Why do Protestants have such a big issue with Catholics?

Question

I mean the Catholic Church can trace its first Pope back to Peter. The bible itself was put together by the Catholic church. It was the Catholic Church that chose the books under the guidence of the Holy spirit. The early Christian Church was called Catholic as early as 100 ADs. Martin Luther repented on his death bed about the seperation and divide he had caused the catholic universal and original church. Henry the VIII, the British Monarch broke from the Catholic church with the church of England because he wanted to remarry for the second time! The Catholic Church rightly refused this - and Henry the VIII started his own church and killed a number of his wifes in his lust. Henry VIII also acocording to tradition repented on his death bed for the harm he had casued against the Holy Catholic Church.

Then there is the craziness of calling the Pope a anti Christ?!!Pope John Paul II had so many fruits of of truth and love.He was the great protector of the unborn+vulnerable.

Answer 1

The papal system is the anti-Christ or the beast power.

Martin Luther was not the first person to claim that the pope is the anti-Christ. John Wycliffe came to the same conclusion some 200 years before Luther did. Unlike Luther, Wycliffe had everything to loose and nothing to gain from proclaiming this, but he did it anyway because that is what he believed. Let us examine the facts.

What is the beast (the anti-Christ)? It is a religious power that rises out of Europe after the fall of Rome (and 3 of the tribes of the fallen empire are taken out) that acts as sovereign nation. It has much wealth and wants to change the laws of God.

"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. “(Daniel 7:24 - 25 KJV)

The history of Europe settles the matter. There were 10 kingdoms that formed directly after the fall of Rome. After three kingdoms were taken out (the Vandals, Lombards, and Huns), the "Bishop of Rome" rose to power and formed what we now know as the Roman Catholic Church and this position is now known as the pope. With this power, the pope has changed God's times and laws. Many Christians no longer observe the Sabbath (God's time and God’s law) because the pope has instituted Sunday worship; the Roman Catechism even has a different set of Ten Commandments in it than the Bible's. It is also obvious that this kingdom represented by the little horn is different from all the others. The Vatican is a nation that has great wealth (the little horn wares an expensive crown earlier in Daniel chapter 7) but is very small (like a little horn among big ones) and is wholly ruled by a religious leader unlike any other nation in Europe today. The Vatican is a nation because the USA has an ambassador to the Vatican.

There are even more clues to point to the papal system as being the anti-Christ.

"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." (Revelation 13:3 KJV)

The pope was taken out of power and made prisoner (wounded) in 1798 by Napoleon. But, the pope was miraculously healed from his deadly wound in 1929, by Premier Mussolini of Italy who gave the pope all his power back!

The whole world has wondered after the pope. Just look at everyone that attended the funeral of the late John Paul II - leaders of almost every nation in the world!

Also, we find this of the anti-Christ. " And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (Revelation 13:5 - 6 KJV)

What is blasphemy? "The act of claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of God." (American Heritage Dictionary)

Does the pope blaspheme?

"Against this background of love towards Holy Church, 'the pillar and bulwark of the truth' (1 Tim 3:15), we readily understand the devotion of Saint Francis of Assisi for 'the Lord Pope', the daughterly outspokenness of Saint Catherine of Siena towards the one whom she called 'sweet Christ on earth'" (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation VITA CONSECRATA, (On The Consecrated Life And Its Mission In The Church And In The World), March 25, 1996.)

"The Pope is of so great dignity, and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God. and the vicar of God." (Ferraris Ecclesiastical dictionary)

"All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that He is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope." (On the Authority of the Councils, book 2, chapter 17)

"The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth." (Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Chapter XXVII, p. 218, "Cities Petrus Bertanous")

"The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth...by divine right the Pope has supreme and full power in faith, in morals over each and every pastor and his flock. He is the true vicar, the head of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians. He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by no one, God himself on earth." (Quoted in the New York Catechism)

""To believe that our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree as he is decreed, is to be deemed heretical." (the Gloss "Extravagantes" o.f Pope John XXII *** inter, Tit. XIV, Cap. IV. Ad Callem Sexti Decretalium, Paris, 1685)

I would say he dose!

I think the papal system matches up with the anti-Christ too much to be a coincidence.

Dwane D:

Anti-Christ means to be a false or fake Christ. This is how the papal system can be the anti-Christ. Catholics may do many humanitarian things, but it is not hard to read about the atrocities too. How about the Spanish inquisition, what was done to the Waldenses, or how about the millions of others that the Catholic Church has killed? How humanitarian is that? Is it right to kill someone because they do not believe the same thing as you? The Catholic Church does not preach the pure message of Jesus; they have distorted it enough to be a lie. It is also well documented that the Roman Catholic Church that we know today can only trace its' roots back to around 300 A.D.

Protestants split away because the Catholic Church had polluted the message of Jesus. I am also sure that you are aware that almost all protestant churches practice communion. If Jesus is your bread, what need have you for the pope, Mary, or the saints? Pure double talk. I also find it interesting for you to point out that the catholic Church put the Bible together; have you forgotten that the Catholic Church also spent more than 1,000 years trying to stop people from reading the Bible? What was the biggest crime of the Waldenses? They translated the Bible so common people could read it. Pope Innocent VIII sure did not like that.

Satin is not fighting himself because he deceives many through the false form of religion that the RCC teaches.

Please keep in mind that I have no issue with people that are Catholic. I believe that most people who are Catholic are very sincere in their faith and will be saved. I do, however, believe that the papal system is wrong and is the beast power of Daniel and Revelation. This is not just because of feelings or emotions regarding this pope or that pope, but because the Bible lays it out clearly. I am not creating of following new ideas, but reaffirming the idea that John Wycliffe taught - the idea that got him thrown out of Oxford.

Answer 2

There's no doubt that the Catholic Church has done some good throughout the ages, but there is a very dark side to the Catholic Church as well. I'm sure that is rarely, in fact never, taught in the Catholic Church. Read about the Crusades or the Inquisition. There are countless examples of the Catholic Church using its power in very corrupt ways. Don't get me wrong, Protestants have done their share of evil, but it pales in comparison to what the Catholic Church has done. Millions have died or been tortured by that organization. That stuff doesn't happen today, but there are still huge problems like the refusal of the Catholic Church to promote condom use. Millions of Africans are dying as a result. This is genocidal stupidity. And about the stories concerning Luther and Henry VIII repenting on their death beds...Those stories are apocryphal. They didn't happen. Those are stories that were passed down thru the ages and no one knows their sources and it is highly unlikely they occurred. All that to say, I recognize that the Catholic Church has done and is doing some incredible things. The Catholic Church's concern about poverty and the death penalty are wonderful. Like all churches, they are a mix bag of good and bad history.

Answer 3

First off you best get your facts straight as the Catholic Church in its own writing tells that the first pope was not Peter but came much later. Check the Catholic Encyclopedia and history. Show me one place that proves there is any connection to the Catholic Church and Peter or that he was considered by anyone but the church to be even a Catholic. Nowhere do you find it but the Catholic teachings. I would like to see where you find that Martin Luther repented of any break with the Catholic Church at any time. AS for the pope being the anti Christ, read your bible and you will see it is more the system than the man. What gives any man the authority to change one of God's holy Laws? Yet, the Catholic church boasts of that power to change God's law that was written with the finger of God and make the first day of the week the Sabbath day? Come on now and wake up and smell the roses. What is blasphemy? No matter where you look to see the definition, it will state it is claiming the power that belongs only to God. When Jesus forgave sin, they accused Him of blasphemy, a power that belongs only to God and yet He had that power as He was God in the flesh. When He claimed to be God's Son, they accused him of blasphemy but He was God in the flesh. The Catholic Church claims that the Pope is God on Earth, the Vicar of Christ or takes His place. Now I don't know about you but that is a claim that I would call blasphemy as there is no man, created being, that can be God on Earth or any other planet. I think you best get to reading your bible that the Catholic Church is to have put out and read the book of Daniel and Revelation or in yours, Apocalypse. You will find the same that is in my bible, that the Catholic Church is in there and the pope too and it tells of the history and what it was going to be, that the little horn would come up and would kill and maim those that dared to take a stand against it. Martin Luther was to be killed as he did not agree with the church, a death decree was put out on him. Go to Europe and you will find in the basements of the Catholic churches, instruments of torture, the wrack, and all the others to be used on those that dared to speak out against the Catholic church and many were killed to shut them up. Your beloved John Paul II spoke of that and apologized for the mass killing that happened in the church when it was in power during the dark ages. As prophecy fortold it would be stopped in 1798 and it was. Then the deadly wound would be healed, (1929) see the newpapers of the day that the headlines were, Deadly Wound Healed. The pope was given back its authority and made a political power once more. You think the dark ages are over with? NOt by a long shot. It will be again and the Pope will be at the forfront of the action to kill those that dare to do what the bible says rather than to blindly follow the Churches teaching. It is all there in Daniel and Revelation. So why the big issue? The pope is not God and even though most churches follow His teachings and worship on Sunday, the venerable day of the sun, a pagan holiday, he is not the final authority in the matter. If you want some truth in the subject go to the site below and study for yourself what the bible says.

Answer 4

It is a very long list of things.
First, they only claim they can trace back to Peter... they can not prove it. And there is no true Biblical foundation for claiming that Peter was to be concidered the rock upon which the church was to be built... The Rock is The Word. The Word is Jesus The Christ.

The RC are not Christian. If you do not know for certain that your Salvation is assured, Which the RC are forbidden to even teach that Salvation can be assured, Then you are not Christian.

They claim to be the first church. Which they are not.

They claim to be the only church. Which they are not. There is only One Church and that is The Church of which Christ is The Head, not any man

Those of the Christian Faith have no man invented doctrin or dogma between them and God. The relationship of God to His people is one-on-one and personal... no pope or priest is needed.

As to Luthor... He did not recant his position at all... he never intended to leave the Roman church. He only wanted it to get back to its founding honesty,,, as misguided as he was about that. He was, in fact a better catholic than the pope, all before and since. That do'nt make him right, just more honest than the corrupt leadership he fought.

another difference... Those of the Christian Faith pray directly to God. RCs pray even to JohnPaule II... even His successor prays to JP II.... this from his own mouth and brodcast around the world on tv.

Who TELLS the RC what to study? and what it means? The pope and the priests...

Who leads those of the Christian faith in what and how to study, with little to no restrictions of the what? The Holy Spirit

The list is much longer

Answer 5

Tradition, and some of the more radical sects believe the whole Catholic Faith is evil, but most do not. I have even heard the Catholic church referred to as the woman riding the beast in Revelation! That is not true. John Paul II was a good man who stood up for his beliefs against some of the greatest threats to Christianity. The one I remember most was the letter he wrote in response to world Hindu Leaders saying that he should say that there is more than one way to salavation. he denied it and stated that the belief in Christ was the ONLY way. He continually prayed and called for peace. He was a good Christian man. There are Christians in all the denominations of Catholic and Protestant, being a Christian does not mean belonging to a particular faith.

I believe many Protestants believe the Catholic church lost its way somewhere between the Conversion of the Roman Empire and Martin Luther. Because of that, they believe it is still following the wrong path. Recent problems by a few deviants within the church have just bolstered that opinion. I believe that many Christians, (Catholics, protestants, whatever) have lost their way. The better Protestants work with the Catholics to promote Christ as savior.

Answer 6

The Catholic Church (Roman Catholic) became corrupted. There are vastly too many man-made rituals. In addition Catholics are known to pray to Saints (which is any Christian, in reality) and also Mary. This is forbidden in the very Bible they put together.

Catholic is defined as: Of or relating to the universal Christian church.

So all Christians are Catholic, not Roman Catholic. But a Roman Catholic is NOT a Christian.

It is very confusing, but the Holy Spirit caused these divides from the "Catholic" church because it was no longer in God's will.

Answer 7

The existence of this type of hatred and distrust within a christian world is exactly why. Minds closed by fear. But they are both totally wrong, none of that Jesus crap was ever true, there is no proof, there never will be. The bible is fiction, get over it and live your life for yourself in real time. When you die, you will be dead, rot in the ground and that is it. Live while you can, because what you see is what you get. If the after life was such a great place, why do we persecute those who kill other people, If "heaven" is such a great place, killers should be rewarded for sending the faithful there earlier, rather than later. By the way, keep YOUR religious theories out of the womb of women who do not agree with your "church."

Answer 8

I usually don't answer a question in the manner I am about to answer. I agree somewhat with the answer that KnigthofChristandMary gave, but there are some distortions and misstatement of facts, but the jest of what he or she said is a correct chronology of the evolution of the protestant faith from the Roman Catholic faith.
I think the crux of the matter is the principal of free choice. The Roman Catholic church is not a democracy. The church is authoritorian with the final word on dogma and belief in the final decision in the hands of the pope who according to tradition is the direct decendant of St. Peter who directly received his authority from Jesus Christ with the words. "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church"; "What sins you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, what sins you shall loosen on earth shall be loosened in Heaven." Let's face it people do not like being told, without recourse, what to believe or not believe. The protestants believe in self interpretation of the bible. And this only on the surface there are a miriad of other beliefs in the different denominations of protestanism that are not acceptable to Roman Catholicism. Since to Catholics there is an infallability of dogma and the Pope this is a sore spot to protestants. The pope can only be infallable when dealing with faith and dogma (things that must be accepted as true without any substantiation or proof) Let's face it the Pope's are human although they are the vicar of Christ on earth. They can sin, can make wrong personal decisions and judgements but not when it come to faith. I hope this was some help, and is my opinion..........

Answer 9

You also have to remember that catholics carved out their areas of influence by bloodshed. A great many of the wars in history have been started by the pope and a huge number of people dead because of it.

Actually that has nothing to do with answering your question. Catholics are raised to believe that their religion is the one correct way and any other is inferior. Protestants aren't as bad on the subject, but they believe themselves a little better than all others. It is a rivalry issue.

Answer 10

That has been since Henry VIII. In Europe, in the XVI century, the protestants said: "First the turks than the Mass". I think that protestants are full of hate, I can't understand why, against the Church. I have heard protestants scream insults against Catholics, I cannot understand why, but I believe that if they are so full of hate and pride, that is not pleasant to God

Answer 11

Cathoolics do many things which the protestants find absurd. They worship this one man. That man is sometimes good but other times greedy and selfish. He is presented with hundreds of gifts and lives in a palace in the heart of rome. He is the pope. Im not saying pope john Paul II was bad but im saying that when he dyed he got a lager croud out than during easter or good friday. It seemed to me that he was respexted more than god. Also they just follow a book. They never tried to understand it. They just memorised it and never tried to think for themselves. God dave us free will and they are not usinf it. I also dont get that confessing of the sins thing they do. What happe ns to all the clustophobic people in that small room. They also think by saying the hail marys god will forgive them. I think u have to mean what you say instead of saying somthing you memorised.I would like to remind that protestants live in peace and harmony with the catholics everywhere except ireland because of politics. They dont like the catholic religion but im quire sure they consider them people and they interact with them just as they understood from the bible.