What Anti-Catholicism?

[PhillyMatt]

Just a observation and a question.....

As I started to visit Catholic forums on the net, I've heard people mention that they experienced "anti-catholicism" and that it's quite rampant in some places. I'm fortunate to never have experienced this and am wondering where exactly people have these experiences.

I've probably never experienced this partly due to where I live, pretty much everyone in the Philadelphia area has always been Catholic, hell, Catholic High School football has it's own section in the paper! Every where you look, there is another Catholic School! My 500 acre backyard used to be owned by the Catholic Church (they just sold it). Even in the wake of the Philly Sex abuse scandals, there's still no Anti-ism to be seen! Am I just living in a good area????

[Guest Rick777]

YES YOU ARE!!!! LUCKY, I live in Nor Cal and Anti Catholicism is just all over.....it's sad man.

[PhillyMatt]

[quote name='Rick777' date='Nov 15 2005, 04:01 AM']YES YOU ARE!!!! LUCKY, I live in Nor Cal and Anti Catholicism is just all over.....it's sad man.
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Really? Where? How? From who? Can you give some examples? It really angers me that this goes on!
I've just never really seen it....

[Guest Rick777]

hm well heres a really good..it happened this past January in San Francisco...There was a Walk for Life in San Francisco and a lot of people showed up but so did a lot of pro choice men and women, and they came in thier groups or individually, just in droves, the whole march was really really tense. Police surrounded us as we walked down the streets and people were yelling,cursing,throwing stuff at us. We were stopped by a number of womens "rights" groups many of times. It was like a spiritual war. After the march everyone went thier own way and boy did the abortion advocates love that, we were getting yelled at and taunted it was crazy a lot of gay rights men and women were screaming at us drag queens. They are really passionate about thier views, like we should be about ours. EWTN came and it was on Life on the Rock. I talked to Fr. Francis for a while.

[Church Punk]

I guess we are lucky down here in Windsor, ON. We had a silent protest on the main downtown street, which a good number of people from our church lined the street holding anti-abortion signs. He had nothing but support from the passer-bys.

I think it could be that we are in Canada and people tend to keep their objections to thing to their selfs up here.

The only resistance we faced was some strung out guy, wearing only his boxer shorts (no shoes) walking downtown, shouting blasphemies and mocking the sign of the cross (weird). I wondered if he was under demonic influeance. However when he realized that no one was listening to him, he left.

[PhillyMatt]

Guys, neither one of those is Anti-catholicism. The people demonstrating against disagreed with your IDEAS not your religion. By ant-cath I mean something along the lines as, people spreading falsehoods about your beliefs or any mailicousnesss toward you because you are Catholic.

[dandy777]

Oh what Rick describe is really a horrible scene. However, I think that tension and anti-Catholic sentiments are not always showed that way but are also shown through various attacks especially from the media.

For example, claiming discrimination against women becuase women can't become priests, or discrimination against gays because they have no right to get married in our Church or attacks against priests because of the sexual abuse scandals (which is really a shame!) and many more.

However, these types of comments don't effect me that much. What really annoys me is that once I heard a Christian (non-Catholic) person claim that we adore God in a box referring to the Blessed Sacrament.

Edited November 15, 2005 by dandy777

[photosynthesis]

[quote name='PhillyMatt' date='Nov 15 2005, 02:53 AM']Just a observation and a question.....

As I started to visit Catholic forums on the net, I've heard people mention that they experienced  "anti-catholicism" and that it's quite rampant in some places.  I'm fortunate to never have experienced this and am wondering where exactly people have these experiences.

I've probably never experienced this partly due to where I live,  pretty much everyone in the Philadelphia area has always been Catholic, hell, Catholic High School football has it's own section in the paper! Every where you look, there is another Catholic School! My 500 acre backyard used to be owned by the Catholic Church (they just sold it).  Even in the wake of the Philly Sex abuse scandals, there's still no Anti-ism to be seen!  Am I just living in a good area????
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yeah, you're living in a good area. is your family catholic?

a lot of times people think that anti-catholicism doesn't exist because it doesn't happen at home.

[dandy777]

Most of the times Anti-Catholicism comes from rebellious Catholics and that is worse than any other sentiments coming from non-Catholics. I would excuse up to a certain extent thos non-Catholics who can't appreciate such things as the Papacy, celibacy, Virgin Mary, the Eucharist and Confession. However, it hurts when people express anti-Catholic sentiments when they too were once part of this family and/or still claim to be.

However, I wish to ask some other quetion... why do people pass on such comments or judgements? Could it be that there are some wrongdoings in the church that are not being tackled well?

[dandy777]

A very practical example that is causing a lot of turmoil among Catholics is Papa Ratzinger's decision to send people chacking out American seminaries to cleanse it from any gay seminarians. What is causing turmoil is associating the "gay" element in seminaries with the sexual abuse scandals that occurred in the past.

I really love this pope and think that he is a great leader even though I am not as conservative as he is. However, I don't agree with this connection between homosexuality and pedophaelia.

[philothea]

Vocal anti-catholicism is pretty common in a lot of the online venues where people in my field hang out. I try to avoid the worst of these areas (it got really bad around the papal election.)

I've tried to be more obviously Catholic, even so, and so far no one has said anything negative.

[rkwright]

I've got 2 examples that I have personally experienced....

I belong to another board that discusses various Catholic issues, and I was privately emailed by one of the members telling me that I am in the wrong Catholic faith. That the Church has lost its faith and I am going to hell for it. This person ended up being either a member of the SSPX or someone who left it. The first set of emails were very heated from this person, calling every person 'in communion with Rome' a heretic.

Secondly, I attend a school in Texas, and while it is a very conservative school there are many protestants here that are more than willing to tell you how wrong the Catholic faith is. Sometimes its done in a respective tone, sometimes it gets nasty. I was told by my roommate that Catholics are not Christians, or at least only a few are. I have been told that anyone who follows the Pope is out of their mind and will go to hell. Mostly though when asked what church I go to, I mention the only Catholic Church in the area and I do get nasty looks or 'ohhhhh the Catholic Church....'. Not to start in on stories about relatives, but my grandfather who was raised 2 hours from here was chased down street by Baptists throwing rocks at him when he was in grade school... ever since then he's been very standoffish towards protestants.

[Brother Adam]

network tv is a good example. some of the website's on the internet are no better in their speech on the catholic church than neo-nazi white supremists are to non-whites.

[Guest Rick777]

[quote name='dandy777' date='Nov 15 2005, 09:46 AM']
Most of the times Anti-Catholicism comes from rebellious Catholics and that is worse than any other sentiments coming from non-Catholics. I would excuse up to a certain extent thos non-Catholics who can't appreciate such things as the Papacy, celibacy, Virgin Mary, the Eucharist and Confession. However, it hurts when people express anti-Catholic sentiments when they too were once part of this family and/or still claim to be.


I agree that hurts the most because most of the time they have knowledge of the beauty of our Catholic faith but still rebel...

[Sojourner]

A friend of mine is a Protestant married to a Catholic. She was visiting a Prot. church, and after a couple of weeks one of the members asked where her husband was. She explained that he's Catholic, and goes to Mass. The church member responded, "Well, we'll pray for him that he'll become a Christian, then."

It's not a loud demonstration or anything, but the message was loud and clear that "Catholics aren't Christians."

My friend didn't go back to that church.

[Dreamweaver]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Nov 15 2005, 02:49 PM']A friend of mine is a Protestant married to a Catholic. She was visiting a Prot. church, and after a couple of weeks one of the members asked where her husband was. She explained that he's Catholic, and goes to Mass. The church member responded, "Well, we'll pray for him that he'll become a Christian, then."

It's not a loud demonstration or anything, but the message was loud and clear that "Catholics aren't Christians."

My friend didn't go back to that church.
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I've also noticed that kind of belief online at some protestant forums and websites. Quite sad, especially since the Catholic church was founded by Christ, assigning Peter to care for His lambs. The Bible came from the Catholic Church also.

[Tsornin]

Here's my onging struggle with anti-Catholicism, qua Christian unity: I was talking with a co-worker about something--oh, yeah, why I couldn't, in good conscience, date this guy because he was divorced. So that started the whole thing, about Scripture, Tradition, ok, fine. But then I started talking about our belief as Christians (he was Protestant) and he started laughing and saying Catholics aren't Christians, citing how "ritualistic" we are, and how that makes us totally different.. Finally, I realized that he couldn't distinguish between Protestant and Christian, since they are used interchangably where he comes from--wherever that be.

At the time, I thought it was just ignorance, because he struck me as a Sunday Christian--once a week at church, if that. But since then, I've noticed a pattern, even so far as the Bible study class over at the prominent "non-denomination" church told my friend's dad that, when speaking about sinning against the Holy Spirit, a Catholic would bring that up...it was rather harsh, man. But if the Protestant leaders teach their flock this separation, it's going to stick, cause the average layman ain't gonna look any further afield--oi. And Chick tracts!!! Don't even get me STARTED!!! I feel North Cali's pain; it's not much better down here.....

[missionseeker]

[quote name='PhillyMatt' date='Nov 15 2005, 03:53 AM']
Just a observation and a question.....

As I started to visit Catholic forums on the net, I've heard people mention that they experienced "anti-catholicism" and that it's quite rampant in some places. I'm fortunate to never have experienced this and am wondering where exactly people have these experiences.

I've probably never experienced this partly due to where I live, pretty much everyone in the Philadelphia area has always been Catholic, hell, Catholic High School football has it's own section in the paper! Every where you look, there is another Catholic School! My 500 acre backyard used to be owned by the Catholic Church (they just sold it). Even in the wake of the Philly Sex abuse scandals, there's still no Anti-ism to be seen! Am I just living in a good area????
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[quote name='PhillyMatt' date='Nov 15 2005, 12:01 PM']
Guys, neither one of those is Anti-catholicism. The people demonstrating against disagreed with your IDEAS not your religion. By ant-cath I mean something along the lines as, people spreading falsehoods about your beliefs or any mailicousnesss toward you because you are Catholic.
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HELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOO from the Bible Belt!(saw your thread)

Yeah, here in South Alabama, anti-Catholism is umm, the norm.

Here are aour Deanery stats.

10 counties
6 parishes
2 missions
Total Pop. 347,208 (way rural)
Total Catholic Pop. 4,651

And qouted from another thread:
[QUOTE]Oh, Yeah.
People used to dsit behind my sister in class and go
Bud Weis EERR

People ask can you eat cereal? can you use credit cards? can you use electricity?

None of those are made up.
And we live RIGHT beside an "assemblies of God" church. And the minister was introducing himself to us and he said we should drop by on Sunday and Mom said that we DID go to church somwhere esle and he asked which one and she said the Catholic one and he took A HUGE step backward. The smile left his face. And then quickly came back as he recomposed himself and said that was nice and that he had to go now. It was really quite funny.

[/QUOTE]
As for speading lies, well, honestly they are MOSTLY misconceptions/ignorance. Like - we wotship Mary and the Saints, we worship Satan, we're all going to Hell (my GRANDMOTHER told me I was cuz I was Catholic.)

also from another thread

quote=missionseeker,Sep 14 2005, 12:39 AM]
I had a Baptist tell me that he could shoot me (fataly) then turn around and shoot himself (fataly) and still go straight to Heaven cuz he was saved. He also told many other ridiculous things.
Now I take a Catechism when ever I go on youth conferences
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[quote name='missionseeker' date='Sep 14 2005, 11:01 PM']
It really depends on the person. The guy who told me that stuff probably would not have (at least not for a while; I was actually getting somewhere with him then it was time to do something else and you could see the releif in his face) But I have had others quite willing to listen to and read it while I went to sleep. Also I let one girl read Mary Beth Bonnacci's book "We're on a Mission From God"
Their veiw of the Church is a little more difficult to explain. I don't even Know if they know their veiw of the Church. That also changes from person to person. For the most part it is:

Pope worshipers, we pray to the Pope or through the pope.
The guy (same dude that's gonna shoot me) got really upset when I told him Uhh, NO we don't and he litterally puffed out "Well then how do you pray?" Oh, you should have seen his face when I said "Our father, who art in Heaven..."

Idolators; we worship golden statues with diamond eyes. No joke (although she was a Methodist)

Of course Mary worshipers- same sense that we worship God ( Iwill refrain from entering debate but only cuz you asked--but I agree with Old Joe and Raphael)

The saints really scare most of them.

Bread worshipers which ,of course, we are if it's consecrated. Of course, then it's not really bread is it?
You may as well carry the Catechism because you never know where you'll need it.
Good Luck if you come across those guys again!!!
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O.k i'll stop now because this is an extremely long post but I can tell you more.

[Guest Rick777]

wow living in alabama seems like a trial

[PhillyMatt]

That's why I love being Catholic, it actually requires some intellect and thought, which leads to acceptance and understanding of others. You actually NEED to be able to think for yourself to understand your faith.

It seems too many people rely on blind ignorance and misinformation. I thought tolerance was a big part of Christianity, I guess that's not taught in other religions, i.e. some protestant denominations....

Edited November 16, 2005 by PhillyMatt