what are the common misconceptions about Catholicism?

Question

when did those misconceptions start, and who started them?

Answer 1

They were made up by non-Catholic Christians to demonize the Catholic Church and justify their breaking away from the Church Christ Himself founded.

Answer 2

The biggest number of misconceptions became popular during the Protestant Reformation and the resulting Religious Wars of the 16th century. Catholic leaders were of course saying that these new-fangled Protestants were going to Hell (the same way some Christians now say non-believers are going to Hell). Protestants needed to distance themselves from the Christians, so they started spreading all kinds of rumors--and a few truths. The truths included that many higher offices in the Catholic Church *had* at the time become corrupt, populated largely by noblemen who went into the Church to live comfortably when their big brother inherited the estate, selling indulgences, that kind of thing. (These are not common in today's Church ).

For the lies, all you have to do is read the first book of The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, who was trying to impress Queen Elizabeth (HUGE Protestant) and so who made all his bad guys Catholics and Muslims. Among other accusations: Catholics practice black magic (because of the candles and incense); Catholics *say* they believe in God but they really don't; Catholics spread propaganda; Catholics are "idol worshippers" and don't just worship Mary and the saints (which they don't) but also worship STATUES of Mary and the Saints; priests and nuns are all sex-crazed homosexuals, etc. Ugly, ugly stuff, but it was just like a political campaign with attack ads going back and forth.

England became staunchly, STAUNCHLY Protestant--it's a long story having to do with Henry VIII's second wife, among other things. They were so Protestant that they kicked out a king for being Catholic and made his daughter and her Protestant husband rulers instead, and they passed laws about Catholics not being able to hold certain offices. Despite the Founding Fathers' resulting efforts to create a division between church and state, much of the USA in particular continues those pro-Protestant values... we've only had ONE non-Protestant president in the history of the country, and lies keep being told about Catholics. (For example, I recently heard from someone who was told that if JFK became President, the government would come through and take away everyone's bibles! Kennedy, FYI, is the only Catholic president we've ever had).

Fascinating stuff, huh? Hope that helps!

Answer 3

The first started during the Roman Empire, when Romans believed that Catholics were cannibals because the ate the flesh and drank the blood of their master. The rest started when the Church split. During the split (circa 16th century), the Catholic Church and the Seperated Church started a competitions to see who could earn more souls, so they started mudslinging each other.
Ignorance does bring problems, but I have also seen ingnorant Protestants who take the bible and manipulate it to discrimante and insult. Go to any tiny southern town Protestant church and you'll most likely find your racist or homophobic that knows his orher bible forwards and backwards. I'm not saying that all Protestant are like that, because not all Catholics, for sure, are meek and mild. Yet the muddslinging could go on for ever.

Answer 4

They've been around since at least the 1500's when protestantism started. Here's a few:

1) Worship of Mary. (We do not do that)
2) Worship of Saints. (We do not do that)
3) Confession is unnecessary (Jesus gave us the sacrament)
4) Priests are unnecessary (Need a priest for confession & eucharist)
5) ordaining of women (Church has no authority to do this)
6) refusal to accept homosexuals (homosexuality can never be condoned, but we must never stop loving the person)

The list could go on, but you get the idea. A lot of people accuse we Catholics of a lot of things we simply don't do. I used to be protestant but became Catholic, so I know what I'm talking about.

Answer 5

That it is easy to get in, when you must go through a long process to reach full convocation.

Answer 6

The prime one is that this is a religious institution. Historically it has been the center of evil in the Western World. It has been responsible for horrific atrocities against women, non-Christians, freethinkers and even against its own devote. Like a chameleon it has changed its outward appearance to hide its true nature to allow fit into the modern secular world.

Answer 7

There are countless bibles and each bible differ due to misconceptions. Every bible is written with the sweet will of pasters.
All catholicism is falsehood.
Come towards Islam
www.hadices.com
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Answer 8

Dr. Boettner then gives us "Some Roman Catholic Heresies And Inventions" and the dates that these alleged "Apostolic" traditions were added to Roman Catholic theology &endash;
* Prayers for the dead, began about A.D. 300
* Making the sign of the cross 300
* Veneration of angels and dead saints, and use of images 375
* The Mass, as a daily celebration 394
* Beginning of the exaltation of Mary, the term "Mother of God" first applied to her by the Council of Ephesus 431
* Priests began to dress differently from laymen 500
* Extreme Unction 526
* The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I 593
* Latin used in prayer and worship, imposed by Gregory I 600
* Prayer directed to Mary, dead saints and angels, about 600
* Title of pope, or universal bishop, given to Boniface III 607
* Kissing the pope's foot, began with pope Constantine 709
* Worship of the cross, images and relics, authorized in 786
* Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest 850
* Canonization of dead saints, first by pope John XV 995
* The Mass, developed gradually as a sacrifice, attendance made obligatory in the 11th century
* Celibacy of the priesthood, decreed by pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand) 1079
* The Rosary, mechanical praying with beads, invented by Peter the Hermit 1090
* Sale of Indulgences 1190
* Transubstantiation, proclaimed by pope Innocent III 1215
* Auricular Confession of sins to a priest instead of to
God, instituted by pope Innocent III, in Lateran Council 1215
* Bible forbidden to laymen, placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Council of Valencia 1229
* Purgatory proclaimed a dogma by Council of Florence 1439
* The doctrine of Seven Sacraments affirmed 1439
* Tradition declared of equal authority with the Bible by the Council of Trent 1545
* Apocryphal books added to the Bible by the Council of Trent 1546
* Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, proclaimed by pope Pius IX 1854
* Syllabus of Errors, proclaimed by pope Pitts IX, and ratified by the Vatican Council; condemned freedom of religion,conscience, speech, press, and scientific discoveries which are disapproved by the Roman Church; asserted the pope's temporal authority over all civil rulers 1864
* Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, proclaimed by the Vatican Council 1870
* Public Schools condemned by pope Pius XI 1930
* Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death), proclaimed by pope Pius XII 1950
* Mary proclaimed Mother of the Church, by pope Paul VI 1965

And then Dr. Boettner concludes:
Add to these many others: monks - nuns -monasteries - convents - forty days Lent - holy week - Palm Sunday - Ash Wednesday - All Saints day - Candlemas day - fish day - meat days - incense - holy oil - holy palms - Christopher medals - charms - novenas - and still others.
There you have it - the melancholy evidence of Rome's steadily increasing departure from the simplicity of the Gospel, a departure so radical and far-reaching at the present time (1965) that it has produced a drastically anti-evangelical church. It is clear beyond possibility of doubt that the Roman Catholic religion as now practiced is the outgrowth of centuries of error. Human inventions have been substituted for Bible truth and practice. Intolerance and arrogance have replaced the love and kindness and tolerance that were the distinguishing qualities of the first century Christians, so that now in Roman Catholic countries Protestants and others who are sincere believers in Christ but who do not acknowledge the authority of the pope are subject to all kinds of restrictions and in some cases even forbidden to practice their religion. The distinctive attitude of the present day Roman Church was fixed largely by the Council of Trent (1545-1563), with its more than 100 anathemas or curses pronounced against all who then or in the future would dare to differ with its decisions.

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Answer 9

They were started by illiterate or ignorant catholics who beleive whatever they are taught by their catholic teachers even tho the teachings are directly against the bible. Such as priests cant marry.