Bible Discussions with a Protestant Friend

[Michie]

I recently discovered an anti-Catholic tract on the windshield of my Silverado. The tract stated that the Eucharist, Penance, Baptism, and performing works “of the law” cannot save me, because the Bible says that we are saved by faith alone. The tract also said, “But can you never sin again?,” which made absolutely no sense whatsoever to me. Needless to say, I was very disturbed by these lies, all being said out of ignorance of what the Catholic Church actually teaches and what the Bible really says and truly means. Luckily for me, the text included an e-mail address to which I politely wrote, asking if these matters could be discussed in person. Finally, after a week or two, a man named Fred replied. We have been meeting at a local diner once a month. As it turns out, Fred is a very nice man. We have had some rather frank, yet friendly, discussions about his attack on my faith. He obviously thinks he is “saving” me from Catholicism.

My Initial Rebuttal​

I told him that the Bible never says that we are saved by “faith alone.” I said that Martin Luther added the word “alone” to Romans 3:28 to make the verse erroneously say that “we are justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law.” In fact, James 2:24 says that we are not justified by faith alone, but by faith AND works. I told him that the Eucharist, according to the Bible, is the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. He replied that, no, they are “symbols” of his flesh and blood. “There you go again,” I said, “adding words to scripture like Luther.” The word “symbol” is nowhere to be found in John 6:48-58, which says that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. Then I told him that his question to Catholics, “But can you never sin again?,” was a huge straw man that he knocked down., No Catholic believes in a sinless future, which is why we have the sacrament of Confession from John 20:21-23 and James 5:16. St. Paul even says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that he has the ministry of Reconciliation (Confession). Fred seemed somewhat in disbelief of my assertions, but then he did say that he may have to rewrite his little windshield card.

Further Discussions​

Continued below.

Bible Discussions with a Protestant Friend - Catholic Stand

Discussions with a friend highlight the stark differences between Catholics and Protestants in Bible comprehension.

catholicstand.com

 

[AlexB23]

I recently discovered an anti-Catholic tract on the windshield of my Silverado. The tract stated that the Eucharist, Penance, Baptism, and performing works “of the law” cannot save me, because the Bible says that we are saved by faith alone. The tract also said, “But can you never sin again?,” which made absolutely no sense whatsoever to me. Needless to say, I was very disturbed by these lies, all being said out of ignorance of what the Catholic Church actually teaches and what the Bible really says and truly means. Luckily for me, the text included an e-mail address to which I politely wrote, asking if these matters could be discussed in person. Finally, after a week or two, a man named Fred replied. We have been meeting at a local diner once a month. As it turns out, Fred is a very nice man. We have had some rather frank, yet friendly, discussions about his attack on my faith. He obviously thinks he is “saving” me from Catholicism.

My Initial Rebuttal​

I told him that the Bible never says that we are saved by “faith alone.” I said that Martin Luther added the word “alone” to Romans 3:28 to make the verse erroneously say that “we are justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law.” In fact, James 2:24 says that we are not justified by faith alone, but by faith AND works. I told him that the Eucharist, according to the Bible, is the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. He replied that, no, they are “symbols” of his flesh and blood. “There you go again,” I said, “adding words to scripture like Luther.” The word “symbol” is nowhere to be found in John 6:48-58, which says that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. Then I told him that his question to Catholics, “But can you never sin again?,” was a huge straw man that he knocked down., No Catholic believes in a sinless future, which is why we have the sacrament of Confession from John 20:21-23 and James 5:16. St. Paul even says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that he has the ministry of Reconciliation (Confession). Fred seemed somewhat in disbelief of my assertions, but then he did say that he may have to rewrite his little windshield card.

Further Discussions​

Continued below.

Bible Discussions with a Protestant Friend - Catholic Stand

Discussions with a friend highlight the stark differences between Catholics and Protestants in Bible comprehension.

catholicstand.com

Interesting stuff. I am a Catholic, and used to be a Protestant by the way.


Here is the article, summarized in a concise format:

The article by Ray Sullivan, titled "An Anti-Catholic Tract and a Local Diner: A Series of Discussions on Faith and the Bible," recounts Sullivan's encounter with a man named Fred who left an anti-Catholic tract on his pickup truck's windshield. The tract contained statements that the Catholic teachings on the Eucharist, Penance, Baptism, and good works were not necessary for salvation, which Sullivan believed to be inaccurate.

Sullivan writes that he replied to the email address provided on the tract and engaged in a series of discussions with Fred at a local diner. Their conversations revolved around the interpretation of biblical passages regarding faith, works, and the Eucharist.

In their initial exchange, Sullivan argued that Catholic teachings were not in opposition to biblical truths. He emphasized that the Bible does not state that we are saved by "faith alone," but rather by faith and works, as James 2:24 states. Sullivan also argued that the Eucharist is the actual flesh and blood of Christ, as per John 6:48-58, not just symbols. He also refuted Fred's question about whether Catholics believe they can never sin again by explaining that the sacrament of Confession is a means of seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.

As their discussions deepened, Sullivan noted the stark difference in their approaches to understanding scripture. He observed that Catholics believe in the supernatural content of scripture, while Protestants focus on an intellectual interpretation. Sullivan also noted that Fred's assertions were based on a limited understanding of certain biblical passages and encouraged him to read the Bible through a supernatural lens.