Hello everyone! I'm from Brazil, and here the majority of the population is Catholic, and what you call "Christian" (For me it's wrong! Catholics are Christian too! haha) are in the "second position". Around here, the protestants have a bad image for most of the people, because of their exaggerated fundamentalism and annoying habit of always force their vision and thoughts over who don't share their religion. Of course it's just an stereotype. I have friends that are "Christians" and they don't fit that stereotype. So I was wondering: In some countries, like the USA, where the "Christians" are the majority, how are the Catholic seen?
This is all just my opinion & observation, so I hope no one blasts me: I live in a region of my state that has a very high rate of Catholicism and to me Catholics seem like they have so many rules and such elaborate churches. However, unlike protestant branches of Christianity, the Catholics seem to have a status of "practicing" or "not practicing." Most of the younger people who identify as Catholic do not "practice" but just identify with it due to family tradition. Also, some Catholics seem to retain random aspects of the traditions while abandoning or not observing others; for example, in elementary school, a "Catholic" student saw me eat meat during lent or whatever the term is for that period in the year and then gasped, "You're eating meat during lent?!" "Uhhh yeah...I am not Catholic...everyone is not a Catholic." "Ohhhh." And this was from a student who acted anything but holy all the other times of the year...so the random observation of that one and only that one tradition was odd to me. Protestant faiths, on the other hand, tend to seem more adherent to their church and are also more likely to be vocal and forceful of their beliefs on others. I a former Christian and am atheist now. My view has always been that religions, to include Catholicism, includes too many rules and traditions and I do not see the point in identifying with a religion I don't actively "practice" because my logic is that if I am truly faithful and on board with a religion, I would want to actually "practice." Since I am an atheist and science does not really align with the religions (IMO), I choose not to believe in any religion. My world view is "humanism" and I go to a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, but this is not a religion, it is, to me, a community and social justice outlet to help me be introspective and loving of myself and others and to try and make the world a better and easier place for us all to live in.
Reminds me of my experiences with school. Only I was atheist (at the time, because my parents are, I'm actually Buddhist now), and we were saying the pledge and I don't say the "under god" part because I am under no god, and a kid pointed it out and made me out to be a satanic person. This was a kid who did a lot of shit to get in trouble. It's hypocritical. Sometimes the really random stuff in a religion is passed down. Kids don't understand the world outside their own beliefs for quite some time.
I'm a Catholic in the U.S., and the area around me is mostly Protestant, it seems that, some Protestants..view Catholics as wrong and unChristian. A friend of mine, who is Protestant actually is very into trying to convert me, but *most* are not like that.
last christian bunch I was around were the Mormons... they got some wacky beliefs! I'd have joined their church if they weren't so hateful towards gays...I can't be a part of a church that says those sorts of things... and I think the idea of a Saviour is idiotic... and I think prayer is a waste of time...but the people seemed nice, or were faking it to just get me in there... I was baptized Catholic though we never practised or or went to church or anything... More to make the grandparents happy.
I live where the Southern Baptist Convention reigns -- let me just say that my dad's pastor dedicated an entire lesson to pointing out theological errors in Roman Catholicism. Protestants here seem to view Catholics as "lesser Christians" and often refuse to call a Catholic Christian, although most believe that -- while less common than protestants -- a Catholic can "get it right" and receive salvation. Protestants believe Catholics are entrenched too far in Old Testament doctrine, are idolatrous, and owe more faith to the Pope than to the Bible. I myself have recently renounced religion and have become an atheist, which makes my username -- a practical Protestant stab at Catholic veneration of mortals -- highly ironic.
In England and Wales the established and dominant Church is The Church of England and Wales (Anglican). Most major ceremonial events in this country, like the coronation of the monarch, royal weddings, remembrance services are Church of England. The Queen, and all future monarchs must be Anglican as they act as the supreme governor of the Church of England. This dates back to the time of King Henry VIII who fell out with the Pope. If the Queen or King converted to any other tradition it would cause a major constitutional crisis. Relationships with the Catholic Church have improved a lot during the last century and there has been a notable softening of attitudes towards Catholicism. The two Churches often speak with one voice. There are some Anglicans (Anglo-Catholics) who would be very comfortable with a formal re-joining of the two Churches. Socially, the Church of England is more moderate/liberal than the Catholic Church and has fewer rules. It is more tolerant towards LGBT people and recognises and blesses civil partnerships, but opposes same sex marriage... for now. Many Anglican Priests are gay (some openly). There are many people who oppose an established Church, but I think it's protected us from the proliferation of lots of dangerous cult churches with ego-maniac Pastors, like we see in parts of America. Apart from The Church of England and Wales and the Catholic Church, the only other significant grouping is the Methodist Church.
you still let the Mormons in! They can range from wacky to dangerous, and as I said its their views on sexuality that keeps me out of it, otherwise I could see myself joining (then leaving, then returning randomly as I am one to do)
True, the Mormon/LDS Church does have a congregation/meeting in most towns and cities in England and Wales, but it isn't dominant anywhere. The same is true of Jehovas Witnesses. The overwhelming majority of people here with religious belief are members of the the Anglican Church (or Catholics or Methodists).
I come from an atheistic background...but have become more and more interested in religion and spirituality.Not really sure where this will lead.I do not feel that organized religion will work out for me though.
In the uk here. I wouldn't call christians the majority here, but probably the largest minority. I think that includes catholics though.
I did always think Catholics are Christians. Or not? I'm catholic but I want to leave church. It would be somehow self-defeating if I stay in church.
He was referring to Protestant attitudes towards Catholicism. Many influenced by the Protestant movement of non-denominational Christianity refer to their churches as "Christian Churches", for they often generalize other protestant denominations with the non-denomination title, which makes many -- especially people in the US -- think of "Christian" and "Protestant" as synonymous and separate from "Catholic." I've met many Protestants who don't even know, by definition and label, they are Protestant, and have only ever labeled themselves as "Christian."
Anglican/Episcopalian are the same thing, the former High Church, the latter Low Church. Being from upstate New York few would argue that the Catholics are not Christian. You'd get more of an agugement against the Mormons. We have our share of non-denominational fundementalist churches, but they seem marginalized. I was raised Catholic and became an Anglican/Episcopalian at 18. There is very little distinction between the two. When I was going to graduate school in the South, it was clear that the liturgical churches were suspect, not quite as on solid footing as the Southern Baptists. Episcopalians were "Catholic Lite" - too many smells and bells. The fundementalist or evangelical churches have carved out a niche for themselves as "orthodoxy gone cultic" as described by E. J. Carnell. Remember that cult leaders play off fears like Fawell and Robertson with promises of making their follwers feel safe, and using selective literalism to purge the enemy. They are also a threat to our God-given freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, because they would have anyone who is not like-minded silenced. I believe that as these churches become more and more political they stray further from Jesus's gospel. We as a people become threatened by the extermes of the Left and the Right. One side is out to banish all religion as being exclusive, and the other have all beliefs save theirs banished as being some how lesser in God's eye. Christians in general need to get out of the judgement business. We're even admonished not to judge lest we be judged.
God restored Christianity by telling a half illiterate farmer about some gold plates in a field and told him about a whole bunch of people there is no historical records of... Oh and the Lord lives on Kolob, a planet beyond the stary void.
From where I can see things in the world today it dosent matter wha religion you are anyone in a different one, or even in a different branch, people will find fault in what you believe. My opinion is to just not worry about it and believe whatever you want.
