Wishing to be Protestant again...

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Well, all i can say is that when I attend mass at my church h its the most boring thing ever. Nobody sings, everyone is just standing their live zombies. There are two Catholic churches and they are very dry and boring. I will admit, when I went to my fiancées church (she’s Assembly of God) people actually sang and rejoiced, as opposed to standing their looking disinterested and ready to go home.
Kinda reminds me of what Father said one day. Boring people find thng’s Boring:eek:
 
So you would rather just dismiss it away by calling this person “boring?” WOW!
Not at all. You missed my point totally. So let me show it to you.

If you are going to Church this Sunday to hear the word of God, and you get up and say huh what’s the gospel about today. Can’t wait to hear what God’s going to talk to me about.

Then you get the 3 readings. They all tie into gether. Then Father goes up and explains what God’s point was. Then you are supposed to go home and dwell on that point all day, and ask how is God talking to me and how is that going to be a part of my life this week. :hmmm: Then you get kind of excited because some how, some way when you concentrate on that word there was a reason for that scripture that Sunday. And somehow someway you find a way or God finds a way for you to make it work. Or give meaning to it. Its like awesome. How can every scripture be like it was just for me. Or sometimes its like OMG this was my week.:eek:

Now the next person goes in, Does not pay attention, sleeps, is bored, let’s the 3 reading go over his head because he never paid attention and comes out and says BORING!🤷

Life is what you make of it. Church is what you make of it. You can take the word of God home with you and MAKE IT HAPPEN:extrahappy::clapping::dancing::yup:

Or you can take the word of God and ignore it totally, and come home and blame the Priest and say B-O-R-I-N-G:sad_yes:
 
Protestant 101,

**We wrote: Protestant 101:The “Real Presence” can be experienced by Christians without “The Eucharist” or “Communion”.

**Jerry: ** This is just so much sectarian persiflage and evasion of the issue. The “Real Presence” in the Eucharist is a Presence that is promised, assured, and objectively effected in the Mass (or Holy Communion, as Protestants prefer to call it).

**Protestant 101: **“Persiflage!” Ha ha! I like that. Another new word for me from my friends at CAF! Thanks, Brother.

Perhaps I could remind you though, that what I view the Mass as may not be all that different from other Catholics. From a few posts ago I quote:
Quote:
“Well, all I can say is that when I attend mass at my church, it’s the most boring thing ever. Nobody sings, everyone is just standing there like zombies. There are two Catholic churches and they are very dry and boring. I will admit, when I went to my fiancée’s church (she’s Assembly of God) people actually sang and rejoiced, as opposed to standing their looking disinterested * and ready to go home.”

I believe that in past discussions here I stated that I firmly believe Christ works at the Catholic Mass. I have no trouble with that basic principle. But I think there is a misunderstood portion of this phenomenon, regarding HOW Jesus does this. I would have no trouble going to a Mass with you my friend; but I would see it a bit differently. *​

You know, as I hope that you do, that words are in the vocabulary of English, or of any other language, to be used. “Persiflage” is a well accepted word and has both the denotation and connotation that I wished to express, so I used it. Consider yourself enriched, buster, if you have learned what that word means. I do not choose words to impress, I select them to convey exactly what I want to express. I am always glad to learn a new and useful word; if you are an educated person, with a thirst to learn, you also would be happy to acquire an addition to your vocabulary.

Now you are doing a diversionary tactic, avoiding the brunt of what I had written criticising sectarian (Baptist, Fundamentalist, Campbellite, etc) practice, as opposed to that of Catholics, Lutherans, and some other Protestants (Presbyterian, Reformed, Anglican). I was referring to how Christ conveys grace to His people, objectively through the sacraments and the Real Presence, with real efficacy, of Christ. Your reply goes on about matters of socialisation and enjoyment among the congregants. There is a disconnect here! The quote from another Catholic which you provided has nothing to do with the Real Presence in the Mass (Holy Communion), but with disappointment at the inadequate sense of fellowship in Christ among Catholic worshippers. This impersonality and isolation among Catholic worshippers (which was not such a problem before the introduction of the stripped-down and coldly functional 1970 Novus Ordo displaced the traditional liturgy of the Mass) is something that can bother me, too, and I have commented on that in prior messages, but suchlike in no way invalidates what Catholic Eucharistic worship is all about.

If I did injustice to what you sated in your earlier postings, those before the one on which I am commenting now, I apologise for that. It is a bit hard to keep track of things on a computer screen, scrolling up and down while trying to obtain an impression of all that you and others already have said; that’s one of the enduring advantages of printing and typing on paper!

We Catholics, with some effort and ingenuity, can have a better sense of fellowship before and after worship (hopefully, not during it, however great our spiritual solidarity should be). Protestants and sectaries, on the other hand, cannot effect the tremendous blessing of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist by their own effort’s; that is something that only our sovereign God can effect through a genuinely ordained episcopacy and priesthood in a right-believing Church.

However, there is much about these ancillary matters of fellowship and outreach that Catholics with profit (but also with caution) can learn from evangelical Protestants and even from fundamentalist and neo-evangelical sects.

Pax, Jerry Parker**
 
Not at all. You missed my point totally. So let me show it to you.

If you are going to Church this Sunday to hear the word of God, and you get up and say huh what’s the gospel about today. Can’t wait to hear what God’s going to talk to me about.

Then you get the 3 readings. They all tie into gether. Then Father goes up and explains what God’s point was. Then you are supposed to go home and dwell on that point all day, and ask how is God talking to me and how is that going to be a part of my life this week. :hmmm: Then you get kind of excited because some how, some way when you concentrate on that word there was a reason for that scripture that Sunday. And somehow someway you find a way or God finds a way for you to make it work. Or give meaning to it. Its like awesome. How can every scripture be like it was just for me. Or sometimes its like OMG this was my week.:eek:

Now the next person goes in, Does not pay attention, sleeps, is bored, let’s the 3 reading go over his head because he never paid attention and comes out and says BORING!🤷

Life is what you make of it. Church is what you make of it. You can take the word of God home with you and MAKE IT HAPPEN:extrahappy::clapping::dancing::yup:

Or you can take the word of God and ignore it totally, and come home and blame the Priest and say B-O-R-I-N-G:sad_yes:
:clapping: I loved this post.

And as a former Protestant who attended the most rocking-chruches I totally agree. I am often in AWE at how much of the word of God I hear during a Catholic mass! It is ALL so scriptural. Is that boring? Hardly!

Regarding a previous poster’s comment about how nobody sings. That may be true at my parish too… I wouldn’t know… I’m too busy praising God with my voice. What do I care what others around me are doing? GOD is present in that place… that is ALL I care about.

I believe our worship should be reverent and Holy. Since when did we decide church needed to be “exciting?” As a society are we really that ADD that we need to be stimulated continuously? Really?
 
:clapping: I loved this post.

And as a former Protestant who attended the most rocking-chruches I totally agree. I am often in AWE at how much of the word of God I hear during a Catholic mass! It is ALL so scriptural. Is that boring? Hardly!

Regarding a previous poster’s comment about how nobody sings. That may be true at my parish too… I wouldn’t know… I’m too busy praising God with my voice. What do I care what others around me are doing? GOD is present in that place… that is ALL I care about.

I believe our worship should be reverent and Holy. Since when did we decide church needed to be “exciting?” As a society are we really that ADD that we need to be stimulated continuously? Really?
And you know over 80% of what happens in the Church is the parish itself. I mean if you have alot of People dedicated to the singing in the choir you will have music.

If you have alot dedicated to Novena’s alot of praying. Etc. It takes us to do our part.😃
 
Whats wrong or right is your expectation, perspective and how that is fulfilled.
The Mass is the just that, the Mass.
 
Protestant 101,

We wrote: Protestant 101*:The “Real Presence” can be experienced by Christians without “The Eucharist” or “Communion”.*

***Jerry: ***This is just so much sectarian persiflage and evasion of the issue. The “Real Presence” in the Eucharist is a Presence that is promised, assured, and objectively effected in the Mass (or Holy Communion, as Protestants prefer to call it).

***Protestant 101: ***“Persiflage!” Ha ha! I like that. Another new word for me from my friends at CAF! Thanks, Brother.

*Perhaps I could remind you though, that what I view the Mass as may not be all that different from other Catholics. From a few posts ago I quote: *
Quote:
*“Well, all I can say is that when I attend mass at my church, it’s the most boring thing ever. Nobody sings, everyone is just standing there like zombies. There are two Catholic churches and they are very dry and boring. I will admit, when I went to my fiancée’s church (she’s Assembly of God) people actually sang and rejoiced, as opposed to standing their looking disinterested * and ready to go home.” **

*I believe that in past discussions here I stated that I firmly believe Christ works at the Catholic Mass. I have no trouble with that basic principle. But I think there is a misunderstood portion of this phenomenon, regarding HOW Jesus does this. I would have no trouble going to a Mass with you my friend; but I would see it a bit differently. *​

You know, as I hope that you do, that words are in the vocabulary of English, or of any other language, to be used. “Persiflage” is a well accepted word and has both the denotation and connotation that I wished to express, so I used it. Consider yourself enriched, buster, if you have learned what that word means. I do not choose words to impress, I select them to convey exactly what I want to express. I am always glad to learn a new and useful word; if you are an educated person, with a thirst to learn, you also would be happy to acquire an addition to your vocabulary.

Now you are doing a diversionary tactic, avoiding the brunt of what I had written criticising sectarian (Baptist, Fundamentalist, Campbellite, etc) practice, as opposed to that of Catholics, Lutherans, and some other Protestants (Presbyterian, Reformed, Anglican). I was referring to how Christ conveys grace to His people, objectively through the sacraments and the Real Presence, with real efficacy, of Christ. Your reply goes on about matters of socialisation and enjoyment among the congregants. There is a disconnect here! The quote from another Catholic which you provided has nothing to do with the Real Presence in the Mass (Holy Communion), but with disappointment at the inadequate sense of fellowship in Christ among Catholic worshippers. This impersonality and isolation among Catholic worshippers (which was not such a problem before the introduction of the stripped-down and coldly functional 1970 Novus Ordo displaced the traditional liturgy of the Mass) is something that can bother me, too, and I have commented on that in prior messages, but suchlike in no way invalidates what Catholic Eucharistic worship is all about.

If I did injustice to what you sated in your earlier postings, those before the one on which I am commenting now, I apologise for that. It is a bit hard to keep track of things on a computer screen, scrolling up and down while trying to obtain an impression of all that you and others already have said; that’s one of the enduring advantages of printing and typing on paper!

We Catholics, with some effort and ingenuity, can have a better sense of fellowship before and after worship (hopefully, not during it, however great our spiritual solidarity should be). Protestants and sectaries, on the other hand, cannot effect the tremendous blessing of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist by their own effort’s; that is something that only our sovereign God can effect through a genuinely ordained episcopacy and priesthood in a right-believing Church.

However, there is much about these ancillary matters of fellowship and outreach that Catholics with profit (but also with caution) can learn from evangelical Protestants and even from fundamentalist and neo-evangelical sects.

Pax, Jerry ParkerYes; of course Jerry, Adventists always have “tactics” up their sleeves don’t they? LOL, be sure and warn everyone in those big red letters that others have used!

I was well aware of the meaning of your “new” word above, and I still think it’s funny. Sometimes, people like to just use bigger words that are not used in the average daily vocabulary, to add emphasis to their point. Then, it doesn’t sound so much like an accusation.

I am sure that we can all pat ourselves on the back saying how much “better” our Church is than some other denomination; but I am thankful I don’t have to run around worrying about it. I know Jesus cares; and “I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice.” (Ps 116:1). There’s not too much you can do to shake that, so keep up with all those vociferous darts and malignant barbs! Other Christians coming to this forum will follow your example; I am sure, but Jesus loves you anyways. 👍
 
I am sure that we can all pat ourselves on the back saying how much “better” our Church is than some other denomination; but I am thankful I don’t have to run around worrying about it. I know Jesus cares; and “I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice.” (Ps 116:1). There’s not too much you can do to shake that, so keep up with all those vociferous darts and malignant barbs! Other Christians coming to this forum will follow your example; I am sure, but Jesus loves you anyways. 👍
I can’t tell P101…after all you’re here aren’t you? And coming from a sect that is so vociferously anti-Catholic. (Yeah, I’ve read several SDA sites online as well as E.G. White’s “The Great Controversy” :rolleyes:) you apparently do run around worrying about it, or else you wouldn’t be posting on a Catholic apologetics forum, now would you?:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Note that we are not on an SDA forum, (If such exist…) posting.
 
I can’t tell P101…after all you’re here aren’t you? And coming from a sect that is so vociferously anti-Catholic. (Yeah, I’ve read several SDA sites online as well as E.G. White’s “The Great Controversy” :rolleyes:) you apparently do run around worrying about it, or else you wouldn’t be posting on a Catholic apologetics forum, now would you?:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Note that we are not on an SDA forum, (If such exist…) posting.
Well; atleast you made me smile! How are you? Long time “no see.” It’s nice to have you “talking” to me again.

I would just say that no; I do not run around worrying about who’s church is best, there are too many great Catholic Churches around. It’s the beliefs I SOMETIMES worry about. It’s amazing what’s floatin around out there, eh?

You just keep on being a Militant. I will behave and listen. 👍
 
So much depends on one’s mindset (what one seeks and expects) and one’s understanding of prayer/worship.

I am a cradle Catholic of many years! My Catholic school years go far enough back to have included daily Mass in the Latin Tridentine. Attending Mass was always about connecting/relating/talking to God. ***God was the focus and the purpose ***of attending Mass - not me or other people, not even the priest. It was God I was going to have a meeting with. Entering chapel or Church was a leaving behind of the world and entering into an environment that included above all, God and heaven. The words in the prayers of the Mass kept one’s mind in that direction. Altho the priest said the words in Latin, from the time we could read we had missals with the words in English – so we did our praying, interiorly, in English. For me, PARTICIPATION WAS AND IS ABOVE ALL AN “INTERIOR” CONNECTING AND INTERACTING WITH GOD involving the mind and heart primarily, altho not exclusively. (I believe that is the type of participation the Church also seeks to foster.) So perhaps, while someone looking at me as I’m absorbed in God might think I’m staring off into space and bored, nothing could be farther from the truth.

As I read comments by some other Catholics, I realize how blessed I was. I’m guessing those who find the Mass boring were probably never well catechized as to what actually is taking place during Mass - whereas that is something I was taught at a very young age. Or if they did receive the catechesis, for some reason they never really experienced the reality of it when attending Mass.

After graduating, I had occasion to attend a Protestant service. I remember that first time and vividly thinking afterwards - “But we never prayed”! (The Mass is all prayer, except for the sermon and when there is just singing of hymns - as opposed to sung parts of the Mass. Sometimes hymn lyrics are “prayer”, but all too often nowadays its questionable.) So, the two parts of the Mass that are least critical and important for me, seem to be the most important parts to others - and sometimes the only things that constitute their Sunday worship service.

Since then I have also attended a Lutheran, an Anglican (conservative) and a Methodist (also conservative) service. Those 3 services had a rite that was close to the Catholic rite of the Mass. So there was what I call prayer – and yet there was something missing. Of course, it is the Eucharistic presence of Jesus Himself - a presence that can be confected only by an ordained priest.

Regarding the fellowship/socializing after Mass. In my growing up years, I would guess the fasting regulations for Communion had a lot to do with it. When you haven’t had anything to eat or drink (not even water when I was very young), you’re pretty hungry and thirsty by the time 10 AM Mass is over. Ready to go home and have breakfast/dinner! Those days probably established the pattern or habit. Habits die hard.

But, there was plenty of socializing and fellowship – it just didn’t take place after Sunday Mass. For youth, it took place primarily in Catholic school and school activities. For adults, as well as youth, It took place at church dinners/festivals, funeral and wedding dinners, meetings of various groups, Catholic school programs, and just the social connections one had outside of Church activities with the people they knew from Church.

I have to agree tho, that the amount of fellowship nowadays in Catholic Churches has dropped dramatically. I believe that is due in large part to wives and mothers entering the work force. The post is long enough already, so I won’t go further into that.
 
Yes; of course Jerry, Adventists always have “tactics” up their sleeves don’t they? LOL, be sure and warn everyone in those big red letters that others have used!

I was well aware of the meaning of your “new” word above, and I still think it’s funny. Sometimes, people like to just use bigger words that are not used in the average daily vocabulary, to add emphasis to their point. Then, it doesn’t sound so much like an accusation.

I am sure that we can all pat ourselves on the back saying how much “better” our Church is than some other denomination; but I am thankful I don’t have to run around worrying about it. I know Jesus cares; and “I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice.” (Ps 116:1). There’s not too much you can do to shake that, so keep up with all those vociferous darts and malignant barbs! Other Christians coming to this forum will follow your example; I am sure, but Jesus loves you anyways. 👍
Hey Prot. 101 Did you maybe wake up on the wrong side of the bed today:eek: Maybe take your mean pills today:D

You sure been awful hatelfull to everyone today. Maybe we better start back tommorow and you can wake up on the other side of the bed:D
 
. Well, you were luckier with the Baptists than my mother and her brother (my uncle) were as children. My maternal grandfather was L.D.S. Mormon. His third wife was a rampaging Baptist. Grandpa wanted to let the children do as they felt best, which in their eyes was not to become Baptist but stay Mormon. So, Grandmother No. 3 (out of, eventually, 22 women 🤷 altogether whom my Mormon grandpa married) tortured :eek: the two children to become Baptists (slivers up the fingernails, suspended them from the rafters of the kitchen, other painful and cruel things too dastardly to perpetrate on kids). Of course, after enough of such treament, my mother and uncle relented, under force and to stop the torture, and became Baptists. However, I know that Baptists do not usually carry out conversions by torture. She was coo-coo!
Eesh… 😦
You made an important observation about the spiritual inertia among Protestants and the sects. There can be progress, even towards things very Catholic, but this remains at the local level. For Baptists, the Holy Spirit has to convince each and/or their congregations separately; there is no assurance that progress made will reach the next generattion, not to mention other Christians. The dialogues with Protestants and sectaries about Our Lady, Mary Ever-Virgin, principles of ordination, Papal primacy, etc., can make some headway somehow, somewhere on a limited basis, but then it all fizzles out, time after time, then is renewed and then falls flat another time, etc. Really, the dialogues are rather useless with sectaries, so far as affecting any large-scale change between, for instance, Baptists vis-à-vis Catholics. I have books co-written by sectaries, Protestants, on the one hand, and Catholics, on the other, in published dialogues reclaiming a larger place for Our Lady, Mary, Mother of God, but, of course, most of the Protestants’ and sectaries’ co-religionists never know of any of this, or, knowing of it, ignore or denounce it. With Lutherans and the Reformed, there is more hope, since their international connexions really do range more widely, but that entails matters of degree, not of kind, and never reall is definitive among them.
One thing that I have noticed about Chrisitian denominations is that most don’t really know very much about the others’ doctirine. I had a Protestant friend say to me once, “My only problem with Catholics is that they try to get to heaven by doing good works.” I told her that wasn’t true, and she said “I’m pretty sure it is.” Finally I had to download a sheet of Catholic’s core beliefs to show her that like her own denomination Catholics recieve salvation the way everyone recieves it, faith in Christ. Similarly, I thought she was confusing Catholic’s with Lutherins, and it turned out I was wrong. They also believe in faith alone.

After doing a bit of study of certain denominations I’ve found that absolute core of many of them are not only similar, but the same. We get too hung up on oddly worded bits and confuse tradition with biblical fact. I used to have a problem with Priests forgiving sins (As most protestants do) until the deacon at the local Catholic church by my house explained it to me exactly how that works. When I explained it to my Baptist bible study group, they agreed that it was biblical. I would imagine that there’s not as much difference between Catholics and Protestants as we think. We should fellowship together. 😛
 
Well; atleast you made me smile! How are you? Long time “no see.” It’s nice to have you “talking” to me again.
Hey, I’ve been busy. What can I say? 🤷
I would just say that no; I do not run around worrying about who’s church is best, there are too many great Catholic Churches around.
Well I will certainly agree with you on that.
It’s the beliefs I SOMETIMES worry about. It’s amazing what’s floatin around out there, eh?
Yeah, but unless it comes from Rome I don’t lose much sleep about it. That’s why they call it “a journey of faith” among us Catholics. We’re constantly learning both the Word of God and all the other aspects of our most holy faith.
You just keep on being a Militant. I will behave and listen. 👍
Did you never see the definition of my screen name? Church militant is just another name for a regular believer doing battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil.
 
Protestant 101,

**You wrote: ** *Yes; of course Jerry, Adventists always have “tactics” up their sleeves don’t they? LOL, be sure and warn everyone in those big red letters that others have used!

I was well aware of the meaning of your “new” word above, and I still think it’s funny. Sometimes, people like to just use bigger words that are not used in the average daily vocabulary, to add emphasis to their point. Then, it doesn’t sound so much like an accusation.

I am sure that we can all pat ourselves on the back saying how much “better” our Church is than some other denomination; but I am thankful I don’t have to run around worrying about it. I know Jesus cares; and “I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice.” (Ps 116:1). There’s not too much you can do to shake that, so keep up with all those vociferous darts and malignant barbs! Other Christians coming to this forum will follow your example; I am sure, but Jesus loves you anyways. *​

Enough of this nattering about using the word, “persiflage”! If good words exist, I use them; you choose not to use some, apparently to stick a more “basic vocabulary”. That is a matter of preference. I tend to be as precise (having been a professional librarian for most of my working life may account for some of that!) as I can be with words, which is why sometimes a somewhat less-used word will show in what I write. I also like precision in thought, religious discourse and reasoning included, with a much lower emphasis on emotion. That’s a matter of temperament.

Then, like you, I am Canadian (naturalised 1980) and have been for now a bit more than half of my life. That contributes to all the other reasons that make me distrust religious groups which have their origin in the U. S. of A., a breeding ground of all too many of them, including Adventists of all stripes – even David Koresh and the Branch Davidians had their Adventist connexion – or the Mormons, and, coming from a L.D.S. Mormon background (on my mother’s side) I have all the greater distrust of the sects and cults, American or otherwise. I also have more respect for genuine Protestantism than many Catholics have.

Despite believing that the only true churches are the Holy Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church (Eastern and Western rites), I firmly believe that if a person cannot be a Christian as Catholic or Orthodox, then it is better for him to be Protestant (Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian/Reformed, Moravian) or even a sectary (Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Campbellite, Adventist, etc.) than to be an unbeliever. Lord knows, the Catholic Church has scandalised many folk, as the long-entrenched abuse of power has done here in Québec. If such people feel that strong a disconnect from (and distrust of) Catholicism, it is better for them to be right with the Lord as Protestants or sectaries (but not as cultists) than to be unbelievers. That does not mean, however, that Catholicism and Orthodoxy are on the same spiritual plain as the Protestant denominations and the sects! Faith in Christ, nonetheless, is primary, but the Catholic Church is the true home of all Christians, if they but knew that, and if Catholics, for their part (but without compromise), would do their part to make the Church purer, more hospitable, and more appealing.

Pax, Jerry Parker
 
Yes. That is my biggest grip with the Catholic Church. As it is, I became a protestant out of necessity vs desire. When I came to the Catholic church wanting to be baptized, I found out that they wouldn’t even be having RCIA classes until 4-5 months later. Now, the baptist church where I ended up didn’t baptize me haphazardly either, I still ended up waitng almost a year before being baptized, but in that time I was also drowned in Scripture and fellowship- fellowship being the largest factor to me continuing in the faith. I was constantly encouraged, and rebuked, but always with a loving Christian attitude. I felt at ease there from day one, and felt very put off by the Catholic Church. Like you, I do however feel that the Catholic Church is very strong when it comes to knowledge, if for no other reason than because it is passed down from generation to generation, in a protestant denomiation, even if someone stumbles upon a profound spritual truth, it tends to stay in the church it was revealed… sadly I think a LOT of knowledge is lost this way… But I digress. Yes. Fellowshipping problem. Some Catholic churches are getting with the program however. The one by my house has started a bible study. So obviously they have noticed it too, and that goes a long way to eliminating a problem.
Very good insights here.
 
It means born into a Catholic family and baptized as a baby.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
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