Judging somebody a "good" Catholic or not

[Fidelis]

## I can think of examples - for instance, a lot of Catholics call the Catholic character of their fellow-Catholics into question when the latter adopt positions and methods of studying the Bible which are - in reality - perfectly permissible, or even encouraged.

I was speaking of specific examples on this forum where someone has said “You’re not a Catholic because I disagree,” Michael, not perceptions. Sorry if I was unclear.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

byHisGrace:

Carol and Setter,
I totally agree with both of you. My point was about the frustration some feel when confronted by someone who is taking a view opposed to what the Church teaches. I recognize that there can be uncharitable comments on any subject.

So,while we shouldn’t say anyone “isn’t a good Catholic” in any circumstance I guess. When confronted with a Catholic that dissents from Church teaching on faith and morals…should we then refer to them as merely a “disobedient Catholic”?

Not necessarily - there are many reasons for what is commonly called dissent; bloody-mindedness is only one. Misunderstanding - without realising there is one - is a second. Poor religious education is not a new development - far from it.​

People might deny the priesthood of all the faithful: It’s a Catholic doctrine. So is predestination. But both have been denied by Catholics, who have equated any form of either doctrine with their Protestant equivalents. Are those Catholics denying Catholic doctrine ? In a sense, yes - and in another sense, not in the least.

People misunderstand one another all the time - there is far more to disagreement in faith than rejection of the formulation of a doctrine. Conversely, agreement in the wording of a formula may hide a real difference in doctrine. ##

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

byHisGrace:

Mike,
Believe me, I really hear you on this…but in an effort to avoid all labels, sometimes people can be hurt. For example…if I were to say I don’t have to obey Humana Vitae and I am a good Catholic…then someone defending the faith to me would have to at least respond with …“well, you may believe yourself to be a good Catholic, but you ARE disobedient.”

There are other people reading these threads…and in fact I lurked here for a couple of years before coming home to the Church. There is right and wrong…and we are obligated to speak to that when we are speaking in conformity to what the Church teaches (as opposed to our opinions). While I agree labeling one as a good or bad Catholic is not the right thing to do…sometimes one has to confront disobedience or evil when it clearly conflicts with the truth of the Church.

God Bless you!

There is no such thing as a good Catholic - only Christians who are practising to be Catholics.​

It is useless to be wholly orthodox - but who is ? - if one has a foul temper, or gossips, or is liar (for instance). Goodness is either complete in all respects - or is not good. Wholeness is Christlikeness - and unless there is someone on this forum whom people mistake for Jesus Christ, no one on this forum is a good Catholic. Those who are most like Him - St. John of the Cross, St. Philip Neri, people like that - did not think they were “good Catholics”; they couldn’t, because they knew Him too well; they “knew Goodness when they saw it”. Only unsaintly people are capable of thinking think that they are better than others - real “good Catholics” such as those saints cannot see anything in themselves to allow such a ridiculous idea. The mistake comes about because we do not know Christ.

ISTM that if we knew ourselves as God does, we would die of shame. ##