How should I respond to people who call the Catholic Church 'European'?

[Cojuanco]

Exactly. It never ceased to amaze me the anti-European sentiment of many American Protestants. I just don’t understand that logic at all. I’m Asian and our community has no problem that the Catholic Church is so foreign from Eastern culture. That shouldn’t matter.

If I were you, I’d buy some of the books written by former Protestants who have converted to Catholicism. Those people explain their logic in converting and it’s quite interesting.

It’s what is taught in the schools. A lot of American history as taught in the schools emphasizes how America is uniquely free historically and generally morally better, unlike the oppressive Old World, and imply oftentimes this is due to the difference in religion (American Protestantism being less hierarchical in polity than the episcopal system of Catholicism, there is an implication that this means that Catholicism is antithecal to democracy, and Americans tend to be very, very big on democracy and liberty, even when it comes to doctrine)

If you are conservative, furthermore, a lot of the press you read denounces how Europe are a bunch of degenerate, secularist abortion-lovers, never mind its most consistent crtics are European. So Europeans, in addition to not being seen as truly democratic, are also seen as stereotypically morally degenerate, and if Catholicism is “European”…

 

[IrishAm]

which of these two is it?
“it aint natural and its un amurkhun!!!”
or
“I say old chap there’s something a bit johnny foreigner about the papists”.

In all seriousness though it is an exceedingly odd attitude to carry around. It is amazing that so many can put regional or national sensibilities over the truth of religious faith. If they are protestants ask them what state luther or calvin were from?

 

[John_Lazarus]

which of these two is it?
“it aint natural and its un amurkhun!!!”

Salvation without representation?

 

[eddie_too]

I am curious what your relatives mean by a European church. factually, the Roman Catholic Church’s origins are in the middle east. from its beginnings the Roman Catholic Church was commanded to preach the Gospel to ALL nations.

if they simply mean that the Church’s headquarters are in Europe, cannot argue with that;, but, then the so what should naturally follow. afterall, its headquarters have to be somewhere.

so, what point do you think they are trying to make when they say this?