The Reformation is Over So Why Aren’t You Catholic?

As someone who is not Catholic I would say that historical continuity and institutional unity are not good enough reasons for me to switch. The distinctive and controversial doctrines or practices of the Roman Catholic Church are all stooped in historical tradition. Purgatory, the mass, transubstantiation, indulgences, the treasury of merit, penance, the rosary, prayers to Mary, holy water, the papacy, and on and on. What you will find is that biblical exegesis does not support these traditions. Furthermore just because the Catholic Church has reformed itself since Vatican II doesn’t take into account the hundreds of years of false interpretation and downright un-Christ-like teachings of the past. Especially when the historical past is their go to justification for their claim as the “true church.” While true the divisions post-Reformation are not ideal for Christ’s church, a unity for the sake of unity at the expense of Christ’s teachings is just as damaging.