If it were not for Catholics, the Christian faith would be unheard of by most. So why do some Protestants...?

Question

accuse Catholics of not being Christian? This is the most offensive thing that one can say about another Christian. The fundamentalists even say that Catholics are all going to hell.

Catholics don't even say this about Protestants, but Protestants complain that Catholics are being mean when we explain to them why they should return to the original Church that Jesus founded, namely the Catholic Church.

We are Christians who belong to the Catholic Church. I don't know why this is such a hard concept for some to get. Please read our creed.

We are not idol worshipers either, when people say this about us they are bearing false witness against us which is breaking one of the 10 commandments.

All of the accusations that Protestants make against Catholics can be easily refuted.

gee-geeofmo,

Here is a good start for you:
Catholic Answers
http://www.catholic.com/
Teachings of the Catholic Church
http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/teaching.htm
Crusades-The Real History
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/118/52.0.html
The Real Inquisition-Investigating the popular Myth
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/madden200406181026.asp

coloradohurr...,
It is a historical fact that we are the oldest Church and therefore the one founded by Jesus. This is the truth, so how is that being arrogant to tell the truth? But that's not like telling a Christian that they are not Christian.

Martin S,

Statement of fact, who else spread Christianity to the world before the Protestant movement began in 1517?

John S., you have it in reverse. Please do some serious study into history.

Answer 1

Ever since they broke away from the Catholic Church, they have been emptying themselves from the fullness of Truth and filling themselves with man-made concepts like sola-scriptura-(the Bible alone is all you need) and sola fide- (by faith alone are you saved).
The Protestants of today are too far removed to see the reality of the Catholic Church.

Their views of the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary(which by the way Luther believed in these Catholic teachings), and the rest of the Sacraments, are lost because they lack the grace to understand these, and they become symbols of faith instead of the means to gain salvation.

Answer 2

I know a number of Catholics who believe the same fundamentals as Protestants. This fundamental belief being that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all mankind and then rose from the dead, fully conquering sin and is alive today up in Heaven with God.

Now, what many Protestant Christians see when looking at the Catholic Church, are the traditions based upon the pride of being the original church. However, if you read your Bible, you will notice that the first "church" began in the book of Acts and geographically nowhere near Rome. I would not be reluctant in saying that one or several of those church families were still in existance at the time of the conception of the Roman Catholic Church. I think God is pretty powerful, and if the Roman Catholic Church had not been founded, the message would have leaked out some other way.

That being said, I think that many traditions and even some practices of the Catholic Church AND the Protestant churches have no Biblical foundation. However, those traditions are the most visible things of any church and can become what tears any church body apart.

I think it can be good for any Christian to have a healthy debate on things of the Bible such that you can confirm and learn your faith. BUT your focus should not be on fighting others on the interpretations and differences of the Church, but rather on winning non-believers to Christ. Btw, I have heard Catholics trounce Protestants - either way, it's stereotyping and judgemental.

Answer 3

Most Protestants would argue that the Church Jesus founded was NOT the Catholic Church and perhaps was corrupted by Roman and other pagan practices.

Where was the veneration of saints in early churches ?
Where was purgatory(which the Catholic Church) admits was not part of their doctrine until around 1000 AD ?
Where was celibacy of clergy ?
Sunday as the Sabbath ?

None of those things were practiced by the early church, yet you say it was "Catholic."

I, as stated on another question, do believe Catholics are Christians, but find it arrogant that Catholics claim to be THE church based on some sort of Apostolic succesion with a church which held VERY different beliefs based on the Bible and not on Catholic tradition.

EDIT: And you downplay the role of the Eastern Church which was half of the Christian world. The Eastern Orthodox Church never accepted the Bishop of Rome's primacy, finding him one of many equal Bishops.

Further EDIT: What historical fact ? I already mentioned the things which the Catholic Church believes which the early Christians(who still practiced Judaism) NEVER practiced. That is historical and accurate. Speaking of history. There is NO proof historically that Peter ever even visited Rome much less became Pope of Rome. Paul was the one who brought the gospel to the gentiles, Peter would have been hesistant about going to Rome and preaching to non-Jews. That is documented in the Bible.

Yet another rebuttal to Baby: The Waldensians(widely considered the first Protestants) were active before 1000 AD. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Copts, other groups also spread Christianity. Actually, the Catholic Church was pretty dormant when it came to Missionary activity compared to these other groups.

Answer 4

In the end... I think you are dealing with alot of oversimplifications... the reformers never left the church... they felt the church left the gospel and they made a reformed church

I think you are dealing with some oversimplifications and you might be bumping inot some protestants who are willing to oversimplify tihngs as well. People are christians based on whether they personally know God, whether they glorify God leaning on the work of Jesus on the cross, believing for eternal Christ

see Quest for Joy for a well written discussion of salvation
and a better one than I can do
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/what_we_believe/quest4joy.html

Yes of course many great theologians were Catholic, Augustine Wyclif, Hus, Pascal and it would not be possible to make a complete list There are many stunning agreements between eastern orthodox, protestants and catholics and some disagreements as well

two big areas I know are as follows:
please forgive me if they sound abrasive I do not intend them to

Protestants feel justified in reforming the church, the reformers did not feel they made a new church, they feel they reformed it
and it was mainly because the catholic church rejected faith -> justification + works the notion you are saved by faith, resulting in justification evidensed by worked

Since after the reformation because the Catholic church went deeper into Mariology most Protestants would consider this as moving farther away from the truth and moving more toward Jesus substitutes in terms of Mary or the saints and that is also a sticking point

There are other issues, also to be honest, it is some concern to many that under Catholic law the century prior to the reformation Bible translators were public enemy number 1 and many protestants felt the Bible was not propperly integrated into Christian faith and living as it might have been

Answer 5

If it wasn't for the Jews, you wouldn't have had a Catholic Faith. Yes, within the first century, the "Church" was claiming that jews stole babies in order to sacrifice them...

And some Catholics do talk bad about Protestants. The majority where I live is Catholic and Southern Baptist... they most certainly do talk bad about Protestants LOL

Jesus founded no Church. You found that whole idea based on one verse where Jesus said it would be built on Peter... LOL and then you follow OTHER men's words to make the claim stick. Really no different than what any other religion has done. Not really something to get worked up over... unless you feel that everyone goes to hell because they don't belong to your Organization... and that is exactly what it is. It is not a spiritual leadership (not when the Organization itself is hiding criminals.)

Answer 6

Jesus or his apostles did not start the Catholic church, it's rise came from Rome,and that's were many pagan influences came from. The apostles said that the apostasy would come after their deaths, John was the last to die around 98 A.D., the Catholic church did not develop until after this date, so your church was the first to rise during the apostasy, the first to fall away from the truth that Jesus started. Your churches history is filled with the stories of how the church leaders accepted pagan holidays into Christianity to try and bring in the pagans, all they succeeded in doing was further contaminating Christianity. Your churches are full of idols, why do you pray to anyone other than God himself, anyone one else would be considered idolatry, the Bible says that many use of words to try and get a hearing is wrong, but you do this on a rosary, prayer by rote is wrong, you teach a trinity yet your own Catholic encyclopedia admits there is no trinity, it was an adopted teaching taking until the 4th century to actually take full root in Catholicism. You can not say these things are not so, they are down in writing, even in your churches own books. And the church was not to be built on Peter, the rock Jesus was talking about was himself, Jesus is the chief cornerstone.

Answer 7

I have been told that by some of my protestant friends. But I would never think the same of them. We can trace back all the way to Peter who was told by Jesus "You are my Rock and on this Rock I will Build MY Chruch...The gates of Hell will not Prevail it" But then many make up stuff about how Jesus actually named him a pebble not a rock. I guess then you can't believe anything in the Bible. Take it or leave it, I say. I am Catholic because it is the most biblically accurate Christian Faith. (I have researched as I CHOOSE to be Catholic)
I know that I have been told that we worship false idols breaking the ten commanments but that is just a lack of knowledge of how we pray. God IS the only one we ask to help us and give us whatever...Mary and the Saints we ask them to Pray For Us. In the same way I ask anyone to pray for me, it's just that the Saints are closer since they are in heaven. I'll wager you $100 that most anyone who accuses Catholics of this also have said, "My Grandma is up in Heaven watching over me." Same thing.
As far as having statues. We are honoring them. Very simply. I have been to Protestant Churches who have pictures of Pators or "Founders" in thier church. We choose statues because this was as common as having photgraphs of someone is now.
Roman Catholicsm refers more to rituals of a paticullar Catholic than a seperate Church. There is also Marrinite and Bynsintine Catholics. They follow the teachings of the Church (except priest can marry) in every way. to say that the Church wasn't Catholic until Constintine is Just ignorance. No one ever said Peter started the Church in Rome (although he did prech to Romans and Jews). For heavens sakes the Romans Crucified him.
I realize this is not an answer to your question. It's more an answer to everyone elses confussion.

I think before anyone makes a statement about a faith like "they are really Christian" they need to really know what thier talking about. Everyone on here who has agreed that Catholics aren't Christian obviously do not know what Catholics believe. Not such a surprise since most Catholics don't know nowadays.

There are many protestants how ever whop very much like Catholics. My Great Grandfather was a holy man, a southern baptist preacher. When he found out my family was becoming Catholic he simply said, "Well they are good Chritians and will continue to be good Christians." So try not to generalize. There are good Chritians both Catholic and Non-Catholic out there. Simply educate thoose who don't know and let them be after that.

PS When my mom was part of the Baptist church they would say the Niceen Creed.

Answer 8

Generally speaking, you are right. Catholics have their way of worshiping and we Protestants have ours. But every Christian knows, deep down inside, that there is one Church: The Bride of Christ. And I believe that within that body there will be some of each "flavor" of Christian in the world. Since faith in the righteousness of Christ, and His atonement for our sins is the only thing necessary for a relationship with God, how could there not be people like that in each faith?

By the way, I've never understood why some refer to Catholics in a different "category" from Christians. It's probably because people who don't understand much about faith see all the different Protestant denominations and only one Catholic denomination and figure they must be different or something. lol.

Answer 9

Your first sentence epitomizes what is wrong with the Catholic church. You say "If it were not for Catholics, the Christian faith would be unheard of by most"

Really? So I guess God couldn't have found another way? It was all the efforts of men that caused the Christian faith to be spread around the world?

That's what I mean. The Catholic church values the works and traditions of men over the sovereignty of God in practice and probably deep in some hidden corner of their hearts although I'm sure that they would deny that.

Answer 10

What separates Catholics and Protestants is their different understandings of how salvation works.

Catholicism teaches the concept of "merit", which is a positive value of good works that cancels out the negative value of sin. According to the "merit" paradigm, Christ's sacrifice on the cross was an infinitely good deed that generated an infinite amount of merit which can pay off all our sins.

Protestants, on the other hand, generally reject this notion of "merit" and believe that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was a subsitutionary sacrifice in which Christ suffered the penalty due to our sins, thus freeing those who have faith in Him from the penalty of sin (i.e., going to hell) once and for all, forever.

These two views of salvation are so different that even though Catholics and Protestants agree on many core points of doctrine, there remains a wall of understanding between the denominations to this day, and this wall often leads to recriminations like what you've described.