Why does one hate the Catholic Church?

[CMatt25]

No one really leaves the church if they are in Christ, Jesus is not nailed to the cross any more, His Holy Spirit is free to move amongst us. His church spans the world now, it’s dynamic and diverse, and the many parts have many different functions. As He says if the church is destroyed, He can raise it again in three days. This is a testament to the power of His Holy Spirit, not the will of Peter; that’s because His Holy Spirit is within us. Peter is only the nature which you build yourself on because he is like a rock. You have to build on a rock because the Devil will succeed against you otherwise.

Look at people around you who root themselves firmly in their faith in Christ. These are Peter, human in nature, wise to their failings, saved by Christ, living in Grace and prepared to sacrifice their life. Do you understand what is rock now?

God bless.

A very Christ-like post. Thank you for that.

 

[Colmcille]

On that premise, only Jews could become Christians as it was to Peter Jesus said “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

He also said

"If, I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. "

Am I to assume that you do not feel fit to do this or have it done to you? If you are a part of ‘Peter’s’ church, then Jesus wants you to let Him wash your feet.

You can be cleansed of sin through repentance, but watch where your feet tread, we walk in and out of other people’s lives as well as through our own !

God bless

“Lord, to whom shall we turn?” As with the authority-figure status of the Church, there seems to be a lot of people that are also very critical of our U.S. Government, government agencies, elected officials and corporations. Some have forgotten the values and ideals that the American flag represents. Some just want to live for the weekends, pleasures, "entitlements"and entertainment because they’ve become disillusioned by corruption, failed marriages, impossible “standards” set by Hollywood and the so-called role models in sports and Wall Street. It’s not cool to be kind, it’s not cool to be quiet, it’s not cool to be modest. Some probably don’t think they can be forgiven for some of the wretched and wicked things they’ve done, and so continue in their ways with no thought of the effect on the ones around them and the next generation. If you are intoxicated with the pleasure-seeking lifestyle, the straight and narrow way is intimidating and to be hated and feared. The Church recommends the straight and narrow each moment of each day for our whole life. Anything less is a lie and it is the Truth that sets us free from the bondage of lies and perverse behaviors.

 

[wisdomseeker]

On that premise, only Jews could become Christians as it was to Peter Jesus said “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

He also said

"If, I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. "

Am I to assume that you do not feel fit to do this or have it done to you? If you are a part of ‘Peter’s’ church, then Jesus wants you to let Him wash your feet.

You can be cleansed of sin through repentance, but watch where your feet tread, we walk in and out of other people’s lives as well as through our own !

God bless

if you dont believe what the CC teaches, you are not in her and you are enemy of the Church.

 

[wisdomseeker]

On that premise, only Jews could become Christians as it was to Peter Jesus said “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

He also said

"If, I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. "

Am I to assume that you do not feel fit to do this or have it done to you? If you are a part of ‘Peter’s’ church, then Jesus wants you to let Him wash your feet.

You can be cleansed of sin through repentance, but watch where your feet tread, we walk in and out of other people’s lives as well as through our own !

God bless

“Deviating from faith, they are implicated in the darkness of perpetual blindness, although they have the day of Christ and the light of the Church before them; while seeing nothing, they open their mouth as if they knew everything, keen for vain things and dull for things eternal.” St Ambrose,

 

[Zundrah]

I would like to find out peoples opinion on why they don’t like the Catholic religion so much. As a Catholic I know other Catholics that do not believe in certain things such as for example confession to a priest, the presence in the Eucharist, etc… But yet they say they wouldn’t want to be any other faith. Some of them we simply call “practicing catholics” who are Catholic but don’t go to Church or do much associated with the religion, but these people are still Catholic. What I am trying to say is that Catholicism isn’t just about rules, rules and more rules, it is simply a faith of people who believe in the Lord and not just people that worship Mary and the saints and that every little thing they do they have to repent to a priest or they go to hell. After all, the Catholic Church doesn’t disagree that one may know they are saved.

Just like all Protestant Churches are somewhat different, so are Catholic Churches. The Church that I go to now, St.Francis Xavier is somewhat less traditional, they don’t mention prayer to Mary, Saints, and they also preach that salvation is only reached through Jesus Christ and his grace and not through anything else. When they mention sacraments, they mention it as something that is done only by Catholic people in order to receive the grace of God, and never say anything about it being something necessary to get into heaven. So I never understood why protestants would have a problem with such a thing as sacraments. And even if you don’t believe in them, why not just do them to better your relationship with Christ and nothing else, there isn’t anything to lose. Its kind of like telling an Atheist why not just believe in the bible since there is nothing bad the bible tells us to do (unless someone doesn’t want to do more then the bare minimum necessary for salvation) and either way he will still end up in the ground where he was planning.

Up until recently I didn’t really know much about the Protestant faith, it was just never mentioned ( I thank mostly this forum), I just thought that they believed the same things, only had different churches that they liked better. Why does it seem to me that so many Protestants, even on this forum would bet their lives that they know way more about a Catholics faith then the Catholic? And where does most of the hate come from? Do people study the Catholic faith for fun or to find something wrong with it? I also know of some Protestants that have been in their faith for generations and yet they disagree with Catholicism. How do so many know about our faith practices, and why would they even want to know about it? Is it to justify their faith or what? If someone I knew believed in Christ I wouldn’t care how they practiced their belief, I just looked at them as one of me. I think that there are many people in the world that want to do a little extra for God and would rather do many things that the Catholic Church has to offer for example, fasting. I never looked at things like this as something that would give you a first class ticket to hell.

I will try to answer something I said, but tell me if I am wrong. Just as I am on here to learn about Catholicism, Protestants search for the foundation of their beliefs on the internet or history books as well and maybe somewhere down the line of their belief their doctrine might have been given to them through the Catholic Church and then they decide to look further into this “Catholic Church” to try to disprove that teaching? And in turn they then change it around a little to appear more correct or further from the Catholic Church. And if so, why not just take this as something that connects us all.

We make statues of our beloved saints. We direct our prayers to IDOLS rather than to the Father Himself.

We are cannibals! …and we are pagan…

LOL

 

[PORATH]

We make statues of our beloved saints. We direct our prayers to IDOLS rather than to the Father Himself.

We are cannibals! …and we are pagan…

LOL

Since I don’t believe this to be malicious I then assume it to be sarcasm. Either way, funny or not, it does not serve the discussion any benefit. Let’s continue keeping in mind the original question asked by a seemingly young person looking for answers. Offer to him what you believe and allow the Holy Spirit to assist him in his discernment. Arguing further divides us and emphasizes exactly what aetheists use to discredit all belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

May God bless and guide us all.

 

[wisdomseeker]

So only Jews who don’t believe Christ Lord and Catholics are His people?

you are anti Catholic is it comes. you have not said one thing here that remotly tells us that you know anything Catholic.

i dont know the reason you are using the word Catholic under your name, but it is not a good thing for you to do.

"Deviating from faith, they are implicated in the darkness of perpetual blindness, although they have the day of Christ and the light of the Church before them; while seeing nothing, they open their mouth as if they knew everything, keen for vain things and dull for things eternal." St Ambrose,

 

[Proallen]

I would like to find out peoples opinion on why they don’t like the Catholic religion so much. As a Catholic I know other Catholics that do not believe in certain things such as for example confession to a priest, the presence in the Eucharist, etc… But yet they say they wouldn’t want to be any other faith. Some of them we simply call “practicing catholics” who are Catholic but don’t go to Church or do much associated with the religion, but these people are still Catholic. What I am trying to say is that Catholicism isn’t just about rules, rules and more rules, it is simply a faith of people who believe in the Lord and not just people that worship Mary and the saints and that every little thing they do they have to repent to a priest or they go to hell. After all, the Catholic Church doesn’t disagree that one may know they are saved.

Just like all Protestant Churches are somewhat different, so are Catholic Churches. The Church that I go to now, St.Francis Xavier is somewhat less traditional, they don’t mention prayer to Mary, Saints, and they also preach that salvation is only reached through Jesus Christ and his grace and not through anything else. When they mention sacraments, they mention it as something that is done only by Catholic people in order to receive the grace of God, and never say anything about it being something necessary to get into heaven. So I never understood why protestants would have a problem with such a thing as sacraments. And even if you don’t believe in them, why not just do them to better your relationship with Christ and nothing else, there isn’t anything to lose. Its kind of like telling an Atheist why not just believe in the bible since there is nothing bad the bible tells us to do (unless someone doesn’t want to do more then the bare minimum necessary for salvation) and either way he will still end up in the ground where he was planning.

Up until recently I didn’t really know much about the Protestant faith, it was just never mentioned ( I thank mostly this forum), I just thought that they believed the same things, only had different churches that they liked better. Why does it seem to me that so many Protestants, even on this forum would bet their lives that they know way more about a Catholics faith then the Catholic? And where does most of the hate come from? Do people study the Catholic faith for fun or to find something wrong with it? I also know of some Protestants that have been in their faith for generations and yet they disagree with Catholicism. How do so many know about our faith practices, and why would they even want to know about it? Is it to justify their faith or what? If someone I knew believed in Christ I wouldn’t care how they practiced their belief, I just looked at them as one of me. I think that there are many people in the world that want to do a little extra for God and would rather do many things that the Catholic Church has to offer for example, fasting. I never looked at things like this as something that would give you a first class ticket to hell.

I will try to answer something I said, but tell me if I am wrong. Just as I am on here to learn about Catholicism, Protestants search for the foundation of their beliefs on the internet or history books as well and maybe somewhere down the line of their belief their doctrine might have been given to them through the Catholic Church and then they decide to look further into this “Catholic Church” to try to disprove that teaching? And in turn they then change it around a little to appear more correct or further from the Catholic Church. And if so, why not just take this as something that connects us all.

I’d say for many, it would have alot to do with the child sex abuse scandals.

 

[Pilgrimage]

if you dont believe what the CC teaches, you are not in her and you are enemy of the Church.

My friend, the Bible teaches us that the names given to people throughout the Bible are in fact reflections of man’s natures. I am not challenging that the CC is a rock on which the church is built, I am teaching you about the nature of men and how this relates to how the church works all over the world today. Why the church is dynamic, unique and can not ever be fully controlled, but other Christians of other churches are not ‘enemies’, nor are they lesser Christians. John was not less of a follower of Jesus than Peter. John 21 teaches us this and ‘the church’ chose to leave John in the Canon of Scripture .

If you go to the end of John 21 and see what it is saying. Two disciples followed Jesus in very different ways, not one. The one who followed simply because Jesus loved him was not the ‘enemy’ of the other, far from it.

Strangely, and a reflection of today too, Peter turns and asks Jesus ‘What about him?’.

Do you see, the nature of Peter and how The Bible teaches us of his nature? Peter’s character fusses because he wants to know and have some control in Jesus’ ministry. This is not a criticism of Peter, simply that John is a free spirit, not tied to the church as Peter was to be, but not in competition with it either. The nature of John will bring many people into the churches, including the CC, but he will simply keep following Jesus because Jesus calls people of this nature. Look around you in your church and society, notice those who have a intense love of Christ, those who seem to drop everything they do and go running to where ever Jesus is calling them to go. These people are Johns, you find them in war zones, earth quakes and places of poverty, sometimes in their own churches too.

Hence, I cannot believe that the CC would teach you that anyone who is not in the CC is an enemy of it. The CC reads from John, it is one of the Gospels. What they might put across is that it’s in their own interests for everyone to be in the CC, this is not teaching that others are enemies.

Becareful to know what the CC church is teaching you, because I know that they use The Bible as the corner stone. Prejudices of such a nature are extremely dangerous for mankind and this is not what the leaders of the CC or any other Christian church would want.

What does the CC teach you about James’ church, posthumously described as Bishop of Jerusalem? His faith is not built on Peter, but on the love of his brother.

God bless

 

[CMatt25]

you are anti Catholic is it comes. you have not said one thing here that remotly tells us that you know anything Catholic.

i dont know the reason you are using the word Catholic under your name, but it is not a good thing for you to do.

Wrong Wisdom. You should probably seek further before you judge.

I’ll make it easy for you. Not one? I’ll give you 3.

On a thread where the falsehood of our worshiping Mary was being discussed and we were accused of praying to Mary instead of Christ, I explained how we are not praying to Mary in that way but instead asking Mary to pray for us. And how honoring and remembering her was not the same as worshiping her.

Just as they mix up “pray for us” with “pray to” they also mix up “honor and remembrance” with “worship”.

Not one?

And when someone said a priest appeared to be worshiping a statue of Mary at the beginning of Mass, my response:
CMatt25;6353985:

Or perhaps the priest was remembering, admiring, or honoring Mary. I was just looking at a picture of my own mother who I loved very much and still do. And I was remembering her as I was looking at her picture. I just dusted 2 small statues and a picture of Mary. I was not worshiping the statues or the picture of Mary as I was doing so. But it crossed my mind how she was the mother of Jesus.



Or when someone said there are those who claim Catholics are not Christians, my response:
CMatt25;6380919:

I’m missing the point. Of course all Catholics who profess Christ Lord are Christians irregardless of their degree of “practice”. Orthodox, Anglicans, Protestants who profess Christ as Lord and Savior are as well.



YOU don’t know the reason? Wisdom, I am shocked. You of all people should know Baptism and Confirmation and how a person becomes a member of the Catholic Church by the Sacrament of Baptism. And of course how the possibility of sin is not excluded from one’s life irregardless of how practicing you yourself might be, Wisdom. And how it takes a “formal act” to “leave”.

So considering Wisdom, I have been baptized, confirmed, catechized. Attend Catholic churches. Have neither joined nor even attended (except for instance a wedding) a non- Catholic Church or “ecclesial community” as you might prefer calling them. Have not written a bishop to formally note on my records I “defect” nor have I been called by God’s Spirit to do so… I have every right to call myself Catholic.

Wisdom, I hope this helps you better understand what our Church teaches about who is considered a Catholic.

God bless you and may you now go forth on your journey in peace.

 

[Glassman96]

Hate knows no boundries. People hate this, that or the other thing. They become closed minded because of their pride. There is only one way to conquer hate and that is to humble ourselves and be filled with God’s pure love. If we practice equanimity and Loving One Another, then this issue would never come up.

 

[Palaeologos]

I’d say for many, it would have alot to do with the child sex abuse scandals.

That’s just the most recent excuse, and it’s a justification rather than a reason. Anyone with half a brain has to admit that pedophilia is not an article of Catholic faith, nor an approved Catholic practice. The problem is in how the Church has reacted to these crimes; if it were my decision, every single cleric who had committed abuse would be given up to the authorities with no shielding, no “reassignments”. Certain members of the RC hierarchy, though, have decided that the model of Richard Nixon in Watergate is the one to follow. I hope that by now they’re beginning to realize their mistake.

Hatred of the Catholic Church, in America at least, has much more to do with Nativism and Know-Nothingism–still very strong in rural areas, especially in the Midwest and South. Check out all the objections against Catholic politicians up through the mid-1960s; playing on all those fears that if a Catholic is elected President, he’ll be the Pope’s puppet, etc. It killed Al Smith’s bid for the Presidency, and would have done the same for JFK if he hadn’t been running against Tricky Dicky.

 

[CMatt25]

That’s just the most recent excuse, and it’s a justification rather than a reason. Anyone with half a brain has to admit that pedophilia is not an article of Catholic faith, nor an approved Catholic practice. The problem is in how the Church has reacted to these crimes; if it were my decision, every single cleric who had committed abuse would be given up to the authorities with no shielding, no “reassignments”. Certain members of the RC hierarchy, though, have decided that the model of Richard Nixon in Watergate is the one to follow. I hope that by now they’re beginning to realize their mistake.

Hatred of the Catholic Church, in America at least, has much more to do with Nativism and Know-Nothingism–still very strong in rural areas, especially in the Midwest and South. Check out all the objections against Catholic politicians up through the mid-1960s; playing on all those fears that if a Catholic is elected President, he’ll be the Pope’s puppet, etc. It killed Al Smith’s bid for the Presidency, and would have done the same for JFK if he hadn’t been running against Tricky Dicky.

Sadly as a Catholic I agree the scandals have hurt the church tremendously. Another thing I have observed from being within the Church is how many Catholics seemed to “brush aside” the accusations, would even doubt the victims of the abuse while standing by the priests and hierarchy. This made a horrendous situation worse IMHO. And while yes sin is sin and no man is so infallible as to avoid sin. I can still understand how the the entire scandal left questions among people as to how a true Church’s hierarchy founded by Christ could end up and resort to such cover up when the gates of hell are not to prevail. My heart still weeps for all the victims. May they and the guilty find peace.

 

[Colmcille]

Sadly as a Catholic I agree the scandals have hurt the church tremendously. Another thing I have observed from being within the Church is how many Catholics seemed to “brush aside” the accusations, would even doubt the victims of the abuse while standing by the priests and hierarchy. This made a horrendous situation worse IMHO. And while yes sin is sin and no man is so infallible as to avoid sin. I can still understand how the the entire scandal left questions among people as to how a true Church’s hierarchy founded by Christ could end up and resort to such cover up when the gates of hell are not to prevail. My heart still weeps for all the victims. May they and the guilty find peace.

Not to deflect guilt, blame or justice, but I recall reading in February or March of '06 or '07 in the Detroit Free Press that incidences of abuse in churches other than the RC Church were just as likely, but were less easy to document because of more vague structuring of the hierarchy and accountability in their organizations. The nation’s public school system was cited in the same article as one hundred times more likely to have incidences of abuse. May we all help each other live the Faith we profess 24/7, 365.25/year, all the years of our lives, remembering that the Master didn’t suggest that we forgive, but commanded us to forgive. Walk, work, sleep, type, play, converse, etc., with His peace and cleanliness of heart in your mind. At an American Red Cross Blood Drive at a Christian Reformed Church today there was a large, long banner up on a wall that proclaimed: LET US ALL CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER. Beautifully crafted and beautifully said. Grateful for the opportunity to have donated 100 pints to date, I realize it is but a “drop in the bucket” of needs of my fellow man. **CMatt25, you are a blessing to the forums, thanks for your honesty and patience.

 

[CMatt25]

Not to deflect guilt, blame or justice, but I recall reading in February or March of '06 or '07 in the Detroit Free Press that incidences of abuse in churches other than the RC Church were just as likely, but were less easy to document because of more vague structuring of the hierarchy and accountability in their organizations. The nation’s public school system was cited in the same article as one hundred times more likely to have incidences of abuse. May we all help each other live the Faith we profess 24/7, 365.25/year, all the years of our lives, remembering that the Master didn’t suggest that we forgive, but commanded us to forgive. Walk, work, sleep, type, play, converse, etc., with His peace and cleanliness of heart in your mind. At an American Red Cross Blood Drive at a Christian Reformed Church today there was a large, long banner up on a wall that proclaimed: LET US ALL CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER. Beautifully crafted and beautifully said. Grateful for the opportunity to have donated 100 pints to date, I realize it is but a “drop in the bucket” of needs of my fellow man. **CMatt25, you are a blessing to the forums, thanks for your honesty and patience.

Thank you for your kind words and reminders, Colmcille. Kind words never hurt anyone and sometimes can lift a brother or sister up. But I know I fail at times myself. May God bless you abundantly and His peace be with you always.

 

[KathleenGee]

Proallen,

My pastor is a clinical social worker and is working with the archdiocesan abuse victims. The media hates the Catholic church and people always think things like this happen because priests are not having sex.

We live in a extremely sexualized society, and a local priest of a religious order told the media how hard it is for them to tune all the images that are imposed on everyone, including children.

The other thing is that sex abuse is 100 times greater in American schools, and USA Today came out with a full, front page article about it some time in October of 2007. It showed the states with the most abuse as well as graphs and figures.

Then you look at the immense sex abuse and exploitation our seculars promote and protect and then it really becomes hypocritical the intensity of the attack on the Church for sheltering abusers. Part of the problem was that in Psalm 101 it states, ‘Dare not touch my anointed ones’…a tradition that is passed down into the Catholic Church. The priests have the power for the rest of their lives, to change ordinary bread and wine…their consecration placing them forever as a link between God and man.

A priest shared with me in past years when the Church was more a temporal power, it had its prisons for such crimes, and the errant priests were put in chains in dungeons; one pope felt they should be executed. Christ said those who give scandal to the little ones deserve to have a weight tied around their neck and place into the bottom of the sea. I would say all sincere Catholics as well as the vast majority of priests were so upset and ashamed, and it went against all of our sensitivities to pass these priests on to more situations of abuse.

Just to clarify…

 

[Proallen]

Sadly as a Catholic I agree the scandals have hurt the church tremendously. Another thing I have observed from being within the Church is how many Catholics seemed to “brush aside” the accusations, would even doubt the victims of the abuse while standing by the priests and hierarchy. This made a horrendous situation worse IMHO. And while yes sin is sin and no man is so infallible as to avoid sin. I can still understand how the the entire scandal left questions among people as to how a true Church’s hierarchy founded by Christ could end up and resort to such cover up when the gates of hell are not to prevail. My heart still weeps for all the victims. May they and the guilty find peace.

It absolutely destroyed many. When a church proclaims to be the only true church established by Christ and then its clergy commits horrendous homosexual sex crimes such as these against minors, it leaves the deepest scars possible; deeper than any other church could leave in the eyes of these victims.

 

[CMatt25]

It absolutely destroyed many. When a church proclaims to be the only true church established by Christ and then its clergy commits horrendous homosexual sex crimes such as these against minors, it leaves the deepest scars possible; deeper than any other church could leave in the eyes of these victims.

I know and I understand. And I know sin is not only within the CC. But my eyes still water as I think about it right now typing and the effect it has had on the victims and on those of us within the Church. In a sense even if we were not directly abused, we were still victims. Peace.

 

[Mickey]

It absolutely destroyed many. When a church proclaims to be the only true church established by Christ and then its clergy commits horrendous homosexual sex crimes such as these against minors, it leaves the deepest scars possible; deeper than any other church could leave in the eyes of these victims.

Yes. It is very sad. And it never seems to end.

 

[Pilgrimage]

*Not to deflect guilt, blame or justice, but I recall reading in February or March of '06 or '07 in the Detroit Free Press that incidences of abuse in churches other than the RC Church were just as likely, but were less easy to document because of more vague structuring of the hierarchy and accountability in their organizations. The nation’s public school system was cited in the same article as one hundred times more likely to have incidences of abuse. ***CMatt25, you are a blessing to the forums, thanks for your honesty and patience.

Pedophiles will go to extraordinary lengths to access children in all walks of life. Any place where the work involves a degree of intelligence the abusers are more able to hide. Such work has autonomy and an element of trust which a child/family find hard to challenge. There is even a perception that authority shouldn’t be challenged and few have the tools to do so. Unfortunately society needs to be built on positions of power, but it’s not good for individuals to abuse their position. Not that a pedophile would care, their drive is not for the position, but to satisfy their lusts.

God bless