The bubbling of anti-Catholicism
Matt Hittle
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Opinion Continued
Originally Created: 4/24/08 at 11:27 PM CST
Last Updated: 4/25/08 at 3:09 PM CST
Originally Created: 4/24/08 at 11:27 PM CST
Last Updated: 4/25/08 at 3:09 PM CST
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This hatred, the progeny of rumor and misinformation, is more than simple critique or criticism. Its biting words exceed satire or humor. I'm not referring to sexism, racism or even anti-Semitism, but rather the hatred of Roman Catholicism. Thanks to the pedophile priest scandal, long-dormant anti-Catholic sentiments are again bubbling up all over, including on my blog's comment section. There, a fellow blogger used several anti-Catholic epithets in a fashion eerily reminiscent of the rhetoric of groups like the KKK and the Westboro Baptist Church. They were so offensive that I deleted them. I was called a fascist for "censoring" my site, but I refuse to entertain that kind of hate.
As you can imagine, it isn't much fun being Catholic these days. Our Church has been declining in both quantity of parishioners and quality of worship since the Second Vatican Council's virtual abandonment of many of our sacred traditions. What's worse, many U.S. bishops' mishandling of the pedophile priest scandal has only exacerbated the situation. Much of society thinks priests are just child molesting pawns for the Pope; of course, this just isn't the case. The vast, vast majority of priests aren't pedophiles. They're ordinary men who feel they were called to represent the Church and work hard to do right by their parishes and communities. You may hate the institution, but you can't deny the good the Church does at the local level.
Like any ancient group, the Church has a long and somewhat checkered past. But despite the decidedly positive, uplifting nature of the modern Church, conspiracy theorists and ignorant people have converged on the institution. Some seize on its past in order to discredit it. It doesn't really work. Yeah, the Spanish Inquisition sucked, thanks for the update.
The major implication of modern ignorance of the Catholic Church is that every two-bit "activist" with a Web site can, and often does, spew anti-Catholic rhetoric akin to those blog comments. Now, as always, I think free speech is great. I think anyone should be able to say anything - though I reserve the right to keep hate off of my blog. However, there is greater virtue in researched speech than in ignorant speech. It pays to inform your criticism. An informed criticism is more likely to be taken seriously and will probably be less hateful than ignorant criticism. Heck, even Wikipedia has a wealth of information that can be used to counteract the ignorant tirades so often leveled at Catholics. Check it out. You may still disagree with us, but at least you'll be smarter for the effort.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 12
Margie Phelps
posted 4/25/08 @ 8:13 AM CST
Isn't Matt Hitler so holy and pure -- he won't tolerate hate.
He'll tolerate priests raping boys.
He'll tolerate a pope whose main job before becoming pope was to shuffle around and hide the raping pedophile priests. (Continued…)
Shirley Phelps-Roper
posted 4/25/08 @ 8:40 AM CST
When the priests rape the children - is that love or is that hatred?
You will put up with THAT in direct violation of the scriptures, but you say great swelling words about what you will NOT put up with in WORDS that respond to that? YIKES! You are just too righteous for your shirt or shoes!!
How about this - fear God, OBEY his commandments and give glory to HIM for the hour of HIS judgment is come! And for all your catholics that have failed to READ THE BIBLE - here is what your God says about such a situation as this (i. (Continued…)
Valerie Bartlett
posted 4/25/08 @ 10:30 AM CST
I'm a Catholic. Being Catholic does not make me pedophile. Yes, there are obviously some bad priests that have made bad decisions. However, saying I (or Matt, in this case) is a pedophile because they are is like saying if one mailman is a pedophile all others must be too. (Continued…)
Angie Buhl
posted 4/25/08 @ 1:25 PM CST
Clearly, the WBC has figure out how to use Google. Apparently, women cutting their hair: not okay. Google (and the internet in general): totally legit. (Continued…)
Brett Barker
posted 4/25/08 @ 2:03 PM CST
I must take issue with Mrs. Phelps for calling Mr. Hitler a "a big fat lying hypocrite". This is completely and utterly false. He's not that fat.
I demand a retraction immediately or I will get whatever church it is that Mrs. (Continued…)
ChrisTopher Hagen
posted 4/25/08 @ 6:08 PM CST
Mr. Barker,
Do you think weight is really the issue here? Even if he was overweight, that does not change his disposition. That's equivalent to not trusting a car salesman just because he has a fake leg! I don't know about you, but I'd still buy the car. (Continued…)
Brett Barker
posted 4/25/08 @ 6:12 PM CST
Mr. Hagen, I find your nonsensical intranet ascertination to be nothing but hufflefluff and brandysmush. Weight is not the issue here. The issue is MATT HITLER. (Continued…)
Roger C. Caramel
posted 4/25/08 @ 6:17 PM CST
Yeah, I remember the first time I got into my mom's liquor cabinet too, kid. Listen, if Volante Online isn't going to set some sort of age limit to comment posting, this is how all of our important, opinion-changing conversations are going to end up: with some dumb little ragamuffin making up words like "hufflefluff" and "charisma". (Continued…)
Brett Barker
posted 4/25/08 @ 6:22 PM CST
I would liken the story of Pope Benedict to that of a young Will on the TV series "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". You see, a young Ratzinger was just hangin with his homies (nazies) shooting some "hoops". (Continued…)
bill
posted 4/25/08 @ 7:41 PM CST
Join us in prayer for Fred Phelps and family to realize their error, and kill their philosophy!
Fred W. and Margie M. Phelps, Sr.
Westboro Baptist Church
3701 S. (Continued…)
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