Why would someone choose a Protestant Religion over Catholicism?

[hn160]

Why choose to be a heretic? This is exactly what you are when you claim to be christian and choose not to be a Catholic.

Actually Pope Benedict XVI is very knowledgeable about Luther and has quoted Luther and heaven forbid visited a heretical Lutheran church in Rome where he gave a sermon. He will certainly be going to Hell according to your thinking.:tsktsk:

 

[Nicea325]

Actually we do not disagree on the goal, its our approach that differs. My view is to use what works even if it means using a sledgehammer. How can we be one church if we take the modernist approach that all churches/faiths are equal roads to God?

When did I even state or suggest all churches/faiths are equal roads to God? Better yet,we are ALL God’s creation and more than ever we need Him now to guide us into His Truth so we can be ONE Church.Second, approach has nothing to do with the greater picture; it starts with attitude my friend.Third, no human is superior to another regardless what church or relgion he or she belongs to. To God we are ALL part of his human family. And no offense,but your approach is not what the pope now uses or the one prior to him. As for the modernist approach? And what “ancient” approach are suggesting we use or implement?

We live in the 21st century,so obviously it is a modern approach. You are using a modern device called a computer and using a modern method to communicate called the Internet. So ‘modern’ approach as nothing to do with it,but how we communicate with our separated brtheren.

Peace my friend.

 

[graceandglory]

I’ve never been Protestant, and I’m only college age, so maybe someone here can help me understand something.

When I hear my Protestant friends talk about what their Church/Religion believes and how it works, it seems to be very disorganized and unclear.

There usually isn’t a central book, like the catechism, where people can go to learn about their Church’s theology.

There isn’t a central figure, like the Pope, that is actively speaking on behalf of the Church to many leaders of countries and organizations.

There usually isn’t a uniform doctrine and liturgy that connects the different churches together.

Overall, I just get a feeling that there isn’t much advice/guidelines that the Church gives for everyday life.

It seems that there is the Pastor’s sermon, and that’s about it.

I’m sorry if I wrote this in an insensitive way. I’m having trouble articulating my thoughts and it results in them sounding rather rude.

I lived inside of that paradigm for 20 years. It is exactly as you have stated. It takes a protestant about 20 yrs to get tired of this and to realize that there must be something more.

 

[graceandglory]

Particularly not if you’re single (which is, oh, that’s right, a VOCATION.) Easy answer here: Nearly all Protestant churches are much more welcoming of singles, compared to the second-class citizen status that characterizes most parishes. Is that a good enough reason to put your salvation in eternal jeopardy? Um…yeah, considering the loneliness and isolation that partner-less Catholic singles can feel and mars any inclination to spend an hour with the Lord, it definitely is a good reason. Whereas families and seniors get the VIP treatment, you essentially need iron-clad self-esteem to go to Catholic church if you’re a single. And where, ideally, should that self-esteem be fostered? In church, where singles are invisible. Not rocket science.

I concur, for the most part.

 

[Stepson]

2089 Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. “Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

Can anyone answer this for me? I read this as saying that “heresy” is post-baptismal denial of some truth or doubt concerning some truth of the Catholic faith. So understanding 2089, I go on to read paragraph 818 when it says:

“However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities…and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers…”

Am I, as a non-Catholic, reading 818 and understanding it as a law (forgive me if this is not the correct term) and that Catholics must obey this law because it is taught under the authority of the Church?

So if this is a binding teaching or truth of the Church and the above poster does not respect it and therefor calls non-Catholics “heretics” instead of brothers isn’t this poster not following the law? And if the poster does not follow the law by either denial or doubt aren’t they the heretic?

Am I correct in this thinking or did I miss something?

 

[Inishfree]

Im not sure, stepson. It was easy for me to go from being Methodist to Catholic. The priest who gave me instruction, knew quite a bit about the Methodist faith. Even joking with me. Saying “you are just changing parishes.” I had been attending a Catholic church, on and off, for years. Before becoming Catholic.

I’m not in anyway a theology scholar. But, for me the two denominations are very close in beliefs.

 

[RyanBlack]

A good answer to the question that is the title of this thread is: the arrogance and hatefulness of some particular Catholics-including one who has made multiple posts in this thread. I was raised in fundamentalist Southern Baptist and Pentecostal circles, and I was chrismated in the Orthodox Church before being received in the Catholic Church. I assure you, it was in spite of Catholics who love to condemn anyone not a Catholic as an unbeliever, heretic, schismatic, or apostate that I became Catholic. I also assure you that in today’s world, there are precious few, if any, who are brought to the Catholic Church by such speech, which, by the way, is in opposition to the example being set by our bishops, include Pope Benedict, with respect to relations with non-Catholics

 

[TrueLight]

-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Jon

:
“The difficulty in the way of giving an answer is a profound one. Ultimately it is due to the fact that there is no appropriate category in Catholic thought for the phenomenon of Protestantism today (one could say the same of the relationship to the separated churches of the East). It is obvious that the old category of ‘heresy’ is no longer of any value. Heresy, for Scripture and the early Church, includes the idea of a personal decision against the unity of the Church, and heresy’s characteristic is pertinacia, the obstinacy of him who persists in his own private way. This, however, cannot be regarded as an appropriate description of the spiritual situation of the Protestant Christian. In the course of a now centuries-old history, Protestantism has made an important contribution to the realization of Christian faith, fulfilling a positive function in the development of the Christian message and, above all, often giving rise to a sincere and profound faith in the individual non-Catholic Christian, whose separation from the Catholic affirmation has nothing to do with the pertinacia characteristic of heresy. Perhaps we may here invert a saying of St. Augustine’s: that an old schism becomes a heresy. The very passage of time alters the character of a division, so that an old division is something essentially different from a new one. Something that was once rightly condemned as heresy cannot later simply become true, but it can gradually develop its own positive ecclesial nature, with which the individual is presented as his church and in which he lives as a believer, not as a heretic. This organization of one group, however, ultimately has an effect on the whole. The conclusion is inescapable, then: Protestantism today is something different from heresy in the traditional sense, a phenomenon whose true theological place has not yet been determined.”

Awesome find, Jon!

 

[exnihilo]

A good answer to the question that is the title of this thread is: the arrogance and hatefulness of some particular Catholics-including one who has made multiple posts in this thread. I was raised in fundamentalist Southern Baptist and Pentecostal circles, and I was chrismated in the Orthodox Church before being received in the Catholic Church. I assure you, it was in spite of Catholics who love to condemn anyone not a Catholic as an unbeliever, heretic, schismatic, or apostate that I became Catholic. I also assure you that in today’s world, there are precious few, if any, who are brought to the Catholic Church by such speech, which, by the way, is in opposition to the example being set by our bishops, include Pope Benedict, with respect to relations with non-Catholics

When I was in college there were preachers who would set up outdoors where students congregated between classes. The preachers would loudly and passionately condemn passersby as sinners. I’m quite sure the preachers were right. And I’m quite sure they never reached a soul.

One can convince another that they are wrong, but only after first having the respect of that person. Not only does one need respect but they also need for the other person to truly believe that you have their best interests at heart. If the person you are trying to persuade is only convinced that you are most concerned with being right then they’ll deny it even when you are.

 

[JonNC]

I fully expect to sit down and visit for a thousand years with Jon–two baptized Christians-- when we both get to Heaven…

I look forward to that.

Jon

 

[Theophilus777]

Some people choose a Protestant denomination because first, they have never really understood or studied their own Catholic faith. But secondly, there is a sort of superficial “social” aspect to alot of Protestant churches which some, comparing such to the Catholic church, interpret as making the Catholic church appear somewhat less “friendly.” In other words, you can go to a Protestant church and the atmosphere isn’t much different than a cocktail party. Alot of Protestant churches go to great pains to acknowledge newcomers, and you can’t get through the door without being met by a “greeter.”
And yes there is definitely a “celebratory” aspect to the Kingdom of God, but there is also a great solemnity, and the Church is really meant to reflect both. Alot of Protestants will call a church which is not loud and exuberantly joyful a “dead” church, but that sort of assessment is superficial because can anyone see what is going on in the heart of another person by merely observing them by means of the senses(sight, hearing, etc.)? The deepest and most enduring part of our faith is often not immediately evident, and thus you can go into a Catholic church and hear a pin drop, but this does not mean there is not deep prayer taking place. By the same token I would not presume to say that deep prayer is not taking place in a service which is outwardly joyful and exuberant. It’s both, really. But some people have never learned the value of something like silence. Even music itself is a meaningful combination of silence and sound(the use of “rests” in written sheet music denoting silence, for example).
People choose a Protestant religion because they don’t understand the nature of God, nor do they understand the nature of worship. Both celebration and solemnity are an integral part of what we will experience in Heaven when our salvation is made complete, and our worship in this life will contain both exuberant celebration and solemn reverence and worship. It’s not one or the other. It’s both. On the other hand we can just as easily fall into the opposite extreme, which is to throw out joy in favor of awe. Personally I find the Catholic Church to have the most balanced approach to the joy that comes from being with God as well as the great solemnity and reverence due to God because of Who He is. God is our Father and we can call Him, Abba, Daddy. But He is also omnipotent and "awe"some.
John the Apostle lay his head on Jesus breast in the Gospels but then falls down at His feet “as one dead” in the book of Revelation. For some, God is their buddy but not so much their judge. And for others the reverse is true. Many heresies came about because of a lack of balance in understanding Jesus’ divinity and His humanity.
The question is really a complex one but I'll throw this out as something to consider when examining the choices some have made.

 

[Kristin234]

People choose a Protestant religion because they don’t understand the nature of God, nor do they understand the nature of worship.

I am so sick of Catholics and Orthodox saying people choose to become Protestant because they don’t understand Catholicism or God. A lot of Catholics I know have left the Catholic Church and joined a Protestant Church. By the way, these people definitely were not ignorant of the Church teaching or God. Many of them were involved in the Church from a young age and know its teachings very well.

I am so sick of people saying I wasn’t a good Orthodox or I didn’t know the Church teachings and that’s why I left cus I wanted something easier . I had tried so hard to understand God in both the Catholic and Orthodox Church. I would pray daily and I went to the Catholic mass almost daily with my uncle but I always felt empty. I didn’t give up after a couple of months. I did this for four years and as days went by I felt emptier and emptier. I have never been as close to God as I am now. So You know what’s offensive? When someone goes up to a Protestant who has dedicated their whole life to glorify God and they say they don’t understand Christianity and they do not understand the nature of God.

 

[CMatt25]

I am so sick of Catholics and Orthodox saying people choose to become Protestant because they don’t understand Catholicism or God. A lot of Catholics I know have left the Catholic Church and joined a Protestant Church. By the way, these people definitely were not ignorant of the Church teaching or God. Many of them were involved in the Church from a young age and know its teachings very well.

I am so sick of people saying I wasn’t a good Orthodox or I didn’t know the Church teachings and that’s why I left cus I wanted something easier . I had tried so hard to understand God in both the Catholic and Orthodox Church. I would pray daily and I went to the Catholic mass almost daily with my uncle but I always felt empty. I didn’t give up after a couple of months. I did this for four years and as days went by I felt emptier and emptier. I have never been as close to God as I am now. So You know what’s offensive? When someone goes up to a Protestant who has dedicated their whole life to glorify God and they say they don’t understand Christianity and they do not understand the nature of God.

:clapping: Kristin, I can’t speak about the Orthodox as much as my experience with the Orthodox faithful is minimal at best. But I agree when folks have different faith beliefs than their Catholic Christian brothers and sisters, it seems the response is often you don’t understand. Or you were not properly catechized. Or your conscience is ill-informed. Even though as you pointed out this might not be the case.

God bless you on your journey with Him. Peace.

 

[mathematoons]

I am so sick of Catholics and Orthodox saying people choose to become Protestant because they don’t understand Catholicism or God…
I am so sick of people saying I wasn’t a good Orthodox or I didn’t know the Church teachings and that’s why I left cus I wanted something easier .

So please enlighten us. You talk about how you like being Protestant better, but what made you decide to convert? We’re guessing and falling short because we love the Catholic faith so much, we can’t imagine why someone would leave.

 

[CMatt25]

So please enlighten us. You talk about how you like being Protestant better, but what made you decide to convert? We’re guessing and falling short because we love the Catholic faith so much, we can’t imagine why someone would leave.

You perhaps can’t imagine anyone else not being part of the Catholic faith but she can. Did you miss what she already enlightened? “I would pray daily and I went to the Catholic mass almost daily with my uncle but I always felt empty. I didn’t give up after a couple of months. I did this for four years and as days went by I felt emptier and emptier. I have never been as close to God as I am now.”

Being close to God is what it’s all about.

 

[waxwing]

I am so sick of Catholics and Orthodox saying people choose to become Protestant because they don’t understand Catholicism or God. A lot of Catholics I know have left the Catholic Church and joined a Protestant Church. By the way, these people definitely were not ignorant of the Church teaching or God. Many of them were involved in the Church from a young age and know its teachings very well.

I am so sick of people saying I wasn’t a good Orthodox or I didn’t know the Church teachings and that’s why I left cus I wanted something easier . I had tried so hard to understand God in both the Catholic and Orthodox Church. I would pray daily and I went to the Catholic mass almost daily with my uncle but I always felt empty. I didn’t give up after a couple of months. I did this for four years and as days went by I felt emptier and emptier. I have never been as close to God as I am now. So You know what’s offensive? When someone goes up to a Protestant who has dedicated their whole life to glorify God and they say they don’t understand Christianity and they do not understand the nature of God.

Kristen,
I have to agree with this, the so and so left because they didn’t understand the Catholicism has become the default answer to these types of threads to often. Of course when you speak in generalities there will be some people who left for the the lack of understanding reason. But, I think many leave because they do in fact understand the Catholic Church and Christianity as whole and this has lead them to join a Protestant Church.

 

[CMatt25]

“The difficulty in the way of giving an answer is a profound one. Ultimately it is due to the fact that there is no appropriate category in Catholic thought for the phenomenon of Protestantism today (one could say the same of the relationship to the separated churches of the East). It is obvious that the old category of ‘heresy’ is no longer of any value. Heresy, for Scripture and the early Church, includes the idea of a personal decision against the unity of the Church, and heresy’s characteristic is pertinacia, the obstinacy of him who persists in his own private way. This, however, cannot be regarded as an appropriate description of the spiritual situation of the Protestant Christian. In the course of a now centuries-old history, Protestantism has made an important contribution to the realization of Christian faith, fulfilling a positive function in the development of the Christian message and, above all, often giving rise to a sincere and profound faith in the individual non-Catholic Christian, whose separation from the Catholic affirmation has nothing to do with the pertinacia characteristic of heresy. Perhaps we may here invert a saying of St. Augustine’s: that an old schism becomes a heresy. The very passage of time alters the character of a division, so that an old division is something essentially different from a new one. Something that was once rightly condemned as heresy cannot later simply become true, but it can gradually develop its own positive ecclesial nature, with which the individual is presented as his church and in which he lives as a believer, not as a heretic. This organization of one group, however, ultimately has an effect on the whole. The conclusion is inescapable, then: Protestantism today is something different from heresy in the traditional sense, a phenomenon whose true theological place has not yet been determined.”

Awesome find, Jon!

So if a Catholic were to take up the exact same beliefs of Jon and join his Lutheran eccelsial community, would they then not be a heretic either?

 

[waxwing]

Some people choose a Protestant denomination because first, they have never really understood or studied their own Catholic faith. But secondly, there is a sort of superficial “social” aspect to alot of Protestant churches which some, comparing such to the Catholic church, interpret as making the Catholic church appear somewhat less “friendly.” In other words, you can go to a Protestant church and the atmosphere isn’t much different than a cocktail party. Alot of Protestant churches go to great pains to acknowledge newcomers, and you can’t get through the door without being met by a “greeter.”
And yes there is definitely a “celebratory” aspect to the Kingdom of God, but there is also a great solemnity, and the Church is really meant to reflect both. Alot of Protestants will call a church which is not loud and exuberantly joyful a “dead” church, but that sort of assessment is superficial because can anyone see what is going on in the heart of another person by merely observing them by means of the senses(sight, hearing, etc.)? The deepest and most enduring part of our faith is often not immediately evident, and thus you can go into a Catholic church and hear a pin drop, but this does not mean there is not deep prayer taking place. By the same token I would not presume to say that deep prayer is not taking place in a service which is outwardly joyful and exuberant. It’s both, really. But some people have never learned the value of something like silence. Even music itself is a meaningful combination of silence and sound(the use of “rests” in written sheet music denoting silence, for example).
People choose a Protestant religion because they don’t understand the nature of God, nor do they understand the nature of worship. Both celebration and solemnity are an integral part of what we will experience in Heaven when our salvation is made complete, and our worship in this life will contain both exuberant celebration and solemn reverence and worship. It’s not one or the other. It’s both. On the other hand we can just as easily fall into the opposite extreme, which is to throw out joy in favor of awe. Personally I find the Catholic Church to have the most balanced approach to the joy that comes from being with God as well as the great solemnity and reverence due to God because of Who He is. God is our Father and we can call Him, Abba, Daddy. But He is also omnipotent and "awe"some.
John the Apostle lay his head on Jesus breast in the Gospels but then falls down at His feet “as one dead” in the book of Revelation. For some, God is their buddy but not so much their judge. And for others the reverse is true. Many heresies came about because of a lack of balance in understanding Jesus’ divinity and His humanity.

  The question is really a complex one but I'll throw this out as something to consider when examining the choices some have made.

Superficial Social Aspects of Protestantism?..Does Protestantism have a monopoly on these shallow relationships? Although it is true that the social aspect of church is embraced more within Protestant Churches - generally speaking of course. The relationships that develop within those churchs are real and quite deep.

 

[josephback]

Learned Behavior or Free-Will.

GENUINE BUT MISTAKEN CONVICTION is another one. For a Catholic that switches bad catechism and/or misunderstanding of Church teachings can play a role. Deliberate decision to reject the Truth as well(but that falls under free will).

 

[fhansen]

The Bible is the written word of God. It is written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. God does not contradict himself. If you believe the Bible is full of contradictions then it cannot be a holy and perfect book. If it is not a holy and perfect book then it is not from God.

Either way, Protestant interpretations often contradict each other.