without bothering to read for themselves the writings of the early Christians? The heretics, for example the Gnostics, were not Christians.
I'm not asking for Protestants to take my word for it, I'm only asking them to read the writings of the early Christians instead of assuming what they think the early Christians probably believed. I don't think that this request is unreasonable since it is extremely easy to find the writings of these early Christians on the internet.
There are many places one can find the writings, but I will give a couple of places:
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/
http://www.earlychurchfathers.org/
2006-12-26 03:54:38 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well, actually, all Christian denominations developed from the Catholic brand of Christianity. "Catholicism" is really what came first and all other denominations branched off from it.
2006-12-26 03:56:30 · answer #1 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
I agree one hundred%. The Catholic Church is the Church of the Apostles and the Early Christian Fathers. The Orthodox Church is likewise recognized via Catholics as being Apostolic. The Bible, that Protestants are so prepared on quoting from, replaced into compiled via the Catholic Church. So Protestants could could have faith the Catholic Church to even quote from the Bible, that's to all intents and purposes the e book of the Catholic Church. If the Catholic Church isn't the authentic Church why do protestants have faith the e book this Church compiled? this question on my own hoists them on their very own petard. To be Catholic is to be steeped in Christian historic past, Protestants are in basic terms the Johny-come-latelies interior the historic past of Christianity who ignored out on around a millenium and a a million/2 of Christian historic past. In different words they seem to have faith that for around 1500 years the vast majority of Christians have been deceived and that there have been no authentic Christians till Henry VIII, Luther, Oliver Cromwell, King William of Orange and various present day cult leaders got here alongside to hold us the suited Christian doctrine. thank you for an extremely scholarly question.
2016-10-19 00:11:55 · answer #2 · answered by swett 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the Bible. This is something that most Catholics do not do. So they do not know what is really stated in the Word of God. They rely on what theology of their church is hand fed to them. Go back and read the New Testament. NO WHERE will you find the word Catholic. It was Jewish people first that got saved and then the gentiles. They were called Christians because they followed Christ. And no, no where in the Bible does it say that Peter was the first pope. There were no popes back then. When Jesus tells Peter he will build His church, it was not around Peter but around the knowledge that Peter had that Jesus was the Son of God. Have you studied Peter's character in the Bible? He denied Christ three times, cut off the ear of the Roman solider in anger, and was known for his bouts of angry outbursts, hardly something that you would build a Church on. Read about the structure of the church, the deacons and the pastors and what was required of them. Is was not, I assure you, that they were priests that don't marry. The Bible calls this Catholic Church doctrine a doctrine of devils. Please read 1 Timothy 4: 1-3. You will be shocked. I know, it's hard, I was Catholic for 39 years and then I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I know many Catholics that are saved, but they also read the Bible and can differeniate between Church doctrine and the true Word of God. It is your relationship with Jesus that saves you, a free gift from God. It is NOT your relationship with ANY Church. God Bless you as you search for the truth.
Also, in Revelation, the last book in the Bible, John speaks about seven churchs, and guess what...not of them is the Catholic Chruch.
2006-12-26 04:15:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's prejudicial to say that the Gnostics were "heretics"-- it depends on your point of view. Also that they weren't Christians. They would disagree, if yoiur early Christians lef trthem aline and did not eradicate their Gospels.
As for the earliest Christians, they were Jewish. They had no idea that they belonged to a different religion. Christianity as a religion developed among Gentiles who didn't know any better.
The Catholic Church as such did not exist until Christianity was taken over by the Roman Empire in the 4th century.
Your friends, though wrong in being Protestant, are not as wrong as you think.
2006-12-26 04:01:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
All Christianity is based upon the teachings of a man named Jesus. Christ was a Jew and so were his disciples. The early Christians belonged to various sects. Catholicism did not come into being until a few hundred years later.
2006-12-26 04:05:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very few people actually want to do their own research. However, you need to be careful when delving into this subject and making over arching comparisons. There were many things the early Christians had in common with some protestants as well. Baptism by immersion and the accessibility of the Scriptures are to name a few.
2006-12-26 03:58:15 · answer #6 · answered by AT 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Early Christians had the Words of Jesus to guide them, and once they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and took up their cross to follow Him, they were given the gift of God's Holy Spirit to also guide them.
The Catholic church is a non-Christian cult.
2006-12-26 04:06:34 · answer #7 · answered by Born Again Christian 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
People can read all they want but doesn't mean they will interpret the same as you. Gimme a break. How many people read the Bible and yet how many denominations are there. Even Catholics differ in their beliefs.
Now are you talking about Roman Catholics or Orthodox (catholics) Cause RC split from Orthodox.
2006-12-26 03:58:44 · answer #8 · answered by Jasmine 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
God's will be done on Earth, not the will of the Catholic Church or any other religion.
God Bless you and have a safe and Happy New Year.
2006-12-26 04:04:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because Protestants are more distant than early Christians and broke away with the Catholic Church in 1517 A.D with the Reformation.
The Catholic Church had always been the first Church that Jesus Christ establish who he built upon Peter, "Upon this Rock I will build my Church."
Protestantism today is more diverse with different doctrines and practices all their own. I read the early Christian writings and they are Catholic.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, who is the disciple of St. John, the Apostle quote it best, "Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." -St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans (107-110 AD).
Some people say Constantine establish the Catholic Church. It is wrong. Emperor Constantine issued the eddict of Milan which ended Christian persecution in 325 A.D. That is incorrect. If you read early Christian writings like S. Ignatius of Antioch like the one I quoted above pre-dates Constantine. So to say the Constantine created the Catholic Church is historically not true.
The Catholic Church had always been there. Jesus established the Church and on Penecost Sunday, where the Twelve Apostles were gathered, and the Holy Spirit fill them like tongues of fire is the birth of the Church. Catholic Church is the Only Church established by Jesus Christ.
There is no other Church. Jesus said, I will build my Church (singular). He did not say, Churches. He also establish a Church that is united in belief, which the Catholic Church has. The Magisterium, the Bishops in Union with the Pope, when issuing the teachings of faith and morality is infallible. Jesus instructed the Apostles, "whatever you bound on earth shall be bound in heaven, what ever you loose on earth shall be loose in heaven."
Orthodox Church which split from the main Latin Church in 1054 is itself not united. It was Orthodox that actually split from Catholic Church. If you look at your history the Church had always been Catholic. They are divided by ethnic backgrounds or nationality. There was at one point the Orthodox Church was centralize in Constantine, and during the Muslim occupation it was losing its power. Overtime, the Russian Orthodox Church broke away from the Greek Othodoxy. Eastern Orthodox are divided by ethnicity. You don't only have the Greek Orthodox, you have the Serbian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox.
They aren't united like the Catholic Church.
Catholics are the FIRST Christians. All the rest comes second place. This is fact, this is history. CHRISTIAN HISTORY!
Everyone else contain partial truth. The Catholic Church is the fullness of truth. Read 1 Tim 3:15, "That thou mayest know how oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar, and bulwark of the truth."
Indeed the word Pope or Catholic are not in the Bible. The word Pope means Papa or Father. Does it mean that every doctrine of Christian has to be in the Bible? Is the Bible the Sole Authority? No. It is not. The word Trinity is not even in the Bible. So how do you justify that? How about incarnation? That's not in the Bible? How about Alter Calls? Where is that in the Bible? Where is that you must accept Jesus in your heart to be saved? That's not in the Bible either. To be saved you must, "Do penance, and be baptized everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins." Acts 2:38
It is Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. The Catholic Church like the person below say that the Catholic Church is the work of the devil, oh please. What charity do you have? Do you lack Christian charity? No. The Catholic Church is the Church Jesus established. Read Matthew 16:18-20.
cookingpanpake got it all wrong. Apparently she lacks any knowledge of Catholicism at all.
Jesus did establish a Church and Peter is the first Pope. Catholicism has been around since the beginning of Christianity. Orthodox, and Protestantism came second. Peter did denied Jesus three times but that was before the Church was born, which is the day of Penecost.
After Jesus resurrection, Jesus told Peter to feed my Sheep and Feed My Lamb. He also ask Peter, do you love me three times, and Peter said I do. (Paraphrasing).
Peter is also the first Apostle who spoke after the Holy Spirit filled them in the Books of Acts. Peter is also the first one to speak in the Council of Jerusalem. In the Council of Jurusalem, they did not use Scripture at have the Gentile be converted. There were many elders who wanted Gentiles to be circumcised, but Peter told them about revelation he received from the Lord. You can read the Books of Act for yourself to see if Sola Scriptura fit the bill. Well it doesn't. If the Apostles did use Sola Scriptura, circumcism today would be required to be converted.
Second, the Catholic Church does allow married men become priest but not in the Latin Rite. It is allowed in the Eastern Rite, or Bzyantine Rite Catholic Church. Many Non-Catholic Christians believe that the Catholic Church is Latin Rite only. It's not correct. There are Eastern Catholics which are more Eastern Orthodox than Catholic. Their practices and Liturgy are more Orthodox but their bishops are in union with the Pope in Rome. So calling men that priest cannot marry falls short. Again, cookingpancake falls short on her claims against the CC.
If you want to be a true Christian be Catholic. We have the Tabernacle, where Jesus is dwelling. Because Catholic Church believes that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ. His Body, Soul, and Divinity is truly present amongst us.
cookingpancake maybe a former Catholic but she left because she misunderstood a doctrine or dogma of the Church. Many Ex-Catholics do. She probably received poor doctrine training in the faith that is why her faith with Catholicism is weak.
Her remarks about the Catholic Church is erroneous and are misunderstood. Take my word, because I studied Catholicism in and out. I also meet people like her.
2006-12-26 04:00:10 · answer #10 · answered by Emmanuel 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It's naive to think that protestants just emerged out of the blue. No one wants to compare themselves to those Catholics. Of course, we all stemmed from the same beginning.
2006-12-26 03:57:11 · answer #11 · answered by FaZizzle 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋