Can we have a positive thread about Catholicism?

[PadgettsDream]

There is currently a thread running where there is a lot of criticism of the Catholic Church which is in many cases fair enough and it needs to be discussed but that thread in my opinion often strays into outright anti-Catholic sentiment and even bigotry against Catholics and Catholicism in general.

So I wonder if anyone would like a space to talk about the positives of the Church? I myself was raised Catholic, went to a convent School and it was wonderful really. I did not have any bad experiences and the Church has always been a source of strength and comfort for me. It doesn't dominate my life, I'm not brainwashed by it but its been an important foundation for me and I am thankful for it. In my own family history the Church stepped in and helped when nobody else would.

Any other positive stories?

I was brought up Anglican in Liverpool.
In those days you were either "Orange" or "Green" and never the twain should meet. There was a lot of ignorance, misunderstandings, prejudice and just plain anti-Catholic bigotry. I was surprised to see the same sentiments vehemently expressed by some of the the posters on the other thread.
If we saw a Catholic Church as kids we used to run past it in case something terrible happened to us.

I found the Anglican church boring. The sermons were too long and didn't mean anything to me. I learned a lot about Churchianity but not much about Christianity.

I fell away from the church and married an atheist. It didn't work. We weren't on the same page.

I dabbled with other churches, even listened to a Buddhist teacher, but nothing was quite right for me.

Then one day I went to a friend's wedding in a Catholic Church and I was amazed at the sense of calm and reverence there. I then knew that that was where I wanted to be.

It was a long journey, researching, soul-searching, instruction, getting an annulment from my first husband and then being accepted into the Catholic Church.

Then I met a man at church who shared my faith and we got married.
I have never looked back.

I was going to say that I wish I'd converted years ago, but years ago I wasn't ready for it.

Lifer here, and I also love the sense of calm and reverence.

I'm not surprised to see bigotry here. Some elements of culture run very deep.

As an Anglican, I actually think the negativity is anti-christian, not specifically anti-catholic.
But I look forward to reading the thread as it develops.

@Jackandjillswell That's a lovely story, thank you so much for sharing it, I agree the sense of calm and reverence is wonderful and Catholicism has a lot to offer in terms of prayer and meditation. I think the journey to where you are going is often just as important as the getting there. Also you being from Liverpool means you perhaps have a clearer idea of the kind of sectarianism that can exist between Catholics and Protestants and the myths about Catholics that abound!

@mathanxiety Yes it does seem to run very deep and much of it out of ignorance I think, many people find Catholicism weird and creepy when they simply don't understand it. We are Catholics in a Protestant country so I think we are seen as outsiders and then their in some areas is anti-Irish sentiment mixed up in that.

Still I did want this thread to be about positive experiences of Catholicism and yes the deep peace and solace one gets from the faith is immense.

@Sausagenbacon I can see where you are coming from with that comment as religion is often made a scapegoat for wrong doings that are merely human. I've also read comments from American's who say the same as you that the negativity is anti-Christian and perhaps in the US where perhaps all Christian people are lumped together as conservative and anti-progressive that may be the case however in the UK I do think that Catholics and the Catholic Church are subject to a particular kind of suspicion and bigotry that goes back 100's of years and may not be that noticeable to those like yourself who do not hold those anti-Catholic sentiments or perhaps do not live in an area like the west coast of Scotland, Northern Ireland and to some degree the Liverpool area where specifically anti-Catholic bigotry is more of an open and everyday occurrence.

Having said all that here is an interesting youtube video from an American Catholic talking about Anti-Catholicism.

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For me to accept Catholicism as a positive force, 4 things need to happen:

Take full responsibility and make amends for past abuses
Accept homosexuality as equally valid as heterosexuality
Admit women to the priesthood
Allow priests to marry

@Tulpenkavalier and @SiegmeyerOfCatarina This thread isn't an "AIBU" and it isn't for people to come and air their grievances with the Catholic Church, there are is a current thread running where it apparently fine to say whatever you like about Catholics and the Church so why not post on there? This thread for people to talk about their own positive experiences of their faith and the Catholic Church. Like it or not the Catholic Church is and remains a huge positive force in many peoples lives across the world. Change in some area's is coming but it is a very large Church that cannot be changed over night and the criticisms people have of Catholic Church are hardly limited to Catholicism but it does seem that open distain for Catholicism is far more easily tolerated that other faiths. Please take it elsewhere.

@Gingerbreadandtea Thank you for sharing that is so nice to hear, it really is a home and a refuge to so many I think. While I have always been a practicing Catholic I have read spiritual texts from other faiths and belief systems such as Hinduism and Buddhism and what I found is that the wisdom of these faiths was all still available to me within my own Catholic faith. I never was told not to read these books and have in fact had many interesting conversations with Priests and other Catholics about them.

Good on you OP for starting this thread.

The Catholic Church has been a force for good in my life and got me through some tough times. There is a sense of community and I have met some very good people.

I was educated in Catholic schools and have continued this tradition with my children.

I feel a great sense of peace in Church.

I think you are on the wrong thread.

This is supposed to be a positive thread about Catholicism, not what you think is wrong with it.

If you want to indulge in 'Catholic-bashing' there are other threads you can post on.

I saw enough ignorance and bigotry when I lived in Liverpool 40 years ago. I thought we'd moved on from that?

@Dacadactyl Thank you and yes the Church and the community is really there for you in the worst of times, the peace God and my faith brings me as at times been the only thing to keep me going.

@Jackandjillswell Thanks for chipping in I really don't want this to become an anti-Catholic pile on, like you say it is time we left the ignorance and bigotry behind.

I work in a Catholic school and the ethos underpinning the education is the closest I’ve experienced to my own Anglican primary school, which makes me feel very at home and at ease. My childhood church was very High Church.
Any preconceptions I may have had about Catholicism (based on past family history I won’t go into) vanished very early on and I’ve been there 11 years now. Everyone is welcome, everyone is supported and we truly uphold the Catholic tenet of educating every child whatever their needs.
I enjoy class and school visits to the linked Church. There’s a great sense of peace and acceptance and I have never been made to feel out of place for not being Catholic. I accept a Blessing from the Priest with thanks.
Priests have varied, I have to say! My favourite was the one who came in to talk to Upper Juniors about the reality of being a Priest - he was very honest about what he had had to give up, abuse he had suffered in the street because of his dog collar and also that he personally would welcome women priests (but that the Pope had to decide that and he had to abide by what the Pope said).

I am on the borderline of converting to Catholicism tbh. I have reservations about one or two things, but this is a positive thread and not the place for my ruminations! The current Priest is very approachable, so I may well speak to him about it.

@fenora Well I am very glad to hear that some moderation has been employed, not enough though as the bigotry and anti-Catholic hatred on that thread is shocking in my view.

@SpamhappyTootsie I think everyone has their reservations and doubts, that is human. Talking to the Priest is a good idea and prayer of course. I will say I have also felt very at home in many Anglican Churches in which I have attended when no Catholic Church was available to me while in England. I can see why there is no small number of converts between the two Churches. Thank you for sharing your positive experiences!

I’m a Christian, but currently ‘homeless’ ( I can’t accept the Anglican enthusiasm for ‘queer’ sexuality and the sterilisation and mutilation of children).

I respect the Roman Catholic Church for its antiquity and its steadfastness. I follow the Office daily ( except when just too tired last thing at night). I have often been very attracted by the idea of conversion, but I find it hard to accept Papal Infallibility, especially as it is such a relatively recent concept.

The artistic and musical heritage of The Roman Catholic Church is a blessing to everyone, believer or not ( but especially I think to Believers).

Nobody here I would think is opposed to calling out the Church for abuse or the cover up of that abuse but that thread goes well over the line and demonises Catholics in general simply for being Catholic, it is rife with bigotry and if you cannot see that then you are indeed a bigot. This is not the place for it so take it elsewhere.

This is a public forum. If you start a thread, then people are allowed to disagree with you. It’s rather unreasonable to have a hissy fit about it and tell people that they can’t post.

I’m lifelong Catholic and have attended or not attended over the years. I know the Church is not perfect, I’m not blind to things - but we are human and it’s been around for two thousand years. Plenty of other institutions share similar history.

I love the feeling of peace from being inside a Church. The layers to Mass - the sheer weight of history. I also think Priests are wonderful to talk to - very humble and very wise at times.

Ive had difficulties in the past with chronic illness in my children - I do believe God supported me in those years. The footsteps in the sand story springs to mind.

Now that I have cancer I couldn’t be without my faith, and maybe I would get the same from another religion. But all I know is the RC Church, and I find it helps me hugely.

@DismantledKing I think on aibu that is fine to say, I was hoping for more respect on this forum but perhaps that was too much to ask for. I am not on the current anti-Catholic thread because telling them all not to speak because it's a free country and I do believe in free speech but that thread is like it or not full of bigotry with people declaring themselves "proudly anti-Catholic" it wouldn't be tolerated of any other faith or minority.

People can post in any thread they like as long as they stay within MN guidelines. If you don’t like to hear the unvarnished truth about the RCC, perhaps you should set up your own site.

@Allthegoodnamesarechosen Well I have to say I agree with you about the harms being done to children in the name of a secular and supposedly progressive movement. I think people forget that dogma is not just the preserve of religion, it is something that can come to dominate from any part of society. I am very grateful for the Catholic Church for speaking out against something which I do believe in time will not be looked on well at all.

Again we all have out doubts and reservations and that is natural and healthy, I've always found Priests very open and honest if you approach them in good faith to discuss these things, most of them have been their themselves. It is also good to remember that the Catholic Church is always changing and responding to the world it finds itself in but change is slow as the Church is broad and massive!

Good luck in your journey.

@DismantledKing That is fine, but I think I know a great deal more about the Roman Catholic Church good and bad than you do and most of the posters on that other thread which quickly degenerated into a Catholic bashing fest, something we Catholics are used to from ignorant people sadly. However I will no longer be responding to posts like yours, from people like you who have purposely sought out a thread with practicing Catholics to abuse us with your bigotry and hatred and I advice everyone else to just ignore these posters also.