A major problem.

[ALLGIRLS]

My experience here brings back memories from my childhood growing up in a mostly Catholic area. Most of my close friends were Catholic. They all, every one of them, had the same attitude as most here have. They would always present their views as the absolute truth because that was what the Church, pope, teaches. There was never real discussion because they had been taught that Protestants are wrong and Catholics are right.

In the church I grew up in there was never a discussion or teachings about how right we were. It isn’t important. We spent our time learning about Jesus.

So you’re not even going to bother answering my question? Have you never been around fundamentalists who believe not only that the Catholic Church is NOT the true church founded by Christ, but that it’s the Whore of Babylon and Synagogue of Satan? Have you ever been to the “bible belt”? The abrasiveness and arrogance goes both ways, brother. You may belong to one of those “I’m ok, you’re ok, we all worship God in our own way no one really knows the real truth this side of heaven (if there is a heaven)” denominations, but that is the minority in this country. Ask a Muslim or Mormon, or JW sometime if it doesn’t matter what religion you are, no one knows (or has) the real truth. Try convincing a Muslim or Mormon that the Koran or Book of Mormon weren’t inspired by God. How come you only have a beef with Catholics claiming to have the whole Truth, being “dogmatic” like we’re the only ones?

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[Namesake]

So you’re not even going to bother answering my question? Have you never been around fundamentalists who believe not only that the Catholic Church is NOT the true church founded by Christ, but that it’s the Whore of Babylon and Synagogue of Satan? Have you ever been to the “bible belt”? The abrasiveness and arrogance goes both ways, brother. You may belong to one of those “I’m ok, you’re ok, we all worship God in our own way no one really knows the real truth this side of heaven (if there is a heaven)” denominations, but that is the minority in this country. Ask a Muslim or Mormon, or JW sometime if it doesn’t matter what religion you are, no one knows (or has) the real truth. Try convincing a Muslim or Mormon that the Koran or Book of Mormon weren’t inspired by God. How come you only have a beef with Catholics claiming to have the whole Truth, being “dogmatic” like we’re the only ones?

In Christ,

Ellen

This is the kind of attack that is so unattractive.

 

[ralphinal]

I’m pretty beat up right now. I need a little break from this scourging. I have some bad memories of similar things happening when I was a kid. Catholic kids ganging up on me and just beating the tar out of me with their rote dogma.

I don;t know if you meant this to be funny, but it made me smile. Seriously, Namesake, feel free to pm me your info. I will not “beat you up with dogma.” I want to understand.

 

[mercygate]

I have found that I am in no way a match for Catholics. I am pretty sure that my academic credentials are vastly more impressive than most people here. But people here do not argue from a position of truth at all. They argue from dogma. Therefore a real meaningful discussion can’t be had.

You think dogma and truth are antithetical?

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

This is the kind of attack that is so unattractive.

What is so unattractive about it? I didn’t see any kid of attack in it and It is a valid point, it is a point that I tried to make in post #74, that what you are describing goes both ways. Why is it that the things that Catholics claim about themselves is so much more unnerving and unattractive to you then the things that Protestants have to say about us?

God bless

 

[PBP]

I’m pretty beat up right now. I need a little break from this scourging. I have some bad memories of similar things happening when I was a kid. Catholic kids ganging up on me and just beating the tar out of me with their rote dogma.

Redemptive suffering ! Helping Jesus carry His cross…offer your suffering to Him.

 

[sodak]

Catholics are obsessed about the one true church and to my knowledge Protestants don’t really give that much if any thought. Catholics must defend the Church because they put so much emphasis on tradition. Protestants believe that tradition is not very valuable in many cases.

We’re not obsessed with it, we simply defend it. There is also a vast difference between tradition and Tradition, but it seems that you aren’t willing to accept that.

Protestants that I know don’t even think about a true church. It’s like it doesn’t exist, which is exactly what I believe. There is no such thing and Catholics would be utterly destroyed if they came to realize that was the truth. But of course Catholics would say that it isn’t possible that they would ever realize that there was no such thing because the Catholic church is the one true church. Circular, but effective over time I guess.

Those arguments look kind of childish.

Or you can’t win the argument, so you ridicule it.

I don’t think anyone has a lock on the truth and when someone starts spouting off that they do I decide that they are fools.

Now where was that quote about arrogance?

It’s a total waste of time to have this discussion because you are Catholic and are totally rigid in your dogma. That is the very nature of the RCC, it seems. Not an attractive characteristic from my point of view.

In other words, nothing I say will be acceptable to you because you are Catholic.

Pretty judgemental. If you feel that way, why are you here at all?

My experience here brings back memories from my childhood growing up in a mostly Catholic area. Most of my close friends were Catholic. They all, every one of them, had the same attitude as most here have. They would always present their views as the absolute truth because that was what the Church, pope, teaches. There was never real discussion because they had been taught that Protestants are wrong and Catholics are right.

In the church I grew up in there was never a discussion or teachings about how right we were. It isn’t important. We spent our time learning about Jesus.

People here have tried to educate you about Jesus, but you won’t listen. People here have given you tremendous resources to look into and get your questions answered. You fall back on accusing everyone else of being close minded robots. Look in the mirror.

I have found that I am in no way a match for Catholics. I am pretty sure that my academic credentials are vastly more impressive than most people here. But people here do not argue from a position of truth at all. They argue from dogma. Therefore a real meaningful discussion can’t be had.

That post on arrogance again was where? Some people’s credentials here might very well surprise you. But if you can’t have a quick comeback, you dismiss us as dogmatic. You remind me of some friends that I used to have that couldn’t think for themselves. Whenever I’d give them an alternative point of view, the only thing they could resort to was a dismissive laugh. When I would question them and not accept their ridicule, they simply got mad and attacked me personally. Very, very predictable.

You have been given very good debating points. Rather than acknowledge them, you simply dismiss these people as close-minded. I think you simply can’t handle the truth, and don’t really know how to debate, or how to find the truth.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

I have found that I am in no way a match for Catholics**. I am pretty sure that my academic credentials are vastly more impressive than most people here**. But people here do not argue from a position of truth at all. They argue from dogma. Therefore a real meaningful discussion can’t be had.

Oh yeah, and THAT’S not arrogant! . Why do you say that? Because if our “academic credentials” were as impressive as yours, we wouldn’t be Catholic? You complain that we don’t argue from a “position of truth”, yet you’ve claimed time and again on this thread that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Which is it?

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[jmcrae]

I have found that I am in no way a match for Catholics. I am pretty sure that my academic credentials are vastly more impressive than most people here. But people here do not argue from a position of truth at all. They argue from dogma. Therefore a real meaningful discussion can’t be had.

I find it difficult to imagine that you have ever defended a thesis; you back down too easily.

 

[Rocky]

Webster’s dictionary defines “dogma” as a “philosophical tenet; theological doctrine authoritatively asserted; a principle of belief”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) defined “dogma” as “simply an interpretation of Scripture”

Under both definitions it would seem that all religions have “dogma” but why is it so wrong that Catholics adhere to interpretations of Scripture that were from the beginning? And what are Popes for, if not to keep the interpretation that was handed on to them from changing?

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

I find it difficult to imagine that you have ever defended a thesis; you back down too easily.

This will be a fun game: I hold two degrees and graduated Summa Cum Laude… I guess I hold the floor until someone unseats me… Anyone have a PHD in here?

Back to the discussion, why does it matter what a person’s academic credentials are? Does a person who doesn’t measure up to your academic credentials make their argument invalid?

God bless

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Namesake and other of the Protestant churches that are saying how turned off they are by Catholic claim to Christ true Church. and and that we arrogant I put this to you. Since we hold that Jesus founded one and not many churches and that he passed gave this church to us today through the Apostles. That through documentation showing the apostolic linage of bishops that the RCC is that Church we have a n obligation out of love and to follow Jesus teaching to take this to all the world. I think that it a lot like this the pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin how keep saying how dare he tell us we are wrong. I am not trying to say that a catholic is equal to Christ just the making
a comparison one trying to tell the other about the Truth.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

This is the kind of attack that is so unattractive.

How is that an attack? Apparently, someone disagreeing with you is the same as attacking you. I simply asked why you are demanding something from Catholics (to deny that there is an Absolute Truth when it comes to God) and not others who also hold to that same belief.

An attack would be “You’ve insulted Catholicism, you must die!”, or “you’re wrong, you’re not really a Christian and you’re going to hell”.

Jeez, you’d think that with all those “beatings with rote dogmas” you took as a kid you would have developed some thinker skin

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[ralphinal]

This will be a fun game: I hold two degrees and graduated Summa Cum Laude… I guess I hold the floor until someone unseats me… Anyone have a PHD in here?

Back to the discussion, why does it matter what a person’s academic credentials are? Does a person who doesn’t measure up to your academic credentials make their argument invalid?

God bless

You might check with Bengal_fan. I know he is on up there, too. RollTide is a history professor, so he might have you beat, too.

IN any event, I agree with JPII and Benedict XVI et al. and they got ALL the degrees. Augustine had no degree as such, and he stomps much intellectual butt.

 

[jmcrae]

Jeez, you’d think that with all those “beatings with rote dogmas” you took as a kid you would have developed some thinker skin

That might have been a typo - even so, I think it’s apt.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

You might check with Bengal_fan. I know he is on up there, too. RollTide is a history professor, so he might have you beat, too.

IN any event, I agree with JPII and Benedict XVI et al. and they got ALL the degrees. Augustine had no degree as such, and he stomps much intellectual butt.

That game was over quickly Well it was fun while it lasted.

God bless

 

[ALLGIRLS]

That might have been a typo - even so, I think it’s apt.

Oops, yeah, that was supposed to be “thicker”, maybe I had a Freudian slip . But then again, I only graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree (and in Sociology, not even a “real” science), so what do I know?

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[EmergencyOps]

Go on the Liturgy forums - the spats between the “hold hands” people and the “keep your hands to yourself” people, or the communion-on-the-tongue versus communion-in-the hand are way nastier than anything in this forum.

LOL, yes! I browsed through that forum earlier this week and I was amazed. I learned a lot about how people view their Catholic faith, and what the word ‘rubrics’ means.

-Mark

 

[mercygate]

That might have been a typo - even so, I think it’s apt.

You win. I typed almost exactly this same thing and decided not to submit it. Now go to confession.

 

[jmcrae]

You win. I typed almost exactly this same thing and decided not to submit it. Now go to confession.

Yes, Father.