Why Is Catholicism So Unattractive to Evangelicals?

[Cassianus]

All lies , we reject dualism , antinomianism, and believe that one must be born again by faith alone , and we are called separated brethren ( means we are Christians not cultist ) , so slander again , and I will report you for flamethrowing.

I believe all believing protestants, without exception, are heretics. You say you “must be reborn again” & that this is what “saves” you? Yet you say that “faith” is what saves you? How do you want to have it? Is it Faith that saves you, or is it the supposed “rebirth” (subjective delusion)?

You believe Jesus Christ lief when he said the Gates of Hell would never prevail against His Church established on St. Peter.

Therefore christianity would be false before protestantism is true

Christians however know that God never lies because He is Truth.

report ll you want. It’s called polemics

 

[Sarcelle]

I think I would be Catholic today if Catholics (especially my age) would have welcomed me into the Church; excited to know that I’m coming to the “fullness of faith”.

Yes, there was much emptiness in that Cathedral when I signed up for RCIA. I recently started going to a new Evangelical Church that’s closer to where I have moved; the Theology is the same as my old one, it’s way smaller, but man those people noticed a new face. I walk in and everyone’s so excited that a new couple have come in; I’ve been invited to dinner by two different families, and coffee with the pastor.

I would have to admit there is a coldness present in Catholic Churches that may not be present in Evangelical churches. There is an inner circle or clique composed of long time parishioners that have been born and raised in that parish and newcomers are often given a wide berth. However, if one makes an effort to get to know them, they turn out to be warm and welcoming. The thing is one has to make the first move and approach them first.

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Are Catholic churches better thought of where Catholics are a smaller percentage of the population?

Are Catholic churches better thought of where Catholics are a thorough mixture and not predominantly of one ethnic background?

Hi there Cassianus! What do you think of my questions?

 

[Starwarsfan2]

I believe all believing protestants, without exception, are heretics. You say you “must be reborn again” & that this is what “saves” you? Yet you say that “faith” is what saves you? How do you want to have it? Is it Faith that saves you, or is it the supposed “rebirth” (subjective delusion)?

You believe Jesus Christ lief when he said the Gates of Hell would never prevail against His Church established on St. Peter.

Therefore christianity would be false before protestantism is true

Christians however know that God never lies because He is Truth.

report ll you want. It’s called polemics

I said must be born again not reborn ( sorry if it autocorrected) , Born again means receive Christ which is by faith alone , aand again you ignore your own churches teaching which called us brethren, ie part of Christs church , slander and flamethrowing is not acceptable on this forum.

 

[ltwin]

Look, protestantism is a gnostic heresy.

Really? Last time I checked, Protestants did not believe that salvation was achieved by possessing esoteric knowledge available to only a few. In fact, the whole point of Sola Scriptura is that Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation, therefore the gospel is not some mysterious knowledge available to only a few. All who hear the gospel preached and respond in faith and obedience can be saved.

That’s why believing protestants get absolutely shocked when they encounter christianity as it has manifested in history in the Catholic & Orthodox Church.

Yes, I am shocked that the Catholic and Orthodox churches are old. Shocked I say.

But protestantism is an easily proven demonic deception that teaches good deeds are unnecessary for salvation

Protestants don’t teach that good deeds are unnecessary. We reject the belief that good deeds cause justification in us. Good deeds are evidence of our faith and ongoing sanctification. In this sense, good deeds are “necessary” visible signs, just as the Fruit of the Spirit are visible signs that the Holy Spirit is sanctifying us.

& that a Catholic Collection of Jewish Writings is the rule of faith, although said collection of writings doesnt contain any such doctrine & was gathered together & deemed inspired by the authority of the Catholic Church.

Well, the Catholic and the Orthodox and any of the other ancient communions still around who aren’t in communion with each other today.

Protestants in america feel closer affinity to muslims than they do to some orthodox & catholic christians. For example, there’s a movement within evangelicalism to “convert” muslims by telling them they can stay muslims as long as they read the gospels. Although all islamic countries have a Church, these churches, who are in continuity with history, can be traced back to the beginnings - & this is just too much for protestants to deal with;

I don’t know of any Protestant who feels closer to Muslims than they do other Christians. That’s just ridiculous.

the incense, the iconography / statues, the formal liturgy, the real precence, confession & penance etc. All these things undermine the demonic concept of protestantism; that all you need to do is to convince yourself that a particular historical event is has paid compensation for all past, present & future sins & that this conviction is all that’s needed.

But that’s not Protestant theology. That is Antinomianism.

To come out of this bubble can probably be abit scary. Imagine if you had been taught all your life that you dont need to do good, you just need to accept what the preacher says & “believe” to secure salvation.

I think the “Protestant” thing to do would be to leave any church that taught “you just need to accept what the preacher says.” No, I do not and I don’t think anyone else should either. What you need to accept is all that is contained within the Old and New Testaments. You need to believe what is written in the Scriptures, and then you need to obey the commands given in the Scriptures.

What would be your reaction if you found out the historical church taught you must do penance after confessing your sins to a priest?

I would say that I confess sins directly to God in prayer. The sacrament of reconciliation is not a practice that is taught in Scripture, and therefore, it cannot be a mandatory requirement for all Christians.

Or that your own soul must become pure to enter Heaven?

I would say I agree.

Protestants have been told that humanity is completely corrupted, wretched beyond repair. Even demonic - there’s no good left in man at all.

Humanity is corrupted and is wretched–but not beyond repair. Christ has provided a way to redemption and salvation and we (the Church) are the first fruits of this redemption of all of Creation.

Luther said a human is a pile of excrements & justification happens because God “covers” this pile of excrements with a thin layer of His own righteousness because we believe - there’s no point to anything at all in matters of religion & spiritual life. No one can accept such a doctrine that contradicts the human experience, common sense & our own impulse for spiritual life.

Luther believed that we were justified by faith–not “belief.” You do Luther’s theology an injustice when you reduce the concept of “faith” to simply “mere belief.”

As we see, the protestant cults multiply exponentially & now number more than 40 000 - all convinced they’ve read the catholic collection of jewish writings in “just the right way” & that everybody else is wrong. They have no authority to stand on & that’s why so many protestant cults now bless homosexuality as a godly act, ordain women priestesses & bishopesses although these things contradict scripture & are opposed to christianity & in line with paganism.

I’m nominally protestant but I take my religion from the catholic teaching only because a catholic priest told me there was no need for me to convert.

Ahh, so its more convenient for you to stay in the “gnostic heresy” of Protestantism than actually convert to a form of Christianity you actually believe is true?

 

[Eric_Hilbert]

Some of you seem to be a little bit confused about the purpose of the article and the thread itself. This is not a free-for-all to bash non-Catholics or the way they worship. Disagree and debate if you wish, step over the line and you will be slammed.
Read the article and discuss it like adults.
It really is that simple.

 

[FollowChrist34]

Eric_Hilbert:
Thanks Eric Hilbert!

 

[Starwarsfan2]

Eric_Hilbert:
Thanks ,

 

[Michael68]

I would have to admit there is a coldness present in Catholic Churches that may not be present in Evangelical churches. There is an inner circle or clique composed of long time parishioners that have been born and raised in that parish and newcomers are often given a wide berth. However, if one makes an effort to get to know them, they turn out to be warm and welcoming. The thing is one has to make the first move and approach them first.

I think that reverence is mistaken for coldness. There is no talking or carrying on in the sanctuary and maybe this is misunderstood.

 

[FollowChrist34]

I think that reverence is mistaken for coldness. There is no talking or carrying on in the sanctuary and maybe this is misunderstood.

Well, I for one agree there is coldness and I don’t think it is reverence. I personally feel Catholics just don’t like to talk about this issue.

 

[z_0101]

There is an inner circle or clique composed of long time parishioners that have been born and raised in that parish and newcomers are often given a wide berth.

You can find this in any church in any denomination.

However, if one makes an effort to get to know them, they turn out to be warm and welcoming. The thing is one has to make the first move and approach them first.

Only works for some… as much as I like my Parish, we have a clique that will smile to your face and stab you in the back. I pray for them at each Holy Hour.
There are others; however, that are warm and welcoming once someone makes the effort. I’ve always wondered why the newcomer has to make the first move?

 

[ComplineSanFran]

I come from the Anglican tradition where we meet for coffee and other good things after the Eucharist. My experience with Roman Catholic masses is that people are in and out quickly. I once turned around in my pew to smile and greet people after the recessional and I was almost the only one left in the sanctuary.

The sense of community and hospitality is a big piece of evangelical Christianity. I have not found it to be high on the list in Catholic parishes. It could be different, tho, depending on geography or the size of the town.

 

[exnihilo]

Of course Catholics, as a group, don’t live up to the holiness we are called to. But no group does. One problem may be in who gets counted as a Catholic. In my experience as a Protestant most of the Catholics I knew didn’t practice the Faith. They didn’t follow the moral teachings, particularly the sexual and drunkeness teachings.They didn’t attend Mass. They were Catholic by birth. But the same could be said for most Protestants I knew. Both groups were ‘good people’ for the most part. They didn’t murder, steal or find themselves in trouble with the law. But they were not fully embracing the call to holiness so clear from the Gospels.

I think for Protestants the problem is often that they tend to see their denomination as the true Church, even if they don’t really proclaim it as such. They look at their group as being the most faithful to the teachings of Christ. For some this gets so narrow that it is really just their local church. So of course they don’t find Catholicism attractive, but they don’t find the vast majority of Protestant churches attractive either.

Looking back on my days as a evangelical (born and raised): Catholicism used to come across to me as, not necessarily offensive, but as weird, bizarre, arboreal, etc. I’d see a 1000-year-old picture of Jesus on a horse, or a picture of Mary with a heart placed outside of her chest that has a dagger going through it, or a picture of some 800-year-old saint dressed up in a weird outfit that has light shooting out of his fingertips, and I’d just look at them with a mix of confusion and befuddlement and be like “Uhhhh…”, and then move on. None of it spoke to me or seemed to resonate with the passion, humility, and love of the Gospel, and how Jesus really loved me, and suffered for me, and sacrificed himself for me. Catholicism appeared fancy, but arcane and distant.

I think this is an important aspect as well. For evangelicals, even if they can agree with and appreciate some aspects of Catholicism when they encounter the imagery and devotions they can be immediately turned off. I know I as a mainline Protestant wondered how the Catholic Church could be right and so very wise about some things and then have such weird artwork or devotions.

 

[EIF5A]

I think for Protestants the problem is often that they tend to see their denomination as the true Church, even if they don’t really proclaim it as such. They look at their group as being the most faithful to the teachings of Christ. For some this gets so narrow that it is really just their local church. So of course they don’t find Catholicism attractive, but they don’t find the vast majority of Protestant churches attractive either.

I think this is an important aspect as well. For evangelicals, even if they can agree with and appreciate some aspects of Catholicism when they encounter the imagery and devotions they can be immediately turned off. I know I as a mainline Protestant wondered how the Catholic Church could be right and so very wise about some things and then have such weird artwork or devotions.

I think many Protestants believe that in the end, it doesn’t really matter what “type” of Christian you are, as long as you profess belief in Christ as God and Savior. Of course, as you mention, some groups see themselves as being more “true”, but most don’t believe that Christians outside of their church are excluded from salvation.

In regards to the imagery and devotions, I tend to agree as well. All those pictures and statues kind of disturbed me at first when I entered a Catholic church for the first time. (And the giant Crucifix with Jesus nailed to the Cross.) I guess a facet of the heresy of iconoclasm has crept in to the Protestant church somehow disguised as fidelity to the Ten Commandments (graven images and whatnot).

 

[WT1]

Yes, I have noticed Catholic parishes are less friendly than Evangelical ones. The very first parish I attended basically no one would talk to me. I then moved into a “friendly” parish and what a difference that made. But I find you can attend Mass at a different parish for several weekends and no one basically cares you are there. At an Evangelical Church someone would have taken pains to greet you and probably sign you up for a ministry.

I think having several thousand parishioners in one parish is a factor, as is having parishioners who have been attending for decades. But at least at the start this lack of friendliness can have an impact on a shy introvert such as myself.

There is a huge difference in the protestant and Catholic view on worship. Once you enter the sanctuary of a Catholic church you are entering a place of prayer and worship and that is not the time for idle chatter but respectful silence for those in prayer. Protestants are very much meet and greet and chat right up to the start of the service.

Look around a Catholic Church and inside you will find people that are preparing themselves for worship. Now look right outside the front door and that is where the Catholics gather to socialize. I believe this is the correct way to do it because when we are inside the church our hearts, mind and soul should be as centered on Christ as possible.

Protestants have a time they call “Greet the Guest” where they stop in the service and say hello and smile and exchange compliments. The Catholic Church stop and spread the peace of the Lord to each other in a reverent manner. In my mind spreading His peace that is extended from the priest and the holy sacrament is so much more moving from the spiritual standpoint.

The main reason I think Catholicism is unattractive to protestants is that the Catholic Church has true authority and makes us accountable through the sacraments. Unfortunately people today do not want authority over them and they do not want to be held accountable.

People don’t want to go to confession including many Catholics but what graces they are throwing away by not doing so.

People don’t want to be forced into a state of grace in order to celebrate the Eucharist, they just want it handed to them on a platter without the work.

Being Catholic is not easy but if you embrace the faith and put God first in your life the spiritual rewards are indescribable.

 

[TC3033]

There is a huge difference in the protestant and Catholic view on worship. Once you enter the sanctuary of a Catholic church you are entering a place of prayer and worship and that is not the time for idle chatter but respectful silence for those in prayer. Protestants are very much meet and greet and chat right up to the start of the service.

Look around a Catholic Church and inside you will find people that are preparing themselves for worship. Now look right outside the front door and that is where the Catholics gather to socialize. I believe this is the correct way to do it because when we are inside the church our hearts, mind and soul should be as centered on Christ as possible.

**Protestants have a time they call “Greet the Guest” where they stop in the service and say hello and smile and exchange compliments. ** The Catholic Church stop and spread the peace of the Lord to each other in a reverent manner. In my mind spreading His peace that is extended from the priest and the holy sacrament is so much more moving from the spiritual standpoint.

The main reason I think Catholicism is unattractive to protestants is that the Catholic Church has true authority and makes us accountable through the sacraments. Unfortunately people today do not want authority over them and they do not want to be held accountable.

People don’t want to go to confession including many Catholics but what graces they are throwing away by not doing so.

People don’t want to be forced into a state of grace in order to celebrate the Eucharist, they just want it handed to them on a platter without the work.

Being Catholic is not easy but if you embrace the faith and put God first in your life the spiritual rewards are indescribable.

Some may, but not all, but many Protestant churches have greeters at the door that make you feel welcome and glad to see you.

Where as someone like me, who is a highly introverted non-denominational, I still don’t feel welcome at Mass. It is hard for us, especially introverted, where it is so easy for us to be “made” as “different”. When we receive mailers and in the Parish directory there is an asterisk next to my name. When the Father that was at the church when I moved here found out I wasn’t Catholic, he wanted exactly zero to do with me.

How is that supposed to make someone feel? I guess it’s a large fundamental difference that’s important to me. I grew up in a very welcoming, warm, family type church environment. This is where the Catholic church is quite different, and a main point that I struggle with.

 

[JustaServant]

The sense of community and hospitality is a big piece of evangelical Christianity. I have not found it to be high on the list in Catholic parishes. It could be different, tho, depending on geography or the size of the town.

You hit the nail on the head.
Growing up in a largely Catholic big city, walking into a Catholic Church was like being invisible. Now that I live in a largely non-Catholic small town, the Catholic Churches here exhibit far more friendliness and recognition than I encountered in the city.
Having said that, I wonder how much of modern life has exasperated this. At the turn of the twentieth century, with so many immigrants pouring into industrial cities, churches were as ethnically grounded as the parts of the communities the immigrants settled in. They were like small towns surrounded by a city.

 

[JustaServant]

Here’s something I wrote seven years ago or so.
Edited and updated:

 

[TC3033]

You hit the nail on the head.
Growing up in a largely Catholic big city, walking into a Catholic Church was like being invisible. Now that I live in a largely non-Catholic small town, the Catholic Churches here exhibit far more friendliness and recognition than I encountered in the city.
Having said that, I wonder how much of modern life has exasperated this. At the turn of the twentieth century, with so many immigrants pouring into industrial cities, churches were as ethnically grounded as the parts of the communities the immigrants settled in. They were like small towns surrounded by a city.

So a largely Catholic small town will be even colder to “outsiders”, serious question.

 

[JustaServant]

Here is something I wrote eight years ago, after returning to the Church after years in a Baptist church.
Edited and updated, hope it helps.

Some Christians (like me) have gone from Catholic to Evangelical, and then when age and wisdom catch up with us, back to Catholic.
But some Christians, are born in the Christian wilderness. They have never been in a liturgical, let alone a Catholic church. And when they walk into one, well, let’s face it, it can be kind of scary.
They see statues, stained glass windows. They smell incense. They see an altar, kneelers, people genuflecting, crossing themselves, holy water, crucifixes. Instead of a preacher, they see a priest in a robe.
People aren’t standing around talking, they’re in silent prayer. They are required to respond in prayer, creeds. Let’s face it, for the person born in the “Little Church on the Evangelical Prairie”, it’s like stepping off a spaceship onto another planet.
The evangelical is coming from a totally different mindset and church culture. Even if the church is not hostile to the RCC, for him, it’s a different world. Generations of conditioning have produced this. His father was ________, his father was a ________.
I think both evangelical and Catholic need to understand there are generations of Christians who have never experienced the other. This is not helped by fundamentalists on both sides anesthetizing the other. So to many Christians in the RCC, Protestant, and evangelical, nothing is known and communication does not exist.
It’s like a science fiction story of two planets who have been at war for so long they no longer remember the reason why or even know what the “enemy” looks like.