Anti-Catholicism

As there are ongoing threads about Islam, & whether bonfires are sectarian I thought I’d throw this one into the mix.
Are we in the UK still anti-Catholic in our thinking?
I have to admit to some deep seated unease about that Church (I’m not religious) in a historical context – I went to a friends funeral & one of the closing prayers was “..and we pray that Mother Mary returns England to the one true Church”. I was seething inside, thinking “get ##### you clowns, we fought wars to get rid of that shite” and then felt guilty!
Do we still have some sort of racial memory/resentment from the C17th against the Catholic Church? For a very long time being Catholic meant being essentially an agent of a foreign, hostile power.

muddydwarf – Member

Are we in the UK still anti-Catholic in our thinking?

Not particularly, beyond the rabid few.

Next question, please? 😆

Ever been to a mass? Accidentally went to a wedding service that was in a church for the left-footers. Took **** ages and was utter pretentious bollocks.

muddydwarf – Member

Do we still have some sort of racial memory/resentment from the C17th against the Catholic Church? For a very long time being Catholic meant being essentially an agent of a foreign, hostile power.

I have not encountered any but I find it rather amusing if they are still struggling to come to terms with each others …

You want to give/return power to Rome? Crikey, those bunch are so being left behind they are only good at drinking coffee now! 😯 I bet I can make as good a coffee as they are.

It would appear so. Anything any cleric says in respect of their faith can be safely ignored so I find it strange that this would upset you more than, say, symbolically eating the body and drinking the blood of a long-dead prophet.

I don’t think the heir to the thrown can marry a catholic (and take the throne)
They may be trying to repeal that one tho.

Edit: it’s already been repealed. Hurrah for Catholics!

We still celebrate things that are anti-Catholic in their roots, so that says to me there is still ‘something’ in our collective mindset that feels that way.
Certainly, I was somewhat put out that a faith we rejected (as a Nation) some 400yrs ago is still harking on about it!

scotroutes – Member

… symbolically eating the body and drinking the blood of a long-dead prophet.

Ok I don’t understand this concept of cannibalising a prophet …

Someone enlighten me please as I can’t be arse to Google for answer.

😯

My hackles rose when the new Argentinian Pope used his position to raise the Falklands issue.

A few years ago I visited the Vatican. Very impressive but surely unnecessary for real Christians. I have always thought how could a man of god live in a nice house and spend money on non-essentials when there are people starving in the world. Not just aimed at Catholics but they seem to be the most grasping of the breed.

We (as a Nation) didn’t reject it. Those in power didn’t give us the choice.

And Tony Blair became one – a real reason to dislike them

I’m half Irish Catholic…my missus is Scots Catholic and as a lifelong atheist it all looks like a weird cult from the outside, what with all the comedy outfits, the scary nuns and the hats. But I kind of awkwardly identify with some of the adherents even though I’m happy in my godless existence

Once you’ve been dragged to a full on mass, Anglicism seems like Catholic-lite in comparison though.

I guess that like Islam, it all comes down to your own culture and how you interpret it. I know plenty of Muslims who enjoy a beer and a bacon sarnie and have dated plenty of Catholic girls who were on the pill.

C’est la vie.

My hackles rose when the new Argentinian Pope used his position to raise the Falklands issue.

I’ll happily let that one pass, the Falklanders/Malvinians may choose their own nationality.

But the same Argentinian pope is pushing home the issues of AIDS, LGBT rights, inequality of wealth and historical abuses by members of the clergy and for that I can’t help but admire the guy.

Ha ha ha, the enemy is amongst you 😈

Incidently, it’s considered that in the last bastion of anti catholicism, Scotland, Catholics gained parity in 2001.

So form that respect, the anti catholic history isn’t that far away, and a slight hangover is still detectable.

Overall I’m happy that it’s in the past though.

Yes.

As an atheist who was brought up as a Catholic I’ve encountered it all my life and still do.
And sorry Simon, but this thread is a perfect example.

Rusty Spanner – Member
Yes.

As an atheist who was brought up as a Catholic I’ve encountered it all my life and still do.
And sorry Simon, but this thread is a perfect example.
Personally I think nowadays people are more anti religion than anti catholic. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But what is bad about that though is that there is a strand of it that is very intolerant.

Can’t agree.
Had the ‘some of my best friends are Catholic’ line from someone only last week.

That’ll be the rabid few I mention.

Not alot you can do about them, bar let them die off naturally. They are irrelevant, and definitely not representative of society.

Read the op.
Muddydwarf feels uneasy in our prescence.

A sane, rational, educated person feels uneasy in the presence of Catholics.
In 2014.

Can’t say i’ve ever given it a second thought.

Like I said there is still a detectable hangover. As long as it’s getting questioned then I’ve no problem with that.

Walking into a Chapel and thinking this is a bit odd isn’t anti catholic though. I had the same experience in my 20s as well, i’d never been in any church bar a catholic one, then went to a CoS funeral and wedding in fairly close order, I thought this is a bit different/strange. Beyond that I’ve never particularly thought about it.

I’d a similar thought when I went to my first humanist wedding last year.

I don’t particular see an issue with that, well unless the person is sitting there thinking they’re surrounded devils incarnate on earth or whatever bigots think surrounds them. But I don’t really think that’s what’s going on in the OP. 😆

Went past Westminster Cathedral today and no major signs of protest – so I guess the answer is NO.

As mentioned above, the current pope certainly seems to deserve some respect for at least trying to drag the Church of Rome out of the 17th century.

The only thing I remember differing between catholic and CofE services is that the catholic ones drag on a bit longer than is really necessary.

I quite like going in churches and cathedrals though, amazing bits of architecture and a testament to what people can achieve when working with a common vision.

Give them their full title.

Lapsed Catholic.

I’ve nothing against any individual from any religion, but the practices of the Vatican are questionable…

I try not to be a ****, in general, but I have to admit I’ve always been a bit of a **** when it comes to catholicism. Yes “some of my best friends are catholic” but it always seems like the religion equivalent of smoking- tons of drawbacks and not even a very good high. Stories like Savita Halappanavar’s don’t help, nor the fact that 2 of my “best mates who are catholic” spent their early years getting abused by the church. But mainly it just feels so culty.

Sorry. If it redeems me at all I’m far more likely to punch an orange marcher or a rangers fan than a catholic. Might possibly throw you on a bonfire though, tradition innit

Sorry.

I like Muddydwarf.
But if he genuinly believes that ‘being Catholic meant essentially being tbe agent of a hostile, foreign power’ then he shares the same type of prejudice that brands all Muslims as Jihadists.

muppetWrangler – Member
The only thing I remember differing between catholic and CofE services is that the catholic ones drag on a bit longer than is really necessary.

School boy error, chapel down the barras, saturday morning, 12.30, in and out in half an hour! 😆

The length of a catholic service is entirely down to the priest!

Read the op.
Muddydwarf feels uneasy in our prescence.
A sane, rational, educated person feels uneasy in the presence of Catholics.

I read the OP. it does not say what you claim it says.

No, you’re right.
He feels that way about the Catholic Church.

Apologies.

Went to listen to a requiem last night as I knew one of the soloists. Was in a COE church but ended up being full service with incense and all the trimmings – felt more like a high catholic mass…

(It was for All Souls so I lit a candle for your MIL and FIL, Rusty as well as my lost ones, hope you don’t mind)

Rusty Spanner – Member
No, you’re right.
He feels that way about the Catholic Church.

Apologies.
He doesn’t he said the thought popped into his mind, then questioned whether that suggests an anti-catholic historical memory in the population at large.

That’s quite a distance from being anti catholic.

the current pope certainly seems to deserve some respect for at least trying to drag the Church of Rome out of the 17th century.

He is somewhat constrained ,by the Bible, in this quest

Ok.
I read it differently.
He’s pissed off that the Church still has the bloody cheek to wish it was the state religion.
More than pissed off, he’s seething.

I hold the unpopular (On STW) view that we shouldn’t judge people on their holding of religious beliefs at least until it impinges on the freedom of others. However, I ‘m not keen on Catholicism myself despite my mothers side of the family being Catholic, my wife being a practising Catholic and my children also being baptised into the faith. I am not keen on Catholicism but have no issue with Catholics – there is a difference. Although I do think current Pope seems to be making an effort to prosecute a reformist agenda.

you missed, then questioned these thoughts.

The questioning part isn’t unhealthy.

jamj1974 – Member
I ‘m not keen on Catholicism myself despite my mothers side of the family being Catholic

I’m not keen on Catholicism, despite being Catholic! 😆

I hold the unpopular (On STW) view that we shouldn’t judge people on their holding of religious beliefs

Sshhh, that’s not very popular round here….