Catholic = "religion" = Bad

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Question for the board…My family is comprised of Catholics and non-denom protestants. One Uncle (a non-denom) was explaining to my 7 year old daughter at our Easter gathering, that Catholics are a “religion” and he doesn’t believe in “religion” but worships God through prayer and thoughtful reading of scriptures, yada, yada, yada…he then goes onto to say that there are a million denominations and Catholics are just a certian type for those who want “religion”.

How would you respond to this tactic? Frankly, I see this as their best way to ciphon off Catholics using the “religion” thing. Worked for my brother.

My Response is the following:
(1.) Despite protests to the contrary, The Uncle in question does belong to a “religion” or Church; its just a smaller church of one.
(2.) His “religion” has immutable dogmas, there just fewer in number, at least right now.
(3.) His church of one, like all protestant denominations or non-denominations, was started by Man. Matthew 16:18 establishes the Catholic Church through Christ.
 
Excellent reply. Let us know how he responds to those points, if he does.
 
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Scalia:
Question for the board…My family is comprised of Catholics and non-denom protestants. One Uncle (a non-denom) was explaining to my 7 year old daughter at our Easter gathering, that Catholics are a “religion” and he doesn’t believe in “religion” but worships God through prayer and thoughtful reading of scriptures, yada, yada, yada…he then goes onto to say that there are a million denominations and Catholics are just a certian type for those who want “religion”.

How would you respond to this tactic? Frankly, I see this as their best way to ciphon off Catholics using the “religion” thing. Worked for my brother.

My Response is the following:
(1.) Despite protests to the contrary, The Uncle in question does belong to a “religion” or Church; its just a smaller church of one.
(2.) His “religion” has immutable dogmas, there just fewer in number, at least right now.
(3.) His church of one, like all protestant denominations or non-denominations, was started by Man. Matthew 16:18 establishes the Catholic Church through Christ.
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The “religion” argument is a common justification for an anti-Catholic.

Your responses are good, but don’t expect a change of opinion from your Uncle.
 
“Your responses are good, but don’t expect a change of opinion from your Uncle.”

Agreed. The Uncle is a lost cause. However, I would like to innoculate my children in the most effective fashion. Further, the Uncle swayed a lifelong Catholic into his apostasy. Therefore, I would like to lay the groung work for a reversion to the Church on her part. I just want the most effective means to fight this jargon argument.
 
On the spot (or as conveniently thereafter as possible), take uncle unobtrusively aside – with nobody else privy to the conversation.

You: Uncle, did I hear you correctly telling our daughter XYZ (e.g., that the Catholic Church is just one “religion” among many)?

Uncle: Gives an answer, perhaps a deflective persiflage. If he starts to defend his position, do not enter a “dialogue.”

You: Uncle, my spouse and I take our faith very seriously; we take seriously our obligation to educate our daughter in the Christian faith and that is a job which has been divinely entrusted to us as her parents.

You may have confused our daughter by indicating that the Catholic Church is just one false religion among many. This is neither true nor is it respectful of us nor of the welcome we have given you by inviting you into our home.

Since you have taken the intiative to instruct our daughter, it is only fair for you to give equal time to the Catholic position. I would like you to have the opportunity to learn what the Catholic Church teaches about herself and will send you a small tract (Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth).

End of discussion.
 
Two responses: (1) The Bible could only be pulled-together by “religions,” organizations with the financial resources and expertise necessary to look for inspired Scriptural writings and weed-out the nonsense. When he studies Scripture, he is studying the *work * of two religions, Judaism and Catholicism. If he really studies the Bible, which I doubt, he is making himself “expert” in the Hebrew/Jewish “religion” and the ealiest form of Catholicism.

(2) Many is a social animal. So, God wants us to worship Him socially, in religions.
 
I’ve heard that as well, that you don’t need to go to church or belong to a religion to believe in God. Well yes, anyone can believe it God, but when was it decided we could each make up our own rules as we went along?
 
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Scalia:
Question for the board…My family is comprised of Catholics and non-denom protestants. One Uncle (a non-denom) was explaining to my 7 year old daughter at our Easter gathering, that Catholics are a “religion” and he doesn’t believe in “religion” How would you respond to this tactic? Frankly, I see this as their best way to ciphon off Catholics using the “religion” thing.
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Websters dictionary has a definition of Religion as follows: the service and worship of God.

Perhaps the uncle doesn’t understand the definition of religion.
 
Thank you for your thoughtfull responeses:

Mercygate: I agree that this must be addressed head on and without any personal rancor. I intend to do this. Frankly, I was a little stunned that it happened at all and at Easter.

Biblereaderr: I like how you couched the fact that the bible he holds so dear was drafted, compiled and codified by “religion”.

Ignatius: Next time this happens, Mr. Webster will be brought into evidence…
 
This is one of my favorite angles by the Protestants. I have several friends who are “non-denominational” and they say the same thing.

You may wish to point out to your uncle that before Christ, Judaism was a religion and it was the religion of God. Christianity is the religion of Jesus and it took the name of Catholic in the early second century after the invocation of St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Men outside of the faith have taken upon themselves the “right” to create uncountable man-made denominations which have failed so badly and have given religion such a bad name that people like your uncle and my friends can’t stand the idea of religion or denomination anymore. So, they create their own personal denomination in their own image and likeness, and call it non-denominational.

It is like leaving a banquet of delicious and healthy food for junk food and then complaining, after the junk food has made one fat and sick, that the culprit is “eating.”

If your uncle is sick of the junk food of man-made “religions,” you might want to suggest he go back to the Lord’s banquet.

Thal59
 
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mercygate:
On the spot (or as conveniently thereafter as possible), take uncle unobtrusively aside – with nobody else privy to the conversation.

You: Uncle, did I hear you correctly telling our daughter XYZ (e.g., that the Catholic Church is just one “religion” among many)?

Uncle: Gives an answer, perhaps a deflective persiflage. If he starts to defend his position, do not enter a “dialogue.”

You: Uncle, my spouse and I take our faith very seriously; we take seriously our obligation to educate our daughter in the Christian faith and that is a job which has been divinely entrusted to us as her parents.

You may have confused our daughter by indicating that the Catholic Church is just one false religion among many. This is neither true nor is it respectful of us nor of the welcome we have given you by inviting you into our home.

Since you have taken the intiative to instruct our daughter, it is only fair for you to give equal time to the Catholic position. I would like you to have the opportunity to learn what the Catholic Church teaches about herself and will send you a small tract (Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth).

End of discussion.
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Amen to that!

End that crud right now. Not to tell you what to do… but, don’t let anyone come into your home and tell YOUR kids about your faith.
I mean anyone.

DO get that little tract: Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth. Catholic Answers will send you ONE for free. You may want to purchase a small amount. Very inexpensive. Very “to the point.”

My prayers are with you.
 
One Uncle (a non-denom) was explaining to my 7 year old daughter at our Easter gathering, that Catholics are a “religion” and he doesn’t believe in “religion” but worships God through prayer and thoughtful reading of scriptures, yada, yada, yada…he then goes onto to say that there are a million denominations and Catholics are just a certian type for those who want "religion
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Whether he wants to admit it or not…your uncle has formed his own religion and has become his own pope.
In doing so - he gets to ignore the fact that Jesus went through the trouble of leaving behind a visible church with a visible leader.
 
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