Why do Baptists hate Catholics?

[allischalmers]

Hi;
My Baptist Church really loves Catholics. In fact we love them so much that sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prommently Catholic South American country. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country.

forever Baptist
allischalmers

 

[Maria3m]

Hi;
My Baptist Church really loves Catholics. In fact we love them so much that sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prommently Catholic South American country. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country.

I must be reading this the wrong way.

Is this a slam that your church loves Catholics so much it needed to convert them?

 

[jim1130]

allischalmers:

Hi; My Baptist Church really loves Catholics. In fact we love them so much that sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prommently Catholic South American country. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country.

I must be reading this the wrong way.

Is this a slam that your church loves Catholics so much it needed to convert them?

It was pure 100 % grade-A sarcasm on allischalmers part. I would say it was 200 proof, but I suspect allischalmers does not drink wine or beer.

 

[Maxply]

Given the state of the world, all Christians should join together to evangelize places like the Middle East and China.

I know the Catholic Church had missionaries to China in the 16th or 17th century, but the distance was so great, the difficulties so large, communication and transportation hard to do, that this effort flopped. Then there were intense wars in Europe, etc.

At any rate, sure you can send missionaries of ANY denomination out and get converts, especially if they’re ALREADY Christian. The tough thing to do, though, would be to convert Japan or India or China or southeast Asia.

The more I’ve read this thread, the more wrong I think I was: I’m coming around to the view that Baptists just know Christianity 101, and the Catholics are at about Christianity 400. . . just more centuries of doctrinal development, a longer and fuller church history. At least that’s how I see it.

If you’re a Protestant reading this, just consider how hard it is for a Church’s teachings to go against the way the Average Joe selfishly desires a moral issue to go. Easy for an Average Joe to just walk away to whatever church lets him do whatever he feels like doing.

 

[Eden]

Hi;
My Baptist Church really loves Catholics. In fact we love them so much that sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prommently Catholic South American country. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country.

forever Baptist
allischalmers

Can you please name this “prommently” Catholic South American country so that I may reference the statistics of Catholic and Baptist populations in that country? The number of Catholics to Baptists would be more interesting than the number of Baptist preachers you send there.

 

[jim1130]

I think that “hate” (or even “loathe”) is an inappropriate choice of words. No doubt some are misguided in their enthusiasm, victims of misrepresentation of truths and misinformation by insincere and mean-spirited pastors. Often it is easier to perpetuate stereotypes and fear than work toward an understanding. When you study the Nativism movement of the 19th century, you can see that it was based on instilling fear of Catholics in the Protestant congregations, and that continues to this day. All of us can attest to encountering Baptists who were prejudiced against us, who scoffed at our understandings (such as no meat on Fridays during Lent), and who claim that we are not Christians (after all, we worship Mary). Some may be extreme in their anti-Catholicism, but I suspect most are genuinely concerned for our souls. I am typically impatient with them because I have found their knowledge cursory and awareness of Catholicism insulting (recently, we had a Southern Baptist-to-Catholic convert speak to our church and he mentioned that the “rumor” in Baptists circle is that each Catholic Church has a basement stockpiled with weapons waiting for the Pope to give the “attack” signal). Sure, they can rattle off bible verses, but they treat Bible verses like the Lily Tomlin switchboard operator from Laugh-In: They just plug in verses wherever they see fit without truly understanding the context. I try to educate and inform when I can, but I think that some of their anti-Catholic views are so ingrained it truly takes an inquisitive Baptists to step forward and challenge what has been preached from the pulpit rather than nod mindlessly like a bobblehead on the car dashboard.

But to use the term “hate”? I think that is an over-generalization.

 

[Lischou]

Hi;
My Baptist Church really loves Catholics. In fact we love them so much that sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prommently Catholic South American country. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country.

forever Baptist
allischalmers

Converting Christians to Christians…interesting …how exactly does that work?

Lisa

 

[Maxply]

Of course, we’ve all heard the fun conspiracy lie that the REAL REASON Catholics had to have a meatless Friday was because the Pope owned the Italian fishing fleet!

On the other hand, I’m increasingly seeing that Baptists get a bit of a bad reputation just because of some of the more out-there fundamentalist preachers. . . you remember that guy who told you he’d bless you through the TV; just put your hands on the screen and send in some bucks.

This past political season got me a bit disturbed: it seems as if any Christian perspective on the issues was tainted and tarred as a kind of “extreme fundamentalism” that should be avoided. No question with this, this is a kind of social class snobbery here.

I’m extremely proud for Baptists who stick to Christ’s teachings in the political arena: they’re putting into practice (hee, hee “works”) their faith.

 

[JoeyWarren]

Hi;
My Baptist Church really loves Catholics. In fact we love them so much that sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prommently Catholic South American country. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country. forever Baptist allischalmers

That is not love. That is a hate for what Catholicism means. Your churches intent had to be convert Catholics to true christianity from the what they believe is a pagan religion if not satanic.

Say what you really mean:

My Baptist Church really loves Catholics, In fact we love them so much that we wanted to save their souls from the clutches of Satan, so sixty years ago we sent the first Baptist missionary into a prominent Catholic South American Country to deliver them from their paganism. Now there are two Baptist pastors to every one Catholic Priest in that country, Our hope is to irradicate Catholicism from that country all together, South and Central Americans are very naive, they will any lie proposed…

If Guatamala is any representation of the lower Americas, then those Baptists now are too buzy battling each other for each other’s sheep.

I suggest you read the first chapter in Surprised by Truth 3 by Patrick Madrid, it’s a story of a baptist like family who trained for years to enter missionary work in Guatamala with the pure intention of converting Catholics away from thier paganism to Christianity. It’s an very enlightening story.

I just recently went on a retreat to “Our Lady of Guadalupe”. What I read in the story in the above book was very much evident through out Mexico. Protestant Pastors embattled over the sheep…it makes the mudslinging campaign ads here seem very tame…

 

[Sam88]

I was raised and baptized as a Southern Baptist, and am now blessed to be Catholic. In my experience, the Baptists I grew up with knew practically nothing about real Catholicism. When I grew up I knew no Catholics, had never seen the inside of a catholic church, and had vague impressions about Catholics based mostly on stories of the middle ages.

I was also taught that there had been Baptists since the earliest beginnings of the church, although not necessarily called by that name but at least persons who held exactly the same beliefs as Baptists. My teachers (who were wrong but knew no better), were therefore sympathetic to the reformation but did not think of themselves as being protestant.

While “hate” is too strong a word, I don’t think that Catholics were regarded as real Christians. This assumption was based on a complete misunderstanding of what Catholics actually believed and practiced. I had a vague impression that Catholics were a superstitious group of people who taught human traditions in place of the gospel, that they believed that crucifixes and holy water had magical power, that the thought that they earned salvation by following the orders of the pope & priest, and similar nonsense.

The actual beliefs of a well educated practicing Baptist and a well educated practicing Catholic are quite distinct, but they are closer together than ill-informed Baptists commonly assume.

Unfortunately, there are ignorant Baptists who assume that all Catholics are like the most outrageous of sinful and rebellious so-called Catholics. And there are Catholics who assume that all Baptists are like the most ignorant, prejudiced, and hateful Baptists who preach hatred for and lies about Catholicism.

Let us work to clean up our own house, and pray for our separated brethren.

 

[jim1130]

I was raised and baptized as a Southern Baptist, and am now blessed to be Catholic. In my experience, the Baptists I grew up with knew practically nothing about real Catholicism. When I grew up I knew no Catholics, had never seen the inside of a catholic church, and had vague impressions about Catholics based mostly on stories of the middle ages.

I was also taught that there had been Baptists since the earliest beginnings of the church, although not necessarily called by that name but at least persons who held exactly the same beliefs as Baptists. My teachers (who were wrong but knew no better), were therefore sympathetic to the reformation but did not think of themselves as being protestant.

While “hate” is too strong a word, I don’t think that Catholics were regarded as real Christians. This assumption was based on a complete misunderstanding of what Catholics actually believed and practiced. I had a vague impression that Catholics were a superstitious group of people who taught human traditions in place of the gospel, that they believed that crucifixes and holy water had magical power, that the thought that they earned salvation by following the orders of the pope & priest, and similar nonsense.

The actual beliefs of a well educated practicing Baptist and a well educated practicing Catholic are quite distinct, but they are closer together than ill-informed Baptists commonly assume.

Unfortunately, there are ignorant Baptists who assume that all Catholics are like the most outrageous of sinful and rebellious so-called Catholics. And there are Catholics who assume that all Baptists are like the most ignorant, prejudiced, and hateful Baptists who preach hatred for and lies about Catholicism.

Let us work to clean up our own house, and pray for our separated brethren.

I think the last part sums up the biggest difference between Catholics and Baptists (and Protestants in general): That we, Catholics, see Baptists as separated brethren and Baptists see us as anything but.

 

[Verita]

I guess my question says it all. I always find Baptists to have a deep hatred toward the Catholic Church. Why so? I thought their big break was with the Church of England or the Methodists, a coupla centuries ago in England.

Don’t take it too personally. Back when I was a protestant my room mate at the Baptist college I attended for a year (the daughter of a Southern Baptist big wig) told me she felt the presence of the devil when she went into a non-denom church. I was non-denom at the time.

 

[Maxply]

Sam88—thanks. You wrote a short message, but one chock full of insights.

Here’s a question directly to you: do you feel that Protestant ministers sometimes intentionally teach misinformation about Catholic practices and teachings, in order to keep their flock together (and perhaps for some, keep themselves in the business of preaching)?

I have wondered the extent to which economic incentives exist which cause some, not all ministers to spread disinformation about other faiths.

 

[Sam88]

Sam88—thanks. You wrote a short message, but one chock full of insights.

Here’s a question directly to you: do you feel that Protestant ministers sometimes intentionally teach misinformation about Catholic practices and teachings, in order to keep their flock together (and perhaps for some, keep themselves in the business of preaching)?

I have wondered the extent to which economic incentives exist which cause some, not all ministers to spread disinformation about other faiths.

While deliberate misrepresentation seems to happen occasionally, at least in my experience it is not that common. Sometimes in small rural areas there are Baptist ministers who have very little education–some of these may spread prejudice and misinformation although perhaps not intentionally. However, Catholics were spread very thin in some parts of the country (due to historical persecution and departure of Catholics to safer territory). A a result Catholics were not a threat or a frequent topic of interest.

Now in some other traditionally Catholic countries where there are many more Catholics, especially if they are very poor and uneducated Catholics, I believe that there is a great deal of misinformation being spread by certain denominations. In these places there are sometimes missionaries who specifically target uncatechised Catholics for conversion, and stoop to very unchristian methods to lure people to their congregations.

 

[Maxply]

Sam88: You know, another factor working in all this is probably the Latin mass.

I don’t recall it, that was before me, but I can see where such a thing would be looked upon with real apprehension, like a mysterious cult thing.

 

[Jeanette_L]

Don’t take it too personally. Back when I was a protestant my room mate at the Baptist college I attended for a year (the daughter of a Southern Baptist big wig) told me she felt the presence of the devil when she went into a non-denom church. I was non-denom at the time.

This is an interesting insight in what many of us have experienced (us converts, that is ) at one time or another. I can’t tell you how many times in my Christian journey that I have been psychologically persuaded to **think and feel **certain things by a person of influence, such as a teacher or preacher, and was fully convinced at the time of things which later were shown to be completely false. And the point is, it actually falsely affected my perceptions of good and evil.

How many of us have been convinced at one time or another that we were in the presence of something evil when we weren’t? Or the opposite, how many times have some of us been convinced that we were moved by the Holy Spirit when we have been worked up in an emotionally charged service? A good speaker can convince someone of practically anything if they aren’t objectively aware that this can and does happen all the time. Just ask our politicians!

So when people hear emotional pleas and accusations concerning the Catholic faith, generation after generation, they will accept what they hear based on their trust in the person/organization telling them these things, and on the emotions they feel at the time. The emotions become the “witness of the Holy Spirit” to them, when in fact, their strings have just been pulled. This is true when it comes to all the “hot button” issues of Catholicism, because they have heard the misinformation presented to them in such an emotional way over and over again, they cannot get past the emotional knee-jerk response when the truth of the issues are presented.

 

[Sam88]

How many of us have been convinced at one time or another that we were in the presence of something evil when we weren’t? Or the opposite, how many times have some of us been convinced that we were moved by the Holy Spirit when we have been worked up in an emotionally charged service?

I have certainly seen exactly that in the form of emotional preaching that causes people to suspend the use of reason. It’s easy to see this when it happens to someone else, and painful when that person is a family member.

 

[wcknight]

Hey, remember Hitler convinced the German people all Jews were evil, and God was supposedly on their side… pretty scary stuff.

 

[lak611]

I know people who are Baptist. They may disagree with Catholic doctrine (and disagree with Methodist and Lutheran doctrine as well), but I really don’t feel that Baptists hate Catholics, or Methodists, or Lutherans, or Jews, or anybody else, for that matter. The Baptists just have the idea that they are right, and they may be somewhat like the Pharisees in their ideas “i.e. my way or the highway” but I don’t think it is because of hatred or prejudice.

 

[AlegreFe]

The Baptists under Smyth broke from the Church of England in 1609.
I don’t know why they hate Catholics or even if they do

The ones that I know of, do dislike Catholics, or at least hate what we teach. My bro-in-law is a Baptist and he told me what his beliefs are and that he sees my beliefs as wrong. And when he spoke to me about this his tone of voice changed as if to spew some kind of hatred as to what the Catholic Church teaches.
He doesn’t even know what the Catholic Church really teaches.
But little by little I am letting him know.

I wouldn’t pin-point it to a hatred of Catholics per se, just that the Baptist teachings are really contradictory to Catholic teachings and beliefs. Their teachings seem to be the furthest apart from the Catholic teachings. The Baptist faith also seems to have a kind of “bondage” connotations to it. Is this true?