Catholic myths

  • Thread starter Thread starter PBPGNFWMY
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

PBPGNFWMY

Guest
In doing some research on the fundamental differences between the Catholic religion and the Protestant faith, I have read many times from the Catholic side that Protestants believe in “Catholic myths”.

What do you personally believe are some of the most “ridiculous” of these myths. Please cite evidence for your belief.

Also, are there any myths or misconceptions that have actually made you think, “they kind of have a point there…”.

Thanks in advance for your (name removed by moderator)ut and honesty!
 
PBPGNFWMY said:
In doing some research on the fundamental differences between the Catholic religion and the Protestant faith, I have read many times from the Catholic side that Protestants believe in “Catholic myths”.

What do you personally believe are some of the most “ridiculous” of these myths. Please cite evidence for your belief.
Click to expand...
The most ridiculous (IMO) is “Catholics worship Mary”.

proof: remnantofgod.org/godmary.htm (one of multitudes).
PBPGNFWMY said:
Also, are there any myths or misconceptions that have actually made you think, “they kind of have a point there…”.
Click to expand...
Honestly, no.
 
PBPGNFWMY said:
In doing some research on the fundamental differences between the Catholic religion and the Protestant faith, I have read many times from the Catholic side that Protestants believe in “Catholic myths”.

What do you personally believe are some of the most “ridiculous” of these myths. Please cite evidence for your belief.
Click to expand...
The Anti-Catholic Bible
Anti-Catholic Whoppers
Catholic Inventions
More Catholic Inventions
The Inquisition
The Whore of Babylon
Hunting the Whore of Babylon Is Catholicism Pagan?
Myths About Indulgences
Primer on Indulgences
Catholic Answers Special Report: Chick Tracts
Bogus Babylon (This Rock: May-June 2005)
Also, are there any myths or misconceptions that have actually made you think, “they kind of have a point there…”.
Click to expand...
Thanks in advance for your (name removed by moderator)ut and honesty!
Click to expand...
Not really. Every time I’ve checked them out they’ve proved just as unfounded as the one you saw in my testimony. 🙂
 
Good stuff so far, thanks. In looking into the first one mentioned, Mary worship (which I suspected would come up immediately), two more questions came to mind immediately:
  1. What is the evidence for her “Glorious Assumption?”
    2a) What is the evidence for her “Perpetual virginity” and 2b) why is this such an important part of the Catholic doctrine?
I will continue to look at the list of your links, CM. Thanks!
 
PBPGNFWMY said:
Good stuff so far, thanks. In looking into the first one mentioned, Mary worship (which I suspected would come up immediately), two more questions came to mind immediately:
  1. What is the evidence for her “Glorious Assumption?”
Click to expand...
The evidence is that the Church has always taught it, and never refuted it.
2a) What is the evidence for her “Perpetual virginity” and 2b) why is this such an important part of the Catholic doctrine?
Click to expand...
The evidence is that the Church has always taught it, and never refuted it. As to why it is important, it’s important because it is something God has revealed to the Church - meaning, he must think it’s important for us to know.
 
There are two very different kinds of myths. One kind are simple (or gross) misunderstandings or misrepresentations of Catholic teaching.

The other are outright lies made up (by self-proclaimed Christians) to damage the Church. Some of those latter are:
  1. the Inquisitions killed 50-100 million people (around 3000 is the figure currently put forth in the scholarly community).
  2. Catholics chained bibles to the pulpits to prevent the common man from having access to scripture.
  3. Priests and nuns would meet in tunnels dug between their compounds, and the babies born of such meetings were then buried in the tunnels.
  4. The Jesuit Oath (look it up)
  5. Lincoln was killed by a Catholic assassin because he (Lincoln) was going to crack down on the Catholic Church.
  6. Luther was the first to produce a vernacular bible. In fact, there were hundreds before him.
The list goes on and on. Others can add to it.
 
The first time I went to Catholic Mass I looked all around the congreagation for the Mafia!

What I saw were people on their knees praying before the Mass even started.

That was real apologetics and touched me!
 
PBPGNFWMY said:
In doing some research on the fundamental differences between the Catholic religion and the Protestant faith, I have read many times from the Catholic side that Protestants believe in “Catholic myths”.

What do you personally believe are some of the most “ridiculous” of these myths. Please cite evidence for your belief.

Also, are there any myths or misconceptions that have actually made you think, “they kind of have a point there…”.

Thanks in advance for your (name removed by moderator)ut and honesty!
Click to expand...
I have yet to understand why us Catholics on these forums keep answering these idiotic posts. They all have the same format; i.e. “I come here innocently as a non-Catholic…” and then it degenertes into anti-Catholicism. Such as, “what is the evidence of Her Glorious Assumption…and prove it in Scripture…”

I commend all you Catholics for patiently answering these hordes of defective Christians. Its appearant to me that they are really seeking to persecute us and our One True Faith.

Sorry in advance for the rant. I just have a hard time sitting silent to these same anti-Catholic questions being asked over and over and over again.
 
Overall I’d say that the biggest single myth regarding Catholics is that we mindlessly accept traditions at face value without bothering to explore their origins and meanings. Countless people have started conversations with me by saying “I know that as a Catholic you’ve been taught such-and-such, but have you ever really thought about it for yourself?” Duh, of course I’ve thought about it, studied it, prayed about it. That’s why I now stand more convinced than ever that Catholicism is true. 🙂

As for your questions regarding Mary, each deserves its own thread.
 
** The other are outright lies made up (by self-proclaimed Christians) to damage the Church. Some of those latter are:
  1. the Inquisitions killed 50-100 million people (around 3000 is the figure currently put forth in the scholarly community).**
Very interesting article on scholarship of the witch hunts (which ties in with the Inquisition)—http://chass.colostate-pueblo.edu/natrel/pom/old/POM5a1.html

**2) Catholics chained bibles to the pulpits to prevent the common man from having access to scripture.
**

I wouldn’t classify this as an “outright lie.” Books, including the Bible, were indeed chained in the 15th to early 18th century in libraries and to pulpits because they were so valuable, so, yes, in a sense, it was to keep the common man (who couldn’t have read it anyway) from taking off with it. It was hardly limited to the Catholics or to the Bible.

palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/dt/dt0649.html
“chained books: Books that in the past were attached to shelves, reading desks, pulpits, pews, etc., by means of chains. From the 15th to the early 18th century, books were secured in this manner to prevent them from being stolen.”

williamtyndale.com/0biblehistory.htm
“In 1539, Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, hired Myles Coverdale at the bequest of King Henry VIII to publish the “Great Bible”. It became the first English Bible authorized for public use, as it was distributed to every church, chained to the pulpit. By the decree of the king a reader was provided so that the illiterate could hear the Word of God in their own tongue. It would seem that William Tyndale’s last prayer had been granted – three years after his martyrdom. Cranmer’s Bible, published by Coverdale, was known as the Great Bible due to its great size: a large pulpit folio measuring over 14 inches tall. Seven editions of this version were printed between April of 1539 and December of 1541.”
(note that this version of the Bible is also referred to as the Chained Bible, and was not Catholic)
 
BTW, when discussing “Catholic myths” one really should read John Henry Newman (an Anglican priest who became Catholic) on the matter:

newmanreader.org/works/england/index.html

From that essay:

If you would have some direct downright proof that Catholicism is what Protestants make it to be, something which will come up to the mark, you must lie; else you will not get beyond feeble suspicions, which may be right, but may be wrong. Hence Protestants are obliged to cut their ninth commandment out of their Decalogue. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” must go, must disappear; their position requires the sacrifice. The substance, the force, the edge of their Tradition is slander. As soon as ever they disabuse their minds of what is false, and grasp only what is true,—I do not say they at once become Catholics; I do not say they lose their dislike to our religion, or their misgivings about its working;—but I say this, either they become tolerant towards us, and cease to hate us personally,—or, at least, supposing they cannot shake off old associations, and are prejudiced and hostile as before, still they find they have not the means of communicating their own feelings to others. To Protestantism False Witness is the principle of propagation. There are indeed able men who can make a striking case out of anything or nothing, as great painters give a meaning and a unity to the commonest bush, and pond, and paling and stile: genius can do without facts, as well as create them; but few possess the gift. Taking things as they are, and judging of them by the long run, one may securely say, that the anti-Catholic Tradition could not be kept alive, would die of exhaustion, without a continual supply of fable.
 
SFLCatholic said:
I just have a hard time sitting silent to these same anti-Catholic questions being asked over and over and over again.
Click to expand...
I sympathize. It is difficult to have to deal with widespread misconceptions about one’s faith, especially when those misconceptions are stubbornly adhered to despite being given evidence to the contrary.
 
PBPGNFWMY said:
Good stuff so far, thanks. In looking into the first one mentioned, Mary worship (which I suspected would come up immediately), two more questions came to mind immediately:
  1. What is the evidence for her “Glorious Assumption?”
    2a) What is the evidence for her “Perpetual virginity” and 2b) why is this such an important part of the Catholic doctrine?
I will continue to look at the list of your links, CM. Thanks!
Click to expand...
“Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, because from it thou wast taken”.
Bodily corruption is a punishment for sin. Mary being sinless, she would be preserved from such a fate.

The Bible says that Mary was virgin when she conceived Jesus. St Joseph knew this, and would not have presumed to have sexual relations with a woman God whom had chosen.
Symbolically it is very important because of the value we attach to virginity. We don’t know how important it is. Was Original Sin sexual? The Bible is not very clear on that point, and theologians argue about it. A Catholic may believe it was or it was not, the Church has not spoken.
 
SFLCatholic said:
I have yet to understand why us Catholics on these forums keep answering these idiotic posts. They all have the same format; i.e. “I come here innocently as a non-Catholic…” and then it degenertes into anti-Catholicism. Such as, “what is the evidence of Her Glorious Assumption…and prove it in Scripture…”

I commend all you Catholics for patiently answering these hordes of defective Christians. Its appearant to me that they are really seeking to persecute us and our One True Faith.

Sorry in advance for the rant. I just have a hard time sitting silent to these same anti-Catholic questions being asked over and over and over again.
Click to expand...
Your rant is not warranted and not appreciated. I am simply asking questions and if you’ll notice have not refuted anything from the Catholic view…I am simply looking for information. I find that information I find in the Catholic Encyclopedia and some other sites are quite verbose and hard to understand for someone like me who is not used to the “lingo”. It seems like every time I start one of these threads looking for the Catholic point of view everything positive comes to a halt when somebody attacks me. I am not here as an anti-Catholic…I am here as a pro-Jesus. Please allow those who are knowledgeable and don’t have their egos tied up in these threads answer my questions.

Moving on…
 
KarenNC said:
1) the Inquisitions killed 50-100 million people (around 3000 is the figure currently put forth in the scholarly community).

Very interesting article on scholarship of the witch hunts (which ties in with the Inquisition)—http://chass.colostate-pueblo.edu/natrel/pom/old/POM5a1.html
Click to expand...
That does look interesting. Thanks for the link.
**2) Catholics chained bibles to the pulpits to prevent the common man from having access to scripture.
**
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t classify this as an “outright lie.” Books, including the Bible, were indeed chained in the 15th to early 18th century in libraries and to pulpits because they were so valuable, so, yes, in a sense, it was to keep the common man (who couldn’t have read it anyway) from taking off with it. It was hardly limited to the Catholics or to the Bible.
Click to expand...
That’s what makes it a lie. Not that the bibles were chained, we know they were, but that they were chained as part of a Catholic plot to keep the common people from having access to scripture (as if the reason those bibles were on the pulpits in the first place might not give pause to that idea…)
 
“Catholics are against contraception because pope wants more Catholics so he can be richer.”

The fact of the matter is that Catholic moral teaching, especially the Catholic moral teaching about contraception, is a slam-dunk against people who think the main issue in the Protestant/Catholic debate is whether or not you can call a man “father” (even your own father).

Notice on the contraception threads that Protestants just sort of whimper off to another “call no man father” thread.

The moral teachings of the Catholic Church cannot be refuted from the bible.
 
That does look interesting. Thanks for the link.

You’re welcome. I disseminate that one quite a bit, particularly among the Neopagan groups I frequent. It does no one any good to base an argument on inaccurate or outdated scholarship.🙂

That’s what makes it a lie. Not that the bibles were chained, we know they were, but that they were chained as part of a Catholic plot to keep the common people from having access to scripture (as if the reason those bibles were on the pulpits in the first place might not give pause to that idea…)

Ah, that clarifies. It wasn’t apparent to me whether you meant that the entire thing was an outright lie (lots of folks don’t know that books were chained, I have found) or if it was just the Catholic part.
 
KarenNC said:
Ah, that clarifies. It wasn’t apparent to me whether you meant that the entire thing was an outright lie (lots of folks don’t know that books were chained, I have found) or if it was just the Catholic part.
Click to expand...
Yep, sorry for the lack of clarity.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top