I’m sure I have said this before, but my intent was only to address the many mamy misconceptipns others have about Catholics.
Hello CWBetts,
I visited one Protestant forum where the Protestants said the most hateful things, towards me, all Catholics, Mary, the Eucharist, and anything else they thought would rile or hurt. When I contacted their moderators, and administrator, and said it appeared that their rules were not be adhered too, or moderated, I was told that they, their posters and themselves, do not consider Catholics as Christian. One moderator called Catholics a satanic cult.
They have their forum divided up into different faiths and by their own admission, Roman Catholicism is the most active forum they have, so active, they had to add a second Roman Catholicism forum. There were a minimal of people who reached out and rebuked the others for the way they witnessed themselves. After my communication with the moderators and administrator, I left and haven’t been back. I was shocked at the ignorance displayed there.
A few months ago, I was invited to another forum, where I am the only Catholic. It is mostly Pentecostal Church of God pastors. I’ve been posting there on a somewhat regular basis. It was my intention, as I explained to them, to show that many beliefs about Catholics was misconceptions and that Catholics are Christians.
Witnessing them calling each other heretics, over disagreements in doctrines of their Church, I was prompted to ask them how they could call each other heretics when their Church was a split from a Baptist Church. In the discussion, I brought up the Catholic Church having documentation of doctrines throughout it’s 2000 year old history. Of course, the discussions turned to the Catholic Church. I defended as I could and ended up being accused of having an agenda of promoting Catholic superiorty and using questions about their Church history to do it. The administrator wrote me an email. I apologized and told him it wasn’t a scam, it was an well intention to stop them from calling each other heretics that backfired on me. I also said, I have no problems with any Christian Church that inroduces Christ to people, but I have my views of the correct Church for me personally.
The administrator made it public by posting a thread of why he rebuked me. Surprisingly, about 25% of their regulars came to my defense and stated I was more respectful than alot of their regular posters and should not be held back from expressing my views.
It was private messages from some that kept me going. There’s an Episcopal priest there that really cheers me on. Another bishop of the Church of God confided in me that he was converting to Orthodox and asked that I not expose that to the others. A few others asked questions through private messages and said they were surprised to see an explanation and could understand how that specific teaching had come from scriptures, even though not all of them agreed with the interpretation.
I was invited into a debate, by one pastor, about the Nature of the Eucharist. That debate is currently going on and getting near the end of the agreed format. Another pastor has entered into a discussion of sola scriptura and private interpretation with me, because I said I thought it was a made man doctrine. I have presented my first proper argument and am waiting on his response. Since I posted my first proper argument, several other scriptural passages have come up and I feel I’m loaded for whatever he produces. While it’s taking him time to respond with his first proper argument, he is being charitable in the discussion and the boundaries we agreed too to begin.
Before those discussions, I had another pastor tell me, he would provide a point by point, scriptural argument for sola scriptura. I started the discussion with him, but he continually changed the subject with the usual objections, you guys pray to and worship Mary and the saints, you guys believe Jesus is in bread and wine, you guys worship statues, etc. etc. When I explained, I believe those were misconceptions and provided some scriptural support for the beliefs he brought up, I always asked that we start another thread to fully discuss those objections and asked could we please stay on topic. Finally, infuriated, he presented a list of about 50 misconceptions (copied and pasted from an anti-Catholic website I suspect) and demanded I respond to them all. I told him, it seemed to be an attempt to hijack the topic of the thread with a smokescreen to avoid the point by point, scriptural argument he had promised to provide. This just infuriated him more and he said somethings that actually got him suspended for a while. The whole “trainwreck” proved to work favorablly for me, as I received positive messages for my demeanor and messages.
Because of those experiences, I am posting more on CAF and demanding the same respect of Protestants here, that is required of me in that situation. Even though I was pubically rebuked, I have not been suspended or banned, and I’ve received a support of about 25% of their regulars to let me post my views with no boundaries to prevent me from expressing my view. This is why I know one can question another without the disrespect, condescending tones and turning on the opposing poster personally.
The positives on that forum are the private and sometimes public messages thanking me for the explanation and the demeanor I maintain in the face of adversity. More than a few have said they believe Catholics are Christians, which in itself is what I am out to accomplish there. It’s my small way of trying to bring about unification.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.
