to protestant Christians?

Question

I am again amazed at the answers protestants have given today regarding practices of the Catholic Church. I see this all the time and its always the same old tripe: "it was an invention of the dark ages", or "they follow pagan holidays", or something along those lines. Have you ever studied early Christian writings from the first 3 or 4 centuries, by men such as Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and others? Did you know that there are hundreds of protestant ministers (yes, ministers) who say that there conversion to the Catholic faith was cemented by reading the writings of these early christians? Do you study such things, or do you just parrot what you read in poorly written anti-Catholic tracts? If you read these ancient texts, you may be in for the surprise of your life when you find out that the first Christians believe what Catholics believe today.

Yes, legions of protestant ministers "come home to Rome" all the time. There's an organization devoted to them: The Coming Home Network ( http://www.chnetwork.org/ ). They have a TV show called The Journey Home on EWTN ( http://www.ewtn.com/ ).

Answers to more anti-Catholic statements:
Scripture & Tradition: http://www.catholic.com/library/scripture_tradition.asp
Church & Papacy: http://www.catholic.com/library/church_papacy.asp
Mary & the Saints: http://www.catholic.com/library/mary_saints.asp
Faith & Science: http://www.catholic.com/library/faith_science.asp
Morality & Ethics: http://www.catholic.com/library/morality_ethics.asp
Sacraments: http://www.catholic.com/library/sacraments.asp
Salvation: http://www.catholic.com/library/salvation.asp
Last things: http://www.catholic.com/library/last_things.asp
Fathers Know Best: http://www.catholic.com/library/fathers_know_best.asp

To "pippenintheshire": You think people in heaven are dead? I think you are wrong.

Answer 1

You're just pissed because they didn't like your kind of club and went to build their own and you guys lost money.

Just like they're annoyed at dropping attendance rates but they have no one to blame but themselves not that they won't anyway.

♥Blessed Be♥
♥=∞

Answer 2

i would not say I am anti-catholic, I was catholic and my extended family for the most part is catholic. I just have problems with different aspects of the catholic teachings. The catholic church as it is today is much different that the catholic church from even the early 1900's, let alone the 3rd or 4th century. I know this because my father was born in the 30's and has told me many things reguarding the catholic church, by the way, he is still catholic. The biggest problem, besides baptizing infants (which is not biblical in anyway), is praying to saints and mary. Catholics claim that they do not worship saints and mary. But, if you read the bible, you will find that prayer is a form of worship, and meant only for God. So, by bestowing an honor meant to God to someone else, you are worshiping them. That is idolatry.

Answer 3

Magi 2000! Magi 2000! Can you provide your prove about Jesus' hatred of the doctrines of the Catholic Church and the Nicolaitans? BrotherMichael! What was Jesus doing with his disciples on the upper room on His last night on this earth? What was Jesus doing with His other disciples that were on the road to Emmaus? And at Emmaus, when they arrived in the evening???

Answer 4

The writers of the earliest centuries of the church, which you have cited, are inspirational, but not inspired. And yet, even with their writings, later Popes deviated from Scripture and fell victim to the ways of the world, with nepotism, and graft to obtain high positions in the church, even the highest position.
My roots are in the Catholic faith, yet my studies have brought me to a faith based upon the Word, not Rome. My love for Christ is my whole life, and even Jesus taught that he who is not against us, is for us.
Sorry that some have made you feel like you have been attacked in your Catholic faith. The Church Councils are not without blame in this. The Council of Trente, Vatican II, and most recently, even Benedict XVI has attacked us, pronouncing and/or affirming us as "anathama," cursed children.
The Councils have repeatedly stated that there is no salvation outside of membership in the Roman Catholic Church. It was Christ who died on the cross for me, not the Vatican's Church. Therefore, in Jesus do I find my salvation.

Answer 5

Are you still a little upset about the Reformation?

Well, I do think that the historical fathers have a lot to offer us. I have done a lot of work in historical theology and have read most of the ones you wrote about. In addition, I have studied John of the Cross and Theresea of Avila and have learned a large amount from them. I consider them great individuals to learn from. I also am a little astounded by Protestants rebuke of the Catholic church. However, there is a lot in the RCC that I disagree with and have a hard time "coming home" if you will.

Answer 6

I am one of those Protestant ministers who came home to the Church that Christ created. I have been a professor of early Church history for many years and have studied the fathers. In particular the ante-Nicene fathers and found their teaching compatible and enlightening in regards to what one reads in the Bible. I was a Protestant (Moravian) minister for 25 years and a Moravian for my entire life before my conversion. I found that the Bible and in particular the book of Acts describes the teaching of the Catholic Church and that the Church still teaches the truth of the apostles. It remains the "bulwark and ground of the truth" that the Scriptures promise that the Church will be until the end of the age. Everything still remains just as Christ promised, as the enduring Church immune to apostasy. When teaching truth there was nowhere else where I as a minister could teach with the fulness of truth declared by Christ through His Church.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Pippen,

In the sense that Catholics "pray" to St. Michael and St. Mary should be understood to mean "to ask". It is exactly like asking your minister or a fellow Church member to pray for you. We know that the saints pray for us because the Bible tells us that the saints lift our prayers up before the altar of God. according to the Bible the saints are definitely not dead but very much alive as the Bible states that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses encouraging us in our faith and rejoicing when we endure dispite temptation and hardship.

Catholics do not believe that the saints answer our prayers or provide salvation for us but that they only are fellow members of Christ's Church encouraging us in our race to salvation.

Magi,

Nothing the Catholic Church teaches has ever resembled the Nicolaitans.The only church in all of Christiandom that would resemble the Nicolaitans would be the Calvinists who teach a lawless kind of faith but even that would be a stretch of what was condemned. Accusing Catholics of being Nicolaitans is nonsense.

Brother Michael said: "The first Christians did not celebrate the mass, hear confessions, baptize babies, venerate Mary or saints, sell indulgences, or preach about purgatory."

The truth is brother, the Bible does teach that the first Christians did all these things and so does history. You are making the common mistake of Catholic critics and comparing pagan practices to Christian practices and concluding that the Church copied these practices when in fact there are just similarities. Similarity does not equal descended from.

Bobby Jim,

You are mischaracterizing the statements by Pope Benedict XVI. Christ only created one Church which is the Catholic Church. It is through His Church that all come to salvation, as this is the purpose of his Church. Being in protest of His Church indicates that one does not share in the fullness of faith and worship intended by Christ. No one has said that Protestants will not be saved but just that they who are faithful among the Protestants will be saved through the Church even though they have a imperfect union with His Church.

Answer 7

You make some great points and of all the Christian religions, the Catholics have the most going for them. But I would contend that modern practices and behaviour of the Catholic church are not consistent with the beliefs and ethics of the writers you reference. It is after their time that the Church became a tool of the Roman government and became a bloated bureaucracy that lorded over secular ruleres, waged genocidal wars and built itself into the single wealthiest organization in the world.

Answer 8

From reading so much anti-Catholic bigotry on this site, especially from the right wing Protestant conservatives, it will be interesting to read the answers of hatred and bigotry you will receive. They all claim to be good Christians and quote the Bible then show nothing but hatred and ignorance of thought. Then they all think they'll be going to heaven.. these people would condem Jesus Christ if he came back and preached the things he preached back in the day.
For those that place so much trust on the "Bible, remember that the Catholic church existed for over 500 years before the bible came into existence under the guidance of the Catholic Church. The Bible was written in it's entirety by Roman Catholics. The Book of the Bible were approved by the Catholic church. No other Christian church existed back then. No other Christian Church has added any Book of the Bible either. The Roman Catholic Church is the "mother of the Bible". If she didn't guard it throughout the centuries it wouldn't even be in existence today. Before you condem me for telling it like it is you should go back and read up on your history. No Protestant Church of today even existed before the 14th century, and they were all started by different men. Only one Christian church today can trace it's roots to Jesus Christ. Look it up in the history books.

Answer 9

Well, I'm not protestant but I will take the Catholic Church to task. But have no fear! I pick on the Protestants too.

You do follow pagan practices, for your own sake go read some of the "Catholic" fathers manuscripts. They made things up out of whole cloth and adopted pagan traditions by their own admission to entice pagans to join. The Protestants have simply followed suit. I am not sure what they protested anymore because to me both of you look the same.

The early Church Fathers Manuscripts such as Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Ignatious of Antiock etc etc are not scripture. They are not the earliest records of the Christian faith and they all have doctrinal error in them. I have read them.

It's not surprising to me that Protestant ministers return to the Mother Church. After all what really separates them Catholics. Not-ta.

Anti Catholic Tracts? Is that what you all call the scripture now? Because I can show you how many of your beliefs are contrary to scripture if you would like. You assume too much my friend.

Repent! The Kingdom of God is At Hand.

Answer 10

My differences with the Catholic church boil down to doctrinal differences based on my own study of scripture. That being said, I know many sincere Catholics and have come to realize that their faith is as strong as mine. I never attempt to criticize either them or their faith.

Answer 11

I have given up hope in trying to convince Catholic bashers. I was a cradle catholic who left the church for a few years, but returned. I am grateful to God for my catholic faith, and I am happy to have "come home."

Praise be to God in His angels and in His saints.