Why all Protestants (probably) attack the Catholic church?

[Faith1960]

Perhaps it is fundamentalists ? who have those thoughts such as:

1. The Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon
2. Catholics worship Mary

etc., etc.

Jack Chick tracts have been put on the windshields of cars at Catholic Churches on Sunday. This happened at my parish several years ago.

I am well aware that most Protestants do not do such things, or think that way.

I hope that never happens to us at my parish. As far as I know, it hasn’t.

Most of the protestants i know don’t really attack. But when I tell them I’m Catholic, you can see the teeny tiny look on their face, as if to say “why?!?!?”. But to be honest, I’m sure some of us subconsciously do that to others.

We have some friends, another couple who are non-denominational, formerly Catholic. They’ve never said anything negative to me about Catholicism except to say I don’t need to confess to a priest, just confessing directly to God is all that’s needed, but I always feel like my Catholicism is the elephant in the room and something they’re going out of their way not to discuss for fear they’ll let their true beliefs be known, affecting our friendship.

Many are non-Denominational in title, some have softened their stance, and some still hold that they are the only true church and that you have to belong to that denomination to be saved, and several have evidence of that by rebaptism. The Christian Church used to be one such denomination, and my friend belonged to the “2 by 2’s” and they also believe others to be Hell bound if not a member… there are more, those are just off the top of my head.

Earlier this year I went to a non-denomination church for Celebrate Recovery meetings. While not everybody belonged to that church, I was the only Catholic. The leader of my woman’s group did belong to that church, she is formerly Catholic and had made some very mild comments against Catholicism which led me to think she hated the CC. Turns out, after going to x number of meetings, she was tearful and it came out that she was divorced and hurt that since she remarried she couldn’t receive Holy Communion.

 

[Cassianus]

Faith1960:

We have some friends, another couple who are non-denominational, formerly Catholic. They’ve never said anything negative to me about Catholicism except to say I don’t need to confess to a priest, just confessing directly to God is all that’s needed, but I always feel like my Catholicism is the elephant in the room and something they’re going out of their way not to discuss for fear they’ll let their true beliefs be known, affecting our friendship.

It probably is. Don’t forget that even if you are in a secular country that was formerly Protestant there is an anti-Catholicism beneath the surface where media & education seeks to portray Catholic Church scandals in a way that vindicates the protestant reformers original claim that the church is evil; like ‘excluding’ the apocryphal & heretical later pseudo gospels from the Bible & reporting on child abuse in the Catholic Church like an organized behavior but only individual occurrences in the Protestant sects.

Just ask them why they feel more confident following the doctrines of Calvin & Luther than the witness of scripture itself & the consensus of the church for 2000 years? The Bible says the apostles got the right to forgive sins in God’s name from Christ. Catholics take the Lord at His words.

 

[GratefulFred]

I have never felt “attacked.” Most have no comment to make. Some of the few that do are passionate, But when I ask them some basic questions, they have no answer and say THAT doesn’t matter, here’s what does.

So it is hard to have a reasonable debate when basic history is ignored. I admit, I do not see myself as an expert, but I have read.

There are many books, but I recommend these two:

"The Reformation" by Diarmaid MacCulloch, 2003

"Charactors of the Reformation" by Hillaire Belloc 1936

 

[Faith1960]

It probably is. Don’t forget that even if you are in a secular country that was formerly Protestant there is an anti-Catholicism beneath the surface where media & education seeks to portray Catholic Church scandals in a way that vindicates the protestant reformers original claim that the church is evil; like ‘excluding’ the apocryphal & heretical later pseudo gospels from the Bible & reporting on child abuse in the Catholic Church like an organized behavior but only individual occurrences in the Protestant sects.

Just ask them why they feel more confident following the doctrines of Calvin & Luther than the witness of scripture itself & the consensus of the church for 2000 years? The Bible says the apostles got the right to forgive sins in God’s name from Christ. Catholics take the Lord at His words.

I’m not good at apologetics and don’t even want to have another religious discussion with them. I did that once when I wasn’t practicing any faith, being away from the CC for 24 years. They, or should I say he (the husband) is ordained and has an answer for everything related to religion.

Btw, they too are divorced and remarried former Catholics, wanting annulments but one tried and couldn’t get one so they left the Church and went elsewhere.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

It may not be all of them, but it sure seems like a lot of them!

 

[Faith1960]

It may not be all of them, but it sure seems like a lot of them!

My husband is a non-practicing Baptist. He says he doesn’t recall his church ever bashing Catholics. OTOH, his mom seemed to me (though it could’ve been my imagination) to have a problem with Catholicism.

When we had our marriage convalidated she didn’t sound happy.

 

[Church_Militant]

I’m not good at apologetics and don’t even want to have another religious discussion with them. I did that once when I wasn’t practicing any faith, being away from the CC for 24 years. They, or should I say he (the husband) is ordained and has an answer for everything related to religion.

Btw, they too are divorced and remarried former Catholics, wanting annulments but one tried and couldn’t get one so they left the Church and went elsewhere.

Yeah…pretty sad, but such people just shop so they can find someone who’ll validate their lifestyle rather than accept that they messed up.

People are weird and rarely seem to feel that they can control their feelings for the opposite sex. seeking a mate anywhere and everywhere instead of seeking the right person… Of course this bit of wisdom comes after 64 years of life and a lot of mistakes along the way.

It may not be all of them, but it sure seems like a lot of them!

Indeed it does. There are a lot of reasons for that. Mostly it’s the result of ignorance and indoctrination of anti-Catholic propaganda and sometimes to the point that they close channel when we respond. At that point it is just in the hands of the Holy Spirit and we can be on our way. Offer the truth and let Him who is “the way, the truth, and the life” deal with them.

Bishop Sheen put it this way.
“There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church - which is, of course, quite a different thing.”

My husband is a non-practicing Baptist. He says he doesn’t recall his church ever bashing Catholics. OTOH, his mom seemed to me (though it could’ve been my imagination) to have a problem with Catholicism.

When we had our marriage convalidated she didn’t sound happy.

:shrug:Sometimes people forget the words of the apostles we they said, "…We ought to obey God, rather than men. " (Acts 5:29)

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Bishop Sheen put it this way.
“There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church - which is, of course, quite a different thing.”

:shrug:Sometimes people forget the words of the apostles we they said, "…We ought to obey God, rather than men. " (Acts 5:29)

Yes, that’s exactly what it is. A lack of knowledge and understanding. They hate what they* think* the Catholic Church is.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

My husband is a non-practicing Baptist. He says he doesn’t recall his church ever bashing Catholics. OTOH, his mom seemed to me (though it could’ve been my imagination) to have a problem with Catholicism.

When we had our marriage convalidated she didn’t sound happy.

Yup, sometimes you can pick up on non verbal clues that they feel a certain way about Catholicism.

 

[Contarini]

My husband is a non-practicing Baptist. He says he doesn’t recall his church ever bashing Catholics. OTOH, his mom seemed to me (though it could’ve been my imagination) to have a problem with Catholicism.

When we had our marriage convalidated she didn’t sound happy.

Sometimes it’s done in coded ways. For instance, in some circles you hear a lot of sermons about how “religion can’t save you” because “religion” is all about earning your way to heaven" and doing rituals to impress God, etc.

Or missionaries/evangelists may talk about certain parts of the country or world being very “dark” with few if any churches–these often turn out to be Catholic areas. I remember one guy in a Southern Baptist church in my childhood saying something like this about the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I remember thinking “How can there really be no churches up there.” Even as a kid, I figured out that he must be talking about the “right” kind of churches.

I remember another missionary speaking in the same church about Latin America and how most people there belong to “a certain religion” which was never named, but which anyone with a basic knowledge of cultural geography would know was Catholicism.

Someone growing up with that kind of coded language and not paying too much attention might really think that Catholicism was never attacked.

That being said, there are Protestants who really don’t attack Catholicism at all–and some of them are even Baptists!

Edwin

 

[PRmerger]

How come? They constantly teach and follow the Bible, but I know their leaders are very harsh and some of their members too which is so unbiblical. Though, to be honest, I hate their rabid leaders and some rabid members

The criterion for being a Christian is not to “teach and follow the Bible” but to adore and worship Christ as the 2nd Person of the Trinity.

These 2 cults deny the very basic criterion of Christianity.

 

[Potato1237]

Not all Protestants of any denomination attack Catholics. However I find that some groups are much more inclined to attack us. Mainline Protestants, lutherans, anglicans, episcopalians, and Methodists are usually more respectful. I’m not trying to say all people in these next groups do this, but it seems that groups like Calvinists and Evangelicals are much more likely to attack us.

 

[Cyril_Of_Canada]

Sure some Protestants churches would attack and be against a some other Protestant churches, sometimes a Protestant church claim to be the only true church.

One thing is common to them, they all attack the Catholic Church. What could be the causes?

Have you read Scott Hahn’s book, Rome Sweet Home? He goes into his reasons why he was hostile and opposed the Catholic Church. I think a lot of protestants might feel similar to what Mr. Hahn did back then, which help to answer your question.

 

[Rosebud77]

reeding back. maybe the thread title need amending to why do catholics attack protestant churches?

 

[spina1953]

I rather doubt that all Protestants attack the Catholic Church. I feel it is more the fringe groups, and some of the Denomonational Churches. On the other hand yes, there are Catholic’s who in turn attack various Protestant Churches or the beliefs they hold. There are web sites where attacks against the Catholic Church run rampant, and Catholic’s defending their beliefs are just as bad in attacking in response. Those who do are not listening to what the other says but only listen so as to attack whatever is said. It is the case of I am right and you are wrong; the you are going to hell and I am not. It is very sad when one really gives thought to it as neither side understands what the other is saying. Attacking each other never gains anything but hate. As to the original post question, I do not think all Protestants (probably) attack the Catholic Church but those who are either taught to or think they are somehow believing that somehow they are going to convert Catholic’s to their Church and their beliefs, by trashing everything in response to whatever Catholic’s say.They think Catholic’s do not read the Bible and or twist Scripture whereas they themselves believe they have the Holy Spirit to guide them in everything they read and say without really knowing if in fact the Holy Spirit is actually guiding them to the understanding they think they have.

  The real problem lies in that there are so many different Christian churches claiming to have the truth and that they are a Bible believing Church guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet the Holy Spirit is not the author of chaos and misinformation and misunderstandings since each of the great many of the Protestant Churches have a different interpretations of what Scripture says and means.Since it is good to read Scripture and does help one to better know God and how God wants one to live, it is also a double edged sword in that the individual can decide to give whatever meaning to what Scripture says and means by claiming to have the Holy Spirit to guide them so that then for the most part it becomes distorted as to what it actually says and means, which lead to those who are fanatic and zealous in their beliefs to attack those who do not hold the very same beliefs as they do or do not agree with their personal beliefs as to what they believe Scripture says and means. This is why people attack the Catholic Church but there is also another reason which is that there is so much propaganda written and promoted to undermind the Catholic Church that have been going on since the days of the Reformation, so they believe what they have heard and have been taught.

 So what does Sola Scripturia or Bible really mean? It really means that the Bible  is the only and final authority. So if a preacher or minister or anyone else for that matter says something  and does not conform with what Scripture says the individual then feels he/she has the right to  call one on it which then means that the individual becomes the actual authority of what they believe Scripture says and means, and that they only have the correct interpretations. This is why so many of the Protestant belief system believe they can attack the Catholic Church and what the Catholic Church believes and since they believe they answer only to the Bible as the final authority they can not accept any other authority like the Catholic Church but their own authority they claim the Bible is. If any one can read and decide for themselves what Scripture says and means the real authority then becomes the individual and not the Bible, nor the Church for that matter and more so when it comes to the Catholic Church who they believe is corrupt and unbiblical in its teachings and believe it is up to them to  condemn Catholic's and what they believe.   

However I thinks those who do attack the Catholic church while it might seem to be a great many, I feels is really a small compared to the majority of Protestants who either do not know what Catholic's believe or teach or try to live their faith without wanting to  attack others who whatever it is they believe. So what if comes right down to it only a small group attack the Catholic Church while most Protestants are more tolerant of others beliefs, at least that is my opinion on the matter

 

[Lumdrop]

In the West it’s become more of a passive-aggression against Catholics. Protestants are generations removed from Martin Luther and Calvin, so they don’t have the same autistic gut reaction to Catholicism as a branch (or technically, the trunk, amirite Catholic bros? ) or Christianity. They also acknowledge that we have bigger common attackers, like atheism, materialism, Islam, film, and the media.

They still have a basic mythology that Catholicism is in the same anti-scriptural state as in the pre-reformation days though. I, as an educated, interested catholic who once taught catechism, will often have discussions with Protestant friends that shut down the minute I begin to explain the scriptural rationale behind Catholic doctrine. I’ve never felt that any Protestant has given my counter argument nearly as much consideration before retorting as I have to them. Which I don’t hold against them, I just think that it shows how interested they are in really discovering the Bible’s truth.

I don’t think the days where Protestants are bigotedly anti-Catholic will return in the West, and I’m sorry to hear that it’s so bad in the Phillipines. But maybe when atheism becomes the vogue in your country, they’ll learn to soften a little.

 

[Church_Militant]

Lumdrop, you must live in a rare area but the west certainly has not changed its a-C thinking and preaching.

Plano Texas has Mike Gendron who turns out rubbish like the following on a daily basis…
Refuting anti-Catholic tract: “Rome vs The Bible” by Mike Gendron

Then you have Dallas Theological Seminary which loves guys like Gendron and is essentially a seminary for a-C preaching and teaching.

As I’ve said before,all n-Cs do not attack the Catholic Church, but we are far and away from an era of mutual love and acceptance and and end to aggressive a-C proselytism of our people and especially our youth.

 

[Lumdrop]

I’m in California and most of my protestant friends here are relatively laid back about me being Catholic. Although I have encountered my fair share of anti-catholic preachers, but not as many among lay people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d never call it a “mutual love”, more of a truce of convenience. The way I see it, these days, Protestants don’t have the motivation to fight as strongly against Catholics anymore. At least in the areas I’ve been to.
They will 100% of the time take a pre decided stance against any Catholic doctrinal argument though. Which is pathetic.

 

[Church_Militant]

I’m in California and most of my protestant friends here are relatively laid back about me being Catholic. Although I have encountered my fair share of anti-catholic preachers, but not as many among lay people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d never call it a “mutual love”, more of a truce of convenience. The way I see it, these days, Protestants don’t have the motivation to fight as strongly against Catholics anymore. At least in the areas I’ve been to.
They will 100% of the time take a pre decided stance against any Catholic doctrinal argument though. Which is pathetic.

Yeah, I have to agree with you there. It is, however a bit different here in the Bible Belt buckle of the south.

 

[Faith1960]

Yeah…pretty sad, but such people just shop so they can find someone who’ll validate their lifestyle rather than accept that they messed up.
]

I can kind of understand how our friends feel though. They probably don’t want to continue going where they FEEL they aren’t fully accepted and I’d imagine they’d feel weird skipping Holy Communion week after week, year after year.