What every Catholic should know?

[wmscott]

Ahh, remember brother, the “father of lies” is still at work in the world.

Thanks Bill, I agree, I was just hesitant to allude to that. However, your response brought this to mind.

1 Peter 5:6-9

6 So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
8 Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.

 

[Drawmack]

So, back on to the topic at hand, does anyone know if groups like the Catholic Anti-Defamation League, or similar groups, can or will do anything about these folks? On the other hand, is this just small potatoes and not worth their time and resources to pursue?

To be completely honest with you many, many Protestants are perfectly reasonable about the differences in theology with Catholics and the Catholic Church. I know that there are anti-Catholic Protestants out there and I will never deny that; many of them are either ex-Catholics or were raised in a highly anti-Catholic atmosphere. I actually work to battle this within the Protestant church that I attend. Anti-Catholicism runs pretty deeply in my geographic area because it is predominantly Catholic. Without getting into detail suffice it to say I know many people who were persecuted to one degree or another by individual Catholics when they became Protestant and have misconstrued this as persecution by the Catholic Church.

These people can be difficult to reason with, and often use sources like the web-site being discussed as resources. I take one of two tracks when dealing with them. The first, and usually most profitable, is to point out the errors in their sources. For example, the site we are discussing makes the claim that the priest “turns the bread and water into the body and blood of Christ through his own power” and then they quote the CCC which clearly states that this is done through the power of God and not the power of the priest. Pointing out things like that is usually enough to at least get them to start thinking and realizing that their sources are disingenuous at best.

The second track is to explain how being anti-Catholic (or anti-anything really) is in direct conflict with Scripture. Christians are supposed to be pro-truth not anti-anything; it might seem like a pedantic distinction, but it creates a huge divergence in the way you deal with people and situations.

WM – I spend a lot of time defending the Catholic Church from these kinds of attacks on a local level and that is a big part of why your initial post to me really upset me. I’ve reread the thread and I would like to apologize to you because I also read things into your response which simply were not there.

God Bless you.

 

[Drawmack]

I guess another question/observation I have about sites and groups like these, is why do they feel that they need to get out there and defame another Christian religion. Why do they care so much that they spend money and resources to try to cast doubt or shake someone’s faith. Really, why do they care if I or anyone else believes the way we do?

I am going to state up front that my response to these questions does not pertain to the site being discussed. However, I can see how someone who honestly believes that the Catholic Church is heretical would seek to inform Catholics about their beliefs. However, the way this site goes about it (by outright lying) is not acceptable and demonstrates that they are prejudice and not being very Christian about the whole thing.

Don’t they realize that we are Christians, we believe in Christ, and his Word.

I can tell you that every anti-Catholic I have personally dealt with has held the opinion that Catholics are not Christians – for clarity I do not agree. I deal with this by asking the to define what makes someone Christian. It usually takes hours (or days if done through e-mail) but what I do is every time they come up with something which excludes the Catholic Church I point out which Protestant denominations they are also excluding. After a great deal of time with this they usually concede that Catholics are Christians – but are misguided. At that point I drop it, at least for a while, because I figure it’s a step in the right direction and I don’t what to make them anti-Tom in the process of attempting to fight anti-Catholicism.

Obviously, there are differences of opinions, but that is no reason to spread lies and falsehoods about the Christian beliefs of Catholics. This can be seen as being a little [a whole freaking lot!] un-Christian like and hypocritical.

Amen!

Has God suddenly come down to them and them alone, and finally, after 2000years imparted the real truth on them.

Just a point here; I don’t like it when Catholics throw around the 2000 year thing, because it is disingenuous. The Reformation did not happen yesterday and no one is claiming that is when the Catholic Church fell into error either.

I find the site very offensive, offensive in their portrayal of the Catholic faith and Catholics as seeing the Gospels of our Lord as being offensive to us because we are lost. Taken from their site: “we understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be offensive to those who are perishing, but will be life unto those who are being saved”. Therefore, because of their inside track with God, they now have knowledge of the state of Catholic souls and place in all eternity. A little elitist in my view. Seems that they should take heed to Matt 12:36 - I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak.

I, as a Protestant, find this site no less offensive than when skin heads claim to be Christians. Hate mongering is hate mongering and propaganda is propaganda – PERIOD! Anyone who spreads either of those in Jesus name is a heretic of the worst order.

I went in further to extract examples of where they are misleading and spreading blatant falsehoods about the Catholic faith, and after several examples, I was so frustrated and offended that I had to… just let it go.

I did the same thing. WM – if you’d like I would be interested in working on this with you. Maybe it could actually reach some people if a Catholic and a Protestant worked together to show the errors of this site. Additionally I am a web-developer by trade and therefore possess the skills and knowledge to get the refutation out there.

This is not Gods work, or works of Christian charity in any means or form. Where is their shame?

Amen!

 

[wmscott]

No harm no foul, we’re good with each other.

As I read your last two posts I have to reflect back many years ago to where I was spiritually and intellectually. I am a Convert to the Catholic faith, 26 years or more now. Its funny how time can cloud past memories, especially ones we would like to forget. I was raised Southern Baptist, and until I was 17 I was taught and believed as these people did or maybe even worse. At 17 I joined the Navy and lived in a spiritual wasteland, but still remembered the lies and falsehoods I was taught about Catholics.

Funny how God works, I met my wife after 7 years in that wasteland, and she happened to be a very devout Catholic. Love has a way of concurring everything. A year later we were married and in less than 2 years I became a Catholic. It was not by her insistence, but of my own volition. Now 26 years later after living in the Catholic faith, it has blurred the past such that I tend to forget where these folks are coming from. It takes instances like this to remind me of what I used to be. I guess one does not want to look at ones self unless they can only see the good.

You, and folks like my Father and Stepmother who are SB, see that Catholics are Christians, and aside from differences in theology, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. It is always refreshing to know that there are those who are willing to defend the truth no matter what side for the divide it falls.

Your idea of putting something together is interesting but I don’t know how much help I could be other than research and helping to put things together. there are Lots of apologist here that are far more knowledgeable than I am. If you like I can PM you my email address and go from there. Thanks

Peace be with you.

 

[Holly3278]

I bookmarked the site thinking it was a pro-Catholic site at first but then when I had a chance to review it, I learned that it was an anti-Catholic site. So I quickly deleted it from my favorites.

 

[Drawmack]

Your idea of putting something together is interesting but I don’t know how much help I could be other than research and helping to put things together. there are Lots of apologist here that are far more knowledgeable than I am. If you like I can PM you my email address and go from there. Thanks

That (research and writing) is exactly what I’d be looking for from you; I can handle the programming for the site. While you say you’re not the most knowledgeable Catholic apologist here, I’m not the most knowledgeable Protestant one either. But, I think it could be a learning experience and help build ecumenism for both of us to work together on this. So, yeah PM me your email and we can start digging through their site page by page and explaining all their errors and contradictions.

 

[wmscott]

That (research and writing) is exactly what I’d be looking for from you; I can handle the programming for the site. While you say you’re not the most knowledgeable Catholic apologist here, I’m not the most knowledgeable Protestant one either. But, I think it could be a learning experience and help build ecumenism for both of us to work together on this. So, yeah PM me your email and we can start digging through their site page by page and explaining all their errors and contradictions.

I PMed you my email address.

 

[adawgj]

For some reason Catholics tend to have better intellectuals than this group. It seems that they are ranting and bible thumping with little knowledge of Catholicism. I remember one of them said that he was mad that an evangelical turned Catholic because he studied the history of the early church fathers and did not read the bible (which was made by the Catholic Church. They also tend to be very mean to those who become Catholic as if Catholicism isn’t Christianity. They were even making fun of how RCIA works.