What Anti-Catholicism?

[Dreamweaver]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Nov 15 2005, 02:49 PM']A friend of mine is a Protestant married to a Catholic. She was visiting a Prot. church, and after a couple of weeks one of the members asked where her husband was. She explained that he's Catholic, and goes to Mass. The church member responded, "Well, we'll pray for him that he'll become a Christian, then."

It's not a loud demonstration or anything, but the message was loud and clear that "Catholics aren't Christians."

My friend didn't go back to that church.
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I've also noticed that kind of belief online at some protestant forums and websites. Quite sad, especially since the Catholic church was founded by Christ, assigning Peter to care for His lambs. The Bible came from the Catholic Church also.

[Tsornin]

Here's my onging struggle with anti-Catholicism, qua Christian unity: I was talking with a co-worker about something--oh, yeah, why I couldn't, in good conscience, date this guy because he was divorced. So that started the whole thing, about Scripture, Tradition, ok, fine. But then I started talking about our belief as Christians (he was Protestant) and he started laughing and saying Catholics aren't Christians, citing how "ritualistic" we are, and how that makes us totally different.. Finally, I realized that he couldn't distinguish between Protestant and Christian, since they are used interchangably where he comes from--wherever that be.

At the time, I thought it was just ignorance, because he struck me as a Sunday Christian--once a week at church, if that. But since then, I've noticed a pattern, even so far as the Bible study class over at the prominent "non-denomination" church told my friend's dad that, when speaking about sinning against the Holy Spirit, a Catholic would bring that up...it was rather harsh, man. But if the Protestant leaders teach their flock this separation, it's going to stick, cause the average layman ain't gonna look any further afield--oi. And Chick tracts!!! Don't even get me STARTED!!! I feel North Cali's pain; it's not much better down here.....

[missionseeker]

[quote name='PhillyMatt' date='Nov 15 2005, 03:53 AM']
Just a observation and a question.....

As I started to visit Catholic forums on the net, I've heard people mention that they experienced "anti-catholicism" and that it's quite rampant in some places. I'm fortunate to never have experienced this and am wondering where exactly people have these experiences.

I've probably never experienced this partly due to where I live, pretty much everyone in the Philadelphia area has always been Catholic, hell, Catholic High School football has it's own section in the paper! Every where you look, there is another Catholic School! My 500 acre backyard used to be owned by the Catholic Church (they just sold it). Even in the wake of the Philly Sex abuse scandals, there's still no Anti-ism to be seen! Am I just living in a good area????
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[quote name='PhillyMatt' date='Nov 15 2005, 12:01 PM']
Guys, neither one of those is Anti-catholicism. The people demonstrating against disagreed with your IDEAS not your religion. By ant-cath I mean something along the lines as, people spreading falsehoods about your beliefs or any mailicousnesss toward you because you are Catholic.
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HELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOO from the Bible Belt!(saw your thread)

Yeah, here in South Alabama, anti-Catholism is umm, the norm.

Here are aour Deanery stats.

10 counties
6 parishes
2 missions
Total Pop. 347,208 (way rural)
Total Catholic Pop. 4,651

And qouted from another thread:
[QUOTE]Oh, Yeah.
People used to dsit behind my sister in class and go
Bud Weis EERR

People ask can you eat cereal? can you use credit cards? can you use electricity?

None of those are made up.
And we live RIGHT beside an "assemblies of God" church. And the minister was introducing himself to us and he said we should drop by on Sunday and Mom said that we DID go to church somwhere esle and he asked which one and she said the Catholic one and he took A HUGE step backward. The smile left his face. And then quickly came back as he recomposed himself and said that was nice and that he had to go now. It was really quite funny.

[/QUOTE]
As for speading lies, well, honestly they are MOSTLY misconceptions/ignorance. Like - we wotship Mary and the Saints, we worship Satan, we're all going to Hell (my GRANDMOTHER told me I was cuz I was Catholic.)

also from another thread

quote=missionseeker,Sep 14 2005, 12:39 AM]
I had a Baptist tell me that he could shoot me (fataly) then turn around and shoot himself (fataly) and still go straight to Heaven cuz he was saved. He also told many other ridiculous things.
Now I take a Catechism when ever I go on youth conferences
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[quote name='missionseeker' date='Sep 14 2005, 11:01 PM']
It really depends on the person. The guy who told me that stuff probably would not have (at least not for a while; I was actually getting somewhere with him then it was time to do something else and you could see the releif in his face) But I have had others quite willing to listen to and read it while I went to sleep. Also I let one girl read Mary Beth Bonnacci's book "We're on a Mission From God"
Their veiw of the Church is a little more difficult to explain. I don't even Know if they know their veiw of the Church. That also changes from person to person. For the most part it is:

Pope worshipers, we pray to the Pope or through the pope.
The guy (same dude that's gonna shoot me) got really upset when I told him Uhh, NO we don't and he litterally puffed out "Well then how do you pray?" Oh, you should have seen his face when I said "Our father, who art in Heaven..."

Idolators; we worship golden statues with diamond eyes. No joke (although she was a Methodist)

Of course Mary worshipers- same sense that we worship God ( Iwill refrain from entering debate but only cuz you asked--but I agree with Old Joe and Raphael)

The saints really scare most of them.

Bread worshipers which ,of course, we are if it's consecrated. Of course, then it's not really bread is it?
You may as well carry the Catechism because you never know where you'll need it.
Good Luck if you come across those guys again!!!
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O.k i'll stop now because this is an extremely long post but I can tell you more.

[Guest Rick777]

wow living in alabama seems like a trial

[PhillyMatt]

That's why I love being Catholic, it actually requires some intellect and thought, which leads to acceptance and understanding of others. You actually NEED to be able to think for yourself to understand your faith.

It seems too many people rely on blind ignorance and misinformation. I thought tolerance was a big part of Christianity, I guess that's not taught in other religions, i.e. some protestant denominations....

Edited November 16, 2005 by PhillyMatt

[Guest Rick777]

Yah so did I, its just a matter of really understanding what God teaches

[Ash Wednesday]

The sort of "anti-Catholicism" I experienced in high school (a long time ago, far, far away....) was very subtle. I went to public school and had friends who were Southern Baptist and all went to the same church, except me, the rogue Catholic. They were happy to be friends with me, but in the end never really considered me as being entirely "one of them" -- in particular, whenever the subject of religion came up they buttoned up like nervous little clams. At the time I didn't understand what the problem was. It wasn't until college I discovered that there were Christians that REALLY didn't agree with what Catholics did and believed. And while it wasn't blatant mockery and stemmed from theological differences, it would have been nice if my friends would have been more willing to express what their hangups were.

In the end though, it's equally likely that their eventual coldness had just as much to do with my artistic freakish mind, I suppose.

Oh yeah, lest I forget: our church had Fred Phelps and the rest of his "God Hates Fags" gang come and picket us

[PhillyMatt]

Nothing like getting picketed by a bunch of ignorant wackos....

Do you think all the people who are anti-Catholic are also anti-Semetic?

[missionseeker]

I don't know but I have heard many wacky things preached ( my Grandmother loved to us to her church, I just have recently figured out why)

[PhillyMatt]

[quote name='missionseeker' date='Nov 16 2005, 03:03 AM']I don't know but I have heard many wacky things preached ( my Grandmother loved to us to her church, I just have recently figured out why)
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Preached? I said picketed..... :

[Guest Rick777]

jk

[missionseeker]

Yeah, and she didn't love tous to her church either, she loved to take us to her church lol

[dandy777]

I think there is one major fault: [b]lack of dialogue[/b].

For example, I am European and have been raised in a Catholic country. 95% of the population is Catholic and many take it for granted that everyone is Catholic. We have loads of churches, church schools, institutes and learning centres and the Church as an institution is highly respected in my country.

However, there were many faults within the Catholic system which are now backfiring. For example, many people who are illiterate or coming from a low eductional level have never actually questioned or tried to delve in the teachings of the Church not just as doctrine but also with regards to rites (their purpose and meaning). Unfortunately, the Church hasn't taken lots of hassles to explain such things neither. So even [b]within[/b] our church, many people don't understand what we actually believe.

Thus, I don't blame Protestants who can't realise and understand the depth and warmth of our beliefs and rites. I do condemn the harsh sentiments of hatred though.

In the past two / three decades, we have witnessed an incerease in Christian (non-Catholic) and Islamic communites in our country though. This is slowly producing a rift that is dividing the people into different worlds. That's why I believe in dialogue. Only dialogue can help us brigde the differences and acknowledge similarities. I firmly believe that when Protestants and Catholics pray together, there is an awesome flow of worship exalting our God.

[missionseeker]

[quote name='dandy777' date='Nov 16 2005, 11:32 AM']I think there is one major fault: [b]lack of dialogue[/b].

For example, I am European and have been raised in a Catholic country. 95% of the population is Catholic and many take it for granted that everyone is Catholic. We have loads of churches, church schools, institutes and learning centres and the Church as an institution is highly respected in my country.

However, there were many faults within the Catholic system which are now backfiring. For example, many people who are illiterate or coming from a low eductional level have never actually questioned or tried to delve in the teachings of the Church not just as doctrine but also with regards to rites (their purpose and meaning). Unfortunately, the Church hasn't taken lots of hassles to explain such things neither. So even [b]within[/b] our church, many people don't understand what we actually believe.

Thus, I don't blame Protestants who can't realise and understand the depth and warmth of our beliefs and rites. I do condemn the harsh sentiments of hatred though.

In the past two / three decades, we have witnessed an incerease in Christian (non-Catholic) and Islamic communites in our country though. This is slowly producing a rift that is dividing the people into different worlds. That's why I believe in dialogue. Only dialogue can help us brigde the differences and acknowledge similarities. I firmly believe that when Protestants and Catholics pray together, there is an awesome flow of worship exalting our God.
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You can only have dialogue wuth someone who [b]wants[/b] to talk. Around here, (Southern U.S. ) most Protestants would rather eat dirt than talk to a Catholic. Some do talk, but they don't listen to the defense of the Faith. They are only trying to convert you and save you from Hell. (thier words)

[toledo_jesus]

Dspen2005 is in Philly...he could tell you about some things he has personally been witness to.

There is some messed up stuff going on in Philadelphia, believe you me.