why is there so much hate towards Catholics?

I came into this forum because I've recently come back into Catholacism, after a lapse of 3 years, and wanting to find varying educated discussions about the subject. However, what I'm mostly finding is so much hate and anger towards the christian faith. I don't understand it. I myself am not one to discriminate against any denomination as long as there is one objective truth. Because of this, I find it quite offensive that the vulgarity that comes along when talking about christianity is so apparent. I'm not even feeling these emotions as a catholic, but as a human being. When people say "all God's children" they aren't refering only to christians, but to ANYONE who chooses to accept it. If you don't then that's fine. But shouldn't it be fine too for the people who do choose to accept it?

 

I dont mean to offend you, but, My personal oppinion to why people "hate" catholics and christians is because the church has become a hipocritcal establishment. They preach that god loves everyone, but he hates the gays, the blacks, the jew, and everyone else that isnt a white supremsist. They say that you must love everybody but they start wars and again, they don't love everybody. But it's not just catholics though, it most modern churches. When you think about, all religion worships the same "god", whether, it's thousands of gods that all posses one aspect of the single god in others, its all the same.

It's all a bunch of bullshit and lies. Thats why I have lost faith in mainstream religion and do my own thing.

 

i seriously appreciate your honesty and reserve, and you didn't offend me so don't worry about that. But i'm really interested to explore this. I'm not trying to sound like a nerd or anything but I've gone to church for a long time. From a long line of practicing Catholics and I never heard anything about them hating blacks, jews, and anyone else that isn't a white supremacist. I'm just trying to put the idea out there that not all catholics are the same. And "god hates gays" is not the main point. I think every religion like you mentioned has it's flaws and no one is perfect. I struggle that fight so often when i think of why my gay friends can never be married in the church. it bugs me. but for me, I was raised in a home where my mother married my jewish father, has a bunch of black friends, and gay friends, and gay black friends...and I never saw anything weird about it.

And what recent war are you talking about specifically that Christians started?

 

Not that the christians started necessarily, but in almost every major war throughout history, religion has been a main, driving factor.

maybe you were brought up in a more liberal church, but in most churches I've been to, and most religious people I've talked to, there are alot of white (male) supremacy undertones. I've heard people rant about how jews are terrible and that god could never love them etc... (even though jesus was jewish). Ive heard people fight tooth and nail that jesus could never be anything other than white (even though he was born in the middle east). And the church is based on male dominance. All leaders of churches must be male, god must be a male, and the church originally put down every aspect of women so as to abolish paganism.

 

I guess that I hate xians because I've been fucked over by them so many times. I've found that the louder they proclaim their beliefs, the more immoral they are in their lives. I don't know if it's because they think they're so holy that the rules don't apply to them or they figure they can do whatever they want since they'll just ask for forgiveness. xianity is one of the most evil institutions in existance, IMO.

 

hate is a fairly stong word.

I believe there is a God.

Do you hate me?

 

I don't think it's hate towards catholics themselves, more the catholic church. Seeing as it's not exactly a squeaky clean establishment (Spanish Inquisition, Suppression of Liberation Theology in South America, Helping the spread of AIDS by condemning contraception, covering up instances of rape by priests) most catholics I've met are perfectly wonderful people. But I can't say the same about the Catholic Church.

 

Hate IS a strong word. And it's the correct one.

 

It just seems so useless to adhere to all the rules they have.Rules that can be changed at any time by anyone that happens to be the leader of any of these churches/cults.And they have the amazing ability to lead seperate lives -to act pious and tsk-tsk anything of which they don't approve,but turn right around and fuck people over in business.It's happened to me and I didn't appreciate the hypocrisy.Humans are just too subject to being followers and rationalising their and their masters mis-deeds.

 

And mark my words=when it becomes even more obvious the population of the earth is ALMOST to reach the breaking point--the pope,whomever he may be at the time,will suddenly,miraculessly find some obscure passage somewhere that birth control is ok and is what god wants.Not yet,but when it's to his/their advantage or to their disadvantage not to do so-it will happen.

 

Let's analyze that claim. What role did religion play in: the Greco-Persian wars, the Peloponnisian war, the Punic wars, the War of the Roses, the Hundred Years War,the Seven Years War, the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Boer War, the Crimean War, the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War,the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War? By circulating this kind of misinformation, are you contributing to the hate?

 

Catholicism is getting what it earned as is Christianity in general.

This faith has caused untold deaths and hardship, and this continues today, despite what you might believe to the contrary.

We see the tree. We see the tree is producing rotten fruit. You need to see this too.

When you do, you'll be ready to cut it down as we are.


x

 

i agree with the statement that the catholic church is for lack of better words "fucked up" sometimes. seriously, i do. idk about all your informations on the church starting a bunch of wars, but I do agree that the church should have been more involved in stopping the nazi's and abolishing slavery and things of that matter. Since the church stayed silent on those things..it really doesn't make Catholics look so hot. That was my problem for a really long time. As far as the masogonistic outlook, i also totally agree, but it wasn't only the catholic church that started that. That was started wayyyy before that. Stone ages..do you think there was equality between men and women? Doubt it. I do associate a lot of those "red-necks" or whatever with being bible thumpers and not practicing what they preach..and being racist and biggoted while they do it. It's not ok.. It's not even okay with the church, but what can people really do about the way people are gonna act?

 

If there is any doubt then why follow catholicism at all? Why follow any religion or tradition? You are what you are and you believe what you believe. Will catholicism change what you believe?

 

Why associate yourself with any particular religion exclusively, Catholicism or otherwise? All the world's spiritual traditions have profound messages to impart.

It would almost be equivalent to a student of marine biology declaring that they're only willing to learn about the subject by reading books published by one particular author. You are simply minimizing the possibility for enhanced understanding.

Travis

 

Good question. One tradition might seem more compelling than another, but we can learn from all of them.

 

Interesting analysis. Did anti Catholicism begin in the USA with an influx of irish and italian immigrants? Some argue yes because of the strong patriotic/nationalistc country that america is, people felt that Catholics allegience to a foregin power could be threatening.

But in response to your initial topic on why people seem anti Catholic here (although you post seemed more about just general anti christian-ness), I do tend to agree that it is the system that most people are brought up in and therefore rebel against. Also, people see what "Christians in government" do and therefore harbor their sentiments from that, as well as the way people like Ted Haggard act and act as spokespeople for our faith when they only represent a small portion of our faith.

Why people often cite Catholics as being bad. Sex scandals (that JP2 didn't do much to solve, Benedict saying things about Muslims being evil, Benedict being a "Nazi Pope", people who believe that the RCC started the holocaust when in fact they had saved a large number of German Jews and pushed for an Israeli state). Basically either hate directed at the Magisterium or at misinformation. Yes, it is more complicated than that, but that is what I find anti Catholicism directed towards.

 

that was the first post that i truly found thought provoking and well-informed. thank you.

 

One of my texts this semester in Uni is all primary sources from Christian history. One of the articles in there deals with Anti Catholicism in america

 

that sounds super interesting compared to my ethics class where i get penalized for even bringing up the idea of religion vs. ethical theory