Question about Protestantism and all its denominations ?
So I've read that it basically started by Martin Luther who wrote 95 points criticizing the main Roman Catholic Church. Then it sprouted into Baptist and whatever....
So my question is: what distinguishes the Protestant churches from the Catholic churches? Do they still take communion, confession things like that? Any major changes or doctrines that are considered a heresy by the Catholic/Orthodox church?
Personally, I think that one man cannot CREATE a new religion, *especially* if he went against the main church that Jesus Christ initiated Himself!! Show me better...
I KNOW THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WASN'T STARTED BY JESUS!!! It was one church, until it split into the Catholic & Orthodox, but it was still basically started by Jesus!! Bear with me now
You understand my basic question, so please do not criticize me...
Hey Salvatore M, thanks for the copy & paste!!
"Its YOUR faith that is created by one man.That man was Constantine."
He created nothing, there was one Christian church that existed before him, that had a dispute within it (IE. Arius) so Constantine only told them to establish a creed, which was disagreed upon and the church later split into the Catholic and Orthodox church....
I didn't ask for a history lesson...
"The early Christians in the NT obeyed all of this- the Catholic church never did."
There was no Catholic church in the early New Testament....plus where do you get your information from? Sources?
"...when the Catholic/Orthodox churches were "created" out of Judaism."
...I do hope your not a Christian, otherwise you would go against Jesus Himself!
The church was never created, it was only the fulfillment of the Abrahamic religion and all its prophecies...Jesus renewed the covenant between God and man and gave us salvation by dying on the cross!! Christianity was never created!! And it most certainly is not a reformation because it wasn't created by criticizing certain aspects of Judaism....
"it is an attempt to return to the encryption of early Christianity"
Good answer...now what corruption? Don't you believe in the Holy Spirit who works within the church and it's priests, bishops and popes??
"The differences in Protestant denominations are unessential differences."
"So I've read that it basically started by Martin Luther who wrote 95 points criticizing the main Roman Catholic Church. Then it sprouted into Baptist and whatever...."
That is not the Protestant church history.However, the Ana*baptist* church evolved around the Reformation period.
"the main church that Jesus Christ initiated Himself"
Jesus did not set up the Catholic church.The true original church practiced adult baptism, the holy kiss, pacifism, shunning, meeting within the home, inordinate, unpaid ministers chosen by God, non-conformity with the world, plain dress, head coverings, not swearing oaths and not going to court.The early Christians in the NT obeyed all of this- the Catholic church never did.
All of this is from the NT and none of it you obey:
not swearing oaths:HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:33-37;&version=9;
head coverings:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%2011;&version=9;
non-conformity with the world:HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=69&chapter=2&verse=15&version=9&context=v erse
the holy kiss:HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=16&verse=16&version=9&context= verse ,HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=16&verse=20&version=9&context= verse ,HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=54&chapter=13&verse=12&version=9&context= verse ,HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=59&chapter=5&verse=26&version=9&context=v erse
not going to court:HTTP://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=6&verse=1&end_verse=3&version= 9&context=context
modest dress:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%202:9-10;&version=9;
adult baptism, as done by Jesus:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=3&version=9&context=chapter
meetings in the home:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=18&verse=20&version=9&context= verse ,http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%201:13-14;&version=9
pacifism:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=5&verse=38&end_verse=40&versio n=9&context=context ,http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=6&verse=28&end_verse=30&versio n=9&context=context
ministers chosen by God:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%201:24-26;&version=9;
"one man cannot CREATE a new religion"
Its YOUR faith that is created by one man.That man was Constantine.
You might like to consider that if the Catholic church had repented it's sins in Luther's day, Protestantism would not exist.
Martin Luther tacked his '95 Thesis' onto the door of Gutenberg church, with a list of grievances against the Catholic church, the most prominent being the "Sale of indulgences" (buying your way into heaven with coins). That sprouted into Lutheranism, and then Calvinism (started by John Calvin, with the key difference that Calvinists believe in "predestination"), Anabaptist (literal translation of scriptures), puritan, Presbyterian, Anglican, etc.
The protestant churches reject the pomp and circumstance of the catholic church, reject the sale of indulgences (Luther's original grievance) and they do not have a "pope". The do not base their salvation on faith and good works, just faith alone (although many christian sects these days are getting back into the good works bit)
The Anglican church is a bit different. The Anglican church, in its early inception, was almost identical to the Catholic church but one tiny difference: They permited divorce. Previously, one could only divorce with the pope's permission. Henry VIII got pissed and schismed off from Catholicism to start the "Church of England" or Anglican church as it is known.
Protestant churches DO take communion, and some of them confess, but it is no where near as elaborate as the Catholic church, they don't have patron saints, etc.
I find it ironic you say no one can "create" a new religion when the Catholic/Orthodox churches were "created" out of Judaism. Jesus didn't start a church. That came about much later after his death, and it began as a set of small cults.
Edit: protestantism began as a means to remove the intermediary from religion. Before, the clergy would read and interpret the bible for the laymen. Luther wanted people to be able to read and interpret the bible on their own.
Edit:
Look Mr. "I'm holier than thou". If you didn't want a lesson in church history, maybe you shouldn't have asked. .
Jesus Christ did not establish the "Roman" Catholic Church. It was not established until 325 by Emperor Constantine. The doctrines that were protested by Martin Luther were umbilical Roman Pagan traditions.
The differences in Protestant denominations are unessential differences.
"In the essential there must be unity.
In the non essentials let there be liberty.
In all things Love."
Abraham: Please accept my apologies. I only meant to correct you, not criticize you.
Merry Christmas
In all things love
The first major differences between Catholicism and Protestantism is the issue of the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the sole source of God?s special revelation to mankind, and as such it teaches us all that is necessary for our salvation from sin. Protestants view the Bible as the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. This belief is commonly referred to as ?Sola Scriptura? and is one of the ?Five Solas? (so la being Latin for ?alone?) that came out of the Protestant Reformation as summaries of some of the important differences between Catholics and Protestants.
While there are many verses in the Bible that establish it?s authority and it?s sufficiency for all matters of faith and practice, one of the clearest is 2 Timothy 3:16 where we see that ?All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.? Catholics on the other hand reject the doctrine of ?Sola Scriptura? and do not believe that the Bible alone is sufficient. They believe that both the Bible and sacred Roman Catholic tradition are equally binding upon the Christian. Many Roman Catholics doctrines, such as purgatory, praying to the saints, worship or veneration of Mary, etc. have little or no basis at all in Scripture, but are based solely on Roman Catholic traditions. Essentially the Roman Catholic Church?s denial of ?Sola Scriptura? and their insistence that both the Bible and their ?Sacred Tradition? are equal in authority undermines the sufficiency, authority and completeness of the Bible. The view of Scripture is at the root of many of, if not all, the differences between Catholics and Protestants.
Another major but closely related difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is over the office and authority of the Pope. According to Catholicism the Pope is the ?Vicar of Christ? (a vicar is a substitute), and takes the place of Jesus as the visible head of the Church. As such he has the ability to speak ?ex cathedral? (with authority on matters of faith and practice), and when he does so his teachings are considered infallible and binding upon all Christians. On the other hand, Protestants believe that no human being is infallible, and that Christ alone is the head of the church. Catholics rely on apostolic succession as a way of trying to establishing the Pope?s authority. But Protestants believe that the church?s authority does not come from apostolic succession, but instead is derived from the Word of God. Spiritual power and authority does not rest in the hands of a mere man, but in the very Word of God recorded in Scripture. While Catholicism teaches that only the Catholic Church can properly and correctly interpret the Bible, Protestants believe that the Bible teaches that God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all born again believers, enabling all believers to understand the message of the Bible.
This is clearly seen in passages such as John 14:16-17: ?I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.? (See also John 14:26 and 1 John 2:27). While Catholicism teaches that only the Roman Catholic Church has the authority and power to interpret the Bible, Protestantism acknowledges the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, and that individual Christians can trust the Holy Spirit for guidance in reading and interpreting the Bible for themselves.
A third major difference between Catholicism and Protestantism is how one is saved. Another of the ?Five Solas? of the reformation was ?Sola Fide? (faith alone), which affirms the biblical doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-10). However, according to Roman Catholicism, man cannot be saved by faith alone in Christ alone. They teach that the Christian must rely on faith plus ?meritorious works? in order to be saved. Essential to the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation are the Seven Sacraments, which are: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, anointing of the sick, Holy Orders, and matrimony. Protestants believe that on the basis of faith in Christ alone, believers are justified by God as all their sins are paid for by Christ on the cross and His righteousness is imputed to them. Catholics on the other hand believe that Christ?s righteousness is imparted to the believer by ?grace through faith,? but in itself is not sufficient to justify the believer. The believer must ?supplement? the righteousness of Christ imparted to him with meritorious works.
We take communion,confession is between me and God and we dint need an intermediary, we consider praying to saints and/or Mary as idolatry, we dint believe that the bread and wine are the actual body and blood of Christ but that they are representing Him,
The Eastern Orthodox Church predates the Roman church by centuries as does Christianity in India and many other places, and dint forget that the true church started in Jerusalem
Oh my. You are at square zero starting from midtown metropolitan Babylon, asking whether one should get out at all.
First, explore the history of the extreme corruption in the Roman "universal" "Church". For starters, read what those points Martin Luther were, so you can have an idea of the organization you are defending. The monolithic RCC until then was genocidal in its zeal to prevent any dissensions. It was and is still WAY deviated from the original convocation founded by our Savior Yahuwshua the Anointed (see? you don't even have His name right), and it violates nearly every single scripture in its doctrines, and it claims that its "Papa" (Father) has the right to super cede scripture with his statements, and is infallible. The RCC has gone so far OFF the Way of Yahweh (the original faith), that it has become headquarters for the Great Confusion, and it is presently gathering all religions under the same roof to truly represent every abominable religion on earth, even Islam (can you say "virgin of Fatima"? Muhammed's daughter).
You have the wrong perspective, the protestant reformation (a catholic term to call them "protestants" BTW) is not "creating a new religion", it is an attempt to return to the encryption of early Christianity, the Way of Yahweh, without having had the spirit of Truth to guide them better. It is people trying to find their way out of the confusion, Bavel ("Babylon"), and not knowing the Way back to Him. You need to know more history. Yahuwshua did not set up his convocation in Rome, He set Himself as the Cornerstone in Zion. Keph (Stone, you call "Peter") was taken where he did not want to go, to die, to Rome, just as Yahuwshua foretold about him. Now you go to Rome, and bow before a statue which used to represent Zeus with a sunsymbol halo and all, which was renamed St. Peter, and kiss its toe. Idolatry. Do you believe Yahuwshua would condone this? Nope.
Want to see better? Go to http://www.yahuwshua.org and see how many light-years off course the RCC has gone from the Way of Yahweh. It will be a shock to you, who doesn't even think any change is necessary, and who sides even against poor Martin Luther, who was against your group's selling indulgences to get their loved ones out of purgatory.
Question about Protestantism and all its denominations ?
