Question for former Protestants

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adamski
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Adamski

Guest
It seems all or at least the vast majority or Protestants I come in contact with are very intimidated by my faith.

For instance many times a potential work client has said how the lord works in thier life then I will quote scripture about having peace or something. Then they will say I see you are a believer where do you go to church. I will say something like well after much study of scripture Jesus has brought me to the roman catholic church. They get a dark frown are quite and never return my phone calls again this had happened at least 20 times.

I even had a 40 something year old man start crying once when I quoted 1 Tim 3:15 and 1 Peter 3:21 and said I was wrecking his faith when he asked deeper questions why I was catholic
 
I think last week a man blew up at me because his wife said they didn’t have a church since they moved because they couldn’t find one with good morals. So I went to my car got a sunday bulletin from my parish and told the lady that her and her family where always welcome at my parish ( he is a Freemason)
 
I know this is a question for former Protestants, but my negative experiences with some Protestants involved them being very condescending toward me and Catholicism once they realize I’m Catholic. The ones that have expressed their opinions have had a “holier than thou” attitude or they have behaved like the word “Catholic” is a profanity. I’ve only experienced this with a handful of Protestants (not all react negatively), but it’s been very unsettling. Whether the attitudes have stemmed from intimidation or misguided beliefs about the Church, I don’t know - probably from both…
 
AllieT said:
I know this is a question for former Protestants, but my negative experiences with some Protestants involved them being very condescending toward me and Catholicism once they realize I’m Catholic. The ones that have expressed their opinions have had a “holier than thou” attitude or they have behaved like the word “Catholic” is a profanity. I’ve only experienced this with a handful of Protestants (not all react negatively), but it’s been very unsettling. Whether the attitudes have stemmed from intimidation or misguided beliefs about the Church, I don’t know - probably from both…
Click to expand...
I’ve seen patterns of various flavors of pride in different faiths or subsets of faith. Like Pentacostals be they Catholic or Protestant sometimes have a pride about their experiences of the Holy Spirit.

Some people are proud of how abstemious they are, others of wealth and clothing, others about how liberal their faith is etc etc.

And on the other end of the spectrum are people who feel intimidated or insecure about their faith, and it takes little to upset them or get them questioning their beliefs.

I think these two human tendencies often come into play in encounters such as the ones the OP describes
 
AllieT said:
I know this is a question for former Protestants, but my negative experiences with some Protestants involved them being very condescending toward me and Catholicism once they realize I’m Catholic. The ones that have expressed their opinions have had a “holier than thou” attitude or they have behaved like the word “Catholic” is a profanity. I’ve only experienced this with a handful of Protestants (not all react negatively), but it’s been very unsettling. Whether the attitudes have stemmed from intimidation or misguided beliefs about the Church, I don’t know - probably from both…
Click to expand...
To Allie and Adamski,

It is unsettling when something like that happens. I’m very sorry that has happened…when anyone of any faith (Christian) treats others like that then they do not understand the message and example that Jesus brought us.

You guys can share with me any time you want. 👍
 
No one has ever cried because I converted, that I know of. My grandmother is probably rolling in her grave, though. My immediate family is very supportive. I’m living with my mom right now and she has even been cooking lent approved meals on Fridays.

I’m probably driving my Protestant friends on Facebook nuts right now. I’m doing a #sharejesus thing that Redeemed Online is doing. It’s a daily video. So, a Catholic video will pop up on their news feed everyday of Lent. 😃

I’ve only been told by one person that Catholics aren’t Christians and they don’t even attend any church so meh. Lol
 
spedteacherita said:
To Allie and Adamski,

It is unsettling when something like that happens. I’m very sorry that has happened…when anyone of any faith (Christian) treats others like that then they do not understand the message and example that Jesus brought us.

You guys can share with me any time you want. 👍
Click to expand...
I have never had it happen from a Lutheran every time I talk to a Lutheran that Is strong I thier faith we both almost laugh why we don’t go to the same church our ideas about faith are so similar. Most strong Lutherans even seem to even believe in the real presence my experience is with non denominational or left leaning Anglicans
 
I think some of the fundamentalist evangelist preachers have preached with such contempt and hate at the Catholic faith that their believers are not able or willing to research it themselves. Plus there is a fear or stigma against questioning God or faith that has been pounded into them, some feel the preachers that holler the loudest and condemn the hardest with the holier than thou attitude must be “Men of God, led by the Holy Spirit”.

With the headlines and sins of the Church over the past 30-40 years it has have only proven that the Catholic Church is Satan’s church. What most do not see is that there are those same issues within protestantism but the media then attacks one person, not an entire organized church or they just disappear as fast as they appeared with no one the wiser.

Also, i like to remind them that with some or their churches, anyone can get a license online to preach their interpretation of scripture and open a new church on any street corner whether or not they are preaching right or wrong.
 
KendraDZ1902 said:
I’m probably driving my Protestant friends on Facebook nuts right now. I’m doing a #sharejesus thing that Redeemed Online is doing. It’s a daily video. So, a Catholic video will pop up on their news feed everyday of Lent. 😃
l
Click to expand...
I doubt it, if it bothers them they can have posts from you, or just links from that page hidden or stopped. That’s what I do with various friends who post things I have no interest in or find bothersome. That way I can stay friends but no longer receive 19 posts a day about whatever political cause they support or their favorite hobby.
 
A couple of the protestant denominations I have attended and been a member have had rather hateful anti-Catholic propaganda. I was regularly handed newsletters and pamphlets about the various ways in which the church is wrong or evil. They call the pope or even the whole church the antichrist.

When the Holy Mother called me home to the church recently, I was very hesitant. I had dozens of intellectual reasons why the Catholic church was wrong or evil. However, the Holy Mother has been coming to me since my childhood, and I trusted her. I knelt in front of the Guadalupe painting in my Parish and prayed a series of hail Mary, and during that prayer my eyes, heart and mind were opened. Everything that I thought I knew was suddenly seen in a different light. Suddenly, I had no more valid argument against the church. Now I am in adult catechism, but it took the intervention of the Holy Mother and a miracle to get me there. The propaganda and fear about the church is strong! Prayer is the only answer.
 
As dee burk relates, there has been a significant smear job done on the RCC not just in Protestantism but in the media. Again, dee burk is correct that as long as someone is strongly opinionated, most people seem to consider that “strength” and “conviction” and do not research the essence of what is said. If someone does (as I have many times in the past on a number of issues, not just about the RCC), they find that they get into a lot of trouble, provoking a “holy anger” (which I have told them is just their anger, nothing holy about it) and off estranged you go. I strongly got the impression that thinkers were not welcome (of course). This varies by denomination.

By far the church with the biggest axe to grind with the RCC is the SDA, and I have yet to find out just what is going on (other than Ellen G. White). The pope and Vatican are the Antichrist, etc. It’s actually relatively simple to find ludicrous conclusions (and/or implications) in their subject matter. Another story.
 
I related some additional observation in the thread “Why do Protestants hate the Catholic Church” in post #116 (page 8), I sort of think it wasn’t noticed much.
 
Just from the responses thus far, it appears many of us Catholics focus as much on differences rather than similarities in faith traditions as we blame Protestants of doing.
 
Adamski said:
It seems all or at least the vast majority or Protestants I come in contact with are very intimidated by my faith.

For instance many times a potential work client has said how the lord works in thier life then I will quote scripture about having peace or something. Then they will say I see you are a believer where do you go to church. I will say something like well after much study of scripture Jesus has brought me to the roman catholic church. They get a dark frown are quite and never return my phone calls again this had happened at least 20 times.

I even had a 40 something year old man start crying once when I quoted 1 Tim 3:15 and 1 Peter 3:21 and said I was wrecking his faith when he asked deeper questions why I was catholic
Click to expand...
Why are talking to work clients about religion?
 
JustaServant, that’s a good question, but if you read Adamski’s post closely you’ll see that the client was the one initiating the conversation.

Neoflight, speaking for myself, I have recently been astounded by the similarities and more fully realized that I’ve been lied to for a long time about the RCC. Forgive me if it were my posts that you are referring to.
 
jupiter2 said:
JustaServant, that’s a good question, but if you read Adamski’s post closely you’ll see that the client was the one initiating the conversation.
Click to expand...
He also said
this had happened at least 20 times
Click to expand...
What kind of work is he in that religion keeps coming up and becomes an obstacle?
 
Well, I tend to wonder about that myself now that you mention it . . .

(I hate to admit it BTW)
 
I believe alot of it is from wrong information “taught/told” to them by their church or other Protestants about the Catholic Church. Misunderstanding of Catholic teachings/doc too… such as the prayer to Mary issue or other people passed from this life…

Or having statues… is another common one

Then you have some Protestants teaching about the Catholic church being the anit christ and beast and such then pulling things from Cults that match viewed Catholic practices/beliefs.

These are just a few examples among many.

Ultimately I believe it is ignorance/misunderstandingstoo and over all lies being spread whether the spreaders are aware of them being lies or misunderstands or not.
 
I agree with you. For many years I had this feeling when I would drive by a Catholic church that this was some strange, alternate reality that I shouldn’t even go near. I can’t even believe that now.
 
jupiter2 said:
I agree with you. For many years I had this feeling when I would drive by a Catholic church that this was some strange, alternate reality that I shouldn’t even go near. I can’t even believe that now.
Click to expand...
👍
I have to agree with that… most proestants do nto even consider catholics as christian because of these “occult views” they have about catholics and the religion.

As for acting “holier than thou” that was brought up earlier in the thread.*

*Many believe Catholics are blind and believe whatever the priest or church order tells them and they never read their bibles.
😊

If you are able to reach out to people like these, educate educate and kudos.🙂
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top