Comments on: When Protestants Attack

By: brent

brent — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:45:59 +0000

I think when a person becomes a protestant/born-again christian, they follow Bible laws……..and then God makes their lives feel very bless and happy……..So you can understand why there’s animosity…….Catholism undermines the unity of God and the believer………you can expect a little conflict between people on these issues when it’s important to them!……

-my personal view is that no believer of any religion, should give a group of humans (like a church) power to rule over them…only God deserves this authority…..There should be NO church whatsoever…….A church can only lead to harm, hypocrisy…..and evil.

-so it is my right and my christian duty to oppose any church that is corrupt

By: Ed Jacoutot

Ed Jacoutot — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:39:36 +0000

Dr. P – thank you for your reply. If worship in the Protestant Tradition is “proclaiming and re-enacting the saving acts of God” – per Robert Webber, and your paraphrase – “celebrating what God has done through both the Word and the Table.” Then – where do we differ? I see nothing in these descriptions that Catholics can filnd a quarrel – and if there is hardly a quarrel – why are we not one? A confounding question with no easy answer I know, but if our primary function as His servants is to worship the Almighty and “celebratilng what He has done” for us why do (too many at least) hurl insults such as “whore of Babylon” and accusations like “worship idols” on the one side and “heretics” on the other? Though I’m not sure what real and total “Unity” might look like I do believe that a greater effort might (or should) be made to approach it. In the meantime we all proceed merrily along, Catholics insulatilng themselves and Protestants actilng as if they alone qualify for the sobriquet “Christian”. We exist side by side, sharing the same national geographic, cultural and economic environment – political parties – social outlets and community interests yet – in relilgion we view each other from afar and “…thru glass darkly”. Why is that? I live in a largely non-Cahtolic community and occasionally in polite conversation – mostly on political issues – a remark will be made about the role of the Catholic Church in the world today. It seems tht the impression most non-Cahtolics have abut the Church carries the listener back about 5 centuries or more to the Inquistion -and/or Papal Corruption – as if these old issues from another era protray reallity today. I suffer silently when folks today recall such things usually with a large ingrediant of ignorance. I note that a previous entry recalled that Cahtolics too know very little about Protestant beliefs and practices. But one thing I am willing to admit is that whatever they are – I believe they arise from a sincere desire to make their relationship with God as perfect as possible – and wish it for others too. Maybe it will help (me at least) if some of your Protestant readers can tell us what it is that we Catholics or our Church makes them cringe so? And, maybe I am wrong – maybe the anamosity I think I detect is much milder than I imagine and instead – we are in realilty “Brothers in Christ”. Wonderful would that be so. I’m listening.

Your “Catholic” neighbor. Ed

By: D. P.

D. P. — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 01:22:17 +0000

Welcome, Ed. You make an astute observation in that a lot of Protestants, especially in the free-church tradition, are largely clueless about worship. The best Protestant definition of worship that I know (and I’m working from memory here) is that of Robert Webber, who describes it as proclaiming and re-enacting the saving acts of God. In short, worship involves celebrating what God has done through both the Word and the Table. Some Protestant groups come closer to this vision than others. Perhaps other Protestant readers would care to chime in?

By: Ed Jacoutot

Ed Jacoutot — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:11:00 +0000

As a Catholic I have always been curious re the differances in the act of worshipping God between the two entities – Catholicism and Protestant churches in general. We Catholics have as central in our weekly (and even daily) worship services the “Mass” – which is essentially a re-inactment of the “Last Supper” and our Lords directive to “…do this in memory of me”. We see Protestant “worship” of God as an act of sitting (mainly) and listening to a minister reading from Scripture and then “preaching” upon it. As relief the congregation will join in hymns – but, it seems, very little else. Now, a common complaint I hear is that “Catholics do not understand us and our practice of Christianity”. That may very well be true – pointing out it goes both ways – but can anyone tell me where I am wrong – and just how do Protestants (recognizing that there are many variations) preform the act of worship in practice? Or – and I hope this isn’t true – is “worshipping God” too Cahtolic?

Together in Christ -

By: D. P.

D. P. — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:53:21 +0000

Some Protestant do: the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches do, I think Plymouth Brethren, and probably some others. Being in a church with very infrequent Communion is a major sticking point with me because it fails to root our worship in the church’s history and because, frankly, I need all the Jesus I can get!

By: Jeff 'japhy' Pinyan

Jeff 'japhy' Pinyan — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 04:10:57 +0000

I find it odd that Protestant churches don’t celebrate the Lord’s Supper (or Communion, or whatever that denomination happens to call it) at every opportunity. Paul says that we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23) and that every time we share in the bread and the cup we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). I believe it is for that reason that the Catholic Church has a Mass every day (except Holy Saturday), so that we can always be proclaiming the crucifixion (where the Incarnation and the Resurrection are joined).

By: D. P.

D. P. — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:55:58 +0000

Welcome Jeff! I’m going to have to start using “If it’s Catholic, throw it back”! That is an apt description of what I have observed as well. I’m sure that expresses the “real” reason a lot of Protestants are suspicious of such established Christian practices as fasting, the liturgical year, frequent Communion, etc., etc.

By: Jeff 'japhy' Pinyan

Jeff 'japhy' Pinyan — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 02:04:49 +0000

In an effort to get the correct idea of worship in Protestant churches (and to prepare me for the backgrounds from which people might be coming when they enter the RCIA process), I attended several services over the past year. Some were certain more structured — that is, liturgical, from a Catholic perspective — than others.

But I also noticed a fair amount of misinformation about Catholicism, including one woman who didn’t understand my introduction and explanation and said she was glad that “God is calling [me] out of that place (the Catholic church)”. At a Bible study I attended for several months at a local non-denominational evangelical church, one of the members said that Catholics sacrifice Jesus at every Mass, which is a misrepresentation of the Eucharist.

I have met with the “if it’s Catholic, throw it back” mentality, especially online. A recent blog post I read about fasting (http://kinneymabry.blogspot.com/2007/02/when-you-fast.html) asked why most Christians today don’t do it. One person’s answer included “It seems too ‘Catholic’”. Now, while he was listing erroneous reasons, what he says is true, that some people avoid a practice because Catholics do it. (I’m curious what’s “too” Catholic and what’s “acceptably” Catholic.)

By: D. P.

D. P. — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 13:44:37 +0000

Welcome, Teci, and thanks for your comments. I’ll check out your blog later today

By: Teci Pulido

Teci Pulido — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 11:41:40 +0000

Just remembered, I’ve blogged about this previously as well. Why don’t you take a look (especially at the series “teci talks to a Catholic friend”):
http://tecigurl.blogspot.com/search?q=catholic

Again, God bless!