A while back I wrote an article on Anti-Catholicism and the reasons why some people are prejudiced towards Catholics. I will now elaborate on such people and their views of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as my refutations of these views.
According to the Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism (which I also wrote an article about some time ago) there are several types of viewpoints of Catholicism, which are as follows:
• The old-fashioned Marxist view: the Catholic Church, as the Roman Empire in disguise, as well as a hierarchical institution whose secret purpose has always been to keep poor people distracted with promises of “pie in the sky when you die”, so that they won’t fight for their rights or demand back their “surplus value” from the bourgeoisie.
o The reality is that the Catholic Church has done much to help the poor.
• The Liberation theologian view: the Catholic Church is the spiritual organization that Jesus created to form activist base communities of the marginalized to work despite structures of sin (such as capitalist economics and national borders) for the final triumph of the poor over their oppressors around the world.
o Despite the Catholic Church having its share of liberals, there are plenty of conservative Catholics who are able to tell the difference between charitable work and socialist programs.
• The Freudian view: the Catholic Church is a highly effective mechanism for disciplining and sublimating sexual energy into socially productive uses and explaining away the ordinary unhappiness that pervades all human life.
o Fact check: Catholics believe that the purpose of sex is for procreation, and that sex outside of marriage is sin. Look to the Bible for more information on this topic.
• The Democratic Party’s view: the Catholic Church is a political pressure group that is more frequently useful than harmful, since its leaders push for ever more immigration and expansion of government programs; as well as its idiosyncratic objections to abortion and same-sex marriage can be safely ignored or suppressed through federal mandates that threaten any lucrative government contracts. Tim Kaine is a prime example, since he predicted the Catholic Church would change its views on same-sex marriages, a prediction refuted by Pope Francis.
o The truth is that contrary to what some Democrats think, the President of the United States does not have any authority over the Pope. Vatican City is a sovereign nation, just like any other nation, and thus is not a satellite of the United States (no matter how liberal Pope Francis might be on some matters or how much Obama might go to strong-arm the Pope).
• The Liberal Jesuit’s view: the Catholic Church is a traditional faith rendered untenable by research and reason, and presently undergoing inexorable dissolution into a smiley humanist social club that operates charities and engages in petty rituals that people attend twice a year. Examples would include academic liberals (particularly those in the field of science) who preach that the Catholic Church was the enemy of reason and knowledge.
o On the contrary, the Catholic Church was a leading proponent of reason and knowledge. For more information on this matter, check out the Politically Incorrect Guide to Science, the Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization, and the Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible.
• The Feminist view: the Catholic Church is the greatest mainstay of patriarchy, i.e. a male conspiracy that has been in place for all of recorded history to control female sexuality and maintain masculine power.
o Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic Church is not a sexist organization. In fact, it teaches gender equality. An example would be Ephesians 5:21-33, in which Paul is pointing out that marriage is a two-way street when it comes to married couples making decisions.
There are two other views of the Catholic Church, which unfortunately some Protestants adhere to. The first view is that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon from the Book of Revelation, and that it impersonates the true Church of Christ and leads souls to put their faith in their empty works instead of the grace of Jesus Christ and thus wind up in hell (the Westboro Baptist Church and John McGlone might be examples). The second view is that the Catholic Church is an organization that has many real Christians in it and that proved itself prophetic on the abortion issue, but whose leaders believe in expanding big government and are strangely reluctant to purge rank heretics from important positions.
In reference to the first view, I will pose the question: if the Catholic Church is not the true Church of Christ, then which church is? There are many Protestant Churches, as well as a few Eastern Orthodox Churches. I should add that faith (and not just good works and deeds) are emphasized in Catholic teachings. Thus, the grace of Jesus Christ (as well as reading the Bible) is just as important to Catholics as they are to all other Christians.
As for the second view, whereas there might be some Catholics who advocate big government, there are plenty of other Catholics who don’t. In addition, the Catholic Church has purged heretics from its ranks, and I’m not just talking about people being burned at the stake. More than a few heretics have been removed from their positions throughout the centuries without having to resort to violence.
So in conclusion, the Catholic Church has had its share of bad apples (including liberals and pedophiles) amidst its ranks, just like any other church or organization for that matter. And if you read the Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism, you will learn that the Catholic Church has been predominantly conservative and moralistic (and not a bunch of idol worshippers).
Image: Public Domain; https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25426058
