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TMC
Guest
I think this is what is going on. Trust me, my Muslim friends are not happy with the way their religion is portrayed in media, either.
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webmasterpdx
Guest
A big part of it is evangelicals…they often misinterpret God’s word and apply it to social issues, ignoring Jesus command to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s…this pisses off a lot of people who then blame all Christians, including Catholics. The other issue is that there is only once Catholic Church and there are records of simply everything in one central database…so it’s easy to pick on the Catholic church. Did you know that child molestation occurs just as much in Protestant denominations but it’s harder to get the data because it’s so distributed…which is why it’s become identified as a catholic phenomenon, even when the data are skewed…the biggest offenders in our society are public school teachers…not Catholic priests. e.g. This is worth reading… Keeping Children Safe in the Catholic Church | Psychology Today
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MNathaniel
Guest
On the spiritual level, because the world first hated Christ so it now hates Christians.
On the cultural/psychological level, I think there’s a sort of casual anti-Christian bigotry that deceives itself about being bigotry: many people have swallowed a propagandized version of history that frames Christians as powerful, oppressive, anti-science, hypocritical. And this allows individuals to think of themselves as plucky underdogs punching up at a villain class (instead of punching down at a victim class) when they insult or persecute Christians. And by framing Christians as ignorant/hypocritical, they make themselves feel intelligent/ethical for rejecting Christianity – while bonus, also freeing themselves from all those pesky ethical obligations that Christians have.
It’s a heady combination. To simultaneously get to become your own god (make up your own values according to whatever’s most convenient/comfortable in your personal culture/circumstances), while patting each other on the back that they’re MORE virtuous for it because ugh, Christians are ignorant and evil, so rejecting them and doing what we want instead is actively good, not just permissible…
Y’know. It just is what it is. People of goodwill can still find the Church and convert (I did). But there are a whole bunch of stumbling blocks, both cultural and psychological, that people can be tempted to follow astray along the way. But I mean, none of them are insurmountable. God helps those who truly seek Him, to find Him. We just can’t be surprised that the world is full of constant anti-Christian nonsense, though, in this life. It’s what God told us to expect.
I sometimes giggle to myself though, thinking of that moment when someone realizes: “… Wait. What if, in a shocking twist, the people who look so wholesome on the outside are also wholesome on the inside? What if the twist is that there’s no twist? What if the Christians aren’t secret bad guys, but are actually straightforward good guys??” I imagine many people have come to that thought fairly late in life and had their minds absolutely blown, because they’re so pre-programmed by popular culture to think that ANYONE who looks wholesome and practices Christianity on the outside, must be secretly deviant and evil and hypocritical on the inside. As you say, it’s a complete cliche at this point. It’s the default. The wholesome Christian character turns out to ALWAYS be a mask for a secret bad guy… to the point that I think for many people, it’s a genuine paradigm shift the first time they consider the possibility that Christians are actually good guys after all.
On the cultural/psychological level, I think there’s a sort of casual anti-Christian bigotry that deceives itself about being bigotry: many people have swallowed a propagandized version of history that frames Christians as powerful, oppressive, anti-science, hypocritical. And this allows individuals to think of themselves as plucky underdogs punching up at a villain class (instead of punching down at a victim class) when they insult or persecute Christians. And by framing Christians as ignorant/hypocritical, they make themselves feel intelligent/ethical for rejecting Christianity – while bonus, also freeing themselves from all those pesky ethical obligations that Christians have.
It’s a heady combination. To simultaneously get to become your own god (make up your own values according to whatever’s most convenient/comfortable in your personal culture/circumstances), while patting each other on the back that they’re MORE virtuous for it because ugh, Christians are ignorant and evil, so rejecting them and doing what we want instead is actively good, not just permissible…
Y’know. It just is what it is. People of goodwill can still find the Church and convert (I did). But there are a whole bunch of stumbling blocks, both cultural and psychological, that people can be tempted to follow astray along the way. But I mean, none of them are insurmountable. God helps those who truly seek Him, to find Him. We just can’t be surprised that the world is full of constant anti-Christian nonsense, though, in this life. It’s what God told us to expect.
I sometimes giggle to myself though, thinking of that moment when someone realizes: “… Wait. What if, in a shocking twist, the people who look so wholesome on the outside are also wholesome on the inside? What if the twist is that there’s no twist? What if the Christians aren’t secret bad guys, but are actually straightforward good guys??” I imagine many people have come to that thought fairly late in life and had their minds absolutely blown, because they’re so pre-programmed by popular culture to think that ANYONE who looks wholesome and practices Christianity on the outside, must be secretly deviant and evil and hypocritical on the inside. As you say, it’s a complete cliche at this point. It’s the default. The wholesome Christian character turns out to ALWAYS be a mask for a secret bad guy… to the point that I think for many people, it’s a genuine paradigm shift the first time they consider the possibility that Christians are actually good guys after all.
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Servant31
Guest
I tend to think it falls into two categories…
1). They don’t like seeing people who are joyful, they might see what they are lacking
1). They don’t like seeing people who are joyful, they might see what they are lacking
- They don’t like the idea of living with restrictions, and a true Christian that’s living it out is a living example of it being done.
I was on a reasonably high level athletic team (I wasn’t that great myself full disclosure
), and there were people who just hated us…I’m guessing it’s because you see someone who is doing what your not, working harder or living more effectively. I’m guessing that’s what’s going on somewhat, deep down there is a reminder that…”I know that’s how I should be living” and there is a walking example of someone who is living it out sans excuses.
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Craft92
Guest
Hey, I’m Catholic and German. I get it on all sides 
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MockSock
Guest
pick on
phrasal verb of pick
- repeatedly single (someone) out for criticism or unkind treatment in a way perceived to be unfair.
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Rhubarb
Guest
Very good. Now what examples of this do you see it happening that makes you think this is some sort of widespread systematic thing.
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