Identify your Protestant denomination and let us see if it teaches today the same as the original reformers. Of course then we would have to ask, which reformer: Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.? The teaching of Protestantism, as a movement, has been anything but stable.
Comparing one church with many, which even includes Unitarians to Mormons, is a perverse comparison. But comparing Rome with herself we see different interpretations even here.
Some believe Lumen Gentium generally precludes Prots from salvation unless they convert to Catholicism,and even deny that they have the Spirit of God in baptism, as they must in order to be consistent with their literal interpretation of Jn. 6:53,54.
Some also uphold that it is right to burn heretics.
And in such contrast with historical teaching they have strong support (if not from Scripture).
Can you say *Vatican 2*?
Can you say *pope Francis*?
That's funny, a Catholic criticizing other churches for not being stable.
You do bring up a very good question, Petrosius. And in the spirit of each of us trying to understand what the other believes or bases his/her faith in, let me try to give you an answer.
Protestantism is a very BROAD label. And I will not attempt to defend it's varied definitions. Suffice it to say that defining you as a Catholic pretty much tells us what you believe. Defining me as a Protestant will not tell you much, other than I am not a Catholic. That in itself does not define my beliefs. Catholics seem to want to lump all Protestants into one definition.
I do not base my faith in "Protestantism", for that would be such a broad statement that it would encompass many apposing beliefs. And because of this, when asked to state my religion, I always say "Christian" and if asked to explain further, I go on to say, I believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and the basic tenets it lays out are those in the creed that I quoted above. I believe that creed is in your Roman Catholic Catechism as well, for it is the basis of what the Bible teaches. During the Reformation, many Christians who had read and studied the words of the Bible began to understand that there were certain practices in the Roman Catholic Church that they felt were not totally biblical, some of which they felt dangerously detracted from their wish to put total, compromised faith that salvation came from Jesus Christ alone. One example: Selling indulgences did not give one forgiveness, only Grace given freely to those who professed faith in Jesus Christ brought about forgiveness of sin. There are many others.
Thus, I am not putting my salvation and daily guidance in the hands of ANY human person or organization, but rather in the hands of the Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. The "Church" means to me the "Body of Christ" and "Saints" are all true believers, and they come from various protestant denominations as well as the Roman Catholic church, though belonging to one of the above does not necessarily assure one to belong to the "Body of Christ" as there are true Christians and false Christians in all.
I choose to attend worship and teaching at a Presbyterian (PCA)church. PCA is a branch of the Presbyterian church that adheres closely to the Bible without any variation.
Remember to include the unholy father of these re-formed religions, Henry VIII who, in protest against the authority of the holy catholic apostolic church, formed his own. Others soon followed; what is the count up to now ?