A question for protestants

[Zirconia]

Why do most(not all) protestant denominations hold such animosity towards the Catholic Church? (alot do not even consider Catholics Christians) Why do they not look at what the Church teaches? The Catholic position has been that the protestants worship the same God (the trinity) and acknowledge the truths held by these denominations. Why no reciprocity?

Just wondering, are you referring to any denomination(s) in particular?

For the record, this Protestant has always heard that Catholics are Christians (if a bit ‘different’), and has no doubt some of them outshine their Protestant neighbors in this regard…

Zirconia

 

[Syele]

  			Originally Posted by **revertconvert** 					[forums.catholic-questions.org/images/buttons_cad/viewpost.gif](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=1850444#post1850444) 				
  		Why do most(not all) protestant denominations hold such animosity towards the Catholic Church?

I think “most (not all)” is really less than you think. I’m not saying no one holds animosity I just think it’s fewer than Most. I grew in church and never heard much said about Catholics. I only heard anything at all when I began attending Mass in addition to my regular church. Even then what was said were things reguarding the fact that Catholics don’t believe in Justification by faith alone and a concern that some Catholics therefore had less faith as a result.

 

[Montalban]

Why do most(not all) protestant denominations hold such animosity towards the Catholic Church? (alot do not even consider Catholics Christians) Why do they not look at what the Church teaches? The Catholic position has been that the protestants worship the same God (the trinity) and acknowledge the truths held by these denominations.

they hold that the Catholic Church made things up and has lead people away from God.

Strangely, I met with some of their ‘historical’ argument at the hands of Moslems - who also want to prove that Christianity was perverted c.300 under Constantine

Why no reciprocity?

That’s debateable!

 

[lak611]

I think “most (not all)” is really less than you think. I’m not saying no one holds animosity I just think it’s fewer than Most. I grew in church and never heard much said about Catholics.

I think this is a true statement. I have many Protestant family members and friends. None of them have ever had animosity toward the Catholic church or said that Catholics weren’t Christians. By the same token, none of my Catholic family members and friends ever said that Protestants were doomed to hell either. I don’t think one can stereotype a “typical Catholic” or “typical Protestant” or say "All Catholics . . . " or "All Protestants . . . ". From my personal experiences, most Protestants have treated me as a fellow Christian and have been extremely charitable. I have never been one to stereotype people, and I’ve not seen any reason to start stereotyping people now.

 

[Blue_Serenity]

I think this is a true statement. I have many Protestant family members and friends. None of them have ever had animosity toward the Catholic church or said that Catholics weren’t Christians. By the same token, none of my Catholic family members and friends ever said that Protestants were doomed to hell either. I don’t think one can stereotype a “typical Catholic” or “typical Protestant” or say "All Catholics . . . " or "All Protestants . . . ". From my personal experiences, most Protestants have treated me as a fellow Christian and have been extremely charitable. I have never been one to stereotype people, and I’ve not seen any reason to start stereotyping people now.

I wonder if it’s an older generation versus a younger generation. Are the younger ones more tolerant than the older ones? This is for both Protestants and Catholics.

 

[Le_Cracquere]

I was raised Protestant- with the understanding that the different demoninations were mostly cultural and we had joined an evangelical church because of the particular group of Christians there and the building’s location in our community.

Catholics were not talked about much, but when they were it was with a bit of a sad overtone. That while Catholisism was fine, there was an impression given that many Catholics do not truly own their faith… that the concepts had become taken for granted and slowly the spirit of the Church was sort of rusting over. “Lost their first love” and “Worshipping religion instead of Christ” were phrases I heard often. There was no evidence of this exactly, it is just the impression I walked away with.

Same here. And even if the assertions above about Catholics that we grew up hearing were false, they don’t qualify as “animosity.” They count as disagreement (whether well-informed or ill-informed), and it’s become a widespread vice–common to Catholics, Protestants, etc.–to personalise honest disagreement and register it as hostility.

I think that the overwhelming majority of Protestants see Catholics as their brothers and fellow Christians. Now, it’s possible that a majority or large segment of Protestant denominations may be truly, and hostilely, anti-Catholic–but the bulk of such demoninations tend to be tiny splinter sects or independent churches, attended by relatively few people.

 

[mozart-250]

Why do most(not all) protestant denominations hold such animosity towards the Catholic Church? (alot do not even consider Catholics Christians) Why do they not look at what the Church teaches? The Catholic position has been that the protestants worship the same God (the trinity) and acknowledge the truths held by these denominations. Why no reciprocity?

What makes you think that most protestant denominations hold such animosity towards the Catholic Church?

That is not the case where I live. I went to phone book and found 13 Protestant churches around where I live. Maybe one is anti-Catholic.

But who knows. Maybe Vermont is the land of the liberals.

I go to a fairly conservative evangelical church myself, and I can say in all honest that in the 12 years I have been here, the only references to Catholics has been Protestant.

 

[O.S.Luke]

I have been United Methodist all of my life, and have never heard one disparaging remark about Catholicism in all of this time. In most of the small rural towns I have lived in, if there was a Catholic parish present, the Catholic and UM Churches did more together than any of the other churches in town - sharing Holy Week services, Thanksgiving services, and other community events together.

Perhaps because Methodism has such a strong link to Anglicanism we tend to be more historic and apostolic in our approach to doctrine, history, and tradition. Perhaps that makes us Catholic/Orthodox friendly. Also, clergy in Methodism are pretty extensively trained and educated in church history, patristics, and doctrine. We also believe in catholic/universal church (per the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds) that links all of the baptised.

Labels are rarely helpful or accurate. Pigeonholing everyone by the actions of some is something Christians have no business doing.

I’ve met rabid Protestants, and rabid Catholics, that seem to live to disparage the other. Neither has a place in the faith.

O+

 

[MrS]

I’ve met rabid Protestants, and rabid Catholics, that seem to live to disparage the other. Neither has a place in the faith.

O+

As have I… they are just plain sad in their anger.

I also have two baptists in my family… originally they adopted the “theology” that all Catholics are going to hell… even me, their dad.

That “concern” is still evident in some of the actions one son expresses… not so much in the other. Guess I am growing on them…

 

[lak611]

I wonder if it’s an older generation versus a younger generation. Are the younger ones more tolerant than the older ones? This is for both Protestants and Catholics.

I have not noticed any generational differences in my experiences.