[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Anti-catholicism was justified in the past, back in the days when Popes issued papal bulls calling for the oppression of ‘heretics’ and compelling adherents of the Catholic faith to turn against any government or ruler that was not Roman Catholic. It gave ideological support to the concept of monarchical absolutism and theocratic despotism. I fully understand why the Whigs of old equated ‘Popery’ with slavery.

That said, that was the Catholic Church of old, back in the days when the Pope got far too involved in temporal affairs. It is different now, and the Catholic Church of today is for the most part a force for good with a moral influence and authority that acts as a check on the worst excesses of secular government, but it wasn’t always so.

[Hugin]

I’m happy to put that past behind us. There are some Catholics (and others) who want to pretend it never happened though, and portray all anti-Catholicism of the past as simple bigotry akin to racism.

[plain talk]

I think your comments are reasonable. I would say most modern-day anti-Protestantism and anti-Catholicism is just simple bigotry. There is justifiable rationale for either side to prefer their theology over the others but these “battles” get far too personal and irrational IMO

[kalee]

Placemarker

[wardaddy]

Decent post.

[Elsie]

Anti-catholicism was justified in the past, back in the days when Popes issued papal bulls calling for the oppression of ‘heretics’ and compelling adherents of the Catholic faith to turn against any government or ruler that was not Roman Catholic. It gave ideological support to the concept of monarchical absolutism and theocratic despotism.

Thank GOD that at least the Catholic DOCTRINE was being kept pure!