Why many Protestant and Other congregations die- and the link to strict rules

(c.f. Catholic Culture)
Article by Marc Aupiais

Protestant Christianity in its old form is declining- much of modern Protestant thought- often more mimics the beliefs of a political party or country, or movement than its roots in the 16th century- according to Catholic Culture. This is clear in the recent controversy of the Anglican synod- and the generally acceptance of contraceptive- homosexuality- and female priests among many protestants- things the reformers did not approve of.

The worlds biggest religions- Islam and Catholicism- are the most rule bound and the ones most strict in these.

The countries where Catholicism is strictest- it is largest- where self mortification is most practised, it grows the most.

The reason to watch this trend within the congregations of protestantism- is because it does not come from its roots- none of these people can claim the follow what they "originally heard" from their organizations' founders- as the bible commands of us to do with the words of Christ- but only that they are for progress- something borrowed from secular society.

Catholicism has its own additions from this- from the liberal movement who are not judging the world as "the spiritual man judges all things", but from its perspective- judging the spiritual- and the "carnal is death" (if our religion is to be believed), while the bible (Saint Paul)adds "the spirit is life", and so we have our own carnal additions- holding hands during the Our Father- from Alcoholics Anonymous (Karl Keating- Catholic Answers Apolostate), and communion on the hand, reintroduced by protestants- who desired to show that as the bread they took together was nothing but bread- that therefore any could handle it. Granted- in the early church- communion was often taken on the hand- but the church itself changed this practise- further- in areas where this was active prior Vatican II- it was not an abuse to allow it, yet we are still asked to do otherwise in the official norms.

Another addition- this one perhaps more serious is

- holding hands during the our Father- which is lambasted from EWTN, to Catholic Answers- to Zenit News, to important bishops- as something not in the rubrics- the script by which we hold mass.

According to an authoritative book of the church's on the mass- the holding hands created the wrong atmosphere- the mass is a worship ceremony- it is prayer, and the witnessing of a sacrifice- of the Eucharist- God's living flesh through time-

therefore- while the sign of peace is permitted and correct- it must not be an afterthought- rather- we at Tridentine South and Southern Africa- believe both the Our Father- and the Sign of peace should be distinctive and each have their own powerful impact, through the contrast- by inciting firstly the first command- worship of God- and then the second- love of neighbour- and the singleness of the church.


And so- the Latin mass fits our needs for growth and Orthodoxy- in the phenomenal growth of the churches which have instituted this- and in the growth of irregular organizations such as SSPX, whose bishops are excommunicated.

We must not water down religion to gain following- rather- we must increase its hardness- so that the seed does not fall on shallow ground- but on deep ground.

Further- we should not take practises from Alcoholics Anonymous- we do not gain our power from our peers alone- but from God and the sacraments- and our beloved Popes.

Holding hands- is a sign of needing support- a hand shake is a sign of support- the second is loving our neighbor- the first is something that has perhaps helped alcoholics- but which is introduced from the bottom up- in contrast with the method by which truth is clarified in the church.