I'm an atheist, but I have to ask this question: does it bother anyone else when people say...?

Question

that Catholics aren't Christians, or aren't "real" Christians? Do these people know nothing about their history? Don't they know what people were protesting when they became "Protestants?" Do they realize there are a few books missing from the KJV of the Bible?

Answer 1

absolutely, this is one thing that really angers me and also really confuses me. I find it completely ridiculous how people can find it so offensive that some other church would dare teach different doctrine than theirs. So not only will all atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, etc...go straight to hell for not being Christian, all sects of Christianity who aren't a member of THEIR sect will also go to hell? Do they really think God is that exclusive? Who gave them the authority to decide that anyway?

Answer 2

No it doesn't bother me. Actually there is vast truth in your question. Over the years catholics have allowed all sorts of heretical doctrines to creep into their theology, such as the Pope, praying to "saints", angels and Mary instead of God Himself (the only answerer of prayer), Idols in their places of worship, infant baptism, denial of the need to be born again spiritually which Christ Himself said was necessary, asking a priest for forgiveness instead of God Himself and the priest then gives "penance" which is completely unchristian. God forgives a repentant person completely, immediately and without any need for penance and then there is big one, forbidding the right to marry which is a great evil and one that the apostle Paul said would be a sign of the godlessness of the last days. If one reads the bible and then measures it against the catholic church it is easy to see where they are ignoring passages in the bible that they don't like or conflict with their beliefs. In regards to the bible and "missing books" in the KJV, catholic leaders in the past have added what is called the Apocrypha. There are no missing books in the Bible, which is a collection of books written by prophets of God who were under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Apocrypha is a collection of books which the catholics say are divinely inspired and have later added to the already complete work of the Bible but no one else believes that the Apocrypha is true scripture. I have read them and there is a vast difference in the apocrypha than the proper versions of the Bible. If someone wants to call themselves a true Christian then they must follow the teachings of Christ, not the rules and regulations of a church or denomination. It is not that people hate catholics, it is a matter of their beliefs clearly differing from the tenets of christianity as laid out in the Bible.

Answer 3

Actually my copies of KJV include the Catholic Apocrypha.

The Anti Catholic hatred seems to be a peculiar feature of American Fundamentalism. It is expressed most strongly by The Bible Believers group with Chick publications as their holey scriptures. These people also seem to have close ties to religious terrorists and Neo-Nazi hate groups like Christian Identity and Northern White Pride.

Answer 4

Protestants and Catholics follow the same god, but have different rituals and requirements. The two aren't the same religion (in practice).

If you want to get right down to it, the Judaic, Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim religions would be about the same God. Their practices are all quite different though, so they differentiate from eachother.

I've been in both Catholic and Protestant churches, and was raised in a Protestant home. Based on what I was taught Catholics wouldn't follow Christianity. Protestants believe Jesus is the path to heaven, that he's forgiveness. Catholics have their purgatory, limbo, confession, prayers to Mary, saints, Hail Mary's etc etc. For them to believe the same thing as the Protestants, they would have to believe the confessions aren't necessary, because they're already forgiven.

The beliefs are different, so each side will argue that they aren't "real" Christians. Doesn't matter much if they're both wrong, however.

Answer 5

Yes because a Christian is anyone who follows the teachings of Jesus. Christianity is made up of so many different sects and yet they are all considered Christians(Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox churches, etc) and still they fight amongst themselves.Sad really.

Answer 6

Yup it bothers me it is a "no true Scotsman" fallacy, they use it to distance themselves from any member of their religion who has "fallen from grace". By the same logic, any ex-christian is considered to have never been a true christian at all, they also use it for criminals and people of different political or moral views.

Answer 7

Most Christians are woefully ignorant of their church's history and the Bible's actual contents. It's not entirely their fault, though - churches have been hiding the facts from and brainwashing their members for centuries, and people are just now being educated and enlightened, thanks in part to the internet and cable/satellite TV.

Answer 8

well considering that if you point out that such and such who did horrible things was a xian they say "Oh but they aren't a true christian!" it's not that surprising

and here I thought believing that jesus christ was the son of god was the only requirement!

You could point out that the only reason protestantism got were it did was because Henry VIII wanted a divorce

that really annoys them

Answer 9

This is what going to pull ur finger. Atheist are not, Jesus love u, believe it or not, one day everyone will, "i say will" stand before him and give an account of there life thay live on earth. Believe or not, it can't change nothing.

Answer 10

My father is Catholic... my mother is Christian. They are in the same religion. No real difference.