Although I’m not Protestant, I’d like to add a few thoughts to this thread.
First since I was away from the Catholic Church (Yes I"m a cradle Catholic) for over 20 some years, I do understand where some of the Protestant thoughts are coming from, not that I agree with all their thoughts, but I do understand why some of their answers are the way they are.
They are just like Catholics in one sense, they only know what they are taught. If they were raised, “Craddle Protestants” they don’t know any other way. (by the way I’m not knocking our Brother and Sister Protestants, just stateing a fact.)
It did me a whirl of good in a lot of ways to be away from the Catholic Church, for now I can understand some of our Protestant brothers and sisters better, their point of view of what they have been taught. But I must confess, being blessed as a Craddle Catholic and having gone through CC until 12th grade, I never could “accept” a lot of their teachings, but at least I can understand why they may not accept all the Catholic Teachings.
I would like to suggest to a lot of our Brothers and Sisters that are Protestants, it would do you a lot of good to “Study” the Catholic Religion. No I’m not trying to convert you, not at all. But it would help “bridge the gap” in understanding each others Religion. It would help each Protestant to know what we “really” believe as Catholics and not what their church is teaching them we believe.
Now I know many, (maybe not all) Protestants won’t take the time on their own to find out what we, as Catholics really believe, it’s eaiser to let someone else teach them/us. I know this for a fact, as I did just that. I learned what the Protestants Churchs think of the Catholics from Studying with them and their material in their Bible Studies and also by attending their churchs.
True it’s a challenge, to take the time to really study the Catholic Religion but one worth taking. After all, just what if, what your church is teaching isn’t all the Truth? And truely what do you have to loose by taking the time to Study the Catholic Faith? It doesn’t mean you have to become Catholic.
After all I spent 20 plus years going to Protesent Chruchs, studing with them in Bible Studies, being involved in their church, and yet I found, them to be friendly, true I learned a lot, but I also knew what they didn’t want to teach and when I’d ask a question about some things, they would always tell me it wasn’t important, or they’d beat around the bush on the topic.
This was lead me back to the Catholic Church…the fact they didn’t want to talk about all the Truths…just part of them. (I don’t say this to offend anyone, yet I know both sides and what is missing.)