Catholics: Whats wrong with Protestants?

Question

We have heard from Protestants why Catholicism is wrong
but why do Catholics think Protestantism isnt the true way

Answer 1

Some of us Catholics have never said that Protestants are wrong. I believe that God has a path for each of us, and it's not my place to say that someone who doesn't believe as I do is disobeying His will for their lives.

The Catholic faith is the right one for me. It fulfills my spiritual needs perfectly, and I love my Church. But if someone else finds joy and peace in the Protestant faith, then that's what's right for them, and it's not my call to say otherwise.

Admittedly, I'd like to see us all with one Shepherd and one Fold, but even so, I'm happy for those who are where they feel the need to be.

Answer 2

As a Catholic, I think Protestantism is lacking in the following ways: 1. It omits several books form the Old Testament. Fundamentalists would do really well to read them, especially the Wisdom of Sirach which says going to doctors is good :) 2. It has a contradictory soteriological philosophy: We are saved by faith alone. If that is the case, then we must reject much of what Jesus taught as it is all about turning away for sin and doing good things. They base this on a misunderstanding of Paul. Only hyper-Calvinists actually practice this. Despite an incorrect stated belief, most Protestants understand that you have to stop sinning and do good acts. 3. They undervalue communion. Jesus' teaching on it was so profound that many of His followers left Him. No one would object to the watered-down Protestant implementation. 4. It's full of little popes. While claiming freedom from the earthly "rule" of the Catholic Pope, Protestants either follow the "rule" of their favorite authors, preachers or even their own minds. Interpretation of Scripture becomes a private affair. This opened the door for all of the cults and myriads of disagreeing denominations we see today. 5. They have thrown out confession. Jesus plainly taught it in John. That's all I have time for :)

Answer 3

I don't have anything against Protestants. We do not think they're going to hell or anything like that. I just wish they stop the anti-catholicism. Each person chooses the path that they're comfortable with and I believe everyone should find their own spirituality that they like. Protestants are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Answer 4

Protestants broke away from Catholics, so evidently Protestants think Catholics are wrong. It is largely to do with the emphasis of what happens during the mass. e.g. Catholics believe that the bread and wine IS the body and blood of Christ. Protestants believe it represents it. If you go to the services of both denomination, you will not see a lot of differences, but as exemplified above the emphasis is very different.

Answer 5

You will find far more Protestants saying that Catholics are wrong than vice versa.

I am in agreement with Wolfeblayde - there is a reason for the paths we are all on.

Answer 6

I wouldn't say that Protestantism and all of the sects and denominations derived from it are "wrong". They are indeed our brothers and sisters in Christ. What they have done, though, is considerably diluted or eliminated altogether the sacramental nature of Christianity, and reduced the entire message of salvation to a formulaic one-time-only, emotion-driven experience.

I understand the need, historically, for them to distance themselves from the Church, but in the process they threw out the baby with the baptismal water (so to speak) and deprived themselves and their descendents of much of the richness and depth of the Christian faith. And some of them, in their fear of anything remotely "Catholic", have made railing against the Church almost a religion in itself. It's a sadness, and we pray for them.

Answer 7

People become very bias in their religions! Everyone tends to feel there way is right and others wrong. Strange but they all are of the same christian beliefs! Just how they serve
God, pray and the thing with confession to a priest. I'm glad God is the judge and not people!!

Answer 8

Samina, most of us are just trying to follow God to the best of our ability. Protestants have a few different ideas of what they believe. The root word is protest. Protestants came into being when some people realized that errors had gotten into the Catholic church. (salvation was being "sold" for money at one point. and also they were teaching one had to earn salvation - when salvation comes as a free gift from God because of Jesus' death/resurrection)One thing that is important to us is that we believe we can go directly to God for forgiveness without needing to go through a priest. We also don't feel a need to pray to Mary or the saints and ask them to ask Jesus to help us; we just go directly to Jesus ourselves.

I'm sure there are a few more differences. BUT what is important to me is that both Churches realize that Jesus is our Savior who died for our sins so we might be forgiven and be a part of God's forever family. I feel strongly that we should concentrate on where we can agree more than on where we disagree. Major on the majors and overlook what is minor.

God Bless You. Have a wonderful New Year!!!

Answer 9

1. Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) the bible does not say that scripture alone is our only source of revelation but that the church is the pillar of truth. The catholic church was also the definitive source of the bible, in other words, it put the bible together. The catholic church believes in the revelation of scripture AND tradition. Tradition which was handed down to it by the apostles. To argue against the catholic church from the bible is arguing against the very institution that put the bible together. It is like the branches suddenly turning upon the tree.

2. Sola Fidei (Faith alone) Catholics believe faith AND reason can attain to the existence of God. We are not fideists.

3. Apostolic Succesion. The reason the catholic church flourished in the early centuries was because it could prove to everyone that it had apostolic succesion directly from the apostles and the heretics like the gnostics, could not provide such proofs. The catholic church also had the writings directly from the apostles, writings which did not contradict each other concerning Jesus. It was these writings which later would become, through much debate and the neccesary approval of the church, the bible.

4. Church councils. The catholic church defined and defended everything traditional christians hold about Christ. Believe in the Trinity? believe that Jesus was both fully God and fully man? Believe in the resurrection? All of this was defined by the early catholic church councils against the gnostics and other heretics whom attacked all of these notions. It was defined both from scripture and tradition. The vast majority of protestants still hold to doctrine that was proclaimed by the catholic church, a good example of this is the Creed of Nicea.

5. Papacy. Every protestant makes themselves their own interpretor of scripture or their own "little pope" Catholics have faith that Jesus gave the authority of the church to the apostles and to the pope (Peter). In this way, we have sure authority to interpret scripture and to proclaim the fullness of the truth of Jesus Christ. It can be detrimental withouth this, because, as we all know, nearly anything can be "interpreted" (more like rationalized) from scripture if one really wants to see something there. A good example of this is the doctrine of the Rapture, which is neither historical to traditional christianity, nor really supported by the bible. There are many contradictory opinions amongst the various protestant denoms that disagree even with one another on many issues.

6. History. Anyone who honestly studies history cannot refute that the catholic church had its formation directly after the apostles and has existed since then, FROM the apostles. That the protestants broke off from the catholic church only shows that we were the original and true church.

7. Full 7 sacraments. The catholic church contains the full seven sacraments, many protestant churches only have 3-4 of them.

8. One, holy, universal church. The catholic church teaches and has taught, the same dogma and practices the same mass, EVERYWHERE in the world. We are of one body, one faith, united together under one Christ. We can trace our history and tradition directly to the apostles and Christ.

9. The communion of saints. The saints are our examples of heroic christian life. The saints are all beautifully different and complex. Each one has offered something different to the catholic church and each one testifies through their life, to the truth of the catholic church. Well known saints like St. Francis are amazing. We catholics are fortunate to have them as examples and bretheren in Christ. They are, paradoxically, more alive in death than in life because they are in heaven and closer to the Source of all.

10. Mary. We fulfill the gospel passage that all generations will call Mary blessed. We honor her because she was the mother of God. It was in her own body that God came unto us. She was the door by which God entered into our world by her own free consent. We can do Mary no higher honor than God already has. We honor her because He has honored her more than we ever could.

There is so much more to say here, but there are a few major ones.

Peace to all! ^.^

P.S. I love all my protestant bretheran!

Answer 10

they dont follow the bible is probubly the first major problem


my personal opinon, there way to hooky pooky.