Given all the crimes committed by Catholicism in the Middle Ages, why does anyone still affiliate with it?

Question

Didn't it reveal a very real ability to be the opposite of "good"?

Answer 1

I'm not Catholic, but as far as I know, one reason: excommunication. They can be thrown out of the church if they speak against it, and they believe that if you're out of the Catholic church, you're going to hell. Martin Luther (founder of Lutherans, 95 theses) was originally Catholic, and after he was excommunicated, truly believed that he was going to hell.

Answer 2

Given all the crimes committed by the Atheist countries (communist) in the 20th century, why does anyone still affiliate with it?

Timothy McVight believed that he was standing up for American freedoms when he blew up the Federal Building. But we do not abandon freedom because one person abused the concept. Most people are smart enough to separate the truth of a religion or a philosophy from the abuse of it by some of its followers.

What is often not listed in the number of wars prevented by the Catholic church because of Papel mediation between the parties.
What is often not mentioned is the works of charity and sacrifice which helped to save multitudes when famine or disease threatened to wipe out whole populations.
What is often not mentioned is that the church was the only source that keep literature, music, history, and education alive during the Dark Ages.
What is not mentioned is how many millions of lives were saved by the church when it prevented the Muslims for continuing their war to exterminate all of Africa and Europe.

Answer 3

Why do people still choose to live in Germany after the Holocaust? Because they didn't take part in the Holocaust. It happened a long time ago before they were born and possibly their parents were born. Why do people still live in the South after slavery? Because they don't own slaves and their parents didn't own slaves. The Catholics of today did not participate in what happened during the Middle Ages.

Answer 4

I understand what you're asking, and agree with you to a point, it does seem really silly to say that they're right and they're way is the right way and that you're only a good person if you agree with them...but at the same time if you wanted to be disassociated with anything that gives your background a bad name then we would all have something to be ashamed of. I mean, I'd have to be ashamed because I'm half german and we all know what happened in the Holocaust, and I'm half japanese, and we all know about Pearl harbor.
Whites would need to be ashamed of having slaves in the past...so on and so forth.

Answer 5

Now, people may point out that Christians have at times resorted to violence wrongly, including the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. But the comparison is not completely apt. First, Christ Himself never advocated forced conversion and slaughter of unbelievers. Second, in the case of the Crusades we should be careful not to buy all of the anti-Catholic propaganda being sold. Do you know why Christians fought the Crusades? Because Muslims first forcefully took over Christian lands and persecuted the Christians living there, and controlled Christian holy sites. It is true that some Crusaders did some despicable things in a spiteful, vengeful way. But the Church herself never condoned, let alone ordered, these excesses. And as for the Inquisition, if it was as bad as some anti-Catholics claim, it is odd that there are records of people requesting transfers of their cases to the Inquisition from the secular Spanish courts. No doubt, some horrid things occurred, but it is more accurately understood as the unfortunate result of the weaknesses and sin of individuals, not the official teaching of the Church.

Additionally, the Inquisition never asserted authority at all over non-Christians, unless they were pretending to be Christians. The Inquisition was aimed at eliminating heresy within the Church, not at the conversion of non-Christians

Catholicism is Bible Christianity par excellence.
Because the Old and New Testament Scriptures are the divinely-revealed, written Word of God, Catholics venerate the Scriptures as they venerate the Lord's body. But Catholics do not believe that God has given us His divine Revelation in Christ exclusively through Scripture. Catholics also believe that God's Revelation comes to us through the Apostolic Tradition and teaching authority of the Church.

What Church? Scripture reveals this Church to be the one Jesus Christ built upon the rock of Saint Peter (Matt. 16:18). By giving Peter the keys of authority (Matt. 16:19), Jesus appointed Peter as the chief steward over His earthly kingdom (cf. Isaiah. 22:19-22). Jesus also charged Peter to be the source of strength for the rest of the apostles (Luke 22:32) and the earthly shepherd of Jesus' flock (John 21:15-17). Jesus further gave Peter, and the apostles and elders in union with him, the power to bind and loose in heaven what they bound and loosed on earth. (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). This teaching authority did not die with Peter and the apostles, but was transferred to future bishops through the laying on of hands (e.g., Acts 1:20; 6:6; 13:3; 8:18; 9:17; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6).

By virtue of this divinely-appointed authority, the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture (what books belong in the Bible) at the end of the fourth century. We therefore believe in the Scriptures on the authority of the Catholic Church. After all, nothing in Scripture tells us what Scriptures are inspired, what books belong in the Bible, or that Scripture is the final authority on questions concerning the Christian faith. Instead, the Bible says that the Church, not the Scriptures, is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10).

Answer 6

Some people like to be associated with ritualistic and pompus celebrations which the papacy are well known for. I think it makes people feel important and part of something regal regardless of their behaviour in the middle ages.

Answer 7

They have not been weaned from the milk, and are unable to eat solid food. The world still looks at Jesus as a bubble blowing baby, instead of a mature man.

Answer 8

Please be more specific about the "crimes" of Catholicism so that the rest of us can properly respond. Thanks.

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

do you get extra points for asking the question more than once?

Answer 10

They need more fun in their sex life.