Catholicism Disordered?

[a_priori]

It is interesting that for decades I was told that Catholicism is a spiritual disease and that many of my fellow pewmates in our Baptist church were “saved out of Catholicism”. It was as if Catholics were the old version of the Branch Davidians or something.

The bottom line is that Protestants, particularly Evangelicals, use a strawman approach to Catholicism. I sat through dozens if not hundreds of sermons lambasting Catholics. The pastors usually had a laundry list of bad things Catholics do like worshiping Mary, etc.

I only wish non-Catholic Christians would take some time to study Church History and put some effort into understanding what Catholicism is and, more importantly, what it is not.

If people approach the subject with an open mind and some intellectual honesty, many will come away with a better understanding. Don’t let some pastor pre-digest these things and spoon feed you his interpretation. (He probably was spoon fed a pre-digested interpretation by someone else.)

.

 

[exoflare]

It’s always one of two things: either they’ve taken a strawman approach to Catholicism, or they just assume all denominations of Christianity are equally valid.

The attitude you describe is more typical of Baptists or Evangelicals in general, I think. Most Protestants out there aren’t that obsessed with bashing Catholicism in particular IMO.

 

[a_priori]

The attitude you describe is more typical of Baptists or Evangelicals in general, I think. Most Protestants out there aren’t that obsessed with bashing Catholicism in particular IMO.

I think this is a fair point.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

One time I was in a thrift store reaching for a book on church history and a young man pushed me out of the way to grab it. He honestly believed that God had placed that book there for him. So, I asked him some questions about that so-called church history. He said, it documents the fact that “rome” did not become a church until around 325 AD. I laughed and thanked him for not letting me see that trash, because that is not history and I referred him to Philip Schaff’s history of the christian church ( 8 volumes ). I explained that what he had was only a polemic with very little historical value. He came back with that Satan sent me to steal the book from him. I laughed and pointed out, it was he who pushed me out of the way to “steal” the book. That it is the person who used violence to get to it that is the person in the wrong and demanded an apologie. At which he refused, and I pointed out that his religion is useless. Bottom line, there are books written under the guise of “church history” that are NOT history at all, but are polemics. What is so funny is I found that book later that same day for a quarter at a garage sale. I scaned through it, and it was very funny to read and made good fire wood. I find it amusing that those with itching ears, often use the “God put that there for me” mindset as they use violence to take it.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Daniel,

Good point on polemics masked as history. Such has been the case with the history vs “history” of the Inquisition. Mind you, I don’t think the way the Inquisition was carried out was great…having said that…the Inquisition was actually the most liberal court of it’s day…and the Spanish Inquisition didn’t brink about the death of HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS at Lea et al would have you believe…the real number is closer to 2500 deaths…torutre was used in only 15% of the cases…now, that’s still too many deaths and too much torture…but compared to what the “histories” show…the truth is much more balanced.

 

[kell0618]

It is interesting that for decades I was told that Catholicism is a spiritual disease and that many of my fellow pewmates in our Baptist church were “saved out of Catholicism”.

“If loving you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right!” (or however that old song goes)

If being Catholic makes me spiritually diseased, I guess this is a cross that I am happily willing to bear.

 

[Sixtus]

Yerusalyim

, I don’t think the way the Inquisition was carried out was great…having said that…the Inquisition was actually the most liberal court of it’s day

Actually you are right. It was a fact that in lots of countries common criminals in court used to blaspheme in order to get their case transfered to an Inquisitional Court as they were certain of a more just defence and if convicted, much more lenient sentence:

So much for the evils of the Inquisition

 

[lak611]

Actually you are right. It was a fact that in lots of countries common criminals in court used to blaspheme in order to get their case transfered to an Inquisitional Court as they were certain of a more just defence and if convicted, much more lenient sentence:

So much for the evils of the Inquisition

Interesting. It does make sense though, considering that civil courts of the time were much stricter.

 

[Genesis315]

There’s really no excuse for being misinformed. The Catechism is available for all to see–of course, that’s just a front to hide our real beliefs and lure in unsuspecting Christians.

 

[Johenz]

Remember John Henry Newman’s famous line,“To be deep in history is to cease being Protestant.”

 

[ALLFORHIM]

It is interesting that for decades I was told that Catholicism is a spiritual disease and that many of my fellow pewmates in our Baptist church were “saved out of Catholicism”. It was as if Catholics were the old version of the Branch Davidians or something.

The bottom line is that Protestants, particularly Evangelicals, use a strawman approach to Catholicism. I sat through dozens if not hundreds of sermons lambasting Catholics. The pastors usually had a laundry list of bad things Catholics do like worshiping Mary, etc.

I only wish non-Catholic Christians would take some time to study Church History and put some effort into understanding what Catholicism is and, more importantly, what it is not.

If people approach the subject with an open mind and some intellectual honesty, many will come away with a better understanding. Don’t let some pastor pre-digest these things and spoon feed you his interpretation. (He probably was spoon fed a pre-digested interpretation by someone else.)

.

Hi,

Are there alot of Pastors who bad mouth the CC from the pulpit? I was raised episcopalian, saved in a baptist church and am now in a non-denom and NEVER once heard a minister say anything about the CC EVER.
I guess Im one of the fortunate ones. Could it be regional? Maybe it happens in the south or the bible belt:shrug: Im on the east coast and live in an area that is mostly catholic. Maybe that is why.

I hdidnt have too many pre conceived notions at all when I came here. My hubby and family are catholic and I have been to many catholic masses and funerals and weddings. Honesty, I never thought too much about catholocism and the differences of beliefs until I came here.

Now, I probably know more about catholocism then your average catholic.

 

[I_A]

What does “strawman approach” mean?
Thank you.
C.

Wikipedia:

A straw man %between%argument is an infromal fallacybased on misrepresentation of an opponent’s position. To “set up a straw man” or “set up a straw-man argument” is to create a position that is easy to refute, then attribute that position to the opponent. A straw-man argument can be a successful %between%rhetorical technique (that is, it may succeed in persuading people) but it is in fact a misleading fallacy, because the opponent’s actual argument has not been refuted.
Its name is derived from the practice of using straw menin combat training. In such training, a scarecrow is made in the image of the enemy with the single intent of attacking it.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

 

[Allweather]

Hi,

Are there alot of Pastors who bad mouth the CC from the pulpit? I was raised episcopalian, saved in a baptist church and am now in a non-denom and NEVER once heard a minister say anything about the CC EVER.
I guess Im one of the fortunate ones. Could it be regional? Maybe it happens in the south or the bible belt:shrug: Im on the east coast and live in an area that is mostly catholic. Maybe that is why.

I hdidnt have too many pre conceived notions at all when I came here. My hubby and family are catholic and I have been to many catholic masses and funerals and weddings. Honesty, I never thought too much about catholocism and the differences of beliefs until I came here.

Now, I probably know more about catholocism then your average catholic.

Often the criticisms don’t actually mention the name Catholic. A minister may be preaching about some Protestant theology that is in opposition to a Catholic teaching, which in and of itself is a criticism, but not actually mention the word Catholic. The vast majority of Baptists know next to nothing about the Catholic Church, and that includes those that claim to have been “former Catholics.” An awful lot of Catholics have been badly formed, and these are the ones you’ll typically find roaming around the Protestant groups, claiming once to have been Catholic. So I agree with you, you probably DO know more than the “average” Catholic, LOL.

Not all Baptists are fire-breathers, mind you. Some are pretty moderate, even liberal. I think most of the overt anti-Catholicism comes out of the conservative Baptist organizations. You don’t mention which brand of Baptist you were, but the fact you live in a largely Catholic region might suggest that the local preachers are more toned-down in rhetoric than what you’ll find in other places, where the Catholic population is thinner, or more hispanic.

 

[xmydreamsfadex]

Hi,

Are there alot of Pastors who bad mouth the CC from the pulpit? I was raised episcopalian, saved in a baptist church and am now in a non-denom and NEVER once heard a minister say anything about the CC EVER.
I guess Im one of the fortunate ones. Could it be regional? Maybe it happens in the south or the bible belt:shrug: Im on the east coast and live in an area that is mostly catholic. Maybe that is why.

I hdidnt have too many pre conceived notions at all when I came here. My hubby and family are catholic and I have been to many catholic masses and funerals and weddings. Honesty, I never thought too much about catholocism and the differences of beliefs until I came here.

Now, I probably know more about catholocism then your average catholic.

i remember growing up the pastor would say things like “praying to saints is wrong.” “you shouldn’t pray to anyone but Jesus” or “the rock is Jesus.” and i really never understood what he was talking about until i started reading articles on Catholic teachings… they will say something like “bread can’t be the body of Christ.” but won’t say it is a Cathoic teaching. that’s how it was here in winston salem, nc…

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Often the criticisms don’t actually mention the name Catholic. A minister may be preaching about some Protestant theology that is in opposition to a Catholic teaching, which in and of itself is a criticism, but not actually mention the word Catholic. The vast majority of Baptists know next to nothing about the Catholic Church, and that includes those that claim to have been “former Catholics.” An awful lot of Catholics have been badly formed, and these are the ones you’ll typically find roaming around the Protestant groups, claiming once to have been Catholic. So I agree with you, you probably DO know more than the “average” Catholic, LOL.

Not all Baptists are fire-breathers, mind you. Some are pretty moderate, even liberal. I think most of the overt anti-Catholicism comes out of the conservative Baptist organizations. You don’t mention which brand of Baptist you were, but the fact you live in a largely Catholic region might suggest that the local preachers are more toned-down in rhetoric than what you’ll find in other places, where the Catholic population is thinner, or more hispanic.

I was in a Southern Baptist church but it was a bit liberal–not like the episcopal church though Sad to say they are falling out of being considered a NT church I must say. My Grandfather would be so disappointed–he was an episcopal minister.
Anywho—a southern baptist church ,Im sure, is different in the northeast then in the south.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

i remember growing up the pastor would say things like “praying to saints is wrong.” “you shouldn’t pray to anyone but Jesus” or “the rock is Jesus.” and i really never understood what he was talking about until i started reading articles on Catholic teachings… they will say something like “bread can’t be the body of Christ.” but won’t say it is a Cathoic teaching. that’s how it was here in winston salem, nc…

I see what your saying. I believe when a minister says something like you mentioned, they are teaching what the bible says(their intrepretation.)
Im not so sure it is aimed as an insult to the CC as much as it is what they/we believe the teaching to be.

I’ll give you an example of my friend. She is catholic and her husband is a non-practicing Jew. He does go to church with her(not every Sunday) When the Priest starts to talk about the Jews from a biblical standpoint, his comments and perceptions are—the catholics are picking on the jews again!!

Now we know that that is not the case. judaism is part of our history of christianity so of course they get mentioned. But do you see how people can be offended where they shouldnt be.

 

[mercygate]

Anywho—a southern baptist church ,Im sure, is different in the northeast then in the south.

Yup. Here in the urban north, Southern Baptists are pretty cool – and they keep most of their anti-Catholic poison (if they have any) under wraps.

And as for the OP: I wish CATHOLICS would take the time to learn what the Church teaches. The other day I told a self-proclaimed cafeteria Catholic that I had never known anybody who took the time to learn WHY the Church teaches as she does on the life issues who did not at least soften on the subject, if not completely turn around in favor of it. She answered: I don’t want to bother going into it. I just know what I think, and I don’t want somebody else telling me what to think.

IOW: I’m too lazy to think for myself but I don’t want anybody else to help me out because I might have to change my life.

Sigh. Gotta go pray for her!

 

[water]

If I were a non-Catholic answering this question,
I would say:

Catholicism Disordered? - No
Christianity disordered? - Yes. I don’t really know any other religion that is as disordered as Christians.

Sorry if I am wrong or kinda off topic.

 

[Contarini]

I was in a Southern Baptist church but it was a bit liberal–not like the episcopal church though Sad to say they are falling out of being considered a NT church I must say. My Grandfather would be so disappointed–he was an episcopal minister.
Anywho—a southern baptist church ,Im sure, is different in the northeast then in the south.

Are you sure it was Southern Baptist and not American Baptist? They are much more moderate/liberal (I mean “moderate to liberal,” not that moderates and liberals are the same!).

Edwin

 

[faelpsanfeel]

How dare those protestants bash the beliefs of others!

Everybody here knows that protestantism was inspired by the devil.