Why are you Protestant?

[infinitelord1]

mulls,

im sorry dude....but you havent given an y logical reason as to why protestantism is better then catholicism. I know a lot of the protestant beliefs cuz i grew up around them. I get mad too when these scholars proove me wrong, but sometimes its hard to accept the truth.

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='Priscilla' date='Apr 13 2005, 10:09 PM'] Some prots even venerate Mary (such as in a High Anglican Church).

You cannot generalise. [/quote]
Yet you generalize about which Protestant churches venerate Mary. I'd say almost all protestants venerate Mary. It's just that they do it sparingly and unconciously.

[Jake Huether]

[quote name='Priscilla' date='Apr 13 2005, 02:09 PM'] I don't love protestantism. There's much about it I abhor.

Also many prots believe the same as Catholics do on many doctrines - such as the trinity. I do not believe in the trinity as such - though I believe the Lord Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God: but not three Gods: only One.

[/quote]
Priscilla,

I'm not following you arround, really...

But I can't let this slip. Catholics don't believe in 3 God's.

We believe that God (one Being) is three distinct persons.

A being does not necessitate one persons. Only if you're human and that is because we are imperfect. We cannot be one in being with eachother - even though are natures are the same - human. This limits our imperfect natures to one person. I cannot know you perfectly and you cannot know me perfectly, even though we hold the same human nature.

Jesus on the other hand knows the Father perfectly, and the Father knows the Son perfectly and the Holy Spirit likewise. In a pefect triangular flow of knowledge. This perfect knowledge requires that they be One in Being, One in Nature. But they are three disstinct persons.

If you are God, then you are three people. You are Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God is What God is.

Father, Son and Spirit are who God is.

Being answers WHAT.
Person answers WHO.

Pray about it. Catholics worship One God.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Priscilla' date='Apr 13 2005, 05:09 PM'] I don't love protestantism. There's much about it I abhor.

Also many prots believe the same as Catholics do on many doctrines - such as the trinity. I do not believe in the trinity as such - though I believe the Lord Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God: but not three Gods: only One.

Some prots even venerate Mary (such as in a High Anglican Church).

You cannot generalise.

The reason I'm not a Catholic is because I have big problems with Mariolatry, praying to dead people, praying the rosary, and many other traditions which I see no Scriptural evidence for.

[b]On the other hand there are many things I like about Catholicism: the idea of one true holy apostolic universal church which is the Bride of Christ; I like the teaching (broadly) on contraception; I like the strong moral guidlines; I like the fact that women do not take on headship roles over men; I like the reverence; I like the fact the the Lord's supper is central to the faith. All these things are excellent and I consider myself "catholic" in those areas.[/b]

But in Mariolatry etc, I am totally "uncatholic". [/quote]
If You do not believe in the Trinity you are not a Christian. The Trinity is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit united in love. They are not three Separate Gods!!!

AS we have already explained people are composed of bodies and souls. The body dies and decays, the soul lives forever where-ever God has sent it. So we are NOT praying to dead bodies, we are talking to other members of the Body of Christ who have gone before us. THe Body of Christ does not die.

We have also explained how the rosary is a gospel based prayer.

Mary is honored above all other people because her fiat gave us Jesus Christ. She is venerated, but not worshipped.

[Dave]

Priscilla, please stop referring to our veneration of Mary as "Mariolatry." "Mariolatry" means the worship of Mary. However, we don't worship her.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='infinitelord1' date='Apr 13 2005, 05:56 PM'] mulls,

im sorry dude....but you havent given an y logical reason as to why protestantism is better then catholicism. I know a lot of the protestant beliefs cuz i grew up around them. I get mad too when these scholars proove me wrong, but sometimes its hard to accept the truth. [/quote]
I just went through it last year. It frustrated the hell out of me. But then I accepted the Church that was established in 33AD by Jesus Christ himself as he called down the Holy Spirit. The frustration of the lies I had been told growing up melted away and since then has been replaced with a foretaste of the kingdom of Heaven. My joy increases on a daily basis, even through pain and sufferings, a joy I know I could have never known as a Protestant.

[Ash Wednesday]

The thing is, many Protestants don't like being called Protestant or referring to themselves as Protestant. Except in areas of the British Isles, where there are certain cultural and political ties with the usage of the term.

But in the USA? The term is very much avoided. Many people in different non-Catholic denominations are "just Christian." You will have many "just Christians" each going to different churches that teach very different things from one another. Surely that is not part of Christ's plan.

I have yet to hear someone say something along the lines of "I love being Congregationalist. My church was originated by Robert Brown in 1582, right in Holland, God bless it."

[mulls]

[quote name='infinitelord1' date='Apr 13 2005, 05:56 PM'] mulls,

im sorry dude....but you havent given an y logical reason as to why protestantism is better then catholicism. [/quote]
i wasn't attempting to. would you like me to?

[Livin_the_MASS]

[point5]

pass the popcorn...Im not going anywhere

[RandomProddy]

Is it salted?

[Paladin D]

Charity people, charity......

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Apr 14 2005, 03:45 PM'] Charity people, charity...... [/quote]
Among other things...

[mulls]

i'm just trying to help the guy out, i don't know why he jumped to that conclusion.

no need for anybody to instigate.

[DianJo]

Hi Everyone!
I just registered and I have to say that this board is wonderful! Everyone here is very charitable! I've been lurking but now I have to post something!

I have to make a post to Priscilla:
How wonderful it is to see you you asking relevant questions and wanting so much to find the truth! I congratulate you on that! I also encourage you to continue in your search but I have to ask a favor of you.

I've read a number of posts you've made concerning Catholic beliefs and I must respectfully ask you to stop referring to our veneration of Our Blessed Virgin Mary as MARIOLATRY! I find the term to be offensive since it does such a total disservice to our actual beliefs - it perpetuates the misconception or misunderstanding of our beliefs.

I don't get the sense that you mean any direspect. I wouldn't want another "lurker" to think that Mariolatry is an actual belief. It's just a very distasteful term.

I appreciate your understanding where I'm coming from. For someone on the outside looking in and asking questions, this is hard to wrap your mind around when you've been taught incorrectly for so many years. You might just consider referring to it as our "devotion or veneration of Mary" instead of Mariolatry.

Thanks,
Diana

[Priscilla]

Thanks Diana. I didn't know it was offensive.

I don't think I can change the title now because it won't let me.

However, I am happy for a Moderator to edit the title to "Veneration of Mary - Is it idolatry" (or something like that) if they so wish.

[DianJo]

Priscilla,
I'm not used to this board and clicked the wrong button and actually sent this reply to your message file! Sorry 'bout that!

Anyway, No need to change the title, it was just a suggestion for future posts. I appreciate your consideration. I must say, you do have some interesting thoughts on the subject, though!

Hopefully, we can help you with a better understanding of all things Catholic!

[DianJo]

[quote name='Priscilla' date='Apr 14 2005, 04:52 PM'] Thanks Diana. I didn't know it was offensive.

I don't think I can change the title now because it won't let me.

However, I am happy for a Moderator to edit the title to "Veneration of Mary - Is it idolatry" (or something like that) if they so wish. [/quote]
Mariolatry suggests idolatry, which, I'm sure, by now, you've gathered from all the responses, it is not!

[dspen2005]

many people with whom i come into contact don't know what protestant refers to -- speaking with respect to protestants.

[ardillacid]

I don't understand why protestants cannot give a satisfactory answer to John 6. Or the fact that essentialy they believe that all Christians before Martin Luther (who by the way believed that Mary was and remained a virgin) were wrong. Since there is written evidence that Blessed Mary, the Mother of God, was venerated as early as the 200's, I will continue to do such. As for Sola Scriptura, since all one has to do is manipulate which books he wishes to have in the Bible, it seems to me illogical to believe in something that has divided the Body of Christ into THOUSANDS of sects. Jesus wished for his Church to be one. (BTY how do you decide which translation and which books to read? Luther kept ALL of the Deuterocanonical books.)

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