David Bowden

Since Sheen (a decent man; I've read some of his work and attended university at his old stomping grounds in Bourbonnais, Illinois) makes the distinction I was making earlier, I repeat what I posted, and await your response:

Who or what represents the Catholic Church, Gemma Therese? - so I don't attribute good or bad impressions to the wrong things or individuals. I want to give the most thoughtful and relevant answer I can.

-David

Amie

Hi David
I just want you to know that I personally appreciate the fact that you don't jump on the Catholic bashing bandwagon.

why all the animosity for catholicism above all other sects? I understand having a distaste for organized religion and I understand not believing in God but it just seems that so many here are opposed to the Catholic church (I understand how recent events can contribute to that) more than any other sect. Why?

Ronin

I assure you, Amie, I am an equal opportunity 'basher' when it comes to *any* mindsnaring cult. This thread just happens to be about the catholic one.

Surely you have found the *fundy* baptists sufficiently knocked around and debunked here also.

Amie

Why bash at all?

Ronin

Because it is right to fight evil and deception where one encounters it.

Vorkosigan

The other sects are smaller, less powerful and well organized, and less injurious. None has an "official policy" the way the Catholic Church does. The Protestant sects are nearly always divided, for example. The Presbyterians supported the democracy movement in Taiwan, the Methodists opposed it. Both ceased activities when the democracy movement was successful, but the Catholic Church still continues to agitate against the democracy parties here even today. The Catholic Church dismantled the opposition to Hitler, struck deals with him and Mussolini and Franco -- pinned a medal on Franco for being -- what was it? -- the highest example of human civilization or something like that. What Protestant sect has done anything as ridiculous? All over Europe Catholic clerics helped the Nazis at the local level locate and capture Jews, and in the Balkans they were especially savage -- there was even a friar running a death camp. Again, were any Protestant clerics involved in death camp activities on such a scale?

Or look at Kenya where I used to live. The Church there erected facilities -- better than the evangelicals, who simply took money from the locals and ran -- but then created dependency so as to gain temporal control over the locals and convert them. By contrast, the mainstream protestant Hospital in the nearby village did no such thing. The Church, ultimately, is about power and control. Some protestant denominations, by contrast, have managed to ameliorate the worst tendencies of Christianity. The Church will never be able to exit the power trap. The price of being an authoritarian institution, you know. It can't help but be evil.

Believe it or not, those of us who detest the Church detest it on its record. Which is a helluva a lot worse than any other Christian denomination.

Vorkosigan

Ronin

True Vork ~ but who has the scarier hair?

Fundy Baptists I tell ya!

Rousseau_CHN

I find the Catholic Church to be scandalous.
I am living in a third world country, and whenever I see towering and majestic Churches and Basillicas--I am scandalized.

How and why built such beautiful monument in a poverty stricken countries?

I guess my point is best summed up by saying "For every church and basillica built means, in the final sense, a theft on those who hunger and are not fed.

The Admiral

Gemma

I'm inclined to believe that there are a lot more than 5.

The Admiral

Eudaimonist

Amie, this is a thread asking for people's views about the Catholic Church. Why would people express dislike for other denominations here? Wouldn't that be off topic?

You'll find that other denominations of Christianity get roundly criticized at II as well. If you think the Catholic Church gets excoriated here, just look at the threads on Mormonism.