You know what really grinds my gears?

You know what really grinds my gears? :-/

The other day I overheard a conversation during which some of my Catholic friends were speaking particularly brutally about non-Catholics and the non-Catholic churches. There was little gentleness, respect or love. There were a few cheap shots and some statements that were just plain wrong. Ironically, what I heard was reminiscent of some of the anti-Catholic tirades I’ve heard in the past…

I spent several years in Protestant circles and was greatly blessed there. During that time my love for Scripture was nurtured and I was surrounded by many, many inspiring people who lived out lives of deep prayer and courageous virtue. For this I will forever be grateful.

Ultimately, I found certain issues within Protestantism to be troublesome and some fundamental questions which Protestantism itself is unable to answer. This is why I’m Catholic. Even on this blog, I occasionally post entries in which I critique some of my former Protestant positions. However, I do hope that I always do this with respect, gentleness and love.

I still have a great affection for our separated brothers and sisters in Christ. Virtually every conversion story that I’ve heard of those who left Protestantism for the Catholic Church have expressed similar sentiments. Although they ultimately came into conflict with Protestant doctrines, they speak very warmly of their former denominations and express gratitude for the Christian witness they received there.

So, when speaking about non-Catholics and non-Catholic churches, please do so with charity. Otherwise, I may have to shout at you for a while…with respect, gentleness and love, of course 😀

2 comments

  • I couldn’t agree more from my side of the fence. Recently I’ve been exploring Catholicism vs Protestantism and while I’m still holding firm to my protestant views, I must confess the bias that I used to hold against Catholicism. I’m glad to say that now I have a Catholic friend and am happy for you to share your views with me as I with you. Even though our views differ, I believe that we should still conduct ourselves with forbearance to one another, exemplifying Christ in that manner rather than trying just trying to win the argument. We are all fallen and are limited in our understanding of things, I grown a lot more in my Christian faith through learning more about the Catholic views and I consider it a blessing from God.

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