Your Worst Anti-Catholic Experience

InnerPhyre · Aug 10, 2005

Forest said:
I don't think you were stupid at all.

Having resentment and anger is part of the natural human reaction that we all have to fight from time to time.

It wasn't that fact that I had the feelings that were stupid. It's the fact that I was nursing them and not letting them go. When we hold onto anger and resentment, we don't hurt the person we're angry at. We just poison ourselves.

Like the Bible says, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger"

ej · Aug 10, 2005

M ex-fiance's father is a Baptist missionary.

To my face, he was charming, and we discussed topics such as Grace and Faith over the washing up, gardening, etc. We agreed, exchanged thoughts, and I found our discussions edifying.

When I was not in his direct company however, he mailed packages of leaflets to me: How to become a Christian, all those sorts of things. He wrote me letters about how he found God age 16, and how he had been a sanctified soul ever since. (WHAT? ) He told me the only way for me to find peace in life would be to find God, just like he did, and that I could do this by stopping going to my ridiculous 'church' and by reading the leaflets he sent me and simply letting Christ in.

I felt angry, and I mentally composed letters to reply.
I then considered simply sending back the leaflets and his letter.
I then considered ordering him a rosary and some real theology to browse.

In the end I did nothing. He'd utterly destroyed the spiritual life of his son (my ex), and I decided that leaving him well alone was the best option. He'll be judged and corrected by someone far more important than me some day.

Veritas · Aug 10, 2005

ej said:
M ex-fiance's father is a Baptist missionary.

To my face, he was charming, and we discussed topics such as Grace and Faith over the washing up, gardening, etc. We agreed, exchanged thoughts, and I found our discussions edifying.

When I was not in his direct company however, he mailed packages of leaflets to me: How to become a Christian, all those sorts of things. He wrote me letters about how he found God age 16, and how he had been a sanctified soul ever since. (WHAT? ) He told me the only way for me to find peace in life would be to find God, just like he did, and that I could do this by stopping going to my ridiculous 'church' and by reading the leaflets he sent me and simply letting Christ in.

I felt angry, and I mentally composed letters to reply.
I then considered simply sending back the leaflets and his letter.
I then considered ordering him a rosary and some real theology to browse.

In the end I did nothing. He'd utterly destroyed the spiritual life of his son (my ex), and I decided that leaving him well alone was the best option. He'll be judged and corrected by someone far more important than me some day.

You did the right thing. In the end (the real "end"), he'll be sorry he ever did those things. Of course, praying for him might help him come to that conclusion a little sooner. Maybe someday he'll ring you up to apologize

AMDG · Aug 10, 2005

Holly3278 said:
What was the worst anti-Catholic experience you have ever had and how did you handle it?

My VERY, VERY worst? When my one of my own precious daughters deserted Jesus to embrace the LDS faith, saying that we Catholics are cannibals and do really weird things that are totally against what the early church believed so much so that the Catholic church is an "abomination" and Joseph Smith HAD to "reestablish" the REAL church, and that Jesus is "A" god and that there are many more. Mormon missionaries would "visit" and one "twosome" lectured me about "worshipping" Mary instead of "Heavenly Father". (It is a far worse experience than those "chick" tracts that I rip up and throw away.)

How am I handling it? After I "caught my breath", I have been crying for YEARS. Have also joined the St. Monica Sodality. Pray regularly. REALLY started reading up on Catholicism (I LOVE the Early Church Fathers.) And my house probably looks like a shrine now. (Told that "twosome" that sought to "lecture" me, that I wasn't interested--even though they told me that it was REALLY important, and they haven't returned.) Of course, it's ongoing (she has six children now) and sometimes it's hard to keep up hope when all looks truly desolate.

Not what you were looking for.

ej · Aug 10, 2005

Oh good grief, I'm sorry

I thought mine was bad - losing a fiance because of his parents anti-Catholicism.
Losing your own children must be truly heart-breaking. It sounds as though you're dealing with it best you can - be sure to keep it up

Dust and Ashes · Aug 10, 2005

Well, I'm not Catholic but since Orthodoxy is catholic enough to draw the ire of my mother in law who is a good Baptist, I'd have to say my worst anti-Catholic experience was this email she sent my wife shortly after we converted. Here is the thread in TAW where I posted it when it first happened.

Dear Brenda,
I am writing you in regards to the decision you have or are about to make. I am telling you this from my heart and how I feel. I do not know a tackful way to go about this so guess I'll just let it rip.
I am deeply disappointed & hope you haven't already made up your mind to join this church. Yes I do understand this of going with your husband and supporting him- but you do not have to join.
If thats the way he feels - I hate it for him but you've just begun a fine line journey that you will fight tooth and nail to get out of - if you ever changed your mind. I am 100% sure this "Orthodox Christian Church " is another title for the Catholic religion which is a cult. That is works of the devil.
Oh how-Yea you can come visit us 2 times a month - Brad says- but you can hardly make it 1 time a month. GET REAL ! I can see thru this - I'm not stupid. But you won't need to bother.
You still owe me the paymts for the debts you owe, and cuts all ties to everything.
Some one is brain washing you totally & I can't support a decision of this nature. I've tried to be open to all the past demonations you've been a part of- but this one is different and not one I can or will support.
Believe me I went where my husband wanted to in support - but would not have choosen Corinth Heights the second time around. I was deeply disappointed he wanted to or would even think about going there again. So I do understand that !!
I hope you understand Once you join this church you are ALWAYS a part of it and all your children will automatically be members there too, and you will not get out of it without a legal action nearly.
I will have to disown you but you can no longer be a part of our family once you go thur with this. With tears running down my checks you will not never know how badly this hurts me as I write this. I cannot comdone this decision. If this is to late --- all I can say is "GOOD-BYE AND HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY." Because now we will never be a FAMILY & that is so painfull. I realize Brad never had FAMILY but why is he against ours? Think TWICE PLEASE I BEG OF YOU. It will even be hard to think of Brad as a son in law again.
This is not a guilt trip and if you think it is - go ahead and see for your self. I really regret you not telling me this sooner and you probably think I should have said more on Wednesday but I wanted to be sure I knew this was a Catholic demonation as I thought it was, before spilling my guts. When you showed me the crosses, and all the chattering you will be doing , kneeling, and the sister's thing, the picture of the bldg , I was almost 100% sure, but didn't want to add stress to your life. I am speaking out now because the stress is on me. I don't know if I can bear this cross of looseing you. With sleepless night I got up and began writing how I can tell you and I just hope its not too late. This is not my decision but yours ..... I'm so sorry.

cristoiglesia · Aug 10, 2005

Posting in this forum is among the worst experiences I have had as a Catholic. Part of being Catholic is to suffer persecution. I am always comforted to know that people hate us because of what they believe we believe rather than what we really believe. Being a Catholic, I know that those people are pathetic caricatures of Christianity who enforce their belief by hating others for theirs. Just as they refuse the truth of the Word of God, they refuse to hear the truth from others and embrace the straw men they have created. They fail to see the similarity between hating Christ's Church and hating Christ. They know the verse where they are told to love their enemies but that love in them does not extend to those of Christ's Church.

I was one of those that persecuted Christ's Church. I too, thought my beliefs were superior to theirs. I found truth in all those anti-Catholic declarations by all those who hate Catholics. The persecutions still remain, no not in the coliseum as food for the lions and the entertainment of the pagans, but in the hearts and minds of many who call themselves Christian. They proclaim to love Christ but to hate those who follow Him in His Church. They proclain to follow His teachings but embrace, in countless variations, another Gospel. May God have mercy on me for being one of them. Father forgive me and all those that persecute you while proclaiming your name.

There are so few Catholics that stand up to the persecution. Most suffer silently never wavering from their faith finding humor in their ignorant critics to shield the pain. They are both encouraged and saddened by the criticism. Encouraged in the fact that the persecution of the Church is prophesied and is evidence of the true Church and at the same time saddened that so many will be lost by their hatred towards the Church and blinded to the truth. But, this is the nature of spiritual warfare where the wheat is separated from the tares and there is preparation for the harvest. So many at that final judgement will face a judge who will say:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt. 7:21-23.

In Christ

Mechwar · Aug 10, 2005

I hope I'm not stepping over the line posting here, as I myself am not Catholic.

I hope and pray that you do not think that all people dislike and try to tear you down. I don't know what to say, especially about that email. Just remember that God will judge those that seek to judge others. And I can't lie...I'm just a guilty of it too, in my own little way.

I am deeply saddened by that email.......

InnerPhyre · Aug 10, 2005

forgivensinner001 said:
Well, I'm not Catholic but since Orthodoxy is catholic enough to draw the ire of my mother in law who is a good Baptist, I'd have to say my worst anti-Catholic experience was this email she sent my wife shortly after we converted. Here is the thread in TAW where I posted it when it first happened.

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That may be the most awful and ignorant thing I've ever read in my life.

InnerPhyre · Aug 10, 2005

Mechwar said:
I hope I'm not stepping over the line posting here, as I myself am not Catholic.

I hope and pray that you do not think that all people dislike and try to tear you down. I don't know what to say, especially about that email. Just remember that God will judge those that seek to judge others. And I can't lie...I'm just a guilty of it too, in my own little way.

I am deeply saddened by that email.......

Nah, man. These type of people are in the minority. We don't think all or most non-Catholics are like this.

Dust and Ashes · Aug 10, 2005

InnerPhyre said:
That may be the most awful and ignorant thing I've ever read in my life.

It was mainly a scare tactic which failed miserably and actually backfired. I sent her a very firm but charitable reply and told her how she had caused possibly irreparable damage to her relationship with Brenda and she was very apologetic and sorry. More than a year later, though she has forgiven her mother, my wife still can't be as close to her as she once was. I guess finding out a parent's love isn't as unconditional as you thought changes your emotional dependency on that parent.

ej · Aug 10, 2005

InnerPhyre said:
Nah, man. These type of people are in the minority. We don't think all or most non-Catholics are like this.

You speak the truth, my friend

Glynnw · Aug 10, 2005

When my sister, who is Baptist, found out that I was going to convert, she called our house and asked when my cradle Catholic wife was going to become a christian. It took us over a year to get past this and we finally speak again.

Ave Maria · Aug 10, 2005

InnerPhyre said:
Nah, man. These type of people are in the minority. We don't think all or most non-Catholics are like this.

Exactly! Most Protestants/Non-Catholics are friendly to us Catholics/Orthodox. I am quite thankful for that. Most of them do not judge.

Anyway, I really feel for those of you who have experienced such hatred. The best we can do is to love our enemies and pray for them. Any more stories? If you have already shared your worst experience, you can share other experiences as well if you'd like.

princess_ballet · Aug 10, 2005

Oh my! That letter was just horrible. I would have felt horrible about it. I'm just so thankful that I was born into this faith. I still have gone through anti-Catholic experiences, but at least I didn't have to tell my family I was switching. That must be very hard.

My worst experience to date would have to be a particular dance class I had (although having your friends mad at you all through high school is hard too). On this particular night it was only me and another girl in the class. For some reason we started talking about church (dont' ask me why we weren't dancing!). The teacher and the girl went to the same church (though neither go there now) and find out I was Catholic. The whole night was filled with snide remarks and how I wasn't "Christian."

Come to think of it, I ended up going to that same teacher until I graduated (and this was probably...around 6th grade). I don't think I ever told my parents about it, but if I had, and if I had known what I know now, I probably would've quit that night and went to a different teacher. Imagine how this effects a little girl!

Infact, the same thing happend (almost) in my junior year of high school with her son. We were taking a swing class and we went over to their house to practice with two other people. It ended up becoming a "Catholic Bash Fest." We have this "Christian" school in the area. Catholics don't go there, so I'm imagining that they teach a bunch of anti-Catholic things.

Number 81 · Aug 10, 2005

Being 16 and going to Catholic school since preschool I never really had any anti-Catholic stuff until I joined CF. I was only 14 at the time and I didn't really understand how different the Catholic Church was different from Protestant denominations. I have been in a lot of debates that I really didn't want to be in, one of the worst being on another site discussing Catholicism with some guy (Supposedly he came from this cultist Christian Religion, or that's what the admin told me) and he kept telling me how bad the Trinity was and was really angry over the Ecumenism movement. But my worst experience came from the CF.
It was in the "Christian Teens" forum on this site. Right after Pope John Paul II died. The post was deleted, but the poster started by offering her condolences, and saying that she was truly sorry. Didn't sound too bad, until she said that she was only sorry because Catholics don't go to Heaven.

Anyway, there always seems like there are more people complaining than people complementing, and then more people complain about people complaining than there were people complaining in the first place. It goes on only because complaining is more fun than complementing.

ej · Aug 11, 2005

It says a lot about someone's faith if they cannot justify it on its own truth.

The truth stands alone - IMHO any person who makes up lies about another faith, or feels the need to constantly bash another faith, in order to make their own seem more important, does not have sufficient faith. They obviously just don't get it.

We're talking about God, His Son, our lives, our purposes, everything spiritual... I thin any person who wants to mar this beautiful faith with ugly words and deliberate hurt, deserves our prayers, and our patience in order that we do not stoop to their level, however incorrect we perceive them to be.

Dozer · Aug 11, 2005

Well, this is my first time here, so greetings everyone.

This seemed like a good place to start so I'll put in my 2 cents worth (although after reading some of your stories, mine must seem a little trivial).

Having only converted to Catholicism a little over 2 years ago ( I was brought up in a good baptist family), I havent had the misfortune of many anti-catholic experiences.

The only one the sticks with me, indeed is still with me, is a very close relative who refuses to come to my wedding (Im getting married in 2 months YAY) because we are getting married in a catholic church and he says he wont be part of a "godless" wedding. It is also very distrssing the way he blames my fiance for "corrupting" me, as she has been brought up in a catholic family (in truth she had very little to do with it, but was a good support for all my questions).

Anyhow, just thought I'd get that off my chest and say hi. And for the record, in my experience, most non-catholics are very decent people.

Have fun people and god bless

D'Ann · Aug 11, 2005

Glynnw said:
When my sister, who is Baptist, found out that I was going to convert, she called our house and asked when my cradle Catholic wife was going to become a christian. It took us over a year to get past this and we finally speak again.

When my husband and I first told his family that we were Catholic, we were at a picnic and they were nice enough, but when we got home... guess what we found in our stuff? A Jack Chick tract... LOL

My husband being the apologist that he is, called them up and we all got together for a "Bible study". I was amazed at how often they said that we worship Mary and idols. Then my dh (dear husband) said ... look around your home... you have crosses and pictures of Jesus, and at Christmas time, you have the Advent scene... Needless to say, they changed the subject to another area of our faith. It turned out okay and no hard feelings, but it is very sad and heart breaking when people truly do misunderstand our faith and make incorrect assumptions and put words into our mouths trying to confirm their own misconceptions. The best way to overcome the sadness and the anger that can occur is to pray and trust in Jesus and Mary and all of the Saints that the seeds that have been planted will be watered by the Holy Spirit. I have had many other experiences, but this one came to my mind.

Prior to becoming Catholic, I was not anti-Catholic, but I did have misconceptions about the CC faith. Because of my own past misunderstandings, I have hope for others who are not Catholic and who have similar misunderstandings of our faith... that one day, they too, will embrace the complete fullness of the objective truth. That is my hope and prayer.

Pax,

Debbie

Y_Cathol · Aug 11, 2005

D'Ann said:
that the seeds that have been planted will be watered by the Holy Spirit

Nice -> Very nice

Your Worst Anti-Catholic Experience

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