Here goes!!
Criticism of Protestantism covers critiques and questions raised about
Protestantism, the movement based on
Martin Luther's
Reformation principles of 1517. Criticisms come mainly from Catholic and Orthodox sources, although Protestant denominations have also engaged in self-critique and criticized one another.
[1]
The biblical critique, according to Roman Catholic apologists, asserts that the doctrines of principal branches of Protestantism, even in their foundational principles, are unbiblical and unfaithful to the practices and beliefs of the Church of the Bible.
Sola scriptura of the
Lutheran and
Reformed branches
[2] and
prima scriptura of the
Anglican Communion and the
Methodist Churches both fail according to critics, because the Bible as to its canon and nature was determined by Catholic synods, presupposes the Church and its tradition, never mentions the exclusivity and primacy of the authority of Scripture nor the canon of Scripture, and teaches that "the Church", not the Bible, "is the pillar and the bulwark of the truth". (1 Tim 3:15) Also, sola scriptura is contradicted by the Bible teaching about other sources of revealed truth such as tradition, spoken word, and a Council. According to the critics,
sola fide, another concept originated by Lutheran and Reformed theologians, is directly contradicted by the Biblical teaching "a man is justified ... not by faith alone" (James 2:24).
The historical, sociological and ecclesiological critique points to the disparity of Protestantism with early Christian practices and the teachings of the Church Fathers, the 16th century foundation of Protestantism, the problematic moral quality of its founders, and its fragmentation and doctrinal contradictions that foster schism and disunity in contrast to the unity of the Church described in the New Testament as having "one faith, one baptism", and "united in the same mind and same judgement". (1 Cor 1:10) This fragmentation means, according to critics, that each autonomous Protestant denomination, with its distinctive truth claims, have limited numbers concentrated in one geographical area vis-a-vis world population, a situation that is at variance with the universal scope of Christ's one Church. A few critics, supported by leading modern scholars, also say that Protestants brought about the creation of the
black legend or false propaganda against Catholics, in contravention of the commandment of "not bearing false witness."
[3] Historian Brad Gregory traces the hyperplural, relativistic, morally subjectivistic, permissive, individualistic, consumerist, state-controlled, morality and religion free, secularized society of today to the Reformation's giving sole authority to the bible that can be individually interpreted, its state-controlled churches, faith-alone salvation without need for human cooperation, and Protestantism's divergent moral teachings.