Why do atheists and agnostics judge Christians by the actions ofthe Catholic Church when most Christians don't

Question

believe most Catholics are Christians anyway?

Not trying to be mean, just curious.

Answer 1

I think that they just like to lump it all together. It's what people do when they are either ignorant, intellectually lazy, or they just don't care that they are being inaccurate.

Answer 2

Good question. I guess it may be because the Catholic church was purportedly founded by Peter, one of Jesus' twelve disciples. However through out the years the Catholic church has become more and more confused, although it was founded by the first Christians, the church has added a lot of unbiblical rules and practices. It's kind of interesting because when Christ came He was disgusted by the man made traditions and regulations that the Pharisees had instituted and claimed to be signs of Holiness. The regulated fasting and specific times of day when you had to pray, were very common when Jesus came to earth and to Him they were utterly useless. In a way the Catholic church has also been instituting extra man-made traditions that have no real value. Anyway I'm not totally sure why atheists judge Christians by what the Catholic church does, but it is interesting to note that some of the traditions and rituals that Catholics do not reflect Biblical principles, but are instead very similar to the traditions of the Jewish leaders.

Answer 3

Why do most Christians not believe that Catholics are Christian? What is the definition of a Christian? One who believes that Christ is the son of God, that he died on the cross for man's sin, that he rose from the dead, and that he is coming again in glory.

All things Catholics believe.

All Christians were once Catholics. Prior to the reformation, if you were a Christian, you were a Catholic. If you read the writings of the father of the reformation (Martin Luther) you'll find that he was still very Catholic in his beliefs.

I also do not agree with your statement anyway...from what I've seen the atheists do a lot of judging based on what the Bible Christians tout...mostly because they take a very literal interpretation of the Bible and this sets them up for a lot of controversy.

I know you said you're not being mean, but I take offense at being told I'm not a Christian because I'm Catholic. I know I'm a Christian! I do not think that those who are not Catholic are not Christian and I would hope that most would not feel the same towards me.

Answer 4

I'm agnostic, and I'd rather see most Christians be Catholic. That's a real perception issue; I think most Christian are some product of the Protestant line, especially when it comes to the U.S. Catholics cover the world, but they were (are?) discriminated greatly in thid country. While their actions in WWII and how they treated pedophiles is absolutely reprehensible, they have also been a big force for change, keeping a more contexualist interpretation of the Bible and avoiding some of the literalist logic traps that plague Protestants. But on either side of the aisle, there seems to be a big gulf between the teachings of Christ and how Christians act.

Answer 5

How can you possibly say that you don't believe that catholics are christians? They are centered around the same basic principal as protestants -- the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How can one group of christians claim to know the mindset of another group? Just because some of the specifics are different ... That just shows how self-righteous you people really are.

I don't judge anyone by the actions of the catholic church except those who are involved with the catholic church. However, their actions throughout history are a good example of how religion can easily be twisted to do horrible things. The catholic church has been the "face of christianity" for a long time, and its your opinion as to whether you choose to associate yourself with some of the things that christianity as a whole has been known to stand for -- catholics and protestants alike.

I base my opinion on everyone by their words and actions ... no matter what religious group they happen to fall into.

Answer 6

Actually most Christians are Catholics, and I imagine most Catholics believe that most Catholics are Christians.
But that isn't a justification for judging all Christians by the actions of the Catholic church. And in my experience, few if any atheists do that.

Answer 7

What an interesting assumption. I wonder whether atheists and agnostics make these judgements you mention on the basis of the actions of the Catholic Church. I'd be very happy to see any supporting evidence.

I'll also confess to being a bit baffled at your statement that "most Christians don't believe Catholics are Christians anyway." Have you actually undertaken any course of action that led you to that conclusion?

I suspect that you assume the stuff that buzzes around in your head is universal truth. One of the advantages of forums like this one is that ideas of that sort can be compared to a broader reality.

Answer 8

I don't think we do. We highlight problems with all religions, and just because protestants think of themselves as more holy, or having more truth than catholics, doesn't really bother Agnostics or Atheists.

We believe it is all nonsense, and the infighting between different 'christian' denominations just proves our point. You may not think that Catholics are 'real' Christians because they pray to Mary and the saints, but they do worship Christ, just like you. The problem with most 'Christian' denominations is that they spend all their time trying to tell everyone else that they are the only ones with the truth. They do this because deep down inside everyone of them knows that they aren't certain about their translation, and that 90% of the time it is a belief inherited from families.

Agnostics and Atheists think that trusting in religion has always lead to trouble. Early Christians highlighted it during the dark ages, Jews highlighted during the OT times, and a portion of the Muslim community is highlighting it today. Religion, left to its own devises is dangerous. We don't Judge it based only on Catholic actions, we judge it on the results of every encounter with radical religious folks.

Answer 9

Actually, I have a lot less trouble with the catholic church than the evangelical/fundementalist churches. Yes, there are pedophile priests, but I see past that to the good work the Catholics do for social justice. They also don't tell me continously that I am going to hell and that other christians are not christians, ect. They have a better intellectual base and have been fairly open about evolution.

Answer 10

Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. I studied religion in college for several years, and, quite personally, I believe Christians who call Catholics "non-Christians" are, quite frankly, ignorant. What it amounts to is a belief that anyone that doesn't share their views should not be called "Christians". Just because a bunch of holier-than-thou people believe something does not make it so.

You are quite correct, though, in stating that some Protestants say Catholics aren't Christian; I've known several who don't call Catholics Christians, though I don't think this groups is in the majority.

Answer 11

I don't judge them by the actions of the Catholic Church.