This might be a big mistake

[Convert_in_99]

But why do so many people here view Protestants as if they were some form of lower religious life form?

Sure they don’t have the fullness of the Catholic faith and it’s sad they don’t. But they are still out brothers and sisters in Christ and have the same dignity and deserve the same love and respect we get. They don’t have some contagious illness and the don’t have cooties They do great things for Jesus and many are honestly far holier and more devout than we are. :yup: I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because I was one, or still have all Protestant family, or am married to one, but it seems so juniorhighish around here with this lately.

 

[pensmama87]

I don’t see that, frankly.

What I see is, especially where children are involved, not wanting to confuse their children about the Faith.

You might bring your specific concerns up on a thread where you feel you’ve seen this behavior, or PM a specific poster to ask for clarification.

 

[Veector]

But why do so many people here view Protestants as if they were some form of lower religious life form?

Sure they don’t have the fullness of the Catholic faith and it’s sad they don’t. But they are still out brothers and sisters in Christ and have the same dignity and deserve the same love and respect we get. They don’t have some contagious illness and the don’t have cooties They do great things for Jesus and many are honestly far holier and more devout than we are. :yup: I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because I was one, or still have all Protestant family, or am married to one, but it seems so juniorhighish around here with this lately.

I know where u’re coming from. But we don’t, really. I think deep down, the Church’s members know that we’re all bro’s and sisters in Christ. John 3:16, u know.
But, remember that “to err is human, to forgive is Divine.”

 

[Irishmom2]

But why do so many people here view Protestants as if they were some form of lower religious life form?

Sure they don’t have the fullness of the Catholic faith and it’s sad they don’t. But they are still out brothers and sisters in Christ and have the same dignity and deserve the same love and respect we get. They don’t have some contagious illness and the don’t have cooties They do great things for Jesus and many are honestly far holier and more devout than we are. :yup: I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because I was one, or still have all Protestant family, or am married to one, but it seems so juniorhighish around here with this lately.

I don’t see that, but maybe that goes on in forums I don’t frequent. Can you give an example of what you mean?

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I don’t see that, but maybe that goes on in forums I don’t frequent. Can you give an example of what you mean?

To be honest, I see it a lot on these boards too.

I think a lot of people just assume that Protestants are anti-Catholic. Sure, a few groups are. But most Protestants that I know are way too busy being Protestants to give the Catholic church much thought.

 

[dmftx]

I have more Protestant friend than Catholic ones (Texas) and I find a lot of criticism towards Catholic beliefs i.e. wearing crucifixes and medals, the “nine letter word” Purgatory, and spending so much time in mass not talking about the Word. Needless to say, I politely give my point of view but am respectful. I think this is why the Holy Souls in Purgatory are so important to me because I think non-Catholics prefer to believe that there is no need for atonement once one sincerely asks for forgiveness. I don’t think any of us mean to be hard on each other but we all have our own belief system that is important to us! I would never think down on a person of another faith… what each of us believes, knows and lives by is between us and our God.

 

[SMHW]

But why do so many people here view Protestants as if they were some form of lower religious life form?

I don’t know that I actually see people viewing Protestants as lower religious forms. Rather, I see Protestants viewed as carriers of an infectious disease (which pretty much means a lower life form.)

I don’t know that I usually see it in the Family Life Forum so much as I do in fora like Traditional Catholicism and Liturgy and Sacraments. But I do see it elsewhere. I often see it in regard to music and sometimes see it in regard to child rearing practices.

 

[Xantippe]

I don’t know that I actually see people viewing Protestants as lower religious forms. Rather, I see Protestants viewed as carriers of an infectious disease (which pretty much means a lower life form.)

I don’t know that I usually see it in the Family Life Forum so much as I do in fora like Traditional Catholicism and Liturgy and Sacraments. But I do see it elsewhere. I often see it in regard to music and sometimes see it in regard to child rearing practices.

Well, beating kids with 1/4 inch plumbing line is a bad idea.

Fortunately, it’s a niche Protestant practice, but some of our Protestant brethren are way more into corporal punishment than is altogether wholesome or Christian.

salon.com/2006/05/25/the_pearls/

 

[SMHW]

Well, beating kids with 1/4 inch plumbing line is a bad idea.

Fortunately, it’s a niche Protestant practice, but some of our Protestant brethren are way more into corporal punishment than is altogether wholesome or Christian.

salon.com/2006/05/25/the_pearls/

I don’t disagree with you that some Protestants emphasize corporal punishment more than is the norm for Western Catholics today. However this is a case where both Catholics and more “liberal” Protestants moved away from what was the previous societal norm.

Most of the criticisms I hear from Catholics about Protestants are in reference to changes that Protestants have made to a previous religious or societal norm.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I don’t see that, frankly.

What I see is, especially where children are involved, not wanting to confuse their children about the Faith.

You might bring your specific concerns up on a thread where you feel you’ve seen this behavior, or PM a specific poster to ask for clarification.

Well, I’ve seen it ,and seen it plenty on these forums, although the moderators are doing a good job at trying to eliminate it. It seems to get worse in the Summer when school is out. One of the most flaunted words is the use of the word “heretic”. That used to bandied about quite a bit. I have also seen Catholics proselytizing Protestants when they come to visit, yet they don’t like it when the reverse happens. There have been times where I was ashamed.

If you haven’t seen it, you have not been in the forums where it happens, but, as I said, it is much better than it was when I first joined CAF.

 

[heidi_storage]

Well, beating kids with 1/4 inch plumbing line is a bad idea.

Fortunately, it’s a niche Protestant practice, but some of our Protestant brethren are way more into corporal punishment than is altogether wholesome or Christian.

salon.com/2006/05/25/the_pearls/

I don’t see a lot of Protestants on CAF advocating these practices, nor do I see a lot of criticism directed toward Protestant childrearing.

 

[Karen107]

I’ve been bloggin on a prodominately protestant website and oh I could tell you stories of what many think of our Catholic beliefs so I would probably feel how Protestants would feel on this Catholic website., Personally I don’t like the word heretic myself but then again Protestants have their own terminology for things well that gets into discussion itself… … So it would be suffice to say that on a Catholic Forum Protestants may feel overwhelmed and outnumbered like I was on that other site. The good news is, is that when we actually spend time discussing one anothers beliefs in depth some of the false assumptions about what we believe in are dispelled. I heard one Priest say that we should not call protestants protestants or non-Catholics rather they have denominations, like Lutheran, or Calvinist, Baptists, whatever, because many don’t think of themselves as Protestants which came from protesting against the Catholic Church, but rather as Christians first… I suppose that might things off… I love it when Protestants stand up for certain things that Catholics say and when Catholics stick up for certain things Protestants say, because those things that we agree upon will bring us together… I say we love the Same Jesus and we all want to do the work of the Lord… That’s what keeps us in common…May the Lords peace be with all of you!

 

[Convert_in_99]

Im glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed this. Like someone else said it used to be much much worse, but the mods are doing better keeping it at bay. And I know they are short staffed and busy and do their best so it will creep through. I think im just sad that there is still so much almost disgust or even hatred after all these years post Vatican II.

 

[QuestLove]

Im glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed this. Like someone else said it used to be much much worse, but the mods are doing better keeping it at bay. And I know they are short staffed and busy and do their best so it will creep through. I think im just sad that there is still so much almost disgust or even hatred after all these years post Vatican II.

I find that if I stay away from the “Why do ALL Protestants…?” posts I’m usually good.

 

[captainrick]

Well, beating kids with 1/4 inch plumbing line is a bad idea.

Fortunately, it’s a niche Protestant practice, but some of our Protestant brethren are way more into corporal punishment than is altogether wholesome or Christian.

salon.com/2006/05/25/the_pearls/

Corporal punishment? Having been a Methodist most of my life, I’ve never heard of it among any mainline protestants. There are a few fringe groups, like snake handlers, but they are a tiny minority.

I never heard any criticism of Catholics, we considered them as fellow Christians, with different traditions.

 

[captainrick]

And by the way, when I lived in the Philippines I saw Good Friday processions where Catholics flagellated themselves, threw themselves down in the dirt, and otherwise hurt themselves and each other to remember the suffering of Christ. This was in the 1970s.

 

[Kelfa28]

If this was directed at my thread…I really don’t think I have a view point that the babysitter we hired is at a “lower religious life form” at all.

I’m just very cautious about what my children are exposed to…much like the TV they might watch or the toys that other relatives might give them…nothing more.

This is one of the reasons why I brought it up and I tried to be gracious and understanding but still defend my Catholic position and how I choose to raise my children.

I have absolutely nothing against Protestants and, as I stated before, I was happy we found someone who shares our love of Christ.

The Protestants I know truly think that we, as Catholics, belong to the same religious community as they do. This is not true. Certain things they believe are things I don’t want my children exposed to because it will confuse them.
Most specifically their views on the sacraments and their interpretation of what is considered sinful behavior and how they interpret the ten commandments.

I have no issues with the babysitter we hired. She is great with the girls and I think she is just a little over zealous because she is new to her faith and just began teaching Sunday School at her Church over the past year or two.
My MIL was very similar. New to her version of Christianity and started teaching Sunday School around the time my second was born. We had to let her know what Christian gifts were okay and what weren’t and if she was confused…to not bother.

My husband is a little bit more on the anti-Protestant side and more zealous about defending the faith.
But, much like our new babysitter and his mother…he is a convert who was very unhappy with the Church he spent his childhood in.
Babysitter and his mother were raised Catholic and were poorly catechized while he was raised in the AOG and disliked the atmosphere and worship service.

 

[ack]

Keep in mind how this website – and Catholic Answers in general – came into being.

Although all Protestant Christians are different (and all Catholic Christians, for that matter), there is a sizable contingent of Protestants who very aggressively attempt to convert Catholics to their denomination. These conversions sometimes involves borderline dishonesty or scare tactics, and some are incredibly persistent, even going abroad for international ministries that have the primary effect of pulling Catholics out of the church en masse.

As I said, most Protestants are not like this, and I think the aggressive groups cluster in certain regions of the United States so you may never encounter them. However, Catholic Answers was originally founded for the purpose of pushing back against these Protestant groups. (And at least before CAF was founded in the mid-2000s, the apologetics material was the only thing that Catholic Answers was known for).

I think Catholic Answers is still the #1 source of support for those who are facing aggressive conversion attempts, and probably many people find their way to the forums in this way. It may seem like many CAF members are hostile to Protestants because this site is likely to attract anyone who has had bad experiences with them.

 

[spunjalebi]

Sometimes I think a lot of these things we see are the product of online internet phenomenon-- it’s just a conglomeration of an online subculture’s beliefs. I have read my share of the internet Christian community. It ranged everywhere from reasonable Catholics, to ultra-uber-trad-Catholics who turn their noses down on a spouse who doesn’t convert to Catholicism (despite said spouse agreeing to Catholic school, baptisms, Mass, etc.), to Catholics going after married women for not getting a divorce of threatening to divorce because the husband wanted to contracept; to ultra-uber-trad-Protestants who shared their horror of interfaith marriages and made the ultra-uber-trad-Catholics look mild. Been there, read that.

As a former Protestant, and as someone who comes from a Hindu family, it makes me shake my head and then quickly move on to a new site when I read stuff like that. I want to say that Christianity isn’t about adhering to orthodox minutiae. I believe American Christianity is exactly that, across all Christian denominations. There is a clear lack of faith in Christianity, a lack of communal faith, and too high a degree of separation of faith from the way life is lived. But, what do I know, I’m a convert.

 

[12345678]

I don’t see that, frankly.

What I see is, especially where children are involved, not wanting to confuse their children about the Faith.

You might bring your specific concerns up on a thread where you feel you’ve seen this behavior, or PM a specific poster to ask for clarification.

I haven’t seen this trend in the Family forums either, and I am somewhat Protestant sensitive as a big portion of my family is Protestant.