[ECUMENICAL] For My Non-Catholic Readers

Crossed The Tiber ^ | 12/29/2010 | Russ Rentler

[markomalley]

This is a re-post of a previous blog but it warrants repeating. From time to time I get non-Catholics who read the blog and invite me to read their blogs in the hopes I will decide to convert. They believe they are being obedient  to "preach the gospel in season and out."  The presupposition with some of  these individuals is that Catholicism is a false religion or a "false gospel" .  The fact that a person would believe Catholicism is false clearly indicates that they have never studied what Catholicism is all about from a Catholic perspective. It is easy to draw a caricature of what Catholicism is based on myths, lies, distortions. After all, this has been going on for the past 500 years and the purveyors of falsehood have had an abundant amount of time to perfect their attacks.

What I can tell you is that when a person  begins to read what the Church actually says about itself and its doctrines, the scales often fall from their eyes and the Holy Spirit brings them Home. I was one of those.

So, once again, for my readers who believe Catholicism is false:

Did you ever ask yourself why you hate Catholicism so much?
 Who taught me what I think I know about the Catholic Church? Is what I was taught true? Have I looked at what the Catholic Church has to say about itself, using official resources such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal encyclicals? Could my opinion of the Catholic Church possibly be based on bias, bigotry, bad history, propaganda from the secular media, or the bad priests who get publicity (i.e., the sick, and sickening, pedophile priests or those certain heretical modernist priests the secular media love to give press to)? Is it fair to judge doctrine by such things? Is any group with human beings in it free from sin and scandal? If I am wrong about the Catholic Church, what does that mean?

Here are some common myths about the Catholic Church:

• Because Catholics reject the tradition of "sola fide" ("faith alone"), they think they can work their way into Heaven and believe they are saved by works . WRONG

• Catholics think the pope does not sin . WRONG

• Catholics re-crucify Christ at their Masses (or at least think they do) WRONG

• Catholics think Mary is part of the Godhead and is to be worshipped WRONG

• Catholics worship statues WRONG (for the 150th time on this blog) WRONG

• Catholics think they can't pray to God directly but have to go through saints WRONG

• Catholics conjure the dead WRONG

• Catholics believe people can be saved after they die  WRONG

• The Catholic Church teaches that one who isn't formally a Catholic is damned to Hell WRONG

• The Crusades are an example of Catholic aggression WRONG

• The Inquisition(s) killed hundreds of thousands of people and targeted Jews WRONG

• Pope Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope" and didn't do a thing to help Jews during WWII WRONG

• The Catholic Church wasn't around until the time of Constantine, a pagan who controlled the Church. WRONG

• The Catholic Church did more than baptize pagan calendar days for the good of Christ, it is pagan in its very roots. WRONG

If you believe any of the above myths, I implore you to research. For doctrinal questions, ask the Church what it teaches; it's the only fair thing to do. For historical questions, look at balanced and objective scholarly research from a variety of sources (including Catholic ones). And as you research, keep in mind the common logical fallacies that are often used in attacks against Catholicism:

Generalization: "I knew a Catholic/ex-Catholic (or I was a Catholic) who was (mean, a drunk, not holy, didn't like the Church, was superstitious, didn't know the Bible, didn't have a deep relationship with Jesus, etc.), so therefore, the teachings of the Catholic Church are wrong." (Ignores the fact that bad catechesis, misunderstandings, or other shortcomings of a few Catholics do not reflect on what the Catholic Church teaches)

Bifurcation:"If the Catholic Church doesn't teach that it's faith alone that saves, then it must teach that men are saved by their own works." (Ignores that we teach that we are saved by Grace alone -- a Grace with which we must cooperate through "faith that works in love")

Cum hoc ergo propter hoc (with this, therefore because of this): "Winter Solstice is on 21 December; Christmas is 25 December. Therefore, Christmas is a pagan holiday. (Ignores that fact that there are only 365 days to choose from in a year and that the early Church Fathers had good reasons to choose the date they did. It also ignores that Protestants' "Reformation Day" is celebrated on 31 October, the pagan festival of Samhain.)

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this): "Constantine must have been the real source of the Catholic Church's teachings because after his reign the Church grew tremendously, and before his reign it wasn't as well-known" (Ignores the simple fact that Constantine merely stopped the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan and allowed Christianity to spread. It also ignores the writings of the Church Fathers who lived before Constantine -- and who were Catholic.)

Straw man: "You guys worship statues, and that's evil. Therefore, your religion is Satanic." (Ignores that fact that we don't worship statues)

(comes From FISHEATERS WEBSITE)

[presently no screen name]

The Catholic Church is Pro-Word AND Pro-Tradition, and Pro-Magisterium.

I read that one sentence only for that is enough. Being Pro-Word is the absence of tradition and man. Can't serve two masters.

[Natural Law]

"And that's where I stopped reading..."

It's not like ignorance of the subject has any impact on ones ability to intelligently comment on a thread....LOL.

[wintertime]

Did you ever ask yourself why you hate Catholicism so much?
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Uh?...I'd say this is a flaming strawman. This is a, “When did you stop beating your wife?”, type of question.

Because I think **some** aspects of Catholicism are false enough that I choose not to be a member does NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT mean that I hate Catholicism.

In fact, I would be **thrilled** if all the Catholics in the U.S. actually practiced and completely believed **all** of their religion and raised thoroughly educated their children in their faith. Can you imagine how much better off the nation would be? ( Could we start with Notre Dame?)

[wintertime]

I was belittled by Protestants my entire life through grade school and high school.
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Compulsory, collectivist, Prussian-model, government schools share much of the same social pathology as PRISONS!!

Maybe, if you were mistreated there, the prison-like school is to blame. If children are treated like prisoners you will see the same types of bullying that is found in prisons.

[Natural Law]

"I was belittled by Protestants my entire life through grade school and high school."

We Catholics were outnumbered when I was in school, but there was never any real belittling of Catholics. There were too many big Catholic Pollocks, Micks, Honkeys, Swiss, Krauts and Wops ready to defend the faith with bare knuckles.......

[vladimir998]

Salvation is right: Fisheaters is very conservative.

[Vegasrugrat]

Sorry, you need to spend some time in history and even much more time in Biblical scripture.

God Bless

[Rashputin]

( Could we start with Notre Dame?)

Princton, Yale, Harvard, Vanderbilt; it seems like no denomination can keep a university from becoming a chithole. No one stood up to the beat generation who then left the completion of their work to the boomer generation, who love the current result which is a huge propaganda machine that doesn't waste any time with actual education.

The Catholics should take their name off of Notre Dame and Georgetown both if they aren't going to force them to reflect the teachings of the church. How can Georgetown cover up religious symbols and artwork because Barry wants them to then retain any connection with the church? I don't get it.

Regards

[Salvation]

I guess you were fortunate. There was no Catholic School in my area when I was growing up. Oh, how I wish there had been one!

[Campion]

And in spite of the heresy found in Rome His church is thriving among Baptists, PCA, URCNA, LCMS and countless other Bible preaching churches.

Which of those churches you mention is truly "Bible preaching," Gamecock? If you want to answer "all of them," then do you hold that the Bible contradicts itself?

Because, for example, the LCMS and the PCA, on the one hand, and all Baptists, on the other, disagree on infant baptism. Baptists don't agree with other Baptists on Calvinism vs. Arminianism. The LCMS and the PCA don't agree on double predestination.

So if everyone in your list is "Bible preaching," I have to conclude that the Bible can't make up its mind on some pretty important stuff.

Then again, maybe your premise, that Rome is wrong, is really what's wrong.

[metmom]

What do you mean, *What is different here*?

I was belittled more by my fellow Catholics at that age than any of the Protestants I knew.

But if speaking out against falsehood is *hating* then Jesus must have been the biggest hater of the bunch. He spoke out against false doctrine every chance He got. He wouldn’t stand a chance with some of the victims like this author running around this world.

[presently no screen name]

I noticed post 33 was deleted before I got a chance to read it. Do we know why?

This thread is filled with back-handed slights at Protestants.

IMO, what else is new from the Anti-Word sect.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Can’t serve two masters.”

Okay. Is scripture your master or is God your master? I will assume that only God is your master. Does that mean you ignore scripture? No, you keep that because it comes from God. If that’s the case, and it is, then why can’t someone learn the truth from scripture and tradition? It doesn’t mean have two masters. It means having one Master show communicates to us in more than one way.

[metmom]

He obviously had nothing valid to say or wouldn’t have started with a loaded *Have you stopped beating your wife yet?* kind of question right out of the gate.

There was no point in reading any further. Seen it before and knew what to expect.

[sayuncledave]

Exactly. That’s why we serve the Lord. Get over your prejudice long enough to recognize that while you believe (and I stress that word for your sake) one thing, 1.x billion Catholics believe another. And that which they believe is Jesus Christ. NOT YOU!

[presently no screen name]

LOL!! And FR is a conservative site.

GOD’S WORD REIGNS - it ALWAYS was and ALWAYS will be.

It’s all about JESUS, The Word and not about Catholics hurt feelings. The cry of liberalism.

[wintertime]

Princton, Yale, Harvard, Vanderbilt; it seems like no denomination can keep a university from becoming a chithole.
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I absolutely agree!

My earliest ancestor came to the U.S. in 1630. Several generations of my direct ancestors were educated at Dartmouth. They would be horrified to see what is coming out of that institution today.

[wintertime]

I attended 10 years of Catholic schools based on the Prussian model.

It was no picnic, believe me! Just one alpha girl in a class ( and all classes had one) can terrorize every girl in the class.

[Vegasrugrat]

Bible scripture is the Word of God so they are one and the same. God = Bible Scripture.

This is the concept that Catholics do not understand nor do the majority believe, but...there are some within who look beyond and believe.

[presently no screen name]

It doesn’t mean have two masters. It means having one Master show communicates to us in more than one way.

Because there is ONLY ONE WAY - JESUS who is The Word!