Why I Hate Protestantism: Revised and Updated
Though I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when I wrote this yesterday and it seems to have gone over like a lead balloon with readers, I have reread it and pretty much stand by it 100%. Learning to interpret life through love and not law in contrast to Protestantism is a daunting task, but one that is critical to achieving true happiness. Yes, love is a standard and a work, but it is not the work of condemning self and others with an expectation of joy in return. Also, the comments posted yesterday make very good additional points.
I suppose I should start by clarifying that I hate Protestant orthodoxy and not Protestant people. However, I want to also make sure that I don’t make myself better than God by saying that I don’t hate anyone because the Bible is clear that God does hate certain people. Moreover, I once heard someone wisely say that loving everybody is often an excuse not to love anyone in particular. And lastly on this point, love and hate are really defined by action and not words to begin with. In my profession one thing always holds true: the aides that throw around the “love” word the most deliver the lesser care; talk, as the saying goes, is cheap. When I hear an aide tell a resident that they love them, that aide is totally suspect in my mind and I don’t want them on my hall. Likewise, if you are still misinformed enough to still be attending church and within the first couple of weeks of attending a new one members are telling you that they love you, run like hell and don’t even think about looking back.
Susan and I are recovering Protestants. That means we still struggle with seeing life through the prism of law and not love. Of all the doctrine of demons, Protestantism is the cleverest because it makes a works salvation from “faith alone.” It’s predicated on the misconception that doing nothing is not a work. To the contrary, doing nothing is a decision and a decision is an action. Thinking is a work. Wrong thinking is a wrong action; right thinking is a good work. In reality, work is the waters that humanity swims in. Man is created and designed to work in a work reality, and therefore, work is unavoidable. A non-work theology is a metaphysical impossibility; therefore, the true gospel separates law and love. Please be reminded; “faith WORKS through love.” Faith, like everything else in reality, works. Hence, as James states in his biblical epistle, faith that doesn’t work is like a body without a spirit…it is dead. The work of faith is love, not law. As an aside, let me mention that lazy people are very unhealthy in every way because they are rejecting the reality we were created to operate in. Fish are created to function underwater, the lazy person jumps out of the water and is flopping around on dry land.
So, returning to my original purpose for this post, let me recite a good example of this in my life and Susan’s. A year ago, Susan and I decided that I would vacate retirement and go back to work. Yet, we strongly believe that there is nothing in our lives that should be put on the back burner because of that decision. Here is what should have been anticipated: the motive of love would be demonstrated less in certain areas of our lives and more so in other areas.
What does law do? It focuses on one area where something is different and launches a full press condemnation. In regard to less action in a given area of life, the love taking place in another area is not considered and the lesser becomes… “you are sinning against me and you love me less.”
For example, why does moving an aging parent into the household of a married couple put so much pressure on a marriage? There are more people to love in the household and the love experienced in the marriage changes. How does law respond to that? It assumes the worst about others in the midst of changing circumstances while “love believes all things” and “dwells on what is lovely, good, and honorable.”
Instead of trusting the core value and essence of love while experiencing its peace and thankfulness, and assuming the core values of love will eventually carry the day in a new, perhaps difficult situation, the law and its heavy gavel of assumed motives come into play. Unfortunately, every word and action will now be brought into court to stand before a judge and jury.
Folks, look at the metaphysical video of any divorce situation; any questions? It’s one big law-fest smothered in condemnation and the attachment of ill-motives to every existing moment.
This can be exemplified in the following dynamic that took place in my and Susan’s life just yesterday. This week has been tense for us; note that, while also noting that I am not big on the recognition of “special” days. To the contrary, Susan is. This is a dynamic that we mutually accept about each other with no reservations, but I note it to say this: I am not a person who often buys gifts for people except on special days and then my gifts are far from being delightfully anticipated by others. In contrast, my son-in-law is totally different; he is constantly buying gifts for people. Susan is somewhere in-between.
So, my ability to attend a special event yesterday without Susan who couldn’t escape work added to tensions, but had absolutely nothing to do with what I saw at the event; there were specialty retail booths that sold stuff that is totally her. This is stuff that you don’t ordinarily see, so I dropped some significant dollars to surprise her. I was meeting her someplace afterward, and couldn’t wait to surprise her with the gifts.
Then the Protestant law showed up. Upon announcing that I had brought gifts, she responded, “Is this a peace offering?” Seriously, the “silly” truism of the pop-culture movie Love Story,…“Love means never having to say you’re sorry” may be more biblical than what we think. In regard to her question to me, it’s not that we had offended each other in some way, but rather tension over the idea that something is wrong with our marriage because circumstances are different. Instead of assuming the same love is present and merely mitigated by circumstances, the law shows up demanding some sort of performance and the constant unhealthy introspection of motives. Law never assumes an act simply flowing from love, but the tainting of ill motives in some way which excludes love altogether. In fact, because Protestantism defines love as perfect law-keeping, the reality of love in a marriage is completely denied to begin with. This is why, despite pretense to the contrary, the vast majority of Protestant marriages either end in divorce or are defined by miserable coexistence. The rest are creepy relationships that rejoice in evil and define marriage as, “two sinners living together.”
Accordingly, the simple bringing of a gift that flowed from love was made to be an alter call at a Protestant Sunday morning lawship service. Be sure of this: because I am no longer a Protestant, no gift to my wife is a “peace offering” offered at the church alter; that’s not love, that’s law.
Instead of moment to moment thankfulness for what is right and good about our lives, Protestantism sucks the life out of our existence with a moment to moment focus on what’s wrong with everything about life. Seeing something good in life is, “friendship with the world [being]… enmity against God.”
In contrast, an assumption of love and the focus thereof displaces lovelessness (sin) to begin with. “Sin” is not the problem because we “are not under sin” which is a synonymic phrase for being under law. Whenever condemnation is present in a marriage, love is not present. Condemnation and love are mutually exclusive. Condemnation is the consummate enemy of love and its lifeblood is the law. You want to “live by the gospel”? Then act like Christ’s sacrifice was an act of love that ended the law. Be like Christ; do love, not law.
In every case where there is strife in a marriage, the Bible is not being used to apply love, but to punish another with the condemnation of the law because of the desires that battle within us; the desire for a perfect law-keeping life as defined by Protestant justification, and a desire to define love by “perfect motives.” In reality, love spends little time questioning motives.
Often, in marriage counseling that involves Protestants, you find the core problem with the marriage to be perspective. A detailed inquisition will often reveal times of mutual enjoyment at some point in the marriage albeit diminished. Times that flow naturally from love. But how do they define their marriage when they come to counseling? With two law-driven condemnation lists backed up with a long list of scriptures. Yes, it’s almost hilarious; it’s two married people in a sword drill to prove who is the worst spouse. In the midst of the counseling, it is a raging battle with Bible verses flying everywhere intending to inflict as much condemnation as possible.
But love “does not keep a record of wrong,” and marriage is not about law—it’s about love. If it’s not too late, it is a simple matter of redirecting their focus on what is right about their marriage and not sin sniffing. All in all, Protestantism teaches us how to sin-sniff, not love.
In conclusion, when circumstances threaten to displace love in a relationship, the answer is to be inventive in regard to displacing lovelessness. It calls for the wisdom of ingenuity. Necessity is the mother of invention, and in marriage the law is not necessary and only good for condemnation, not the wisdom of love.
This is why I hate Protestantism. It defines righteousness as perfect law-keeping and uses its condemnation to suck the happiness out of life while replacing it with the lie that true happiness is found in sin-sniffing and the condemnation of self and others. Please note: I am not saying that love has no standard or work, but the question is; what law and what work? You are either under condemnation or the wisdom of love.
True happiness is found in “love that covers a multitude of sin.”
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
hum . . . Well, playing provocateur. I unapologetically hate evil and the Reformed Theology intellectual big dogs insist that they are evil personified. Everyone who goes to these Protestant Churches insist they are the pinnacle of depravity.
So… I think it would perfectly moral to hate these evil people. They are the ones self identifying as evil. I think it perfectly reasonable that they should suffer the consequence of their own declaration.
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They hate themselves; that’s true. And they love doing it. What a diabolical mess.
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Wow, I am really glad they see their hypocrisy in hating the poor and becoming as wealthy as possible in this life. Maybe soon they will come out as Tohric Jews becasue effectively that is what they are. They ignore the Gospels completely. And they added in the workaholism. Jesus never said “Blessed is the workaholic For the One with the most toys shall inherit the Earth.” What are Protestants smoking when they read the four gospels? Seriously. Are the gospels different than the Catholic gospels I think not. NO where does it discuss anything about capitalism except for Jesus turning over the money changers tables and screaming at them. Jesus did not love the rich. Protestants do nothing but seek more money and it is EVIL to say that one who has a lot of money is blessed and that the poor are cursed . This is what the Protestant church teaches and it is evil. It is the opposite of Jesus’ words and therefore, evil. It’s good they are self-aware but all of the Protestants I have met were self aggrandizing narcissists who were obsessed with degrading my religion-Catholics. Protestants are so jealous that the Catholic Church is more powerful and there are far many more Catholics. InsteD OF PREACHING PEACE THEY PREACH HOW THE cATHOLICS WILL GO TO hELL. nICE dogma you got there Protestant hypocrites. The word hypocrite comes from Protestant iu believe. I believe the first English hypocrite was a protestant.,.lol Imagine how many fewer homeless we would have without the Protestant church? If all Christians did what Jesus told them to do in helping to=he poor-The US might not look like a Third World country. Now the USA is 121 out of 168 nations surveyed on the global peace and economic Index. 121 -that is worse than Malawi and a few other sub saharan states. Of course Europe and Japan occupy the first 50 positions. That is why I left the USa. I could not stand the hypocrisy., And despite my name I am Irish and I was born to a European family so I am using my citizenship and never returning to the US. I do not care what happens to it. They abused the Irish when they came over it is just like the uK full of crime and not European minded. In Europe we think of and help the poor and homeless we are not a narcissistic nation. I throw up a little in my mouth when i think of the uSA. I am not American any longer. Millenials on college campuses tested 70 percent pathologically narcissitic-that means they qualify as narcissists. Europe is 5% narcissists at least in the Catholic countries.
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*Catholicism not Catholics.
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When I was born again in 1971 as a non churched person I assumed I should go to church. It didn’t seem right so I went to a home church. The problem was we had the same theology. Because of the small size it became extremely abusive. I left and went to a non denominational church after 9 years I realized it was just as abusive but more accepted. The understanding of Protestantism I have read from your posts have helped set me free. At this polnt I have nowhere to go but I am closer to Christ. P.s. the church didn’t appreciate my views.
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True home fellowships will happen and I think we are seeing the beginning of it.
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John, Dogs are Earth’s angels and Protestants are Earth’s hypocrites, please do not conflate the two. I take offense to the comparison.Protestants defy Jesus’ teaching to ignore the Old Law the Old Testamanet and to help the poor. Instead they follow the Jewish Torah and deride the poor doing NOTHING for the poor and inventing a work ethic. Jesus never mentioned the lazy and did not have a job.Capitalism is your religion Protestants NOT Christianity read the Gospels for goodness sake! YOU MUST HELP THE POOR AS CHRIST DID what do you think he did that for so you could watch and NOT do the same?! You have serious moral problems. And Protestants YOU DO NOT follow Christ you follow the bipolar Luther. Period.
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They go sin-sniffing like them dogs
their minds clouded with dark fogs
howling guilt barking shame
such animals are hard to tame
but dogs too eat the little crumbs
flicked off tables by children’s thumbs
Saul of Tarsus sin-sniffed away
until Paul was shown the Way
no sin-sniffers found in Heaven
only those who Rest on day Seven – Hebrew 4:10
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I feel sorry for Protestants but at the same time I believe ts and they follow the they go against Jesus.God and follow the Old Testament therefore they are Jews Tohric Jews but Jews nonetheless becasue they ignore Christ’s mandate that This is a New Covenant do NOT follow Old Law. I have no idea what Bible you Protestants are reading but you are delusional. Jesus ate with lepers and the poor. YOu make it your business to do NOTHING for the poor. Jesus did kind acts FOR A REASON. Protestants are completely unreasonable and narcissistic just like the King who embraced Protestantism. They want their cake and eat it too. They think all I have to do is SAY I accept Jesus as my savior and I can continue being a judgemental Protestant prick. They condemn Catholics who are way more Christian than they will ever be. I went to a HUGE BAptist church in Orlando. The money was rolling in as usual everyone was upper middle class and I asked for assistance. I was homeless at 21 af ter being an abused child. All the money on that huge campus and they gave me a pamphlet that said go to a homeless shelter. Then they will go to Africa on a mission. They will condemn the homeless who are not drug addicts and not derelicts. They are simply people who need help-the kind of people JESUS LOVED and helped. Instead they have an icon-they worship Martin Luther. They worship the Golden Calf of money. AT LEAST CATHOLICS HELP THE POOR AS JESUS HIMSELF DID> YEs YOU DO have to do good unto others and help the poor “to be saved.” if you think you are getting into heaven by showing how much money you have every Sunday and turning a child away onto the streets to get raped YOU my friend are NOT a CHRISTian. There is CHRIST kin that word for a reason. ON that day I went to a Catholic church and was helped to find a place to stay. I was smart enough not to give up I knew GOD would manifest and he manifested as a Catholic priest. I have seen you protestants over and over again be narcissists greedy and begrudging of the poor you do nothing for the poor oln the streets of your own country and yet you condemn Catholics who are infinitely more Christian than you are. Also blessed are the meek not the rich. I believe you are reading another book entirely but it is not the Gospels it is certainly NOT Jesus’ words. I think you are American capitalists with no concern for anyone than yourselves. How convenient to say “Oh all I have to do is say I accept Jesus as my lord and Savior” and i am saved. NO honey it does not work like that. Jesus came to set an example he did not have an obsessive work ethic he did not even have a joib except to preach love. protestants are the furthest thing form Christ except for Zionists and Jihadist Muslims. I was not born into religion and I found God through the Catholic church not through your hatred for the poor and your disgusting hypocrisy I cannot tell you how much money was flashed in that church and I was told to get on line for a bed in a shelter and maybe i would get in or maybe i would have to sleep on the street. I was 21Protestants are the most hateful people on the WORLD. I have since been to 65 countries and attained a Master’s in Biology Magna cum Laude. But I won’t forget that day when I was 21 in Orlando and I will always be a Catholic. Who the hell are you to judge Catholics when Catholics actually behave like Christ. Christ said YOU MUST DO good works YOU invented that you do not following a bipolar Luther. YOU have idols-Luther and money. Catholics have mementos-photographs of loved ones-don’t you have any photographs of your loved ones. And no they do not believe the statues are in inhabited by the spirit of the saints or Jesus. You are ignorant ,presumptuous saying who and who will not be saved when ONLY GOd decides intolerant and hateful narcissists all of you Protestants that I have met. Sincerely, Tatiana
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Martin Luther is basically a German Taliban because his ideologies force people into marriage by outlawing celibacy.
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Thank you for this! I live in Finland and you basically described the miserable, awful people of this “happiest country”. I am Finnish actually but I’ve never felt good here and I always thought it’s the environment and history, but I’ve come to realise that it’s mostly the awful, hateful, community-destroying, joy hating, love killing cult of misery called protestantism that’s mostly causing it. Sure, there are variations between countries but pretty much all of northern Europe – where protestantism is the main religion – is the same spiritual and emotional wasteland of passive-aggression, paranoia and stingyness. A protestant can’t help the less fortunate because if they do, god might let that person go to heaven instead and besides, they surely strayed from law so that means they deserve it! Besides, you cant do good works because that’s what catholics do. If your neighbor has something better than you, you have to destroy him because now the bar for getting to heaven has been raised and because law (as you used it) dictates that their motives and methods must be questioned and dirt shall be found. Never rejoice the success of of your neighbor because they surely cheated and predestination is now jeopardised. I have some obstacles on my path but I will get out of this shithole soon enough and start a new life in a place that knows love. Do you know why we have strong socialist system in northern Europe? BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULDN’T GIVE A CENT TO THE NEEDY OTHERWISE, NOT EVEN FAMILY. Spot on with your analysis, good job!
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Martin Luther was just a German Taliban and all the religious groups that are linked to him basically force people into marriage since celibacy is forbidden. Crazy.
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