The Last Acceptable Prejudice? Anti-Catholicism in the United States

American Magazine ^ | March 25,2000 | James Martin, S.J.,

[Theresa]

"And the leaders of Bob Jones University, where Gov. George. Bush appeared during his presidential campaign, call Pope John Paul II the "Anti-Christ," and the Catholic Church "satanic" and the "Mother of Harlots."

[Senator Pardek]

Welcome to Free Republic! Where attacks on Muslims are frowned upon, but attacks on Roman Catholics are "open to discussion!"

Disclaimer - I'm neither Muslim, Christian, or Jewish.

[Theresa]

"As Charles R. Morris noted in his recent book American Catholic, the real mainstreaming of the church did not occur until the 1950's and 1960's, when educated Catholics--sons and daughters of immigrants--were finally assimilated into the larger culture."

This is true in my experience. I remember well my Irish grandparents telling stories about moving from St. Louis to Dallas,Texas (the South). They needed to rent a house. One thing they learned quickly was not to ask if there was a Catholic Church nearby or they would not get a rental. They were also afraid of the Ku-Klux-Klan.

By the time I was in school in the early 50's things had gotten much better. Those stories were ancient history to me. But then one day, I was about 7 or 8 I met this other little girl and I told her I was Catholic. She said, "My daddy is Baptist and he says the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon and the anti-Christ." I was just stunned!! I felt like some of dog or something for a minute or two. It did not know what a whore was but it sure sounded terrible to me!! LOL.

Everything went along fine after that. I never ran into prejudice. Oh peers in my early 20's who would tease me because I was a naive Catholic girl. But it was mostly in good fun. And anyway, they were right.

Then about two years ago I told some Bible Christian friends I was Catholic and they said to me that I should read Jack Chick so I would know that the Catholic Church is a cult and the Whore of Babylon. I was just floored. I was shocked. And what's worse by this time I KNEW what a whore was!! (LOL) Never had any of my rights denied over being Catholic and that's not my complaint. Gosh we have prominet leaders in all walks of life who are Catholic, things are vastly improved. Ecumenical meetings with our Protestant brothers and sisters are the norm now. Still there is a current of anti-Catholicisim America, it is small but is rising again. Just do a search on the Internet and you can find Catholic bashing sites galore. I don't include doctrinal disagreement (no matter how vigourous)with Catholic bashing. But you can spot sites where The Catholic Chruch is actually feared, loathed and insulted not just disagreed with.

Why is it okay to bash groups because of thier faith and not okay to bash groups because of thier race or sexual orientation? Anti-Semitism is frowed on but not anti-Catholicism. It is a double standard and it is not right.

[harbingr]

My Favorite Cable TV Channel is:

EWTN

if you don't get it, you don't get it...

[Theresa]

Thanks for that. I do think there is Catholic bashing on FR. Not a whole lot but it is present and I am just trying to raise awareness.

[Rushian]

Much of the Catholic bashing is from so-called Catholic dissenting groups, usually headed by 'Catholic' priests, nuns, and theologians. Satan made good use of Martin Luther and Henry VIII, both 'good' Catholics, so why would Satan drop a successful strategy!

[Britton J Wingfield]

My sisters and I all went to Catholic school. I buy the Nun-zilla and boxing-nun type stuff as stocking stuffers every year, if I see one that is amusing.

Not to dismiss prejudice against Catholics, but Catholics are probably the biggest customers of this sort of thing.

BTW- The other day I saw a boxing-rabbi for sale. The nun could probably take him 2 out of 3 rounds.

[jrherreid]

One can readily venture into novelty stores and buy a "Boxing Nun" handpuppet

Hey! I like those things!

[jrherreid]

See post 8.

Ever get one of those glow-in-the-dark St Michael statues? I had one by my bed when I was a kid.

[jrherreid]

I remember a Calvinist friend of ours who always used to convince us that Catholics used to sacrifice babies on Halloween. One of her kids once tried to destroy a guardian angel statue we had because it was "a graven image".

[sockmonkey]

Hey! I like those things!

Me too! My daughter bought me a Nunzilla and the Boxing Nun about 4 years ago for stocking stuffers. About 7 months later, she became a postulant at Mother Angelica's, and now she is a cloistered Nun.

[harbingr]

Link to January EWTN Program Schedule:

EWTN TV Program Schedule

[Zorobabel]

Having attended Catholic grade school at Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt and Torment Parish, and been tutored by Sister Grizelda of the Most Holy Inquisition, I think a boxing nun is quite mild. LOL

[Theresa]

"My sisters and I all went to Catholic school. I buy the Nun-zilla and boxing-nun type stuff as stocking stuffers every year, if I see one that is amusing. "

Oh I agree. Geesh we used make fun of the nuns when I was at Ursuline Acadamy. And every year when it was time to sign yearbooks (Catholic yearbooks always have a picture of the current pope in them ) somebody would sign for the pope. One of my year books had the inscription, "Dear Theresa: Love ya, signed Johnny" by a picture of Pope John the XXIII. And I always liked Father Guido Sarducci on SNL. (Sometimes he got a little too nasty but generally he was funny.) I loved his "find the Pope in the pizza" bit. Who was that singer comedian who sang that song the Vatican Rag?:

Line up in that big processional.
Get into that small confessional.
Bow your head with deep respect.
And genuflect,genuflect,genuflect!!

I loved that!!

[jrherreid]

Who was that singer comedian who sang that song the Vatican Rag?

I think that was Tom Lehrer.

[Theresa]

Oh my gosh that's Sister Hedwinette!! Or is it Sister Agnesita? No....it's the dreaded Reverend Mother Borgia!!

[Theresa]

"Much of the Catholic bashing is from so-called Catholic dissenting groups, usually headed by 'Catholic' priests, nuns, and theologians. "

Well yeah but ya know it's not the same as when an outsider does it.

[jrherreid]

Also, from Envoy Magazine, Pat Madrid's Top Ten Catholic Pick-Up Lines:

10. May I offer you a light for that votive candle?

9. Hi there. My buddy and I were wondering if you would settle a dispute we're having. Do you think the word should be pronounced HOMEschooling, or homeSCHOOLing?

8. Sorry, but I couldn't help but noticing how cute you look in that ankle-length, shapeless, plaid jumper.

7. What's a nice girl like you doing at a First Saturday Rosary Cenacle like this?

6. You don't like the culture of death either? Wow! We have so much in common!

5. Let's get out of here. I know a much cozier little Catholic bookstore downtown.

4. I bet I can guess your confirmation name.

3. You've got stunning scapular-brown eyes.

2. Did you feel what I felt when we reached into the holy water font at the same time?

1. Confess here often?

[Theresa]

I like EWTN too. My step-daughters love Mother Angelica. They want to be nuns. Trouble is they are married and not Catholics. They were just so bummed when I told them they could not be nuns. I gave them each a rosary as a consolation prize. They were tickled pink! We all had a good laugh.

[harbingr]

Dear Zo,

I recommend the following Guilt and Torment reading list:

Guilt & Torment Reading List

I especially recommend Fr. F.X. Schouppe, S.J.'s book 'Purgatory - as Told by the Saints' (originally published in 1893, France)