THE PROTESTANT’S DILEMMA BY DEVIN ROSE: A REVIEW

Just a writer, who refuses to typecast his blog by giving it a title ^ | March 18, 2014 | Scott Eric Alt

[rwa265]

If a Protes­tant look­ing into the claims of Catholi­cism were to ask me, “What one book should I read, where I can find a quick answer to any ques­tion I have?” I would tell him to read Devin Rose’s new book The Protestant’s Dilemma. I would also rec­om­mend this book to Protes­tant apol­o­gists, even those of many years, well-skilled in polemics. It will remind them of the heavy bur­den of proof they face, and the weak­ness of their posi­tion on point after point. The truth may set them free and bring them home too. (It has happened.)

All this may seem like over­state­ment — the oblig­a­tory praise from one Catholic blog­ger to another. But it is not.

Con­sider first the range of issues this book takes up. There are thirty-six chap­ters, each one on a dif­fer­ent topic, from the papacy to sola scrip­tura, from the canon of the Bible to Pur­ga­tory, from con­fes­sion to Eucharist to infant bap­tism. If some­thing about the Catholic Church trou­bles you, this book has the answer. If you think you have found the point on which Catholi­cism fails, this book will show you why it is one more point upon which Protes­tantism fails.

Con­sider also the brevity. The book is just over 200 pages long, which means that Mr. Rose’s answers get to the root of the ques­tion with­out a knot of aca­d­e­mic detail. It is harder to do than it might seem. This is the book of a man who has spent a long time study­ing the ques­tions that divide Protes­tants and Catholics, and who knows how to present his case in a way that is easy for any­one to under­stand. At the same time, the book is use­ful for the pro­fes­sional apol­o­gist, for it recalls his mind to the basics.

[Colonel_Flagg]

"you obvioussly didn't understand myost where I acknowledge that the JJews wrote the old testament and that the Catholics included the old testament in their bible (book) for your convenience..."

Your #206 on this thread:

"nope, He was busy elsewhere so He inspired mere mortals to actually put pen to paper and write the actual book....those were Catholics."

Would you like to try again?

[ealgeone]

Now that's a new one I haven't heard. Do you mean to say if we are killed for our faith in Christ we go to Heaven because of our faith in Christ...not because we were killed due to our faith in Christ?

There is a big difference between the two.

[terycarl]

Vindication city !!! Did you spell Vatican wrong

don't read these threads thoroughly do you??

[ealgeone]

the only church present at that time was the church which they had founded...the Catholic church...there were no Lutherans, no Methodists, no Latter day Saints, no evangelical anythings.

Nope....the only identified "church" were the Christians....not catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc.

[Elsie]

as bad as they might have been, none of them EVER tried to change the teachings of Christ.......EVER.

By their ACTIONS they changed them!

And Catholics in these very threads poo-poo their SINS as nothing.

SHAME!

[Elsie]

Sure it does!

[Elsie]

don't read these threads thoroughly do you??

That's what happens; I guess, when ya hang out with Catholics. You start to read things like they do they bible.

[ealgeone]

I agree with metmom.

I guess my question to lurking, why are you so ready to accept writings outside of the Bible to be as authoritative as the Bible?

doesn't the Bible teach us all we need to know about Christ and how to be saved and have sins forgiven?

sorta reminds me of the Mormons and their book of Mormon.

[terycarl]

your point if I understood it correctly, is that if we don't confess every sin to a priest, they cannot be forgiven...right? well then what was the point of Christ dying on the cross??

you really don't understand the Catholic church....every sin should be confessed to a priest, however most sins are forgiven because they are venial, or minor....bad language, minor lie, cursing...etc. Major sins can also be forgiven by a sincere act of contrition before you can get to confession.

the point of Christ and the cross was to actually forgive the sin....the priest forgives your sin through the power of Christ, he is a mediator and Christ forgives the sin. However, Christ promised the priest that whose sins the he would forgive, would be forgiven. If you confess your sin to a priest, and are SINCERELY sorry for it and try faithfully not to repeat the sin, Christ forgives it.

[LurkingSince'98]

If you post it in a big enough font AND in bold it must be true. LOL

protestants are funny.

AMDG

[terycarl]

Good gracious...do you not understand the concept the concept of Christ dying on the cross for our sins as a one time sacrifice??

are you seriously suggesting that no matter how you live your life, rape, mayhem, booze, domestic violence, murder, abortion, that all your sins are automatically forgiven??????????? You will find it very difficult to return to the Catholic church.....notice I said return, if you were legitimatly baptized, you were baptized a Catholic....nothing else is possible.

[terycarl]

We can't help it if you conveniently skip over all the positive contributions Elsie has made to the conversation. And yet not one listed.

Verga, Elsie is entertaining, if misinformed....he is great at cutting and pasting and some of his opinions require some thought....I love these religious threads and learn a lot about other people's belief systems...very valuable as far as I'm concerned.

[terycarl]

It’s not just Protestants who advocate confessing directly to God. Those OT passages show that the Jews did it as well.

they had no choice....we do.

[21twelve]

As a Protestant I had to look up your “baking cakes for Mary”. It is nothing of the sort. It is making special birthday cakes to celebrate Mary’s birthday. Now - if you wanted to rant on the idea of Mary being born without sin I would agree with you.

And while the idea of celebrating Mary’s birthday is a bit odd to me - it is a way of honoring her in the sense that “and all will call her blessed” - which she certainly was.

BUT - what I hear in that prayer of Mary’s is a very humble, servant attitude. And all the Glory being given to God.

[ealgeone]

Lurking, I've read the Didache and to be quite honest with you, I'd toss it. I don't know why the need for another text...especially one filled with non-Biblical teachings as this one. Besides, if this was considered so important as to be canonical, why didn't the early Christian church, or later, the RCC include it in any the Bibles?

Is this supposed to be inspired teaching? After reading it I think I know.

Section 4:6 though disqualifies the book in my opinion as it gives a non-Biblical way to forgive sins.

4:6 If you have anything, by your hands you should give ransom for your sins.

and all this time I thought it was Christ Who died for my sins! btw...I still believe that.

8.3 Pray this three times each day. Are we now Shia??

We have nothing in the Bible of Christ limiting His praying to three times a day. For that matter we don't have any record of how many times He prayed. We do know He got up early in the morning to pray. We do have the admonition to pray without ceasing in 1 Thes 5:17.

8:1 Your fasts should not be with the hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays. You should fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.

and if you are lead by God to fast on Tuesday, what are you to do? Does it really matter the day you are to fast on? Again, another non-Biblical teaching.

> 11:5 But he must not remain more than one day, or two, if there's a need. If he stays three days, he is a false prophet. So I guess Paul must have been a false prophet??

11:7 In addition, if any prophet speaks in the Spirit, you shall not try or judge him; for every sin will be forgiven, but this sin cannot be forgiven. WHAT???? Does the Bible not say to test all spirits??

The Bible only mentions one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

11:8 But not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; only he is a prophet who has the ways of the Lord about him. By their ways will the false prophet and the prophet be known. Doesn't this contradict 11:7?

11:9 Any prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit does not eat it; if he does, he is indeed a false prophet. Based on what Biblical teaching exactly??

I think I'll stay with the inspired teaching of the Bible. You'll never go wrong with that.

[metmom]

....so when the church asks us to refrain from eating meat on ne day, it becomes a little penance that we endure to honor God by giving up something we like.....

And what's the point of *penance*? How does giving up something you like honor God?

We forbid no one to marry except those of the same sex, and those who are already married....

And priests and nuns.

[metmom]

If your religion told you that you can not uderstand the daily newspaper without their interpretation, would you believe it???

Catholics are expected to be able to interpret the Catechism of the Catholic church without someone to interpret it for them.

They are expected to understand the interpretation of the interpretation of the Bible without anyone to help them.

But they can't do it with the Bible?

Sounds like propaganda to me.

[ealgeone]

Good gracious...do you not understand the concept the concept of Christ dying on the cross for our sins as a one time sacrifice??

You wrote:

are you seriously suggesting that no matter how you live your life, rape, mayhem, booze, domestic violence, murder, abortion, that all your sins are automatically forgiven??????????? You will find it very difficult to return to the Catholic church.....notice I said return, if you were legitimatly baptized, you were baptized a Catholic....nothing else is possible.

of course you can't just live your life the way you want...

when one believes Christ died on the Cross for one's sins, one's life should exhibit change and that change should be to emulate Christ and His teachings to the best we can.

the scenario I'm thinking about is a Christian, a follower of Christ, who commits a sin, but for whatever reason can't get to a priest in time to ask for forgiveness.

is that sin forgiven by the death of Christ on the Cross and is that sufficient enough of a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins?

or, because the person can't get to the priest before they die, is that an unforgiven sin?

[metmom]

it took Catholics 2,014 years to make those mistakes, the Protestants have accomplished them in only about 450 years to do so....nice going!!

Hardy.

Those popes didn't live lives of 2000 years. They accomplihed all those feats each just in their short span in office, which is what the links cover.

Doesn't mention what they did on their off time, nor what those w3ho *elected* them did in their off time.

The popes are so bad that there isn't even agreement over which ten are the WORST.

That doesn't mean they're the ONLY.

It barely scratches the surface of the corruption that existed within Catholicism.

Here's more links posted by a Catholic FReeper.

St. Peter Damian's Book of Gomorrah: Homosexual Situation Graver than Damian's Time

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/929551/posts

The Sword of the Saint, Unsheathed (against homosexuality)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3096562/posts

[metmom]

the only church present at that time was the church which they had founded...the Catholic church...there were no Lutherans, no Methodists, no Latter day Saints, no evangelical anythings

Show me in Scripture where Jesus named the Catholic church as His church.

Otherwise, Catholics are just co-opting the term.