Let’s Go

I’m Catholic, but this blog is about bringing all Christian churches together. If that rubs you the wrong way, I get it—accepting different denominations isn’t easy.

Growing up in New England, I was taught to side-eye anything that wasn’t Catholic. Then I moved south for college, where Catholics are a rare breed and, frankly, seen as "weird." Later, during my time with a Protestant church, I learned that many Protestants view Catholics with suspicion—especially over our devotion to Mary.

Even with today’s tech and interconnectedness, we still can’t seem to understand each other’s paths to Christ. In fact, we’re arguably more confused now than in Martin Luther’s day (P.S. I give Marty credit for calling BS on some of the Catholic follies of the time).

But…. have Protestants ever considered that that Marty may have thrown the baby out with the bathwater (as the kids say)? Again, I see the gripes he and his fellow protestors had with the Church of the 1500s, but maybe we could have taken the wrench out and tweaked things a bit rather than completely separating the Church. As someone who struggles with the Catholic Church's complexities and the Protestant Church’s simplicity, I try to approach these issues respectfully—though, I will be honest, I’m gonna do it with some panache.

Here’s the truth: Baptists are far better at evangelizing those seeking the Lord than Catholics. Somewhere along the way, Catholics decided to start the conversation on paragraph 1033 of the Catechism, diving into topics like mortal sin and people descending to hell. Newsflash: that’s not exactly how you lead someone to Christ. You have to meet people where they are, and Protestants, specifically Baptists in my experience, are pros at that. They start with the basics, not theological calculus. What are the basics? God is Love.

So, if the foundation is Love, why are Catholics scaring people off with complicated dogma before they’ve even heard the Good News? It’s no wonder there are 140 million Protestants in the U.S. compared to 60 million Catholics. We’re so busy preaching about going to “H-E-Double Hockey Sticks” that we forget to mention that Jesus was sent here and died because of our sins. Mass is beautiful and sacred, but for newcomers, it’s a minefield of confusion. Why is Father wearing purple? What’s with the bells? Why is there incense in my face, is that metal water baton going to slip and smoke me in the head? Meanwhile, you walk into a Baptist service and get a few jams (yes, I mean jams), a gospel verse, and a step-by-step walkthrough of what Jesus was trying to say. It's a wonderful experience.

Sure, there are theological differences, but many Protestant denominations are closer to Catholicism than we like to admit—Anglicans, I’m looking at you. Somewhere along the line, the Catholic Church decided, “We’ve only got an hour, so let’s go straight for the fire and brimstone.” Spoiler: that’s not working. Jesus didn’t come back to pile on rules like the Pharisees. He came to teach us to love God and love our neighbors. Start there. Work on that. You can layer in theology as you go, but stop leading with the stuff that makes people feel unworthy before they even sit down.

And for the record, switching to the Latin Mass isn’t the brilliant solution some think it is. Traditionalists, I’m talking to you: if you want to shrink the Church to zero, go ahead and make everything Latin again. That’s like modern Egyptians giving their pyramid tours on a PowerPoint in hieroglyphics.

"Is he going to talk about the whole works-versus-faith debate in these articles?" says the reader... He sure the heck is!!

Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic Church doesn’t teach that good works earn salvation. Instead, Catholics believe salvation involves both faith and works—it’s a lifelong journey of faith in Jesus, participation in the sacraments, and doing good. Grace, received through sacraments (or tangible ways of expressing faith like baptism, confession, and the Eucharist), helps believers grow in holiness.

Protestants also believe in doing good works; they just frame the discussion differently. Most Protestants hold that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and those who reject Him face eternal separation from God. So, everyone agrees that human beings can fall out of grace by rejecting Christ. When that happens, they are no longer saved. To me, that is an example of works disrupting grace given to us by Jesus through our faith in Him.

Grace is what saves us, but neither church ignores the importance of works. So I ask you my fellow followers of the faith, what are we talking about here? #teaser

The Catholic Church is bleeding followers. The only reason it is enjoying some acceptability amongst Americans these days is because of it's tradtions and people like Bishop Robert Barron, Father Mike Schmitz, and others who actually talk to people like human beings. You can’t scare people back to faith. People are too smart and too overwhelmed with their daily grind for that nonsense. This isn’t a competition, but if it were, Protestants are winning. They’ve got a welcoming vibe, killer music (I love Catholic hymns, but let’s be real—the organ can get old), and coffee bars (I’m a coffee fanatic).

So, How do Protestants encourage Catholics to adjust their message to be focused on LOVE? What did Martin Luther and John Calvin really feel that made them divide the church? #teaser

How do Catholics hold on to thier sacred traditions while drawing people back to the Church? #teaser

How do I as a Catholic bring people to the Eucharist? Because once you understand the Eucharist, no amount of jams and coffee can keep you away. #bigteaser

We are gonna be diving into all of this stuff, so let’s talk about it. Hit the BS button or tell me I’m on the right track by dropping a comment. God bless.

P.S. I just realized I need to convince my Bishop to let me open a coffee bar at my congregation.