Where Have All the Protestants Gone?

NOR ^ | January 2006 | Thomas Storck

[NYer]

Has anyone noticed the almost complete disappearance of Protestants from our nation? "What!" I can hear my readers exclaim, "Storck has really gone off his rocker this time. Why, just down the street there's an Assembly of God church and two or three Baptist churches and the Methodists and so on. My cousin just left the Catholic Church to become a Protestant and my niece just married one. Moreover, evangelical Protestants have many media outlets of their own and they have great influence in the Bush Administration. They're everywhere." All this, of course, is true. Except that for some time, they no longer call themselves Protestants, but simply Christians, and increasingly they've gotten Catholics to go along with their terminology.

I recall over 10 years ago when I was a lector at Mass, for the prayer of the faithful I was supposed to read a petition that began, "That Catholics and Christians…." Of course, I inserted the word "other" before "Christians," but I doubt very many in the congregation would even have noticed had I not done so. Just the other day I saw on a Catholic website an article about a Protestant adoption agency that refused to place children with Catholic parents. The headline referred not to a Protestant adoption agency but to a Christian one. And how often do we hear of Christian bookstores or Christian radio stations or Christian schools, when everyone should know they are Protestant ones?

Now, what is wrong with this? Well, it should be obvious to any Catholic -- but probably isn't. Are only Protestants Christians? Are we Catholics not Christians, indeed the true Christians? About 30 years ago, Protestants, especially evangelicals, began to drop the term Protestant and call themselves simply Christians as a not too subtle means of suggesting that they are the true and real Christians, rather than simply the children of the breakaway Protestant revolt of the 16th century. This shift in Protestant self-identification has taken on increasingly dramatic proportions. A recent Newsweek survey (Aug. 29-Sept. 5, 2005) found that, between 1990 and 2001, the number of Americans who consider themselves "Christian" (no denomination) increased by 1,120 percent, while the number of those who self-identify as "Protestant" decreased by 270 percent.

But perhaps I am getting too worked up over a small matter. After all, are not Protestants also Christians? Yes, I do not deny that. But usually we call something by its most specific name.

Protestants are theists too, but it would surely sound odd if we were to refer to their radio stations and bookstores as theistic radio stations and theistic bookstores. Language, in order to be useful, must convey human thought and concepts in as exact a way as it can. And, in turn, our thoughts and concepts should reflect reality. As Josef Pieper noted, "if the word becomes corrupted, human existence will not remain unaffected and untainted."

Moreover, words often convey more than simple concepts. A certain word may seem only to portray reality, but in fact it does more. It adds a certain overtone and connotation. Thus, it is not a small matter whether we speak of "gays" or of homosexuals. The former term was chosen specifically to inculcate acceptance of an unnatural and immoral way of life. When I was an Episcopalian, I was careful never to speak of the Catholic Church, but of the Roman Catholic Church, as a means of limiting the universality of her claims. I always called Episcopal ministers priests, again as a means of affirming that such men really were priests, in opposition to Leo XIII's definitive judgment that Anglican orders are invalid and thus that they are in no sense priests. Perhaps because of these early experiences, I am very aware of the uses of language to prejudge and control arguments, and I am equally careful now never to call Episcopal ministers priests or refer to one as Father So-and-So. And I think we should likewise not go along with the evangelical Protestant attempt to usurp the name Christian for themselves. They are Protestants, and public discourse should not be allowed to obscure that fact.

Apparently, though, it is the case that some Protestants call themselves Christians, not out of a desire to usurp the term, but out of an immense ignorance of history. That is, they ignore history to such an extent that they really don't understand that they are Protestants. Knowing or caring little about what came before them, they act as if their nicely bound Bibles had fallen directly from Heaven and anyone could simply become a Christian with no reference to past history, ecclesiology, or theology. The period of time between the conclusion of the New Testament book of Acts and the moment that they themselves "accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior" means nothing. Even Luther or Calvin or John Wesley mean little to them, since they can pick up their Bibles and start Christianity over again any time they want. These souls may call themselves simply Christians in good faith, but they are largely ignorant of everything about Church history. They do not understand that Jesus Christ founded a Church, and that He wishes His followers to join themselves to that Church at the same time as they join themselves to Him. In fact, one implies and involves the other, since in Baptism we are incorporated in Christ and made members of His Church at the same time.

So let us not go along with the widespread practice of calling our separated brethren simply Christians. They are Protestants. Let us begin again to use that term. It is precise. It implies Catholic doctrine in the sense that it suggests that such people are in protest against the Church. Moreover, it forces them to define themselves in terms of, rather than independently of, the One True Church. And if we do resume referring to our separated brethren as Protestants, perhaps a few of them might even be surprised enough to ask us why -- and then, behold, a teachable moment!

[Flavius Josephus]

we'll all do a big group hug and sing kumbayah.

Spare me. There's already a little too much of that business going on, don't you think?

I haven't thought about the issue in question much, but I do feel insulted that some people don't know that Catholics are Christian. We are the largest "denomination" in the US, IINM, but we still manage to get discriminated against and hated.

If the world doesn't want to be Catholic, why do they all stop when the Pope dies? They don't like it that the Pope is the Leader of Worldwide Christianity, but deep down they know its true.

[redgolum]

Part of it is that "Protestant" means a lot of different things. In this country it is often identified with the "mainstream" churches that are so often in the news with nutty pronouncements on gay marriage. There is a real aversion to be unidentified with those groups, so there is no desire to say "Protestant".

For us Lutherans, it is more because the term Protestant conotates "Reformed Calvinistic" theology. Also, the question then becomes "what are you protesting?" Since for the most part that isn't the case nowadays, the term isn't used as much.

[NYer]

I truly believe that in most cases, it's not a matter of evilness, I just believe it to be a matter of honestly not understanding.

Agreed.

[NYer]

Great article and one that has crossed my mind many times!

Ditto.

[Jaded]

I ended up leaving a forum over the nastiness displayed when John Paul II died by a bunch of people who claimed to be fine upstanding Bible-believing Christians.

When Billy Graham passes to his reward, there will be the same media frenzy recounting his life decade by decade and a televised funeral. He did serve the Lord faithfully as a Protestant. Do you think that the Catholics will spew venom over him? I don't.

[NYer]

I just became a "Christian"

This is truly a blessing! Thank you for sharing it. Rest assured of my prayers.

Among the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.)

Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

[SoothingDave]

When Billy Graham passes to his reward, there will be the same media frenzy recounting his life decade by decade and a televised funeral. He did serve the Lord faithfully as a Protestant. Do you think that the Catholics will spew venom over him? I don't.

Of course not. Then again Catholics are not protesting Billy Graham. The Protestants you speak of are quite obviously still protesting against the Papacy.

SD

[Flavius Josephus]

Lots of people also don't want to associate themselves with the lukewarm mainline Protestant denominations like the Episcopalians, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, and the Congregationalists.

[x5452]

Well the Catholics split from the Orthodox and the protestants split from them.

I say we call the lot of them protestants. ;p

[STD]

Dear BG,

Those enormously successful "megachurches" are where all those missing Protestants have gone. The mainstream protestant churches (with 1 or 2 great exceptions) have largely fallen prey to secular humanist ideas. "Be ye holy for I am holy" is the spiritual battle cry.

I wouldn't as an ordinary sinner ever make such an idiotic claim that outside of my church there is no salvation. Yet people that are called into Christ's holy family feel the need to boldly claim that they are members of the "true church" Nothing could be more prideful, divisive,or uninformed. God can't be subject to man's petty puny ideas. He's God after all.

I'm not gonna stoop so low as to denigrate the RCC. That would be a sin.

Agape, DrMike

[redgolum]

Lots of people also don't want to associate themselves with the lukewarm mainline Protestant denominations like the Episcopalians, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, and the Congregationalists

Hey now, not all of us Lutherans deserve that /joke.

[NYer]

It's not always a matter of not understanding, but it also happens that there are many of us on the Christian (Protestant) side who simply do not accept those claims you mention.

If we wish to locate the Church founded by Jesus, we need to locate the one that has the four chief marks or qualities of his Church. The Church we seek must be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.

His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).

Although some Catholics dissent from officially-taught doctrines, the Church’s official teachers—the pope and the bishops united with him—have never changed any doctrine. Over the centuries, as doctrines are examined more fully, the Church comes to understand them more deeply (John 16:12–13), but it never understands them to mean the opposite of what they once meant.

The Church Is Holy (Eph. 5:25–27, Rev. 19:7–8, CCC 823–829)
By his grace Jesus makes the Church holy, just as he is holy. This doesn’t mean that each member is always holy. Jesus said there would be both good and bad members in the Church (John 6:70), and not all the members would go to heaven (Matt. 7:21–23).

But the Church itself is holy because it is the source of holiness and is the guardian of the special means of grace Jesus established, the sacraments (cf. Eph. 5:26).

The Church Is Catholic (Matt. 28:19–20, Rev. 5:9–10, CCC 830–856)
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20).

For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28).

Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to "make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, "the Catholic Church," at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it probably went all the way back to the time of the apostles.

The Church Is Apostolic (Eph. 2:19–20, CCC 857–865)
The Church Jesus founded is apostolic because he appointed the apostles to be the first leaders of the Church, and their successors were to be its future leaders. The apostles were the first bishops, and, since the first century, there has been an unbroken line of Catholic bishops faithfully handing on what the apostles taught the first Christians in Scripture and oral Tradition (2 Tim. 2:2).

These beliefs include the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the forgiveness of sins through a priest, baptismal regeneration, the existence of purgatory, Mary’s special role, and much more —even the doctrine of apostolic succession itself.

Early Christian writings prove the first Christians were thoroughly Catholic in belief and practice and looked to the successors of the apostles as their leaders. What these first Christians believed is still believed by the Catholic Church. No other Church can make that claim.

Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth

[wmfights]

"I just became a "Christian", and I use that term generically because I just came out of a "cult". I have no official church affiliation except I attend a non-denominational church in my area."
___________________________________
God Bless you !

Don't let the legalism of the "Pharisee's" get you down.

[Flavius Josephus]

Probably not. We Catholics aren't supposed to be spewing venom. But Billy Graham wasn't the end-all be-all of Protestant ministers, if you ask me. Sure, people flocked to see him and many were converted, and he certainly isn't as theologically unsound as your basic Oral Robertses of the world. But he was pretty liberal.

[kerryusama04]

IMO, if you pray only to God in Jesus' name, or some variant of the Trinity, then you are a Christian.

[Flavius Josephus]

I ended up becoming a Catholic over the grace displayed when John Paul II died. And the grace displayed by the current occupant of the see.

[Flavius Josephus]

We do not say there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church. Like you, that is not our place to say. The Church as well teaches that others may be saved.

[wmfights]

"They don't like it that the Pope is the Leader of Worldwide Christianity, but deep down they know its true."
__________________________________________
This is one of the most glaring flaws in your church.

The real leader of the Christian world is JESUS CHRIST.

[Flavius Josephus]

IMO, if you say the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed you are a Christian.

[Flavius Josephus]

Oh, you got me there didn't you! Leader of the Christian World among solely human men. Hows that? I almost left out the solely, but I knew you would skewer me over Jesus being Fully Human and Fully Divine. You'll probably find something else to nitpick. Get Thee Behind Me!