Hi all!
To start with a small disclaimer, I’m going to be expressing an opinion, so if you don’t want to read on I’ll understand.
The term “anti-Catholic” is used fairly frequently, but it seems to me that Protestants get off fairly easily: this is because if a Protestant make an anti-Catholic statement, (reasonable) Catholics generally understand that it is not representatives of Protestants generally. On the other hand, I frequently hear a Catholic make an anti-Protestant statement followed by a reaction from Protestants often along the lines of “Yeah, that’s what I would expect a Catholic to say.” (This is easy to see in the very same Protestants who are most active on this forum.)
Soapbox away.
Hi Peter,
It sounds like you are of the opinion Catholic posters are more reasonable in their reaction to criticism than P’s . Maybe, maybe not.
Maybe part of the reason for your observation, if it is true, is that Protestantism covers a much wider range of views than Catholicism. Another words, part of Catholic apologetics is using that to their advantage. They have reason to be aware that not all P’s for instance say baptism is ineffectual, or that not all P’s say Mary had other children , or not all P’s say the eucharist is symbolic. They use that to try to try to show other P’s that other P’s have similar Catholic views.(eg- Luther believed Mary ever virgin and said eucharist was more than symbolic etc)
This can not be said of Catholicism. There is no variation on declared doctrine . There is variation on individual Catholics fielty to it. There are times a P may cite what an individual Catholic may have said that backs up a P view. But it is a tough to cite one Catholic who is agreeing with a P view when it is not really in accordance with CC teaching. For the most part though debating points against Protestantism are centuries old and refined and in accordance with one magisterium , not 30,000.
So then yes, a Catholic must reason against P’s in a uniform fashion, per her singularly established doctrine and tradition. There a few variations (Melkites and of course), but for the most part, a Catholic has to be truthful to their One faith.
Having said all that , guilty as charged . Sometimes in frustration I have said , “a Catholic must say what you just said” after all reasoning has been exhausted. Most of the time I just say, yes , understand the Catholic pitch, thank you .
Maybe Jon is right , most things here are equal acrsoss the board , from both sides. The good ,the bad and the ugly of it all.
Blessings