Why are you a protestant today?

[InquisitorKind]

Forum rules FORBID Catholics from debating here. Of course, the rules apply to US elsewhere, but not to them here.

My suggestion is to IMMEDIATELY move any thread that a Catholic begins DEBATING in to the IDD, of course, that would leave this forum empty.

In defense of our Catholic friends, I haven't seen much debating, if any.

Of course, I still find it completely odd that we should see any Catholics on this thread about why Protestants are Protestant today. But I don't see anything wrong with that.

~Matt

 

[KennySe]

Why I'm Protestant?

[EDITED BY KENNY]

It seems that this list is not answering "Why am I Protestant?" but is instead "Some gripes I have with the Catholic Church that I can post at PRE without any refution allowed by Catholics".

Am I wrong in what this list seems like?

 

[Terri]

It seems that this list is not answering "Why am I Protestant?" but is instead "Some gripes I have with the Catholic Church that I can post at PRE without any refution allowed by Catholics".

Am I wrong in what this list seems like?

Yes you are wrong!!

The original question was why we are protestant as opposed to being catholic. I believe Lotar answered this question quite well.

Everything on Lotar's list is certainly some of the reasons I would never want to be catholic and am thus protestant.

 

[Lotar]

It seems that this list is not answering "Why am I Protestant?" but is instead "Some gripes I have with the Catholic Church that I can post at PRE without any refution allowed by Catholics".

Am I wrong in what this list seems like?

The OP stated:

In another thread on this forum, I read this...



If I saw these practices during my time, I would be upset as well, and I would want to clean up the Church as well.

But assuming the claim that the reformers wanted to stay in the Church is true...what do you make of the counter-reformation, which the RCC did itself in response to the reformation, to clean up its admittedly bad practices?

We do not tolerate the sale of indulgences anymore...the Papacy is not abused anymore...etc.

In other words, if the Church was good enough for the Reformers to try and clean up, and if it is now cleaned up, why are you a protestant today?

Thanks!

 

[KennySe]

Thank you both for answering my question.

(No need to sigh, Lotar.)

 

[InquisitorKind]

It seems that this list is not answering "Why am I Protestant?" but is instead "Some gripes I have with the Catholic Church that I can post at PRE without any refution allowed by Catholics".

Am I wrong in what this list seems like?

What it "seems" like can be anything. It could "seem" like a grocery list to some people. It's clearly answering the OP, so I have no idea why you're even asking this question. It just looks like you're making Lotar out to be a coward who needs to discuss Roman Catholicism "without any refutation allowed by Catholics." To me what you've posted "seems like" nothing but a cheap shot.

~Matt

 

[Maximus]

Pardon me for posting on this forum.

I don't think we non-Protestants should be upset by what you all post in your own forum.

After all, you are Protestants, which means that you disagree with us on many things.

That should be obvious.

Why get upset over it?

I generally don't even read stuff here. Why increase life's torque unnecessarily?

In the same way, Protestants should not be upset by what gets posted in the non-Protestant forums.

I've written enough. You may carry on, gentlemen!

 

[KennySe]

What it "seems" like can be anything. It could "seem" like a grocery list to some people. It's clearly answering the OP, so I have no idea why you're even asking this question. It just looks like you're making Lotar out to be a coward who needs to discuss Roman Catholicism "without any refutation allowed by Catholics." To me what you've posted "seems like" nothing but a cheap shot.

~Matt

I asked a question.
Lotar answered that question; he explained that he was answering the OP.
I thanked him for answering.

There is no need for you or anyone else to inform me of the OP. Thank you, anyway.

 

[thereselittleflower]

maybe because I understand much of it and yet I do not believe it. Also I think many others in church history have understood it and rejected it. Am I right or wrong? Well i think I am right and you probably think I am wrong. But many have understood RCC doctrine and have rejected it.



true many misunderstandings abound. But there are some who do understand RCC doctrine and reject it. I think your statement was an overgeneralization. I can't go into why I think the RCC is wrong because I have a paper to write. But many understand the RCC yet do not believe.

hi Blackhawk

I must have missed your post - I was just going back through the thread and saw it! Thank you for responding.

I appreciate your view point . . I guess we disagree on this. Arch-Bishop Fulton Sheen once said something along these lines:

"I don't know 100 people in the US who hate the Catholic Church, but I know millions who hate what they believe about the Catholic Church"

Of course meaning that the vast majority of those who hate or do not like Catholicism really hate or dislike what they wrongly understand about it, not what it is really all about. Having been on both sides of the fence now, I have to say I agree with his observation.

What I find is that we use the same words, but do not mean the same thing, and this leads to much of the misunderstandings between Protetants and Catholics.

If you would like to discuss one of those idfferences sometime, just let me know.

God bless you!


Peace in Him!

 

[thereselittleflower]

I would like to make a comment about what I have read in this thread . . I know this is a protestant forum .. at the beginning of this thread, a question was asked by a Catholic to help understanding of why all of you are still Protestant . .of course it made some assumptions, but it was still a Catholic's attempt to better understand they "why" of Protestantism today.


But what often times happens is one question leads to a response that leads to more questions . . an this is why I am posting, as the responses I have read lead to more questions . . Sometimes I think the poster of a response truly thinks the response is clear, but I can read it, and coming from a varied background, can see several possibilities, and I then realize I don't know which of those possibilities is in the mind of the poster .. so I ask another question . .

I think that one of the most important ways to understand another is to ask questions. . . and I appreciate it that there are those here who are willing to engage in answering questions. It is not debate -we might disagree, but so what? The purpose of this thread is not to determine who is right, but the "why" are you still protestant, and then it naturally expands into the "whys" that come as a result of it, such as "why' do you think such and such about the cathlic faith?

Hello.


I believe that the Roman Catholic Church has been changing throughout history. When I read what the catholic church believed in the 200's,

So, if I understand where you are coming from, you see the Catholic Church as being in existance from the beginning.

I can't square it away with what it believed in the 1600's, or even the 1900's. The differences are too great to consider the current Roman Catholic Church the same catholic body of believers that existed at the beginning. Part of this has to do with my take on how doctrine develops--I think it would be sufficient to say that I don't believe Rome's development has been legitimate.

Thank you for sharing your view on this. Do you find a point at which the church shifted away from what you view as legitimate development to illegitimate development of doctrine? In other words, where did the Catholic Church, in your opinion, start to go wrong?

Part of our differences spring from the fact that I don't think the Christian body is to be found within the confindes of one institution. I know that Roman Catholics also believe this to some extent, but not in the same way that some Protestants, such as myself, do. The body of Christ is located inside and out of denominational boundaries, and as a consequence, I don't think any one church organization can claim "One True Church" status.

Do you think or believe that any one denomination contains more of the truth than others doctrinally?

By the way, I agree that there are believers across pretty much across all denominational lines . .

Peace in Him!

 

[KristiXP]

~Mod hat on~

Members, this is a reminder that debating is not allowed in the P/R/E forum. Please refrain from debating here. Also, let's try to be nice and respectful to other members, we want to keep things civil here. Just because you do not believe in the same things someone else does, does not give you any right to judge them or discriminate against them.

Let's maybe brush up on our Forum Rules and also the P/R/E forum specific rules.
Thanks!

~Mod hat Off~

 

[Bruce S]

I would like to make a comment about what I have read in this thread . . I know this is a protestant forum .. at the beginning of this thread, a question was asked by a Catholic to help understanding of why all of you are still Protestant . .of course it made some assumptions, but it was still a Catholic's attempt to better understand they "why" of Protestantism today.

So far so good...especially the part about this being a "Protestant Forum
'

But what often times happens is one question leads to a response that leads to more questions . . an this is why I am posting, as the responses I have read lead to more questions .

You do as most of us PRE's do when the same situation develops over in OBOB, you IGNORE it. Slowly here, I-G-N-O-R-E it.

Now in the IDD, go at it, that is where these things are to be hashed out, and tweaking is done.

Do you think or believe that any one denomination contains more of the truth than others doctrinally?

No, we are going to Mass this Sunday and converting all of us.

See, that way we get our forum back....

Sheesh.

 

[InquisitorKind]

But what often times happens is one question leads to a response that leads to more questions . . an this is why I am posting, as the responses I have read lead to more questions . . Sometimes I think the poster of a response truly thinks the response is clear, but I can read it, and coming from a varied background, can see several possibilities, and I then realize I don't know which of those possibilities is in the mind of the poster .. so I ask another question . .

I wouldn't worry about defending your posting methods in the P/R/E forum. They seem just fine to me.

So, if I understand where you are coming from, you see the Catholic Church as being in existance from the beginning.

In a way, yes, although I often find it hard to understand what is meant by one church/denomination being in existence from the beginning. Each and every generation of church "goers" is different from its previous one.

Do you find a point at which the church shifted away from what you view as legitimate development to illegitimate development of doctrine?

Although I haven't given much thought to this, I would have to say things started to develop "incorrectly," if you will allow for such a word, during the fourth century, when early church fathers started to move away from the Sola Scriptura principle and begin to view Tradition as another authoritative source on the level of Scripture.

In other words, where did the Catholic Church, in your opinion, start to go wrong?

I couldn't say that the entire church started to "go wrong" at some point. I would have to say that some people who identified themselves as members of Catholic/Christians churches began distorting the apostolic faith. I think that there has been a catholic church (note lower case) that has been inexistence for all time. Sometimes its members have been inside and outside of the body that calls itself the Catholic Church.

(Oh man...it's hard to think clearly with throbbing headaches...)

Simply put, it's hard to answer your question because I'm not sure how we're defining the Catholic Church.

Do you think or believe that any one denomination contains more of the truth than others doctrinally?

I would say two things:

1) That I look at it more like certain people have recognized more truth than others, and sometimes these people don't necessarily represent the denomiations that they are members of.

2) But, granted, yes I would believe that some denominational groups profess doctrines that are closer to, or in your words, contain more of the truth than others.


~Matt

 

[thereselittleflower]

I wouldn't worry about defending your posting methods in the P/R/E forum. They seem just fine to me.

Thank you so much InquisitorKind - I know some people become suspicious of questions wondering when the "debate' portion is going to start and are suspicious, but i really have no desire to debate any of this right now, or to prove one is right and the other is wrong . . When I started posting my questions here, I did not have enough posts to post in the IDD yet, but now that I do, if I want to debate anything anyone is saying here, that would be the place to do it. it is nice to be able to ask questions and get answers without the emotional element that surfaces in debates. I think the rules here are wise ones.

In a way, yes, although I often find it hard to understand what is meant by one church/denomination being in existence from the beginning. Each and every generation of church "goers" is different from its previous one.




Although I haven't given much thought to this, I would have to say things started to develop "incorrectly," if you will allow for such a word, during the fourth century, when early church fathers started to move away from the Sola Scriptura principle and begin to view Tradition as another authoritative source on the level of Scripture.


I couldn't say that the entire church started to "go wrong" at some point. I would have to say that some people who identified themselves as members of Catholic/Christians churches began distorting the apostolic faith. I think that there has been a catholic church (note lower case) that has been inexistence for all time. Sometimes its members have been inside and outside of the body that calls itself the Catholic Church.

(Oh man...it's hard to think clearly with throbbing headaches...)

Simply put, it's hard to answer your question because I'm not sure how we're defining the Catholic Church.







I would say two things:

1) That I look at it more like certain people have recognized more truth than others, and sometimes these people don't necessarily represent the denomiations that they are members of.

2) But, granted, yes I would believe that some denominational groups profess doctrines that are closer to, or in your words, contain more of the truth than others.


~Matt

Thank you for clarifying where your thoughts are on this. If I understand you correctly, it sounds something like how I used to see things at one point too . . so I think I undersand where you are coming from.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions and understanding where I am coming from in my intentions.


Peace in Him!

 

[InquisitorKind]

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions and understanding where I am coming from in my intentions.

You're welcome.

~Matt

 

[Light for God]

I guess I am a Protestant because that was the Christian group I was raised in. However, I believe the Catholic Churches and Orthodox Churches are just as good. For each person their faith is different. Protestantism is the best faith for me. However, at one time I thought about converting to Roman Catholicism. I then prayed and thought about it. I felt that God wanted me to stay on the path of Protestantism.