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Below is apost from another site. I have made my comments as a Latin Catholic personally on the author. I osted this because I'd like to see the forum's views on this essay.

Regards,
ruel

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The Greatest Error of Protestantism

Introduction
This essay is written from the worldview (perspective, paradigm) of an
Orthodox Christian, by a person studying Orthodox to understand what they
believe and how they view other Christians who are not Orthodox. This essay is
open for correction by others who know better than I do. (RCD)

The Greatest Error of Protestantism is a denial of the clear teaching of
Scripture. Jesus taught in John 16:13 "He (The Spirit of Truth or the Holy
Spirit)will guide you into all the truth..." Jesus first spoke these words to
his disciples who would latter be the Apostles. They were concerned because
Jesus told them of His departure from this world. They wondered who would lead
them when Jesus was gone? Who would instruct them in the way they should go?
For three years Jesus taught and guided them. So Jesus comforts his disciples
by promising to them that he would not leave them orphans, but he would send
the Spirit of truth (John 14:18). For Jesus would send them another comforter,
the Holy Spirit, who would guide them into ALL the truth(John 16:13).

How would the Holy Spirit guide the Church into all the truth?

First of all, the Spirit of Truth would guided the New Testament writers to
prepared the new written revelation that would take its place along side the
Old Testament scriptures. The Holy Spirit will remind the disciples the
teaching of Jesus for the Gospels (14:26), interpret the gospel for the present
writing of the Acts and Epistles(14:26; 15:26) and the things to come (Rev.
1:19).

Second, Jesus teaches clearly in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will guide
YOU into all the truth. The word "You" in Greek is not singular but plural.
This is important because it was not just one Apostle, like the Apostle Peter,
but all the Apostles would be led into all the truth. The entire church would
be led by the Holy Spirit into all the truth.

This is the first error of the Protestants. And this error can be traced all
the way back to the first Protestants, the Roman Catholics. They are the first
to deny this central teaching of the scripture and the children of the Roman
Catholics, the Protestants, follow the same errors to this day. The Roman
Catholics wanted the church to read this verse with a singular "you" rather
than a plural "you". The Pope in Rome promoted this teaching and he wanted all
churches to believe that only He alone was guided by the Holy Spirit into all
the truth. And even today the most recent Catechism of the Roman Catholics
teaches that the Pope infallible in virtue of His office. The bishops are
infallible only, if they agree with the Roman Pontiff.

The Protestants basically make the word "you" apply to every person who reads
the Bible. Protestants makes every person a pope through the doctrine of Sola
Scriptura. This happens every time when a person's interpretation of the Bible
takes precedence over the entire church's understanding of the Bible.

Every person among the Protestants is also a pope in recognizing which books
belong in the Bible. Martin Luther questioned whether James or Revelation
should be excluded from the Bible. And today modern Protestants want to add
the gospels of Thomas or other Gnostic Gospels to the Bible. This is another
reason why this verse( John 16:13) must apply to the entire church. The New
Testament writers wrote the scripture but they gave no list of the books of the
Bible. Who would infallibly recognize which books belong in the scripture? It
was the church, who remembered the Apostles oral preaching, held fast to the
written gospels and rejected the false gospels in the Apostle's name. Only the
Holy Spirit would guide them into ALL the truth.
Historically, it might take some time to lead all the church into all the
truth, but it is clear the ecumenical councils are ecumenical because the
entire church receive these councils through the enlightenment of the Holy
Spirit. They receive these councils because they recognize the Holy Spirit
guided the entire church into ALL the truth. The Nicene Creed, which was
written at these councils, proclaims the truth which the entire church believed.

The only way the church could change the Nicene Creed would be if the entire
church was moved to change it. And yet, it was the first Protestants who
change the creed without the rest of the church. This change caused a split
and the Roman Church was born in error because they reject the teaching of
Scripture that the entire church would be lead into all the truth and not just
one individual. They took it upon themselves to change how the church should
determine dogma and changed the Nicene Creed. This change has inspired the
children of the Roman Catholics, the Protestants, to change the faith whenever
they disagree with the church. Thus, today some Protestant churches encourages
gay marriages, fornication and host of other sins like abortion, etc.

This is the essence of Protestantism, a denial that the Holy Spirit has lead
the church into all the truth. The True Church calls for all "churches" and
Christians to return to the teaching of scripture and return to the Holy
Orthodox Church by submitting to the seven ecumenical Councils in doctrine and
polity. It is the only way of health for the church and her Salvation. Come
to the narrow way that leads to life.

In the Old Testament, the people of God kept genealogical records to remember
the faithfulness of God. God promised to be God to them and to their children.
God promised the Old Testament People of God that he would lead them into the
truth. Those who believed remembered what their fore father's believed, by
keeping genealogical records of those who passed down the faith to them. Mere
fleshly genealogical records were not enough. This is seen in the case of
Isaac and Ishmael. Both were physical descendants of Abraham, but only Isaac
believed, Ishmael did not continue in the faith. Thus, Isaac is remember in
the genealogical record concerning the faith, Ishmael is not.

The New Testament people of God are also to remember those who taught them the
faith, by keeping genealogical records of faith. The Apostle Paul writes,
"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word
of God: whose faith follow" ( Heb:13:7) "Hold fast the form of sound words,
which thou hast heard of me ..." (2 Tm:1:13)

This faith is to be passed down to other faithful men who will kept the same
faith, who will teach other faithful men.
The Apostle taught, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach
others also." (2 Tim 2:2) Thus, the faith is to be a chain which links one man
to another all the way back to the Apostles.

If a church, can not show their genealogical succession of faithful men
passing down the faith from one generation to the next, then we should not
doubt the claim of the church as being Apostolic? For how can we know what
they believed is truly what the Apostles believed? For no one can show the
faith they hold has been passed down faithfully through a record of the pastors
of their church.

Furthermore, if the church can not show their faith has been passed down by
faithful men back to the Apostles, is this not a denial of the teaching of John
16:13? That the Holy Spirit will lead the entire church, from the time of the
Apostles, to the present day, into all the Truth.

Only the Orthodox church can show through Apostolic succession the faith which
Apostles held is the same faith today, for we believe the church has, and will
be lead into all the truth. We believe the teaching of Jesus, especially John
16:13. Come and join the Orthodox church who has been led into all the truth.

How's that for a good old fashioned Orthodox proselytism? Oh they're soo good at it! Maybe we can learn from them to win back our Catholics to our Church. Hahahah. Eeehhh disgusting!

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Dear SPDundas,

For what it is worth, my brother, I agree with you, and I am Orthodox!!!

The ONLY part of my Orthodox faith that bugs me to no end, is the prosletyzing of *some* clergy and laity to the Roman Catholics, our SISTER church, no less;...AND the triumphalism behind it. UGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

Not to be judgemental, and may God forgive me, but I think that they will have something to answer for on this matter, at the awesome judgement seat.

In Christ,
Alice

Well, there is Catholic triumphalism and Orthodox triumphalism and the fact is that the people in the parishes of either Churches do not interest themselves in all of this infighting. They just live their Christian lives. Really, I have only seen this attitude from some "online" Orthodox and Catholics (the Superpapal group) It doesn't tell the real story of relations between the Churches.

It is disturbing to read Orthodox articles equalizing Roman Catholicism with Protestantism. Those views are often too simplistic and general (like that phrase from St Mark of Ephesus). I would say that Roman Catholicism, even if now the external aspects of Roman Catholic worship are Protstant-like, is definately closer to Orthodoxy than to Protestantism.

Orthodox writers are often too soft in their treatment of Protestantism, I would think this is a matter of politeness, since the Anglicans helped them to establish the Church in the USA. In the case of the convert ones they kept their Evangelical anti-papism with them.

However, I do find interesting some of the articles regarding the scripture. If the Popes claimed infalibility and approved so many innovations by themselves without Ecumenical Councils, Martin Luther and his friends were super-popes who without being anything, decided to change and reform everything, destroying the esence of the Christian religion. At least the Lutherna s and some Anglicans got more moderated, but the Evangelicals or Pentecostals, to me, are not better than the Muslims.

Though I have known many fine Protestants, whose faith in Jesus Christ puts many Catholic and Orthodox believers to shame, I still must condemn the profound errors (some Lutherans and Anglicans excluded) that the overwhelming majority hold to. There greatest errors are the belief that Baptism and Holy Communion are merely symbolic outward signs. Sadly in much of Protestant theology,mere human reason takes precedent over Faith.

The errors of John Calvin have done much to damage Christianity. His heresies passed into Protestantism and cut off countless souls from the awesome Mystery of the Eucharist. What a tragedy.

Dear Brian:

Your point about the masses not joining in the infighting is right on!

Last week at a "town hall" type meeting with His Beatitiude Patriarch Lubomyr, a parishioner asked about the UGCC's relationships with the big-o Orthodox churches.

His Beatitude responded by drawing a distinction between "official" and "unofficial" relations.

Draw you own conlcusion.

Yours,

kl

Dear Friends,

I have met Protestants who have delved into the "catholic" heritage of their respective traditions and have come up with theologies and faith commitments that are quite similar to that of the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

There are Protestant monasteries and one Protestant Carmelite I know of (and I'm not talking Anglo-Catholic or High Church Lutheran).

In fact, much of what we decry in Protestantism isn't really classical "Protestant" at all, but a later development by radicals that jettisioned even their own Protestant traditions.

The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a case in point.

There are Protestants who are members there and who have studied their historic traditions to come to the conclusion that devotion to the Mother of God is allowed and even encouraged within them.

Whenever I meet Protestants who are against this or that in Catholicism or Orthodoxy, I try to direct their attention to their own Protestant sources that show that their forefathers actually did pray the rosary et al.

Alex

Alex,

I can't agree with your assessment of Protestant theology, regardless of individuals' convictions. It isn't just with the conclusions that we disagree, but in the process. If you are able, somehow, to use their process to come up with one or two conclusions with which we may agree, you will find they will quickly twist that belief into something we no longer recognize.

For the differences in that process I would suggest reading (or re-reading) Pelikan's "The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development Doctrine: Christian Doctrine and Modern Culture Since 1700".

I think that there are many on both the Catholic and Orthodox side of the equation who engage in misguided prosletyzing. I believe it to be wrong on both sides. Sometimes I wonder if it goes back to the rather hackneyed, but often correct, observation that we often hurt those closest to us.

I don't sweat the details too much - I'm just a regular person trying to follow Christ. There are very big and profound mysteries of the faith that interest me much more than points of disagreement - mysteries that Catholics and Orthodox Christians agree upon and that I wish my Protestant friends were more open to recognizing. I mean, just imagine just try to imagine Catholicism and Orthodoxy would be without belief in the true Presence of Christ in Communion.

Frankly, I expect our respective church leaders to treat each other like brothers in Christ and to embrace each other in peace and love because it is in the best interest of all Christians that they do so. Leaders must lead by example. Christ sat with His disciples and broke bread - He didn't hurl missives at them and He was certainly capable of that - so I figure that we who follow Him should try to act like him in the most basic of ways. Bishops, popes and patriarchs should behave in imitation of Him and embrace each other as followers of Christ.

I admit my world view may be a little simplistic; but that is simply how I see it.

Pax et bonum.

Annie

Dear Cizinec,

Actually, I'm not saying that all Protestants are like the ones I've come to know and love.

Not all Catholics are like that either!

There are Protestants who are very reasonable (which means they will agree with people like me and you! ).

I know it is possible for a Protestant to be very "catholic" in perspective.

John Wesley was just such a one. He not only read and honoured the Eastern Fathers, the rules of prayer and fasting et al. within his tradition and according to the lights that God blessed him with, he also asked Catholics to forgive Protestants for their iconoclasm et al (as at Walsingham).

There are many Protestant denominations as you know. There is today a Presbyterian monastic community on Iona that is very inviting and ecumenical.

I also know Presbyterian ministers who invoke the saints, including a number of Protestant servants of God.

These are the Protestants I want to be friends with.

I've learned a lot from them and they have taken on Byzantine elements from me.

If that is wrong, then I don't want to be right!

Alex

Obviously, Orthodox Christianity find Western Christianity to be imperfect and to be lacking the fullness of what Christ taught. Nevertheless, the original post is hardly a major viewpoint within Orthodoxy. Most of us have deep respect for Western Christians.

Axios

But why this? Does this mean our cultural practices are better than theirs? Are we better because we are Greek tradition? Is the Latin tradition not autenticaly Christian? Would they need to become Byzantine to e authenticaly Christian?

By "Western Christianity" I understand Roman Catholiics, since a term which joins RC with Protestants is very unspecific, given the radical differences that exist between both Prots and Latins.

I agree about the doctrinal issues, Western Catholicism has departed from Church teaching in some things, but I do think that the Latin tradition (including the traditions regarding infant communion, communion by bread only, unleavened bread...) can be as Christian and Orthodox as ours.

Dear Snoopers,

You are a very nice Orthodox Christian!

You should post here more often!

I hope what you wrote doesn't get you into trouble with anyone in the Orthodox world!

Alex