I do not care for the term Protestant. I am NOT a Protestant. Nor am I a Catholic. I am a Christian. Protestant implies protesting against something. I am for something. Yes, I understand that sounds like a quibble in the minds of most. But, it is an important distinction. I am not AGAINST catholics following Christ. I am FOR EVERYONE following Christ. My goal is to return to his teachings, and those of his apostles, who were given authority under him. Where someone comes from to get THERE, i do not care. It is the getting there that is important.
That's my view exactly.
a lovely comment
Now that I have chilled out, allow me to make an observation about the first comment. If we were talking politics right now, I propose that you guys would reject that thought proccess. For example, we know that yesterday's socialists do not like to be called socialists any more, they like to be called "progressives": It sounds better. And if you call them a socialist they will get all huffy. Same goes for liberals. Many Liberals avoid the word because it has a negative taint, although many still embrace it as well. Yet we all know that regardless of the label-of-the-day, they believe what they believe.
So ChrstnHsbndFthr does not care for the term Protestant. Okay, fine. But whatever name he chooses to use, the beliefs are the same. His beliefs for the most part represent protestantism. Its not an insult, its just a fact. You can say the same for me: I consider myself a Christian, and I suppose if I had my choice I'd prefer that everyone in my church were just called Christians and left it at that. But the fact is that my beliefs are those taught by the Catholic Church, and regardless of what I want to be called, my beliefs are Catholic just as ChrstnHsbndFthr's beliefs are Protestant.
Isn't that a fair statement?
No.
My beliefs are not protestant. My beliefs do not hinge on Catholicism in any way. I was never a Catholic. I did not leave it in protest over false doctrines. I came straight to Christ. I no more protest Catholicism than I do Buddhism, or Mormonism, or any other religion. I PROMOTE Christ. I FOLLOW Christ. I read HIS word. The one person I follow is Christ. Obviously, in choosing Christ, I reject other religions for myself, but I cannot correctly be called Protestant, any more than I could be called Catholic, Buddhist, or Mormon, despite the fact I surely share certain beliefs of each one. (Certainly you can call anyone names, but the point being they are inadequate and incorrect.) I do admit that I believe in the one, world-wide church. It is my understanding that this is what the word catholic means, but that does not make me a Catholic. Also, simply because I share some beliefs of some protestants, those beliefs do not make me a protestant. My beliefs come strictly and purely from the bible and not from any protestant denomination any more than they come from the Catholic denomination. Did you notice in our conversation my appeal is only to God's word? I derive no authority elsewhere. To the degree that the Pope, or Martin Luther, or John Calvin, or anyone else, can show me something in scripture, then I have been taught and accept the Word. But, it is not because of the teacher, or his authority, but it is because the Word teaches it.