Why are so many protestants anti-Catholic and/or anti-Orthodox

[OrthodoxForever]

I run into this a LOT. I grew up in a mixed protestant family full of Presbyterians, Methodists, baptists, and Pentecostals and when I started my conversion process 5 years ago almost all of them thought I was selling my soul to the devil, half of them cut me out entirely and the other half screamed in my face to repent whenever I saw them.

The thing is... I made this choice because it was the next step in my own spiritual journey. My beliefs didn't change, though there are some of them I now understand with greater depth than I used to or ever could had I stayed a Methodist, but they didn't actually change and they are 100% based in scripture. The difference now is that I am part of a church family that shares them. I don't understand how people can be so adamantly opposed to something they don't even fully understand. I talked to my aunt about it since she and my uncle are the only other non-protestant believers in our family (they're Roman Catholic) and she said that the same exact thing happened to her when she converted 40 years ago.

What's with all this hate?

 

[grandvizier1006]

Many Protestants are a bit ignorant on denominations. Even some nice ones have said they're not willing to become non-Portestant because of "in-Biblical" practices.

Personally, I think it's a bit prejudiced to dislike denominations for being "too weird". It matters to me a lot more what a denomination believes. I don't know why so many Christians--comservative ones, at that!--claim that Catholics and Orthodox have un-Biblical beliefs when it's the Epsicopals, ELCA, PCUSA, there pretend Catholics, and the United church of Christ that all enshrine sin, moral relativism and liberalism into their doctrines. If one acknowledges Christ as Lord but continues to sin and just ignores parts of the Bible that they don't like, I highly doubt I can consider that person a Christian.

The only thing Catholics, orthodox, et. Al. Are guilty of is, at best, adding some traditions to the Bible in an attempt to stick with Christianity's roots. But in reality every Christian does that, so I don't see the problem with it. How can Protestants claim to dislike people adding to the bible when they themselves add stuff about conservative--or liberal--politics?

So pay it no mind and pray for your family.

 

[Alithis]

Pay it no mind?
Really?
Is that what the lord Jesus did when he rebuked religious establishment for omposing traditions over the word of God?
Sin is to be repented of. Not excused.
Good grief ..and you wonder why non catholics are so anti the rcc.. ?
And be assured,some of us are just as anti Any denomination wch imposes non biblical tradtion as if it is above scripture.

 

[OrthodoxForever]

Pay it no mind?
Really?
Is that what the lord Jesus did when he rebuked religious establishment for omposing traditions over the word of God?
Sin is to be repented of. Not excused.
Good grief ..and you wonder why non catholics are so anti the rcc.. ?
And be assured,some of us are just as anti Any denomination wch imposes non biblical tradtion as if it is above scripture.

I've never known any true believing Christian of *any* denomination who puts tradition above scripture. In the Orthodox church, because we have so many traditions some of which are cultural but still connected with religious life, it's a common theme taught in study groups, camp, Sunday School, and in the Sunday message that there are biblical traditions or traditions rooted in scripture Holy Tradition and little fun cultural traditions that while harmless and even helpful are not truly part of doctrine and that we should NEVER EVER confuse the two. I'm sure there are those, particularly those who don't pay much attention to what the Church actually teaches or what the Bible actually says who Do make that mistake; but it *is* a mistake on their part.

 

[rockytopva]

It is my estimation that the churches came down in ages as congregations as given in the opening book of Revelation...

1. Ephesus - Messianic beginning with Peter
2. Smyrna - Gentile church beginning with Paul
3. Pergamos - Orthodox - Began when Constantine liberated the Roman Empire
4. Thyatira - The Roman Catholic Church - Beginning with Charlemagne
5. Sardis - Protestant -Began with Martin Luther
6. Philadelphia - The great awakening. Began with the ana-Baptists - heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both Magisterial Protestants and Roman Catholics.
7. Laodicea - I find traces of this church as early as DL Moody in the 1800's, Who angered the English with rumors of profits made from hymn book sales. DL Moody also was the first in my readings of history to buy a mansion with ministry proceeds.

A Sardius is a gem... Elegant yet hard and rigid. Many sardisean churches will lay out a plan of salvation and teach it where the people believe that theirs is the only way of salvation. But this can also be true with other congregations as well.

 

[Albion]

I run into this a LOT. I grew up in a mixed protestant family full of Presbyterians, Methodists, baptists, and Pentecostals and when I started my conversion process 5 years ago almost all of them thought I was selling my soul to the devil...What's with all this hate?

Your relatives are reacting the same way as Orthodox and Catholic parents react when their children choose to become Baptists, etc. I'd suggest not thinking of it as "hate" or as something that is peculiar to only some churches and not others.

That might help you in your efforts to have them see things more calmly. In the meanwhile, I'd recommend that you keep in mind that you will do more to convince them by living out a Christian lifestyle yourself than by keeping a running battle alive by arguing theology with them.

 

[seashale76]

I don't understand how people can be so adamantly opposed to something they don't even fully understand.

What's with all this hate?

There has been a concerted effort by the culture at large, over the past couple hundred years, to be anti-Catholic (and Orthodoxy- which they know nothing about- gets lumped in with it). For example, one of the hallmarks of classic gothic fiction is pervasive anti-Catholicism (and Chick tracts are the modern incarnation of that). It has been culturally ingrained. They don't need to know the truth about something when they've had their prejudices and straw men passed down from generation to generation. Couple that with American individualism and how the very idea of liturgical and corporate worship takes away from this individualistic view, and how many are extremely proud of their heritage and forebears that came to this country and specifically rejected traditional Christianity in lieu of the so-called Great Awakening, and it is a recipe for hate.

My mother was raised to be anti-Catholic. She continually spouts off things about it that reiterate her ignorance of it, but it doesn't matter. She's right and everyone else is wrong. My father's brothers married Catholics, so she has had numerous opportunities to spout off. It doesn't help when her First Baptist Church actually has Sunday school classes extolling how various groups are wrong (and they did a whole series on Catholics). They ignored Orthodoxy, and when she specifically asked about it, they just told her it was exactly the same as Catholicism.

It's sad and funny at the same time, that before I converted to Orthodox Christianity, I would have conversations with my mom, where she would agree with me; however, when she discovered that what she was agreeing with was Orthodox, she did a 180.

ETA: I've also had co-workers try to convert me back to some form of Evangelical in the past. One guy was especially persistent once he found out I was Orthodox. I told him that I'd talk to him seriously once he had educated himself as to what my beliefs actually were- instead of what he erroneously thought they were- and then I brought him a book to borrow and read. He never bothered me again.

 

[grandvizier1006]

There has been a concerted effort by the culture at large, over the past couple hundred years, to be anti-Catholic (and Orthodoxy- which they know nothing about- gets lumped in with it). For example, one of the hallmarks of classic gothic fiction is pervasive anti-Catholicism (and Chick tracts are the modern incarnation of that). It has been culturally ingrained. They don't need to know the truth about something when they've had their prejudices and straw men passed down from generation to generation. Couple that with American individualism and how the very idea of liturgical and corporate worship takes away from this individualistic view, and how many are extremely proud of their heritage and forebears that came to this country and specifically rejected traditional Christianity in lieu of the so-called Great Awakening, and it is a recipe for hate.

My mother was raised to be anti-Catholic. She continually spouts off things about it that reiterate her ignorance of it, but it doesn't matter. She's right and everyone else is wrong. My father's brothers married Catholics, so she has had numerous opportunities to spout off. It doesn't help when her First Baptist Church actually has Sunday school classes extolling how various groups are wrong (and they did a whole series on Catholics). They ignored Orthodoxy, and when she specifically asked about it, they just told her it was exactly the same as Catholicism.

It's sad and funny at the same time, that before I converted to Orthodox Christianity, I would have conversations with my mom, where she would agree with me; however, when she discovered that what she was agreeing with was Orthodox, she did a 180.

Indeed. The anti-Catholicism is so stupid. It seems like every show had some sort of pedophile bishop to try and "prove" to the viewer that Christianity is bad (apparently if one Catholic bishop molests a child than Christianity as a whole is 100% to blame). They only stopped doing that when Pope Francis showed up, and it was so hypocritical of the left-leaning media to hate Catholics--and by extension all Christians because the concept of denominations is too complicated for some people--and then to suddenly love them when the Pope talks about climate change.

 

[OrthodoxForever]

Your relatives are reacting the same way as Orthodox and Catholic parents react when their children choose to become Baptists, etc. I'd suggest not thinking of it as "hate" or as something that is peculiar to only some churches and not others.

That might help you in your efforts to have them see things more calmly. In the meanwhile, I'd recommend that you keep in mind that you will do more to convince them by living out a Christian lifestyle yourself than by keeping a running battle alive by arguing theology with them.

I don't even bring it up, I never brought it up in the first place... My mom's the one who told them.... now it's they who refuse to leave me alone about it

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

Protestant hatred of Catholicism stems from the Reformation and persecution at the hands of Catholics. Then when protestants had their own countries, they persecuted the catholics. The constant identification with the pope as the antichrist and fights over minutiae of doctrine just shows how far we fall foul of Jesus' example.
The best answer to all this is what CS Lewis said in the preamble to Mere Christianity:

"I hope no reader will suppose that 'mere' Christianity is here put forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions — as if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else

It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall, I have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think preferable. It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into the room you will find that the long wait has done some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling.

In plain language, the question should never be: "Do I like that kind of service?" but "Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper

When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house."

This is fine ecumenism and the various denominations of the world should learn to live in peace and celebrate what we have in common. We are all followers of Jesus and He definately does not approve of this infighting.

 

[Albion]

I don't even bring it up, I never brought it up in the first place... My mom's the one who told them.... now it's they who refuse to leave me alone about it

I understand that, but I doesn't change anything. You're interested in harmony, and I assure you that going toe to toe with them over who's right and who's wrong isn't going to achieve that goal. The better approach is not to view the matter as "they're at fault" but to show them by your life and values that they've misjudged.

 

[Alithis]

I've never known any true believing Christian of *any* denomination who puts tradition above scripture. In the Orthodox church, because we have so many traditions some of which are cultural but still connected with religious life, it's a common theme taught in study groups, camp, Sunday School, and in the Sunday message that there are biblical traditions or traditions rooted in scripture Holy Tradition and little fun cultural traditions that while harmless and even helpful are not truly part of doctrine and that we should NEVER EVER confuse the two. I'm sure there are those, particularly those who don't pay much attention to what the Church actually teaches or what the Bible actually says who Do make that mistake; but it *is* a mistake on their part.

the very fact they pay more heed to what the "insert denomination" church teaches,then they do to what the lord Jesus said .. IS placing tradition over the word of God .. the very tradition of paying more heed to the "church" then to the lord Jesus who is its only head is doing the very thing you say you've"never known of .. " ? no wonder you cant see it .

im out ..

 

[Albion]

...and, to be sure, there are church bodies that ardently advocate Tradition as their guide to dogma, which in turn is why we have all the posts from their members here on CF trying to disprove the reformed commitment to Sola Scriptura.

 

[OrthodoxForever]

...and, to be sure, there are church bodies that ardently advocate Tradition as their guide to dogma, which in turn is why we have all the posts from their members here on CF trying to disprove the reformed commitment to Sola Scriptura.

That actually is one of the protestant dogmas I came to reject as I grew and learned more about my faith and in particular about the history and development of the scriptural canon. I'd be more willing to hear what sola scriptura people had to say if they actually used the full canon of scripture... but unfortunately the lies of the so-called reformation persist

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

That actually is one of the protestant dogmas I came to reject as I grew and learned more about my faith and in particular about the history and development of the scriptural canon. I'd be more willing to hear what sola scriptura people had to say if they actually used the full canon of scripture... but unfortunately the lies of the so-called reformation persist

Seems you are perpetuating the feud between the Reformed groups and the Orthodox which you were complaining about my friend.
See Matthew 7:5 for the bit about the beam in your own eye.

 

[OrthodoxForever]

Seems you are perpetuating the feud between the Reformed groups and the Orthodox which you were complaining about my friend.
See Matthew 7:5 for the bit about the beam in your own eye.

Just because I honestly don't share the belief that there are only 66 inspired books or that all tradition is evil doesn't mean I perpetuate any such infighting. The ones who do are people, who exist in all churches though the ones I run into are usually protestant, who think that they are the only "true followers of Christ" and everyone else and everything they do is wrong no matter how much we actually share. Since I run into more than my fair share of this from ignorant relatives I am asking why some protestants behave this way toward Catholics and Orthodox in particular

 

[OrthodoxForever]

Seems you are perpetuating the feud between the Reformed groups and the Orthodox which you were complaining about my friend.
See Matthew 7:5 for the bit about the beam in your own eye.

Calling me a hyprocrite because I disagree with the protestant rejection of the deuterocanon and don't believe Sola Scriptura?

I'm not promoting infighting, I'm actually asking why a specific type of it happens at all

 

[Albion]

That actually is one of the protestant dogmas I came to reject as I grew and learned more about my faith and in particular about the history and development of the scriptural canon. I'd be more willing to hear what sola scriptura people had to say if they actually used the full canon of scripture... but unfortunately the lies of the so-called reformation persist

I can see that you "have found it at last!" and are a "true believer" like a lot of converts to whatever church it may be.

 

[OrthodoxForever]

I can see that you "have found it at last!" and are a "true believer" like a lot of converts to whatever church it may be.

That is true, I finally feel right with myself and with God and my faith has only deepened since. I don't harbor ill will toward anyone who finds the same elsewhere within Christandom... I just wish the infighting would stop. Having your great-aunt tell you that you're going to hell because you "worship Mary" and "Think Pope Francis is God" and whatever other ignorant nonsense she and others believe about what I believe gets very old very quickly

 

[grandvizier1006]

That is true, I finally feel right with myself and with God and my faith has only deepened since. I don't harbor ill will toward anyone who finds the same elsewhere within Christandom... I just wish the infighting would stop. Having your great-aunt tell you that you're going to hell because you "worship Mary" and "Think Pope Francis is God" and whatever other ignorant nonsense she and others believe about what I believe gets very old very quickly

I get that. However, I think you just might be assigning ideas about Protestants that we don't have. just because you were one doesn't prevent you from doing that.

Granted, we can be pretty arrogant sometimes. But some people, myself and millions of others included, prefer a simplified Christianity that doesn't involve rituals, cultural influences, etc. to play a major role in what should just be simple faith. (Although to be fair some Portestants do this, too!