Since you were a Protestant who then converted to Catholicism, what are some misconceptions that cradle Catholics seem to have about Protestantism? Asking out of curiosity.

patron-saint-of-smart-asses:

Ooooh this is a very interesting question! Before I answer, I want to mention that I was raised mostly Southern Baptist at a church that slowly became something of a mega church as I got older – no where near Joel Olsteen levels, but it grew into that vibe lol. But it definitely is getting there if not there now today.

I also want to note that Protestantism is very, very broad: each denomination is different with its own theological traditions and history, so I am not speaking for all the different branches, only on the theology I was taught growing up.

My husband and his family – and most members of my own family – are Protestant as well, so it is still a background I am more or less familiar with just by association (plus some good friends here are Protestant of all kinds here as well and I see their stuff on my dash lol).

But yes. Here are some of the points I would like to impart onto my Catholic brethren, when they consider Protestantism:

1. No, believing that Genesis is historical is not being hyper-literal, and even non-creationist Protestants who are Sola Scriptura understand perfectly that the Bible is to be read according to its literary context. Protestants may have their misconceptions about the Bible but they are not ignorant on the topic either. They know perfectly well that some books of the Bible are poetry, or letters, or books of law, etc. Patronizing them on biblical theology and assuming what they believe based on origin theories or other practices helps no one. Taking the Bible “literally” for a Protestant can very well mean that they take each book literally as it is in its context to genre, historical period when written, and its relation to other books.
2. Protestants rely on tradition too, even if some individuals deny it because “tradition is man-made and therefor not of God!”. Each denomination has its own history, and with that, its own set of traditions that relate to their history and how they worship God. Belittling all of this to mere “angry protests” against a previous theology is too simplistic for many Protestant churches, even the “low churches”. Ask them genuine questions about the history of their church, how far back their faith history began, etc. Ask them what their statement of faith is, and why it is the way it is. It will help them think more about the context of their church/denomination, and also help clear misconceptions you have about their faith.
3. I mentioned this previous, but: Protestantism is not a monolith. Each denomination is different, and while some churches are related in the sense that they have similar theology, what one Protestant believes can be drastically different from another Protestant (not in terms of basic theology about God, but you get my point).
4. Martin Luther had his good points as well as his bad ones. I am not going to pretend that I stan this dude (y’all know I can’t stand him lol), but Protestants who look up to his work have their reasons for studying his theology. Ask them about it! In fact, do this with any Protestant theologian they reference. Get them to think about and discuss who they refer to for theology, so that you can better answer their own questions about Catholicism in ways that they understand, should the conversation go that way.

This is all I can think of right now. I may ask my husband if there is anything he would add and reblog it with his own points. Protestant followers are encouraged to share their own points as well.