This constant parade of “former” Protestants is becoming tiresome. It is little wonder the Protestant church struggles in so many places with the poor understanding of Protestant theology and doctrine. It amazes me at how poorly taught these people are. And how willing they are to walk away from a faith that is incomplete in their experience. There is not a one of these stories where there is a proper understanding of Biblical teaching.
It amazes me at how poorly taught these people are.
Whose fault is this? Is it the Protestant churches themselves? Is it Princeton Theological Seminary? Is it the denomination for letting the pastor be a pastor in the first place without proper training?
These are intelligent people who have gone on a search for Truth and found it often after a long and difficult search. Contrast this with the majority of Catholics who either join Protestant churches or simply stop practicing their faith altogether: they often leave the Catholic Church because they either think it is too ritualistic, because they don't understand something, or (most often) because they dissent from one of the Church's teachings (usually concerning marriage or contraception).
As a side note, Catholic catechesis has not been exceptional for quite a few years. We too have been suffering the results of it.
And how willing they are to walk away from a faith that is incomplete in their experience.
Do you really think this is easy for these pastors? If you read the testimonies on the source website, you will read many stories of pain, worry, and wrestling with God over discerning this Truth. These pastors often have everything to lose... their positions, their livelihood, and even in some cases their families. Some try to bargain with God in order to find a way, any way, to avoid becoming Catholic. Yet at the end, they find that in good conscience they must convert, because they have become convinced that Catholicism is unavoidably and completely true in a way that their former confession is not.
There is not a one of these stories where there is a proper understanding of Biblical teaching.
What is a "proper understanding of Biblical teaching?" Who gets to determine what this "proper understanding" actually is?
To a Catholic, "proper understanding of Biblical teaching" means understanding the Scriptures as part of the Deposit of Faith and interpreted as such; this is done by the Magisterium in union with the Pope, in accord with Scripture itself and with Sacred Tradition.
This "proper understanding" is something that Catholics and Protestants simply don't agree on, because we are approaching it with different assumptions. Unfortunately, there is no way that the "Catholic understanding" and the "'Protestant' understanding" can both be true, because they are mutually exclusive. Discerning the proper Authority is the key to determining what is True.
“It amazes me at how poorly taught these people are. And how willing they are to walk away from a faith that is incomplete in their experience. There is not a one of these stories where there is a proper understanding of Biblical teaching.”
What’s even more amazing is when you hear from someone who leaves Catholicism for Protestantism, and how they suddenly become authorities both on Catholicism AND Bible experts who can interpret the Scriptures for themselves. Truly astounding!
Bingo.
Which one would that be?? Y'all have so many--and all different.
Right, that’s exactly what I was thinking. It’s like they have no understanding of systematic theology and confession. It makes sense they would leave, if they are indeed so ignorant of a proper biblical theology and confession.