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DrCat
Guest
Right on! As my wife is fond of saying, “imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have any kids. Boooorrrrrrrring.”They don’t seem to know the fun they are missing
John
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John
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T.A.Stobie_SFO
Guest
And sometimes when they do it I say “Thank You” and then when I get the look saying “Are you Nuts?”, I quote Matthew 5:10
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AnAtheist
Guest
Called a fool for example (Psalm 14:1).
Welcome to the club.
Welcome to the club.
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Authorkat
Guest
I have been teased about going to confession and asked questions that I couldn’t answer. That’s when I started to read apologetic books and got deeper into my faith. My Protestant brethren have made me a better Catholic. 
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stellina
Guest
Not until the past 2 years, since I’ve lived my entire life in a predominantly Catholic city & never encountered much of anything in the way of discrimination. I attribute these incidents to the general public’s reaction to the abuse scandals, specifically the mistaken belief that the Church somehow condoned the abuse, etc. 2 occasions stand out: once I met a new acquaintace for dinner after Easter, and within a couple of minutes of sitting down she asked me if I went to mass on Easter Sunday. When I said yes, she launched into a tirade about how horrible it was that I could support an institution that conspired to cover up child abuse and how could I live with myself giving money to the church to defend perverts, etc. The second instance came when I was having a nice friendly lunch with someone & mentioned that I was thinking of seeing “The Passion of the Christ”, and a similar thing happened. Without taking a breath, he ranted & raved about how any intelligent person could support such a hypocrite as Mel Gibson, how terrible it is to depict the Crucifixion in such a graphic & violent manner, & kept up for at least half an our with the rest of the bile that became all too familiar to anyone who read the movie reviews of critics in the big newspapers & magazines. I regret to say that the first person was Jewish & the second was a fallen-away Catholic.
My first instinct in both cases was to get angry, but I managed to hold my tongue only to feel bad later about being cowardly. Although I tried my best to counter their arguments, I just got shouted down & gave up after a while because I was wasting my breath, but I felt that I didn’t do enough. I mentioned this to my mother & she had some good advice: consider the source and realize that anger & defensiveness would do nothing anyway. As many people here have pointed out, our Lord told us that we would suffer in His name. Given the current environment, I suppose we have to get used to it.
My first instinct in both cases was to get angry, but I managed to hold my tongue only to feel bad later about being cowardly. Although I tried my best to counter their arguments, I just got shouted down & gave up after a while because I was wasting my breath, but I felt that I didn’t do enough. I mentioned this to my mother & she had some good advice: consider the source and realize that anger & defensiveness would do nothing anyway. As many people here have pointed out, our Lord told us that we would suffer in His name. Given the current environment, I suppose we have to get used to it.
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stellina
Guest
Not until the past 2 years, since I’ve lived my entire life in a predominantly Catholic city & never encountered much of anything in the way of discrimination. I attribute these incidents to the general public’s reaction to the abuse scandals, specifically the mistaken belief that the Church somehow condoned the abuse, etc. 2 occasions stand out: once I met a new acquaintace for dinner after Easter, and within a couple of minutes of sitting down she asked me if I went to mass on Easter Sunday. When I said yes, she launched into a tirade about how horrible it was that I could support an institution that conspired to cover up child abuse and how could I live with myself giving money to the church to defend perverts, etc. The second instance came when I was having a nice friendly lunch with someone & mentioned that I was thinking of seeing “The Passion of the Christ”, and a similar thing happened. Without taking a breath, he ranted & raved about how any intelligent person could support such a hypocrite as Mel Gibson, how terrible it is to depict the Crucifixion in such a graphic & violent manner, & kept up for at least half an our with the rest of the bile that became all too familiar to anyone who read the movie reviews of critics in the big newspapers & magazines. I regret to say that the first person was Jewish & the second was a fallen-away Catholic.
My first instinct in both cases was to get angry, but I managed to hold my tongue only to feel bad later about being cowardly. Although I tried my best to counter their arguments, I just got shouted down & gave up after a while because I was wasting my breath, but I felt that I didn’t do enough. I mentioned this to my mother & she had some good advice: consider the source and realize that anger & defensiveness would do nothing anyway. As many people here have pointed out, our Lord told us that we would suffer in His name. Given the current environment, I suppose we have to get used to it.
My first instinct in both cases was to get angry, but I managed to hold my tongue only to feel bad later about being cowardly. Although I tried my best to counter their arguments, I just got shouted down & gave up after a while because I was wasting my breath, but I felt that I didn’t do enough. I mentioned this to my mother & she had some good advice: consider the source and realize that anger & defensiveness would do nothing anyway. As many people here have pointed out, our Lord told us that we would suffer in His name. Given the current environment, I suppose we have to get used to it.
C
Charliemac
Guest
Sure have. I think the only prejudice left is anti-catholicm. Funny isn’t it, people are criticized for the slightest hint of bias on matters of race nationality, sexual orientation, even religeon. However, these protections do not afford to Catholics, right wing religeous “fanatics,” or anyone of middle eastern heritage.
How I react to criticism depends a lot on the situation. A few years ago on an Ash Wednesday, a fellow engineer, said hey charlie you have dirt on your forehead. There were several people present. Now this fellow is a fallen away Catholic (been there done that) so I turned to him and said something like. Well no, that isn’t dirt, those are ashes as you know and I find your remark offensive. A manager, and my boss got a little tense and said cheerfully, “Oh, I’m sure L. didn’t mean to offend you.” I turned back to L. and said as pleasantly as I could, “Oh he most certainly did, but I forgive him.” L. came to me later and said he was sorry. I said forget it, you were out of line and I called you on it. I had always had a good relationship with him, and we continued to work well together.
I agree with many of you who point that former Catholics, and Catholics who are trying to re-define the faith (I refuse to call them liberal) are the most critical. I went through a period of lost faith for many yrars, and had pretty negative feelings about the Church. I think it is a defense mechanism on their part, as I think it was for me. The Hound of Heaven can be relentless. So I try to be firm, fair and friendly, but do not let it pass. Depending on the situation, I will add that I will keep them in my prayers. And then do pray for them, all of them.
Charliemac
How I react to criticism depends a lot on the situation. A few years ago on an Ash Wednesday, a fellow engineer, said hey charlie you have dirt on your forehead. There were several people present. Now this fellow is a fallen away Catholic (been there done that) so I turned to him and said something like. Well no, that isn’t dirt, those are ashes as you know and I find your remark offensive. A manager, and my boss got a little tense and said cheerfully, “Oh, I’m sure L. didn’t mean to offend you.” I turned back to L. and said as pleasantly as I could, “Oh he most certainly did, but I forgive him.” L. came to me later and said he was sorry. I said forget it, you were out of line and I called you on it. I had always had a good relationship with him, and we continued to work well together.
I agree with many of you who point that former Catholics, and Catholics who are trying to re-define the faith (I refuse to call them liberal) are the most critical. I went through a period of lost faith for many yrars, and had pretty negative feelings about the Church. I think it is a defense mechanism on their part, as I think it was for me. The Hound of Heaven can be relentless. So I try to be firm, fair and friendly, but do not let it pass. Depending on the situation, I will add that I will keep them in my prayers. And then do pray for them, all of them.
Charliemac
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T.A.Stobie_SFO
Guest
There is also a prejudice against thoughts that oppose the Culture of Pleasure and the Culture of Death. In our society this prejudice is accepted as well.
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AmandaPS
Guest
My brother, an athiest, said, “Why believe in God? All my smart friends at college don’t believe in God.”
That and remarks about “rubbing the Budda’s tummy and making a wish.”
That and remarks about “rubbing the Budda’s tummy and making a wish.”
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LastPew
Guest
A few things, I wouldn’t call them persecutions, but little trials.
My wife’s first OBGYN was persistent pro-contraception. Let’s just say it didn’t take long for us to leave him, we gave him like 3 or 4 tries, and out the door we went.
I have also been accused of being rigid b/c I want to live the Church’s teachings. I am not perfect, and need spiritual direction, so I doing the best I can in living this Faith for what She teaches.
My wife’s first OBGYN was persistent pro-contraception. Let’s just say it didn’t take long for us to leave him, we gave him like 3 or 4 tries, and out the door we went.
I have also been accused of being rigid b/c I want to live the Church’s teachings. I am not perfect, and need spiritual direction, so I doing the best I can in living this Faith for what She teaches.
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Strider
Guest
T.A.Stobie:
I believe the reason for this is that the Catholic Church and police oifficers are the last two groups in the culture that represent authority – moral authority (the Church) and civic authority (the police) and our postmodern secular culture hates authority.
Yeah, you ought to see the hateful glares my pro-life bumper stickers get.
Count it all joy, my bretheren, when you meet various trials, for you know that testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4.
Evangelize 'em! And pray for them.
The two groups most hated in our secular society today are Catholics (witness the rabid reporting on the scandals. It was over the top, thoughn no one expects the press to keep something like that quiet. There was NO balance and it was NOT pedophilia – as has been pointed out in other threads.) and the police (witness the rabid reporting of ANY police shooting, no matter how justified.)
I believe the reason for this is that the Catholic Church and police oifficers are the last two groups in the culture that represent authority – moral authority (the Church) and civic authority (the police) and our postmodern secular culture hates authority.
Yeah, you ought to see the hateful glares my pro-life bumper stickers get.
Count it all joy, my bretheren, when you meet various trials, for you know that testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4.
Evangelize 'em! And pray for them.
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Strider
Guest
I forgot to mention how many evangeliztion opportunities the 3" St. Benedict Crucfix I wear around my neck has given me, besides the rolling of eyes and angry stares. “Count it all joy.”
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St.Ambrose
Guest
When I was in the Army, the sergeant in charge of the platoon that day (our “work team” for non-military folks) ridiculed me in front of the platoon (about 12 people) by saying that if I would not have sex before marriage then how was I sure that I would not end up marrying a man who had just pretended to be a woman?
I survived and luckily was later transferred to a different platoon where this did not happen.
If I had complained to the Army chaplain then he would have been reprimanded and told to stop, but I was afraid he would take it out on me later. Now that I am older I realize that he would not have been allowed to do so, and I should have complained. Oh, well, live and learn.
I survived and luckily was later transferred to a different platoon where this did not happen.
If I had complained to the Army chaplain then he would have been reprimanded and told to stop, but I was afraid he would take it out on me later. Now that I am older I realize that he would not have been allowed to do so, and I should have complained. Oh, well, live and learn.
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