Nuttiest Things Non-Catholics Have Said or Done Around You Because You're Catholic

[SirStephen]

In Morocco, my friends said that children would spit to the side and say: “Christians!” So far, I have not met any hostility because, before it comes, I say: “I am Catholic!” So no one dares to say anything against Catholics.

That is because Morocco is an Islamic country and Christians are to be cursed as such. I could quote it right out of current Islamic law - for example, in Section 11 "Non-Muslims Subjects of the Islamic State, Book O “Justice” (pages 607-609) in the approved for American Muslims “Classic Manual of Islamic Law” titled Reliance of the Traveller. Hence, this is not a “nutty” practice but a brutally deadly situation as we are finding out in Egypt with the Copts today.

 

[LiseTravis]

A friend of mine once told me that: since the ROMANS killed Jesus, and I’m ROMAN Catholic, therefore I killed Jesus.
Before anyone takes that too seriously, he was joking around. He doesn’t believe that at all.

    I heard that one recently & I was shocked- the co-worker who said it to me was absolutely serious & urged me to study history to discover this "truth".

 

[LiseTravis]

This thread has helped me a great deal to keep a sense of humor about these things- my usual reaction is inarticulate fury.

 

[SirStephen]

Not necessarily true…I spent 22+ years as a Protestant and I didn’t know the Bible all that much…

To be fair, it would not be right to equate real - sola scriptura Protestants with their nominal cafeteria style brethren. God knows we have enough of that type in the Church – just read this string - some of them are a howl not least because I’ve heard them myself!

 

[SirStephen]

I work at a Catholic Parish and every St. Patrick’s Day I have a Catholic co-worker who wears Orange. She says her mom was “Orange Irish” and became a Catholic after marrying her dad, so she wears orange because she isn’t “green” Irish. Unfortunately she doesn’t really understand what wearing Orange on St. Patrick’s Day means to real Irish people, and she doesn’t understand nor does she care to know the history behind the relations between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and how the color orange fits into that. I think she just likes to go against the grain to be honest.

When I was in the Army and working in information operations, an English officer, it was an international command, told me that one of the greatest propaganda victories in English history was the redefining of the English / Irish issue into one between Catholics and Protestants (the ethnically Irish tending to be Catholic and the Protestant either non-Irish or loyalist to England). This occurred when the English were seriously bogged down in the trenches of WWI and the U.S. was neutral. A big sticking point was the large Irish American population that was viscerally anti-English and hence very much against coming to their aid - especially as the Irish were in rebellion to the crown at the time. The idea was to transition the debate from a nationalist to a religious debate.

Can’t speak to the ultimate truth of this story but it was told to me! Food for thought!

SCC

 

[anp1215]

How strange.

 

[Darran]

When I was in the Army and working in information operations, an English officer, it was an international command, told me that one of the greatest propaganda victories in English history was the redefining of the English / Irish issue into one between Catholics and Protestants (the ethnically Irish tending to be Catholic and the Protestant either non-Irish or loyalist to England). This occurred when the English were seriously bogged down in the trenches of WWI and the U.S. was neutral. A big sticking point was the large Irish American population that was viscerally anti-English and hence very much against coming to their aid - especially as the Irish were in rebellion to the crown at the time. The idea was to transition the debate from a nationalist to a religious debate.

Can’t speak to the ultimate truth of this story but it was told to me! Food for thought!

SCC

Not so much, religion itself wasn’t a main concern - atleast with regards with the Catholic side. The protestants tended to have wild ideas spurred on by heavily bigoted “ministers”, it might have been fuel to the fire in that case, but not most.

Although God forbid, being openly Catholic can be seen as offensive nowadays, so that might hold some truth. It certainly didn’t help with Corpus Christi processions, it requires a backbone that modern man rarely has and costs us massively (amongst other things) in Catholic identity.

 

[SirStephen]

Not so much, religion itself wasn’t a main concern - atleast with regards with the Catholic side. The protestants tended to have wild ideas spurred on by heavily bigoted “ministers”, it might have been fuel to the fire in that case, but not most.

Although God forbid, being openly Catholic can be seen as offensive nowadays, so that might hold some truth. It certainly didn’t help with Corpus Christi processions, it requires a backbone that modern man rarely has and costs us massively (amongst other things) in Catholic identity.

The point of the English officers story wasn’t to speak to what was going on - or not going on – in Ireland, but rather the find a way to “rebrand” and “reposition” the state of Irish affairs in the eyes of the American public so as to draw them into WWI before England was bled dry. As for the earlier response from the Irish ex-Pat (sorry, when writing these points, you can’t go and look at the list to properly get your name), those events in 1916 were blazing news in places like Boston and NYC where the Irish Americans were very active at the same time the Brits were trying to draw Wilson into the war.

Your point, however, is well taken.

SCC

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

To be fair, it would not be right to equate real - sola scriptura Protestants with their nominal cafeteria style brethren. God knows we have enough of that type in the Church – just read this string - some of them are a howl not least because I’ve heard them myself!

So are you saying that I was a nominal cafeteria style Protestant? It really is not the same because their is no “cafeteria” to go to…very loose theological views…nothing that you would have to worry about adhering to…

But I was very serious about my Protestant faith…but the thought that they all know their bibles inside and out just isn’t so…regardless of how devout they are.

 

[Darran]

The point of the English officers story wasn’t to speak to what was going on - or not going on – in Ireland, but rather the find a way to “rebrand” and “reposition” the state of Irish affairs in the eyes of the American public so as to draw them into WWI before England was bled dry.

Ahhh I see I see.

 

[MissBorgia]

I’m the only Catholic in my family. Everyone pretty much fights over who says grace at family events but not me. I sit quietly and let them hash it out amongst themselves. Well, my sister, in an effort to be kind said, “I want Lorrie to pray this time. Let’s have her do it in Catholic.”

Not missing a beat I replied, “That works for me. I speak fluent Catholic.”

LOLOL

Lorrie

I was asked to start the meal in ‘the Catholic way’.

 

[Jane_of_Arc]

The next time you hear one whine Sola Scriptura, ask him where in the Bible does it say what books constitute a valid Bible.

**
I was invited to play cards with a group of gals.I only knew one of them. The first night I played (Sat.night) the subject of Church the next morning came up. Everyone was telling about their particular Church & I Brought up that I would be attending MAss at Immaculate Conception. Dead silence, followed by a “Oh, you’re Catholic”. This was followed by another person, trying to be kind & fill the silence,
"I know a Catholic…Her name is Frances, she lives in Topeka-----maybe you know her? ME: “oh sure, Catholic Frances in Topeka”** ( I Didn’t actually say that, but it’'s the first thing that came into my mind.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

**
I was invited to play cards with a group of gals.I only knew one of them. The first night I played (Sat.night) the subject of Church the next morning came up. Everyone was telling about their particular Church & I Brought up that I would be attending MAss at Immaculate Conception. Dead silence, followed by a “Oh, you’re Catholic”. This was followed by another person, trying to be kind & fill the silence,
"I know a Catholic…Her name is Frances, she lives in Topeka-----maybe you know her? ME: “oh sure, Catholic Frances in Topeka”** ( I Didn’t actually say that, but it’'s the first thing that came into my mind.

You should have said…I think I met her at the meeting…or I saw her in the directory

I get these comments from my mother-in-law often…

 

[Darran]

I get these comments from my mother-in-law often…

Even funnier when it turns out you actually do know them. I know of one time speaking to an American who knew only one Catholic in Ireland…

I was about to say that was a million to one chance, but eh

 

[Jane_of_Arc]

i’m the only catholic in my family. Everyone pretty much fights over who says grace at family events but not me. I sit quietly and let them hash it out amongst themselves. Well, my sister, in an effort to be kind said,** “i want lorrie to pray this time. Let’s have her do it in catholic.” **

not missing a beat i replied, “that works for me. I speak fluent catholic.”

lolol

lorrie

:d love it!!!

 

[SirStephen]

So are you saying that I was a nominal cafeteria style Protestant? It really is not the same because their is no “cafeteria” to go to…very loose theological views…nothing that you would have to worry about adhering to…

But I was very serious about my Protestant faith…but the thought that they all know their bibles inside and out just isn’t so…regardless of how devout they are.

All I am saying is that I’ve known more than a few who did know their Bibles - inside and out!

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

All I am saying is that I’ve known more than a few who did know their Bibles - inside and out!

Must not be the same denomination I was…I actually had someone tell me that Mary could have been anyone…she could have been a prostitute…in BIBLE study…and he was an ex preacher…obviously he had never read Isiah…that’s all I’m saying…

 

[IanGE]

The whole situation in Northern Ireland is very sad. Years ago my parents were part of a “Irish Childrens Program for Peace”. Every summer for six weeks we hosted children from Northern Ireland. Our family being Catholic we would get a Protestant child, and Protestant families got Catholic kids. We even got one of each once. There were all kind of activities for the kids and they learned to get along and it got them away for the summer when tensions were higher.

When I was stationed by the RAF in Northern Ireland, I SAW signs like this everywhere:
WANTED 10 carpenters, 15 electricians, 8 welders, 20 labourers NO CATHOLICS NEED APPLY.
PS our friends Irish Catholic mother died recently aged 101. She had a wonderful memory and told us stories of the bad times, of Black-and-Tan bullets breaking windows and peppering the farmhouse walls while she, as a child, cowered. At her funeral I patted the coffin and said, “ne’mind, Nellie, if there are any Black-and-Tans up there you can get your own back.!”

 

[studychristian]

Most of people I see who criticize the Church say things like:

“They are Pagans”
“They force people to give money”
“There confession box is how the church keeps members, it blackmails them.”

These are false sayings, but I see tons of people have these misconceptions

 

[VivienneJ]

Well, I did have to explain to my sweet Baptist friend that Lent had nothing to do with Spring - understandable because the word for ‘Spring’ in one of the official languages of my country is quite similar to Lent.

What I often have a wry smile about is the reaction of my Protestant grandmother when she found that my parents were sending me to the convent high school. She was very concerned that “those Catholics” were going to try to convert her granddaughter. They didn’t, but 41 years later I did convert - her “fears” weren’t so unfounded after all.