Why are catholics and protestants so bitter towards each other

[Newtonium]

Very simple really.

Catholics are programmed to believe that they alone have THE TRUTH.

Protestants are programmed to believe that they alone have THE TRUTH.

So of course they hate each other, and both of them hate even worse the moderates who suggest that perhaps the truth is not quite that black-and-white.

 

[PJM]

=Newtonium;5734065]Very simple really.

Catholics are programmed to believe that they alone have THE TRUTH.

Protestants are programmed to believe that they alone have THE TRUTH.

So of course they hate each other, and both of them hate even worse the moderates who suggest that perhaps the truth is not quite that black-and-white.

Dear Newtonium,

You sure don’t sound like a Catholic:blush:

Friend Chatolics do not simply “claim to have The Truth” Jesus Christ gives His very person in assureance that on matters of Faith and Morals. all the TRUTH resides within His Catholic Church.

*Mark 3: 13 “And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Bo-anerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”

Eph. 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; [singular] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Mt. 28: 18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

John 17: "14 I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. * 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.*

John 14: 16 " And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. "

It is Gods promise you seem to be mocking friend. Pray about it.

 

[awantz]

Not all of them disagree, but one reason I have for those that do is that they misunderstand each other.

 

[otjm]

I think that most people in the US have little or no understanding of Church history. Part of what drives Catholics and Pprotestants apart is lack of understanding of theological issues.

But from my viewpoint and experience, there is a part, at least to some extent, which has a whole lot less to do with theology than it does with power, prejudice and the inablilty to forgive completely.

One needs to read history with a, for lack of a better term, somewhat cynical eye. I say cynical, because if the history is written by a Catholic who is faithful (as opposed to one who is bitter with the Church), a good bit of what the Church did from the time of Constantine forward until the - what, middle of the 19th century? 20th? - is either going to be glossed, avoided, ignored, minimalized, or otherwise not reported too well.

The Church exercised power not just in matters of faith, but also in matters of politics, temporal power, and daily life beyond the confines of Church matters. This was done, at least in part, because there was a vacuum caused by the loss of control of civil matters when the Romans lost their ability to enforce the Pax Romana. When the Visigoths, the Ostorgoths, and all the other d#$%^d Goths, Attilla, and other and sundry tribal leaders sallied forth to conquer, life became chaotic at best. The most cohesive force was the Church. There were times the Church had more sway, and times it had less. But the net result was that people, who have far, far longer memories than we do here in the US, are still fighting battles that were literally resolved centuries ago. If one pays attention to the mini war that occured when Yugoslavia broke apart, one was watching a return to tribalism and old, old scores to be settled. I have had a few contacts with ex-Catholics from Europe; and the issues that drove them away were often cast in terms of theology; but a careful listening showed a deeper wound, that of the Church being involved in daily political and economic life. It is great if the Church happens to champion the political or economic side you support; but if it is on the opposite side, it is no longer a matter of intellectual discourse over a disagreement. It goes far, far deeper than that. And we, in the US, have little history; with perhaps the exception of the South (and that priomarily east of the west border of Texas).

 

[lizaanne]

Friend Chatolics do not simply “claim to have The Truth” Jesus Christ gives His very person in assureance that on matters of Faith and Morals. all the TRUTH resides within His Catholic Church.

You got that right!!

~Liza

 

[Lutheranteach]

Very simple really.

Catholics are programmed to believe that they alone have THE TRUTH.

Protestants are programmed to believe that they alone have THE TRUTH.

So of course they hate each other, and both of them hate even worse the moderates who suggest that perhaps the truth is not quite that black-and-white.

Oh, I totally disagree with that. The majority of mainline protestants DO NOT believe that they ALONE have the truth but are rather a part of a much larger truth that all Christians (Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, etc.) share. There are, of course, those protestants who feel otherwise.

 

[LisaA]

Oh, I totally disagree with that. The majority of mainline protestants DO NOT believe that they ALONE have the truth but are rather a part of a much larger truth that all Christians (Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, etc.) share. There are, of course, those protestants who feel otherwise.

I’m agree that mainline Protestant churches don’t think they have the only way, the only truth…etc. However I have spoken to a number of Evangelical (for lack of a better term) Christians who think there is only one pathway and one truth. They of course think I’m headed for a bad end as a Catholic.

Lisa A

 

[nsper7]

hiya,
me again,

Why are catholics and protestants so bitter towards each other?
can we not all agree to disagree and respect each others beliefs?
after all we beleive in the same thing- jesus, mary, the lord etc.
obviousley there are differences between the two religions, but why so angry?
This is what really puts me off. This makes me feel as if both are just cults fighting with each other to see who is the true church!!
I know that will seem offensive,but please remember I genuinley do not mean to offend.
god be with you all

Allan77

Well, from the Catholic standpoint:

How would you feel if your son/daughter walked up to you, spit in your face, slapped you, smashed up your house, stole your valuables and then told you that not only are you no longer their parent, but that you were never their parent to begin with?

In the same way, Protestantism (not individual Protestants who were never in full communion with Rome to begin with, but Protestantism as a whole), by willfully rejecting Holy Mother Church have spit in Her face and slapped her. By going to war and persecuting our people (i.e. the Anglican persecution of Irish Catholics, etc.), Protestantism has damaged us and compare it to smashing up your folks’ house and by stealing our theology and our Scriptures they have stolen our valuables. Then, they tell us we are not the True Church and never were…well, if all that wouldn’t make a person bitter, angry and hurt, then I don’t know what would.

 

[nsper7]

And further, when some Protestants sling vile insults at the Church (i.e. calling us the “whore of Babylon”)…well, how would you feel if I walked up to your mother and called her a whore? Remember, for Catholics, the Church is like our mother (i.e. Holy Mother Church), so for me, insulting the Church is like insulting my mother (actually, even worse, since my mother was a neglectful alcoholic who died when I was 12, and the Church is always there to help guide me to Salvation) so you insult or challenge the Church, well, that just gets me really steamed.

 

[nsper7]

I’m talking about when the arguments start I mean, which they frequently do here. One of my best friends is a Protestant (Episcopalian to be precise).