Catholic Bishop Responds to Baptist Church Pamphlet Controversy

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wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=12090189
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Bishop Stika said the characterization of Catholicism is simply inaccurate–and “hateful, discriminatory, and full of prejudice and bigotry.” In a written statement, Stika clarified some differences in doctrinal belief between Catholicism and what many Baptist churches believe. But ultimately, he stressed the similarity between the faiths and common goals.
From the Bishop’s statement:

I also wish to acknowledge the many Christian denominations, including the many Baptist churches in East Tennessee, with whom we pray and work in solidarity, according to the truths of the Gospel, in order to promote a culture of life. This culture of life is based on a Christian anthropology that recognizes man and woman as images of God, an essential truth for the formation of a correct vision of society. I am thinking also of our shared efforts in promoting and protecting the sanctity and dignity of every person in the womb and of the holy institution of marriage and the family as our Heavenly Creator designed them to be. At this moment, however, I am greatly saddened by the reprehensible acts of prejudice and hatred of a few souls who, out of ignorance of Catholic teachings, have promoted the distribution of anti-Catholic tracts. These tracts contain outright lies and blatant exaggerations.

Full text of the Bishop’s statement on the Diocese of Knoxville’s website
 
“Pigeon Forge”? East Tennessee? Appalachia? What did you expect?
 
I would hope that people would not attempt to characterize an area as ‘backward’ by implication simply based on geography. The people in Pigeon Forge and Appalachia are not idiots, ignorant dolts, or ranting Bible thumpers simply because of ‘where they live’. I don’t automatically assume every person living in San Francisco is a godless homosexual, or that a New Yorker is a liberal Jewish person, or that people in New Mexico are all lazy Hispanics frantically worshipping the Virgin Mary. . . so I also don’t think that I would ‘expect’ people in a certain area to act in a ‘certain way’ especially if those expectations were that they would be stupid. . .

Of course, people might just think that these areas do not see many Catholics and therefore would not ‘know’ Catholic teaching. However, the South is currently seeing an influx of Catholics in the last couple of decades and there is a thriving community of Catholics in Knoxville, TN for example. So perhaps it is just that people are still thinking of the South as being ‘ignorant’ of Catholicism in a way that might have been more true in say 1920 than it is today.
 
These smaller voices of anti-Catholic bigotry find momentum and strength in the much larger (louder) media voices of those such as Hagee, the Swaggerts and, though more subtly, the Osteens. Good ol’ fashioned American anti-Catholicism can be found in every medium, blaring twenty-four/seven, like some wind-blown echo that’s swirled around this nation since its founding. It is a shame, really.
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
“Pigeon Forge”? East Tennessee? Appalachia? What did you expect?
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I’m not sure what you mean by that… do you consider me a backwards idiot? I have lived here in East Tennessee, perhaps 125 miles from Pigeon Forge, my whole life. Many of my relatives (both my father and mother can trace ancestry in this area for at least 6 generations) aren’t backwards and idiotic either. Neither are my friends or the many (I know at least 10) converts to Catholicism from this area. You being from Arkansas, I could make comments about the fact that your parents are closely related by blood, but I’ll refrain.

Tantum Ergo, Pigeon Forge is about 30 miles outside of Knoxville. I recently read a report that per capita, the Diocese of Knoxville was the fastest growing Diocese in the country. I do suspect that a fairly big percentage is from those who have immigrated to this part of the country, but I personally know at least 10 converts, and I know that there are several Confirmation Masses per year.

Most of the protestants around here are humble, Christ-fearing, and charitable. They might not know too much about Catholicism, but they do realize that Holy Mother Church is Christian, and as Bishop Stika said in his response, some of the biggest Baptist churches in this area have joined forces with Catholics to provide a unified voice against abortion. I have stood vigil with several separated brethren at some of the local abortion clinics, and they have been nothing but polite, respectful, and obviously they are fervent in their beliefs, or they would not be standing out in blistering heat, freezing cold, and all sorts of precipitation.
 
Lucky citizens of Knoxville to have such a wise bishop living with them!!!
 
Tantum_ergo said:
I would hope that people would not attempt to characterize an area as ‘backward’ by implication simply based on geography. The people in Pigeon Forge and Appalachia are not idiots, ignorant dolts, or ranting Bible thumpers simply because of ‘where they live’. I don’t automatically assume every person living in San Francisco is a godless homosexual, or that a New Yorker is a liberal Jewish person, or that people in New Mexico are all lazy Hispanics frantically worshipping the Virgin Mary. . . so I also don’t think that I would ‘expect’ people in a certain area to act in a ‘certain way’ especially if those expectations were that they would be stupid. . .

Of course, people might just think that these areas do not see many Catholics and therefore would not ‘know’ Catholic teaching. However, the South is currently seeing an influx of Catholics in the last couple of decades and there is a thriving community of Catholics in Knoxville, TN for example. So perhaps it is just that people are still thinking of the South as being ‘ignorant’ of Catholicism in a way that might have been more true in say 1920 than it is today.
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True. And it might be noted that the Diocese of Knoxville was named the top diocese in the country a year ago, or it could be two years. Time flies. Nevertheless, it is a thriving diocese with many ecumenical outreach programs. Be careful who you criticize. Might look like you don’t know what you are talking about.
 
mary_bobo said:
Be careful who you criticize. Might look like you don’t know what you are talking about.
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Oh the irony! Isn’t that what this whole thread/news story is about? Good principle for fundamentalist and catholic alike.
 
datingtrappists said:
I’m not sure what you mean by that… do you consider me a backwards idiot?
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I don’t know you well enough to make such a characterization.
I have lived here in East Tennessee, perhaps 125 miles from Pigeon Forge
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That’s pretty far away from it.
(I know at least 10) converts to Catholicism from this area.
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Not exactly a hotbed of conversions - in my one small parish here in North Little Rock, we have more than that - but 10 is 10.
You being from Arkansas, I could make comments about the fact that your parents are closely related by blood, but I’ll refrain.
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Oh, go right ahead and do so, as I’m not an “Arkie” but a carpet-bagger New Yorker, born and bred in Brooklyn. I’m a first generation American; my mother’s family is from southern Poland, my father’s from eastern Poland; Poles, by the way, aren’t big into incest.

Tantum Ergo is half correct. We New Yorkers aren’t liberal Jewish people - not everyone is Jewish.
 
I missed the original article (although I heard rumors of it) where the details of these pamphlets being handed out was made.

But wouldn’t it have been sweet if instead they got a bunch of Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth and handed them out the next week in the same manner? 😃
 
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