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Why Catholicism Is Preferable to Protestantism
catholic.com ^ | April 10, 2014 | | Devin Rose

Posted on 01/31/2015 8:43:45 PM PST by Morgana

My new book, The Protestant's Dilemma, shows in a myriad of ways why Protestantism is implausible. We sifted through many arguments to boil the book down to the most essential. A few chapters didn't make the cut but are still good enough to share. Here's one of them.

If Protestantism is true,

There's no way to know whether you're assenting to divine revelation or to mere human opinion about divine revelation.

Protestants and Catholics both believe that God has revealed himself to man over the course of human history, culminating in his ultimate self-revelation in Jesus Christ. But whereas Catholics believe that Christ founded a visible Church—which subsists in the Catholic Church—and has protected its doctrines from error, Protestants reject the notion of ecclesial infallibility, maintaining that no person, church, or denomination has been preserved from error in its teachings. Which means that anyone could be wrong, and no person or institution can be trusted with speaking the truth of divine revelation without error.

Universal Fallibility

“No one is infallible.” If Protestantism has a universal belief, this is it. Luther pioneered this idea when he asserted that popes and Church councils had erred. If they had erred, it meant God had not guided them into all truth; instead, he allowed them to fall into error and, worse, to proclaim error as truth.

And so the most a Protestant can do is tentatively assent to doctrinal statements made by his church, pastor, or denomination, since those statements, being fallible, could be substantively changed at some time in the future. We see this all the time in Protestantism, most commonly when a Protestant leaves one church for another due to doctrinal disagreement, especially after his church changed its position on an issue he considered important.

Consider the question of same-sex “marriage.” Until quite recently, all Protestant denominations taught this was a contradiction in terms. But now many have modified or even completely reversed this doctrine. Those Protestants who accept this new teaching believe that the old one was wrong—an erroneous human opinion that became enshrined in their church’s statement of faith. They can do this confidently, knowing that none of their fellow church members can plausibly claim that it contradicts an irreformable dogma that was infallibly revealed by God.

Ultimately, then, a Protestant (who remains Protestant) studies the relevant sources—Scripture, history, the writings of authoritative figures in his tradition—and chooses the Protestant denomination that most aligns with his judgment. But then, they say, Catholics do the same thing: studying the sources and then choosing the Catholic Church based on their own judgment. So they see no difference in this regard.

Because Catholicism is true,

Christians can know divine revelation, as distinct from mere human opinion, because God protects it from authoritatively teaching anything that is false.

How is the Catholic’s judgment different from a Protestant's, if at all? The difference lies in the conclusion, or finishing point, of the inquiry they make. Whereas the Protestant can ultimately submit only to his own judgment, which he knows to be fallible, the Catholic can confidently render total assent to the proclamations of the visible Church that Christ established and guides, submitting his judgments to its judgments as to Christ's.

And so a Catholic can know divine revelation, as distinct from human opinion, by looking to the Church, which speaks with Christ’s voice and cannot lie. For a Protestant, only the Bible itself contains God’s infallibly inspired words, so he desires to assent to that. But since the Bible must be interpreted by someone, the closest he can come to assenting to biblical teaching is assenting to his own fallible interpretation of it. And assenting to yourself is no assent at all.

The Protestant’s Dilemma

If Protestantism is true, all are fallible. So the Protestant must rely on his own judgment above that of his church. And the orthodoxy of the church itself is judged against his interpretation of the Bible. Thus is becomes impossible to distinguish between what divine revelation actually is versus what a fallible human being thinks it is. This fact makes the Catholic Church, philosophically speaking, preferable to Protestantism, since God’s truth can be known—and known with certainty.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Theology
KEYWORDS: apologetics; catholic; counterreformation; protestant; reformation; them; us
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To: Albion Wilde
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Dictionary.com: all

adjective

1. the whole of (used in referring to quantity, extent, or duration): "all the cake; all the way; all year."

2. the whole number of (used in referring to individuals or particulars, taken collectively): "all students."

3. the greatest possible (used in referring to quality or degree): "with all due respect; with all speed."

4. every:

The prot position now is that All doesn't mean all and can no longer be trusted. Is that what you are saying?

261 posted on 02/02/2015 2:57:01 PM PST by verga
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To: Grateful2God

Two sets of Rules on FR.


262 posted on 02/02/2015 2:58:56 PM PST by verga
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To: Grateful2God

It was asking a personal question.

When (or if) you were to point out those sort of things when others do so (like "getting personal" but beyond mere questioning) such as those whom more closely share your own religious convictions (even yourself?), then I might take what you say more serious.

Until then, it comes across to me as effort to bind one group -- while protecting yet another from all criticism.

I tend to take the long view, in these things. ;^')

263 posted on 02/02/2015 3:01:13 PM PST by BlueDragon (the weather is always goldilocks perfect, on freeper island)
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To: verga
You, my FRiend have absolutely no room to talk about "two sets of rules".
264 posted on 02/02/2015 3:03:22 PM PST by BlueDragon (the weather is always goldilocks perfect, on freeper island)
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To: daniel1212
OK, I didn't see it, and I apologize!

Didn't you see the smiley at the end of the note? Sorry for the misunderstanding!

265 posted on 02/02/2015 3:32:57 PM PST by Grateful2God (That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace)
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To: BlueDragon

Why not?


266 posted on 02/02/2015 4:08:59 PM PST by verga
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To: BlueDragon
You're entitled to your opinion. If you feel things are one-sided, then speak to the Moderator.

God bless you!

267 posted on 02/02/2015 4:15:09 PM PST by Grateful2God (That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace)
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To: Albion Wilde
Thank you; I appreciate that!

God bless you!

268 posted on 02/02/2015 4:20:04 PM PST by Grateful2God (That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace)
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To: Elsie
Thank you! That was a beautiful prayer: where did you find it?

God bless you!

269 posted on 02/02/2015 4:24:13 PM PST by Grateful2God (That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace)
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To: Grateful2God
OK, I didn't see it, and I apologize! Didn't you see the smiley at the end of the note? Sorry for the misunderstanding!

Sorry also.

270 posted on 02/02/2015 4:29:43 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: daniel1212
No sweat! : )

God bless you!

271 posted on 02/02/2015 4:32:50 PM PST by Grateful2God (That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace)
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To: daniel1212; Grateful2God

I clicked on one of your links and it went to your blog......is there some reason you do not source these?


272 posted on 02/02/2015 4:37:08 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: verga

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3252810/posts?page=267#267


273 posted on 02/02/2015 6:06:24 PM PST by BlueDragon (the weather is always goldilocks perfect, on freeper island)
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To: Grateful2God

Huh?

You posted that to the WRONG guy!

274 posted on 02/02/2015 6:06:32 PM PST by BlueDragon (the weather is always goldilocks perfect, on freeper island)
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To: Morgana

I can’t believe people would bother reading absolute filth and degeneracy as this garbage.


275 posted on 02/02/2015 6:13:02 PM PST by GeronL
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To: PROCON

Christians don’t, only Catholics do. :p


276 posted on 02/02/2015 6:14:15 PM PST by GeronL
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To: verga
Two sets of Rules on FR.

Would you post them?

Or just some examples of them?

277 posted on 02/02/2015 6:14:17 PM PST by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Grateful2God
Google® is our friend.

(Most of the time)

278 posted on 02/02/2015 6:15:03 PM PST by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: GeronL

May we be made worthy of the promises of Christ through your prayers.

HERESY!!!


279 posted on 02/02/2015 6:15:50 PM PST by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Salvation; daniel1212

As far as I can tell
What is there which is attributed to others, is sourced, including links to scripture.

Some of the links lead to other portions within his own work to more extensive commentary as for some particular point of discussion. When there are quotations from others in those places of deeper discussion, I do not know if there are many (or even one?) which does not provide source information.

Is there something more specific which one should be able to demand "source" for?

280 posted on 02/02/2015 6:22:08 PM PST by BlueDragon (the weather is always goldilocks perfect, on freeper island)
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