Could you please provide your statistical source for this claim?
(If you're right, the fact that the Catholic church has given up trying to cover up the facts with threats of torture and death and have started actually accepting them instead, while many protestant organizations are still holding their ears going "lawlessly can't hear you Haleakala" might have something to do with it.)
I'm not trying to say this as an insult to Protestants, but I think it is because Catholicism is based more on logic than Protestantism. Protestants tend to take the bible at face value and leave it at that. Catholicism delves into the bible and finds doctrines/beliefs that, while not outlined in scripture, are logical necessities - for example, purgatory. This logical way of thinking tends to be more appealing to the intellectual.
Consequently, this also explains the large amount of Catholic-turned-atheists out there.
Catholic theology represents a consistent, verifiable, mature and reasonable approach to faith without compromise or contradiction. Such can be accepted by reason and yet open the intellect to that which is beyond our comprehension and free us from the confinement of the finite for the infinite knowledge that only a vastly superior intellect required of a creator of all things seen and unseen can possess. Those that can not see beyond even their imagination are restricting themselves within the walls of their own pride. A deficient intellect rejects that which they cannot understand which is the nature of faith while an intellectual will seek a greater knowledge of that which cannot be understood being more open to faith in something beyond their intellectual capacity.
Protestantism feeds ones pride while Catholicism opens one to wonder and devotion. God bless!
You were wise to include that adjective 'many', because of course it's a sweeping statement. Having said that, though, if I want to read good, logic based theology, I go to the Roman Catholic theologians.
Lutherans and Episcopalians/Anglicans have some good solid thinkers too, but it seems like, even proportionately, there are more Catholics that I find interesting.
My opinion about why that is: Evangelical denominations like Baptists, Pentecostals (Assembly of God), etc. are more focused on an emotional dealing with God. They almost seem to distrust intellect sometimes, as though if they thought too much about their beliefs, they would find they are not true. Catholics have a better balance of brain and heart, logic and emotion.
Maybe they like the odor of incense.But really,are you serious?The Catholic church persecuted,tortured and even murdered intellectuals during the Inquisition.With a history like that how could any intellectual find an appeal in Catholicism?
We don't need a "statistical source" to prove the intellectual approach by Catholic Doctrinists to theology. Intellectuals are seen from the First Century in the Patristics, Ireneus, Ivo, Athanasius, Augustine, and all through the centuries. St. Thomas Aquinas, Fourteenth Century and Fr. Matthias Scheeben, 19Th Century, are among the latest, and known among the highest theologians the Churchhas ever known, those on theology and dogma are renowned. The famous Spanish theologian Lapide of the 16Th Century stands next to none in his scriptural expositions. St. Chrysostom from the Seventh Century is one of the greatest Confessors, along with Fr. Vianney, the 17th Century. There is no end to the endless Theological Doctorates bestowed on the Jesuits, Dominicans, Redemptorists, Benedictines, and so many other fine sacerdotal Orders, in the past and in the present. The Church is richer for these Catholic scholars.
In the last 100 years Frs. Coleridge, S.J., Canon George Smith, Robert Bellarmine, Joseph Pohle, Michael Muller, and hundreds of other priests, have written exquisite doctrinal treatises and books for the Faithful which can never be totally absorbed in ten lifetimes, but which increase Catholic love for the truth and for the admiration of their devotion to the doctrine of Christ.
Throughout history the intellectual mind is drawn to such theological and logical dissertations, and especially do atheists take note, for atheists seek out logical facts and details, and their minds are drawn to the scholastics of any great mind. They are often filled with disdain toward emotionalist religion and turn from religion itself --for such approaches fail in logic. In the Church have been many atheist converts, such as the Jewish brothers Ratisbohn who became priests. Atheists come from confused protesting religions and land in intellectual Catholicism. When an atheist becomes a doctrinal Catholic, he becomes one of the best of them. The Church has always known this. Often Protestant intellectuals realize late what they have been searching for, such as Gerry Matatics, and they revel in the full truth of conversion.
traditionalmass.org, Fr. Anthony Cekada, D.D.S.
Gerry Matatics, scholar in Patristic theology, convert.
gerrymatatics.org.
Catholic Christianity has a stung philosophical tradition and many Protestant groups have rejected "the Whore Reason"
and Cath goes back four-times more than the Protestantisms
Actually, some Non Christian intellectuals have converted to Protestantism like Ravi Zacharias and there are many "born Protestant" intellectuals
Because the Catholic church teaches "good Works" is all that is needed to enter into heaven. The Catholic church has laid out in steps everything you need to do in the Catholic church and no thinking is needed. You don't even have to unhardened your heart, or even change what you do from day to day. The Catholic church teaches that if you pay the pope enough money you can enter heaven before everyone else does.
The Christian church teaches that you need to believe in Jesus and obey Him to enter into heaven. Jesus teaches that you must change your heart, you must unhardened your heart and rest on Jesus for everything. The Christian church teaches its by grace you enter into heaven, not by paying the pope money.
To sum it up the Catholic church teaches "good works" while Christians teach "by grace" you will enter into heaven.
Catholic church teaches "by lots of works" you can be a christian.
Christian church teaches "by grace only" you can be a Christian.
Young priest to be,.. have to go to a seminar [college] for about 9-11yrs, and delve in theology,
Wheres say..the baptist for example, elect their own leaders from the the church,and that's were you get' some that teach with conspiracy and dislike of other christian community's.
I know....because I attended them.
<<Why does Catholicism appeal to many intellectuals, but Protestantism doesn't?>>
I hate to sound like I am generalizing but Catholicism teaches the Truth - and the Church will be the first to tell you that there simply isn't a way of explaining all that Truth. You're simply going to have to believe it.
There aren't many 'easy answers' when it comes to God's Truth. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that God's Truth is "simple", but because we are so intellectually inferior to God, it takes all the intellectual power we can muster to even begin to understand so much as an inkling of Truth.
This is why FAITH is required.
Protestantism, in my dangerously generalized opinion, tends to suggest "easy answers", so Protestantism appeals to people who don't really want to make the intellectual effort in trying to understand the Truth.
Why does Catholicism appeal to many intellectuals, but Protestantism doesn't?
