Why is Evangelical Protestantism so intolerant of other Christians?

[niceatheist]

Christianity has always had it’s aesthetics, and I view the Amish as just another iteration of that sentiment.

 

[glencor63]

That’s interesting. I never saw them as ascetics. Hmm.

 

[John_Martin]

What items or doctrines, specifically, do Anglicans protest loudly about?

Who is the Pope to the Anglicans? who is the Head of the Church? Who governs? Who ordains “bishops” (if they really are such to us?)

" Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the [British monarch]

1. Although the monarch’s authority over the Church of England is largely ceremonial, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly observed in a symbolic capacity. As the Supreme Governor, the monarch formally appoints high-ranking members of the church on the advice of the [Prime Minister of the United Kingdom], who is in turn advised by church leaders.

That would be the protest - The Chair of Peter, the Pope, the Rock, is not from Christ but the King/Queen is ordained to rule - the protest is against Petrine and Apostolic succession so that the King can choose a different wife.
Defiantly they regularly appoint those not appointed and ordained via the Papacy.

John Martin

 

[BartholomewB]

Yes, the Church of England continues to quietly manage its affairs today in the same unchanging way it has followed since 1558, when Parliament enacted the second Act of Supremacy. So that is the full extent of what you called Anglicans “protesting loudly” against Catholic doctrines. I see.

 

[John_Martin]

Yes, the Church of England continues to quietly manage its affairs today in the same unchanging way it has followed since 1558, when Parliament enacted the second Act of Supremacy. So that is the full extent of what you called Anglicans “protesting loudly” against Catholic doctrines. I see.

Quietly? a lot of people died, beheaded, drawn and quartered; a lot of people shunned, expelled, since 1558. St. Thomas More did not quite see a “quiet management” of the affairs of the Church in England.
Yes, this is a quiet century of “secular non-confrontation”, but it is not the Anglican Church requiring this “peace where there is no peace” - it is the secular state and culture demanding silence from the religions.

There is a loud protest that will break free as loudly as “Send them Back!” is now being shouted. It is like we are seeing the beginning of a new “dark ages”, beginning right here.

John Martin

 

[phil19034]

It’s not all Protestants. I rarely hear this from Episcopalians or Anglicans or Lutherans. They are Protestants that seem to have left the religious wars in the 16th and 17th century. Maybe it’s because they were first and saw the terrible cost of the religious wars.

No, it’s all of them, but to different degrees.

Here is the thing. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all force you to make a choice. Is the religion True or not? (Esp Christianity and Islam.)

Christians who devoutly practice their faith (whether Catholic or Orthodox or Protestant) all believe that their sect is the true one.

So if you strongly believe your religion was the one true religion, you would naturally want everyone to join you.

Also MOST (not all) evangelicals don’t have issues with Catholic people, but they do have issues with Catholic clergy. Just like many Catholics don’t have issues with protestant people, but do have issues with protestant clergy. Why? Because clergymen who are not of your sect are preaching heresy from your point of view.

Finally, in regards to social interaction, devout people usually respond a few different ways:

1. they are overly respecting of different religions to a fault and wind up unintentionally (or sometimes even intentionally) condoning heresy.
2. they are respecting of people of different religions and and welcoming of them, but look for good opportunities to evangelize.
3. they are respect of people of different religions, but choose to keep a their distance as much as possible in order to avoid heretical ideas from taking root.
4. they do not have respect of different religions, but are able to love the person (basically the same as the “love the sinner, hate the sin” notion.)
5. OR they become blinded by their hate of the “sin” so much, that they identify the person by solely the religion and fail to see Christ in every person.

As you can see both 1 and 5 are bad. But anyway, that’s why. And often, it’s not so much that they are actually at #5, but rather they are at #3 or #4 and acting out of “tough love.”

I hope this helps a little.

God bless

 

[glencor63]

How is it that I grew up Protestant, but without animosity towards other denominations? I’m glad I escaped such prejudice and bigotry. How do Evangelical Christians regard their own pre-Reformation ancestors? Are they in hell? Were they not of the elect? Are they dammed? I ask this seriously because logical consistency would preclude that they are damned.

 

[VeryBlessed]

I think the word “Sola” sums up this mindset and tendency to be critical of others pretty well. Catholicism may be the biggest and easiest target, but many evangelicals don’t even get along very well with each other. The reformation emphasized an individual interpretation of the faith, and the supremacy of an individual understanding of the Bible. With a foundation such as this, it’s hard to play nice. Taken to its logical extreme, there can be as many different Christian denominations as there are Christians. That is a problem. This “doesn’t play well with others” mindset seems endemic to the system, due, I think, to its foundation on “Sola”.

 

[glencor63]

“They are respecting of people of different religions and welcoming of them, but look for good opportunities to evangelize”.

I have a problem with people that use “friendship” as an opportunity to form someone in their own image. It’s the ultimate form of disrespect"!

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

I have a problem with people that use “friendship” as an opportunity to form someone in their own image. It’s the ultimate form or disrespect"!

Thank you.

I’ve even heard of “missionary dating”, where they essentially try to “kiss you into the Kingdom”. Eww

Always remember—that’s a person, not a project.

 

[glencor63]

I’ve been reading about this woman named, Rachel Held Evans. She was raised Evangelical, but eventually became Episcopalian. She really wrestled with her faith and how to love the marginalized, especially those in the LGBT community. She wrote several books. She died in May, a terrible tragedy! She challenged the status quo of her faith community. I want to read her books. I feel like I lost a kindred spirit, someone that struggled in their faith walk and would have encouraged and understood me. I said a prayer for her soul. The Communion of Saints is one of the most beautiful dogmas of Catholicism. Some of the YouTube comments about her from Evangelicals are horrible, basically saying she is in hell. It makes me sad and angry that anyone would judge her soul.

 

[phil19034]

“They are respecting of people of different religions and welcoming of them, but look for good opportunities to evangelize”.

I have a problem with people that use “friendship” as an opportunity to form someone in their own image. It’s the ultimate form of disrespect"!

OK, there are those who create fake friendships or missionary dating. I wasn’t referring to them and I agree that’s deceitful. Those people eventually say “convert or friendship/relationship is over.” That’s not evangelization. That’s corrosion.

I’m just talking about true evangelization. If you love Jesus, if you love His Church, and if you love your friends, why wouldn’t you want to introduce your friends to Jesus & the Church?

It’s no different than when you have one set of good friends and another set of good friends. It’s natural to want to introduce them to each other and hope that everyone can hang out together.

But sometimes it doesn’t work out. Whether we’re talking about introducing friends to other friends, or if you are talking about introducing friends to Christ.