Catholic Misunderstandings 101

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Could we all start a list of some non-Catholic Christians misunderstand about Catholic?

I would like to have this list and later have all in one web page, and have answers for each of the misunderstandings. This could be helpful for both Catholic and non-Catholic.

Misunderstanding 1 - Catholic is a man-made religion
Misunderstanding 2 - Catholic worship Virgin Mary
Misunderstanding 3 - Priest or Pope cannot save you
Misunderstanding 4 - Catholic pray to the dead
…
Thanks!

Note: If you are kind enough, please do not debate, just a list of things is good enough. Even if you are not Catholic, and you think we are doing something wrong, you are more than welcomed to list them here.
 
Misunderstanding 5 - Praying the Rosary is in vain
Misunderstanding 6 - Those in heaven can’t hear us.
Misunderstanding 7 - Miracles are of devil.
 
Loved the title of this thread, so perfect! 🙂

misunderstanding 8 - In addition to ‘worshipping’ Mary, we ‘worship’ Saints
misunderstanding 9 - That we believe giving things up for lent is Scriptural
misunderstanding 10 - We pray to statues/idols
 
Misunderstanding 11 - the Nuns sitting in their pew all day praying for nothing. [trust me, I’ve heard this before from a non-Catholic]
 
Misunderstanding 13 - Why does Jesus have to sacrifice over and over again.

Misunderstanding 14 - It is wrong for Catholic to call Virgin Mary is the Mother of God; she is the Mother of Christ only.

Misunderstanding 15 - Sacraments in Catholic faith are man-made
 
16 - Catholics think sex is evil. (That’s why Catholics have such SMALL families 😛 )

17 - That people become priests/nuns because they are gay

18 - Catholics think non-Catholics go to hell

❤️
 
  1. Catholics do not read the Bible.
  2. Catholics are discouraged from reading the Bible.
  3. Catholics do not believe the Bible.
  4. Catholic belief has no Biblical basis.
  5. Catholics added the Deuterocanonical books.
  6. Priestly celibacy is unscriptural. :rolleyes:
  7. The Eucharist is unscriptural and idolatrous.
  8. Purgatory is a second chance at Heaven. :rolleyes:
  9. Indulgences are buying a “Get out of hell free.” card.
 
  1. Catholics add to the bible (Sirach etc.)
  2. Catholics are brainwashed and the church is a cult.
  3. Catholics worship the Pope
  4. Catholics love Mary more than God. (sigh some anti-Catholics really believe this)
  5. Meat on Fridays tradition seen as a “change of mind” by the Catholic Church.
  6. Most Catholic priests are pedophiles :rolleyes:
  7. The Church tries to cover up scandals :rolleyes:
  8. The Church tried to kill the “true christians” and herectics in periods of history. :rolleyes:
  9. Confessing sins to a priest when Catholics should only confess to God alone.
  10. Church having all these rules and rituals that are “meaningless” and keeping us from God. :rolleyes:
Evanescence
 
Misunderstanding 37. Catholics consider Jesus as God if He is just another prophet. (non-Christian belief)

Misunderstanding 38. Catholics spend time asking the Saints for help and not asking God only.

Misunderstanding 39. why have Ash Wednesday to show off that Catholics are fasting

Misunderstanding 40. Why Catholics need to have the Church.

Misunderstanding 41. The Bible is 2000 years old, why believe it.(non-Christian)
 
  1. Paul and the apostles were not Catholic.
  2. Paul preached OSAS and faith alone.
  3. Other christian denominations existed and survived from the time of the apostles.
  4. Mary has other children beside Jesus.
 
Misunderstanding 1 - Catholic is a man-made religion.
Misunderstanding 2 - Catholic worship Virgin Mary.
Misunderstanding 3 - Priest or Pope cannot save you.
Misunderstanding 4 - Catholic pray to the dead.
Misunderstanding 5 - Praying the Rosary is in vain
Misunderstanding 6 - Those in heaven can’t hear us.
Misunderstanding 7 - Miracles are of devil.
Misunderstanding 8 - In addition to ‘worshipping’ Mary, we ‘worship’ Saints
Misunderstanding 9 - That we believe giving things up for lent is Scriptural
Misunderstanding 10 - We pray to statues/idols
Misunderstanding 11 - the Nuns sitting in their pew all day praying for nothing. [trust me, I’ve heard this before from a non-Catholic]
Misunderstanding 12- We think we can work our way to heaven.
Misunderstanding 13 - Why does Jesus have to sacrifice over and over again?
Misunderstanding 14 - It is wrong for Catholic to call Virgin Mary is the Mother of God; she is the Mother of Christ only.
Misunderstanding 15 - Sacraments in Catholic faith are man-made
Misunderstanding 16 - Catholics think sex is evil. (That’s why Catholics have such SMALL families.
Misunderstanding 17 - That people become priests/nuns because they are gay.
Misunderstanding 18 - Catholics think Non-Catholics go to hell
Misunderstanding 19 - Catholics do not read the Bible.
Misunderstanding 20 - Catholics are discouraged from reading the Bible.
Misunderstanding 21 - Catholics do not believe the Bible.
Misunderstanding 22 - Catholic belief has no Biblical basis.
Misunderstanding 23 - Catholics added the Deuterocanonical books.
Misunderstanding 24 - Priestly celibacy is unscriptural.
Misunderstanding 24 - The Eucharist is unscriptural and idolatrous.
Misunderstanding 25 - Purgatory is a second chance at Heaven.
Misunderstanding 26 - Indulgences are buying a “Get out of hell free.” card.
Misunderstanding 27 - Catholics add to the bible (Sirach etc.).
Misunderstanding 28 - Catholics are brainwashed and the church is a cult.
Misunderstanding 29 - Catholics worship the Pope.
Misunderstanding 30 - Catholics love Mary more than God. (Sigh, some anti-Catholics really believe this)
Misunderstanding 31 - Meat on Friday’s tradition seen as a “change of mind” by the Catholic Church.
Misunderstanding 32 - Most Catholic priests are pedophiles.
Misunderstanding 33 - The Church tries to cover up scandals.
Misunderstanding 34 - The Church tried to kill the “true Christians” and heretics in periods of history.
Misunderstanding 35 - Confessing sins to a priest when Catholics should only confess to God alone.
Misunderstanding 36 - Church having all these rules and rituals that are “meaningless” and keeping us from God.
Misunderstanding 37- Catholics consider Jesus as God if He is just another prophet. (Non-Christian belief)
Misunderstanding 38 - Catholics spend time asking the Saints for help and not asking God only.
Misunderstanding 39 - why have Ash Wednesday to show off that Catholics are fasting Misunderstanding 40 - Why Catholics need to have the Church.
Misunderstanding 41 - The Bible is 2000 years old, why believe it.(non-Christian)
Misunderstanding 42 - Paul and the apostles were not Catholic.
Misunderstanding 43 - Other Christian denominations existed at the time of the apostles, not just Catholics.
Misunderstanding 44 - Other Christian denominations existed and survived from the time of the apostles.
Misunderstanding 45 - Mary has other children beside Jesus.

I put this all together and made the format uniform…
 
Misunderstanding 46 - why Catholics have the Cross and Jesus on it. Didn’t He raise Himself from the dead.

Misunderstanding 47 - why Catholics offer their suffering to Jesus for the conversion of sinners.

Misunderstanding 48 - Pope to be considered as Anti-Christ by quite few non-Catholics

Misunderstanding 49 - Catholic making the sign of the Cross on his body is a pagan practice.

Misunderstanding 50 - Why Catholics call a priest father.

ps: it seems that the list keeps getting longer.
 
Dunno what number to put on this nor do I know how often encountered it might be, but it has stuck with me for half a lifetime.

Misunderstanding Communion

When I was in college, a non-Catholic friend often accompanied us to Mass. Since the campus worship space had no tabernacle, the practice was to place a communion host into the ciborium when entering, so there would not be an excess of the elements consecrated.

When I saw my protestant friend do this, I was gobsmacked :eek: and with the help of the priest, explained to him why he could not partake of Communion in our service. Having had 12 years of Catholc education, wherein I’d been strictly taught that I could not partake in others’ services, it had never occurred to me that protestants were not similarly instructed. To reiterate: The culture shock has stuck with me for half a lifetime.

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
Dunno what number to put on this nor do I know how often encountered it might be, but it has stuck with me for half a lifetime.

Misunderstanding Communion

tee
Click to expand...
I would say that for the next one in the list

It is a good one for not only non-Catholic but also Catholic to understand and to know what to do in this situation.
 
Catholics think Martin Luther is going to hell as a heretic
Catholics will never disagree with the Catholic Church
 
Catholics think the pope is divine (I encountered a guy who actually thought that Catholics believe the pope is Jesus born again and again, like Egyptian Pharaos were supposed to be Egyptian deities born again and again. Ummm … no).
 
Thank you all for answering to this thread so far.

It looks like it is a good list. I have quite a homework to do now. Thanks to you all! 😉
 
Misunderstanding 56: others think purgatory is a place where people being condemned.
 
Misunderstanding 57: Catholics believe that the Pope is God (untrue)

Misunderstand 58: Catholics believe that Mary is the Fourth Person of the Trinity (untrue).
 
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