Catholicism and Protestantism
Traditions Changed - The Authentic Christian Gospel

According to the Encyclopedia Britanica the difference between Catholic Christianity and Evangelical Christianity (Protestantism) is as follows:

    "Catholicism differs from other Christian churches and denominations in its beliefs about the sacraments, the roles of the Bible and tradition, the importance of the Virgin Mary and the saints, and the papacy."

Even the Encyclopedia Britanica admits that:
    "As a major branch of Christianity, Catholicism can be traced to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in Roman-occupied Jewish Palestine about 30 CE. According to Catholic teaching, each of the sacraments was instituted by Christ himself. Catholicism also holds that Jesus established his disciple St. Peter as the first pope of the nascent church (Matthew 16:18). Centuries of tradition, theological debates, and the wiles of history have shaped Catholicism into what it is today."

What are Protestant Traditions?
    Evangelical Protestants traditionally criticize the Catholic Church for promoting the Traditions of Men. And even though Catholic doctrines are always backed up by scripture or, at least, can be deduced from Scripture, Protestants always label them as false.

    However, Protestants also have traditions, which were truly instituted by men and have either a very scant scriptural basis, or none at all. Of course, Protestants do not call them traditions, but generally refer to them as doctrines.

Protestant Traditions or Doctrines     Protestants also decided that, on their own authority, they could ignore or change any Christian traditions, no matter how long-held. if they either did not like them or no longer agreed with them.

    Protestant Traditions You Won’t Find in the Bible from Catholic Answers

Traditions changed by Protestants
  • The 16th century reformers, led by Martin Luther, claimed they had discovered the previously suppressed, true doctrine of Jesus Christ, which was summed up in the doctrine of Sola Fide (Salvation by Faith Alone). This opposed both the teaching of our Savior and the long-held Christian teaching that faith devoid of charity and good works is a dead faith.

  • In his translation of the New Testament into German, Martin Luther added the word "alone" (allein in German) to Romans 3:28. In Luther's translation it read - ("So now we hold, that man is justified without the help of the works of the law, alone through faith.")

  • In his translation of the Old Testament, Martin Luther removed the deuterocanonical books and placed them between the New and Old testaments calling them 'Apocrypha'. Martin Luther said "These books are not held equal to the Scriptures, but are useful and good to read." These editions were performed and authorized by the self-proclaimed authority of Martin Luther alone.

  • Ignoring both the Apostle Paul's and Jesus Christ's words in the New Testament as recorded in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 and Matthew 19:3-6, Martin Luther decided that it was morally and lawfully acceptable for married couples to divorce. Since then, nearly all Protestants hold that divorce is acceptable.

  • John Calvin's doctrine of predestination held that only a relatively few persons would be saved and that it would have been "better for most people if they had never been born" since they are "predestined for damnation". This was opposed to both scripture 1 Timothy 2:3-4 and 2 Peter 3:9 and the position of the Catholic church which holds that "there is always hope as well as faith and love" and that "Salvation is open to every person willing to reach for it."
        St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo Regius stated as early as the 4th Century: "God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us."     Differences of interpretation as well as what Martin Luther said about it is HERE.

  • In 1541, after his separation from the Catholic Church, King Henry VIII of England issued an edict ordering a "uniform translation of the said Pater Noster", which effectively added the doxology "For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever." to the end of the Lord's Prayer and also at the end of the scriptural verse Matthew 6:9-13 in the Bible. But even after the edict the changes were not universal in England.
        However, during the reign of Elizabeth I (from 1558 to 1603) and a resurgence to rid the Church of England from any Catholic vestiges, the Lord's Prayer was changed to include the doxology.
        Therefore, the Protestant King James in the year 1611 had an English bible version printed which reflected these changes as well as the changes Martin Luther had made much earlier to the canon of the Old Testament.

  • The British Foreign Bible Society excised the deuterocanonical books in 1804 that had been included in every King James Version bible edition since the first one in 1611.

    •     From the above traditions, it has become crystal clear that the Protestant tradition/doctrine of Sola Scripture has, over the years, become a mere convenience that Protestants can violate whenever it is to their advantage. Martin Luther began by adding a word to scripture when it was convenient for him and then he removed entire books from the Old Testament when that also suited him. Then the English monarchs decided they also could alter scripture when they decided it was advantageous for them. Beginning with King Henry VIII, through the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and ending with King James in 1611 they agreed to add words to scripture to suit their whims. Sola Scriptura obviously was no barrier for them any more than it was for Martin Luther. So they conspired to ignore it!
        Now, to add insult to injury, most Protestants deny these changes were ever made by their leaders. They continue to attempt to change history by claiming that, if anyone changed scripture, it was the Catholic Church when they added the deuterocanonical books the bible. They assert this with a straight face.

  • Breaking with a nearly 1900 year Christian tradition, a woman was ordained as a protestant minister in 1853, opening the floodgates to more and more protestant women being ordained, some even as bishops.

  • Contraception had been considered gravely sinful by all Christian churches until the Church of England's Lambeth Conference of 1930, which broke with Christian tradition by accepting contraception as morally correct.
    Belief in and adherence to these 'exceptions' is not universal in Protestantism. Some agree and some don't, even to the most basic Christian tenants, such as the necessity of Christian Baptism for salvation.

What is the bottom line?
    For all of this and much more, we have Luther's Protestant tradition of Scripture Alone to thank. A non-scriptural doctrine that has effectively separated Christians into opposing (occassionaly warring) camps and divided Christians into thousands of denominations, sects, and belief systems.

The Great Deception
    In the 16th century, Martin Luther claimed that God declares us justified when we accept Jesus as our savior and that we will never lose this justification, therefore we will be saved without any further act on our part. Luther also avowed that Sola Fide is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls.
    "However, Sola Fide is a novel invention of the 16th century. The Christian church did just fine without Sola Fide for 1,500 years. And the Christian church would do just fine if Sola Fide went away tomorrow, because no one in the Christian church ever taught that we were both justified and Once Saved, always Saved by their faith alone before Luther." Joe Heschmeyer

Nothing is Greater than Love
    While it is true that without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6, it is also true that whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love 1 John 4:8 and it is also true even if a person has a great faith in God, but does not have love, he is nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 and Faith is never alone, it must work through Love (Christian Charity) Galatians 5:6.

The Authentic Christian Gospel
    Since doctrines and/or traditions are no more than man's interpretations of the will of God it must always come down not to what man wants but to what God wants.


     "Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31 and Luke 10:27

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