Misconceptions

Resa77

I thought it might be interesting/insightful for us to talk about some of the most common misconceptions/misunderstandings people have about the Catholic Church.  I'll start!

People often ask me why we Catholics worship Mary and the saints.  I once talked to my (protestant) college roommate about it.  I explained to her that we DO pray directly to Jesus/God, but that we also pray THROUGH Mary and the saints.  We absolutely DO NOT worship Mary or the saints, and that Catholics actually consider that a sin.  I told her I look at it as going to Mary and asking her to take my imperfect, whiny prayer and make it beautiful for God.  If Jesus is going to listen to anyone, it'll be His Mom!  And I told her that as a woman, I like to "talk" to Mary through prayer, and to feel her intervention in my life.  She is NOT God.  But she is in heaven, and no one could claim to be closer to God, as she bore Him in her womb.  I mean, that's close! Does anyone else have a way they explain the whole Mary/Saints prayers thing? 

Any other misconceptions you deal with? 

Kamakanani

One of my friends had a great way of explaining praying to Mary/the Saints to her husband who was raised Mormon.  She said something like "you have prayer groups, right?  Where you pray for each other?  Well, Mary and the Saints are one of my prayer groups, but they're already in Heaven.  I'm asking them to pray for me."

zelis42

Kamakanani: I really like that explanation.  It makes so much sense!

My dad told me that the saints were God's secretaries, and each one had a specialty.  They take notes from our "calls" and then show them to God and intercede on our behalf.

chelseamb11

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:c4d600ff-0fbe-4155-ab41-e3cc0535fa13">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]Kamakanani: I really like that explanation.  It makes so much sense! My dad told me that the saints were God's secretaries, and each one had a specialty.  They take notes from our "calls" and then show them to God and intercede on our behalf.
Posted by zelis42[/QUOTE]

That's awesome.
The misconception taht drives me the most batty is that we are judgemental.  Just because we have high standards that we believe in and live our lives by, it does not mean I judge the girl next door who lives with her boyfriend of 5 months.  Do I find the behavior immoral? Yes.  Would I do it myself? Heck no. That doesn't mean I condemn it or judge it.

Resa77

Yes with the judgmental thing!  Of course there are individual Catholics that are judgmental -- but that's not just unique to Catholics.  I think some people mistake believing in absolutes as being judgmental.  I might believe that no matter what, it is wrong to use ABC.  Does that mean I think everyone is fully accountable for their wrongdoing of using ABC?  No, not at all.  I leave to judging up to God.  And I believe that to Him, it's not just about whether the action is right or wrong...it's also about your understanding of the wrongness of an action that makes you guilty.

Like, it's wrong to steal.  If a 3 yr old takes a cookie from another 3 yr old, are they guilty of stealing?  No.  You explain to them that their action is wrong, but you can't hold someone totally accountable for something they have no way of knowing/understanding.  Does the 3 yr old's ignorance make the stealing an accetable  thing to do?  No, it doesn't. 

chelseamb11

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:552b8ccc-4bd8-431e-b637-ed221c0f0e4a">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]Yes with the judgmental thing!  Of course there are individual Catholics that are judgmental -- but that's not just unique to Catholics.  I think some people mistake believing in absolutes as being judgmental.  I might believe that no matter what, it is wrong to use ABC.  Does that mean I think everyone is fully accountable for their wrongdoing of using ABC?  No, not at all.  I leave to judging up to God.  And I believe that to Him, it's not just about whether the action is right or wrong...it's also about your understanding of the wrongness of an action that makes you guilty. Like, it's wrong to steal.  If a 3 yr old takes a cookie from another 3 yr old, are they guilty of stealing?  No.  You explain to them that their action is wrong, but you can't hold someone totally accountable for something they have no way of knowing/understanding.  Does the 3 yr old's ignorance make the stealing an accetable  thing to do?  No, it doesn't. 
Posted by Resa77[/QUOTE]

Well said.  And I personally believe each person has their own responsibilities to do what is right based on THEIR beliefs (not mine or the Church's or anyone else's).  If the girl next door truly believes what she is doing is right, then that's totally fine and I'm glad.  I have a larger issue with the Catholic girl who has sex with her boyfriend but preaches abstinence than the girl who believes God says sex is for love, not necessarily marriage and has sex with her longtime boyfriend.

mandybear7

Oh man, I went to a Lutheran university, so there were all sorts of misconceptions about the Catholic faith. Theology classes were required and I had one horrible professor for a class about the Reformation. On the first day, she asked all of the students about our faith and after finding out I am Catholic, she proceeded to direct all critiques of the Catholic faith in my direction. I was 19 years old and this lady would say, "Well, what do CATHOLICS think about that, huh?" One of my friends in the class is agnostic and he said that he saw more of the professor's animosity towards me because I was Catholic, rather than towards him, who was questioning God's existences.

The biggest misconceptions I heard were about the lavish Catholic churches, idolatry, that Catholics are NOT Christians, all priests are pedophiles, everything in Da Vinci Code is true... the list goes on!

The funniest thing happened a few weekends ago while attending a college friend's Catholic nuptial mass. The married couple is Catholic, Dan and I are Catholic, but the other college friends in attendance are Lutheran. They were amazed at all of the "hand signals" and recitations during the Mass (especially the sign during the Gospel). Also, during Lutheran recitation of the Lord's Prayer, they always end with "for thine is the kingdom, the glory, etc..." which isn't common during Catholic masses.

chelseamb11

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:045f2477-a81c-4f49-9529-7578cb533077">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh man, I went to a Lutheran university, so there were all sorts of misconceptions about the Catholic faith. Theology classes were required and I had one horrible professor for a class about the Reformation. On the first day, she asked all of the students about our faith and after finding out I am Catholic, she proceeded to direct all critiques of the Catholic faith in my direction. I was 19 years old and this lady would say, "Well, what do CATHOLICS think about that, huh?" One of my friends in the class is agnostic and he said that he saw more of the professor's animosity towards me because I was Catholic, rather than towards him, who was questioning God's existences. The biggest misconceptions I heard were about the lavish Catholic churches, idolatry, that Catholics are NOT Christians, all priests are pedophiles, <strong>everything in Da Vinci Code is true</strong>... the list goes on! The funniest thing happened a few weekends ago while attending a college friend's Catholic nuptial mass. The married couple is Catholic, Dan and I are Catholic, but the other college friends in attendance are Lutheran. They were amazed at all of the "hand signals" and recitations during the Mass (especially the sign during the Gospel). Also, during Lutheran recitation of the Lord's Prayer, they always end with "for thine is the kingdom, the glory, etc..." which isn't common during Catholic masses.
Posted by mandybear7[/QUOTE]

Dan Brown really took the Catholic Church down a few pegs on that one.  Not very thrilled with it.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that book, it's very well written. But why paint the Catholic Church to be the bad guys? Why not make up some random historical religious cult or something?

agapecarrie

mandy, "for the kingdom" part is always in the catholic mass, but it happens after a brief statement by the priest first. In a catholic wedding, it is omitted for the nuptial blessing.

mandybear7

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:03e98150-f1a4-4e17-aeb8-2d1e5435495e">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]mandy, "for the kingdom" part is always in the catholic mass, but it happens after a brief statement by the priest first. In a catholic wedding, it is omitted for the nuptial blessing.
Posted by agapecarrie[/QUOTE]

I understand that we say "for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever." However, I was talking about at the end of the Lord's Prayer, directly after saying "and deliver us from evil," instead of stopping, they would continue with saying, "for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." So they would just continue with that, while the Catholic priest would be talking.

Resa77

How are Catholics not Christian? Christians believe that Jesus is God.  That's the basic definition.  How do Catholics not fit that??  It boggles me when peope try to say that!

newlyseliski

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:7e33fe5b-3576-49d2-b623-0e9af5427ca4">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Misconceptions : I understand that we say "for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever." However, I was talking about at the end of the Lord's Prayer, directly after saying "and deliver us from evil," instead of stopping, they would continue with saying, "for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." So they would just continue with that, while the Catholic priest would be talking.
Posted by mandybear7[/QUOTE]

I've always wondered about that, too!  So after some google research came upon this... <a href="http://ourladyofsorrows.us/QotF/Doxology.htm">http://ourladyofsorrows.us/QotF/Doxology.htm</a> 

And it pops up in the catechism as well...  <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s2a4.htm">http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s2a4.htm</a>

And Fr. Z (popular blogger and proponent of Tridentine Mass) explains that it is a rupture in liturgical continuity, but is an ancient catholic prayer that was reintroduced into the OF as a doxology... <a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/02/quaeritur-why-is-the-protestant-for-the-kingdom-the-power-the-glory-in-our-catholic-mass/">http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/02/quaeritur-why-is-the-protestant-for-the-kingdom-the-power-the-glory-in-our-catholic-mass/</a>

mandybear7

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:9f4af8aa-b4a9-41c1-a8c6-49aca0347efd">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Misconceptions : I've always wondered about that, too!  So after some google research came upon this... <a href="http://ourladyofsorrows.us/QotF/Doxology.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://ourladyofsorrows.us/QotF/Doxology.htm</a>   And it pops up in the catechism as well...  <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s2a4.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s2a4.htm</a> And Fr. Z (popular blogger and proponent of Tridentine Mass) explains that it is a rupture in liturgical continuity, but is an ancient catholic prayer that was reintroduced into the OF as a doxology... <a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/02/quaeritur-why-is-the-protestant-for-the-kingdom-the-power-the-glory-in-our-catholic-mass/" rel='nofollow'>http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/02/quaeritur-why-is-the-protestant-for-the-kingdom-the-power-the-glory-in-our-catholic-mass/</a>
Posted by newlyseliski[/QUOTE]

Interesting reads! Our Lutheran friends jokingly call it the "Catholic trap" at mass, since the doxology does not conclude the Lord's Prayer. They end up saying it while the priest is talking and they are embarassed.

newlyseliski

On the topic... my biggest annoyance is the constant mantra that the Church is stuck in the first century (or some other random era 1000+ years ago) and needs to get with the times!  The Church has ever been "with it" and it never will be.  It's truly counter-cultural and transcendent (yes, still messy and with flaws) and that is usually what draws us to it in the first place!  Whether or not the Church is "with it"... it certainly has far better insight into the human condition and challenges in today's society than most.

zelis42

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:e6db3ef3-72ac-4bd8-b38d-b9766b063ec9">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]How are Catholics not Christian? Christians believe that Jesus is God.  That's the basic definition.  How do Catholics not fit that??  It boggles me when peope try to say that!
Posted by Resa77[/QUOTE]

<div>Some evangelical protestants believe (and teach others) that the Catholic Church strays too far from Biblical teachings of Christ to be considered followers of Christ. </div><div>
</div><div>If you're up for it, here's a site that lays out why "The Roman Catholic 'Church' is not Christian."

</div><div><a href="http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/cath.htm">http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/cath.htm</a></div><div>
</div><div>One of the Adrian Dominican Sisters told me it probably started with the Reformation, though.  Before then, if you were Christian, you were Catholic.  After that, it became, "I'm Christian, but not Catholic," which probably warped into the idea that Christianity and Catholicism are different.</div>

ElisabethJoanne

If we met someone who called himself a Christian, but claimed to worship Cleopatra, or claimed that his wife's homemade bread was god, or that the whiskey he makes in his still out back was god, we'd call him not a Christian and crazy.

Catholic teachings on the communion of the saints and the real presence can be as strange to evangelicals.

Hedgy22

Well since I grew up in a not very religious family (we all believe in God and Jesus dying for our sins, we never went to church though, not even for Christmas or Easter) I had a LOT of misconceptions. I saw us being judgmental up there. I essentially thought priests and nuns were around to berate you for your wrong doing...feeling guilty for your wrong doings. I thought everyone had a "Holier than thou" attitude, gosh...I would say judgemental is probably the biggest one. I really had a lot more misconceptions in my head though too...I can't think of them right now. 

Anyhow when I met my fiance, him being Catholic, he loved it when I used to ask him questions about being Catholic and what he believes. He really cleared up the misconceptions I held, and I became Catholic on April 3rd 2010. 

I think if people just sat down with someone who really knows the Catholic faith (and my fiance did, he studies it in his spare time, and if he didn't know something, he would research it or ask a priest) people would realize that everything really does make a lot of sense (well...mostly everything...somethings are a bit hard to wrap your mind around.)

chelseamb11

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:b79ea4fe-900c-473a-82d9-f33d4c318243">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Misconceptions : Some evangelical protestants believe (and teach others) that the Catholic Church strays too far from Biblical teachings of Christ to be considered followers of Christ.  If you're up for it, here's a site that lays out why "The Roman Catholic 'Church' is not Christian." <a href="http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/cath.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/cath.htm</a> One of the Adrian Dominican Sisters told me it probably started with the Reformation, though.  Before then, if you were Christian, you were Catholic.  After that, it became, "I'm Christian, but not Catholic," which probably warped into the idea that Christianity and Catholicism are different.
Posted by zelis42[/QUOTE]

Wow that website makes me really angry.  I hate it when peoplepick and choose stuff out of the bible to make their point but ignor the other parts of the bible that disprove their point.

zelis42

Chelsea, I completely agree with you.  I've heard a few people call it "salad bar Christianity," which always makes me giggle.

HelloKaty37

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[QUOTE]I think if people just sat down with someone who really knows the Catholic faith (and my fiance did, he studies it in his spare time, and if he didn't know something, he would research it or ask a priest) people would realize that everything really does make a lot of sense (well...mostly everything...somethings are a bit hard to wrap your mind around.)
Posted by Hedgy22[/QUOTE]

I think if people were willing to just <em>ask</em> any Catholic about their faith instead of trusting the judgement of their pastor/parent/friend who passed these misconceptions on, they would be in for a big surprise.  Not having been a Catholic growing up, and in fact questioning religion in any form because I was very academic and it was, well, not, I feel like I became Catholic because on the whole Catholics were very well educated on their faith and had many sources to point at.  A friend of mine who is Anglican actually feels the same way.  She only likes churches of her denomination that are attached to schools for their clergy because she actually gets taught about her faith there, but she loves talking with the Catholics at my university because for the most part we can carry on an intelligent conversation about these things.

ootmother2

My apologies for the DD about the friend marrying a priest.  A mutual friend saw it and aske me to remove it.

bibliophileemily

(Am I allowed to jump in?)

It really bothers me when people like to tell me things what THEY think the Catholic Church teaches and refuse to believe me when I correct them.
Stuff like thinking Jesus is the Immaculate Conception (He's not, Mary is), thinking Church doctrines can be changed (they can't, they're based on divine revelation), thinking that all Catholics hate homosexuals and thinking being gay is a sin (we don't, it's not, sodomy is the sin and you choose whether or not to engage in it)....the list goes on!
I mean, I'm not trying to be preachy or anything, but if someone's asking a question or claiming something is false, I can't just sit there and let him speak falsely, right?
Does this happen to anyone else?

Jasmine&Rajah

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:03faa9ce-8ab9-462e-b733-16536913ffd6">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not trying to be preachy or anything, but if someone's asking a question or claiming something is false, I can't just sit there and let him speak falsely, right? Does this happen to anyone else?
Posted by bibliophileemily[/QUOTE]

Oh yes, this happens all the time to me - I'm sure it happens to us all!

And NO, we cannot, and should not, let someone speak falsely.  The Scriptures tell us that if we are ashamed of Christ, He will be ashamed of us before God.  It's not being "preachy" to kindly and politely correct someone about their misconceptions.

Resa77

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_misconceptions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:58d302fe-44dd-4c5d-850b-8a14353025d3Post:03faa9ce-8ab9-462e-b733-16536913ffd6">Re: Misconceptions</a>:
[QUOTE](Am I allowed to jump in?) I<strong>t really bothers me when people like to tell me things what THEY think the Catholic Church teaches and refuse to believe me when I correct them</strong>. Stuff like thinking Jesus is the Immaculate Conception (He's not, Mary is), thinking Church doctrines can be changed (they can't, they're based on divine revelation), thinking that all Catholics hate homosexuals and thinking being gay is a sin (we don't, it's not, sodomy is the sin and you choose whether or not to engage in it)....the list goes on! I mean, I'm not trying to be preachy or anything, but if someone's asking a question or claiming something is false, I can't just sit there and let him speak falsely, right? Does this happen to anyone else?
Posted by bibliophileemily[/QUOTE]

Yes!  I hate that!  I've definitely been in that situation, and some people will not listen!  I definitely try to correct their misconception, but if someone doesn't want to listen, you can't force them. 

monkeysip

I really hate that too--when people try and tell you what you believe instead of listening. 

But you know, I hear a lot of Christians do that to other religions as well.  I've had christian friends do that to Muslims: "You believe ___" and the muslim person has to correct them and tell them, "No, the Qu'ran doesn't say that, it says __"

It's hard to have a respectful conversation with people over religion when you don't let the person represent their own views and instead just tell them what they believe based on misconceptions.