Why Catholics are hated by protestant christians?

[HRDJ]

Sorry for a somewhat alarming title.

but this bugs me so much that I even have doubts about my Protestant Christian faith.

I love being a Protestant. I was approached by Protestant Christians and found the way. They have saved me from my old self and showed me the path of the light. I was baptized as Protestant and love Jesus Christ. I strive to live the life that befits the gift of the God.

Then here in my church, I hear people calling Catholics as heresy. I asked them, why they are heresy. I asked them why Catholics are heresy. Then people said they believe in Mary (WHich is not true based on my knowledge.) and they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus (which can be debatable. Who am I to judge their relationship with Jesus? Who are we to judge that? Isn't it solely for Jesus to judge?) The issues of Pope was also came up, but then Jesus did say to Peter that he will be the leader of Jesus's church? I am not saying Peter is Jesus or Pope is Jesus (and I am sure Catholics are not saying that either). But as a pastor of a church have the authority to teach the bible, doesn't the Pope also have that power as the leader of the church? Why is he so hated? Because he has a lot of power and money?

I still had my doubts about such a hate and refusal to know about Catholics in the Protestant Church.
The more I research about this issues, more I see is hates disguised as an argument.

To be honest, it is a bit sickening to see such a misguided hates among some (SOME, not all) of Protestant Christians.

Then again, all the people I have talked with who said Catholics are heresy have been believers of Jesus for longer than me. So I am wondering if there is any reasons that is acceptable and not from misguided information or hate, that tells me why Catholics are heresy?

If I marry a Catholic man, should I have religious conversion because the bible said I must treat my husband as my head and have him as the leader of the religion of my house?


I am sorry for this hard questions and could be causing some problems.
If this question offends anyone, I will take it down.

Sorry in advance.

 

[Rescued One]

Why would you say we hate Catholics? God told us to love everyone. Some people hate false doctrine and that is mistaken as hate for people who believe false doctrine. Other people may be Christians who need to learn to obey the commandments. Still others may claim to be Christians (or think they are) yet not be Christians. If the church you attend seems hateful of other people, I'd suggest that you find a different church.

 

[Winken]

I'm not aware of an authentic Christian hating anyone, including Catholics. There are differences in the "belief systems," if you will. My POV is that Catholics look to structuralism to guide their faith. My Faith is simple, child-like, minus structure.

Rather than engage in unhealthy debates with members of your fellowship, ask it to provide a healthy study group for the differences, all without doubt or animosity.

Be blessed as you Spiritually approach the question.

 

[Darkhorse]

"Hated" is a strong word, especially when applied to Christians.

Before I met my wife, about a third of my girlfriends were Catholics;

My wife was raised Catholic, but found some other denominations more to her liking. Some of her family is still Catholic;

Historically, Catholic-Protestant conflicts have gotten very ugly, but that seems to be behind us, even in northern Ireland.

Do you really find hatred for Catholics among sincere Protestants? I don't.

 

[Rescued One]

...

If I marry a Catholic man, should I have religious conversion because the bible said I must treat my husband as my head and have him as the leader of the religion of my house?


I am sorry for this hard questions and could be causing some problems.
If this question offends anyone, I will take it down.

Sorry in advance.

Catholics shouldn't marry Protestants and Protestants shouldn't marry Catholics. The Protestant parent has to agree to raise the children in the Catholic church. Catholics pray the rosary to Mary and the Father. They also pray to many of the saints. A lot of what Catholics teach is not in the Bible.

They believe that the Eucharist/Communion wafer is God and worship the wafer. In the Vatican, the faithful Catholics have kissed the feet of a Saint Peter statue millions of times and when I was there I could see that his toes were wearing away.

I'll let another Protestant take it from there.

 

[Basil the Great]

I keep seeing threads like this now and then. A Pentecostal posted one a few days ago. For starters, hate is a strong word and no Christian who hates is much of a Christian. Having said that, it does bother me that too many Protestants view Catholics as heretics or something close to that. These Protestants are mostly Fundamentalists, though some we could maybe call Evangelicals. (The terms are somewhat overlapping.) The Mainline Protestants like Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian and United Church of Christ would rarely consider Catholics as heretics.

I will not list all of the disagreements here. However, the main complaint that conservative Protestants express in threads about Catholics is that they consider Catholicism to teach a form of salvation by works, instead of by faith alone. However, I said expressed a week or so ago, this claim is misleading at the very least and probably unfair. The Catholic faith teaches that no one is saved apart from the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and faith in Him and in His Church, either explicit or implicit faith. Now Catholics believe that good works are very important for them, partly to help make up for their sins committed here on Earth, so as they can get to Heaven sooner after death. Catholicism teaches that Purgatory exists after death to purge one of sins still attached to the soul, prior to entrance into Heaven. However, none of these good works have anything to do with the salvation of Catholics, as that is secured if they die without any unconfessed grave/mortal sin on their soul. The only part that the good works play would be in terms of shortening the time that one would have to wait before being admitted to Heaven.

As to the Bible and the husband being the head of the household, I do not believe that such means that you should be forced to convert against your conscience. Many mixed marriages have taken place and have succeeded, especially since the Vatican II Ecumenical Council in the 1960's, when the Catholic Church authoritatively taught for the first time that Protestants and Orthodox Christians do have a chance at salvation, even if they do not join the visible Catholic Church in this lifetime. Catholicism now teaches that Protestants and Orthodox are "separated brethren", by virtue that we do share a common bond in Baptism.

As far as the Catholic veneration of Mary, yes, this is one of the most significant differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, but if does not mean that Catholics do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. To the contrary, devout Catholics believe that they meet Jesus personally every Sunday when they partake of Holy Communion/the Eucharist.

I understand the concerns of Fundamentalists and Evangelicals. However, the fact remains is that the beloved Rev. Billy Graham, the most famous and successful Evangelical preacher in modern times, accepted Catholics as brothers and sisters in Christ way back in the 1950's! It seems to me that we are now in the year 2017 or about 60 years after Dr. Graham's move. I think it is now time for all to quit thinking of Catholics as heretics. We do not have to agree on everything, to realize that Jesus is Lord and Savior of all Christians.

 

[FireDragon76]

It just depends on what Protestant group we are talking about.

This last Sunday was Christ the King Sunday, and our pastor quoted from Pope Pius XI, since that feast day was instituted by the same Pope, and us mainline Protestants happen to borrow more or less the same calendar as Catholics. So here we have Lutherans celebrating the feast day instituted by a post-Reformation Pope. I found that to be a moment of grace in an otherwise often dreary world, that ancient wounds are starting to be healed and we can recognize what is good and right in each other. The church should be a place where reconciliation happens, we should not celebrate division for its own sake.

One of the women that sometimes drives us home is a Roman Catholic. She goes to church with her Lutheran family just because she likes the church - we don't ask her to stop being Roman Catholic to have a basic level of fellowship with us, but she still goes to Catholic Mass sometimes with her husband, so that is understandable.

On the most important doctrines, Catholics are in more substantial agreement with us than many other churches.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I think that it's best in the first instance to immerse oneself in the study of the Scriptures - particularly what they teach about the Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ - and only then be so concerned with the more subjective he said/she said aspects. I sincerely hope you find the really good answers to your questions in God's Word.

 

[Basil the Great]

Catholics shouldn't marry Protestants and Protestants shouldn't marry Catholics. The Protestant parent has to agree to raise the children in the Catholic church. Catholics pray the rosary to Mary and the Father. They also pray to many of the saints. A lot of what Catholics teach is not in the Bible.

They believe that the Eucharist/Communion wafer is God and worship the wafer. In the Vatican, the faithful Catholics have kissed the feet of a Saint Peter statue millions of times and when I was there I could see that his toes were wearing away.

I'll let another Protestant take it from there.

The requirement for the Protestant parent to agree to have the children raised as Catholics ended with the Vatican II Council in the 1960's, as it was deemed to be a violation of conscience or something like that. Still, where the future children will attend church is a concern that mixed couples need to think about and hopefully address prior to marriage.

 

[~Anastasia~]

You will find varying levels of tolerance for one another in various groups of Christians.

I think the main reason for such great animosity when it happens (and it does happen - you can even see it on CF though it's against the rules here) ... the main reason is that some Protestants have been given misinformation about what Catholics do and believe, or at the least they don't understand and make assumptions.

There are writers out there who have made it their business on pretext of "exposing" errors (of not only Catholics but sometimes other groups are the targets) and this information is often skewed, at best, and sometimes it is sadly outright fabricated, and appears to be done with malicious intent, which ought not to be. But God alone judges.

It is not the easiest thing for a Catholic and Protestant to marry, at least not a devout Catholic and a serious Protestant who belongs to a denomination of the radical reformation. At the very least both should undertake religious education and come to terms beforehand. (Making sure that infatuation wasn't coloring perceptions.)

When people have sincere and civil discussion, they can learn what one another believe and why. If they end up disagreeing at least they can do so on informed grounds and while still maintaining love for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

I say this as neither Catholic nor Protestant (I'm Orthodox) but I was raised Protestant.

Many of the same things can be said between Baptists and Pentecostals, for example, or some other divisions within Christianity.

 

[amariselle]

Catholics shouldn't marry Protestants and Protestants shouldn't marry Catholics. The Protestant parent has to agree to raise the children in the Catholic church.

This is the reason my mother left the Catholic Church when she married my Lutheran father. The priest had told my father (this was before my parents had any children) that he wouldn't marry them unless my father signed a document promising to raise any future children they had in the Catholic Church.

Catholics pray the rosary to Mary and the Father. They also pray to many of the saints. A lot of what Catholics teach is not in the Bible.

Agreed, and it's unfortunate that many see such statements as "hate." I simply encourage anyone who wants to know for themselves what the Catholic Church teaches, to research and study official resources. (Something I continue to do).

They believe that the Eucharist/Communion wafer is God and worship the wafer.

Yes, through "Transubstantiation." One of the major aspects of Catholicism I disagree with. (Not all Catholics agree either, however, which is why we need to look at what is official doctrine and tradition, as these things we can study.)

In the Vatican, the faithful Catholics have kissed the feet of a Saint Peter statue millions of times and when I was there I could see that his toes were wearing away.

Troubling for sure. I often wonder what my grandparents believed regarding such practices.

I'll let another Protestant take it from there.

I just wish we could seriously discuss issues without being labeled "Catholic bashers" or accused of "hating Catholics. I don't hate Catholics at all. I still have family and friends who are Catholic and I care about any love them very much.

 

[ViaCrucis]

It just depends on what Protestant group we are talking about.

This last Sunday was Christ the King Sunday, and our pastor quoted from Pope Pius XI, since that feast day was instituted by the same Pope, and us mainline Protestants happen to borrow more or less the same calendar as Catholics. So here we have Lutherans celebrating the feast day instituted by a post-Reformation Pope. I found that to be a moment of grace in an otherwise often dreary world, that ancient wounds are starting to be healed and we can recognize what is good and right in each other. The church should be a place where reconciliation happens, we should not celebrate division for its own sake.

One of the women that sometimes drives us home is a Roman Catholic. She goes to church with her Lutheran family just because she likes the church - we don't ask her to stop being Roman Catholic to have a basic level of fellowship with us, but she still goes to Catholic Mass sometimes with her husband, so that is understandable.

On the most important doctrines, Catholics are in more substantial agreement with us than many other churches.

To add, apparently A Mighty Fortress is found in many Catholic hymnals and isn't uncommonly sung. Many Catholics are surprised to discover that A Mighty Fortress was written by Luther, and some are a bit perplexed by its inclusion; but then on the more "institutional" side of things, Catholics and Lutherans have been getting along far better the last few decades then ever before--that alone is worth celebrating.

The sad fact is that many Protestants entirely miss the point of the Reformation.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Albion]

I have to agree with my friends, HRDJ. What you've described doesn't seem to amount to hate so much as disagreement; and the Catholics you meet are every bit as ready--probably moreso--to label Protestant beliefs as "heresy" and worse.

But one reason that you may think there's Protestant hate is because your post shows that you've adopted some Catholic errors yourself and so assume that, when your hear them criticized, you think the people doing the criticizing are irrational haters.

 

[FireDragon76]

The only Catholics that are quick to label Protestants as heretics now days are not very well versed in their own faith and its official teachings, in my experience.

Vatican II was a change in Catholic approach to other religions: it moved the faith away from scholasticism and the resultant polemicism, and adopted some of the theological insights that had been worked out based on phenomenology and the study of the early Church, which lead to more honest dialogue with Protestants.

Protestantism is primarily a spirituality for laymen, whereas Catholicism is primarily oriented towards monasticism. Both are gifts in themselves and are an acceptable diversity in the People of God. Lutherans do not condemn monasticism as a vocation for those who are genuinely called, and Catholics do not deny that laity also have a duty to live a holy life.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Contrary to perhaps popular belief, disagreement does not constitute hatred. The only thing labeling disagreement as hatred does is attempt to stifle disagreement.

 

[Jonathan Leo]

Religon causes wars. All religion is man made
Religion is mans way of trying to reach God the way man sees fit. It’s why there are a lot of false teaching.

Just recently I’m in a debate with a Catholic who thinks there is after life forgiveness of sins. Not once in the Bible does Jesus (which by the way is the truth and only way to heaven) mention another cahance at forgiveness of sins after we die.

You should see what religion has done to Northern Ireland over the years. If Catholic and Protestant whom both teach about a Jesus Christ, then why do he fight?? It’s because of your own beliefs and false doctrines. Jesus did not come so we could tear each other apart, so why do ye, who profess Him as lord, hate one another?? Because all religion is man made and subject to hatred from other religions

 

[lismore]

Sorry for a somewhat alarming title.
.

Hello Friend. I don't believe anyone hates Catholics, but are rather wary of the system of Catholicism.

I am a former Catholic. When many family members and I left the Catholic Church, after becoming born again, no longer able to go round in circles, many other family members shut off all contact and indeed many have gone to their graves ostracising us, spreading false rumours behind our back. A dear auntie never spoke to me again because I was no longer a Catholic.

Any system that can engender that level of vitriol in someone I believe is not of God.

I pray that are Catholics are blessed and lena towards the idea that they'll find that blessing when they leave the system of Catholicism.

God Bless

 

[lismore]

Hello Friend. I don't believe anyone hates Catholics, but are rather wary of the system of Catholicism.

I am a former Catholic. When many family members and I left the Catholic Church, after becoming born again, no longer able to go round in circles, many other family members shut off all contact and indeed many have gone to their graves ostracising us, spreading false rumours behind our back. A dear auntie never spoke to me again because I was no longer a Catholic.

Any system that can engender that level of vitriol in someone I believe is not of God.

I pray that are Catholics are blessed and lean towards the idea that they'll find that blessing when they leave the system of Catholicism.

God Bless

 

[FireDragon76]

You should see what religion has done to Northern Ireland over the years. If Catholic and Protestant whom both teach about a Jesus Christ, then why do he fight?? It’s because of your own beliefs and false doctrines. Jesus did not come so we could tear each other apart, so why do ye, who profess Him as lord, hate one another?? Because all religion is man made and subject to hatred from other religions

Northern Ireland's sad conflicts also involve politics and colonialism, not just religion per se.

 

[mmksparbud]

As an SDA, we are often accused of hating Catholics. We do not. It is true we are opposed to many Catholic doctrines, that is a far cry from disliking the people. I've had many Catholic friends over my lifetime. I've had one for nearly 30 years, we worked together for 20. My friend has nursed me through 2 months on a vent. in the hospital and one month in rehab while I learned how to do everything again. She brought me home, she cleaned my home, she brought me cooked food, she bought me groceries, and cleaned my yard over this past year. My husband was unable to help me much and was in the hospital himself. Had the situation been reversed, I would have done the same for her.
I would gladly give my life for her. She is Catholic-----oh, well, nobody's perfect!