Misconceptions about Protestants

[Lively Stone]

I never really had any misconceptions about Protestants. Everything I was ever taught about them is true; that they have an abiding love of Christ but do not have the fullness of the Faith. I have not read or seen anything so far that would disabuse me of this notion.

Actually, there are many protestant groups who do not have fullness of faith and Catholics also deny very much the person of the Holy Spirit and personal salvation. I know many Catholics who believe that Jesus died a generic death for all, and by virtue of their being baptized into the 'church', one is automatically saved. The bible doesn't teach that at all.

So, the accusation regarding fullness of faith is your church's teaching but it is not a reality.

Fullness of faith comes by our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Great, Spirit-led protestant churches are producing great men and women and children too--of strong and full faith! Praise God!

 

[Heavens]

well maybe if you read it you might know what they teach instead of presumming what they teach and maybe just maybe when someone post's in an online chat forum that they are not the official word of their particular Church and are just posting their own thoughts and opinons. How crazy would that be?

but to give you a sampling


1776 "Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment.... For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God.... His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths."[47]

Or then there's this sampling:

(Gen 6:5) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

(Pro 14:12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

(Rom 7:5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

(Col 3:5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Just to be fair in showing what God's thoughts and opinions are, of what our "conscience" is that He trys to reach by the gospel

AFTER... He reaches our natural hateful self-centered wicked "conscience" and transfoms us, then we have a NEW conscience !!

(Act 24:16) And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

(Rom 9:1) I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

(2Co 1:12) For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

(1Ti 1:5) Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

A conscience of "good" or "love" only comes from this;

(1Ti 3:9) Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

(Heb 9:14) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(Heb 10:22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Our "good conscience" only comes by this route;

(1Pe 3:21) The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

So for me, yeppers, stay away from carnal thoughts and opinions
Then we have a good conscience! Woot!

 

[laconicstudent]

and Catholics also deny very much the person of the Holy Spirit and personal salvation.

No, they don't.

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c3a8.htm

 

[Standing Up]

We eat our young.

We eat flesh and blood.

 

[boswd]

No, they don't.

Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 8

A day does not go by when I feel the bar keeps being raised on some of the some of the dumbest things i read in here in GT

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

A day does not go by when I feel the bar keeps being raised on some of the some of the dumbest things i read in here in GT

Ya think that just happens on certain days here?

 

[Lively Stone]

We eat flesh and blood.

Haha! Dontchaknow.

 

[Lively Stone]

No, they don't.

Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 1 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 8

Many do. It shows in their speech and in their lives.

 

[mark46]

It seems that you are equating protestant groups with some Catholics.

It is clear the the RCC does not deny the person of the Holy Spirit. It is clear the the RCC has an orthodox Christian view of salvation.

What you are saying that "some Catholics" don't understand what their church teaches. This is true of all denominations and churches.

Actually, there are many protestant groups who do not have fullness of faith and Catholics also deny very much the person of the Holy Spirit and personal salvation. I know many Catholics who believe that Jesus died a generic death for all, and by virtue of their being baptized into the 'church', one is automatically saved. The bible doesn't teach that at all.

So, the accusation regarding fullness of faith is your church's teaching but it is not a reality.

Fullness of faith comes by our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Great, Spirit-led protestant churches are producing great men and women and children too--of strong and full faith! Praise God!

 

[mark46]

Would it be reasonable to make a comment deriding the Baptist church by saying that some Baptists do not understand what Baptists teach and that some Baptists do not live out their faith? Believe it or not, this happens in ALL faith traditions.

Many do. It shows in their speech and in their lives.

 

[Lively Stone]

It seems that you are equating protestant groups with some Catholics.

Yep. Some are very similar.

It is clear the the RCC does not deny the person of the Holy Spirit. It is clear the the RCC has an orthodox Christian view of salvation.

Yes I know. It is there in their teaching.

What you are saying that "some Catholics" don't understand what their church teaches. This is true of all denominations and churches.

The absence of a personal experience with Jesus Christ is what I see in almost all the Catholics I know and we live in a predominately Catholic city. Spiritually starving--not for long, though!

 

[MKJ]

I wouldn't have my children go on a spiritual retreat with Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormans, Christain Scientists, Scientologists or freemasons. Would you?

Nope, not at all. They are close to the line as far as cults go. (Do freemasons have spiritual retreats for kids? I suppose there are the Shriner's Hospitals for kids.)

I would probably be ok to send them to a Catholic VBS. I would not send them to a Baptist one unless I knew the congregation. I went ta a Baptist camp as a kid and it would be fine. Some would not be - I've known of Baptist VBSs that pretty much told kids that unless they accepted Christ they would go to Hell, or their parents were going to Hell. Not an ok thing to do to kids IMO.

 

[Deleteriousnonsense]

Actually, there are many protestant groups who do not have fullness of faith and Catholics also deny very much the person of the Holy Spirit and personal salvation. I know many Catholics who believe that Jesus died a generic death for all, and by virtue of their being baptized into the 'church', one is automatically saved. The bible doesn't teach that at all.

So, the accusation regarding fullness of faith is your church's teaching but it is not a reality.

Fullness of faith comes by our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Great, Spirit-led protestant churches are producing great men and women and children too--of strong and full faith! Praise God!

Sister, I cannot speak for others of my faith but I can assure you that I do not deny the person of the Holy Spirit. How could I live my faith in such a denial? I do not doubt that your love of Christ is sincere, and I am certain of His great love for you. I do not dare to say who is saved or who is not. That is for the Lord to decide. But by your love I believe you share in our faith.

I believe our Lord instituted certain avenues of Grace, which we Catholics call Sacraments, all of which are deeply personal expressions of love. I only wish you could share in them fully, because they are wonderful gifts.

 

[Standing Up]

Would it be reasonable to make a comment deriding the Baptist church by saying that some Baptists do not understand what Baptists teach and that some Baptists do not live out their faith? Believe it or not, this happens in ALL faith traditions.

That is a misconception for all groups; that one who speaks, speaks the same as everyone else in their group. RC, EO, OO, P, none do. Lots of misconceptions, lots of opinion passed off as my church absolutely teaches this or the ECFs absolutely taught that or the Councils have concluded.

 

[RND]

This is not to say that the Pope has a dictatorial authority over the Catholic Church really but more as that Protestants don't hold any sort of obedience to anyone but themselves with regards to any teach on faith, morals or any other practice. Nobody in a Protestant hierarchy of any particular denomination really claims any authority, it's just for administration purposes.

Well we can see what that "infalability" claim is worth in lue of the tremendous sex abuse scandals that the Popes, Bishops and Cardinals turned a blind eye to.

Oy vey!

News flash: The Pope puts his pants on one leg at a time just like I do.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Well we can see what that "infalability" claim is worth in lue of the tremendous sex abuse scandals that the Popes, Bishops and Cardinals turned a blind eye to.

Oy vey!

News flash: The Pope puts his pants on one leg at a time just like I do.

I think firemen do it 2 at a time

 

[Christos Anesti]

The absence of a personal experience with Jesus Christ is what I see in almost all the Catholics I know and we live in a predominately Catholic city. Spiritually starving--not for long, though!

I'm afraid thats the case with a very large number of the people who call themselves Christians. Hardly limited to the Roman Catholic Church.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

Who they say Jesus is.

Well, why not use the term "heresy" instead? "Cult" is defined either in a neutral term cultus, meaning "worship", or in a negative term in Sociology which refers to a highly controlled religious group which various common characteristics, or another neutral term which simply refers to "New Religious Movements".

If you are referring to a group who you believe has an incorrect belief on an essential issue, you should refer to them as a "heresy" to be more clear, "cult" already has several accepted meanings.

So you have a problem with Mormons because they don't believe the same things about Jesus as you do God in Mormonism. But wouldn't that be the same problem a Catholic would have with a Baptist teaching their children about Jesus? They don't believe the same things about Jesus as we do, even though they do accept the Trinity (though apparently there are unitarian "Oneness Baptists" like "Oneness Pentecostals", here is one).

It is the duty of the parents (and the godparents) to educate their children, especially about the faith. You can send your children to a school but you should know what they are teaching and they should be teaching the same thing that you would have taught them at home. If you knowingly have your children taught false ideas, it is just as though you had taught them those false ideas yourself. Many parents at my parish, and other traditional Catholic parishes, for that reason especially don't even send their children to Catholic schools -- most have become so liberal they are no longer trustworthy educators (and they still cost an arm and a leg, especially if you have several children).

So if it is unconscionable as a faithful Catholic to send your children to a Catholic school, how much more serious of a problem is it to send them to a Protestant school or even a Protestant VBS program? Isn't it just as bad as sending your children to a Mormon children's program?

Ok, so RC says her Mom and that CCD teacher are NOT part of "the church."

I am saying they are not the Church -- there's a distinction.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

Like i said, check some cult websites, very informative....

So the Baptists will educate me why the Baptists are not a cult?

I can say that the Baptists almost always practice a valid form of Baptism and the Mormons do not. But this is based upon an objective standard and there is still a wide chasm between Baptist-ism and orthodoxy, just as there is between Mormonism and orthodoxy or Pentecostalism and orthodoxy. Some may be closer to orthodoxy than others but how much does it really matter?

MY Mother, the ccd teacher, the priests... all ARE the church.

The Church is bigger than a person or even a group of people, this is especially true if these people are not teaching effectively what the Church teaches or even teaching something contrary to what the Church teaches.

 

[Walter Kovacs]

We like Christian rock and roll, pizza, the message Bible, like to throw the Spirit at you (or beat it into you with a jacket) and think Icons are the devil. what more do you need to know?