NON-CATHOLIC PREDJUDICES

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MGEISING

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:angel1: Hi All:

Can anyone share with me some of their encounters with predjudices of the Catholic Faith? Do you yourself have any?
And more importantly, how did you deal with them?

I find it so emotional when I encounter my brother’s and sister’s in Christ and they have no charity when they speak of the Catholic Faith.

Thanks and have a blessed day!

:gopray:
 
The most surprising to me was the local Eastren Orthodox church. Thay were haveing a yard sale for a fundraser. My wife and I whin askes told this lady we were Roman Catholic. By her reaction you would have thought we ourselves sacked Constansanobe. That surprised us.

Not so suprising was my friend and I talking to a Baptist minister. He was a bing fan of Mission to Catholics. I did not expect the hatred that came from this guy. In his mind the ONLY reason we Catholics were not killing non Catholics today was we are not in power. This guy full expected to see death camps for non Catholics if we were ever in power in the USA. 😦

I can go on with lots more but that will do.
 
:cool: Hi Shellac:

I was so ignorant that any other faith would be so against a particular faith and being so UNCHARITABLE about them.

It is so unloving and so totally unscriptual. My greatest scar was being told by a baptist minister that they were getting successful in the missions in Ecuador - annihilating the Catholics… :eek:
Still gives me the creeps … almost seems like Hitler’s vision … if you know what I mean.

I pray always for people who are teaching other people wrong things about our church. How can, and I have to ask anyone reading this, how can our HOly Father even be in the same sentence at the Anti-Christ.

I just don’t get it - and I don’t get people agreeing with stuff like that.

:confused: :confused:
 
I think that this thread has its place but **PLEASE PLEASE ** do not generalize the acts of some to stand for the convictions of the whole. In every group there are bad and uninformed people inspired by the prejudice and hate dwelling within them.
 
Hi Shibboleth:

I absolutely agree - and we must be charitable … :amen:

And I think anyone that write to this Post will be most gracious.

It is helpful to hear other’s experiences and how they dealt with them. And I think we are all in agreement there is wheat and shaft living amoung all religious denomination. And I trust that this thread will bring that out.

Thanks, Shibboleth - for your concern! and Charity!
 
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Shibboleth:
I think that this thread has its place but **PLEASE PLEASE ** do not generalize the acts of some to stand for the convictions of the whole. In every group there are bad and uninformed people inspired by the prejudice and hate dwelling within them.
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I very much agree with this statement.
 
Always keep this in mind:

*“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” *

Matthew 5:10-12 (KJV)

:blessyou:
 
Absolutley … as I have mentioned in all other posts.

I am trying to always keep that in mind and let my head lead my mouth - and not my heart. But I have been bruised and battered so many time … I think that is getting into my head (even after all these years).

Thanks, again, for the reminder!
 
We’ve all encountered it.

How do we deal with it?

Well, I confiscate anti-Catholic tracts and place them where they rightly belong~the nearest trash receptacle. (clears throat Jack Chick, etc.)

When speaking with someone in person, I try to be patient and informative, offering corrections where needed. Most are misconceptions.

When debating, such as online, I’m more aggressive.

By far, some of the worst offenders are ex-Catholics. They don’t just leave, they keep looking back, and throwing stones. Their perceptions of what we practice and believe is clouded by what they think they were taught in Catholic schools or what they remember doing and thinking as a child…

I’ve been told by one that she was “taught” to pray to statues. You all remember being taught that, right?!!! Back in…what? Second grade?

Well, I begin to lose my patience when people show that much ignorance, and because they claim they used to be Catholic, other non-Catholics give them far more credibility than they deserve.

Most bigotry, in general, is due to ignorance. Correction, education, etc., I know, is the answer.

But I’m only human!!!
 
🙂 Yes Panis Angelicas

Some in my inlaw family are ex-catholics and they are very aggressive in their damnation of Catholic’s.

I am sure not all EX’s are like this … but when that is all you encounter … you tend to think all or nothing … which is an exaggeration, I know! But it hits you right in the stomach.

I have often left tracks in pews of other churchs … loving tracks that mention what the Catholic Church teaches, not hateful, revengefull tracks that doom other religions! (I shutter).

Ignorance is the key to most bigotry - you are correct! Thanks for the response. :cool:
 
MGEISING said:
:angel1: Hi All:

Can anyone share with me some of their encounters with predjudices of the Catholic Faith? Do you yourself have any?
And more importantly, how did you deal with them?

:gopray:
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In my wife’s family we have a number of rabid ant-catholics including her aged parents. Her parents are in their mid-eighties and it is pointless to try to have discussions with them. When they start ragging on us about the Catholic Church, we politely excuse ourselves. We pray for them regularly and also for ourselves that we can continue to handle this stuff with charity.

X is another case. He is married to my wife’s sister-in-law. They went on a mission to Italy years back to try to save lost Roman Catholics. Just 4 years ago, she turned Catholic! He cannot handle it, and he called me on the phone and shrieked at me that I was wrecking his marriage and that he knew all about the wicked Roman Catholic Church. (We actually had absolutely nothing to do with his wife turning Catholic) In his mind, his wife has become demon-possessed. There is no discussion there either, but we also pray for him, since God’s grace alone will be able to open his eyes.

A third one was at my 22 year old daughter’s funeral three years ago. She belonged to a very fundamental protestant Church (though she herself never was anti-Catholic. She went because it is where her husband would go.) At the funeral, the pastor made allusion to me. He said that his wife (an aide in the building where I taught) came home and told him about this Catholic she worked with. “I event think he might be a Christian,” is what she said. This “anecdote” was related to the whole church full of people at Angie’s funeral. My wife still has trouble dealing with it to this day. Pray for this pastor.

I think we can look at this ugly anti-Catholic attitude in one of two ways. Either we can become bitter and respond in kind, or we can look upon it as a grace from God in which we have the privilege of suffering with and for Christ and which gives us the opportunity to grow in charity. Christ made it quite plain that there is no virtue in loving those who love us. It is in loving our enemies that we become like him.

I’ll pray for all of you who face similar circumstances.

In Christ’s peace,
Gary
 
🙂 Gary:

I think you are right … it will either make or break us … it is nice to know how other people handle it.

I don’t handle it very well … of course it has been in my face for over 20 years … and I feel (this is silly) that I have a SCARLET C on my chest anytime there is a get-together or anything like that.

I pray constantly when I am in their presence. They are really wonderful people, they just have the wrong information … I have to believe that.

This is the first year we will not let our kids go to Vacation Bible School because of the anti-catholic sermons coming from my inlaws church … It makes me sad and sick sometimes.

I am with your wife … I wish I was more of a man sometimes — they seem to take things more in stride and not as personally.

Thanks for sharing - I loved your ending message! :amen:
 
MGEISING said:
:angel1: Hi All:

Can anyone share with me some of their encounters with predjudices of the Catholic Faith? Do you yourself have any?
And more importantly, how did you deal with them?

I find it so emotional when I encounter my brother’s and sister’s in Christ and they have no charity when they speak of the Catholic Faith.

Thanks and have a blessed day!

:gopray:
Click to expand...

MGEISING, as you know from another thread, I am a former Roman Catholic myself. As I tried to convey to you and others, I don’t believe that belittling or denigrating the beliefs of another does anything except diminish one’s own credibility in the eyes of the fair and objective onlooker. But, to get back to your point, you asked people to share with you encounters with prejudices against the Catholic faith. Here’s an episode that happened to me:
A friend of mine has a son who was a junior in high school, and an athlete. (I saw his pitching arm: outstanding!) He went to the local Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and was told by a local “leader” ( a kid himself, really) that Catholics were not welcome. My friend and her son were understandably hurt, and so I took it upon myself to write to the national organization regarding the matter. I was informed that, not only are Catholics welcome in FCA, but that they have served in leadership capacities for years at both state and national levels. The man who wrote me wanted specifics, and assured me that the problem would be corrected. And, it was: the son became an enthusiastic FCA member, and remained a loyal Catholic.
I don’t think that leader who wanted to exclude my friend’s son was evil, mean, or wicked. He was uniformed; in a word, ignorant. Prejudice is born of ignorance, and the remedy for ignorance is knowledge. However I judge Catholicism, or Mormonism, or any other belief system I disagree with, I owe it to God, to others, and to myself, to judge it fairly and honestly. Perhaps, as a former Catholic, my position to rectify that wrong was a unique opportunity for me. Anyone should have done the same, however, because it simply was "the right thing to do."
 
Gary,

I can relate somewhat to your experience. I became a RC two years ago. I am the only RC in my family and extended family. My husband does not want to become Catholic. He is happy in the Southern Baptist church. He will not let me have our children baptized in the RC church, either, but let me tell you about an experience I had. Recently I attended a service with my husband at his church, and they were celebrating the “Lord’s Supper”. The pastor, who knows I am RC, stated before eating the bread, that this was not the body of Christ, it was only a symbol. He was looking at me the entire time. :eek: Of course, I did not take communion. My husband asked me if I wanted to, but I just said, “No, it’s not consecrated”. 😦 We really need to keep praying for those who do not understand our faith, and for opportunities to explain it to others.

Blessings to you!
journey
 
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journey:
Gary,

. Recently I attended a service with my husband at his church, and they were celebrating the “Lord’s Supper”. The pastor, who knows I am RC, stated before eating the bread, that this was not the body of Christ, it was only a symbol.

Blessings to you!
journey
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Tirian:
I think we can look at this ugly anti-Catholic attitude in one of two ways. Either we can become bitter and respond in kind, or we can look upon it as a grace from God in which we have the privilege of suffering with and for Christ and which gives us the opportunity to grow in charity. Christ made it quite plain that there is no virtue in loving those who love us. It is in loving our enemies that we become like him.
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Absolutely, Gary. I consider it ALL joy, and we need to pray for them for they know NOT what they do. Sometimes I feel that those with so much hatred towards “Catholics” merely because they are Catholic do NOT know the same Jesus as I know. For if they TRULY looked in their hearts, they would see that their actions are FAR from what the Gospel of our Lord teaches, and what He did while on earth. I think the grave errors of “sola scriptura” have led to this hatred, for they have not encountered the Person of Jesus Christ…only letters on a page. My 2 cents worth. :o
 
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journey:
Gary,

I can relate somewhat to your experience. I became a RC two years ago. I am the only RC in my family and extended family. My husband does not want to become Catholic. He is happy in the Southern Baptist church. He will not let me have our children baptized in the RC church, either, but let me tell you about an experience I had. Recently I attended a service with my husband at his church, and they were celebrating the “Lord’s Supper”. The pastor, who knows I am RC, stated before eating the bread, that this was not the body of Christ, it was only a symbol. He was looking at me the entire time. :eek: Of course, I did not take communion. My husband asked me if I wanted to, but I just said, “No, it’s not consecrated”. 😦 We really need to keep praying for those who do not understand our faith, and for opportunities to explain it to others.

Blessings to you!
journey
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Oops! Disregard that earlier non-post. My high-tech aptitude is about -25 and falling. I must have hit a wrong button, or a premature button, or a false button, or something…

Anyway, your communion experience in the SBC reminded me of a similar experience we had years ago in Wilmore, Kentucky, where the Christian rock festival “Ichthus” is held each year. It was during the communion service, with about 17,000 youth seated in a natural ampitheater. It was solemn and worshipful, but I couldn’t believe my ears during the consecration (We weren’t Catholic yet, btw, nor were we even thinking of it.).
The pastor took the loaf in his hands and said, “Jesus said, ‘This represents my body.’”
I knew we didn’t believe what Catholics believe, but to me there was no excuse for brazenly changing the words of Scripture to fit a theory.
On the other hand, I have to be careful lest I get too harsh with folks who do this. I was part of that mindset for nearly 40 years. You just absorb things through your skin without even thinking about them. Protestants tend to take their identity not from what they stand for, but from what they stand against. And first and foremost, what they are not is RC. So they adopt gestures (or, more likely, lack of them) church furnishings, and rituals that clearly mark them out as not being Catholic. Our Methodist hymnal used to have the Apostles’ Creed in the back. When we got to the line "I believe in the holy Catholic Church, " two things had happened. First, Catholic was printed in a lower case c and second, there was an asterisk referring you to the bottom of the page where an explanatory note reminded you that the word “catholic” was to be read as “universal.”
Things are changing in a lot of places, thank God, but there is still a long way to go before the damage of 500 years is healed.
Keep praying and keep the faith.

Pax Christi,
Gary
 
I work in a Judge’s office every day where there is a lot of Catholic bashing. I’ve also listened to 3ABN, the 7th Day Adventist t.v. station say horrible things about the Holy Father and the Church being the Whore of Babylon, etc.

Sadly, the Judge that I work for went to Notre Dame & was raised Catholic but married a Lutheran and goes to church with his wife now. He diminishes the Holy Eucharist and talks badly about a few former nuns that he had in grade school. The only time I ever lost it was when (for the 3rd time) he diminished the Eucharist and I raised my voice at him. The others in my office don’t even go to Church and so they listen to him.

I’ve often been very, very hurt & angry by listening to all of this. However, it has lead me to Apologetics and strengthened my Catholic faith. I try to show my office a good example. Strange, but my encounters with all of this Catholic bashing has only strengthened my FAITH. I try to go to Mass every day during my lunch hour & come back feeling so peaceful.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS AWESOME.

Blessings,http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon14.gif
Shannon from Pennsylvania
 
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