Catholic Stereotypes

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My list includes:

-Catholics keep crucifying Jesus over and over and over…
-We think Jesus is still on the cross.
-We can’t pray to Jesus directly.
-We added books to the Bible.
-Not only did we add books to the Bible, but we don’t read our Bibles.
and FINALLY…We think the pope is infallible about everything. If he says the Houston Astros will win the World Series and the Houston Texans will win the Super Bowl, then by golly, we as Catholics believe they’ll win the World Series and/or the Super Bowl. (Wish this were true, actually. :D)
 
CountrySinger said:
Catholics have a guilt complex
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I strongly agree. I had never heard this much until one of my professors brought it up in class. He was raised Catholic but at some point in his education at a Catholic university he left the church and became Lutheran. He then left the Lutheran church and joined several other denominations. He is now a Pastor of some sort. ANYWAY, he sad “the thing with being Catholic is that there is so much guilt”. That really burned me up.

As far a “Catholics don’t read the bible” goes… unfortunately there is some truth to that- at least that has been my experience. My catechesis was TERRIBLE. We MIGHT have read two verses of scripture during each CCD class- maybe. I didn’t even know which books were in the old or new testament after 11 years of CCD! All we did was read junk out of these lame, wimpy “Life in the Spirit” books. Why do people think high school students can’t handle serious discussion? Actually, over thanksgiving I was discussing this with my aunt. She is a nun, and, in my opinion- an outright heretic. I was discussing how little most Catholics know about scripture. She said that this debate has been going on for a long time but the most important thing is that Catholics learn the “spirit of the gospel”. To which I replied, I think the best way to learn that is to “READ THE GOSPELS”. I think the “spirit of the gospel” was code for “the spirit of Vatican II”.
 
I think the most annoying stereotype is that Catholics aren’t very fun. Sort of “they can’t do X or Y” I’ve heard this one several times. People say, “Oh, Catholics can do martial arts? I didn’t know that…” or, “Your Catholic-you can’t listen to this or that.”

Too many people think Catholics should do nothing but sit around drinking milk and cookies and being stoic and sad.

Everyone else on this post was dead on-worshipping mary, anti-sex, all that rubbish. “The church is rich” one drives me INSANE. Anyone who thinks that the church is rich has clearly never been involved in ANY aspect of Catholic life! Okay, I feel a soapbox coming on…I’ll dive off now…
 
usagi1962 said:
Hey, I’m Catholic and I have problems with the Church’s teaching on sexuality. So I don’t think that the comment “Catholics hate sex” is a stereotype. I think it is a valid critism of Church teaching. However, I would go further and say pretty much all Christians hate sex, in that all Christian traditions teach that it is evil and that the enjoyment of sex is a sin.

Yes, I am a convert. I came into the Church at Easter 2008. I was a pagan until I met the man I was to marry (we married in the Church in Sept 2008). I honor all the Church’s teachings, even the ones I question, but the issue with sexuality is a source of conflict and absence of joy in an otherwise wonderful marriage.

As far as real stereotypes about Catholics that bother me, I would have to say the common misconception that Catholics worship Mary tops the list. Also high on the list is that all priests are as bad as the ones that make the news for breaking their vows. I always tell people who tell me that it isn’t true; it’s just that the people who report the news don’t find the good priests interesting because they aren’t involved in any scandals.

Just my opinions…
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I heard this criticism once: The Catholic Church is to sex what the anorexic and morbidly obese are to food. Unhealthily obsessed over a natural thing. I don’t fully agree with that, but I can see where one can make that argument.
 
John Paul II : Theology of the Body. It changed my mind and heart. It changed my life.
 
The ones I was raised with, and some are really ugly were:

•*Catholic men always cheat on and beat their wives because they can just go to confession and be forgiven…besides their wives can’t divorce them
•*Catholics have too many kids and then expect protestants to help feed them
•*Catholic women are uneducated, barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen
•*Catholic women have to give their husbands sex whenever asked
•*Catholics are always smoking, drunk, or losing their money gambling
•*Nuns are there to secretly give priests sex
•*Catholic girls are either prudish virgins or total sluts
• Catholics love to suffer and feel guilt
• Catholics only do business with other Catholics (somewhat true in my town. All protestants drove GM cars. All Catholics drove Fords as the dealerships were owned by those of each denomination)
•*Catholics have no idea why the do they things they do, they just do what they are told
• If an Irish priest came to your house, hide the booze. If an italian priest visits, hide your wife. (ethnic and religious stereotypes in one there…gee thanks grandpa you poor ignorant man)
 
Havard said:
The one I keep hearing is that we hate gay folks.
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That one annoys me, because one of my best friends is a gay man. And the sweetest guy you will ever meet. He was the first one by my side when my mother died, and since I’ve moved, is always checking up on me. I know he will have a better shot at Heaven than some Catholics I know. 🙂
 
CountrySinger said:
That one annoys me, because one of my best friends is a gay man. And the sweetest guy you will ever meet. He was the first one by my side when my mother died, and since I’ve moved, is always checking up on me. I know he will have a better shot at Heaven than some Catholics I know. 🙂
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I have several gay friends as well, and I feel the same way you do.
 
dakotagirl said:
“Catholics think everyone else is going to Hell”… ugh.
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From what I read on this forum - especially postings by some of the COLRs (Cranky Old Latin Riters) - that stereotype has a bit of truth to it! They seem to take an ill-disguised glee in lamenting the eternal torment which they are certain awaits most of us.
 
People in my mom’s family made very racist and hurtful jokes to my Italian, Catholic grandma…If that’s what you’d say to my grandma’s face, what would you say to me???

I don’t like the Catholics are drunks stereotype…

Catholics are connected to the Mob…last I checked, the Church was against extortion, kidnapping, pornography, sex trafficking, and murder…

Catholics have too many kids…How many is “too many”??? And I don’t like the racist/sexist/classist undertones that usually accompany (derogatory terms on women, usually poor/immigrant/uneducated, not usually of Nordic/Northern European descent, Irish being an exception)

Catholics don’t read the Bible…that one is kind of fun, because I can prove them wrong…

Catholics can’t be intelligent…Haha, then we show them our university records…

Catholics don’t like to have fun…They don’t know me and my friends:)
 
I grew up Lutheran, and I can guarantee you I heard many of these growing up and “learning” about the Catholic Church.

What tops my list? Many been mentioned before, but I can’t stand them…

That Catholics worship Mary
That Catholics believe people will be in Purgatory forever or that once you’re in Purgatory you can go to Hell
That celibacy in priests is unnatural
Catholics don’t respect women
 
Jerok said:
Catholics are greedy / Catholics are too rich
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That’s funny. I’ve actually heard quite a few Protestants try to use the relative wealth of Protestant countries compared to Catholic ones as some sort of “proof” of its superiority. Different strokes for different folks I guess. :rolleyes:
 
exoflare said:
That’s funny. I’ve actually heard quite a few Protestants try to use the relative wealth of Protestant countries compared to Catholic ones as some sort of “proof” of its superiority. Different strokes for different folks I guess. :rolleyes:
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Lol!! I have never heard that. So now we’re too rich and too poor. What will they think of next, are we too guilty but too proud? Hmm, that seems sorta like another contradiction. 😛
 
That Catholic women are uneducated to keep them barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen…HA!
 
Another one I thought of today that I have heard before-

Catholics all have to be Democrats/Republicans.

I’ve heard both, but it seems like non catholics (and some catholics, as well) are shocked, SHOCKED if your not of the party they think all Catholics should be.
 
Catholics worship idols and statues
Catholics don’t ask God for forgiveness but ask the priest
Catholics don’t read the Bible
 
-The Catholic Church teaches women are inferior to men, and the Church is against women’s rights.
-The Church kept the Bible from people in the Middle Ages. (They fail to consider that the majority of people could not read back then, so giving them a Bible would be pointless.)
-As Catholics we can’t read the Bible because if we do we will form our own opinions instead of blindly believing what the Church tells us.
-Catholics are not allowed to think for themselves.
-The Catholic Church is stuck in the Middle Ages because she won’t change her teaches to conform with the world’s standards. (birth control, abortion, gay marriage, women priests)
-Catholics have to reproduce like rabbits. Any family with more than three children is Catholic.
-All Catholics priests are gay pedophiles. (Excuse me while I vomit.)
-The Catholic Church is anti science and anti education.
-Catholics have to buy forgivness for their sins.
 
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