07-18-2026, 08:28 AM
XV. Is Protestantism after all a Religion?
— Perhaps I shock some one's sensitiveness by saying, no.
What is religion? It is a covenant of Doctrine and Worship which binds people together in one belief and in one uniform manner of serving God. — Thus, e.g., among false religions, are Judaism, Mahomedanism, Buddhism, etc.
Very well: Protestantism lays down as a fundamental principle that every man is perfectly free to believe as he chooses, and to serve God as he pleases. Therefore, Protestantism makes away with the very idea of religion, which implies bond, union, unity. I know very well that Protestants do not always draw the extreme and rigorous consequences of this principle. In Catholic countries, and above all in France, they keep up, as much as they can, the appearance of union among the different sects. But in Germany, for instance, in Switzerland, in America, where they have plenty of elbow-room, they actually boast of having as many beliefs as there are individuals.
Of all religious institutions, built by the hand of man, Protestantism is distinguished by this trait of destroying what constitutes the essence, I will not say of true religion, but of all religions in general. All false religions, in imitation of the true one, have a code of belief and worship, the rejection whereof excludes one from belonging thereto; whereas what the reverend gentlemen endeavor to pass for religion is but an anarchy without rule or restraint, which only denies, destroys, protests: it bears the mark of self-condemnation by appropriating the anti-religious title of Protestantism.
Never did Jean Jacques Rousseau utter a greater truth than when he said of the Calvinists of Geneva, that "their religion consists in attacking that of others."
But, you'll say, I know Protestants who believe in Jesus Christ, or hold other truths with a belief which seems well defined and precise. You must allow that such, at least, have religion. Not at all. They have some convictions, or, as they are more generally designated, some persuasions; all which is very good, and we praise the Lord for it. But it is not Protestantism that gives them those personal convictions, those individual persuasions. They may throw them aside to-morrow, and still not cease being Protestants. Not a few ministers glory in their name of Protestants, and still do not believe in any of the dogmas held by Luther or Calvin, and ridicule the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ, at the same time making a great noise about Christianity and pure Gospel.
The parson Vinet candidly acknowledges, with a great many more concessions of the same kind, that Protestantism is not a religion, but the bond of a religion. (Le lien d'une religion. Essai sur la manifestation des convictions religieuses.)
It is well known how the celebrated Bayle, a Protestant by birth, and an infidel in practice, made reply to a distinguished personage who had questioned him about his belief. "You are a Protestant, Monsieur Bayle, but of what sect? Are you Lutheran, Calvinist, Zwinglian, or Anabaptist?" "I am none of all these," answered the consistent Protestant; "I am a Protestant, which means, I protest against all sorts of religion."
Protestantism, in spite of its pretensions, is not and cannot be a religion, much less is it the true religion.
— Perhaps I shock some one's sensitiveness by saying, no.
What is religion? It is a covenant of Doctrine and Worship which binds people together in one belief and in one uniform manner of serving God. — Thus, e.g., among false religions, are Judaism, Mahomedanism, Buddhism, etc.
Very well: Protestantism lays down as a fundamental principle that every man is perfectly free to believe as he chooses, and to serve God as he pleases. Therefore, Protestantism makes away with the very idea of religion, which implies bond, union, unity. I know very well that Protestants do not always draw the extreme and rigorous consequences of this principle. In Catholic countries, and above all in France, they keep up, as much as they can, the appearance of union among the different sects. But in Germany, for instance, in Switzerland, in America, where they have plenty of elbow-room, they actually boast of having as many beliefs as there are individuals.
Of all religious institutions, built by the hand of man, Protestantism is distinguished by this trait of destroying what constitutes the essence, I will not say of true religion, but of all religions in general. All false religions, in imitation of the true one, have a code of belief and worship, the rejection whereof excludes one from belonging thereto; whereas what the reverend gentlemen endeavor to pass for religion is but an anarchy without rule or restraint, which only denies, destroys, protests: it bears the mark of self-condemnation by appropriating the anti-religious title of Protestantism.
Never did Jean Jacques Rousseau utter a greater truth than when he said of the Calvinists of Geneva, that "their religion consists in attacking that of others."
But, you'll say, I know Protestants who believe in Jesus Christ, or hold other truths with a belief which seems well defined and precise. You must allow that such, at least, have religion. Not at all. They have some convictions, or, as they are more generally designated, some persuasions; all which is very good, and we praise the Lord for it. But it is not Protestantism that gives them those personal convictions, those individual persuasions. They may throw them aside to-morrow, and still not cease being Protestants. Not a few ministers glory in their name of Protestants, and still do not believe in any of the dogmas held by Luther or Calvin, and ridicule the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ, at the same time making a great noise about Christianity and pure Gospel.
The parson Vinet candidly acknowledges, with a great many more concessions of the same kind, that Protestantism is not a religion, but the bond of a religion. (Le lien d'une religion. Essai sur la manifestation des convictions religieuses.)
It is well known how the celebrated Bayle, a Protestant by birth, and an infidel in practice, made reply to a distinguished personage who had questioned him about his belief. "You are a Protestant, Monsieur Bayle, but of what sect? Are you Lutheran, Calvinist, Zwinglian, or Anabaptist?" "I am none of all these," answered the consistent Protestant; "I am a Protestant, which means, I protest against all sorts of religion."
Protestantism, in spite of its pretensions, is not and cannot be a religion, much less is it the true religion.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre