Who is a heretic?

From the beginning of Christianity, the Church has been attacked by those introducing false teachings or heresies.

Scripture warned us about this. St. Paul told his young protégé, Timothy, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths” (Second Timothy 4:3–4).

And before a Protestant reader tries to quote Scripture back to me in an effort to refute the Catholic Church's scriptural warnings on heresy (I know how to play that game too, I grew up evangelical Baptist), they ought to educate themselves on where Scripture comes from. Start here, and consider Martin Luther's own words:

“We concede — as we must — that so much of what [Catholics] say is true: that the papacy has God’s word and the office of the apostles, and that we have received Holy Scriptures, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the pulpit from them. What would we know of these if it were not for them?”

Fact of history: the Catholic Church gave Sacred Scripture to the world.

A Protestant who claims otherwise is lying or ignorant.

But would that Protestant be a heretic?

Maybe. Probably not.

Let me explain.

But first, a few caveats:

• Protestantism literally includes an unquantifiable number of distinct denominations, religious communities and "churches" so any discussion of Protestantism necessarily glosses over certain nuances of individual Protestant communities;

• We must consider the first Protestants (e.g., Martin Luther, John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli) differently than their modern followers (i.e., Lutherans, Calvinists and Zwinglians) who were most likely born into Protestantism;

• That Catholicism is the true religion doesn't change the sad fact that many Catholics are an embarrassment to the Church and are heretics themselves; and

• That Catholicism is the true religion doesn't mean there aren't elements of truth (to varying degrees) in non-Catholic religions, especially in Orthodoxy and largely in Protestantism too

So, why is it that Protestants aren't necessarily heretics?

Heresy is an emotionally charged term in modern English, and it is often misused or conflated with other sins against faith.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him” (p. 2089).

Heresy is thus a precise term. It is not incredulity, apostasy or schism. It is the obstinate post-baptismal denial or obstinate doubt of some truth which must be believed.

To commit heresy, one must refuse correction. Someone who is ready to be corrected (or who is ignorantly speaking against Church teaching) is not a heretic.

A heretic is thus a baptised person who freely and deliberately accepts some truths proposed by the Church as necessary for salvation while persistently rejecting others.

Arius was a heretic. He denied the divinity of Jesus.

Nestorius was a heretic. He proposed that Mary wasn't the Mother of God.

Martin Luther was a heretic. He challenged papal authority and denied core Catholic doctrines, particularly regarding salvation and the role of sacraments.

Many Protestants are heretics, but not simply because they are Protestants. A Protestant is a heretic if he was a Catholic who embraced Protestant beliefs and practices. He selectively accepted some truths while rejecting others that the Catholic Church proposes as necessary for salvation. Many people still calling themselves Catholics are guilty of this too.

The Catholic Church further distinguishes between formal heresy (i.e., a deliberate and conscious denial of Christian dogma) and material heresy (i.e., a belief that contradicts Church teaching without the believer's full awareness). Many Protestants are thus in material rather than formal heresy. But then, so too are many Catholics.

While Protestants lack the fullness of truth and certain elements of sanctification, the Catholic Church acknowledges that Protestant religions possess genuine Christian elements (some more than others) and that individuals born into these religions are not culpable for the separation from Christ's one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

Now, the problem is that they do remain separated from that Church. In fact, they are all (still) in protest against that Church in one way, shape or form. This is one reason why most Protestants reject the label "Protestant" and prefer labels such as "Bible Christian" or say they're a member of some specific denomination, like "I'm a member of the:

• St. Francis National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Faith Archdiocese of Canada; or

• Redeemed Christian Church of God, New Covenant Assembly; or

• First Church of the Last Chance World on Fire Revival and Military Academy;

• Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Church; or (my personal favorite)

• Spirit-Filled Light-Xplosion Non-denominational Church."

Yes, these are all real Protestant "churches"....

But Protestants can be separated from the Church, have ridiculous denominational names, have cul-de-sac logic theology and ecclesiology, etc. without being heretics.

And, frankly, many of our Protestants brothers and sisters are vastly superior witnesses to Christ than many baptised Catholics are (a lot of whom are actual heretics).

In summary, while the historical roots of Protestantism involved doctrinal disagreements that are heretical and the founders of Protestantism, including Martin Luther and John Calvin, were themselves heretics, the Catholic Church today views baptised Protestants as "brothers" who are in imperfect communion with the Catholic Church.

Catholics ought to pray for Protestants, help them through charitable discussion to avoid the theological landmines they're famous for and invite them to reflect on the claims of Christ's one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.

God bless,

Travis

P.S. If you're an open-minded Protestant sincerely seeking the truth, or know someone who is, I recommend this video from Joe Heschmeyer.