Why do some Catholics say that there was only one church before...?

Question

Why do some Catholics say that there was only one church before the reformation when really there was the Orthodox church and the Catholic church? Are they really so self absorbed?

'
Another question is when I ask Protestants why they don't take responsibility for things done in the name of Christianity, i.e. the first half of your list, why do they claim "that was the Catholics," When there was no one but the Christians untill the Protestants split in 1512? Remember, there was only one church, and it was your heritage too.' From this question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ak2DVxlG0cqVM1z8kNtMuwHpy6IX?qid=20070516071727AAAMdq7

PPL! I am not talking about Catholics killing ppl ---I am saying why do they forget about the Orthodox all the time!

Answer 1

838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter." Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church." With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist."

To paraphrase this ... we RC's love you all as brothers & sisters in Christ ... and we're closest with the Eastern Orthadox.

Answer 2

The Catholic Church IS the original church founded by Christ. The argument between protestants and catholics has to do with authority. Protestantism is a rejection of the authority of the Catholic Church. The Protestant claim is that there is no central authority, therefore, no need to obey Christ's Church. They further try to prove this by claiming apostolic roots to show that the Catholic Church is not the original. We're not being self-absorbed when we state the truth with regard to protestants. We ARE the original Church. I know this because I used to be protestant but converted to Catholicism 2 years ago after much study and prayer.

Keep in mind we do not stand by this to hit our protestants brothers and sisters on the head with; we are simply standing up for the truth. How foolish would we be if we didn't? It would be like denying that the earth is round and not flat.

I don't know much about the Orthodox, only that it is a schism.

Answer 3

shure, but when catholics are self absorbed, it doesn`t automatically make their argument wrong.

The church is described in the bible as "the bride of Christ", the body of Christ on earth, which God himself keeps spotless.

the sins of Catholics in the name of the church are sins against the church, which is the one and only.

The history of the Orthodox/Catholic schizm is a "scandal" involving politics, and difference in language (greek vs latin). Back then people didn`t understand each other and suspicions grew untill a schizm finally happened, sparked by a personal power struggle in Constantinople. The two doctrines are very similar, and Catholics accept Orthodox saints and sacraments. I used to live in Serbia where they sometimes held mass together.

.. all the best!

Answer 4

Good points! Catholics like to pretend they were the ONLY early ones, though, truth be told, the Orthodox Church came AFTER the Coptic one (I'm pretty sure). There were DOZENS, if not more, of early followers of Jesus, which would make them christians. It wasn't 'til the powers of Rome and then Constantinople (aka Byzantium) were behind them, that their message started to travel and be accepted, or they were usually FORCED to "convert" at sword point!

As for Protestants and their whining about Catholics, it's just propaganda, showing how LITTLE they know about history and even the beginnings of their own sects! I try to ignore it, unless it gets nasty (which usually DOES happen)!.

For the record: I was raised Catholic and even as kids, we were told by the nuns & priests to "Go out an convert" (lol!) Protestants, whereas Jews and others were seen as "irredeemable"! Take THAT, protestants! Catholics ARE known for their tolerance (to a degree).

Answer 5

Christianity was legalized in the fourth century, when Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan in 313, and some churches joined with the secular Roman state, eventually becoming the Roman Catholic church.

Others refused and stayed autonomous, there have always been local Christian churches that have obeyed the Bible rather than compromise.
Baptists trace their history all the way back to the first churches of the new Testament, they never were Catholic and never were Protestant.

Protestantism came out of Catholicism and took many of the same beliefs, such as the sacrament of infant baptism.
Baptists were given their name due to their refusal to baptize infants, only adults.

Baptists were persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants along with other bible believing churches that based their faith on the bible rather than tradition.

Answer 6

I am Catholic, any catholic that ignores the great schism that occured in 1052 between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople simply ignores history. Being catholic in this respect is merely accidental since an ignorance of history occurs among all sorts of people. You are right, before the reformation there waas already two branches oc Christianity in Europe, Orthodox and Catholic, but even before that, before the great schism, after the council of Ephesos the monophysites (nestorians) broke off from the once Unified Church, and they are still spearated, so as we can see, the seamless robe of Christ has been tried to be torn apart by many people throughout history, as for me I think just like St Paul, anybody that causes a dissension does not work from God. Also with St Cyprian of Carthage who wrote that anybody who comes and attempts to bring their own version of Christianity and tear the unity of Christians is a schesmatic, an anathema and does not act in the name of Christ, he who has eas hear.

God bless you my orthodox sister ( I assume you are), and I pray that soon we will be one again in full communion, all Christians, we need it to face this convoluted modern society in preparation of the second coming of our Lord, can we really afford to remain separated anymore?

Answer 7

Catholics who imagine there was only one early church are denying the historical facts. After the Trinity was invented in 381 AD, the Roman Catholic Church launched a series of brutal wars of extermination against other "heretical" faiths. Several ancient monotheistic Christian cults, who refused to accept the Catholic Trinity were exterminated. In addition, many, even older non-Christian Dualistic faiths were also brutally attacked. Genocide is the modern word that best describes the actions taken by the early Catholic church to secure the total domination of Europe which led directly to the Dark Ages. Modern Catholics have much to be ashamed of.

Answer 8

The church split in 1054, before that it was just one church, the orthodox is the one that goes against the Catholic, the one who separates. So you can say the catholic one was the first one..it really does not matter . There are 11000 religions in the world today most of them Christian , they all proclaim to have "the truth". It does not matter anymore if protestants killed catholics if catholics killed orthodox is still a crime. We have enough religion to hate each other but not enough to love each other.

Answer 9

There was only one church before both Catholicism and the, "Reformation, began. It was the, "church of 'GOD'". Protestantism came out of Romanism, and is referred to in Revelation as the beast out of the earth. The, "Reformation", was short lived as well.

Answer 10

they aren't any more self absorbed than any other members of christian cults.

look how self-absorbed they are -- the bible is full of errors and contradictions, yet with blank faces, they claim it isn't. and they claim that their savior rose from a tomb like a zombie, and cannot agree on how many saw it -- and even the four apostles who claim to have seen it, all give a different account of it!!

talk about self-absorbed!! LOL!!