Fate of those who mock catholicism?

[on_eagles_wingz]

I have been to another forum site where I witnessed a lot of offensive talk about catholics by other christians. They make fun of the saints and the Pope and call us idolaters for “worshipping” Mary (I know we don’t actually worship her). Do you think that these people will have to be held accountable for their offensive words when they die and come face-to-face with the very ones they have mocked?

 

[bnbkaine]

Yup.

But even now, I would do my best to be charitable to them. They will come to see the error of their ways eventually. I do hope that it is sooner rather than later.

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

I believe they will have to answer for it - much to their embarassment I am sure. I believe that if they truly love Jesus, his grace will extend to cover all of that…

Remember, 99% of the people out there don’t hate the Catholic Church. They hate what they think the Catholic Church is.

Much like someone who thinks that all ducks are lame and stupid because they have only ever seen decoys.

 

[BlueShadow123]

Well its not good to bash anybody for ANY reason. However most protestants think that many catholic beliefs are not exactly ‘christian’.

This will explain why:

jesus-is-lord.com/cath.htm

PS: I AM NOT HATING ON ANY RELIGION- I AM SIMPLY ANSWERING THE OP’S QUESTION

 

[stephe1987]

Catholicism a cult? What a load of garbage. There is a Biblical and historical basis for all the Church’s teachings. scripturecatholic.com/

Upon death, each person will have to face God for his or her sins.

 

[Cat_Herder]

Well its not good to bash anybody for ANY reason. However most protestants think that many catholic beliefs are not exactly ‘christian’.

And who decides what a Christian is?

 

[BlueShadow123]

Catholicism a cult? What a load of garbage. There is a Biblical and historical basis for all the Church’s teachings. scripturecatholic.com/

Upon death, each person will have to face God for his or her sins.

Agreed!

 

[BlueShadow123]

And who decides what a Christian is?

Why would you ask me that?

 

[Cat_Herder]

Why would you ask me that?

You are the one who stated:

However most protestants think that many catholic beliefs are not exactly ‘christian’.

How would you know that the Protestants in question are themselves Christians? After all, if they aren’t Christians, what do they know about who is or is not a Christian?

 

[BlueShadow123]

You are the one who stated:

How would you know that the Protestants in question are themselves Christians? After all, if they aren’t Christians, what do they know about who is or is not a Christian?

First off, I’m not saying anything about what I think. I was stating what most protestants think.
I definition of christian is:

–adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith.
2.
of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ: Spain is a Christian country.
3.
of or pertaining to Christians: many Christian deaths in the Crusades.
4.
exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike: She displayed true Christian charity.
5.
decent; respectable: They gave him a good Christian burial.
6.
human; not brutal; humane: Such behavior isn’t Christian.
–noun
7.
a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity.
8.
a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ: He died like a true Christian.
9.
a member of any of certain Protestant churches, as the Disciples of Christ and the Plymouth Brethren.
10.
the hero of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
11.
a male given name.

Christian can also mean ‘christ-like’. The things that are listed on the link that I showed you are considered not ‘christ-like’ to many protestants and it explains why. Have a look if you’re interested. I suggest you read it before asking questions.

 

[on_eagles_wingz]

Thanks for all of your replies. I was just very upset. I do understand that all of our church’s practices are backed by scripture, and some catholics were trying to defend our faith using them but to no avail. Its really horrible what some think of our church. I think it goes way beyond what protestants argue. I don’t even want to mention how bad. Thanks, and I will try to do the right thing and pray for these people.

God bless.

gabriel

 

[Cat_Herder]

First off, I’m not saying anything about what I think. I was stating what most protestants think.

Okay, but then you say…

Christian can also mean ‘christ-like’. The things that are listed on the link that I showed you are considered not ‘christ-like’ to many protestants and it explains why.

You’re washing your hands of the link while at the same time begging me to destroy it. Fine, have it your way

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Call priests father, e.g., Father McKinley.

AND

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Pope called Holy Father.

By this guy’s standards Paul of Tarsus is not a Christian.

1 Cor 4:14-15 (NRSV)
I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many FATHERS. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your FATHER through the gospel.

Jesus is using hyperbole. If you’ve ever called your dad “father,” don’t worry, you’re fine.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Forbidding the priesthood to marry.

Again, somebody tell Paul…
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 7:8[/BIBLEDRB]

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary never had other children after the Lord Jesus. She remained a perpetual virgin.

If Mary was not a perpetual virgin then Jesus is not the Messiah for failure to fulfill the prophets.

[BIBLEDRB]Ezekiel 44:2[/BIBLEDRB]

The word “until” does not imply a later change in state.
[BIBLEDRB]Mt 28:20[/BIBLEDRB]
Jesus will not cease to be Lord once He subjugates his enemies. Nor will Mary cease to be a virgin.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the queen of heaven.

Oh yes She is.

[BIBLEDRB]Rev 12:1[/BIBLEDRB]

Is the crown just a decoration? Come on. Jesus is the Davidic King of the Jews. Every Davidic King had a Queen Mother (1 Kings 2:19-20). Jesus, of course, is also King of Heaven. By Jewish reckoning, what does that make His Mother?

Yes, the pagans had a goddess they called the “queen of heaven.” Obviously that “queen of heaven” was a false goddess. It does not then follow that there is no real Queen of Heaven. That is like saying because the Greeks had a father god, Zeus, the real Father God doesn’t exist.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the mother of God.

[BIBLEDRB]Lk 1:43[/BIBLEDRB]

“Lord” = “Adonai” = “God.” It is that simple. But if you have any doubt:

[BIBLEDRB]Colossians 2:9[/BIBLEDRB]

In Jesus, the Godhead dwells bodily. And Jesus dwelt in Mary.

The link goes on to say “Mary is the mother of the earthly Jesus, not God.” Which is the same as saying that the “earthly” Jesus is not God. The person who wrote that article is NOT A CHRISTIAN because (s)he denies the divinity of Jesus Christ.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Purgatory, nuns, popes.

The Bible doesn’t say these words, nor does it say the word “Trinity.” But that doctrine is clearly taught in the Bible.

Here’s Purgatory.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 3:15[/BIBLEDRB]

Here’s the Pope, presiding over a council no less.

[BIBLEDRB]Acts 15:11-12[/BIBLEDRB]

Here’s a nun.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Timothy 5:9[/BIBLEDRB]

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Confessing sins to a priest.

[BIBLEDRB]Jn 20:22-23[/BIBLEDRB]

Early Christians actually confessed.

[BIBLEDRB]James 5:13-15[/BIBLEDRB]

Paul actually heard confessions.

[BIBLEDRB]2 Cor 2:10[/BIBLEDRB]

Petitioning saints and Mary.

Thorough debunk here.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Venerating/worshipping images. Pope bows to statues of Mary, people worship the eucharist and have statues/candles in their homes and churches.

I’ll get to the Eucharist in a moment, but as for the statues… the prophet through whom God gave the “no graven images” commandment was Moses. Guess what else God had him do.

[BIBLEDRB]Num 21:8-9[/BIBLEDRB]

He made a graven SERPENT and the Israelites used it ritually at the command of God. Yes, a serpent. (Look at Genesis 3; on the eighth day, God created irony.)

The serpent, as it turns out, was actually a type of Christ Himself.

Now, how do you lift up Christ like Moses lifted up the serpent? By making a crucifix. (Not by making an empty cross.)

Statues of angels? That’s in the Bible too.

[BIBLEDRB]Ex 25:18-19[/BIBLEDRB]

Statues of saints? They’re the same as angels.

[BIBLEDRB]Luke 20:36[/BIBLEDRB]

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Saved, in part, by good works.

No. We are saved completely by God’s grace, the response to which is…
[BIBLEDRB]Gal 5:6[/BIBLEDRB]

… faith working through love. Faith without love is nothing.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 13:2[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Jn 14:15[/BIBLEDRB]

The Great Whore of Revelation 17

The link goes on to say that this great whore…
[BIBLEDRB]Rev. 17:6[/BIBLEDRB]
… is Rome, and thus it is argued that the whore is the Church in Rome.

Well, let’s see … this whore is the “great city.”
[BIBLEDRB]Revelation 17:18[/BIBLEDRB]
The city is easy to identify because a certain event transpired there:
[BIBLEDRB]Revelation 11:8[/BIBLEDRB]
Was Jesus crucified in Rome? … NO.

 

[Cat_Herder]

Christian can also mean ‘christ-like’. The things that are listed on the link that I showed you are considered not ‘christ-like’ to many protestants and it explains why.

Okay, have at it.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Call priests father, e.g., Father McKinley… Pope called Holy Father.

By this guy’s standards Paul of Tarsus is not a Christian.

1 Cor 4:14-15 (NRSV)
I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many FATHERS. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your FATHER through the gospel.

Jesus is using hyperbole. If you’ve ever called your dad “father,” don’t worry, you’re fine.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Forbidding the priesthood to marry.

Again, somebody tell Paul…
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 7:8[/BIBLEDRB]
There are married Catholic priests, but like Paul, the Church discourages that practice.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary never had other children after the Lord Jesus. She remained a perpetual virgin.

If Mary was not a perpetual virgin then Jesus is not the Messiah for failure to fulfill the prophets.

[BIBLEDRB]Ezekiel 44:2[/BIBLEDRB]

The word “until” does not imply a later change in state.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 15:25[/BIBLEDRB]
Jesus will not cease to be Lord once He subjugates his enemies. Nor will Mary cease to be a virgin.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the queen of heaven.

Oh yes She is.

[BIBLEDRB]Rev 12:1[/BIBLEDRB]

Is the crown just a decoration? Come on. Jesus is the Davidic King of the Jews. Every Davidic King had a Queen Mother (1 Kings 2:19-20). Jesus, of course, is also King of Heaven. By Jewish reckoning, what does that make His Mother?

Yes, the pagans had a goddess they called the “queen of heaven.” Obviously that “queen of heaven” was a false goddess. It does not then follow that there is no real Queen of Heaven. That is like saying because the Greeks had a father god, Zeus, the real Father God doesn’t exist.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Mary is the mother of God.

[BIBLEDRB]Lk 1:43[/BIBLEDRB]

“Lord” = “Adonai” = “God.” It is that simple. But if you have any doubt:

[BIBLEDRB]Colossians 2:9[/BIBLEDRB]

In Jesus, the Godhead dwells bodily. And Jesus dwelt in Mary.

The link goes on to say “Mary is the mother of the earthly Jesus, not God.” Which is the same as saying that the “earthly” Jesus is not God. The person who wrote that article is NOT A CHRISTIAN because (s)he denies the divinity of Jesus Christ.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Purgatory, nuns, popes.

The Bible doesn’t say these words, nor does it say the word “Trinity.” But that doctrine is clearly taught in the Bible.

Here’s Purgatory.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 3:15[/BIBLEDRB]

Here’s the Pope, presiding over a council no less.

[BIBLEDRB]Acts 15:7-12[/BIBLEDRB]

Here’s a nun.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Timothy 5:9[/BIBLEDRB]

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Confessing sins to a priest.

[BIBLEDRB]Jn 20:22-23[/BIBLEDRB]

Early Christians actually confessed.

[BIBLEDRB]James 5:13-15[/BIBLEDRB]

Paul actually heard confessions.

[BIBLEDRB]2 Cor 2:10[/BIBLEDRB]

Petitioning saints and Mary.

Thorough debunk here.

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Venerating/worshipping images. Pope bows to statues of Mary, people worship the eucharist and have statues/candles in their homes and churches.

I’ll get to the Eucharist in a moment, but as for the statues… the prophet through whom God gave the “no graven images” commandment was Moses. Guess what else God had him do.

[BIBLEDRB]Num 21:8-9[/BIBLEDRB]

He made a graven SERPENT and the Israelites used it ritually at the command of God. Yes, a serpent. (Look at Genesis 3; on the eighth day, God created irony.)

The serpent, as it turns out, was actually a type of Christ Himself.

Now, how do you lift up Christ like Moses lifted up the serpent? By making a crucifix. (Not by making an empty cross.)

Statues of angels? That’s in the Bible too.

[BIBLEDRB]Ex 25:18-19[/BIBLEDRB]

Statues of saints? They’re the same as angels.

[BIBLEDRB]Luke 20:36[/BIBLEDRB]

CATHOLIC TRADITION - Saved, in part, by good works.

No. We are saved completely by God’s grace, the response to which is…
[BIBLEDRB]Gal 5:6[/BIBLEDRB]

… faith working through love. Faith without love is nothing.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 13:2[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Jn 14:15[/BIBLEDRB]

CATHOLIC TRADITION - The mass. Through transubstantiation, the wafer/host and the wine supposedly become the actual blood and body of Jesus Christ when the priest prays over them.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 11:23-30[/BIBLEDRB]

Obviously, in order to discern the Body of the Lord, the Body of the Lord has to, you know… be there. People don’t get sick and die for desecrating symbolic pieces of bread, either.

The Great Whore of Revelation 17

The link goes on to say that this great whore…
[BIBLEDRB]Rev. 17:6[/BIBLEDRB]
… is Rome, and thus it is argued that the whore is the Church in Rome.

Well, let’s see … this whore is the “great city.”
[BIBLEDRB]Revelation 17:18[/BIBLEDRB]
The city is easy to identify because a certain event transpired there:
[BIBLEDRB]Revelation 11:8[/BIBLEDRB]
Was Jesus crucified in Rome? … NO.

 

[on_eagles_wingz]

Ok, I think we all made our points. I really hope this thread doesn’t turn into a theological discussion I do think that Blueshadow was just showing us an example of what things I may have been speaking of, and he is right although I say “people” instead of protestants because some may have been non-denominational or agnostic or something else.

But, Cat Herder that is a very enlightening post. I am glad you addressed the city that is the great prostitute because that one always bothered me.

 

[BlueShadow123]

Ok, I think we all made our points. I really hope this thread doesn’t turn into a theological discussion I do think that Blueshadow was just showing us an example of what things I may have been speaking of, and he is right although I say “people” instead of protestants because some may have been non-denominational or agnostic or something else.

But, Cat Herder that is a very enlightening post. I am glad you addressed the city that is the great prostitute because that one always bothered me.

I like the cat guys post. He is a smart kiddo. However I think that he should send his responses to the person who runs the site.

And, I am not a male.

:curtsey:

 

[BlueShadow123]

Okay, have at it.

By this guy’s standards Paul of Tarsus is not a Christian.

1 Cor 4:14-15 (NRSV)
I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many FATHERS. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your FATHER through the gospel.

Jesus is using hyperbole. If you’ve ever called your dad “father,” don’t worry, you’re fine.

Again, somebody tell Paul…
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 7:8[/BIBLEDRB]
There are married Catholic priests, but like Paul, the Church discourages that practice.

If Mary was not a perpetual virgin then Jesus is not the Messiah for failure to fulfill the prophets.

[BIBLEDRB]Ezekiel 44:2[/BIBLEDRB]

The word “until” does not imply a later change in state.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 15:25[/BIBLEDRB]
Jesus will not cease to be Lord once He subjugates his enemies. Nor will Mary cease to be a virgin.

Oh yes She is.

[BIBLEDRB]Rev 12:1[/BIBLEDRB]

Is the crown just a decoration? Come on. Jesus is the Davidic King of the Jews. Every Davidic King had a Queen Mother (1 Kings 2:19-20). Jesus, of course, is also King of Heaven. By Jewish reckoning, what does that make His Mother?

Yes, the pagans had a goddess they called the “queen of heaven.” Obviously that “queen of heaven” was a false goddess. It does not then follow that there is no real Queen of Heaven. That is like saying because the Greeks had a father god, Zeus, the real Father God doesn’t exist.

[BIBLEDRB]Lk 1:43[/BIBLEDRB]

“Lord” = “Adonai” = “God.” It is that simple. But if you have any doubt:

[BIBLEDRB]Colossians 2:9[/BIBLEDRB]

In Jesus, the Godhead dwells bodily. And Jesus dwelt in Mary.

The link goes on to say “Mary is the mother of the earthly Jesus, not God.” Which is the same as saying that the “earthly” Jesus is not God. The person who wrote that article is NOT A CHRISTIAN because (s)he denies the divinity of Jesus Christ.

The Bible doesn’t say these words, nor does it say the word “Trinity.” But that doctrine is clearly taught in the Bible.

Here’s Purgatory.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 3:15[/BIBLEDRB]

Here’s the Pope, presiding over a council no less.

[BIBLEDRB]Acts 15:7-12[/BIBLEDRB]

Here’s a nun.

[BIBLEDRB]1 Timothy 5:9[/BIBLEDRB]

[BIBLEDRB]Jn 20:22-23[/BIBLEDRB]

Early Christians actually confessed.

[BIBLEDRB]James 5:13-15[/BIBLEDRB]

Paul actually heard confessions.

[BIBLEDRB]2 Cor 2:10[/BIBLEDRB]

Thorough debunk here.

I’ll get to the Eucharist in a moment, but as for the statues… the prophet through whom God gave the “no graven images” commandment was Moses. Guess what else God had him do.

[BIBLEDRB]Num 21:8-9[/BIBLEDRB]

He made a graven SERPENT and the Israelites used it ritually at the command of God. Yes, a serpent. (Look at Genesis 3; on the eighth day, God created irony.)

The serpent, as it turns out, was actually a type of Christ Himself.

Now, how do you lift up Christ like Moses lifted up the serpent? By making a crucifix. (Not by making an empty cross.)

Statues of angels? That’s in the Bible too.

[BIBLEDRB]Ex 25:18-19[/BIBLEDRB]

Statues of saints? They’re the same as angels.

[BIBLEDRB]Luke 20:36[/BIBLEDRB]

No. We are saved completely by God’s grace, the response to which is…
[BIBLEDRB]Gal 5:6[/BIBLEDRB]

… faith working through love. Faith without love is nothing.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 13:2[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Jn 14:15[/BIBLEDRB]

[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 11:23-30[/BIBLEDRB]

Obviously, in order to discern the Body of the Lord, the Body of the Lord has to, you know… be there. People don’t get sick and die for desecrating symbolic pieces of bread, either.

The link goes on to say that this great whore…
[BIBLEDRB]Rev. 17:6[/BIBLEDRB]
… is Rome, and thus it is argued that the whore is the Church in Rome.

Well, let’s see … this whore is the “great city.”
[BIBLEDRB]Revelation 17:18[/BIBLEDRB]
The city is easy to identify because a certain event transpired there:
[BIBLEDRB]Revelation 11:8[/BIBLEDRB]
Was Jesus crucified in Rome? … NO.

Okay kitty boy. Lol your picture is cute in a creepy kinda way.

This is sure to help all the protestants.

and re-clarification: don’t go to say that I ever said the catholic church was wrong. Because I never did. I said this is why many protestants don’t like it.

Hint of adivce:

why don’t you send your response to the person who runs the site?

 

[Cat_Herder]

and re-clarification: don’t go to say that I ever said the catholic church was wrong. Because I never did. I said this is why many protestants don’t like it.

Right, I misunderstood at first. It’s too late at night.

why don’t you send your response to the person who runs the site?

They never listen.

 

[PetersKeys]

I like the cat guys post. He is a smart kiddo. However I think that he should send his responses to the person who runs the site.

And, I am not a male.

:curtsey:

meh, who cares what protestants think. They follow a man, called martin Luther…Then they talk about faith alone, which is denied in the bible in James. They said works is not important, even though the bible says we will be judged according to our works. It then, continued down even worse a fate when it gave rise to Calvinism which taught a form of predestination that absolutely contradicted the love of God and human free will. Saying that only an “elect” can be saved. They say only the KJV bible is the only real bible, which was promulgated by the Anglican community, yet most protestants hate the Anglican communities… Well I guess all those early Christians had to wait until the 16th century to receive the real scripture. lol…They insult and degrade Christ’s Mother in such a fashion that is utterly degrading and disgusting. Call her a pagan goddess, say she was sexually active. They call the successor of Peter the antichrist, thus insulting the apostles and apostolic deposit of faith. Then they call the Church a whore of babylon, ignoring that the Church doesn’t have 7 kings, 2 of which died in John’s time, and yet think the Vatican existed at this time and had only 7 kings? The Vatican doesn’t have a king system, less alone 7 of them, lol.

And there lecture us on what is scriptural or not? With a book that OUR Church promulgated??

 

[BlueShadow123]

meh, who cares what protestants think. They follow a man, called martin Luther…Then they talk about faith alone, which is denied in the bible in James. They said works is not important, even though the bible says we will be judged according to our works. It then, continued down even worse a fate when it gave rise to Calvinism which taught a form of predestination that absolutely contradicted the love of God and human free will. Saying that only an “elect” can be saved. They say only the KJV bible is the only real bible, which was promulgated by the Anglican community, yet most protestants hate the Anglican communities… Well I guess all those early Christians had to wait until the 16th century to receive the real scripture. lol…They insult and degrade Christ’s Mother in such a fashion that is utterly degrading and disgusting. Call her a pagan goddess, say she was sexually active. They call the successor of Peter the antichrist, thus insulting the apostles and apostolic deposit of faith. Then they call the Church a whore of babylon, ignoring that the Church doesn’t have 7 kings, 2 of which died in John’s time, and yet think the Vatican existed at this time and had only 7 kings? The Vatican doesn’t have a king system, less alone 7 of them, lol.

And there lecture us on what is scriptural or not? With a book that OUR Church promulgated??

I know who martin luther is.
I know the story of it.

but one thing in your post sort of bothered me…
Protestants don’t think that you can just be saved and then thats it. They believe that once you are saved, good works will follow because you are filled with the holy ghost.
So good works SHOULD come with being saved. I don’t know any christian protestant or non-protestant who thinks that you can do bad things while being saved. Everybody knows that part of being saved is doing good works because if you are saved, you WILL do good works. Or at least for the most part. I understand people can fall astray but still…

 

[Bob_Crowley]

I have been to another forum site where I witnessed a lot of offensive talk about catholics by other christians. They make fun of the saints and the Pope and call us idolaters for “worshipping” Mary (I know we don’t actually worship her). Do you think that these people will have to be held accountable for their offensive words when they die and come face-to-face with the very ones they have mocked?

I remember my old PROTESTANT pastor’s comment that “Protestants tell a lot of lies about Catholics and the Catholic Church”, and “Protestants can be pretty arrogant at times”. As far as I’m aware, lying is a serious sin.

He added “I sometimes wonder if Protestants get to heaven.” I’ve personal reasons for thinking that they do not, regardless of recent ecumenical dialogue. I certainly don’t think they’re in hell, except for severe personal failings, as would be the case for Catholics with unconfessed mortal sin.

I do remember that when I heard that one particular Protestant had died, a generally good man, I had this distinct impression of his being very embarrassed. I think the embarrassment centred on his erroneous ideas of Catholics and the Catholic Church. As just one example, he may have found Mary, the “portent in heaven” of Revelation 12, far more important and of greater holiness than he’d ever imagined. And that would have been just one example.

So yes, I think they’re held accountable, but in most cases their ideas are based on ignorance. They simply believe what they’ve been told by others without ever bothering to check the other side of the story. Just a couple of weeks ago I had to listen to a Baptist speaker assert that we more or less think the Pope is the head of the church, when the Catechism makes it very clear that Jesus Christ is Head of the Church. And this sort of claptrap is common. I had no real problem with most of his sermon, but that bit annoyed me - another bit of anti-Catholic un-truth, and no doubt assumed to be true by the couple of hundred other Christians he was teaching, since he was a highly educated man in his own field.

So I think it will be a different question for those of them who hold leadership positions and continue to lead their flock deliberately astray, and who continue to peddle lies and innuendo about Cathoics and the Catholic Church, especially those who are well aware of church history. They will teach their flock about Luther and "sola scriptura’, but never mention Luther’s failings, gross and abusive language, his attitude to the Jews, and the way the whole thing was poliiticised. They will not mention the incredible violence of the Reformation or ever ask themselves why God would want to divide His own church at such an enormous cost, and with such lasting bitterness.

They will talk about Catholics burning heretics at the stake and never mention their own persecutions. They will not say much about the fact the generally Christian founders of the USA thought nothing of retaining slaves, including Rev. WItherspoon, the only ordained pastor to sign the Declaration of Independence. The creationists will happily blame evolution for all ills (and I’m a bit of a creationist at heart), while studiously ignoring the role of literal Scriptural interpretation of the curse on Canaan as justification for enslaving black people, who were supposed to have descended from Canaan.

In fact I even think my old pastor was punished to some extent for not saying publicly what his real opinions were, which he expressed privately to me in his office. He even said so, when he admitted, “I think He’ll (God) will punish me somehow” (for nott saying anything publicly and also discouraging me). He was held in high respect and a public statement from him would have set the cat amongst the pigeons. But he chickened out, unfortunately.