Are you a "Protestant?"

Many evangelicals today will say, "I'm a Protestant, not a Roman Catholic." I hear it all the time. But, what does it mean? Why do those of us who call ourselves "Protestant" do so? While I do not intend to school everyone on the history of the term (I think most everyone has a pretty good idea of what the history in general: Martin Luther nails the 95 thesis on a door, Catholics get mad, bulls and worms enter the picture, and the Protestant Reformatioon begins--yes, that's a quick and silly overview). But, does everyone who takes on the label really understand the history and what it means to call yourself a Protestant? The recent death of John Paul II, Pope and Bishop of Rome in the Roman Catholic Church, has sparked quite a bit of controversy that no one really intended. Many of the "Protestant" evangelicals that have had airtime (whether radio or TV) to voice an opinion about the late pontiff have spoken very highly of him as a person: a man of God, reached out to all faiths, caring, conservative voice, did so much to help the church as well as the world, and so forth.

You hear the words "my Catholic brothers and sisters" a lot in these discussions also. These "Protestants" along with the Roman Catholics they have stood by have ushered John Paul II into heaven, without hesitation. I was one of them. But was I right to do so? Were the evangelicals interviewed by the media right to do so?

Recently, a Christian radio talk show host (the host and the station are Christian) was fired for having discussions on air and entertaining the very thought of the Pope maybe not being ushered straight into heaven (and we are not talking about a stint in Purgatory). If you are a Protestant, ask yourself this question: do I believe that Pope John Paul II went to heaven? If you answer 'yes,' then ask this question: do I believe that because he was the Pope? Now, ask youself this: why am I a Protestant? Well, why are you a "Protestant?" If you answered, "Because I don't agree with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church," then you will have to push that a little further. What about the teachings of the RCC? Do you not agree with her teachings on justification? How about on the role of the Pope? What about the mass? Communion? Purgatory? Mary?

A Protestant is one who protests the teachings and practices of the RCC. There is a reason Luther was attacked and sought after and tried. There is a reason the Anabaptists were hunted, tried and killed. Most people know what went on in England under "Bloody" Mary Tudor. Yet who among the "Protestants" is actually protesting the teachings and practices of the RCC at this time, when one Pope has passed and a new one has been elected (Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger), when the RCC is at the forefront of everyone's minds? Who is piping up and saying, "Before you usher John Paul II into heaven--of course, we heard that Mary did that when they announced he had died--I think we need to look at exactly what he and the RCC profess to be the true Gospel." Ultimately, God will judge each individual; and certainly, I am by no means keeping John Paul II out of heaven. However, we are to judge the teachings of those who profess to be Christians by Scripture, by the light of truth.