First, the fact that he refers to Catholics as Roman Catholics does not mean that he was not Catholic in the first place. What it means is that, due to his current beliefs, he runs in circles within which the Catholic Church is known as the Roman Catholic Church. It is common among many Protestants, even former Catholics. Catholics don't realize that Protestants recite the Nicene Creed and acknowledge, "One holy catholic and apostolic Church," just like Catholics do. Obviously a Protestant is not going to believe that your Catholic Church represents the catholic Church in which they believe, so they are going to distinguish between the two. As I stated in another post, rather than taking offense Catholics ought to see it as an opportunity to intimately link "Catholicity" with being in communion with Rome if that is what you believe. But don't assume that someone who converts from your Church would never use the term "Roman Catholic" to distinguish between their current beliefs and the beliefs they left. The Protestant faith is not defined by Catholic paradigms.
Second, as I pointed out in post 225, there are very real reasons why someone with a Protestant outlook might refer to the Catholic veneration of Mary as being "Mary worship." In outlooks that are based in Calvinist theology, hyperdulia DOES infringe into the area of worship defined as belonging to God alone. From a Catholic point of view there is a distinction between latria, hyperdulia, and dulia but Calvinism sees such distinctions as being false. When people convert from Catholicism to a Calvinist theology (or visa-versa) there is necessarily a paradigm shift. Your arguments as to why this individual could not have possibly have been a Catholic ignores this essential fact - a person who has shifted from one worldview to a different worldview simply is not going to look at his old worldview in the same way that he did when he was in it. Any Catholic convert from Protestantism will tell you that his views of Protestantism are not the same as they were when he was a Protestant. It works the other way around too.
As for respecting religious beliefs, I very much agree. As a Protestant, however, I find it saddening when Catholics who are rightly indignant when they perceive their beliefs to be attacked turn around and begin to lash out against beliefs I hold near and dear to my heart just because they want to get back at a handful of individuals they believe are slighting them. That's not a discussion or debate - it's mean-spirited and childish.
Thanks for the post. I see your point, and while I can not be 100% certain, his story just seems false to me.
I have many Protestant friends and I am respectful of their beliefs as I am of yours. I would never “lash out” at someones religion.
I was just giving my opinion of the article. It doesn’t ring true to me.
they are going to distinguish between the two
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Quite fittingly and logically, of course . . .
which the more fiercely rabid hereon work very hard to try and prevent us from doing.
LOL.