You see, the ill-will goes both ways. I will show you two examples.
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.
I can confirm that many people calling themselves “fundamentalist Christians” claim "“you Catholics worship Mary”, “Catholics worship statues”, “Catholics can sin every day and go to Confession on Saturday” etc…
Then you see the hateful rant “the inherent racism that is so common among Baptist/Souther Baptist/evangelical Christians” and then the next person’s rant.
Just so that we are clear, in the United States, colleges, universities, seminaries, and other institutions of higher education that are
accredited are legitimate “places of higher learning” regardless of how anyone might feel about what is taught there.
Any fundamentalist college, university, seminary, etc. that is accredited is a legitimate college, university, seminary, etc… Accreditation is a process developed to distinguish between institutions offering a legitimate college-level education versus those not doing so. Regardless of any institution’s religious affiliations, if it is accredited, it is a legitimate college, university, seminary, etc…
You have seen in your life probably the hatred for either Catholicism, or even against Catholics themselves, by people identifying as Baptist. I can tell you that it gets just as bad from the Catholic side – as you can see above.
Of course, I do not consider these people representations of how Catholics in general feel about fundamentalist Christians.
I do not even consider them representative of good Catholicism. You see, the Vatican dictated to them how to respond to non-Catholic Christians. Read below:“We must get to know the outlook of our separated brethren. To achieve this purpose, study is of necessity required, and this must be pursued with a sense of realism and good will” – Vatican Council II, Decree on Ecumenicism, 9.Their ignorance of fundamentalist Christians shows that “study” did not happen, and their slurs show that a “sense or realism and good will” is sorely lacking.
So, Rodytc, are you going to follow the `low road’ the Vatican urged against – or are you going to what Catholics are supposed to do?
!!!
They make themselves their own authority as it were…