Insult heaped upon insult. Whats yours?

[Sixtus]

I am interested to hear if anyone of any denomination has ever been insulted about their beliefs by another denomination?

On hearing I was a Christian and in particular Catholic, I received a little book from a manager of an organisation where I do voluntary work. He gave it to me and told me ‘not to look at it until I get home’. I understand he is Plymouth Brethren.

When I opened it, it was full from cover to cover of insults and derogatory derisory language insult heaped upon insult, about the Catholic Faith.

It was also full of inaccuracies, it mis-quoted catholics as ‘worshipping’ the Virgin Mary, Statues etc.It was so insultling that I would not repeat here it’s content.

I have received similar in the past by various sects, though none as blatantly offensive. I have never known the catholic church to insult anyone’s beliefs which differ from her own.

It appears they do not produce little books to give to aethiests. Surely it is better to be catholic than aethiest?

I am interested to hear from anyone Protestant, Catholic or Aethiest what their stories are of similar events.

What’s your experience?

 

[seeker_b]

I once went to a womens group meeting in a Baptist church. I had been going for 2 years but was kicked out for not agreeing to their theology. I now avoid them like when I can.

 

[catsrus]

When I was a methodist, no one ever dissed me.
When I was a lutheran, no one ever dissed me.
When I attended unitarian meetings, eub churches, etc., no one ever dissed me.
When I went door to door with jws I just got doors slammed in my face and my family figured I’d just wake up one day - which I did. In the meantime, no one ever dissed me.
BUT, as a Catholic (past 10 glorious years!!), every one has jumped on me for anything (usually incorrect or misinterpreted) and everything to do with The Catholic Church.
That’s how I know for sure I am in the right place!!

 

[nichjake]

Just for record…its spelled atheist, not aethiest, sorry really bad spelling errors are one of my pet peeves.

I receive insult upon insult on nearly a weekly basis. From the religious zealots shouting outside one of the lecture halls on campus or the Campus crusaders or Young Americans for Freedom, or random people online that happen to stumble across my facebook profile and think it would be a good idea to call me foul names based on false assumptions about atheists, or sometimes even my own family, my sister and mother in particular. A lot of it is my own doing because I’m open about my religious beliefs, but no one should have to hide what they believe in order to avoid persecution…so I don’t. If someone asks, I tell them. I don’t go announcing it to the world, but when questioned I give honest answers. I’m constantly shocked at the amount of people that ask.

 

[Eileen_T]

Just for record…its spelled atheist, not aethiest, sorry really bad spelling errors are one of my pet peeves.

Me too. It comes from those nuns rapping my knuckles when I got it wrong.

I receive insult upon insult on nearly a weekly basis. From the religious zealots shouting outside one of the lecture halls on campus or the Campus crusaders or Young Americans for Freedom, or random people online that happen to stumble across my facebook profile and think it would be a good idea to call me foul names based on false assumptions about atheists, or sometimes even my own family, my sister and mother in particular. A lot of it is my own doing because I’m open about my religious beliefs, but no one should have to hide what they believe in order to avoid persecution…so I don’t. If someone asks, I tell them. I don’t go announcing it to the world, but when questioned I give honest answers. I’m constantly shocked at the amount of people that ask.

I never insult atheists. I am in awe of them. (LOL) Seriously though, Atheists have more Faith than I do. After all, if I am wrong I will never know. If they are wrong, they WILL know … for all Eternity.

 

[yessisan]

How about all the lit from the JWs I have in my house (thanks to DH)? It’s full of insults toward the Catholic Church, especially toward priests. I’ve also been insulted by JWs in person and by my SIL who doesn’t seen to care I am her SIL… I very much dislike that cult

In fact, he brought the 2006 yearbook home and a paragraph talks about how some JW girls supposedly proved a priest wrong about the fact that they changed the bible so it fits their beliefs. It says their bible is not edited. They are so… so… I don’t even know what to call them. Yeah, they always use the verses that are the closest to a Catholic bible to try and prove this to you, I know so, they’ve done it to me, but I have found sooooo many changes I can prove THEM wrong.

 

[nichjake]

Me too. It comes from those nuns rapping my knuckles when I got it wrong.I never insult atheists. I am in awe of them. (LOL) Seriously though, Atheists have more Faith than I do. After all, if I am wrong I will never know. If they are wrong, they WILL know … for all Eternity.

You’re right. Being an atheist does take an incredible amount of faith…faith in myself and the world around me, not in god or any other religious figure. I hate it when people say that atheists don’t have any faith. Faith isn’t solely a religious term…some people just don’t get it

 

[Mirdath]

I’ve never been insulted for my beliefs anywhere but these forums. But some people here have made up for that in spades. I’m agnostic – strong agnostic, that is, in that I believe we can’t know whether there is a deity or deities. Other friends of mine with similar convictions have had rather less easy experiences, more along the lines of nichjake’s or even worse.

 

[Publisher]

I guess Catholics don’t consider it insulting to call Protestants “heretics” or “schismatics” when speaking of Orthodox?

I guess for Catholics it’s a totally different matter?

I see a lot of “insults” made by Catholics on this board…but I guess “that’s different.”

 

[Pug]

I guess for Catholics it’s a totally different matter?

No. I don’t call my Protestant relatives “heretics” nor the Orthodox that I meet “schismatics”. I think caution ought to be used with words like these. They are inappropriate in many situations.

If you have an issue with a particular person’s behavior here, perhaps it would be a good idea to admonish them in a kind manner? It can work. I’ve seen it happen.

 

[Sixtus]

nichjake

Just for record…its spelled atheist, not aethiest, sorry really bad spelling errors are one of my pet peeves.

Sorry to be pedantic but I think you will find that the phoneme ‘a’ is a modernity and incorrect spelling of ‘ae’!

I guess ‘encyclopedia’ is ok? Not that I am happy with ‘ok’!, It should be ‘encyclopaedia’. Long live English the way the English speak and spell it!

 

[Sixtus]

I guess Catholics don’t consider it insulting to call Protestants “heretics” or “schismatics” when speaking of Orthodox?

I guess for Catholics it’s a totally different matter?

I see a lot of “insults” made by Catholics on this board…but I guess “that’s different.”

No it is not different! I asked the question. If we have erred then we need to be corrected. There is no point in asking if one is likely to be upset by the reply. Thank you for your honesty.

Fellow Catholics on this board ‘please take note!’

 

[Pilar]

I think that it is important for all to keep in mind (particularly in light of the feeling that Catholics call protestants x,y,z) that the actual teachings of the Church and the actions by people who are members of the Church are two different things.

I grew up non-practicing Presbyterian (Easter and Christmas because I got a fabulous outfit for going to church) but found the Catholic Church and converted as an adult - much to the dismay of my family. I have never been so much attacked, berated, and “informed” that I am wrong except in stating that I am a Catholic and practicing my faith. (Particularly when it comes to the Theology of the Body.)

I have often been told by people that they knew a Catholic once who attacked them on their faith or knew a Catholic who used the Pill and an hundred other things. The strongest thing that I can stress is that sadly we will always have people who demean others for what they beleive - but it is important to keep in mind that it is not the teaching of our Church to condemn others. I would love to see each and every non-Catholic see the joy, love, and peace that comes from practicing the fullness of truth - of course but I do not beleive that the way to get there is to rerate others.

That is my two cents!

 

[Mirdath]

Sorry to be pedantic but I think you will find that the phoneme ‘a’ is a modernity and incorrect spelling of ‘ae’!

I guess ‘encyclopedia’ is ok? Not that I am happy with ‘ok’!, It should be ‘encyclopaedia’. Long live English the way the English speak and spell it!

Actually, he’s right The ‘ae’ is pronounced as a long e, which would make him an eetheist and me an eegnostic. ‘A’ is a negatory prefix, and is not related.

 

[Eileen_T]

I am interested to hear if anyone of any denomination has ever been insulted about their beliefs by another denomination?

On hearing I was a Christian and in particular Catholic, I received a little book from a manager of an organisation where I do voluntary work. He gave it to me and told me ‘not to look at it until I get home’. I understand he is Plymouth Brethren.

When I opened it, it was full from cover to cover of insults and derogatory derisory language insult heaped upon insult, about the Catholic Faith.

It was also full of inaccuracies, it mis-quoted catholics as ‘worshipping’ the Virgin Mary, Statues etc.It was so insultling that I would not repeat here it’s content.

I have received similar in the past by various sects, though none as blatantly offensive. I have never known the catholic church to insult anyone’s beliefs which differ from her own.

It appears they do not produce little books to give to aethiests. Surely it is better to be catholic than aethiest?

I am interested to hear from anyone Protestant, Catholic or Aethiest what their stories are of similar events.

What’s your experience?

We are in danger of getting away from the topic here

 

[Geocacher]

There is a mindset based on the reformation, to my knowledge, in that anything that strays from the worship of the Trinity alone, can cause these problems, and being LDS, I have noticed that my church puts a bit of an emphasis on the founder of the church instead of the Trinity.

Much is to blame from fault finding, people like to think they are in the best place, and knock everybody else down. Fault finding can cause loss of the holy spirit, then people are running purely on negative energy alone, when attacking other faiths.

 

[KarenNC]

I am interested to hear if anyone of any denomination has ever been insulted about their beliefs by another denomination?..What’s your experience?

Hit my profile, go to almost any of my posts on this forum that are have to do with my beliefs (rather than more general information) and look at the posts surrounding them. I think I can easily allow the members of this forum to speak for themselves in this matter.

 

[Cari]

I found a website once, run by some pretty…ummmm…OUTSPOKEN Catholics, that insisted on refering to Protestants not only with a lower case “p”, but also with the so-insulting-it-verges-on-obscene label of “protest-ants”

That one made even my Catholic stomach turn.

 

[Cat]

I don’t recall ever being insulted or ridiculed when I was an evangelical Protestant, but I think the reason for that is that evangelical groups don’t really mix much with “the world.”

Yes, they’re called “evangelical,” but I found that very little evangelizing was done outside the safety of the church doors and walls. Most of our evangelism took place in our church, with special “tent meetings” and “VBS” and “choir cantatas and dramas” and “youth rallies” and “women’s teas” and “men’s work days” , even pre-schools were a chance to “evangelize.”

The only times we were outside of the church evangelizing were 1) monthly “duty” at the local rescue mission and 2) sending a whole regiment of missionaries overseas.

Of course, there were the parachurch evangelistic outreaches that all of us supported; e.g., Campus Crusade for Christ, Jews for Jesus, Teen Challenge, etc. But we weren’t actually on the “front lines” of evangelism, we were just supporting with money and prayer, so we didn’t get the insults.

If you only hang out with people like you, you don’t get insulted much.

Since becoming Catholic, we have pretty much stuck with Catholic friends, other than online groups that we have given up on. All the Protestant online groups that I have seen are really badly moderated and combative.

Of course, our family often fires cheap shots at us, but we just keep praying for them.

Even before we became Catholic, our family and other evangelical Protestants we knew were insulted for our prolife beliefs. My two daughters were prolife in a school full of liberal prochoicers. My older daughter chose to take a group of church kids (Protestant) to Washington, D.C. for the March For Life for her Senior Project. After she did the presentation, she was harassed physically; one girl actually shoved her around (physically) and told her, “If I ever get pregnant and I don’t want the baby, I’m going to abort it and I don’t care what you think.” It was pretty scary and heartbreaking for my girls to hear this kind of stuff, and awful to think that young teenagers actually believed in such a cruel ethic.

 

[Le_Cracquere]

Last month, curiosity led me to a traditional Latin Mass church in my area–not SSPX or sedevacantist, or anything of that sort. Anyway, the priest’s homily/sermon/whatever they call it pretty much consisted of warnings against making friends with or becoming more personally involved than necessary with “heretics.” His talk concluded with a thunderous reminder to the crowd “We – are – ABOVE – them.”

Took me most of the sermon (homily?) to figure out whom he meant by “heretics,” so I didn’t really have time to take it that personally. Nevertheless, perhaps this is the sort of thing the OP’s talking about?