We disagree about what some Protestant denominations say is truth. That is, after all, why they separated–and choose to remain separated–from the Catholic Church.
Protestants believe this too.
Not saying that at all.
What Protestants are saying is works are a result of salvation, not a precondition.
A subtle but distinct difference.
Protestants believe this too, by and large.
The blood feud between the groups in the aftermath of the schism killed any chance of reintegration.
Millions died all across Europe for several hundred years. It took the horror of the 30 years war to finally stop it.
Even though both are at peace today the generational memories don’t just stop over night.
Right.
And Protestants initially didn’t want to separate.
They wanted to reform. Hence the term “Reformation”.
I asked the question because that day I got to the end of the Religion Forum and it asked, “Why don’t you start a topic?” I have a habit of doing what I’m asked. The only thing I could think of was the easiest, most obvious question there is. You may wish to tell the Administrators they should disable that request for my account. It appears to lead to trouble! 
Psst! Also, it is now telling me that I have replied to you three times and should consider replying to others. (So don’t think I’m ignoring you, I’m off to do what I’m told.)
No wonder you like being a Catholic.
Exactly. Luther wanted to end what he saw as corrupt and unbiblical actions by the papacy. There was no initial desire to separate.
What caused the schism was the Church’s response. Banning Protestants from worshipping in public, declarations of heresy with summary executions, and ruthlessly hunting down Protestant leaders.
I recommend reading primary sources. Reforms were already taking place within the Church. Politicos of the day got a hold of Luther and that’s pretty much all she wrote. (Yes, that is a generalization, but it’s what happens once we leave primary sources. History gets very, very messy the further in depth our research goes and the more we explore.)
Exactly. God seems to find each of us exactly where we are and works from there. He is not bound by either faith nor denomination. And once we find Him, we certainly don’t want to do anything to mess it up.
Here’s my thoughts: just finished a great book that describes from beginning to end, the Cassini Hoygens mission to Saturn. A true work of art- the mission, not the book.
It would not have happened if several European as well as American agencies did not put aside their differences and pool their vital intelligences, experiences and resources.
This thread represents to me the potential for similar thing to happen with religion:
Why do religionists cling to one religion or the other and insist they are the only one that is correct?
I’ve stated before: a brief study of the religions of the world with the intent to discover “similarities” as opposed to dwelling on “differences” is revealing in itself.
Imagine even rudimentary unity among religionists.
Seems to be so difficult as opposed to planetary explorations. Maybe motive is not so apparent or tangable or maybe even desirable??
Good post. Hard for the OP to win over people he feels contempt for. I have a few Catholic in laws on my wife’s side of the family (her sister and sister’s children) that i get along just fine with.
Except…I have no contempt for Protestants, someone here jumped to an unfounded conclusion. I can raise you Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, and Atheists in my family, and like your family, everyone in my family gets along great. Perhaps this is the reason why to me it is odd that someone would jump to the conclusion of “contempt.” I guess I, too, am used to friendly family thinking and get togethers. But then all of us here are on different thought trains, so I shrugged off contempt accusation. After all, each one of us knows who we really are.
I find the theater of Catholicism appealing, and the history of the Church is fascinating. But I end up lumping it in with Protestantism and even non-Christian religions in that I have little to no interest in personally involving myself in organized religion these days. Saw enough of that in my youth, tyvm.
Even if I knew nothing else at all about the Catholic Church those things alone would keep me from considering them.
Those actions went against pretty much everything Jesus ever taught.
Fascinating. I’ve had the similar belief that if I was not a Christian, I would choose Judaism as well.
Since I was a child the Catholic Church has been working on Ecumenicism. Non-Catholic Christians (as a whole) have not been that interested. There has been some progress with some Lutheran denominations, and of course, the big one that should have been solved centuries ago, is with the Orthodox.
Some great Catholic saints held very different views from one another, so differences of opinion aren’t that hard to live with. I have a feeling that if we could only have one religion on Saturn, everyone could come together and make it happen. The trouble is that Saturn is a new slate and all we have here are old slates. A huge, world-wide natural disaster might clear all that away here on Earth, but it seems a little extreme!
Precisely! It comes from all that Christ modeled and taught (discipline/disciples) and obedience. 
Jewish studies and commentaries of the Old Testament are fascinating, and they truly do bring what Jesus taught to life. I know Jews cannot accept anyone who was human as being divine, but it does make me sad that do to Christianity, they hold such a bad opinion of him. He was a Jew who took on Annas and Caiaphas–and any Jew should be able to admire that without betraying their own beliefs. We Christians kind of whisked Jesus away from the Jews.
