Why is there so much anti Catholicism

[Trad_Catholic27]

My fellow Catholics why do you think that there is so much anti Catholicism in the world today among not only secularists but even protestants and orthodox Christians

Have you ever been attacked for your Catholicism

 

[Kielbasi]

My fellow Catholics why do you think that there is so much anti Catholicism in the world today among not only secularists but even protestants and orthodox Christians

Have you ever been attacked for your Catholicism

I haven’t seen it here in Pittsburgh. No employer has every asked me about religious faith, ditto for landlords and that, and I haven’t heard of discrimination against other Catholics in housing, employment or in public accommodations.

Sure, there are a lot of people with disagreements with Catholic doctrine or the Catholic hierarchy, and sometimes very vocal and loud objections. But people have a right to disagree, and that isn’t “anti catholicism”.

 

[Padres1969]

My fellow Catholics why do you think that there is so much anti Catholicism in the world today among not only secularists but even protestants and orthodox Christians

Have you ever been attacked for your Catholicism

Probably depends on what you mean when you’re saying Anti-Catholicism.

If you’re referring to opposition to Catholics in general or the Church as a Church, I’ve never seem much outside of fringe radical Protestant groups who think the Catholic Church is a bunch of unmentionable things I won’t repeat here (and they usually lump in many other Christians, Mormons, Muslims, etc… into the same boat) at least in the western world.

If you’re referring to Anti-Catholicism being opposition to the Catholic Church’s position on some social/theological matters such as same-sex marriage, women clergy, etc… or reactions against things like the abuse scandal, first you shouldn’t think of that as anti-Catholicism as it’s not aimed at the Church so much as the position/issue. And second, it’s a sign of the times. The Catholic Church teaches what to average western thought is a very conservative view on women’s issues, homosexual issues, etc… and was involved in a very harmful worldwide scandal that many feel has still not been addressed as fully as it should have been.

 

[Trad_Catholic27]

Yes I am referring to the Church being slandered as being called by protestants as the whore of babylon or how many orthodox view Catholics as heretics because of our accepting the Filoque and always blaming us for the schism between us.

 

[Padres1969]

Yes I am referring to the Church being slandered as being called by protestants as the whore of babylon or how many orthodox view Catholics as heretics because of our accepting the Filoque and always blaming us for the schism between us.

Well most protestants don’t call the Catholic church anything of the sort. If you’re hanging around with extremist street preachers or the occasional KJV Only independent church sure the Catholic Church is called such things. But then as I said, they also call most mainline Protestants similar names to say nothing of groups like Mormons, JWs, Muslims, etc… They’re simply bigots, pay them no mind other than to pity them.

And most Orthodox don’t view Catholics as heretics any more than Catholics view the Orthodox as heretics. Nor do they blame Rome for the split any more than Catholics blame Constantinople.

I feel like you’re looking for reasons to be offended where none actually exist, or ascribing feelings you might have for Protestants and Orthodox to how you expect they view you as a Catholic?.

 

[ArchAngeles]

My fellow Catholics why do you think that there is so much anti Catholicism in the world today among not only secularists but even protestants and orthodox Christians

…I am referring to the Church being slandered as being called by protestants as the whore of babylon or how many orthodox view Catholics as heretics because of our accepting the Filoque and always blaming us for the schism between us…

Have you ever been attacked for your Catholicism

Yes, I’ve noticed it and yes I’ve been given a hard time about converting to Catholicism (often they use the same words as you wrote above!). However,I try to pray for the people involved and I always try to remember why I converted in the first place and that helps.

 

[asia53]

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.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

 

[MT1926]

Yep I was pretty surprised also. Sure hit me like a ton of bricks when I was told I was going to Hell because I was Catholic. As another poster mentioned I wouldn’t lump all Protestants into this category. Seems to be coming more from the Baptist churches in our area (they like to pass out the chick tracts) or the independent Fundamentalist Evangelical churches.

I have been experiencing the first hand effects of the anti-Catholic slander since my son got pulled away by a local “once saved always saved” evangelical church in our area. I try to keep the dialogue open with him and from what I can see their attacks are their only defense. It gets a little stressful having to deal with the same attacks over and over again. Especially the attacks I call deceitful, which are the lies that they could easily see were untrue if they were to look at the Catechism.

I try to keep an open conversation with my son through email. In my opinion deep down I think they know they are preaching on shaky ground therefore the only way to strengthen their position is by constantly attacking ours. I say this because of all of his picking and choosing of scripture and ignoring other verses. I am doing my best not to debate with him but sometimes I just want to explode and say you are my son and there is no way I raised you to be this gullible. Especially, when he starts talking like he did in his last email. They are so against Peter being the Rock that they are teaching him certain verses of scripture so he believes that Paul was the greatest of the Apostles and Peter was a failure as an Apostle.

It is just said.

But I will keep praying as I know others on this forum are praying for him as well.

Matthew19:26

 

[QuestLove]

A lot of these fringe groups think they are the only ones going to heaven. Rest assured, catholics are not the only groups they are against.

Whenever I meet people like this I move right along. I do not entertain any discussion with them and if you do you will find it’s not only catholics they believe are destined for hell but so are methodists, lutherans, anglicans, mormons etc.

It seems to me some of these people are less concerned about evangelizing to non-christians and more focused on converting every other christian to their faith.

 

[ricmat]

Why? Because we’re the good guys, and they aren’t.

Mt 16:18

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.* Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Eph 6:12

For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.

Mt 5:10

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,*
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

(all quotes above from the NAB).

EVERYWHERE you look these days, you see everything taught by the Church being turned on it’s head. The sanctity of marriage. That children are a blessing. That God made us male and female. That we should depend on God and not on “Princes.” That there actually IS such a thing as sin.

Of course there is anti-Catholicism. As the devil prowls the world searching for souls, that’s what he does. It is very very bad right now, and the trend is to get worse even faster. Fasten your seat belts, and hold on to your rosaries. And pray very hard.

 

[sticknstring73]

Never had so much trouble from other faiths as much as from atheists and agnostics. Last Ash Wednesday I was told I was practicing voodoo, that sort of thing.

 

[commenter]

I see less and less anti-Catholicism from fundamentalists, or other religious groups. I see more from the secular media, and from higher education.

 

[Kielbasi]

Yes I am referring to the Church being slandered as being called by protestants as the whore of babylon or how many orthodox view Catholics as heretics because of our accepting the Filoque and always blaming us for the schism between us.

New Christian denominations and sects have to provide an explanation for the need for their newly revealed religious ideas. Explaining the gap between Pentecost and the founding of a sect requires a discussion of the Catholic Church and “whore of babylon” is an available and quite biblical (Rev 17).

But the positive here is that most of your LDS, SDA, JW and other sectarians get along perfectly fine with their Catholic neighbors, and anti-Catholic prejudice isn’t really prevalent in America anyhow.

This “anti catholicism” you’re speaking of is just a disagreement as to theology and view of history, really not any kind of hate in my view.

 

[Padres1969]

I see less and less anti-Catholicism from fundamentalists, or other religious groups. I see more** from the secular media, and from higher education.**

But is that really anti-Catholicism or anti-Catholic positions on social issues? I’ve never seen the secular media attack the church for anything other than the abuse scandal (which was totally legitimate to attack it about).

 

[ricmat]

But is that really anti-Catholicism or anti-Catholic positions on social issues? I’ve never seen the secular media attack the church for anything other than the abuse scandal (which was totally legitimate to attack it about).

How do you distinguish between anti-Catholicism and anti-Catholic on social issues?

 

[ricmat]

I’ve never seen the secular media attack the church for anything other than the abuse scandal (which was totally legitimate to attack it about).

The secular media “mocks” Catholicism 24/7/365. By pushing free sex, abortion on demand, “take God out of our lives”. Also, forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor to pay for contraception. Or Obama and his “clinging to guns and religion” comment.

Look at TV and the movies. I can’t remember the last time I saw a portrayal of a devout practicing Catholic as a good guy.

 

[Padres1969]

The secular media “mocks” Catholicism 24/7/365. By pushing free sex, abortion on demand, “take God out of our lives”. Also, forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor to pay for contraception. Or Obama and his “clinging to guns and religion” comment.

Look at TV and the movies. I can’t remember the last time I saw a portrayal of a devout practicing Catholic as a good guy.

None of what you mention is “mocking” Catholicism. It is simply the fact that he majority of modern Western society doesn’t agree with Catholic Church stances on premarital sex, abortion, contraception, etc… Heck the majority of self reporting Catholics don’t agree with the Church positions on those issues.

 

[Marie5890]

I have never had to deal with any anti-Catholicsim nor have I seen it, outside of when I was LDS.

 

[MT1926]

None of what you mention is “mocking” Catholicism. It is simply the fact that he majority of modern Western society doesn’t agree with Catholic Church stances on premarital sex, abortion, contraception, etc… Heck the majority of self reporting Catholics don’t agree with the Church positions on those issues.

Every time they quote the Pope out of context or try to spin something he is saying constitutes “mocking” in my book.

 

[commenter]

But is that really anti-Catholicism or anti-Catholic positions on social issues? I’ve never seen the secular media attack the church for anything other than the abuse scandal (which was totally legitimate to attack it about).