ gospel. Otherwise, He would not have founded a Church. He would not have told them “Greater things than I do will you do, because I go to the Father”. God has always grafted men into His own glorious nature, starting with Adam and Eve, through Abraham, Moses, etc, etc.

To counter this you need to learn to give only God credit. Stop depending on Mary and the saints for your prayers.

No, Daniel, no counter is needed. God is glorified in his saints. The more we are conformed to His nature, and manifest Him to the world, the more we reflect His glory. Our living of His nature is not to be separated from Him.

Jesus never commanded us to refrain from depending upon others for prayer. In fact, the Holy Word states that the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous avail much. And Jesus declares Mary to be the Most Righteous.

And learn to word your testimoniies in language that we understand. Like quoting someone whom you believe is a Saint is the biggest turn off because in our view you are putting the words of that saint on par with Scriptures.

Many of the words of the Saints perfectly reflect the scripture. However, I agree with you that it is very important to talk to people in a language they understand.

 

[NDfan]

Hi
I am Catholic and I get annoyed when I see on other forums other Christians saying Catholicism leads to hell.
Why do they say this?
Please reassure me because sometimes I get worried about it,.

Seb do not worry. You accept Jesus as your savior. Any Christian who claims anyone is going to hell is speaking for GOD and it is despicable for someone to say that. I think GOD can speak for himself. I may not agree with some Roman Catholic doctrine but I get tired of the bashing as well.

PEACE

 

[guanophore]

Like James says show me your works, and we know were your faith lies. We see your faith as centered on creatures ( Romans 1 ) rather than soley on Jesus the creator. This basically, comes from our concept of Jesus Alone, or Jesus Supreme.

A concept that is innately flawed. Although Jesus is the Head, and reflection of all Glory, He desires to graft each of us into His glory. He enjoins us to bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Having faith in those that have gone on before us to help us in no way takes away from faith in God, from whom all grace emanates. It is In Him, With Him, and Throuhg Him that any of us can do anything. To despise one another in faith is to despise the Body He created.

You divorce the five Solas from each other and in doing so, you demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of Salvation.

That would be hard, since all five if the Solas are already divorced from the message of salvation.

Basically, learn to look at people from their world view to see why many of us think you are unsaved. I for one try to make an effort to understand where you are coming from.

You do, but clearly, even after all this time, you have not been able to do so!

You need to learn to share your testimony in such a way that demonstrates your relationship with Jesus – rather than a dependance on creatures whom can’t even hear you because Heaven is a land far away.

Isaiah 33:17
Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

You are right about the Jesus centered testimony. However, Jesus also taught that we would know Him by our love for one another, so this Gospel is not meant to be separated from the creatures through which it is manifested.

In the OT, the land was far off, and those who hoped did not see. however, Jesus brings the Kingdom right to us, so it is no longer far off.

“…for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Luke 17:21

Matt 13:17
17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Blessed are we, because what was prophesied has been made manifest among us. The Kingdom is no longer far off, Daniel, but among us!

And yes, you are right, I should not have claimed to have any “wisdom.” It was just an expression. I did not mean to imply that I personally have any wisdom, only what the Holy Spirit has given to me, and that has mainly come by gleaning the wise words of others that the Holy Spirit has given gifts of teaching and exhortation.

I appreciate your wisdom!

 

[rlg94086]

Would you like Biblical evidence? This is not a thread for presenting Biblical evidence for Catholicism.

If you would like “Biblical evidence” for the purpose of baptism, read it for yourself in the Bible–read ALL of it, not just the parts that support what you already believe. It’s there, right in plain black and white. Use your concordance to do a word study of baptism. Read it literally, don’t try to “interpret” it. E.g., when it says, “Baptism now saves you” (I Peter), don’t try to figure out a way to wiggle out of it. Believe literally what the Bible actually says.

Your statement that “sin sends people to hell” is one that Catholics would agree with.

But the statement that Jesus Christ alone takes you to heaven is NOT Biblical at all. I challenge you to take this to another thread and prove that the Bible teaches that Christ alone takes us to heaven. Start by reading the NEXT verse: Ephesians 2: 10.

And yes, you are right, I should not have claimed to have any “wisdom.” It was just an expression. I did not mean to imply that I personally have any wisdom, only what the Holy Spirit has given to me, and that has mainly come by gleaning the wise words of others that the Holy Spirit has given gifts of teaching and exhortation.

Well, technically, it is through Jesus Christ alone, but not in the way emeraldisle describes it. “Through Jesus Christ alone” includes all that Jesus taught - Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick.

 

[NDfan]

Well, technically, it is through Jesus Christ alone, but not in the way emeraldisle describes it. “Through Jesus Christ alone” includes all that Jesus taught - Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick.

So if one is not married they cannot go to heaven

 

[rlg94086]

So if one is not married they cannot go to heaven

That’s right! They have to be married *and *receive Holy Orders.

My point is that we are saved through the Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ. So, when someone says “though Christ alone,” they are missing the point of what “through Christ” means.

 

[dprewett]

Because Pope Martin Luther told them to.

Read the Bible. Did Christ give the keys to Peter or to Martin Luther?

To Peter or to Jean Calvin?

To Peter or to Huydrich Zwingli?

To Peter or to Jeremiah Wright?

Christ founded his Church upon Peter, and promised to abide with her from Pentecost to the end of time.

There is only one denomination which can lay claim to being that Church, and you’re in it.

The Catholic Church is not a denomination

 

[Church_Militant]

Who REALLY Preaches “A Different Gospel”?

My Reformation Theory

 

[terillmorris]

Hi
I am Catholic and I get annoyed when I see on other forums other Christians saying Catholicism leads to hell.
Why do they say this?
Please reassure me because sometimes I get worried about it,.

I am Catholic and I believe Protestanism, in and of itself, leads to hell. I mean God may use it to bring those Protestants into the Church but protestanism itself leads to dmanation. “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

 

[patg]

Hi
I am Catholic and I get annoyed when I see on other forums other Christians saying Catholicism leads to hell.
Why do they say this?

Why would you be surprised by this? Catholics have been taught for centuries by Catholic teachers that non-Catholics were all going to hell. I was taught that consistently throughout 12 years of Catholic school less than 50 years ago.

It seems kind of reaonable that they would teach the opposite.

 

[NotWorthy]

Why would you be surprised by this? Catholics have been taught for centuries by Catholic teachers that non-Catholics were all going to hell. I was taught that consistently throughout 12 years of Catholic school less than 50 years ago.

It seems kind of reaonable that they would teach the opposite.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a Catholic teacher tell me that all Non-Catholics were going to hell. If I had one say that today, I’d think I’d walk out.

 

[mark_a]

With all Respect, we non-protestant biblical christians see you depending on another gospel ( Gal 1:6-8 ) where you are putting your faith in Mary and in “sanits” in heaven for your prayers. We see you giving Mary or the saints creadit for what only God should get credit for like deliverance or healings. We honestly see you as having a misguided faith in anything but Jesus.

To counter this you need to learn to give only God credit.
Stop depending on Mary and the saints for your prayers.
And learn to word your testimoniies in language that we understand. Like quoting someone whom you believe is a Saint is the biggest turn off because in our view you are putting the words of that saint on par with Scriptures.

Like James says show me your works, and we know were your faith lies. We see your faith as centered on creatures ( Romans 1 ) rather than soley on Jesus the creator. This basically, comes from our concept of Jesus Alone, or Jesus Supreme.

You divorce the five Solas from each other and in doing so, you demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of Salvation.

Basically, learn to look at people from their world view to see why many of us think you are unsaved. I for one try to make an effort to understand where you are coming from.

All this from someone whose profile lists his faith as undecided.

 

[patg]

I don’t think I’ve ever had a Catholic teacher tell me that all Non-Catholics were going to hell. If I had one say that today, I’d think I’d walk out.

I kind of doubt you would do that when you were 10 years old.

You certainly didn’t attend the Catholic school I did when I did.

 

[NotWorthy]

I kind of doubt you would do that when you were 10 years old.

You certainly didn’t attend the Catholic school I did when I did.

That’s why I said if I heard one say that today…

I’m a lot older than 10 years old now, even though I’m only marginally more wise and my maturity is questionable.

 

[Gamera]

With all Respect, we non-protestant biblical christians see you depending on another gospel ( Gal 1:6-8 ) where you are putting your faith in Mary and in “sanits” in heaven for your prayers. We see you giving Mary or the saints creadit for what only God should get credit for like deliverance or healings. We honestly see you as having a misguided faith in anything but Jesus.

To counter this you need to learn to give only God credit.
Stop depending on Mary and the saints for your prayers.
And learn to word your testimoniies in language that we understand. Like quoting someone whom you believe is a Saint is the biggest turn off because in our view you are putting the words of that saint on par with Scriptures.

Like James says show me your works, and we know were your faith lies. We see your faith as centered on creatures ( Romans 1 ) rather than soley on Jesus the creator. This basically, comes from our concept of Jesus Alone, or Jesus Supreme.

You divorce the five Solas from each other and in doing so, you demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of Salvation.

Basically, learn to look at people from their world view to see why many of us think you are unsaved. I for one try to make an effort to understand where you are coming from.

Here’s my question, though. Let’s suppose for argument’s sake that one accepts everything you say here. So what? According to the Protestant / OSAS view, all that matters is that the person – Catholic or Protestant – believe in Jesus, repent of their sins and ask Jesus to forgive them by virtue of His sacrifice on the cross. Correct? And Catholics do that all the time (among other things, we are required to say that at every Confession; it’s called the Act of Contrition). So long as we’ve repented of sin, prayed to Jesus and asked His forgiveness, we are “saved,” right?

So the original question remains. Why do some Protestants say that Catholicism dooms a person to hell? According to Protestant theology, we Catholics should be all set.

 

[Cat]

Well, technically, it is through Jesus Christ alone, but not in the way emeraldisle describes it. “Through Jesus Christ alone” includes all that Jesus taught - Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick.

rig94086, what I was referring to is the idea that is perpetuated among many evangelical Protestants that ALL you have to do is accept Jesus Christ as Savior (that "Sinner’s Prayer is not a work of man, by the way), and then just sit back and let him surf you on up into heaven.

I was actually taught by some evangelicals that we should NOT do any works at all because it is an insult to the complete work of Christ on the cross. All our works are as filthy rags anyway. Just let go and let God. He’ll do all the work of getting us to heaven while we relax and enjoy ourselves and “fellowship” with Him. His burden is easy and His yoke is light, so if you’re trying to hard to serve Him, you’re not trusting Him enough.

No wonder so many Protestant Christians “fall away” from Christ. They don’t really believe in Christ, they believe in some kind of divine Santa Claus who gives them a “Get Into Heaven Free” ticket. They get their ticket, mill about the train station for a few months, but nothing’s going on except some really good music. They don’t have any more purpose now in life than they did before they professed belief in Jesus (Santa). Deep down, they know that Santa and his tickets don’t exist, so they fall away.

But the next time a good dramatic preacher tells them that they need to “rededicate their lives” and “get serious about God,” up they go again to sit on Santa’s lap and get their ticket back. A few weeks or months later, they fall again, and the cycle starts over.

It’s not Jesus Alone, it’s choosing to follow Jesus, and that means walking, eating, drinking, working, studying, loving, resting, dying–all in the Company of Jesus. When we depart from His Company, we have sinned, and He will forgive us and welcome us back if we repent. You see, we DO have a part in our own salvation. It’s not just “Jesus Alone.”

 

[Teflon93]

But the next time a good dramatic preacher tells them that they need to “rededicate their lives” and “get serious about God,” up they go again to sit on Santa’s lap and get their ticket back. A few weeks or months later, they fall again, and the cycle starts over.

When I attended a Pentecostal service, I started keeping track of who went down for altar calls. You would see the same people go down, week after week, no matter how ridiculously specific the pastor was in his call. I don’t believe all these people were guilty of such a panoply of sins, week after week. I think they were simply trying to recapture the emotion of their “born-again” moment, like a heroin user forever chases his first fix. They had to—the pastor told them all the time that if they weren’t 100% certain they were saved, they weren’t.

This is the trouble with theology by subtraction—it’s unnatural. For most of us, religious fervor ebbs and flows. If your theology holds that it must always flow, you’re in for a rough ride at ebb tide.

 

[Jimdandy]

I am Catholic and I believe Protestanism, in and of itself, leads to hell. I mean God may use it to bring those Protestants into the Church but protestanism itself leads to dmanation. “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

{Well, technically, it is through Jesus Christ alone, but not in the way emeraldisle describes it. “Through Jesus Christ alone” includes all that Jesus taught - Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage and Anointing of the Sick.} QUOTE]

I am ashamed of the ignorance and poor catechesis of my fellow Catholics.

The sacraments help one to obtain and to continue a Holy life by giving one grace.
Non-Catholic Christians have two valid Sacraments-Baptism and Matrimony

Jesus gave us Catholics the ability to help non-believers and
other Christians reach heaven when He made us part of His Body.-through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is our duty to help others. By a Catholic doing this It is possible for us to bring others through the body of Jesus Christ to His Father
in Heaven. Remember, Jesus IS in the Father and in the Holy Spirit-one cannot separate them.

All Christians baptized in the name of the Trinity are also members of the Body of Christ. (sorry, LDS, as believers in many gods, y’all are not ChristiansGod will judge what is in your heart, so take heart in that)

I am at a loss at what else to say except I am truly saddened by what others here pass on as Catholic Beliefs.

Peace.

Out.

 

[Teflon93]

Jim-

You might want to read Pope Benedict XVI on the subject. He’s said in the past that the Narrow Gate is narrower than many believe, including many Catholics, sadly.

If the sacraments are aids on the journey to the narrow gate, and some of our brothers and sisters eschew many of them and warp others, do you suppose they will get there in the end?

I can’t imagine there are too many folks out there who avoid mortal sin entirely, such that penance is not required for reconciliation within their lifetime.

It’s a bit like entering the spiritual battle described in the Catechism without all of one’s weapons and armor:

405 Although it is proper to each individual,295 original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam’s descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ’s grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle.

406 The Church’s teaching on the transmission of original sin was articulated more precisely in the fifth century, especially under the impulse of St. Augustine’s reflections against Pelagianism, and in the sixteenth century, in opposition to the Protestant Reformation. Pelagius held that man could, by the natural power of free will and without the necessary help of God’s grace, lead a morally good life; he thus reduced the influence of Adam’s fault to bad example. The first Protestant reformers, on the contrary, taught that original sin has radically perverted man and destroyed his freedom; they identified the sin inherited by each man with the tendency to evil (concupiscentia), which would be insurmountable. The Church pronounced on the meaning of the data of Revelation on original sin especially at the second Council of Orange (529)296 and at the Council of Trent (1546).297

A hard battle. . .

407 The doctrine of original sin, closely connected with that of redemption by Christ, provides lucid discernment of man’s situation and activity in the world. By our first parents’ sin, the devil has acquired a certain domination over man, even though man remains free. Original sin entails “captivity under the power of him who thenceforth had the power of death, that is, the devil”.298 Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social action299 and morals.

408 The consequences of original sin and of all men’s personal sins put the world as a whole in the sinful condition aptly described in St. John’s expression, “the sin of the world”.300 This expression can also refer to the negative influence exerted on people by communal situations and social structures that are the fruit of men’s sins.301

409 This dramatic situation of "the whole world [which] is in the power of the evil one"302 makes man’s life a battle:

The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.303

In short, if baptism were the only necessary sacrament, why does the Church maintain the seven Christ bequeathed to it?