Catholic vs. Protestant – why is there so much animosity?

[Quasar92]

This is a simple question with a complicated answer, because there are varying degrees of, and reasons for, animosity between any two religious groups. The battle between Catholics and Protestants is rooted in history. Degrees of reaction have ranged from friendly disagreement (as reflected in the numerous ecumenical dialogues produced between the two groups), to outright persecution and murder of Protestants at the hands of Rome. Reformation teachings that identify the Pope as the Beast of Revelation and / or Roman Catholicism as Mystery Babylon are still common among Protestants. Clearly, anyone with this view is not going to “warm up” to Rome any time soon.

For the most part, today at least, the animosity comes from basic human nature when dealing with fundamental disagreement over eternal truths. Passions are sure to ignite in the more weighty matters of life, and one's faith is (or at least should be) at the top of the heap. Many Protestants think Roman Catholics teach a works-gospel that cannot save, while Roman Catholics think Protestants teach easy-believism that requires nothing more than an emotional outburst brought on by manipulative preaching. Protestants accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary, and Catholics think Protestants are apparently too dull to understand the distinctions Rome has made in this regard. These caricatures are often difficult to overcome.

Behind the particular disagreements over the role of faith and works, the sacraments, the canon of Scripture, the role of the priesthood, prayers to saints, and all the issues surrounding Mary and the Pope, etc., lies the biggest rift between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism: the issue of authority. How one answers the authority question will generally inform all the other issues. When it comes down to deciding a theological issue about defined Catholic dogma, there isn’t really much to discuss on the Catholic's side because once Rome speaks, it is settled. This is a problem when trying to debate a Roman Catholic – reason and Scripture are not the Catholic’s final authority; they can always retreat into the “safe zone” of Roman Catholic authority.

Thus, many of the arguments between a Protestant and a Catholic will revolve around one's “private interpretation” of Scripture as against the "official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church." Catholics claim to successfully avoid the legitimate problems of private interpretation by their reliance on their tradition. But this merely pushes the question back a step. The truth is that both Roman Catholics and Protestants must, in the end, rely upon their reasoning abilities (to choose their authority) and their interpretive skills (to understand what that authority teaches) in order to determine what they will believe. Protestants are simply more willing to admit that this is the case.

Both sides can also be fiercely loyal to their family's faith or the church they grew up in without much thought to doctrinal arguments. Obviously, there are a lot of possible reasons for the division between Catholicism and Protestantism, and while we should not divide over secondary issues, both sides agree that we must divide when it comes to primary issues. When it comes to Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, the differences are just too great to ignore. However, that does not give license for caricatures or ignorant judgments – both sides need to be honest in their assessments and try not to go beyond what God has revealed.

Recommended Resource: The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants After 500 Years by Alison & Castaldo

Source: gotquestions.org


Quasar92

 

[joshua 1 9]

My problem with Catholics is that they just seem to be to lukewarm to me when it comes to following the teaching of the church. I do not have any problems with what they believe. The people that determine the beliefs of the church are well educated and well qualified to deal with that. Once when the Pope came to America that was one of his main objections with the Catholics here is that they have to much of a disregard for the teachings of the Church. I think the Catholic Catechism has a lot of value and people should spend more time to read, study and learn those teachings and do their best to abide by them. The church seems to do what they can to help make it easy for people and they do not want to put as much effort into it as they could or should.

 

[Halbhh]

Men will never agree on all things, not even inside a church. Not in this mortal life.

But....we can agree on the only thing that matters -- how to be saved.

And we do.

Many 'protestants' and 'Catholics' believe we are saved by grace through faith, and this is not our own doing.

And both groups think that we are then to bear fruit -- do good works -- as Christ, Paul, John, Peter, and James all said.

Paul is often where some seek to make a difference in theology, so let's just consider one (one of many) instance of Paul pointing out we are to do things -- do actions:

Because we are saved, we are to do --

8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

So, a range of people thinking of themselves as Christian, in all sorts of churches, agree and know this is the reality -- Saved by grace, not our works, but required to then do works.

As Christ said, without doing, we will be destroyed. (for one place, read Matthew 7:24-27; for me the most invaluable teaching on this is in John 15:1-17)

 

[Halbhh]

This is a simple question with a complicated answer, because there are varying degrees of, and reasons for, animosity between any two religious groups. The battle between Catholics and Protestants is rooted in history. Degrees of reaction have ranged from friendly disagreement (as reflected in the numerous ecumenical dialogues produced between the two groups), to outright persecution and murder of Protestants at the hands of Rome. Reformation teachings that identify the Pope as the Beast of Revelation and / or Roman Catholicism as Mystery Babylon are still common among Protestants. Clearly, anyone with this view is not going to “warm up” to Rome any time soon.

For the most part, today at least, the animosity comes from basic human nature when dealing with fundamental disagreement over eternal truths. Passions are sure to ignite in the more weighty matters of life, and one's faith is (or at least should be) at the top of the heap. Many Protestants think Roman Catholics teach a works-gospel that cannot save, while Roman Catholics think Protestants teach easy-believism that requires nothing more than an emotional outburst brought on by manipulative preaching. Protestants accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary, and Catholics think Protestants are apparently too dull to understand the distinctions Rome has made in this regard. These caricatures are often difficult to overcome.

Behind the particular disagreements over the role of faith and works, the sacraments, the canon of Scripture, the role of the priesthood, prayers to saints, and all the issues surrounding Mary and the Pope, etc., lies the biggest rift between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism: the issue of authority. How one answers the authority question will generally inform all the other issues. When it comes down to deciding a theological issue about defined Catholic dogma, there isn’t really much to discuss on the Catholic's side because once Rome speaks, it is settled. This is a problem when trying to debate a Roman Catholic – reason and Scripture are not the Catholic’s final authority; they can always retreat into the “safe zone” of Roman Catholic authority.

Thus, many of the arguments between a Protestant and a Catholic will revolve around one's “private interpretation” of Scripture as against the "official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church." Catholics claim to successfully avoid the legitimate problems of private interpretation by their reliance on their tradition. But this merely pushes the question back a step. The truth is that both Roman Catholics and Protestants must, in the end, rely upon their reasoning abilities (to choose their authority) and their interpretive skills (to understand what that authority teaches) in order to determine what they will believe. Protestants are simply more willing to admit that this is the case.

Both sides can also be fiercely loyal to their family's faith or the church they grew up in without much thought to doctrinal arguments. Obviously, there are a lot of possible reasons for the division between Catholicism and Protestantism, and while we should not divide over secondary issues, both sides agree that we must divide when it comes to primary issues. When it comes to Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, the differences are just too great to ignore. However, that does not give license for caricatures or ignorant judgments – both sides need to be honest in their assessments and try not to go beyond what God has revealed.

Recommended Resource: The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants After 500 Years by Alison & Castaldo

Source: gotquestions.org


Quasar92

While I believe that we who believe are already one together in Christ. Already. I can appreciate the good work of making peace and encouraging love among Christians in a variety of churches.

Christ said we are to love one another.

One thing I think helps a lot is to realize, to discover, to find out, about how different churches are using certain important words in different ways, so that when they talk to each other it is hard to understand precisely what the other person is saying!

And we often misunderstand, and don't even realize it, and then argue....

It's a Tower of Babel situation, over and over.

Perhaps this will always be challenging -- to understand what someone really means with their words -- until Christ returns.

 

[Ron Gurley]

From its cloudy inception, the INSTITUTION of the RCC has always claimed that is "the one true church", that it is only giver of the 7 fonts of Grace (5 of which deal with the subject of sin), that Papal Magisterium and/or Sacred Tradition can be SUPREME over Scripture, (which was concealed from the masses in the Vulgate), and numerous other doctrinal errors which divide the Body of Christ, The "CHURCH".

Some reformation of the RCC has occurred. Not enough. They must recognize that Scripture is SUPREME and the only God-given revelation that can unite us.

 

[Albion]

Well, the RCC has adopted a half-dozen or so concepts (demands?) made by the Reformers, although it took her almost 500 years to do it, and, of course, without giving any credit to the Reformation. But maybe the rest of it will also come--in due course.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I occasionally meet hostile Catholics, but I see a much larger percentage of hostile Protestants. Maybe that's just my personal experience. What I notice both usually have in common is that they have never bothered to actually study and learn about the other side with any seriousness, and so tend to just repeat and parrot things they heard. Catholics believe this and do that; Protestants believe that and do this. It boils down to a tribalistic attitude that doesn't foster much in terms of meaningful dialogue.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

What I notice both usually have in common is that they have never bothered to actually study and learn about the other side with any seriousness, and so tend to just repeat and parrot things they heard.

I never had any problem with Catholicism until I took the time to visit a Catholic Church, hear them talk, and see Catholic sermons on television. Before that, I just thought the anti-Catholic Protestants were a little loony. I don't think that any more.

 

[Archivist]

Thirty five years ago when a new Catholic parish was building its church the Catholic congregation shared our Lutheran church. Catholic services were on Saturday night at 7:00 and Sunday mornings at 9:30 and 1:00, Lutheran services were on Sundays at 8:00 and 11:00. Occasionally we would have combined services which were always fun; our pastor would start with a Catholic joke, the Catholic priest would follow with a Protestant joke. We got along very well; there was never any animosity. On one occasion we Lutheran ushers accidentally spilled the Holy Water container between services and filled it up at the drinking fountain. We felt guilty and told the priest about it the next week; he got a good laugh out of it and told us not to worry about it. I actually remained good friends with the priest until he passed away just a couple years ago.

 

[BobRyan]

This is a simple question with a complicated answer, because there are varying degrees of, and reasons for, animosity between any two religious groups. The battle between Catholics and Protestants is rooted in history

A history of false doctrine that the protesting Catholics were trying to correct "from within" but were forced to do so "from without" at some point.

And having left - found even more "gaps".

 

[BobRyan]

I never had any problem with Catholicism until I took the time to visit a Catholic Church, hear them talk, and see Catholic sermons on television. Before that, I just thought the anti-Catholic Protestants were a little loony. I don't think that any more.

It was "protesting Catholics" not "protesting nonCatholics" that started the reformation - and as you point out - there is a reason for that.

 

[BobRyan]

Some reformation of the RCC has occurred. Not enough. They must recognize that Scripture is SUPREME and the only God-given revelation that can unite us.

The thread "500 years protesting what?" - starts off with a long list of "gap" issues... but in the discussion it is amazing how quickly both sides reduce the focus to just one issue... "sola scriptura testing" of all doctrine and practice. Because from that... stems all other differences.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Catholic vs. Protestant – why is there so much animosity?

Because in churches, both Protestant and Catholic, and Orthodox too, there are many religious but lost.

 

[BBAS 64]

https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2017/10/reformation-still-matters/


Justification by Faith alone.... is the Gospel has always been and will always be!

 

[FireDragon76]

Protestants persecuted and killed Catholics as well. The English Reformation is a good example of this, in England it was largely top-down and subject to political whims of the rulers.

My problem with Catholics is that they just seem to be to lukewarm to me when it comes to following the teaching of the church. I do not have any problems with what they believe

Maybe following an ancient tradition in a modern world is more complicated for most people? That seems a reasonable response to me.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Because Catholic and Protestant hell-bent sinners.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Because unbelief.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Because unregenerate.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Because reprobate.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Because non-efficacious sacraments.