From my time on other non-Catholic forums, with only a couple of exceptions, I’d have to say that the folks here at CAF, both members and moderators are some of the best on the net. I’ve seen about every allegation that can be made about us Catholics here and other Catholic forums (and had some tossed at me in private messages here at CAF as well.
) by non-Catholics or de-facto anti-Catholics, and by and large the assertions have been ludicrous in light of the rhetoric laid on us. Most of us here at CAF are far and away more charitable in our responses to questions and rhetorical allegations than the n-Cs/a-Cs on their own forums. Most times I can’t wait to get back here where a discussion can be made without being told I am arrogant, hateful, or a deceived child of the devil, when I attempt to simply provide accurate information in context. I find it distressing if I or my beliefs are mocked or derided and I praise God that that isn’t tolerated here on CAF.
There is one a-C forum right now that most of the Catholics are currently boycotting because they got outright pornographically offensive in a discussion of the Blessed Virgin, and then hit at least 2 Catholics with warnings (one long time Catholic poster caught 2![3 =banning]) when they objected to the remarks and that the offending poster wasn’t chastised at all. there was a half-hearted apology made by a couple of other n-C members, but nothing was done about the offenders and so now they comment that none of us answer their posts. The silence is deafening. (As well it should be.) Here’s an example:
being a former Catholic, I can tell you first hand that the RCC is anything BUT Christian.
…Even satan believes in Christ. It takes much more than that to be Christian. The RCC does not even share the same God, and it different, even to its very foundation.
The RCC has NEVER been Christian.
and again:
In my opinion the catholic church is not Christian any more than the mormon or JW’s are Christian. Because they don’t believe that the only way to eternal salvation is through personal belief that the blood of Jesus is all-sufficient for the penalty of sin and an acceptance of him into your life as Lord and Saviour and that salvation is by grace alone, and that salvation is immediate and eternal upon acceptance of Jesus as a one-time sacrifice for your sins, and not obtained through any works, sacraments, traditions or merits of our own.
and last 2, talking to each other:
One of the more outrageous aspects of lay Catholic Internet Apologists is that they do not necessarily have to engage their opponents in debates over the truth or falsehood of their positions. . .
They can simply dismiss their opposition with magic pixie dust responses like hate-filled, anti-Catholic, bigoted or basher.
Lay Catholic Internet Apologists rarely expend the effort to study the Bible, Church History or even keep up with recent events and trends in their church: they just don’t see the need to examine the stuff they have embraced.
Since they have come to rely so heavily on sound bite dismissals of their opponents, they have few arguments.
This is so true! They are famous for quoting or putting links what the Early Church Fathers said. None can actually give you any details.
The reasons they study their Catechism in their bible classes. (The Bible Study classes in the RC in Brooklyn do this) You will not see a bible in the classroom.
When I was Roman Catholic back in the 1960’s & 1970’s the thought of someone reading the bible without a priest present to tell you what scripture is saying was totally against the church’s teachings because we were not allowed to read it for ourselves except for their cut and paste version on Sunday!
It’s pretty eggregious, as you can see and any time you run into this type of talk, you’re probably best off to just dust off those sandals and keep walkin’.
“Board Swarms” are always a drag and almost never do any good whatsoever. Over time my own philosphy has become that if someone really is interested in the truth about Catholicism, they’ll come here or one of the other faithful Catholic sites and get the facts and then decide for themselves, and when they ask their questions, they’ll talk to us like human beings and listen when we answer.
Are Apologetics and Evangelism at Odds?
Pax vobiscum,
:nope: