Why on earth are a lot of protestants so mean to Catholics?

Question

I always hear protestants saying that Catholics aren't Christian, or that they worship idols (They don't, the saints are just people who were very close to god. Catholics ask Saints to pray to god for them, since the saints are closer to him). I have met a few Christ like people (people who follow the teachings of Jesus that are recorded in the book of John) and 90% of them were Catholics. In fact, many of the nicest Christians here are Catholics, take Debra M as an example. Why all of the hatred for one of the oldesf Christian churches in the world?

Ugh, people, Catholics believe in Jesus! And the Pope is not a god to them, he is just someone who is very close to god. And not one or two Catholics, every single Catholic that I have ever met has been a wonderful person..

Answer 1

I think Archbishop Fulton Sheen said it best:

“There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, which is, of course, quite a different thing.”


And thank you Mirage for posting this question and your kind comments.

Answer 2

I think the real thing people should be worried about is stop blaming each other. Stop saying Protestants are bad, or Catholics are bad.

I was raised Protestant, but I'm not sure the blame game is the way to go. I'm very tolerant of Catholics, Protestants, whatever you choose to believe.

Protestants have the belief that one should pray directly to God, instead praying to saints. To Protestants, it's viewed as idolatry. That doesn't necessarily imply that I believe it's wrong, but that's what Protestants tend to believe.

Not all Protestants are bad people. Like Catholics, they're set in their ways and their beliefs. If you don't want to be judged, don't judge Protestants automatically to be bad people. Not all Protestants think you're terrible.

Give people a chance.

People need to start modeling themselves after Christ, and love thy neighbor as they are - Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, or whatever. The fundamental beliefs are true for almost all religions.

Answer 3

At first I was shocked by this question. I had no idea what you were talking about. But when I saw some of the responses I have to say I'm shocked.

The best I can say is that the ill sentiment that gave rise to the reformation back in the day is still going strong. Combine that with a complete lack of understanding or tolerance for the other side, and you have all the reasons you need :)

Holy hell I had no idea there was so much animosity between them still.

Answer 4

a million. The Catholic Church neither condones nor publishes nor makes use of infant pornography. in case you section conversing with regard to the Kansas priest who had infant pornography, it incredibly is one guy, no longer the full Church. and whether there have been a hundred adult males or 1000 adult males or ten thousand adult males, it nevertheless does no longer be the full Church. 2. The Catholic Church does no longer prepare something it incredibly is incompatible with Scripture. 3. Priestly celibacy is stated in a million Corinthians 7. 4. confident, Peter replaced into married, as are some Catholic clergymen. So? Paul wasn't married as are maximum different clergymen. vast whoop. Celibacy continues to be stated for clergymen in Scripture and the traditional state for Catholic clergymen interior the Roman ceremony. 5. Celibacy is a latest certainly! And if a clergyman isn't married, then it suits your thought that celibacy could in common terms shop on with once you're actually not married. 6. Many clergymen did prefer to marry and have babies, yet they willingly and freely sacrificed that prefer with the intention to serve Christ. The Lord honors them for that sacrifice. Why do no longer you?

Answer 5

We're used to it, dear. Anti-Catholicism has been around for a long time. Some of it is due to simple misinformation; I know some very good and kind Protestants, with a genuine faith and love for their neighbors, who nevertheless recoil at all things Catholic because of what they've been told about us.

Another factor you must keep in mind is that many who are hostile to the Catholic faith have been hurt by the church, or rather some of the people in it, in the past. They rightly expect us to hold our church accountable.

As for the rest, the ones who spew hatred for its own sake and find the Church a convenient target? It makes me sad, but they are not interested in knowing the truth and only God can change their hearts.

Answer 6

Well a look at history will help this problem. The basic tenent of protestant (protest-ant, one who protests) is opposition to the Church. Their very name means someone whose opposed to Church teachings. Fast forward through 300 years of inter-Christian warfare, and you get to a relatively civilized modern day with a bunch of grudge behind it. Catholics and Protestants have been fighting so long, that though they don't kill each other or burn each other's churches anymore, they aren't going to be buddy buddy instantly. The extremists of each side are going to claim that only they are right, so the other side must not be a "true" christian. The Catholic Church has had a much longer history, and the very fact that Protestants exist has mitigated some of the Catholic stances on issues, so many Catholics are less likely to be dogmatic than Protestants, who claim to be the True Christians.

Answer 7

If they have hurt the catholics then they have hurt Christ. No christian should cause another christian to fall or say mean things to each other. I'm a spirit filled christian and I love every single catholics. Let every christian realize this that No Christian should cause a brother to be hurt. This is a shame question to all of us. It's so true. Where is the love? Check ourselves.

Answer 8

There are too many Christian church out there who teach very little except "accept Jesus Christ", and vicious attacks on other religions. This only proves that they have a hollow shell instead of a real church.

Jesus told us that we were to love our enemies and pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us. The only people that Jesus rejected while He was living on the earth were the hypocrites who were posing as real leaders of the church.

True followers of Jesus Christ will do their best to obey His commandments.

Answer 9

I am going to be very honest here
when I was growing up as a protestant
there was a great Catholic Protestant divide
we were raised to hate Catholics , and I did .... not even knowing why
I still dont know why
however I thought ( until coming here ) that this was a UK thing , going back to the Irish division
but seems I was wrong and it is a Global problem

thank goodness I am no longer like that
I love my Debra

edit
my family actually stopped going to church when we were told we could not attend the funeral of our Catholic friend

Answer 10

Maybe because the catholic church has done a lot of bad things (inquisition) in the old times.
I know it's crazy but this gives catholics a has name and also the fact that Catholicism is so strict. Most catholics I know judge people, to be honest, mostly they are the first to judge others. If you don't live by their rules...
But that's just the problem, the bad image.
And don't forget, catholics have always been hunted, even in the roman times.
But I'm not saying I agree!!!!