Posted on 03/14/2007 6:37:02 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The idea that anti-Catholicism is a significant force in American life today is a complete canard, perpetrated by theologically and politically right-wing Roman Catholics--a minority among the Catholic laity--and aimed at anyone who stands up to the Church's continuing attempts to impose its values on all Americans.
The people who scream "anti-Catholicism" at every opportunity use the same tactics as right-wing Jews who charge that any criticism of Israeli policies is anti-Semitic. And just as the Jewish Right attacks liberal Jews, the Catholic Right attacks liberal Catholics as well as liberal non-Catholics.
The major organization promoting the falsehood that there is significant discrimination against Catholics is the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, whose president, William Donohue, has conned the news media into treating him as a "spokesman" for all American Catholics.
One of the biggest blind spots in much of the press's coverage of religion is that it tends to treat groups like "Catholics" and "evangelicals" as if their members marched in lockstep. In fact, there are liberal Catholics and conservative Catholics, just as there are liberal Protestant evangelicals and conservative fundamentalist evangelicals. Liberal Catholics have much more in common with liberal Protestants than they do with the kind of Catholics whom Donohue's organization claims to represent.
The majority of American Catholics, as demonstrated in repeated public opinion polls, reject the league's arch-conservative views on such matters as the separation of church and state (the league wants as much religious intrusion into government as possible); abortion rights; and stem cell research....
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.washingtonpost.com ...
If you have a substantive comment, I'd be interested in that, too.
I can't offer any, or else the Vast Protestant Conspiracy will hear it, and will kill me!
BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I agree and did anyone else pick up on the Anti Semitism in her tirade?
"Vast Protestant Conspiracy will hear it, and will kill me!"
In the words of those great blues men, Sonny and Terry, "he's got yo number and he kno's where yo lives, and he's got a warrant fer yo."
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Great post, wagglebee. Great post.
How bout non-Cathoic Christian? The term would include Protestants & non-Protestants alike.
I would hate to see what falls out of this Pinata!
Speaking for myself only ... I prefer to identify persons, places, and things by what they are, rather than by what they are not.
I think of cafeteria Catholics when I see that term. We don't consider ourselves missing, which prodigal implies.
Well said sir.
By trying to wrap a huge range of groups into a single term, you're already choosing to make that grouping into being about what it is not.
"Do you have a suggestion for a term to use for non-Catholic, non-Orthodox, non-Protestant Christians?"
Well, that would be me. I've just always assumed I was a non-denominational Christian. Denominations, who all do much good, seem to also separate the one body of Christ - Christians. I wonder if there were absolutely no traditions of any kind allowed to creep into His Word if we would all be unified. We'll know one day, upon His return.
Until then I'm searching for a shorter version of Non-denominational Christian - much too long a name.
Wagglebee I am in, "TOTAL AGREEMENT with Catholics on moral issues like abortion and homosexuality." And I know you are not my enemy. I also know others I read here are wonderful people. We just all see such a difference in His Word. One Book and so many different interpretations.
Mighty powerful statement BE! Did some single thing trigger your change of heart or was it a combination of things?
That would work for those who's church is not affiliated with any others, but leaves out those who belong to churches connected to various denominations. I'd actually go with catholic (lower case "c"), but think some might be confused or offended by it.
Beautiful! I'm saving this. :)
I believe and many of my non-Catholic FRiends here are in total agreement that the day is fast approaching when Catholics and our non-Catholic brethren will be sharing prison cells when we realize the absolute need to stand together against the evils in society.
I really have no problem with this at all. My only point is that if you want to go on the threads that get intense don't be quick to find offense. All too often the phrase "catholic bashing" comes out. If that spirited a discussion drives you to that thinking stay on the caucus threads.
Golly, I'm out for one day and come back to find that "Protestant" is a term of abuse now. When did this happen?
When I was a Presbyterian (until the late 1980's) it was simply understood that "Protestant" meant "not Catholic or Jewish." (In my suburban-American milieu, the Eastern Orthodox only existed in history class, sorry. Mormons were "Mormon.") The Navy base had a "Protestant Chapel," staffed by "Protestant chaplains," of various denominations. When it was the Episcopal chaplain's turn, you got an Episcopal liturgy. When it was the Baptist chaplain's turn, you got a rousing sermon with lots of Scripture references, and an occasional "Amen!" from the congregants of Baptist tradition. It kept the choir on their toes!
When I went to a Presbyterian-affiliated college, the university chapel, and it's Presbyterian chaplain, held a Protestant Sunday service. The Catholic Student Group had a visiting priest who held Mass on Sunday night. Jewish students had some social/cultural groups, but for religious activities they went to the nearby state university or a regular synagogue. (If we had Orthdox Christians of any sort, I'm afraid I didn't notice ...)
My parents would certainly be surprised to find that it's now unacceptable to describe their Presbyterian church as "Protestant." I'm sure the members of the other (sorry) Protestant churches in their community - the ones who have their joint (sorry) Protestant Easter sunrise service - would be equally surprised.
Is this a national trend, or an individual (sorry) crusade to stigmatize a useful, if not perfectly precise, distinction?
Yes.
There are only two sides, The Church and Her enemies.
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