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To: annalex
People are attracted to Protestantism because it doesn't ask all that much of them yet promises salvation. They are not attracted to Protestantism because of some deep analysis of what Luther's theology would logically lead to. This is why there was such divergence of Protestant theologies following Luther: because they all have the same therapeutic qualities but none is satisfying scripturally or theologically.

That's pretty harsh. Protestantism doesn't ask any more of a person than the Bible does. Jesus says Himself "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". (Matt. 11:30) We also do not promise salvation to anyone. It is not ours to give.

Of course there are differences among the Protestant sects, that is to be expected when there is freedom. I can understand why a Protestant theology would be unsatisfying to you, but we Protestants aren't exactly a blip on the map. There are uncounted hundreds of millions of us who are very satisfied, and free.

1,969 posted on 01/24/2006 8:54:40 PM PST by Forest Keeper
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To: Forest Keeper
harsh

To the Protestantism as a whole, it is harsh, but well deserved. At least I do not call Luther antiChrist, and he called my pope just that. It should not be taken as a judgement on individual Protestants of whom I know and love great many. They believe what they were brought up to believe, love Christ and very often lead exemplary lives for the rest of us to follow.

Protestantism doesn't ask any more of a person than the Bible does.

It asks less. It removed several inspired books from circulation; it disregards and ridicules the Holy Tradition apart from its written component (only Augustine among the Fathers is treated as authority, but frequently misunderstood). It disobeys the Church that Christ established and leads its adherents away from the sacraments of Eucharist and confession, and children are frequently deprived of baptism, all these being necessary for their salvation. It denies the necessity of works, despite they expressly asked for by Christ (open the Gospel at random and within 5 min of reading you will find something that Christ asks you to do), and are the basis of the judgement we shall receive (Apocalypse, multiple, especially 20:12). It destroyed the monastic tradition, which deprived the Protestant flock from a powerful instrument of witness and spiritual growth. The great martyrs and builders of the Church are denied honor, and the flock denied their example, under the blasphemous and self-serving notion of sainthood as church membership.

Christ said, -- give what you have to the poor and come, follow me. That is the Church he bequeathed us, -- the Church of heroes. Instead, Luther offered a comfortable bourgeois institution wholly compatible with middle class shallow individualism, incapable of challenging the oppressor state. The fundamentals of Christian ethics condemn contraception, extramarital sex, adultery, divorce followed by remarriage, usury, voting on moral issues, abortion cloning and euthanasia, scientism, irreligious education, and I could probably go on. On these issues Protestant opposition has either crumbled or is crumbling, -- why?

1,988 posted on 01/25/2006 2:33:08 PM PST by annalex
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