Your Worst Anti-Catholic Experience

[HisKid1973]

VERY well said.

I would hope that we would all help each other as Christ's family. I know I would help a Catholic just as sure as I would help one of my fellow protestants. If you love Christ you are my family.

If we don't show some love for each other (should be easy enough, because we really are one in Christ) it could come to what you described above. I have a feeling then we would cling to ANY fellow Christian we could find, and all these petty differences would fall away.

I love this response. My harassment came from unbelievers, but I have also been ragged on for being to "religious" or a Jesus "freak" by protestant and catholic co-workers who are what I call "pew sitters". Who attend chuch just to make a show and show no fruit from a rebirth in Christ.. I love my Saviour and won't hesitate to take a stand for Him in my walk or talk. I had to deal with anything from people putting obsene picture at controls I had to use to a group of woman discussing explicit things in from of me. They way I see it ,it's going to get worse.. In Christ..Kim

 

[Ave Maria]

I love this response. My harassment came from unbelievers, but I have also been ragged on for being to "religious" or a Jesus "freak" by protestant and catholic co-workers who are what I call "pew sitters". Who attend chuch just to make a show and show no fruit from a rebirth in Christ.. I love my Saviour and won't hesitate to take a stand for Him in my walk or talk. I had to deal with anything from people putting obsene picture at controls I had to use to a group of woman discussing explicit things in from of me. They way I see it ,it's going to get worse.. In Christ..Kim

Ah yes, pew sitters. You know, I don't know if it's just me but I don't seem to notice them as much in the Catholic Church.

 

[LongingForLight]

I've heard more anti-Christian stuff than anti-Catholic. Or anti-religion-in-general. Seattle has a pretty vocal atheist community, and a lot of agnostics who have had bad experiences with the "you're going to Hell and I'm not" Christians - and then, since the mojority of Christians who are good and loving aren't so visible, concluded that all Christians are like that. But they are the minority - most people are really accepting; Seattle is pretty diverse, too.

 

[Ave Maria]

I've heard more anti-Christian stuff than anti-Catholic. Or anti-religion-in-general. Seattle has a pretty vocal atheist community, and a lot of agnostics who have had bad experiences with the "you're going to Hell and I'm not" Christians - and then, since the mojority of Christians who are good and loving aren't so visible, concluded that all Christians are like that. But they are the minority - most people are really accepting; Seattle is pretty diverse, too.

I hear a lot of Atheist stuff on the various boards but thankfully it isn't that much.

 

[Bails]

In America it seems that Protestantism, especially Baptism and other Southern fundamentalist sects, have taken a strong stance against the Church. They see it as the W***e of Babylon and so on and so forth. I find this to be very sad, seeing such hatred from fellow Christians. I pray for their souls and hope God can find mercy upon them.

 

[U R my Sonshine]

I hear a lot of Atheist stuff on the various boards but thankfully it isn't that much.

That is the key. We as Christians need to unite. In the end, it won't matter what our Church was as long as we were following Christ and living by his commands to the best of our ability and with all our hearts.

There are luck-warm Catholics and luke warm Protestants alike . God tells us he doesn't like luke-warm. It isn't a church issue, it ia a christian issue.

The UNCHURCHED are possibly the ONLY ones who (out of ignorance) should be excused for any kind of anti-CHRISTIAN rhetoric. If a catholic bashes a protestant it is no different than a protestant bashing a catholic. It is all abhorable to the Lord to see his children treating each other poorly. Especially horrible to treat other brothers and sisters in Christ horribly because of their church.

I may not agree with the catholic teachings, and a catholic may not agree with the protestant teachings. But the day one begins degrading the other is the day their walk with the Lord is being etched away at.

Plus....it is a huge waste of engergy to take part in such nastiness.

 

[Ave Maria]

That is the key. We as Christians need to unite. In the end, it won't matter what our Church was as long as we were following Christ and living by his commands to the best of our ability and with all our hearts.

There are luck-warm Catholics and luke warm Protestants alike . God tells us he doesn't like luke-warm. It isn't a church issue, it ia a christian issue.

The UNCHURCHED are possibly the ONLY ones who (out of ignorance) should be excused for any kind of anti-CHRISTIAN rhetoric. If a catholic bashes a protestant it is no different than a protestant bashing a catholic. It is all abhorable to the Lord to see his children treating each other poorly. Especially horrible to treat other brothers and sisters in Christ horribly because of their church.

I may not agree with the catholic teachings, and a catholic may not agree with the protestant teachings. But the day one begins degrading the other is the day their walk with the Lord is being etched away at.

Plus....it is a huge waste of engergy to take part in such nastiness.

I agree. Christians shouldn't fight amongs themselves and should make every effort to get along. However, correcting each other when teaching is false or something of that sort is acceptable in my eyes.

 

[HisKid1973]

I agree. Christians shouldn't fight amongs themselves and should make every effort to get along. However, correcting each other when teaching is false or something of that sort is acceptable in my eyes.

Excellent point Sis. Hence these words of Christ.
Studying so we know His truths.

2Tim2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Not Judgeing but being fruit inspectors so we can know them.

Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Warning us
2Tim.3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
YBIC..Kim

 

[U R my Sonshine]

I agree. Christians shouldn't fight amongs themselves and should make every effort to get along. However, correcting each other when teaching is false or something of that sort is acceptable in my eyes.

So I guess Catholics and Protestants can go on "correcting" each other until it has turned ugly. That is exactly what leads to this kind of attitude that divides. If a belief is unchristlike it should be corrected. However, If a belief is merely doctrinal then it should be left alone because I am never going to be catholic and you are probably never going to be protestant. We both feel strongly that our church teaches the "full" truth. So why bother dividing and arguing? The only purpse it serves is "you are wrong, I am right" which has lead to the bigotry we are dealing with amongst our fellow Christians right now, and that bigotry is ungodly....however you may choose to justify it.

The issue of this thread was the anit-catholic sentiments. If a person goes around telling everyone their beliefs are wrong they will take it as anti-"what ever their church is" sentiments. There is simply no place for this within Christianity. None.

If a fellow christian shows interest in your particular church....That is different. If a catholic comes to me and asks about my church (just a simple bible church where everyone is welcome and the love of Christ and his teachings are evident and beautiful) and what we believe I will tell them and invite them, if they seem interested in comng. I won't degrade their catholism, however. On the other hand I don't want a catholic degrading my church. It goes both ways. Both ways are ugly and unchristian. Even if the offender "believes" him/her self to be "right". NEITHER of us have any right....any right at all, to belittle the others faith. Because we are both Christian. It isn't like we are trying to convert a hindu, it is other Christians we are dealing with.

 

[StPaul]

For the longest time, I didn't even know that a hatred towards Catholics even existed. I knew that there were people that had different Christian views, but I never thought there would have been hatred (mainly because I never experienced it).

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I got my "slap-in-the-face" of the reality... and ever since then,... it seems as if there are times where I cannot get away from it. I remember the first time I was exposed to the hatred... don't you just gotta love Jack T. Chick...

Ohh... and I just loved how this one person was trying to explain to me what I believed . (sorry for the hint of sarcasm)

You can try to explain what you believe (and what misconceptions exist) until you are blue in the face, but a zealous Jack Chick subscriber doesn't want to hear it, wont want to hear it... and their actions (whether intentional or not) cause further divisions within Christianity.

Sorry for my rant..

 

[U R my Sonshine]

For the longest time, I didn't even know that a hatred towards Catholics even existed. I knew that there were people that had different Christian views, but I never thought there would have been hatred (mainly because I never experienced it).

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I got my "slap-in-the-face" of the reality... and ever since then,... it seems as if there are times where I cannot get away from it. I remember the first time I was exposed to the hatred... don't you just gotta love Jack T. Chick...

Ohh... and I just loved how this one person was trying to explain to me what I believed . (sorry for the hint of sarcasm)

You can try to explain what you believe (and what misconceptions exist) until you are blue in the face, but a zealous Jack Chick subscriber doesn't want to hear it, wont want to hear it... and their actions (whether intentional or not) cause further divisions within Christianity.

Sorry for my rant..

You are very right.

I know I have experienced anti-protestant sentiments from time to time...(the town I lived in before moving to France was mostly Catholic.) and on CF as well. I think we both have to rise above it in Christ. Usually it is ignorance of the others faith that causes hatred and nasty remarks.

You'd think most people could just keep their mouths shut if they didn't have something nice to say. THAT is very biblical!

Protestants have a "Jack Chick" too....try Betty Bowers.com NAUSEATING.

 

[Kotton]

You can try to explain what you believe (and what misconceptions exist) until you are blue in the face, but a zealous Jack Chick subscriber doesn't want to hear it, wont want to hear it... and their actions (whether intentional or not) cause further divisions within Christianity.

And that's a FACT!

Kotton

 

[SarahEngland]

I had a Christian friend, who helped me when I was a mormon.
I left the Mormons after our long discussions and became a practising Christian.
We had a close friendship,At the time I was trying to find a church to belong to, when I asked about the Catholic church, she aknolwedged they were Christian, but she didn't know alot about them.
A year of so later I attended an ecumenical lent course. I met a few Catholics and they had metioned the RCIA course, I was thinking of going on that, and mentioned it to my friend.This must have been about 4 years ago. This is sad...
She said the most vulgar things about the Catholic church, and anyone that had anything to do with it.
She called the Catholic church a cult, and the people in it ,she believed , were not Christians. She told me I would be no better off a Catholic than a Mormon.
I got the Jack T Chick treatment, and a whole
pile of ani Catholic books delivered to my door by her. I'm sorry to say,
I found them convincing and my earlier interest in the Catholic church faded away.
She was so full of hate in the things she said, and due to my ignorance then, I found some of the arguments in the books convincing. However I could not agree with her that Catholics were not Christans.
She stopped talking to me after that, I hear that she and is part of a group that is extremely anti Catholic, and married someone with the same
attitudes.

People and groups like this don't just target Catholics, it is every other group that they think are wrong. And there methods of "witnessing" are appalling, standing outside the place that their target group worship at, Shouting, approaching people as they come out with tracts, and being very confrontational on occasions.( and they want people to become Christians?) Not a very good advertisment if you ask me.

PS; after reading some of the Anti Catholic material, I became more interested in apologetics.And to be a good apologist you need to have a good understanding of what you are defending, and be able to present it to the person with the opposing views, which I find is easier when you know where they are coming from.
This interest in apologetics indirectly led to my renewed interest in the Catholic faith, after hearing some Catholic appologetics, Did some further research and, guess what conclusion I reached?

:o So I could say... Jack T Chick's aims backfired, and I should thank him for his part in helping me to discover the TRUTH of the Catholic faith!... Nah

Amazing How the Holy Spirit works! Praising Him for leading me to the Catholic faith.


Sarah

 

[Dream]

Protestants have a "Jack Chick" too....try Betty Bowers.com NAUSEATING.

Yea, but only extremists take her seriously. Far too many people openly accept Jack Chick and his publications.

 

[U R my Sonshine]

Yea, but only extremists take her seriously. Far too many people openly accept Jack Chick and his publications.

Sometimes people just like to cause a rift, too. Sad, but true.

One thing I have noticed is that there seems to be almost as much, if not more bad blood between Catholics and Protestants than between Christians and Atheists at CF. It makes me really sad, because we are really more alike than different.

Nobody can argue or put down my church and change what God has taught me there. I will not convert to catholisism and no one is going to turn you all protestant either by arguing and being hateful.

Having read posts here fairly regularly, I have learned about your faith but never for one moment questioned being a member of my church "First Christain Church". I love it, love the people, feel God's presence there abundantly and can worship him fully...and nothing can change that. I can only assume you folks feel as loyal to the catholic church. I have seen it in you posts. I respect you for that. That is the way it should be.

So...what good is the "derogatory" debating anyway? It serves only to divide Christ's family. I have seen Catholics and Protestants who seems to want us divided. It seems to make for "good discussions"

 

[Annabel Lee]

Protestants have a "Jack Chick" too....try Betty Bowers.com NAUSEATING.

That's true, though Betty Bowers is a parody site and Jack Chick is deadly serious.
Parody, of course, can also be painful.

 

[Glynnw]

My sister who is Baptist in talking to my Cradle Catholic wife asked her when she was going to become a christian, because she was only baptized as a baby. THIS HAS CAUSED HUGE PROBLEMS, since I recently converted to Catholic there has been some cold stares and harsh words passed and things will never be the same. I asked my sister why she was so worried about my wifes religion because we certainly don't worry about hers.
My 90 year old mother who is Baptist has really showed her approval that I became a Catholic, probably because I did not attend church regularly before. The other day she had some Baptist ladies visiting her and she was explaining how much I like the Catholic Church. One of the ladies came out and said "I DON'T LIKE CATHOLICS'. Well, she does not know me so how does she know if she likes me or not. My poor mother was floored, but I have to give her she was trying to defend me and the Catholic religion. That is hard enough for a practicing Catholic to do, much less a Baptist lady in her 90's. I just love her for that though. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM.

In Christ, Mary and all of the Saints, especially Saint Therese, GlynnW

 

[The Black Knight]

My sister who is Baptist in talking to my Cradle Catholic wife asked her when she was going to become a christian, because she was only baptized as a baby. THIS HAS CAUSED HUGE PROBLEMS, since I recently converted to Catholic there has been some cold stares and harsh words passed and things will never be the same. I asked my sister why she was so worried about my wifes religion because we certainly don't worry about hers.
My 90 year old mother who is Baptist has really showed her approval that I became a Catholic, probably because I did not attend church regularly before. The other day she had some Baptist ladies visiting her and she was explaining how much I like the Catholic Church. One of the ladies came out and said "I DON'T LIKE CATHOLICS'. Well, she does not know me so how does she know if she likes me or not. My poor mother was floored, but I have to give her she was trying to defend me and the Catholic religion. That is hard enough for a practicing Catholic to do, much less a Baptist lady in her 90's. I just love her for that though. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM.

In Christ, Mary and all of the Saints, especially Saint Therese, GlynnW

Stuff like this is rough.
Am I the only one who finds that most of the time the problems that n-Cs have with Catholicism is more that they don't know/understand and have been told wrong somewhere than thay they really have a problem with our most holy faith?

I often ask people where they got that idea and when they tell me & it turns out to be someplace other than an authentic Catholic source then I have to suggest that they read or listen to someone who knows the facts and presents them in an unbiased manner.

There are lots of strange allegations floating around. Most of them have no basis in Catholic teaching or practice.
Pax vobiscum,
Michael

 

[anawim]

One of the most frustrating aspects about talking to Protestants is that they have an "either/or" mentality, rather than a "both/and".

 

[Gwendolyn]

Am I the only one who finds that most of the time the problems that n-Cs have with Catholicism is more that they don't know/understand and have been told wrong somewhere than thay they really have a problem with our most holy faith?

I often ask people where they got that idea and when they tell me & it turns out to be someplace other than an authentic Catholic source then I have to suggest that they read or listen to someone who knows the facts and presents them in an unbiased manner.
und. Most of them have no basis in Catholic teaching or practice.
Pax vobiscum,
Michael

That's the problem... they dislike myths and lies, which they believe to be truths and accept them as such... their attitudes don't come from a proper familiarity with the Church. They are derived from ignorance... and in this case, ignorance is not bliss. It is harmful.