How come Catholics always demolish Protestents in debates on faith?

Question

I was a Protestants until, as of late, it no longer makes any sense. Every time I do research on the net I end up in some Catholic vs. Protestant forum with biblically uneducated Protestants sounding like ten thousand annoying little Rat Terriers barking constantly and are either proven wrong, stifled quickly, or just get down right belligerent! For me to remain a Protestant, I would have to disregard oral tradition, believe all miracles and revelations from God stopped when the Bible ended (NOT including healings, speaking in tongues, dancing with snakes, etc..) and be downright rude to anyone who opposes! This dose not sound like TRUTH or the Christianity that I have read about! Not to mention snap judgments and gossip in just about every church I have went too! I hope both Catholics and Protestants can help shed some light here on some UNITY! TRUTH! And RIGHT AND WRONG! (Even though “Truth” and “right and wrong” are faith based and are all in the eye of the beholder...I know this Protestants!)
(MT 7:21-23) 21 “Not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 “Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord” did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do miracles in your name?” 23 “Then I will declare to them solemnly, “I NEVER KNEW YOU. DEPART FROM ME YOU EVILDOERS.”

So Jesus clearly tells us in his word that there is a right and wrong here. So… Lets have it Christians… WHAT IS THE RIGHT FAITH AND THE WRONG FAITH?!?!?!

Here is a parable type question for those who down Catholicism without reading the Catechism..."How can you fight a war without the complete history of war." Answer- You CAN"T! Most hardcore KJV readers and “Sola Scriptura” people need to visit this discussion. This is just one of many. There is a persistent Protestant on here that sometimes makes good points and is even educated in the Bible, but he always gets shut down by these full replies from the Catholics: http://www.catholic-forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2038

Answer 1

--is Catholic--

History isn't a friend of Protestantism. Anyone who reads primary source material knows that the early Church wasnt Protestant at all. Here is a quite writeup of my conversion story.

I converted to Catholicism way back when I was doing my undergraduate studies. It is a long and terribly involved story but here is the jist of it. I was raised Lutheran/United Methodist (confirmed United Methodists). I want particularly religious (nor "spiritual" as the saying goes) but I was attracted to all things of historical mythology and science fiction, both things of which are ultimately concerned with the ultimate concerns and the working of the universe. So from the beginning you could say that I was interested in things of history and things of true, philosophy if you.

At my undergrad, I started to become heavily (and I mean heavily) involved in an evangelical group on campus (standard evangelical beliefs nothing fancy). A lot of the things that they were saying didn't mesh with my religious upbringing. The constant advice was to read the bible and then you will get it.

So I did, but I did the one thing that evangelicals hope you don't do. Being that I was confused between what I was brought up by, what the evangelicals were saying, and that the evangelical method of reading scripture was causing me to read the Gospels Arian, I searched out how historical the meaning of the bible. In other words, I started reading things in their historical context. This provided a forth option, because anyone reading early Christian works knows that they do not mesh with evangelicalism or Methodism.

At this time, I hooked up with a bunch of people who were interested in what we called "intellectual Christianity" as opposed to the "emotive Christianity" that tends to permeate modern Christianity. It was all about trying to flesh out a historical connected Christianity, one where we didn't have to check our intellect and reason at the door.

Secondly, when you have read enough classical mythology (all types) and science fiction (which really is mythology for moderns) you start to see a connection running through every thing and that these things were not written as BS but rather there is a hope and deep longing that connect everything and points as an arrow shot in the dark. Though I haven't read it at the time J.R.R. Tolkien’s
Mythopoeia (was instrumental in the conversion of C.S. Lewis)
http://home.ccil.org/~cowan/mythopoeia.html
pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. The first chapter of "The Building of Christendom" is terrific at see how everything fits together.

Somewhere along the way, we started running into Catholic sources. They literally were like a breath of fresh air. If you have ever read a solid Catholic source, it is literally incredible at how clear it is philosophically and how holistic it is. This doesn't make it true however. What needs to be done is to compare them with the Protestant arguments and see which one is historically and philosophically superior; ie which sees the world as it is.

Some of my friends started to move towards becoming Catholic. So question started to revolve around the truth content of Catholicism. Anyone with 1/2 a brain can see that there is truth in Catholicism as well as truth in Protestantism, so you, or at least I, start to really look to see if first if there is something more true and more expressive about fundamental truths of human existence than Protestantism. Yes Catholicism is more expressive about what it means to be human. Ok then, is there something more expressive than Catholicism? What about something non-religious like Atheism? What about something philosophical like Confucianism? What about a different religion all together? What about another form of Christianity? How about Orthodoxy? Now that is very interesting, very much like Catholicism, but different on several points.

Somewhere along in there I read the book "DOES GOD NEED THE CHURCH?" which was very instrumental in my thinking process, even if perhaps not the world's best book. Orthodoxy fell to the side because the orthodox are not united at fundamental levels. There is a lack of communion in the Orthodox Churches, where as in the Catholic Churches (both eastern and western) there is unity in faith, even if the theologies and modes of worship differ.

There is also the important question of whether or not there could ever be anything more true than the Catholic Church in the future? You can look at the answer to that in two ways, first even if there could be something more true, Catholicism is the most true now so that is where you should be, or second that the Catholic Church will be continuous with that future true thing.

So Catholicism won out and I converted because to be Catholic is to maximize the amount of truth that you have, to maximize the human experience, and to maximize one's connectivity to God.

There are a lot of other factors in the conversion, especially some priests who I talked with about things, and a few other books. My former great friend, who is evangelical and ended the friendship because I converted, was terribly instrumental in the conversion, though one shouldn't say that to her.

In closing, I would like to return to the scriptures, even though I didn't talk much about them. The scriptures were always involved in my conversion. There was constant reading and constant trying to understand. And finally one day, the mess and the confusion became a flaming arrow that pointed in the direction of the Catholic Church.

Answer 2

There is only one church. It is the church without walls, it is the church of Jesus Christ! Belonging to a denomination will not get you in to heaven. Only by the grace of God and the confession that Jesus is our savior will get us there. Jesus did not tell Peter to start the Catholic church. The rock of the church is Jesus Christ. There will be no Catholics, no Baptists, no Methodists, or Lutherans or any other denomination in heaven. Just those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Sorry if i just offended you, but the truth will set you free. Regarding the comment that Catholics always demolish Protestants in debate, no wonder the unbelievers make fun of us. Jesus said "A new commandment I give you, That you love another; as I have loved you, that ye also love another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34 and 35. Definition of hypocrisy: The pretense of having feelings or characteristics one does not possess. The right faith is faith that Jesus Christ is our Savior, He died on the cross for our sins, He rose on the third day, He is alive forever more, and He is returning soon.

Answer 3

no one will ever be 100% right in any faith because religion hinders the true nature of faith and too many dogmas get in the way especially in the catholic faith. have you ever seen a catholic catechism book and all the points, sheeew! Good heavens!(i understand pope benedict's revision is great though.) when Christ came He wanted life to be simple about His teachings lest hindering us on our walk which can be hard at times. His message is clear and simple. love God with all your heart, mind and soul,follow in Christ's footsteps loving all those you see spreading the good news of His resurrection and of our salvation by His sacrifice. this is the will of the Father. but you know, ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment in choosing a denomination, He's likely to turn you to a nondenominational church as He did with me. then you won't have all that dogmatic nonsense and just the truth and the light using the bible. did you know that gossip is the #1 sin committed in churches and hardest to shake out of the church. our tongues; bless you or curse you, james 3:10. God bless you.

Answer 4

I believe that all churches and denominations have load of crap attached to it. Ignorant and judgmental people, traditions that has nothing to do with the essence of Christianity and social bickering and gossiping that is completely disheartening. And I believe it is because in every church there are people! And humans are not perfect as you might have heard. I don't think there is an easy distinction of right faith and wrong faith. I believe you should look at the essence of Christ teachings, look for a church where they seem to get closest to it and put up with the humanity of it all. Keep focused on the bible, and filter the cultural baggage that the church brings! Seek God in private and be available to do it with others. You follow Christ even if the others seem to get entangled in the bickering.You be true to your heart and to God and be a light in the church.

Answer 5

Because of Matthew 16:17-19. Jesus told peter to make and lead his church. Peter(pbuh) started the Catholic church and the end. Other denominations can't even tell you who started theirs. Peter didn't say I want to start a church. Jesus told Peter(pbuh) to start his church. A universal church and that is what Catholic means in greek, Universal. So I mean what can a baptist say. Who started the baptists. Who started pentecostal? Who started Jahovah witness? An apostle named Peter(pbuh) started my church, through orders of christ. In the bible Jesus didn't want division in the church. So why divide from the catholic church? the church that peter made. Catholics did alot of ****** up things in the past but what are we doing now. No religion has all peaceful times every religion goes through a screwed up time and we did during the crusades and inqusitions. We have stopped doing that a Loooooooooong time ago and we have issued apologizes. No one who was around during those times are alive. We don't even count those as good times. The only thing people say about us is what? We worship Mary(pbuh)? No we don't and no one will every say that. We worship the Pope? Nope we don't and no one would say that. We worship saints? Nope again. We worship God. Do research on us. It's time to come back to the catholic church. Go to www.newadvent.com and learn about us. Don't listen to non catholics about us.

Answer 6

Is there a question in all that? Cuz I don't think you can really say that there is a denomination that has "the right faith" and one that has "the wrong faith."

Besides, how can faith be "wrong"? It can be placed in something evil, but you can't discount it because that's the whole point of faith - it is the belief in something that cannot be proved or disproved.

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And whoa, Steve! Catholics (and all Christians for that matter) do NOT pray to idols. We only pray to God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. Mary and the other saints pray WITH us. Statues and art and only to help focus a person. And pray to the pope? hehehehe, thank you but no.

Answer 7

I am a Muslim. Formerly a Lutheran (Protestant). Do you have to have someone as an intermediary in order to have a relationship with God? Do you need the priest to talk to God for you? Everyone's relationship with God is personal. Catholics, and Protestants for thaht matter, pray to idols. Take a poll of Catholics around the World. Ask, "Do you pray to the Pope, the cross, the statue of the virgin Mary, to a statue of Jesus on the cross?" You will be surprised at the number of confusing responses you will get. Make it easy and pray to God. God is God. Man is man. There is only one God for all of us. Simple.

Answer 8

The rihgt faith is the one which makes sense to you, makes you feel good in your heart and mind and provides you with what you can accept as a reasonable explanation of your place in the world spirituality. If it doesn't, it isn't for you. Do you know that the Protestant sect was begun becasue the Popes of old in the Catholic church were so corrupt and wouldn't allow their followers to read the Bible? Again, this is highly personal, but you will know when you've found your place.

Answer 9

The grass always looks greener on the other side. Evangelical churchs get converts from Catholicism and Catholics get converts from protestantism. People look for the church that suits their beliefs and tells them what they want to hear in the way they want to hear it. It's always been thus and always will be. But since both faiths are superstitious nonsense for the emotionally weak and credulous, I don't have a dog in this fight.

Answer 10

The turn-off of Catholicism for me was simply the teachings that contradict scripture, such as Jesus having no siblings, or the worshipping Mary stuff, etc. to me, it's always been the Scripture alone, and not Catholic church traditions.

But for what it's worth, I've had and still have some great Catholic friends over the years, and I've genuinely enjoyed discussions with them. I've never been "demolished" in a discussion though. :)