Do Baptists really hate Catholics?

[Jehoshua]

Being an australian I have absolutely zero experience with american baptists. But from my own experience with baptists they seem to harbour a distinct mental separation between catholic and non-catholic christians by grouping everyone but catholics under the label “christian”.

This from my observation led to a distinct sense that they percieve catholics and catholicism as an “other” or alien figure and although they at least here in Australia acknowledge us (catholics) as christian, at a deep mental level there is a separation of terms. It also seems to me that they consider catholics with a great deal of suspicion, and that perhaps on an intuitive basis they consider us as not christian and seperate from what they consider “chrisianity”. In other words intellectually they acknowledge that we’re christian, but deep down they consider us seperate (or at least as a bunch of wierdo’s) This manifested in my discussions with a baptist pastor I knew with me in conversation constantly having to correct him from saying “catholics and christians” and its false separation of catholics (the original christians) from christianity.

To me i think this separation in the mind, and the subsequent “otherness” of catholicism and all the suspicion and some cases fear that develops from that is what leads to some baptists to “hate” catholics. But from my experience it is definitely not a universal phenomenon amongst baptists and that many are in fact decent people (such as the pastor i knew). Indeed i think the response of hostility emanating from some baptists is more out of fear and suspicion, and not a little bit of misundertandings about the Church’s teaching.

 

[benidict]

Being an australian I have absolutely zero experience with american baptists. But from my own experience with baptists they seem to harbour a distinct mental separation between catholic and non-catholic christians by grouping everyone but catholics under the label “christian”.

This from my observation led to a distinct sense that they percieve catholics and catholicism as an “other” or alien figure and although they at least here in Australia acknowledge us (catholics) as christian, at a deep mental level there is a separation of terms. It also seems to me that they consider catholics with a great deal of suspicion, and that perhaps on an intuitive basis they consider us as not christian and seperate from what they consider “chrisianity”. In other words intellectually they acknowledge that we’re christian, but deep down they consider us seperate (or at least as a bunch of wierdo’s) This manifested in my discussions with a baptist pastor I knew with me in conversation constantly having to correct him from saying “catholics and christians” and its false separation of catholics (the original christians) from christianity.

To me i think this separation in the mind, and the subsequent “otherness” of catholicism and all the suspicion and some cases fear that develops from that is what leads to some baptists to “hate” catholics. But from my experience it is definitely not a universal phenomenon amongst baptists and that many are in fact decent people (such as the pastor i knew). Indeed i think the response of hostility emanating from some baptists is more out of fear and suspicion, and not a little bit of misundertandings about the Church’s teaching.

it is nice to learn that this is a global phenomenon, and not just located in the united states. lol! Peace

 

[JustaServant]

even members of the occult know more about the Eucharist and true presence of Christ than some denominations. If they knew what they were attacking they would convert.

I heard an Episcopal priest once relate this story:
He was counseling a young lady who wanted to become a Christian. She had been involved in the occult and had a boyfriend who was still heavily involved. When he found out the boyfriend stormed into the church and confronted the pastor.
He only had one question: was she Baptized yet?
The pastor said yes.
The boyfriend never contacted the girl again.
Odd question if Baptism is ‘just a symbol’.

 

[TimothyH]

To be honest with you I am not so religious, but I can say of my self as a secular Catholic where I love everything being taught by my family as a catholic, especially the values of love not to hate. I found that baptists reject everyone who don’t think like them, in fact after one year in this place I find my self alone with no friends

Consider where God has placed you and what he is calling you to do.

Are you being called to strengthen your own faith? Are you being called to defend your faith? Are you being called to be an example of Catholic Christian behavior to an aggressive Baptist community? Being alone with no friends may be a cross you have to bear for a while.

Some Baptists who are sincere about their beliefs will want to “Save” you out of what is actually very reall Christian charity. Others will want to insulate themselves from what they see as error, heresy and sin. These are unfortunate but understandable. But God has brought you half way around the world and planted you in a Baptist community not by chance. Coming from a Muslim culture, you have a very unique perspective and God may be calling you to use that.

Why don’t you strengthen your faith, get involved in parish life and become a shining example to the Baptists of what a Catholic really is. Once you have read a little, don’t be afraid to engage, asking questions like, “What exactly is it about Catholicsim that you disagree with” and then gently show them how Catholicsim is very biblically based. Remember that Baptists are 100% bible based. Show them exactly where Catholic doctrine is in the Bible and you will have gone a long way toward bringing them into the Church.

You have truth and the Eucharist on your side. How can you go wrong?

-Tim-

 

[mark_a]

I heard an Episcopal priest once relate this story:
He was counseling a young lady who wanted to become a Christian. She had been involved in the occult and had a boyfriend who was still heavily involved. When he found out the boyfriend stormed into the church and confronted the pastor.
He only had one question: was she Baptized yet?
The pastor said yes.
The boyfriend never contacted the girl again.
Odd question if Baptism is ‘just a symbol’.

Interesting. . . . . .

 

[psychiatrist]

I grew up in Oklahoma where Baptists/fundamental Evangelicals form the mainstay of religion. From my experiences, most of these people harbor a very strong dislike of the Catholic church and most do not consider Catholics to be Christian.

Of course, when you discuss religion with them, you quickly find out that 100% of these people do not know anything about what the Church teaches and believes. Every ounce of “knowledge” that they have about the Church is the same old half-truths and lies: “you Catholics worship Mary”, “Catholics worship statues”, “Catholics can sin every day and go to Confession on Saturday” etc.

And I won’t comment here on the inherent racism that is so common among Baptist/Souther Baptist/evangelical Christians. Hypocrisy at its finest.

 

[JustaServant]

I grew up in Oklahoma where Baptists/fundamental Evangelicals form the mainstay of religion. From my experiences, most of these people harbor a very strong dislike of the Catholic church and most do not consider Catholics to be Christian.

Of course, when you discuss religion with them, you quickly find out that 100% of these people do not know anything about what the Church teaches and believes. Every ounce of “knowledge” that they have about the Church is the same old half-truths and lies: “you Catholics worship Mary”, “Catholics worship statues”, “Catholics can sin every day and go to Confession on Saturday” etc.

And I won’t comment here on the inherent racism that is so common among Baptist/Souther Baptist/evangelical Christians. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Fundamentalism (of any sort) attracts, and thrives, on ignorance.
“Bible Colleges” are not places of higher learning, but places in which fundamentalist philosophy is disseminated. Many come away from these “Colleges” just as ignorant as they went in. They are mainly places for men who want a “degree” to be preachers.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that our society is fast becoming illiterate. Reading comprehension is at an all time low. The problem is very noticeable in the church at large. Without basic reading skills, churches can be lead in any direction the powers that be so wish.
Fundamentalist Christians are the most Biblically illiterate in the evangelical world.
I am not saying all fundamentalists are unintelligent. I AM saying the prevailing culture that surrounds it seems to celebrate ignorance.
Many simply have reading comprehension problems, for whatever reason. Many times it can be blamed on a bad education, too much time watching the TV or computer games.
I can honestly say the folks that scream the loudest about the KJV, never seem to read their KJVs.
They rely on what someone says is in the Bible. They allow someone else to think for them.
Fundamentalism claims belief and dependency on the Scriptures. But it appears to be more influenced by a kind of “Oral Tradition”.
Strange as it may seem, fundamentalists use exactly what they condemn Catholics for.
Sermons are shared, sometimes word for word, or they pass around (and sell) tapes and pamphlets. Many graduates of a particular Bible College memorize the sermons of its founder word for word. They attend conferences where they hear the leaders set an agenda for them. Bible study is selective, to serve the purpose of a sermon.
Memorization replaces scholarly inquiry. Verses and texts are simply used to apply to a situation or a sermon.
Many seem proud of a lack of education. Others seem to think they are Bible scholars because they attended a “College” which simply spoon-fed a philosophy. Either way it is very sad to encounter preachers who only know theology, doctrine, and Church history from a narrow and limited point of view.
As a result, there is many a preacher who stands in the pulpit of his church who has a modalistic view of the Trinity, denies Original Sin, repentance, or does not even understand the hypostatic union of Christ. Yet they are looked at as “Bible experts”.
Even worse, they many times display a fear of any knowledge that goes beyond, or offers an alternative to, what they have learned.

 

[Javl]

Fundamentalism (of any sort) attracts, and thrives, on ignorance.
“Bible Colleges” are not places of higher learning, but places in which fundamentalist philosophy is disseminated. Many come away from these “Colleges” just as ignorant as they went in. They are mainly places for men who want a “degree” to be preachers.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that our society is fast becoming illiterate. Reading comprehension is at an all time low. The problem is very noticeable in the church at large. Without basic reading skills, churches can be lead in any direction the powers that be so wish.
Fundamentalist Christians are the most Biblically illiterate in the evangelical world.
I am not saying all fundamentalists are unintelligent. I AM saying the prevailing culture that surrounds it seems to celebrate ignorance.
Many simply have reading comprehension problems, for whatever reason. Many times it can be blamed on a bad education, too much time watching the TV or computer games.
I can honestly say the folks that scream the loudest about the KJV, never seem to read their KJVs.
They rely on what someone says is in the Bible. They allow someone else to think for them.
Fundamentalism claims belief and dependency on the Scriptures. But it appears to be more influenced by a kind of “Oral Tradition”.
Strange as it may seem, fundamentalists use exactly what they condemn Catholics for.
Sermons are shared, sometimes word for word, or they pass around (and sell) tapes and pamphlets. Many graduates of a particular Bible College memorize the sermons of its founder word for word. They attend conferences where they hear the leaders set an agenda for them. Bible study is selective, to serve the purpose of a sermon.
Memorization replaces scholarly inquiry. Verses and texts are simply used to apply to a situation or a sermon.
Many seem proud of a lack of education. Others seem to think they are Bible scholars because they attended a “College” which simply spoon-fed a philosophy. Either way it is very sad to encounter preachers who only know theology, doctrine, and Church history from a narrow and limited point of view.
As a result, there is many a preacher who stands in the pulpit of his church who has a modalistic view of the Trinity, denies Original Sin, repentance, or does not even understand the hypostatic union of Christ. Yet they are looked at as “Bible experts”.
Even worse, they many times display a fear of any knowledge that goes beyond, or offers an alternative to, what they have learned.

I had engaged one of these “preachers” in a discussion once and to my amazement he knew only the basics of Christianity. Evereything that he said or responded with was by rote. Yet he held a “degree” from the “seminary” of a Bible college. It’s a shame that their “religious education” is so limited. The children in CCD classes learn and know more than they do.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[arabic_catholic]

I remember the first day i accepted christ as my Saviour and lord

a baptist girl told me

you need to choose a church now

feel free to pick any church and i encourage you to be baptist

but stay away from three groups

Jehovah witness , Mormons, and CATHOLIC!!!

her words made me study catholicism and try to understand it because i knew that catholics are christians how can she say dont join them !!

and now i can say Catholic is the Church of christ{ . }

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I think it is more fear than hatred, and the dead certainty that we are pagans and need to have our souls saved. I think they fear our unity, they of course misunderstand Revelation and some think of our Church as the “Whore of Babylon.” There is a tremendous misunderstanding of the sacraments and the Scripture that backs up what we do in Mass. There is a wide, wide gulf between Baptists and Catholics. Most of the fundamentalists really, REALLY want to convert us away from our faith. The “worshiping idols” is something I hear a LOT, and worshiping Mary. OH and confession, they TOTALLY do not understand confession! Or priests in general. Or the Pope. Come to think about it, is there ANYTHING they understand about Catholicism???

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I remember the first day i accepted christ as my Saviour and lord

a baptist girl told me

you need to choose a church now

feel free to pick any church and i encourage you to be baptist

but stay away from three groups

Jehovah witness , Mormons, and CATHOLIC!!!

her words made me study catholicism and try to understand it because i knew that catholics are christians how can she say dont join them !!

and now i can say Catholic is the Church of christ{ . }

Your posts on this forum make me happy!



God bless you arabic catholic!!!

 

[mark_a]

I can honestly say the folks that scream the loudest about the KJV, never seem to read their KJVs.
They rely on what someone says is in the Bible. They allow someone else to think for them.
Fundamentalism claims belief and dependency on the Scriptures. But it appears to be more influenced by a kind of “Oral Tradition”.
Strange as it may seem, fundamentalists use exactly what they condemn Catholics for.

Interesting. . . . . . .

 

[ByHisWounds]

I’m Baptist and though I do not agree with everything the Catholic Church teaches I don’t dislike them. We are never going to agree on everything but we share One Love. I will admit that the Church does seem intimidating to a lot of us and we misunderstand some of your teachings. But that works both ways. Philippians 2:2.

 

[Reuben_J]

I’m Baptist and though I do not agree with everything the Catholic Church teaches I don’t dislike them. We are never going to agree on everything but we share One Love. I will admit that the Church does seem intimidating to a lot of us and we misunderstand some of your teachings. But that works both ways. Philippians 2:2.

I can understand that Catholics may also misunderstand your teaching. After reading some of Catholics’ experience here about Baptists’ attitude towards them, I find it’s interesting that you say that the Church is intimidating to many of you. Perhaps you may want to tell us what is intimidating about the Church; and could this be a factor in those Baptists who hate Catholics? Do you fear Catholic Church because of its size, influence and what she says it is - the true Church?

 

[benidict]

I’m Baptist and though I do not agree with everything the Catholic Church teaches I don’t dislike them. We are never going to agree on everything but we share One Love. I will admit that the Church does seem intimidating to a lot of us and we misunderstand some of your teachings. But that works both ways. Philippians 2:2.

i wouldnt say i misunderstand at all. i used to be a baptist. one thing i am greatful to the baptist for, is how they gave me a real love for studying the scriptures. another thing i am greatful for, is how they do seek truth. id probably get along great with the baptist, on political subjects, since most are fairly conservative. (dont want to paint with a broad brush though.) i really dont have much to do with baptist anymore honestly. in fact i try to avoid contact. they are not as much fun as they used to be, before i converted…lol! Peace

 

[JustaServant]

There are three basic types of fundamentalist baptists:

1. The Jerry Falwel, Liberty University variety.
   I attended LU and can safely say they are the most reasonable kind (that may shock some people). They would fit into the " ‘New Evangelicals’ Billy Graham, Charles Colson, James Dobson" types you mention. Hard-core fundamentalists do not consider them to be fundamentalists (for a variety of reasons I will not bore you with explaining, not the least of which is that they (GASP) use modern english versions of the Bible.
2. The Bob Jones University variety.
   They range from Calvinist to Arminian in theology. They tend to be more intellectual, but very elitist and racist. Their numbers are dwindling however, Two pastors I sat under were from BJU.
3. The Hyles-Anderson College, KJV-only variety.
   These are the wide-eyed fanatics. These are the haters. Very anti-intellectual, cultic, abrasive, paranoid…I could go on, but you get the picture. The third group I have encountered, even preached in a few of their churches, but I avoided them.

All three Falwell, Jones, and Hyles are gone now. But their legacy continues. All three are little islands to themselves. They put up walls so no opposite POV comes in. The longer I am away from that world the more I pity the people involved.
The more isolated you are the more you fear, and its that fear that creates the hate. And that hate only kills the hater in the long run.

 

[mark_a]

1. The Bob Jones University variety.
   They range from Calvinist to Arminian in theology. They tend to be more intellectual, but very elitist and racist. Their numbers are dwindling however, Two pastors I sat under were from BJU.

There is a priest in our area who graduated form BJU. I’ve heard folks gasp when they find out during some of his speaking engagements.

BJU even refused to allow our bishop in to talk with the leadership there.

I think though, that they are gradually becoming less racist. I’ve seen Orientals and Blacks there. They even had Alan Keyes speak there once (2000 presidential campaign).

 

[OmegaSupreme]

There is a priest in our area who graduated form BJU. I’ve heard folks gasp when they find out during some of his speaking engagements.

BJU even refused to allow our bishop in to talk with the leadership there.

I think though, that they are gradually becoming less racist. I’ve seen Orientals and Blacks there. They even had Alan Keyes speak there once (2000 presidential campaign).

BJU was one of the 3 schools that used to recruit heavily at the Baptist high school I attended. They did seem quite keen to try to downplay the charges of racism by highlighting the ethnic diversity of their student body. Of those three schools (Pensacola Christian College and Baptist Bible College being the other two), I’d say they were by far the least racist, despite their policy on interracial dating. From what I understand, they rescinded that rule a while back. They were also the only school of the three that was accredited, from what I recall.

 

[psychiatrist]

I’m Baptist and though I do not agree with everything the Catholic Church teaches I don’t dislike them. We are never going to agree on everything but we share One Love. I will admit that the Church does seem intimidating to a lot of us and we misunderstand some of your teachings. But that works both ways. Philippians 2:2.

Sorry, I don’t misunderstand any Baptist teachings. Spending a little time studying the Bible and the history of early Christians will teach any inquiring mind that the “Baptist” church has little in common with what Christians believed for the first 1600 years of the existence of Christianity. The “Baptist” church is a man-made religion of the last few hundred years.

 

[JustaServant]

BJU was one of the 3 schools that used to recruit heavily at the Baptist high school I attended. They did seem quite keen to try to downplay the charges of racism by highlighting the ethnic diversity of their student body. Of those three schools (Pensacola Christian College and Baptist Bible College being the other two), I’d say they were by far the least racist, despite their policy on interracial dating. From what I understand, they rescinded that rule a while back. They were also the only school of the three that was accredited, from what I recall.

Since I’ve been out of the loop for so long, I have no idea if the school has changed since Bob Jones III retired. My experience was with the graduates, now pastors. The ones I met were still pretty racist and elitist. In fairness to them, the ones I knew tried to stay away from extremes, unlike the KJV-only types.