Is there any chance we can stop the Catholic bashing?

Question

No, I'm Protestant. But somehow, I don't think this is the meaning of "we are one in the Spirit".

*sigh* I'll take that as "no".

Liet Kynes - I tried to send you an email, but it was returned saying your email address had not been confirmed. Anyway - thank you for the response. I found it quite interesting. If you ever confirm your email address, I'll add details. :)

Answer 1

--Is Catholic--

I think you have answered your own question. There can be intellectual and rational disagreement but then there can be pure bigotry and hatred. Obviously the latter has a completely different "spirit" than those that do not bash.

The amount of non-sense that is argued by the haters is also a clear sign of them being filled with another "spirit". Anybody with any decent history book knows that the haters are spreading lies (sometimes knowingly sometimes unknowingly).

They are definitely not one with the same "spirit" as with Catholics, and since their actions are done out of hatred and malice then you know that they are not united with the same spirit as with reasonable Protestants. The tactics of these people are despicable.

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From a Catholic point of view, I would say that the Catholic understanding of the Holy Spirit is very different than how most Protestants understand the Holy Spirit. We could get into that, but that is not really your question. It is something that you should be aware of though that there is a very large difference, namely in that for a Catholic, the Holy Spirit is the spirit of the Church, and the gifts of the Spirit are given so that the individual becomes more attuned and functions more so in the corporate life of the new humanity, which is the Church. So Catholics would see the lack of unity "in the spirit" between Protestants and Catholics as a result of Protestants not fulfilling their baptismal vows and entering into the corporate life of the spirit, which is the Church.

There is no real unified Protestant view on the lack of unity in spirit. I will give the evangelical, which is much different. They would say the lack of unity of spirit is from not "accepting Jesus into your heart". It is sort of a silly statement once you understand how important Jesus is to Catholic worship and overly based on emotion, but you can see the difference: Catholic talk about lack entering into the life of the Spirit, which is the life of Church, Evangelicals talk about lack of acceptance of Jesus.

Also in addition I would like to say that if you turn to the Gospel of John 21 (which is extremely important for Catholics in understanding the Church and the mission of Jesus) and read

20 "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.

In my experience, Protestants tend to view this as something that WILL happen. Catholics view this as something that is declarative and a statement of fact. This is because Catholics believe that Jesus' prayers are affectious meaning that the prayer itself creates its outcome (the reason is a very well developed understanding of the Trinity). Thus the prayer is saying that "those (the Church) who will believe in me through their (the apostles and their successors (bishops priests deacons)) word (THEIR word as opposed to MY word: as in the on going oral teaching authority of the Church) will be one as you and I are one". Thus the important concept of understanding how "those that follow Jesus (the Church)" is one, is to understand how the Father and Jesus are one. The answer to that (which the Gospel to John gives) is that the Father and the Son share the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Thus the Church is one because it corporatelyhas the same Spirit as does the Son and the Father. This is why the Gospel of John has Jesus later say that if anyone sees the community, they see Jesus, and thus the Father.

So to re-answer your question, the lack of unity between Protestants and Catholics is a result of a lack of unity of the "Spirit" and it is not right to say that "we are one in the Spirit" because being united, being in communion with each other, being Church, means having the same Spirit.

There obviously is a huge problem because there is a lack of communion between Protestants and Catholics, a problem that cannot be solved by simply getting along to get along.

The discussion, which should be obvious, is how does one go about becoming a part of communion? Just in general how does this occur? Here I invite you to read your scriptures (start with Acts 2:37+) and read the history of early Christianity from primary sources. Don't read Catholic work or Protestant work on the topic, just the original documents. This will give you a baseline. Then go back and read Cathoic understanding and Protestant understanding of what you just read.

Answer 2

There is just one sort of marriage that may be cut up and that's the only in which there was once no sexual sex among the person and girl for the reason that sex by some means seals the wedding agreement and can't be damaged in any respect . When the Church acknowledges after correct exam that a targeted union among guy and girl lacked the factors to make it a legitimate marriage, an anullment is granted, that is to mention, there was once no marriage within the first palce. it's like while youbuy whatever on the net ann then detect that you simply have been talking to an insignificant pc recreation and there fairly was once no person promoting or not anything to promote. So Catholics aren't just like the Mormons on this admire.

Answer 3

See, you got your answers right here! First thing they need to do is stop all the True Church business.

First Church, fine, that's a true statement.

True Church of Constantine, that's a true statement too!

But by saying they are the true church implies everyone elses belief system is wrong or that we are the anti-christs!

That amounts to Protestant bashing!

All the bashing would have to stop!

One point here is to provide answers and sometimes answers seem like a bad pill, but you have to take it.

By and large we cut them far more slack than, say, the Muslims or Mormons or Scientologists!

I wonder, does the Pope approve of Protestant bashing?!

Is that an edict from Rome. If it's NOT an EDICT, then they aren't supposed to do it! Catholics, by their own rules, are not supposed to make up the religious doctrines on their own. They are supposed to follow the doctrines approved by the Pope, hence if they are making biased statements it must be with the Pope's blessing or their are on the verge of hersey under their own cannons of ethics!

This is where the Protestants differ! We get to interpret things for ourselves and make up our own rules! To bash or not to bash. That is a right solely of the Protestants!

Answer 4

I totally agree with you. I am Catholic, and I really don't like all these people bad talking my Church. And I ESPECIALLY don't like it when they say that they can back up everything they say, when they absolutely can't. Any one of you people can send me a message trying to refute my religion, and will all fail miserably.

I don't agree with some of the things that Protestants practice, but I never say anything offensive to them, and never will either. I don't even tell them that I think that usually. I'll tell them what I believe, and why I believe it, and then let them think what they will. And if they try to prove me wrong, then I will only end up proving them wrong.

That's not to say that I'm better than anyone else, because I'm not, but I love civilized argument, and I'm starting to get pretty good at it.

I will be away this weekend, so if you send me any messages, I won't be able to respond, but I will eventually. So don't think you've won prematurely.

God bless, dominus tecum.

Answer 5

I was raised Baptist and am now Catholic. I wish we could stop bashing everyone too. I do think as followers of Christ "We are one in the Spirit", but too many seem to believe what they believe and are unwilling or unable to accept this kinship with Catholics. I will continue to pray for unity and acceptance as part of the Christian Community but I fear we are not that grown up yet.

Answer 6

Who, in their right, would not confront people who are regurgitating dogmatic slogans, and the myths, superstitions, fairy tales and fantastical delusions of an ignorant bunch of Bronze Age fishermen and wandering goat herders, and declaring them to represent some kind of cosmic 'TRUTH' (without the least bit of credible evidence)? Who, in their right mind, would not oppose nonsensical beliefs, such as:

*  a universe in which all that exists are the earth and heaven
*  solid 'firmament' structure (the sky) separating the earth from heaven (terrarium earth)
*  talking snakes (with legs) and donkeys
*  shepherd staff turning into an asp
*  demons chased out of people and into pigs
*  friendly spirits
*  evil spirits
*  walking on water
*  multiplying loaves and fishes
*  food falling from the sky
*  conception by a ghost
*  people raising from the dead
*  the sun stopping in its tracks
*  parting seas
*  people being bodily sucked up into heaven (which, by the way, lies on the 'other side' of the sky)
*  world-wide flood that drowned the earth to a depth of 40 feet above the tallest mountain
*  creating people from dust bunnies and ribs
*  magical tree of knowledge
*  god speaking from a burning bush
*  ritual cannibalism, by eating god in the form of a cracker

Oh... and that includes ALL Christians... not just Catholics.

Answer 7

I haven't done any and if I did, sry. anyway, I think while ur @ it, could u add Islam and any other religion u see bashed 2 ur list? We're the ones who get the most bashing and hate. But I will report ppl who do that 2 any religion.

Answer 8

Very good question!....my concern is the same as yours with bashing all religions!....my question is "is there any chance atheists GOD Haters can stop christian bashing also!...after all, they are the main ones on this religious/spiritual forum who logs onto this site to Judge, Condemn, Disrespect, Harrass, Mock, Make False Accusations, And Insult others beliefs!......Ps. and they target these religious/spiritual sites to be Mean & Crule to believers when they can easily choose another site!.......

Answer 9

I will never understand the Catholic religion. I can defend the so-called "bashing" though... I will never say anything against the religion which I cannot fully back. I don't offend anyone in the religion, I test the beliefs in which they practice.

Answer 10

Catholic bashing is the anti-semitism of the liberal elite. Some protestants seem to enjoy it too. Dividing and conquering is what they are doing.