One thing I’ve noticed with a lot of people on this website is hatred towards the Catholic Church, more so than any other religion, is this a by product of years of indoctrination from the JW’s? I am not trying to change or challenge anyone’s beliefs, but I started thinking about this after watching last nights episode of Big Love, one of the wives on that show allows her son to attend a Catholic school, but then starts talking about how crucifixes are demonic and how the church is full of evil, it reminded me of the way JW’s talk about the Catholic church. A while back I dated a girl who used to be a member of the world wide church of god or International church of Christ, I forget the name exactly but they hated the Catholic Church too, a lot of the way they kept track of their members was very much like JW’s. Anyway my point is, if you say Baptist, Protestant or Jewish, you don’t get much of a reaction but you say Catholic, and right away there is a loathing and they try to turn a religion into a demonic worship. Its so sad that some learned behavior is held on to by members and former members of religions who only have fear of the Catholic church so they feel a need to demonize a religion just because they can not trace their own history back as far, Mormons, JW’s, International church of God, etc.. They all only go back a very short time in history, yet each claim to be the true religion and true followers of Christ, when in fact most are formed from break away sects of previous religions who broke away from GUESS WHO the Catholic Church. I have 2 questions; If you have strong feelings against the Catholic Church, is it from personal experience or learned behavior from your old JW days? And have you ever attended or learned anything on your own about Catholics or just go on what you were told by those wonderful elders?
JW's vs Catholics
by Wordly Andre 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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drew sagan
Yep, a good number of people hold animosity towards the Catholic Church. JW especially like to use the Catholics as their own personal punching bag. Funny how they have become more and more like them in regards to their hierarchy.
With a Billion members worldwide it's no suprise there is going to be a lot of things people can find disagreement with. -
WTWizard
Here is one possible reason why the Catholic church gets a lot of hatred: They are structured like the Witlesses in a way. The Catholic church just has a lot more pomp and circumstance: popes, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and church ministers. The Witlesses have their hierarchy, too. President, Governing Body, traveling hounders, and congregation hounders.
The Witlesses, however, are the worse of the two. Why? They are in everyone's business. With the Catholic church, you do a sin and they try to make you feel guilty. The punishment is usually a set number of Hail Marys or Our Fathers--so less is at stake if they can't make up their minds about doctrine. The Witlesses believe in cutting off the offenders, cutting them off from family and friends and creating extra hardships.
The Witlesses also pry more. In the Catholic church, you have to confess the sin to the priest. With the Witlesses, they will investigate and guess. If they guess wrong, you get cut off and the hardships brought down on you. The Witlesses are also more likely to spy: Try buying a Christmas garland at a store where another Witless is shopping, and see how long it takes for Brother Hounder to come knocking on your door for a meeting. In the Catholic church, they really don't give a *$&^ unless you confess. (Plus, if you are a Catholic, you can buy that Christmas garland and not get a second look, since the fellow Catholic is just as likely to buy one).
Yes, the Catholic church started the first Dark Ages. The founder, St Augustine, legalized all knowledge into a set of rules, and what the Church said was the unchallengeable truth. Even if it was wrong (and it often was). For that, I am happy to lambaste the Catholic church. However, when the Witlesses lambaste the Church and then do their utmost to copy their sins, that doubles their accountability. The Witlesses, like the Catholic church, seeks to control all knowledge and make their doctrine the law. This could start the Second Dark Ages if they are not brought down before they get that chance. For that, plus that they are hypocritical, they deserve double the lambasting.
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Quandry
I have wondered all my life why people hated Catholics. I grew up in the bastion of "Southern Baptist" thinking in the deep south. I remember when everyone was appalled by the election of JFK to the Presidency because he was Catholic.
Why do you think this is?
Is it because of the inquisition and the hard line they took against "heretics" of years gone by?
I think the churches are beautiful, and I admired greatly persons such as Mother Theresa, who did so much unselfishly for others. Are you now Catholic? If so, why?
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poppers
I was raised RC, and even though I am no longer affiliated with any religion I hold no animosity toward them. Like all religions, there is an investment of energy in identifiying oneself as a member of this, that, or other religion, and to disagree with that affiliation is, in essence, to deny/disagree with those members' self identity. That only breeds defensiveness and conflict.
I see people who cling tightly to religious tenets as people who remain in a dream world - with so much at stake in believing in what they do they fail to see what they really are. -
Arthur
I think that a lot of the JW aversion toward the Catholic Church stems from the targeted verbal assaults it received from Judge Rutherford; which became an organizationally entrenched tradition. The Catholic Church is the largest and most visible of the Christian churches. This provided a nice big target for Rutherford's "Religion is a snare and a racket" diatribes; as well as good recipients for the Watchtower's sound car campaigns. This organizational mindset just seemed to get passed down from one generation to another; similar to the hatred that the Hatfields had for the McCoys.
I must admit though, that even for me personally, the Catholic Church is somewhat of a fun target for jokes. Here in Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony has provided no shortage of comedy material.
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Quandry
Well, what did the cardinal do that is such fodder for jokes? I have no idea.
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LoverOfTruth
I think it's bad form to treat anyone badly because of religioius affiliation. In my opinion most religions have cult-like traits and wee as ex-JWs should undertand that.
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lonelysheep
Good post/thread, Andre. I saw last night's Big Love and was taken back a bit at Nikki's attitude toward Catholics. Even when I studied w/jw's, I never felt hatred toward them. Perhaps I'm biased since I went to Catholic school and attended Mass 1000 times more than any kh 'meeting'.
L - the former unconfirmed Catholic
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Wordly Andre
Yes well that is my point, I mean you would never see a catholic have that reaction to a watchtower or awake, and if you did the JW's would make a big stink over it. My personal experiance is this I have some Catholic family but most of my family are JW's, the catholic side is more loving, and accepting, my JW's well I don't need to tell you how crazy they are.