I just read an answer that stated that with all of the illegal immigrants in this country, the percentage of people in the USA who are Catholic is increasing .
Is the anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States related to the anti-illegal immigrant sentiment also present? Is this the same thing that we saw when there was a wave of Irish immigrants in the past?
2007-09-06 10:55:26 · 19 answers · asked by Sldgman 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I completely agree with you. I have commented on this in the past. I think a lot of the hogwash that is spread about catholicism has its roots in racism. By the way, I am an atheist.
2007-09-06 11:15:10 · answer #1 · answered by in a handbasket 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The direct reason would probably be that most illegal immigrants are Hispanic and therefore Catholic there would be an increase in Catholics as the Hispanic Population increased. This BTW really does'nt matter if they are legal or not.
I just depends on wording and who you want to piss off today. I think a more correct statement would be. As Hispanic population increases so does the percentage of Catholics to other religions. Just like if more Asian people started moving here it would stand to reason that the Buhdist population would grow to.
2007-09-06 11:06:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Slightly, but many people don't realize that a great many Hispanic immigrants are also PROTESTANT which means the influx will be swelling their congregations, too.
I think the greater resentment lies in the flagrant disregard for our laws which makes this wave of "immigrants" vastly different from those in prior centuries.
Yes, anti-Catholic sentiment was VERY strong with the Eastern European and Irish mass immigrations. Protestants were actually attacking Catholic Churches and making violent threats against believers in those days.
This time it's different. I think most Americans are just plain pissed off that so many immigrants are breaking the law - and benefiting.
2007-09-06 11:04:53 · answer #3 · answered by Knight of Malta 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It depends. There are christians who just feel the catholic church is wrong about the pope, Mary, transubstantiation, or any of a number of theological issues. Some of these feel the church is so wrong that catholics are not really christians. This is one sort of anti-catholic sentiment.
On the other hand, there is definitely an undercurrent of anti-Hispanic sentiment which blends with and reinforces the anti-catholic sentiment in middle America. You are right to compare it to the anti-Irish sentiment of a hundred years ago. Even 50 years ago, JFK's catholicism was considered a big detriment to his presidential campaign. Remember, too, that the Ku Klux Klan not only fought against blacks but also against jews and catholics.
2007-09-06 10:58:44 · answer #4 · answered by Dave P 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
I think the actual anti catholic trend is more about the actions of the Roman Catholic Church in recent years. I find most people have a Catholic friend or two that they like so it makes me think that the bad media the church has been getting is the fuel for these feelings. I think everyone knows what I am speaking of so I will not open wounds or offend young ears by stating it crassly. It's the same way in a world view the American people are liked where our foreign policy is not.
2007-09-06 11:03:29 · answer #5 · answered by mavrachangawoke 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Young man, IF you knew what I know about the catholic church, you would not call my comments about mama hate. You would call it a warning.
If anyone hates anyone, it is the catholic church. And my comments are not just base on what has been in the media in just the past few years. I use to be a catholic, so I know what I'm talking about whether if that hurts people feelings or not. And I wasn't misinformed as a catholic either.
As for people being illegals in this country, the issue is not base on whether or not they are catholics. Some people are trying to play the issue like some "race card" out of the convenience of the moment because most people know that most people that come from South of the Border are catholic.
I agree with the comments made by imasis2 (5 above me).
It was on the news today, 9-7-07, that the average illegal gets as much as $21,000 a year from tax payers in the NY area. Ponder that! And there are people in this country who work full time that don't even make that kind of money and you have the nerve to call all of this anti-catholic? Like I have said before, it really does boil down to who's kidding whom?
2007-09-06 11:01:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋
In current times there is more concern about illegal immigrants causing crime, keeping wages low and stressing our welfare and educational systems. Also there is the failure to assimilate and learn English. Religion is far down on the list of concerns.
If you read about the wave of Irish immigrants after the potato famine (1845 ff) you will note that they were not particularly welcome here, and that many sailed first to Canada and came to the US from there. They had similar negative influences on the citizenry of those days and anti Catholicism was more prevalent, especially from the "Know Nothings" and later the Ku Klux Klan.
2007-09-06 11:09:55 · answer #7 · answered by greydoc6 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No one is anti-legal immigrant. Many are anti-illegal immigrant.The anti immigrant sentiment is caused by the burden illegal aliens put on real citizens. We have to pay for illegals to get health care, for illegals to get educated and for companies to make bilingual labels for all their products (the cost gets passed on to the consumer). It is also caused by illegals stealing social security numbers. It is a main cause of identity theft!
2007-09-06 11:00:13 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The direct reason could be that maximum unlawful immigrants are Hispanic and for this reason Catholic there could be an enhance in Catholics because of the fact the Hispanic inhabitants greater suitable. This BTW particularly does'nt be counted in the event that they are legal or no longer. I purely relies upon on wording and who you opt to piss off in the present day. i think of a greater maximum suitable assertion could be. As Hispanic inhabitants will enhance so does the share of Catholics to different religions. purely like if greater Asian human beings began shifting right here it may stand to reason that the Buhdist inhabitants could advance to.
2016-10-04 02:53:08 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
´¨For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew - or a Quaker - or a Unitarian - or a Baptist … Today I may be the victim - but tomorrow it may be you - until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national peril.´´
- JFK, Irish, Catholic.
... and how much greater is this ¨national peril¨ today in 2007 compared to Kenedy´s time?
2007-09-06 14:30:04 · answer #10 · answered by the good guy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These days, I don't think it's so much that. But in earlier times, when eithnic groups like Italians and Irish were largely immigrants, yes. Most of the criticism I see on Catholicism from other Christians today comes down to silly claims like "they worship statues", "they worship Mary", "they put the Pope above God", etc.
2007-09-06 10:59:46 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋