Have you heard Baptists say "THAT STUFF" about Catholics?

[Little_Mary]

teresas1979:

The saddest part of all this, however, is that if someone has been treated badly by the Catholic Church and then questions it they are branded “anti-Catholic.” This has happened to me on many, many occasions. I have asked genuine questions and been told that I have been trying to stir up trouble when all I have wanted is an honest answer to some Catholic issus I have struggled with.

Many Catholics are very quick to judge genuine inquiries as argumentative. I have asked questions about veneration of Mary and Papal infallibility and been told that I am “anti Catholic” and have no "serious inquiry. Everyone I have spoken to Catholicism has different answers, some are better than others. But the disappointing part is that many in the “One True Church” are ready to condemn any who want clarification of certain beliefs.

Forgive me, but this viewpoint sounds very general. In my experiences, many Catholics are happy to answer questions. The tone is set in the question, not the answer.

 

[Detroit_Sue]

teresas1979:

The saddest part of all this, however, is that if someone has been treated badly by the Catholic Church and then questions it they are branded “anti-Catholic.” This has happened to me on many, many occasions. I have asked genuine questions and been told that I have been trying to stir up trouble when all I have wanted is an honest answer to some Catholic issus I have struggled with.

Many Catholics are very quick to judge genuine inquiries as argumentative. I have asked questions about veneration of Mary and Papal infallibility and been told that I am “anti Catholic” and have no "serious inquiry. Everyone I have spoken to Catholicism has different answers, some are better than others. But the disappointing part is that many in the “One True Church” are ready to condemn any who want clarification of certain beliefs.

I can vouch for the fact that teresa has been trying to get clarification on some questions she has about her faith. We must all remember to be charitable in our answers, because we can never know if what we say turns someone away who is teetering on the fence. Catholic, non-Catholic, anti-Catholic - we must all treat each other as Jesus wanted us to.

 

[silverbullet]

I found out a long time ago that you do not learn very much about another faith from those in your faith. Here was my first lesson way before I looked into Catholicism.

I was on the resque squad with a man who was ‘higher up’, not sure of the currect term in his Mormon Temple. Our interchanges went something like this. ‘I believe Christ was…what do you believe?’ and on and on. I learned a lot about mormonism outside of the bias of any protestant book about them I could read. We did not believe anything alike, but we sure had fun discussing it, free of judgement and bias. And aside from their doctrines being so different from mine, I also found out some good things about how they live and their family values.

When I went through RCIA, my teacher said we do not judge the path of another. This is not to say that we do not share Christ when the opportunity arises, but that we do not judge them, this is God’s job, not up to me to pass judgement on anyone.

The same was true of Catholicism. None of the things I had heard about catholic christianity was really true, it was half-truths, based on inaccurate information. Sure, when I first went to the Catholic church, I was worried about what I had heard about Mary and the Saints. But, even if people talk to ‘Mary’, it is not idolatry.

You could not have caught me dead talking to a saint or anything for a long time, yet I do now. I tell my dad I miss Him, and I tell St Paul how much I think of Him and wished I had known him in person and I thank Mary for raising Jesus and so forth.

Whether Mary was without sin, or she was assumed, I do not know, but nor do I discount it, for all things are posible with God. The assumption of Mary does seem likely and some have said the same thing about Moses. Everything the Bible says is true, IMo, but not everything is in the Bible. Some things are accepted as truth based on documented historical witnesses, archeological findings and so forth. So, these beliefs, we call ‘tradition’.

Laura.

 

[Des]

Katholikos:

The last Baptist funeral I attended I swore would be my last. Even at funerals, Baptist preachers can’t resist slamming the Catholic Church.

Jay Damien
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

Hey Jay, aka Katholikos. How can the Catholic Church be brought up at a Baptist funeral? What would be their reasons?

 

[ahimsaman72]

Malachi4U:

I added ‘ahimsaman72’ to my IGNORE LIST long ago. Whatever he posted I’m sure I don’t need to see since nobody reponded to it.

You still hold grudges? That’s too bad. The only thing I remarked about here was back on the first page of posts when speaking about the “Orthodox” which most Baptists have no clue about. I have nothing negative to add as it never solves anything - but only adds to your grudges against me.

I wish you only peace, love and happiness the rest of your days…

Peace…

 

[Catholic4aReasn]

teresas1979:

The saddest part of all this, however, is that if someone has been treated badly by the Catholic Church and then questions it they are branded “anti-Catholic.”

Hi teresa!

What I think that some former Catholics may not understand is that the Catholic Church doesn’t do anything to anyone. Rather it’s sinful individuals within the Church who do. The Catholic Church can’t treat anyone badly, but certainly individuals within the Church can. Unfortunately sometimes people attribute to the Church, as a whole, that which should rightly be attributed only to the offending individual(s).

I’m certainly not saying that’s what you’ve done as I’m not familiar with your posts, but rather that it’s a common pattern among some former Catholics. I’m sorry that you’ve had bad experiences with individuals within the Church and I hope that you come to find that the Church, as a whole, is pretty darn fabulous and loving!

In Christ,
Nancy

 

[bkniceley]

First of all dont believe anything on www.av1611.org … lets just say they’ve got some strange views on everything not just catholics but everything. I wouldnt doubt if some guy just created that site and wrote a bunch of things about how people believe the same thing he does. If i was a hacker thats one of the first sites i would ever destroy. So dont take it literaly that there are that many people that think that about u guys… its most likely just one lonely bum that decided to be cool and write a stupid site

 

[Coptic]

In response to the original poster,

I recently joined a Baptist site, to explore some of their beliefs for educational purposes–not to convert.

I was shocked to read some of the hateful comments directed towards the Catholic members of the board. They do not just disagree with your views, yet often times mock them. They would mock the Eucharist saying it is worship of dead body parts, they would say Infant Baptism sends people to hell, they accuse you of worshipping Mary and not Jesus…the list is endless, and quite sad.

I got in a lengthy disagrement over the use of the term “Romanist”. A Catholic member of the board found it offensive, and a Baptist member was defending his use of the term. I did not understand why the term had to be used if the Catholic member simply asked him not to. I got quite frustrated and I am not even Catholic!

Needless to say, not all of the Baptists were like this, some were very friendly, and I truly enjoy the discussions I have with them. But, they many seemed to have the view that every aspect of Catholicism is wrong.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

 

[Church_Militant]

Hi Elizabeth! Welcome to the Forum!
Y’know, it’s pretty sad when people believe stuff just 'cos someone says it’s so. During my years outside the Church, I taught Sunday School for teens at an A/G church and one of the problems I had was that they bought everything that came outta the pulpit without question or research. As a result if I asked why they believed that Jesus was God they’d say that the Bible says so, but be unable to explain it scripturally. Sitting ducks for anyone with a working knowlege of the Bible and a doctrine to promote. (Is that a wind of doctrine that I hear blowing around out there?) It’s the very same with most of the A/C posters here. It’s all second hand and from sources talking ABOUT Catholicism, but never a Catholic source that would easily resolve their questions and unease. Thanks for your insightful post!
Pax vobiscum,

 

[Coptic]

From what I read, the members of the Baptist site “knew” the scriptures well, yet either interpreted them out of context or incorrectly.

Things that you are supposed to take literally, they took figuratively.
Things that you are supposed to take figuratively, they took literally.

The thing that saddens me the most, is that they mean well (most of them at least), yet their hearts are so hardened, that they are not even willing to do their own research. I did not expect them to believe me just because I tell them to believe me, but to look into it themselves, do the research, and explore the different views with an open heart. I found at most two individuals on there who were willing to do so.

Thank you for the welcome, I look forward to participating here.

PS…your smiley selection is much better here anyways!

God Bless,
Elizabeth

 

[Conster74]

i found one of my old teachers when I was going thru RCIA she was going through the Baptist church and I was there to get my baptismal cert. I told her I was becoming Catholic. She looked at me like I’d just told her I’d shot her dog and molested her husband’s corpse.

Ah well. Some people just have to be left in their ignorance.

 

[David_Oatney]

Cairisti:

Well, I grew up Southern Baptist but I don’t remember reading such things. Also, I’m not sure most Baptists know that there is a Eastern Rite, much less Rites to the Catholic Church. When I mentioned to my family about my interest in the Catholic Church (which didn’t go well, I might add), all they knew was the Roman CC. It was rather amusing to watch their faces when I told them there was more than just the Western Latin Rite. All most Baptists know of is the “Roman” CC. And of course, most haven’t even heard of the Orthodox.

Cairisti, I’d love to hear more of your story.

 

[David_Oatney]

Katholikos:

I was raised as a Southern Baptist. I learned at an early age that the Catholic Church was the Whore of Babylon and that the Pope was the antichrist. I heard this from the pulpit and in Sunday School. Often! It was a rare Sunday that Catholic teachings were not maligned or ridiculed in the church of my birth. We regularly prayed for Catholics, who were doomed for hell if they didn’t leave their church and become “Bible-believing Christians.”

Individual Catholics (like me!) may criticize Baptist “churches” (and Protestantism in general) but the Catholic Church does not.

In my experience, scratch a Baptist and you’ll find a bigot. I’m sure that’s not true of every Baptist, but that was my personal experience with the Baptists I knew personally and my numerous Baptist relatives in two states.

The last Baptist funeral I attended I swore would be my last. Even at funerals, Baptist preachers can’t resist slamming the Catholic Church.

Jay Damien
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

**My experience (as a convert, as a historian, as many things in many positions) has simply been that many fundamentalist-types (this would include most Baptists) don’t think the things they do about the Church because they are bigots, they think the things they do about the Church because, quite frankly, many of them are uneducated, especially where history is concerned.

An example of this would be my in-laws. They are good people, they aren’t bigots, but they also have no clue about the Church…their faith is simple and pure, yet incomplete. When my wife came into the Church, they nearly went haywire, because they believe the things they have been told about the Church. They do because until I came along, they had NO ONE to tell them any different. They need prayer and examples…and even more prayer.

**

 

[masondoggy]

When I first started dating my husband, whose family is Baptist, his parents bought a nice new house. Part of the “decor” of their fancy new house consisted of a plain picture frame on the wall with a bible verse in black plain letters: For there is ONE mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ…

Nothing decorative about it at all, in fact it really seemed out of place in the house.

…Now I wonder WHO that was for

I also remember a book on his mom’s bookshelf titled “The whore of Babylon”. And she is a fan of Jack Chick cuz she’s always got his stupid tracts laying around.
The family’s biggest beef with Catholicism is Mary, which is exactly whose intercession I am relying on for their conversion.

 

[HilaryJ]

That may be where the confusion lies. I personally don’t understand, and maybe you can explain. How is it possible that Mary is an intercessor? Who gave her the right to be so? I can understand believing that she could pray for you before death, but after death I just can’t comprehend. Please explain.

 

[Little_Mary]

Just as you and I can pray for each other in life, and just as we pray to God for the repose of souls, so can Mary.

 

[MaggieOH]

joehar:

What i mean by having a relationship is you cant say your saved and a Christian and live like the devil. Being Christian means being Christ like. This just doesnt apply to catholics only , but also to protestants. The bible is the true word of God- Catholic bible is nothing more than the new world translation bible with some latin thrown in…

Let me guess. The Bible that you use dropped out of the sky.

Did you know that the KJV is the English translation of the Jerome Vulgate?

Maggie

 

[MaggieOH]

HilaryJ:

That may be where the confusion lies. I personally don’t understand, and maybe you can explain. How is it possible that Mary is an intercessor? Who gave her the right to be so? I can understand believing that she could pray for you before death, but after death I just can’t comprehend. Please explain.

Hi Hilary,

you ask a good question. There are at least three issues that you raise in your questions, but these issues do not belong on this thread. If you need answers to the questions then it might be a good idea to start a new thread:

issue 1 What is meant by the term “intercessor”
issue 2 Why is Mary recognized as an “Intercessor” (please read John chapter 2 and if you still do not get it, then ask again)

issue 3. How can Mary be an intercessor after death? This is an issue that relates to what is meant in the Scripture by death. This is a separate issue from the first two issues and requires its own thread.

Maggie

 

[MaggieOH]

masondoggy:

When I first started dating my husband, whose family is Baptist, his parents bought a nice new house. Part of the “decor” of their fancy new house consisted of a plain picture frame on the wall with a bible verse in black plain letters: For there is ONE mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ…

Nothing decorative about it at all, in fact it really seemed out of place in the house.

…Now I wonder WHO that was for

I also remember a book on his mom’s bookshelf titled “The whore of Babylon”. And she is a fan of Jack Chick cuz she’s always got his stupid tracts laying around.
The family’s biggest beef with Catholicism is Mary, which is exactly whose intercession I am relying on for their conversion.

Lotsa rosaries might be in order for their conversion if they are stupid enough to read Jack Chick tracts.

However, what really jumped out at me, was the saying on the wall: :bigyikes::bigyikes: the man Jesus ??? :bigyikes: :bigyikes:

I thought that these people are supposed to believe that Jesus is both God and man?

And it says “the man Jesus”??? :bigyikes:

 

[MaggieOH]

bkniceley:

First of all dont believe anything on www.av1611.org … lets just say they’ve got some strange views on everything not just catholics but everything. I wouldnt doubt if some guy just created that site and wrote a bunch of things about how people believe the same thing he does. If i was a hacker thats one of the first sites i would ever destroy. So dont take it literaly that there are that many people that think that about u guys… its most likely just one lonely bum that decided to be cool and write a stupid site

I just had a look at that site. First of all

1. they hate the NIV - a translation that I find uses simple language with fewer errors than the KJV even if it has some biases.
2. they hate Christian music - ooh goodness what are they afraid of?
3. they do not believe in Santa Claus - serve them right if they do not get Christmas presents
4. they have no time for a teen study guide because it is based on the NIV
5. they believe that the “Passion of Christ” ( a film that thumbs up from some Jewish sources) is poison from Hell.

Makes you wonder why they are so paranoid. Could it be that they are afraid that they will be caught out as worshipping the KJV as a god.

Maggie