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Protestant vs. Catholic Comparison

The purpose of this article is to clear up misconceptions that Protestants and Catholics have regarding each others' views.

Common Protestant Misunderstandings of Catholicism

What do Catholics Think of Protestants?

What Should Protestants Think About Catholics?

Should Protestants Evangelize Catholics?

Common Protestant Misunderstandings of Catholicism

Most Protestants who are critical of Catholicism don't correctly understand the doctrines, teachings, and practice of the Catholic Church. This is a common source of "Catholic bashing" among these Protestants. Common misunderstandings:

• That Catholics believe in salvation by works, not faith.
• That Catholics worship Mary and the Saints.
• That the Catholic Church teaches that Protestants are not saved. A passage from the Catholic Catechism demonstrates that this is incorrect:

  In subsequent centuries much more serious dissentions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church. . . . One cannot charge with sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers. . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church. . . . Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities [found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church] as means of salvation. (Catechism, p. 216, sects. 817, 818, 819)

Many of the objections of Protestants to the Catholic faith are based not on what the Catholic Church actually teaches, but on the beliefs and practices of Catholics themselves, including some Catholic leaders (priests, bishops, nuns, monks, sisters, brothers, etc.). A few categories of the improper faith of some Catholics (but not all Catholics):

• They simply don't know their faith because they were not properly instructed. Perhaps it is the fault of their parents; or of Catholic leaders; or of these Catholics themselves who have neglected their responsibility to learn their faith.
• They know what the Catholic Church teaches, but they don't believe it and therefore don't practice it. This is especially disturbing in the case of Catholic leaders who teach things at variance with the teachings of the Catholic Church and who consider themselves to be more of an authority than the Catholic Church.
• They think they know their faith and they have good intentions to be true to their faith, but what they learned simply does not match what the Catholic Church really teachies.
• They believe and practice things they learned from their culture without consideration for whether or not they conflict with what the Catholic Church teaches.
• They practice their religion out of duty but have no faith in it whatsoever.

Protestants who are critical of Catholicism grossly exaggerate the numbers of poorly-formed Catholics who fall into the above categories.

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What do Catholics Think of Protestants?

This section addresses the topic of what Catholics think about Protestant doctrine belief and practice. There is often some discrepency between what Catholics think Protestants believe and practice, and what Protestants really do believe and practice. The ultimate goal ought to be that Catholics have a correct, informed understanding of what Protestants believe and practice.

That being said, there are so many differing views among Protestants themselves that it is difficult to adequately address the topic in such a short space. What I have emphasized is merely a few highlights.

The Teaching Magisterium of the Catholic Church considers Protestants to be the "separated brethren" (Catechism, pp. 216, 226, sects. 817, 855) because of the foundational view that it is the Catholic Church which is the church that Jesus established, and not the Protestant denominations (including the "non-denominational" denominations). The Protestant Reformation is seen as merely a schismatic movement which created disunity in Christ's church (the Catholic Church). In fact, at the time, the Catholic Church declared Martin Luther and John Calvin as heretics: Luther for dividing the church, and Calvin for his "heretical" views of sin and the total depravity of man. (Catechism, p. 103, sect. 406)

The Teaching Magisterium of the Catholic Church therefore teaches that, as a consequence of this schism, Protestants are missing out on the many blessings that come only from active membership and participation in the Catholic Church, especially the sacraments. In addition, they do not have the Teaching Magisterium of the Catholic Church to guide them in properly interpreting the Bible, and to provide trustworthy guidance in discerning the truths of the faith.

Some Catholics are strongly committed to converting Protestants (as I've discovered in talking to Catholics in my study of Catholicism) so they can come back into the fullness and unity of the true expression of the Christian faith, which is the Catholic Church.

Some Catholics have misunderstandings about Protestants, their beliefs, and their practices:

• That Protestants believe in "easy-believism" and are not concerned about good works. (Easy-believism is the idea that once we get saved we can behave however we want -- that saving faith doesn't require living a righteous life. Some Protestants have this view but many do not).
• That "all" Protestants consider Catholics as non-believers. (Some do but not all).

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What Should Protestants Think About Catholics?

From a Protestant perspective, it is important that they judge whether Catholics are saved, by considering only the essential doctrines required for salvation and not the non-essential traditions and practices. Based on this, Protestants should consider that Catholics who are discerning and God-seeking are saved if they emphasize Christ and His work on our behalf.

But a more important question for Protestants to consider is the origin of their own doctrines and practices. The Protestant Reformers split away from the Catholic Church in response to various issues. But in doing so they invented new doctrines which had never been taught before by the Church Fathers. It is hard to justify the idea that a single man such as Martin Luther could have gotten right what centuries of church theologians had missed. It is easier to accept the notion that the church was in need of reform but that it was and still is the true church that Jesus established.

Protestants should consider if the Bible really teaches that we are saved merely by the simple act of believing the gospel message. After all, both John the Baptist and Jesus first preached a gospel message of repentance from sin. And that is really the key issue, the thing that separates us from God in the first place. The Protestant teaching that repentance from sin is merely a thing that believers should do after hearing and believing the gospel is unfounded in scripture.

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Should Protestants Evangelize Catholics?

There are many Protestant missionaries in predominantly Catholic countries who believe it is their mission to convert Catholics to Protestantism. In my opinion this effort is misguided. It is no different than Baptists trying to convert Presbyterians into becoming Baptists. What a colossal waste of effort.

Are the traditions of the various Protestant denominations and the Protestant church at large really the important thing? Certainly not. Yet missionary programs are often focused on converting those who are already saved and the conversion is often a conversion from Catholicism to Protestantism.

Protestants who sincerely desire to help Catholics can best help them by encouraging them to regularly read and study the Bible. The Teaching Magisterium of the Catholic Church encourages all Christians to do this. The following excerpts are from the Catholic Catechism:

The study of the sacred page should be the very soul of sacred theology. (Catechism, p. 37, sect. 132)

The Church forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. (Catechism, p. 37, sect. 133)

I should note that the scriptures (especially the gospels) are read and emphasized in every Catholic mass. Any faithful Catholic who is paying attention at all will be hearing the scriptures often, since Catholics are required to attend mass weekly and on Holy Days (there are a half-dozen per year). In addition, Catholics are to be fully attentive with a worshipful, prayerful attitude during mass. The only Catholics who are not hearing the scriptures are those who are not faithful in practicing their faith.

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