As a Protestant, do you feel your religion is exonerated from the stigma that

[Mick v4.0]

follows the Catholic Church? The Catholic Church has a horrifically bloody and self-serving history, and all done in the name of Christ.

I see a lot of people on here in severe denial about the documented history of their religion, Christianity.

Do you, as a Protestant, feel that your religion is entirely separate from all that bloodshed? Even though all Protestant denominations can be traced back to Catholicism?

And whether you feel separate or not, do you think it's okay for Christianity (or just Catholicism, depending on your viewpoint) to just blissfully pretend that none of those things ever happened?
To the first answer: I think what you meant to say was "killing of millions of believers by other believers." Atheism kills noone. (Communism did, but Communism is not synonymous with atheism.)

[HenryIX]

The Church has a bloody history and no one is in denial of that.
I don't feel ashamed, if you look at history it's filled with blood.
Israel has a bloody history and so has America.

[Randy G]

Why is it politically correct now-a-days to blame people now living for the crimes of past centuries? Do you, apparently a white guy living in the United States, feel personally responsible for the fact that the early Americans practiced slavery, or mistreated the Indians & stole their land? Are you going to give your house back to the Indians and move to Europe?

Acknowledgment is one thing, but should we apologize for things done by other people long dead who were obviously violating the very principles taught by Jesus?

But to directly address your question, Catholics keep telling us that Protestantism is not a legitimate branch of Christianity because we do not have "Apostolic secession".

This seems to imply, among other things, that we are disconnected from the leadership of the Roman Catholic church. Following that logic, I suppose that we cannot be held responsible for the Catholic church's "bloody" misdeeds, since even the Catholic leadership acknowledges that we have nothing to do with the official leadership of the Catholic church, now or ever.

So, I, as a Protestant, do not feel responsible for the Inquisition, or the Crusades, or anything else that happened before I was born, thank you.

[Neptune2bsure]

Catholics are do not have the stronghold on christianity, they are known as catholics like you are known of the protestant faith therefore you are protestant, and the religion is called Roman Catholic...

Do you think that they faught amongst themselves how did the Protestant religion arise, out of all the bloodshed, they were fighting just as hard against the catholics for what they believed to be the Holy Word...loosing the meaning of christianity in its entirety.

To suggest that protestants should feal exonerated they first must have been charged about something, if you feel you are a better person because you feel you made a better choice of religion you are only being self-righteous, and there is a whole parable I could tell you about that Jesus taught on that subject...pray for them I am not a catholic I am a christian, meaning I study and learn and grow in the Word...Jesus...He is the teacher listen to Him, and check out what He says about men parading in front of congragations talking about His works but teaching a different doctrine it will amaze you...I only trust what Jesus said...therfore I follow Christ Peace

[MrgLvWsdm]

Wow, such ignorance. The 20th Century is the age of the murdering of millions of believers (of all sorts) by militant atheism. We notice you don't take a side but intimate (probably falsely) that you are a Protestant.

You are just a common garden variety hater. Boring but mean.

[Dane]

Protestantism is catholic lite. The protestants managed to butcher nearly as many as the catholics, most of the butchered were catholics the majority of the rest were the aborgines in North America. Lets not forget the various witches and other undesirables burned, hung and quartered.
All in the name of their one true god of course.
That was expected from an uneducated rabble that were suddenly empowered to interpret god's word without a filter.

[rhoho102]

The scriptures tell us that the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons. We are responsible for repenting and asking for forgiveness of the things the Catholic church did because they are our "father." It's not okay to just pretend it didn't happen. We are not separated from it because we are ambassadors of Christ and they did it *shudder* in His name.

What the Catholic church was in the name of greed, pride, and power, which in NO WAY reflects what Christ taught.

I do have to say this, though. Did you know that since Jesus ascended to Heaven, there have been over 69 million Christians martyred for their faith? When have we asked for an apology for it?

[Hopeful]

How come blood shed so long ago, has to be paid for at today's prices? Realistically anyone who does not accept the catholic church is considered a protestant. Being as though the lineage is the way it is, EVERY single person in this world has some piece of accountability that someone could assign them. Which piece or part would suggest people take or should they not take any piece at all?

[peaceisjustice2]

"The Catholic Church has a horrifically bloody and self-serving history, and all done in the name of Christ". . . . . . and protestants don't? Most of the wars of reformation were protestant against protestant. Witch burnings in Europe history shows Martin Luther killed far more people in witch trials then the Catholic Church ever did in the inquistion.

English Reformation all the beheadings and disembowelings were done after the break off.

US witch Trials, all Protestant.

Bible burning, protestants burned far more of what was not their particular groups translation. Luther and Henry VIII burned Wycliffs and Tyndales, and Wycliff himself.

Luther's writings to about the "Jewish Question" became the basis of the Nazi Parties Jewish extermination policy.

History records and documents all of this.

I acknowledge remorsefully all the wrong my Church has done throughout history. Seems as if you don't and are the one who wants to blissful pretend it didn't happen.

EDIT:How about Mao?

[manoman]

I'm appalled that Catholicism has not sufficiently repented of none of it's errors

murders rapes and plunders... they are not included with Christianity because Christianity has only One Head it's Church
"CHRIST" (Eph 1.21-23; Col 1.24)

THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST do not see ties with non believers we are to love them and show them the error of their ways but for some reason people would rather follow MAN rather than Christ (Rm 1.25)