Abuse of Catholics

[lak611]

lak? Are you Baptist?? If there was club for little girls, would you wanna join that too? It’s not an apologetics forum. It’s a Baptict forum. They make that pretty clear.

No, I am not a Baptist. I am a Catholic, and I wanted to join the Baptist Board to defend the Catholic faith from some of the hostile Baptists, but they would not let me join when I said that I was a Catholic during the application process.

 

[Syele]

The Baptist forum doesn’t want anybody around who will stand up to their garbage. They even have a category to discuss why the Catholics are going to hell. They specifically target Catholics when determining who they will allow on their forum.

We have a lot of Baptists here and they are very welcome to be here.

What I don’t get, Is why you want to hang out there in the first place? They are a BAPTIST boord, not geared for apologetics with non-protestants. They don’t like Catholics and they don’t wnat to argue with you.

This is silly. every week someone is complaining that Catholics aren’t allowed there. it’s a club for Baptists. CAF is not a Cathiloc Club so you can’t compare the two. If all the non-catholics leave… who will you have to debate with?

 

[Syele]

No, I am not a Baptist. I am a Catholic, and I wanted to join the Baptist Board to defend the Catholic faith from some of the hostile Baptists, but they would not let me join when I said that I was a Catholic during the application process.

That was my point. they don’t wnat an apologetics board, if they did they’d let you in.

 

[lak611]

That was my point. they don’t wnat an apologetics board, if they did they’d let you in.

True. I like this forum because everybody is allowed, as long as they are reasonably charitable. I don’t know why the Baptist forum even has the little box to check off where you tell them your religion and/or denomination if they kick you off right away just for not being Baptist. Obviously, they are afraid of any real serious discussion!

 

[Syele]

Obviously, they are afraid of any real serious discussion!

put up with me a few minutes while I tell you a story.

Years ago when I first got a modem for my little 8086 computer I used to frequent a BBS. On that BBS there was a happy little forum labeled “Religions”. People from all faiths went there and posted questions they had about other faiths. You could ask why Catholics said Hail Mrys or Why Mormons have so many kids or what Calvinists ment by predestination. Everyone was friendly and we learn alot from one another. One day a couple of Athiests found our board. They began insisting that we prove the existance of God before talking about Him. At first we tried to ask them to confine it to only their own thread. Then we tried to reason with them. A few people tried to Prove the existance of God. Pretty soon, all our threads were about the existance of God and none about the purpose of our Board - Understanding all faiths.

Eventually these guys managed to run off everyone but other Athiests. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to allow Athiests, It wasn’t even fear of discussing the existance of God. It was that we wanted a free space. A space to freely discuss what we had in common as people of Faith and a space to understand the differences. We no longer had that space. To this day, that BBS exists. I can go to the religions board there and discuss the existance of God with some Athiests. One of them is even the same guy from 1993! And he will tell me I left cause I was afraid of serious discussion. I say I left because that isn’t what I was there to discuss.

Those Baptists want a place to have serious discussions with other Baptists about Baptist opinions. I miss my religion board. My Daughter likes to go to Missionettes more than Sunday School because there are no Boys there. There are threads on CAF that I won’t post in unless it’s to understand what the discussion is about. I won’t argue there. It’s for the Catholics to talk of Catholic things. It’s a respect for space thing.

Let the Baptists have their Baptist place. There are other places to debate Baptists online. I’m not Catholic but I’m also definately not Baptist so i would not even entertain the idea of going to that Baptist forum and invading their space. If CAF made any kind of statement that this forum was for Catholics only… I’d leave in a heartbeat. And I fail to understand the insistance on Catholics from here trying to sneak in to the Baptist board. It reminds me of the Boys at Camp sneaking into the girls area to steal our bras and run them up the flagpole.

 

[stefany379]

A friend of mine went in The Baptist forum because he lied and said he was a Baptist. One question he posted was “Do you feel The Catholics really have something to say”? and “What if they are right?” Well, all hell broke loose. I don’t mean to chuckle, but it was kind of funny he said.

 

[water]

Before I knew our Catholic forums, I had come to a Protestant’s forums. I just wanted to share and to learn few things that we all Christians had in common. But over short time, I had figured out that I did not have any freedom to speak for my own belief. If I mentioned anything related to Catholic, my post will be deleted or even changed. One of the posts, the admin changed my contents to the way he wanted it to be. My profile had been categorized as not trusted.

I am glad I have found Catholic’s forums and this is where I call home. I just simply ignore what Protestants think of Catholic and feel upset about it, I just need to pray for them to realize what Catholic really is and for them to have some love towards their brothers in Christ.

 

[stefany379]

Before I knew our Catholic forums, I had come to a Protestant’s forums. I just wanted to share and to learn few things that we all Christians had in common. But over short time, I had figured out that I did not have any freedom to speak for my own belief. If I mentioned anything related to Catholic, my post will be deleted or even changed. One of the posts, the admin changed my contents to the way he wanted it to be. My profile had been categorized as not trusted.

I am glad I have found Catholic’s forums and this is where I call home. I just simply ignore what Protestants think of Catholic and feel upset about it, I just need to pray for them to realize what Catholic really is and for them to have some love towards their brothers in Christ.

WELCOME HOME!!

 

[Contarini]

But does that really happen to us in real life? It doesn’t happen to me. In real life most people don’t give a hoot which Church I attend.

As I keep saying, a lot depends on where you live and whom you happen to know. If, for instance, you were so unfortunate as to be a Catholic kid in Brick Chapel, Indiana in the early 80s, whose parents were selling a house to some wacky Protestants with a bratty kid your age, you would have had to put up with a lot. You would have had to put up with said brat insulting your faith, telling you about all the Protestants your Church had killed, and finally turning a water hose on your family’s white plaster statue of the Blessed Virgin.

I know that this is what some Catholics have had to put up with, because I was that brat. I think the Blessed Virgin has forgiven me, but in all honesty I don’t blame Catholics for getting a chip on their shoulder when they have to deal with people like (the former) me.

The attitude of a lot of Catholics on this forum bugs me because I think it’s short-sighted and counter-productive, not because I don’t recognize that it has plenty of foundation in their personal experience. I’m here in order to try to tell Catholics who have experiences like this that this is not the way all Protestants are. I try to be an example to the contrary. It’s the least I can do by way of penance for the bratty bigot I used to be.

In Christ,

Edwin

 

[Love_is_Patient]

This is a reality check? No Catholics I know have to put up with that in real life. .

The older I get, the more anti-Catholicism I run into–and it shocked the heck out of me, because I never realized people hated Catholics.
Most of it is in the Catholics-aren’t-Christian category or the “I’m sorry, no offense, but I hate all Catholics” variety.

It’s not necessarily something I deal with every day, but yes, it is definitely an unfortunate reality. That’s how I found CAF, on a quest to be able to defend my faith when the Catholic Church is accused of “making stuff up” or “adding stuff” instead of “sticking only to the Bible like they’re supposed to.”

But all the anti-Catholicism in the world does not justify anti-Protestant hatred.

 

[lak611]

But all the anti-Catholicism in the world does not justify anti-Protestant hatred.

I don’t think anyone could put it better!

 

[SORROWS]

We are bombarded with anti-catholicism everywhere: the News, Newspapers, talk shows, drama shows, comedies, movies and of course the internet and people we encounter in our daily life.

I’ve definitely become more quick to defend my Church and I’m trying to work on my patience dealing with this. It’s very very difficult to have this stuff in your face constantly.

A nun on EWTN said, “Our Church is bleeding” and I feel that my heart is bleeding too.

Regarding other religions I’m shocked what they put out in pamplets, internet websites and from the pulpit. How can anyone be part of a religion that spouts such lies against the Catholic Church and turn around and say they are a religion of love and Jesus Christ is their savior. So hypocritical.

I love the Catholic Church and will defend it till the end.

 

[lak611]

Understanding all faiths.

Let the Baptists have their Baptist place. There are other places to debate Baptists online. I’m not Catholic but I’m also definately not Baptist so i would not even entertain the idea of going to that Baptist forum and invading their space. If CAF made any kind of statement that this forum was for Catholics only… I’d leave in a heartbeat. And I fail to understand the insistance on Catholics from here trying to sneak in to the Baptist board. It reminds me of the Boys at Camp sneaking into the girls area to steal our bras and run them up the flagpole.

I understand what you are saying. I just don’t understand why they don’t just ask “Are you Baptist?” when they do the registration. They make it sound like they do welcome other faiths even though they don’t. No, I would never lie and try to sneak on their forum. When I got the rejection, that was the end of it; I never bothered looking for other Baptist forums. I do participate on another forum that sounds pretty much like the one you used to be on (only no Atheists so far). Oh, and please don’t think of leaving this forum! I very much enjoy discussion with you.

 

[deb1]

Why is this even relevant?

This is the basic sickness of the Catholic apologetics movement. It was founded in response to fundamentalist propaganda, and many of you seem incapable of getting outside the narrow parameters set up by these anti-intellectual bigots.

Why let them define the terms of the conversation? You guys have this incredibly rich heritage–you don’t need to be afraid of them. You don’t need to be obsessed with them, you don’t need to let them call the shots. And you certainly shouldn’t use their forums as the standard for behavior on your forums. You shouldn’t pat yourselves on the back because you don’t stoop quite to their level. That’s like college students feeling proud because they can write better English than kindergarteners.

I know that in practical terms their propaganda makes inroads among Catholics, so of course you need to counter it. But you should counter it by raising the conversation to a different level, not by trading potshots according to the rules laid down by them.

For instance, I know that digging up dirt on Luther or some other important historical Protestant figure is very cathartic for many of you, because you’re tired of all the dirt fundamentalists sling at Catholics. But why use a tactic that is obviously corrupt and irrelevant? Why not take the high ground?

Edwin

Very well said, Edwin. I agree. We don’t need to lower ourselves to using the same negative tactics that the antiCatholics do. There are some Protestants who come to this board simply to ask questions. I can’t lump these people in with the antiCatholics simply because they don’t understand or agree with Catholicism.

 

[water]

That’s right. We do not have to judge others the way they judge us. After all, they all know very well not to judge others, but some of them never do what they say.

The best way is to pray for the unity of the Church.

 

[LeahInancsi]

No, I am not a Baptist. I am a Catholic, and I wanted to join the Baptist Board to defend the Catholic faith from some of the hostile Baptists, but they would not let me join when I said that I was a Catholic during the application process.

I agree.

The most angry Baptists on that board are former Catholics. They were so poorly catechised that they left the Church because they didn’t know the Church’s teachings and were easy prey for Protestants. They are most angry because they feel they were lied to by the Church and their families. The one thing that was mentioned most was lack of exposure to the Bible. These feelings are not uncommon with those of the post-Vatican II generation that has fallen away from the Church.

 

[Sixtus]

was amused when Steadfast complained about the treatment he received from Catholics on this forum. I decided to show how other forums treat Catholics so that perhaps our Protestant friends can walk a mile in our shoes:

I can confirm that. Not only on other forum.s but also in the work place and in the community.

I have been subjected to the most horrendous slander where my wife has received abusive phone calls about me. We are now separated after 33 years of marriage [no smoke without fire]. I can state that I am 100% innocent of the charges against me.

That however is no excuse. We must turn the other cheek as the Master commanded us to do. We must make Protestants and non-Christians feel wanted and valued because that is what we are commanded by the Lord to do. ‘Love and do what you will’ St Augustine said. That is also the Catholic response

PAX CHRISTI

 

[Sixtus]

My sins against the Infinite all powerful God are FAR FAR greater than the false accusations against me.

TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOR EVER AND EVER

 

[lak611]

A friend of mine went in The Baptist forum because he lied and said he was a Baptist. One question he posted was “Do you feel The Catholics really have something to say”? and “What if they are right?” Well, all hell broke loose. I don’t mean to chuckle, but it was kind of funny he said.

This is wrong! I would never lie about my faith just to get on a forum! I would rather die for admitting my beliefs and sticking to them than pretending to be something I am not.

 

[stefany379]

This is wrong! I would never lie about my faith just to get on a forum! I would rather die for admitting my beliefs and sticking to them than pretending to be something I am not.

I guess his motive was to defend the Catholic faith.