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What stumps me about Protestants.

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Following Barbara Curtis’s comment sectionas she shares her journey into the Catholic Church has been interesting, encouraging at times, disheartening at others.

At this point in my own faith journey I am absolutely amazed at how wide, deep and hostile the gulf between Catholics and Protestant Christians really is. I guess I have been been insulated from this by the Protestant relatives whom I love and respect deeply, and a best friend who is a very Godly woman. I have never been made to feel that I was less of a Christian or a member of a cult by any of those people.

I was aware of the differences in our theologies when I studied my way back into the Catholic Church back in the 90s, but my eyes have been opened to the very negative feelings towards the Catholic faith via the discussions, forums, message boards and blogs on the internet.

A number of commenters on Barb’s blog have mentioned how “anti-gospel” or “unbiblical” they see the Catholic church. A Catholic commenter put it very well:

When you read the Gospel you either read it as a Catholic or you read it as a protestant. I simply can’t fathom interpreting scripture the way an evangelical does at this point in my life. And yet it is just the fact that I am so highly devoted to one perspective of Christian theology that any other perspective seems alien and weird. I am sure that if I were a devout Evangelical that the Gospel would only seem to make sense read through those eyes.

I remember back in my AOL days a Catholic-sensitive Assembly of God lady kept saying that Catholics would be alright as long as we kept our sins “under the blood.” I had no idea what she was getting at, but as we attempted to discuss it, it was clear that she was absolutely positive it did not include confession, (despite my scriptural references) but she couldn’t tell me why.

Back in April I had discussions with an anti-Catholic young Christian who was absolutely sure that she had the “Word of God” and rejected the notion that she had her “interpretation” of the world of God, and that other interpretations (even among other non-Catholic Christians) may vary. I was soundly scolded for that, my comments were taken down etc.

This whole experience with Visits to Candyland has been educational as well in that I simply thought that degree of anti-Catholic bigotry was so 1960s.

I did enjoy reading Scott and Kimberly Hahn’s conversion stories, as well as the Surprised by the Truth books and the Journey Home program on EWTN. But I have a new found respect for these converts as I start to understand everything they had to face and overcome as far as culture and even vocabulary, to come into the Catholic Church.

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6 Comments

  1. In reading the comments , I get the feeling that no matter how many Catholics say they do not worhip saints or the Virgin Mary, the protestant reply will be “Of course you do!”. No matter how many times a Catholic says they have a realtionship with Christ, it’s “Well, I never had one when I was a Catholic”, perhaps forgetting that is her experience and not that of ALL Catholics.

    Barbara’s latest post was a volley across the bows the of nasties. I hope that some of those that are spoiling for a fight or have questions take it to your other blog, and post there. Those that want to ask questions and learn, will.

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  2. Why we talk past each other, I think, is the result of our churches not only giving us answers but also supplying the questions.

    Questions to which they have answers, of course.

    I am Catholic at my most fundamental level, in my imagination. So, as a Catholic, I ask myself, “How does grace come to me? And to my fellow Evangelical?”

    The Catholic Church gives an answer, the indispensable sacraments, but an Evangelical, who never asks that question, cannot accept that answer. To the Evangelical, it’s an absurd question, perhaps even a faithless question, revealing biblical ignorance, etc.

    Inventory the questions raised in apologetic books or on Christian blogs. If someone found Noah’s Ark or the Garden of Eden, would your faith be strengthened? Can we trust the Bible? Is Jesus really God?

    You see, in the last couple hundred years, Protestantism has had other challenges to address besides Catholicism, mostly from within (liberal theology, for instance), resulting in answers to questions I’ve never asked. Because I’ve always taken it for granted that we can trust the Bible and that Jesus is really God.

    Through their apologetics, sadly, Protestants have brought more doubt to my faith than, well, just about everything, save the Tsunami and the sex abuse cover-up. Still, out of love, I continue to dialogue, even if it ultimately cost me my faith.

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  3. That’s interesting Theresa, because dialogue with protestants has strengthened my faith. I do not see a lot of reason or history in their questions or answers and discussions. Are you serious that talking with Protestants may cause you to lose your faith?

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  4. Since popular Protestant apologetics assume challenges are rooted in skepticism – Lee Strobel’s books are an excellent example – their unconvincing answers leave me hopelessly in my skepticism – a skepticism they themselves created, ironically.

    But, I say again, whatever you may think of Fr. Greeley’s sociology, he’s popularized David Tracy’s The Analogical Imagination(1) such that we can understand why we don’t understand each other:

    “When you read the Gospel you either read it as a Catholic or you read it as a protestant.”

    This is the imagination or, what a Protestant might call a “worldview.” Anyone who is really interested in understanding the differences can, with the help of Tracy and Greeley.

    Incidentally, I think Barbara’s knowledge of philosophy contributed to her decision.

    (1) Sullivan’s review of Massa’s book is rather, uh, polarizing; Tracy’s work is irenic enough.

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  5. Elena, I have been reading the negative feed back poor Barbara is enduring due to her decision to come to the Catholic church. The statements that so called “Christian” women are making are so totally ignorant of what Catholics are and what we believe, I almost have to laugh at the foolish things they really think Catholics beleive and are about, if I didn’t laugh, I’d cry… where did they get this silliness? I am praying all the time for Barbara that she will have strength while these women attack her choice, they tell her they are “worried” for her and one even told her today that maybe the Devil is playing with her mind… what does that equate? Is that saying she equates the devil with the Catholic church? I’m totally out of words to describe how I feel, I just don’t know, I am just sad to see such ignorance.

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  6. Don’t paint all Protestants by those you are seeing in the blogosphere, many of whom are nuts. (Which I mean in the best possible sense.) I mean, let’s face it, we bloggers tend to be fanatics, right? Many a Protestant is more of the Billy Graham mode, respectful of Catholicism if not sold on it.

    But that doesn’t make good blog copy. Bloggers, if they’re interesting, are going to be extremists and end up making any gulf wider than it needs to be. (It’s like liberal political blogs – those dudes are mostly nuts (as are some conservative political bloggers.))

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