(3) The Protestant Church of Christ denies that the history of Christianity is Catholic.

Instead of considering history and how the Christian Church has always understood Baptism, many of your members decide that the paper trail of the Catholic Church’s presence throughout history does not reflect the true Church or Christ, but rather, an apostate organization; and your members are so certain of their prejudice that they sense no need to honestly consider the Catholic Church’s understanding of Baptism. In my experience, however, those who in fact honestly consider the merits of the Catholic position come to love the Catholic Church, but your group’s collective and unfounded hate for her prevents most of your members from experiencing the joy of finding out that one’s family is much, much larger. Therefore, any document other than the Bible that illustrates the Catholicity of the Christian Church from any century is either denied as a hoax or written off as irrelevant; and any interpretation of the Bible that supports the Catholic Church is labeled as heresy—deemed heresy by the authority your group has granted itself. So what argument can be made to convince you that you are wrong if you refuse to allow history (reality) to inform your opinions? 

Your group’s only argument/s for having any presence in history is/are, “Our group believes [insert any belief], so therefore, the early Church believed it too!” or “We interpret the Scriptures as XYZ, so therefore, the early Church interpreted the Scripture as XYZ too!” Are you not tired of excusing your group’s absence from history, of blaming your non-existence on a Great Apostasy or any other Grand Nemesis or Boogeyman theory? Have you not considered that your group’s non-existence through history indicates that your group never existed until it was invented in Kentucky? 

Is it reasonable to believe that your group has properly deciphered the correct “pattern”, which is supposedly (though erroneously) intended to be imitated? (“X” does not become “Y” by imitation; it becomes an impostor.) Is it reasonable to believe your restorers were more successful at “restoring” what the Apostles were only ordered to maintain? Is it reasonable to believe your group is more informed about the Bible than any other Protestant group, or more than the Catholic Church, which A) wrote the New Testament, B) added it to the [complete] Old Testament, and C) created the Bible for the worldwide Church? And does your recognition of the [abridged] Bible’s inspiration not indicate that the Catholic Church is as authoritative as the Scriptures—did a body beget a greater body? Is it more reasonable to believe Jesus said He would give your ministers the Spirit of truth that would guide them into all truth, than to the body Jesus was in fact speaking? Is not Matthew 22:37 a command to love your God with all your mind?  

The historical Church of Christ is Catholic; an intelligent argument cannot be made against this fact. It recognized various modes of Baptism. It baptized its infants. It understood that original sin is real. Baptism is important; you should reconsider your understanding of this most important Sacrament of initiation. Your family is much larger than the handful of members within your defensive fold—the majority of whom reside in only two of our United States. Your first Baptisms are valid, and Catholics from all generations and time are your brothers and sisters; your reciprocal acceptance would be to your benefit, and your children’s benefit.