Why do some Christians view Catholics as non-Christians

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aidanbradypop

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So in another thread of mine, it was stated that Catholics are not Christian. Why do some Christians view Catholics as non Christian? I remember being told I was going to hell for being a Catholic, but I have never been accused of by a non Christian. šŸ¤·
 
There are various reasons why someone might think this, but by far the most common ones I have heard would be related to things that look idolatrous to other faiths and/or the placement of others between God and the faithful.

Some of the sacramental items and personal charms/idols, praying to Mary and the Saints, the priestsā€™ role in confession, the popeā€™s role on Earth etc. - I think these things can seem pretty odd or even blasphemous to people of other traditions, and they may at least seem like they map onto ancient Roman/Pagan culture more than anything else.

It also seems to be quite easy for the casual reader of the scripture to come across snippets that appear to ban common Catholic practices - and people outside the church may lack detailed explanations of why this is not so. Some of the reasoning behind those explanations may rely on the premise that you accept the authority of the church, and by its very nature questioning something does not start with accepting it as infallible.

The rights and wrongs of this I donā€™t comment on. I think this is part of why, though.
 
ephesians4 said:
There are various reasons why someone might think this, but by far the most common ones I have heard would be related to things that look idolatrous to other faiths and/or the placement of others between God and the faithful.

Some of the sacramental items and personal charms/idols, praying to Mary and the Saints, the priestsā€™ role in confession, the popeā€™s role on Earth etc. - I think these things can seem pretty odd or even blasphemous to people of other traditions, and they may at least seem like they map onto ancient Roman/Pagan culture more than anything else.

It also seems to be quite easy for the casual reader of the scripture to come across snippets that appear to ban common Catholic practices - and people outside the church lack detailed explanations of why this is not so.

The rights and wrongs of this I donā€™t comment on. I think this is part of why, though.
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So I take it that you are not Catholic?
 
aidanbradypop said:
So in another thread of mine, it was stated that Catholics are not Christian. Why do some Christians view Catholics as non Christian? I remember being told I was going to hell for being a Catholic, but I have never been accused of by a non Christian. šŸ¤·
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'Cause they be ignant of da Truth, yo.
 
Layp3rs0n said:
'Cause they be ignant of da Truth, yo.
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lolā€¦I believe it is more of a misunderstanding of doctrine of their part. Like the famous statement of ā€œCatholics place Mary over Jesus.ā€
 
My mother-in-law is a hard core, anti-Catholic, Protestant. She told my husband that the number one reason Iā€™m going to Hell is because of my belief in purgatory. In her words, if one believes Purgatory is necessary, thatā€™s a direct denial that Christā€™s death and resurrection was sufficient enough to save us (in other words, this denies Christ, therefore, isnā€™t Christian). Now, these are her words. Not certain if other Protestants feel this way, but for my MIL, this is the top reason to reject the Faith. sigh
 
The men who assembled the bible were Catholics, they were reading it as they were assembling it. They were also recieving the eucharist, believing in the real presence, venerating Mary, praying for the saints etc. Reading the early church fathers is so important in understanding how catholicism developed based on tradition. The church is the foundation of truth 1 Tim. 3:15. Just as a practicle matter, why would these men be putting the bible together reading the words then go about doing anything that would jeoparize their souls, itā€™s about the bible and tradition.
 
Itā€™s a common mistake. Iā€™ve even known some (or many) Catholics mistakenly subscribe to the language that leads to it.

ā€œAre you Catholic or Christian?ā€ is a question that occurs even on some governments questionnaires.

At fault is the fact that many people see the vast protestant diaspora of beliefs as ā€œChristianā€ and many other Non Trinitarian faiths also consider themselves Christian:, e.g. ā€œMormonismā€ is ā€œThe Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saintsā€. Scientoligists are members of the ā€œChurch of Christian Scienceā€
Jehovahā€™s Wittnesses consider themselves Christians, as do Unitarians, and members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ. Philipino group with similar and parallel origins and beliefs to the J.W.'s)

So: member of mainstream, trinitarian protestant faith communities consider themselves to have a common understanding of Trinitarian Christianity. the believe that ā€œthey believe the same about the core issuesā€.

They often have a total misunderstanding of what Catholicism is and dont know that itā€™s Christianity, or realise that it is the Mother Church from which the protestant fragmentation originated, and the source of everything that they have in common with each other. (Niciene Creed. Trinitarian understanding. Sacraments, the Bible itself etcā€¦)
 
A common belief is anyone that doesnā€™t hold to sola fieda must be working thier way to heaven

Another is anyone that doesnā€™t believe is sola scriptora must be adding to the word of God

But truthfully I found when I lived in the evangelical world there was always a grave sin that the person couldnā€™t agree with so they where angry with the catholic church. Such as remarriage, contraception,
 
105lynne said:
My mother-in-law is a hard core, anti-Catholic, Protestant. She told my husband that the number one reason Iā€™m going to Hell is because of my belief in purgatory. In her words, if one believes Purgatory is necessary, thatā€™s a direct denial that Christā€™s death and resurrection was sufficient enough to save us (in other words, this denies Christ, therefore, isnā€™t Christian). Now, these are her words. Not certain if other Protestants feel this way, but for my MIL, this is the top reason to reject the Faith. sigh
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sigh indeed

I believe it all depends on what denomination the Protestant is. Protestant is a general term that is sort of unfair to many. Lutherans, Episcopalians, Orthodox and Anglicans will no issue on whether Catholics are Christians. I believe the issue will surface among Fundamentalist Protestants and Evangelical. Every Baptist I have ever met, and I was once a Baptist, believes Catholics are going to hell. šŸ¤·
 
aidanbradypop said:
So I take it that you are not Catholic?
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Thatā€™s a complicated question to answer right now for probably uninteresting reasons - ask me again in a year. The distinction would only be what constitutes ā€œofficial Catholicnessā€, though - not submission to the pope or the teachings or the church. šŸ˜ƒ

That doesnā€™t affect my post though, which was meant to be a dispassionate answer and not a reflection of my own views.
 
ephesians4 said:
Thatā€™s a complicated question to answer right now for probably uninteresting reasons - ask me again in a year. šŸ˜ƒ

That doesnā€™t affect my post though, which was meant to be a dispassionate answer and not a reflection of my own views.
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Oh ok thanks
 
A huge difference is Catholics follow the Tradition of the Church, which put the Bible together which the listen to the Gospel which is Jesus that they follow in the New Covenantā€¦

people of the christian faith community,belives in the same God as the Islamic and Jewish throw away the Tradition of the Church that put the Gospels together, which is God speaking directly to us through his son that the Gospels are based onā€¦

Catholic dont reject the Tradition of the Church verse those that do but still want to attain eternal salvaltionā€¦ its not all a great right verse wrong, but more so a path to follow, and we are given a free will to follow or reject that and go our own wayā€¦

Many are called, few anwerā€¦
 
aidanbradypop said:
So in another thread of mine, it was stated that Catholics are not Christian. Why do some Christians view Catholics as non Christian? I remember being told I was going to hell for being a Catholic, but I have never been accused of by a non Christian. šŸ¤·
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Jesus created a single Church for everyone - a Universal Church, a Catholic Church.

About 1,600 later, various people (Henry VIII, John Knox etc) thought they knew better than Jesus and that they would start their own Churches, instead of joining Christs.

It would be an obvious question for someone to ask them - ā€œHey, wait a minute - if there is already a Universal Church for everyone, then what exactly is the point of you guys?ā€

Traditionally, the protestant reponse to this question to try to claim Catholics are not christians - thus avoiding the difficulty the question poses and meaning there is a point to protestantism.

Of course, no-one with half a brain is fooled by this kind of nonsense.

In some (not all) protestant churches, all they seem to do is obsess over Catholics and how we are so wrong about everthing. Indeed, if you banned them from talking about Catholics, I dont really think they would have much to say for themselves at all.
 
Like when dealing with any non-Catholic itā€™s best to ask them what they believe and why. Iā€™m sure thereā€™s numerous reasons out there and no two are probably the same. From my experience with non-Catholic Christians that didnā€™t believe that Catholics were Christian it came down to them believing that Catholics taught salvation was by works. Since they felt salvation was by faith alone we, therefore, believed in a ā€œdifferent Gospel.ā€ Our views on Mary, or the Eucharist or confession really didnā€™t matter to them. The bigger picture was their perceived conception on our view of salvation.

God bless
 
aidanbradypop said:
So in another thread of mine, it was stated that Catholics are not Christian. Why do some Christians view Catholics as non Christian? I remember being told I was going to hell for being a Catholic, but I have never been accused of by a non Christian. šŸ¤·
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I wouldnā€™t worry about it if I were youā€¦ The term ā€œChristianā€ is just thatā€¦ A term.

I donā€™t care if Iā€™m considered a ā€œChristianā€, or not -all I know is that I worship God through the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
 
The Acts of the Fourth session of the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (787 A.D.)

ā€œWe accept (aspazometha) the word of the Lord and his Apostles through which we have been taught to honor (timan) and magnify (megalynein) in the first place Her who is properly and truly the Mother of God (Theotokos) and exalted above all the heavenly Powers; also the holy and angelic Powers; the blessed and all-lauded Apostles; and the glorious Prophets and the triumphant Martyrs who fought for Christ; holy and God fearing Doctors, and all holy men; to seek their intercession (presveies), to make us at home with the all-royal God of all, so long as we keep his commandments and strive to live virtuously. Moreover we accept (aspazometha) the image of the honorable and life-giving Cross, and the holy relics of the saints; and we receive the holy and venerable images; we accept them and we embrace them, according to the ancient traditions of the Holy Catholic Church of God, that is to say our holy Fathers, who also received these things and established them in all the most holy Churches of God and in every place of His dominion. These honorable and venerable images, as has been said, we honor, accept and reverently venerate (timitikos proskynoumen): the image of the incarnation of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, and that of our immaculate Lady, the all-holy Mother of God, from whom he pleased to take flesh and to save and deliver us from all impious idolatry; also the images of the holy and incorporeal Angels, who appeared to the just as men. Likewise we also venerate the figures and the effigies (morphas, eikonismata) of the divine and all-lauded Apostles, the God-speaking Prophets, and the suffering martyrs and holy men, so that through their representations (anazografiseos) we may be able to be led back in memory and recollections to the prototype, and participate in their holinessā€

(Nicene and Postā€“Nicene Fathers, Vol 14, p. 541)

goarch.org/resources/saints

I guess weā€™re talking Christian? Ecumenical Council
 
Ignorance, and in many cases; an unwillingness to see for themselves what Catholicism IS. šŸ¤·

Thatā€™s as simple as I can make it.

I think every Catholic who is serious about learning the nuts and bolts of Catholicism, should also look at the causes and results of the Reformation. I also think any Protestant who is serious about THEIR faith, should objectively learn about Catholicism. It would make for a far better understanding of Christianity as a whole.
 
I personally love the ā€œidolatrousā€ argument. (insert sarcasm)

Especially coming from sola-scriptura folks. :rolleyes:

Also read my signature below. Archbishop Fulton Sheen was famous for setting the record state about Catholicism.
 
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