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What Is Protestantism?

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
You know, from what I remember most Protestants looked at other Protestant denominations as more of a "preference." Most thought that as long as people were saved, that's all that really mattered. Only the really hard core Southern Baptists or Fundamentalists really thought that other denominations were wrong/mislead in any meaningful way.
I'm more asking, we have the RCC and the OC and they're one Church unto themselves, essentially- they aren't splintered. What would one define as the 'Protestant' Church?
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
When I was a Christian I attended Anglican churches and later a Catholic one; little difference as both have Masses, but I'd be lost in another Protestant Church.

The Calvinist churches I have been in, in the Netherlands, are all centred on the pulpit, which is huge, since there is no altar. That makes them feel strange to me. The strangest thing is to be in an old one, that was converted from Catholic worship at the reformation, by taking out the altar and turning everything sideways to face the pulpit.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
The Calvinist churches I have been in, in the Netherlands, are all centred on the pulpit, which is huge, since there is no altar. That makes them feel strange to me. The strangest thing is to be in an old one, that was converted from Catholic worship at the reformation, by taking out the altar and turning everything sideways to face the pulpit.
That would be very strange indeed. I once attended a Church for my friends' confirmations and they had grapejuice instead pf wine. It struck me as weird and heretical.

Essentially there seems to be not 'Protestant' but 'Not Catholic not Orthodox'. I just don't think this is a very meaningful identifier and one can't really compare High Anglicanism, or even Low Anglicanism really, to, say Calvinism or Baptism.
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
I'm more asking, we have the RCC and the OC and they're one Church unto themselves, essentially- they aren't splintered. What would one define as the 'Protestant' Church?

I don't think there really IS a central Protestant church. That said, most protestants think of other protestants as brothers and sisters in faith - they just have a slightly different interpretation of the same ideology.

Think more of Protestant denominations as city states in ancient Canaan. They all pretty much worshiped the same gods as their neighbors, but each city had a slightly different interpretation or focused more on one aspect of the gods than others. When all was said and done, they still worshiped the same gods, though.

With Protestantism, the only unifying thing is the central ideology. Everything outside of that is open to interpretation, and exploring the boundaries of one's relationship with their faith is something that's most often encouraged. Building a "personal relationship" with god is a very important aspect of the faith, and that requires freedom from the rigid structure of a central church head (such as the pope).

At least, that's what I was raised with. :D
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
With Protestantism, the only unifying thing is the central ideology.
This is essentially my question.

What is that ideology? What core doctrines and theology make one 'Protestant' and where would a line be drawn? I mean positive affirmations, not negatives such as rejections.
 

firedragon

Veteran Member
What defines Protestantism? What are the core tenets that would define a Church as being Protestant?

You would know very well that Protestantism is because they were protestant.

1. No authority of the priest. He can not forgive. Only God can forgive, and only God can provide salvation.
2. Opposition to Erasmus's "freedom of the will" to "bound choice".
3. Predestination is Gods choice of his own.
4. Creatures are sinners and inherited a disposition of rebellion against God.
5. Christ was slain and raised as a justification to our sins

Gotta go. :)
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
This is essentially my question.

What is that ideology? What core doctrines and theology make one 'Protestant' and where would a line be drawn? I mean positive affirmations, not negatives such as rejections.

I'd say the most important commonality all the denominations share is that the original sin has caused man kind to fall. We are fallen and we can't get up... To god's level. :D The only way to become saved from our terrible fate is to accept Jesus as our lord and savior. That's the only route to salvation.

Also, the bible is the prime source for guidance in spiritual matters. To what degree varies, though, as certain denominations ascribe to biblical inerrancy and some don't.

Everything outside of that is open to interpretation. The more a denomination strays from biblical teachings (or common interpretation of biblical teachings), the "less Christian" they are perceived as by other Protestants.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
There just doesn't seem to be a notion of excommunation in Protestantism for heresy when one can just start another church that can also be called Protestant.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
When I was a Christian I attended Anglican churches and later a Catholic one; little difference as both have Masses, but I'd be lost in another Protestant Church.

OOhh. From Catholic, the difference is huge.

Eucharist-symbolism. It's not bread/wine but sometimes grapejuice (for those who can't drink wine) and crackers or similar or water (JW so told). They call it communion but they don't die/resurrect as a mass. They don't believe they are Actually siting at jesus' table and communion isn't considered as such in many protestant churches.

Priests-pastors aren't in the role of Christ and line of his apostles. They are more guides and in some churches they listen to problems members have (I did once but the pastor told me since I'm gay, he couldn't really help me. First and last time I went). They have christian counseling but not similar with confession.

On that note.

Confession-they call it repentance and only done to god/jesus. In some churches (rather than Churches) I've heard that people confess to the whole church.

Marriage-between male and female but not a sacrament

Conviction-private conviction first instead of when new catholics say at the end of RCIA they want to be part of the church (can't remember the wording)

Holy orders-they have but aren't considered sacraments. Religious counseling or at hospital chaplains

Worship-All protestant churches I've gone to stray away from individual worship within the church. In other words, you may rarely see a christian stay in the church to pray (no cross, statues, Eucharist, and light when jesus is present). No bowing or kneeling unless at altar calls and things like that

Charity-From experience, some are reserved for the members of the church first, as one church told me when I needed financial assistance. Catholics don't have that unless its sacramental.

Respect for the priests-Aside from horrible priest stereotype that all priests are molesters, many put near as much faith in the priest as christ. Protestant churches direct their trust to christ and the bible. Catholics priests and tradition

Statutes/roseries-Catholics are tools of veneration. "Some" protestants they are either absent or used as commentary to the bible but not equal to it.

Christ-Catholics view of christ is one body/Mass and communion. Some protests view of christ is individual relationship and literal bible (word of god is the words in the book not the sacraments primarily). In my humble opinion, i believe catholics have a better tie with christ than many protestants (to generalize)

There are others, but those are the main ones I can think of.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
Protestantism makes no sense to me and I don't hate it, but it is completely irrational, because Solascriptura is a Doctrine which destroys itself.

There is nothing in the Bible which says "Bible (Scripture) alone is the final authority".

There is nothing in the Bible which says that "if something isn't in the Bible it isn't true or don't follow it".
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
Protestants get their Bible from the Catholic Church which put the first Bible together at the councils of Rome, Carthage, and Hippo.

If Protestants think the Catholic Church is evil, and they don't trust the Church that they get their Bible from, why do they even trust the Bible??
 

Psalm23

Well-Known Member
The key denominator is rejection of Catholic Tradition and, like Christine said, pope papacy. Everything else is varied in how much they kept Catholic tradition. Lutheran has most of it but he changed the view of transubstantiation of the Eucharist. Presbyterian has some remnants of catholicism. Surprisingly baptist (with the sit downs, stand ups, and high idolism of the bible) as well as its history.


Growing up Baptist, we seemed to do the stand up, sit down enough times. Though I’m sure it can depend on the particular church.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I'm somewhat certain that in the american perception, those would be considered protestant
If so, that is simply ahistorical and wrong. Protestantism was defined at the Reformation, which took place half a millennium after the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches. The Reformation was exclusively an issue within the Western church.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
But there are so many Protestant Churches, who can say what is and isn't truly Protestant?
It started with Martin Luther and his 99 Theses that had some disagreements with Catholic teachings. From there, there have been countless schisms amd reforms and new denominations and all this and that, who all had disagreements with what they were a part of.
As a definition, it's basically any non-Catholic church.
It gets interesting as some Protestants will take being called a protestant as an insult, insisting they aren't Protestant but rather the protestant denomination they belong to (Baptist especially are prone to doing this).
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
So between all the different denominations, which is 'right'? Because there are so many with theologies and doctrines so varied, which is 'the' one?


None of them and all of them. The point is, Protestant congregations in the years after the Reformation, were actively encouraged to think for themselves.

In Europe, the history of Protestantism is closely tied to the history of political radicalism. The gathered, or independent, churches in England in the early 17th Century played a significant role in mobilising support for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. The most radical adherents opposed both ecclesiastical and feudal hierarchies. Protestant church services were frequently exercises in democracy;

“In some churches, ‘scruplers’ were encouraged to question the preacher, just as they were to do in Leveller meetings. Lay members might be encouraged to speak and preach, developing leadership qualities and independence of mind...Reading and study of biblical texts was encouraged, an enthusiasm that translated into the study and discussion of political pamphlets and broadsheets.”

- John Rees, The Leveller Revolution

The Plymouth Brethren sprang from this tradition.
 
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