The problem is a sort of a dysfunctional vision where Protestants look at their rafts and dingys and see the QE2. And what it worse, when you try to give them some good pennicilium apologeticum to cure their terrible vision disease, they not only refuse to consider the medicine, they accuse you of trying to poison them!!
Yeah, as a Protestant I was convinced that the Catholic Church was just another raft, or that we all were in boats of different sizes. Though some Protestants seemed to think the Catholic Church was a kind of ghost ship. But, as I got closer I realized that this was just because we were all looking at the ship through a thick fog. Gradually I realized that it only looked dark and scary because the fog made it look that way. Like an ominous shadow. But once I got close enough to peek on board, and I got used to the fact that people on the boat act a bit different from the people on my raft, I realized how solidly constructed and beautiful the ship was. And I started to wonder how we got by so long in those rickety little rafts.
I guess the materials they got from the ship were pretty solid, and perhaps the ship was pulling in its wake those rafts which hadn’t strayed too far.
jim February 18, 2009
does it really matter if you are a Catholic or a Protestant? it doesnt matter because Jesus himself said that “anyone who is not against us is for us”. Protestant are Christians just like us. It only differs in some other ways.
STEVE RAY HERE: OH, IT MATTERS GREATLY. LOOK AT WHAT PROTESTANT MEANS! IT DERIVES FROM THE WORD “TO PROTEST”. YOU MUST ASK “TO PROTEST WHAT?” TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ONE CHURCH THAT JESUS STARTED. JESUS SAID, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” — NOT “MY CHURCHES.” IF WE LOVE JESUS WE WILL LOVE WHAT HE LOVES — HIS ONE CHURCH.
WE DO NOT SAY THAT PROTESTANTS WHO NAME THE NAME OF JESUS ARE NOT CHRISTIANS — ONLY THAT THEY HAVE LEFT THE FULNESS OF THE FAITH.
Anil Wang January 11, 2011
I think the Protestant version of that story would be a bit different. There are many stories to be precise.
(1) (Eastern Orthodox version) We were never meant to be one boat. Like the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Marie of Columbus, we were supposed to be several boats that worked together. One boat decided to go its own way.
(2) (the NT Wright version shared by many Anglicans), The ship departed okay but started picking up stuff from the bottom of the ocean and replacing the good original food and shower water with whatever was found in the ocean, edible or not. The ship became so crammed with irrelevancies that it might sink, and the only way to actually over around and live would be to pick the biggest raft out there, take as many treasures as possible, jump on the ship, and follow the main ship.
(3) (Mainline protestant version) The ship departed okay but somewhere on the way, pirates invaded the ship, changed course, and broad a lot of their customs and made them the norm on the ship of slaves. Protestants fled the ship to have some hope of reaching the land. Maybe someday the slaves on the ship will retake the boat, but for now, the rafts are all we have.
(4) (Fundamentalist Baptist version) The ship was co-opted from the very beginning by pirates (see all the references in the Bible to the heresies of the Galatians, Collosians, etc), but a small remnant was able to build a small ship and follow the main ship across. About half way through, they freed many of the prisoners and use rafts to get them out.
Bill912 October 29, 2011
“There are many stories to be precise.”
Yeah. Over 30,000.
Linda March 25, 2012
Sorry Stephen, but my journey has taken me to a different (in my opinion, better) boat and I would never think of going back to the big boat again. Jesus is my captain… and besides, there will be none of these silly divisions in Heaven. Only those who love God. May God continue to lead you in your journey.
STEVE RAY HERE: Thanks for your uremic tone. Of course there will be no divisions in heaven because we won’t be on ships or rafts. When arriving at the the destination the travelers don’t remain on the vessels. Many like to claim Jesus is their shepherd and forget that Jesus left shepherds to represent him. Too many have actually made themselves captains of their own rafts. May God bring you back to his one, holy, Catholic and apostolic ship.
Edward Bartlett April 29, 2012
It is the Council of Trent that anathemetizes Protestants over 30 times for professing ‘justification by faith alone’. The Tridentine Council likely would have agreed had it not been for numerous members being involved in war.
Edward Bartlett April 29, 2012 at 11:21 PM
It is the Council of Trent that anathemetizes Protestants over 30 times for professing ‘justification by faith alone’. The Tridentine Council likely would have agreed had it not been for numerous members being involved in war.
That’s because “justification by faith alone” is a new Gospel. See Gal 1:8
Linda
Sorry Stephen, but my journey has taken me to a different (in my opinion, better) boat and I would never think of going back to the big boat again. Jesus is my captain… and besides, there will be none of these silly divisions in Heaven. Only those who love God. May God continue to lead you in your journey.
You are right about that. But don’t you want to walk with the Saints today? You can only do that if you submit to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Otherwise, you will have to await the judgement to see if your works are judged worthy of admittance into heaven (Titus 3:5; Heb 12: 21-24; Rev 22:12-15).
This Post Has 9 Comments
Excellent!
Brother Steve —
The problem is a sort of a dysfunctional vision where Protestants look at their rafts and dingys and see the QE2. And what it worse, when you try to give them some good pennicilium apologeticum to cure their terrible vision disease, they not only refuse to consider the medicine, they accuse you of trying to poison them!!
That was great.
Where does Stephen get all his energy?
Yeah, as a Protestant I was convinced that the Catholic Church was just another raft, or that we all were in boats of different sizes. Though some Protestants seemed to think the Catholic Church was a kind of ghost ship. But, as I got closer I realized that this was just because we were all looking at the ship through a thick fog. Gradually I realized that it only looked dark and scary because the fog made it look that way. Like an ominous shadow. But once I got close enough to peek on board, and I got used to the fact that people on the boat act a bit different from the people on my raft, I realized how solidly constructed and beautiful the ship was. And I started to wonder how we got by so long in those rickety little rafts.
I guess the materials they got from the ship were pretty solid, and perhaps the ship was pulling in its wake those rafts which hadn’t strayed too far.
does it really matter if you are a Catholic or a Protestant? it doesnt matter because Jesus himself said that “anyone who is not against us is for us”. Protestant are Christians just like us. It only differs in some other ways.
STEVE RAY HERE: OH, IT MATTERS GREATLY. LOOK AT WHAT PROTESTANT MEANS! IT DERIVES FROM THE WORD “TO PROTEST”. YOU MUST ASK “TO PROTEST WHAT?” TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ONE CHURCH THAT JESUS STARTED. JESUS SAID, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” — NOT “MY CHURCHES.” IF WE LOVE JESUS WE WILL LOVE WHAT HE LOVES — HIS ONE CHURCH.
WE DO NOT SAY THAT PROTESTANTS WHO NAME THE NAME OF JESUS ARE NOT CHRISTIANS — ONLY THAT THEY HAVE LEFT THE FULNESS OF THE FAITH.
I think the Protestant version of that story would be a bit different. There are many stories to be precise.
(1) (Eastern Orthodox version) We were never meant to be one boat. Like the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Marie of Columbus, we were supposed to be several boats that worked together. One boat decided to go its own way.
(2) (the NT Wright version shared by many Anglicans), The ship departed okay but started picking up stuff from the bottom of the ocean and replacing the good original food and shower water with whatever was found in the ocean, edible or not. The ship became so crammed with irrelevancies that it might sink, and the only way to actually over around and live would be to pick the biggest raft out there, take as many treasures as possible, jump on the ship, and follow the main ship.
(3) (Mainline protestant version) The ship departed okay but somewhere on the way, pirates invaded the ship, changed course, and broad a lot of their customs and made them the norm on the ship of slaves. Protestants fled the ship to have some hope of reaching the land. Maybe someday the slaves on the ship will retake the boat, but for now, the rafts are all we have.
(4) (Fundamentalist Baptist version) The ship was co-opted from the very beginning by pirates (see all the references in the Bible to the heresies of the Galatians, Collosians, etc), but a small remnant was able to build a small ship and follow the main ship across. About half way through, they freed many of the prisoners and use rafts to get them out.
“There are many stories to be precise.”
Yeah. Over 30,000.
Sorry Stephen, but my journey has taken me to a different (in my opinion, better) boat and I would never think of going back to the big boat again. Jesus is my captain… and besides, there will be none of these silly divisions in Heaven. Only those who love God. May God continue to lead you in your journey.
STEVE RAY HERE: Thanks for your uremic tone. Of course there will be no divisions in heaven because we won’t be on ships or rafts. When arriving at the the destination the travelers don’t remain on the vessels. Many like to claim Jesus is their shepherd and forget that Jesus left shepherds to represent him. Too many have actually made themselves captains of their own rafts. May God bring you back to his one, holy, Catholic and apostolic ship.
It is the Council of Trent that anathemetizes Protestants over 30 times for professing ‘justification by faith alone’. The Tridentine Council likely would have agreed had it not been for numerous members being involved in war.
Edward Bartlett April 29, 2012 at 11:21 PM
It is the Council of Trent that anathemetizes Protestants over 30 times for professing ‘justification by faith alone’. The Tridentine Council likely would have agreed had it not been for numerous members being involved in war.
That’s because “justification by faith alone” is a new Gospel. See Gal 1:8
Linda
Sorry Stephen, but my journey has taken me to a different (in my opinion, better) boat and I would never think of going back to the big boat again. Jesus is my captain… and besides, there will be none of these silly divisions in Heaven. Only those who love God. May God continue to lead you in your journey.
You are right about that. But don’t you want to walk with the Saints today? You can only do that if you submit to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Otherwise, you will have to await the judgement to see if your works are judged worthy of admittance into heaven (Titus 3:5; Heb 12: 21-24; Rev 22:12-15).
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