A Protestant View of Catholic Beliefs
Billy Graham once said something like: Some day you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t believe it. I shall be more alive than I am now.
Most would agree Billy Graham could carry some clout in Heaven, so why don’t Protestants ask him to intercede? Looking through a Protestant-lens, some reasons include:
Tran-sub-stan-ti-a-tian. It’s a big word with a big meaning that defines a big difference between Catholics and Protestants. There is no dispute regarding the origin of Communion/the Lord’s Supper/the Eucharist. Solid Christian doctrine agrees with the Biblical account of the last Passover Jesus and the Disciples shared (Matthew 26:17-18; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13). The differences in theology center on the bread and wine (the “elements”) Jesus used to describe His coming sacrifice. Was He speaking literally or figuratively? (Luke 22:14-23; Mark 14:17-25; Matthew 26:19-30) To keep things very simple, let’s limit the basic theologies to three:
While you are out and about this Wednesday, you may see people with smudges on their foreheads and wonder if you should say something. Or perhaps you will be participating in this long-standing tradition and some outgoing child points and says, “You have dirt on your head.” As Easter continues to become more about candy than crosses, faith traditions can often be overlooked. Before you see #ashtag pop up on Instagram, let’s take a look at the significance of Ash Wednesday.