What Protestants Answer, Catholics Mystify

I appreciate that Catholicism says, "I don't know for sure, but here are the scriptures, the texts, the tradition, the history, and the miracles to explain why."

We don't know 100%.  That's why it is faith!

It seems Protestantism attempts to answer those questions 100%.  They study and argue, argue and study and wind up with 30,000 different answers, each believing they have the truth with the scriptures to back it up.  The others have the scriptures to refute it.

I attend a Baptist church that believes in "once saved always saved."  I do not believe that (as most AGers don't) and we could argue until Kingdom come with scriptures.

Catholics leave the door open.  Sure, you have to agree to their catechism to be in the Church, but they know that we just don't know 100%.  However, to create a unified body throughout the world and throughout time, the Church has to have a unified agreement of beliefs.  I can respect that.

It is face-palming the willy-nilly of the Protestant church.  30,000 denominations, people, of a church Christ intended to be pretty much unified (personalities and cultures and climates, aside).

Mysteries, the Catholic Church calls them.  Mysteries because we don't know for sure.  For all we know we'll get to the ever after and God'll say, "yep, those Catholics had it right."  Or "Nope, you all got it wrong."

How Catholicism is Helping My Protestantism

Ok, I admit.  That's a clickbait title.  It ought to be How Catholicism is Helping My Christian Walk.

Studying Catholicism has been beneficial to my Protestant walk by reinforcing the truth of the importance of Christ's purpose and work and His reality.  I want to pray more.  I want to read my Bible more.  I want to seek Him more.

Another way is that I have a new view of the importance of Sunday Mass.  While we don't have Mass as Baptists, I have found that I sort of just go to church instead of have a personal and corporate time of worship.  I even struggled with wanting to go to church at all.  It just didn't seem important to me beyond remaining part of the body of believers.  I can do songs, prayers, and sermons at home easily enough.  What was really so special about going to church?  Now, I see its significance more.

I see the spiritual as more...well...spiritual.  Protestantism can be rather...earthy...I guess you could say.  More specifically, the Baptist church is rather earthy.  The AG church was very spirit-driven.  We had tongues, prophecies, and a LOT of prayer and worship.  But, the Baptist church seems much more about the figurative, the here and now, the tangible, the practical.  I've come to not only miss the spiritual, but sort of forget about it.  Studying Catholicism has brought the spiritual back into light for me.

Adoration is another biggie.  Worship, for me, wasn't really worship anymore.  And I don't think I ever really learned how to worship in the sense that it was just like, "yeah, Jesus, thanks!  I believe you're there and you did a good thing for me.  Thanks!  Love ya, man!"  Now, I feel the desire to ADORE Jesus, to really worship Him and meditate on what He has done, what He is doing, who He is!

I am continuing to attend the Baptist church because that is where my husband and young children go, and because it is a good church with good people and good sermons and a good pastor.  But, now I can and want to do more than just warm the pew.

He Unknowingly Encouraged Me

My Pastor in the Baptist church is a wonderful, Godly man.  He is on fire for the Lord and totally in His service.  I mean him absolutely no disrespect in this post or ever on my blog.  I hold him in highest regard.

But, he has perhaps unknowingly encouraged me to seek Catholicism.

In one sermon he mentioned that we Protestants often shun the crucifix because Christ overcame that and is off the cross.  But, he added, that we ought to take a page out of Catholicism and remember His suffering on the cross and why He suffered.

That was a catalyst in my no longer fearing the crucifix.  It was originally presented to me in the Protestant church as something wrong and disrespectful to our Savior.  I have always wanted to hang a crucifix in my home as part of my remembrance and adoration of Christ and His sacrifice, but I felt it was wrong to do so.

In another sermon, he mentioned that he believes the Catholics may have it right, in a way, with confession.  It does a body good to confess and have that accountability.  Us Protestants like to preserve our pride and dignity by just keeping it between us and God.

That was a catalyst in my thinking that perhaps Catholic practices and beliefs aren't too wonky or anti-Biblical.  If he could speak of them positively, perhaps I could research them without fear of offending God.

Just about every communion service, Pastor reminds the congregation that the gluten-free crackers and juice are just symbols and not the Eucharist.  The last communion I attended, he said this and I felt a little put off by it until I realized that yes, the Protestant crackers and juice are indeed symbols.  They cannot be the Eucharist.

That was a catalyst in my researching to understand why the Catholics believe it is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ.  And whether or not it is Biblical or made up.

A Little Bit Angry

So, my kids have big mouths.  It got out in my real life that I am researching Catholicism and of course I get push-back.

Now, I am a little bit angry.

1. Why is it that when I am just "going through the motions" in certain Protestant Churches they are happy.  But, when I earnestly seek the Lord and do research and pray my guts out for His Truth and direction, just because it has taken the Catholic scenic route they are out of their minds about it?  It didn't even get this kind of push-back when I was considering becoming Amish or Mennonite!!  I didn't even receive this kind of push-back when I was practically agnostic and totally backslidden!!  But mention Catholicism and watch out!

2. Why is it that Protestants who convert to Catholicism are very kind towards Protestantism and thank God for that basis that helped paved the way to Catholicism, but Protestants who left the Catholic church are practically rabid in their anti-Catholic ways?  Oh, I had "paganism" spewed at me.  I could barely get a word in edgewise.  Any logical, Biblical, or historical arguments I presented were completely disregarded.  "Well, I just don't believe that."  I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO!!!  JUST FREAKING UNDERSTAND AND LISTEN FOR 2 SECONDS!!

Sometimes I really just want to run away from the ties that bind and finally have my own life.

My Husband's Gift

I didn't expect this.

I finally spoke with my husband about my seeking.  I really thought he would think I was going nuts, trying to upheave the family, trying to convert him, wasting my time....

Instead, he listened carefully, discussed fruitfully, and supported fully.

His words were, "You HAVE to go on this journey.  You just have to."

What a weight off of me!  I have felt encumbered because any Protestant Catholic convert, or Catholic seeker who decided otherwise who went on this journey knows that Protestants don't take too kindly to Catholicism.  To have my husband's support, regardless of what I choose in the end, is so uplifting.

I Envy You

I envy those who have it figured out.  They believe what they believe and do what they do, no questions asked, and they don't have their minds cluttered with questions and research and thoughts that take up so much time and effort.  Their lifestyles are set, based on their beliefs and priorities, and the chips fall where they may elsewhere.

I feel like I'm constantly in a battle, in a warzone, in stress, crunch-time, bearing everyone's burdens, including my own, responsible for more than I ought to be, but if I don't, it'll fall apart.  This is the imbalance of a non-unified home life. Where God isn't central (whether it is God or whatever lifestyle god you worship....I know some really settled and happy and organized people whose lives are based around whatever lifestyle god they "worship" be it minimalism, veganism, hedonism, workaholism...) there is conflict.

I want to pull Christ in, but I feel like something is pushing Him out.  You can "hang out," Christ, but you don't get to live here and make any calls.

I can't do it all, and yet I feel required to.

I can't understand it all, and yet I feel I a responsible to in order to ensure I am on the right path and not offending God or steering my children wrong.

I want to organize my life as a God-central life, but I am just the wife, the mom, the woman.  I can't do it without my husband being fully committed.  And it is stressful and I want to cry.

I'm sick of the clutter, the noise, the crowds, the questions, the debates, the worldliness, the lack of organization, and all the work...so much work.  Housekeeping, finances, appointments, grocery shopping, cooking, errands, public school, homeschool, family business, at-home business, cleaning business, church, lawn care, animal care, heating the house care, childcare!  It's never ending.  It's too much.  It's not enough.  It's lonely.  It's hard.  It's exhausting.  It's never done.  It's never good enough.  It's never fulfilling.  It's never joyful.

If I could orchestrate my life, right now, I would live in a small to mid-size Catholic suburb with a thriving parish, put my kids in Catholic school, and be a stay at home mom with enough money to have what we need, a few little extras, enough for suitable alms, and enough for a small vacation every year.  I'd have my daily rituals, like-minded friends nearby to call on, and a clean, uncluttered house that's airy and full of the Lord's blessings.

Either, Or; Both, And

I was watching The Journey Home the other day and I heard something so profound.  The host was discussing a Calvinist's conversion to Catholicism and comparing Catholic beliefs to Protestant beliefs.  He said that Protestants debate among each other an "Either, Or" theology.  It's either one belief or it is the other.  Either God is Sovereign and chose His elect, OR He has given us all free will.

He explained that in Catholicism it is very much a "Both, And" theology.  God is both Sovereign AND gives us free will.  Christ is both God, AND man.  He calls it a mystery.  The convert was saying how she really wanted to go to Adoration, but felt God stopping her and telling her to stay home with her sick husband.  The host said, it isn't either, or.  It isn't either Adoration or sitting at home with a sick husband.  It is both, and.  She is doing God's work, she is in worship, in adoration at home serving her husband selflessly, and there in her heart at Adoration.

I thought that was beautiful.  I'm sure there are Protestants who believe that, too, but I also see the "either, or" mentality.  The us vs. them.