Why do so many protestants seem to argue in circles?

[jameswalter]

Apologies for any harsh inflection or tone conveyed in this thread toward our protestant brothers and sisters…
In my personal experience the circular dialogue seems to manifest not just in weak debating ability but more so from the well known difference that Catholics are often taking a 'both and " approach to exegesis as opposed to the more common protestant “either or” acceptance.
Its just more conducive to ending up where they started and not really addressing the interpretation of complimentary scripture verses or even single verses.
Peace

 

[multitude]

Apologies for any harsh inflection or tone conveyed in this thread toward our protestant brothers and sisters…
In my personal experience the circular dialogue seems to manifest not just in weak debating ability but more so from the well known difference that Catholics are often taking a 'both and " approach to exegesis as opposed to the more common protestant “either or” acceptance.
Its just more conducive to ending up where they started and not really addressing the interpretation of complimentary scripture verses or even single verses.
Peace

This has mainly been my experience as well, that Catholics take a “both and” approach, Protestants take an “either or”. Add to it that Catholics tend to know more about the 2000 year history of Christianity than Protestants do, so very often you’re just informing them about some things instead. As far as debating ability goes, I don’t know. That swings both ways.

 

[Contarini]

Apologies for any harsh inflection or tone conveyed in this thread toward our protestant brothers and sisters…
In my personal experience the circular dialogue seems to manifest not just in weak debating ability but more so from the well known difference that Catholics are often taking a 'both and " approach to exegesis as opposed to the more common protestant “either or” acceptance.
Its just more conducive to ending up where they started and not really addressing the interpretation of complimentary scripture verses or even single verses.
Peace

If Protestants are “either/or” and Catholics are “both/and,” then why do so many posts onthis forum begin with the premise: “When there are different theological opinions, one must be right and the others wrong?” Where’s the both/and there?

Mainline Protestants, particularly Episcopalians, are in man respects more thoroughgoing in the “both/and” than Catholics are.

I didn’t hear folks on this forum cheering on the Episcopal priest who wanted to be both Christian and Muslim

To be fair, her bishop didn’t either–she was defrocked, and rightly, since she denied the divinity of Jesus. But clearly Episcopalians in many respects are more prone to a both/and than Catholics. So again, when you speak of Protestants you are speaking of conservative Protestants.

Edwin

 

[Mystophilus]

So again, when you speak of Protestants you are speaking of conservative Protestants.

We all seem to be vulnerable to making judgements about other groups based upon what we hear most from them, despite the fact that what we hear most are often the views of a ranting lunatic fringe rather than the views of a majority who roll their eyes at such ranting whilst quietly getting on with their lives.