Why some Protestants Believe Catholics are not Christians?

[churchcamefirst]

I was born and raised evangelical Protestant, and only became Catholic a few years ago.

This will sting, fellow Catholics.

The reason some Protestants believe Catholics are not Christians is that the Catholic(s) is/are living a sinful life and are not contrite or repentant.

Many Catholics co-habit and have sex outside of marriage, get drunk, swear, procure abortions, get divorced, cheat, skip church for months or even years, etc.–I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone of the sins that we are guilty of.

Our talk has to be backed up with our walk, or no one will believe that we are Christians.

Oh please…like Protestants are saints…far from the truth. There are many thousands of good practicing Catholics. Thousands of saints were martyred for the faith, and they were Catholic.
On the top of my head right now, I can name about 12 Protestants who don’t even attend church, one is cheating on his wife, one is a total drunk and also cheats on his wife…etc…the list goes on. So to even imply that Catholics are not Christian because of some ignorant person stating so, is ridiculous.
Remember, Catholics were the first Christians, Protestants adopted that name from us.

 

[tGette]

I’ve checked out the YouTube site noted above. Apparently the creator of it is a “5 star Clavinist”. . The whole YouTube idea in inself is not necessarly bad, it all depends on how you use it. I have a page there myself (jerald1610) as I am a musician. He is, by his statement, expressing only an opinion and what he believes. One must accept reality, which seems to be something he will hopefully learn (if not in college, then sometime I assure you) These are the ones to pray for the most. He is young and we don’t know what the Lord has in store for anyone else, let alone ourselves…

Jerald Franklin Archer

I agree…I have been intrigued because I am praying and hoping someday to stumble upon his site and see a video on why he converted to “Romanism” as he terms our beautiful faith! God willing!!!

In short…for all who consider Catholics “non-Christian” , they need our extra prayers!

That gives me an idea for the Prayer Forum!!!

Thanks Jerald Franklin Archer!

 

[Tietjen]

The reason some Protestants believe Catholics are not Christians is that the Catholic(s) is/are living a sinful life and are not contrite or repentant.

You seem to paint that on here with such a broad brush; is this opinion or have you actually been told this? I find it hard to believe that some Protestants would in fact assume that a Church with a population over 1 BILLION would have sinless members. If this truly is the basis for why some Protestants claim that we are not Christians, then let us pray that God blesses their offspring with an increase in intelligence.

 

[Cat]

Hey, stop kicking the Cat!

You asked, I answered.

Do you only want to hear certain “safe” answers that make Protestants look bad and Catholics look good? What good will that do?

I was evangelical Protestant for over 40 years. I had many hundreds of close friends in the various churches that I was part of. I can honestly testify with all of my heart that many of these people lived a beautiful godly life as free of obvious sin as possible. I can remember many selfless acts of kindness done by my evangelical friends, and I can remember many evidences of honest contrition and grief over sins that they committed.

I don’t remember ANY incidents of co-habitation or drunkeness or serious sins in the evangelical churches that I attended. You see, if evangelicals live a sinful lifestyle, they are asked to stop attending the church. That’s how evangelical churches work (or used to work).

A murderer, a thief, a liar, a philanderer, a fornicator, a drunkard, a gossip, a racist–all of these are rebuked by the church pastors and elders and told to stop the sinful behavior or leave.

At least, that’s the way it was in the churches that I attended.

I fear that it has changed in the last ten years, as evangelicals are becoming ever more accomodating in order to keep their pews (or more accurately in these megachurch times, tables and armchairs) full.

Sigh.

If I think about it too much, I’ll start crying because I miss these beautiful people and their simple goodness.

 

[Just_Me_Andrew]

I would like to start this post with saying that the term “Protestant” needs to be qualified here. Which Protestants are you talking about? From my study the early Protestants did see their Catholic brothers and sisters as Christian. What early Protestants objected to in their view was the addition to the faith by Catholicism, were traditions and teachings not believed before.

I will give an example from the famous debate of Fr. Mich Pacwa and Dr. Walter Martin:

Pacwa: *And one of the important aspects of the Catholic teaching of the papacy is that the papacy cannot be seen apart from the college of the bishops. The Pope, even…for instance, there are two statements by Popes that claimed for sure-- claimed by them, not by Cardinal Manning, but claimed by the Popes-- to be infallible: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin-- which I’m sure we’ll get to later, and the Assumption into Heaven of the Blessed Virgin-- which we will also get to later. No doubt! *

Martin: *I think we better reel the tape back and get to the first one where he committed the error of begging the question and affirmed himself infallible in 1870, which the Universal Church never recognized. He said, “I am the successor of Peter.” “I am the infallible teacher.” And they said, “Why?” And he said, “Because I said so.” And that’s exactly what happened! *

So we see Dr. Walter Martin believes the Infallibility of the Pope was something not held by the Universal church prior to 1870.

Things like this…and especially misunderstandings about the catholic view of Justification gives protestants a distorted understanding…and they speak not knowing what they are talking about…There are many reasons why certain Protestants go to extremes pronouncing their Catholic brothers and Sisters lost…its sad, but it happens.

Lastly there is still alot of old baggage in the closet…e.g. the famous Unam Sanctum…bother Protestants alot…because they think this means they are judged “out of court” as unsaved and lost.

 

[Tietjen]

I would like to start this post with saying that the term “Protestant” needs to be qualified here. Which Protestants are you talking about? From my study the early Protestants did see their Catholic brothers and sisters as Christian. What early Protestants objected to in their view was the addition to the faith by Catholicism, were traditions and teachings not believed before.

I will give an example from the famous debate of Fr. Mich Pacwa and Dr. Walter Martin:

Pacwa: *And one of the important aspects of the Catholic teaching of the papacy is that the papacy cannot be seen apart from the college of the bishops. The Pope, even…for instance, there are two statements by Popes that claimed for sure-- claimed by them, not by Cardinal Manning, but claimed by the Popes-- to be infallible: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin-- which I’m sure we’ll get to later, and the Assumption into Heaven of the Blessed Virgin-- which we will also get to later. No doubt! *

Martin: I think we better reel the tape back and get to the first one where he committed the error of begging the question and affirmed himself infallible in 1870, which the Universal Church never recognized. He said, “I am the successor of Peter.” “I am the infallible teacher.” And they said, “Why?” And he said, “Because I said so.” And that’s exactly what happened!

So we see Dr. Walter Martin believes the Infallibility of the Pope was something not held by the Universal church prior to 1870.

Things like this…and especially misunderstandings about the catholic view of Justification gives protestants a distorted understanding…and they speak not knowing what they are talking about…There are many reasons why certain Protestants go to extremes pronouncing their Catholic brothers and Sisters lost…its sad, but it happens.

Lastly there is still alot of old baggage in the closet…e.g. the famous Unam Sanctum…bother Protestants alot…because they think this means they are judged “out of court” as unsaved and lost.

I would beg to differ with the example that you used. The fact that Martin may have used this argument does not make it true. If you are simply saying that some Protestants are ignorant of certain facts, as Martin apparently was in the case of Papal Infallibility, then I can understand that. However, if you are in fact suggesting that the Church did not accept Papal Infallibility prior to 1870, then I am sorry to say that you are incorrect. We have proof of this in the writings of the Early Church Fathers. Cyprian of Carthage, writing about 256AD, put the question this way, “Would the heretics dare to come to the very seat of Peter whence apostolic faith is derived and whither no errors can come?” (Letters 59 [55], 14). In the fifth century, Augustine succinctly captured the ancient attitude when he remarked, “Rome has spoken; the case is concluded” (Sermons 131, 10). These are but two examples from among many, which prove that the Church has always believed in Papal infallibility since the beginning.