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Greg Harris
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
My name is Greg and I am a college sophomore at a prestigious university. I am a pretty smart person and I have been raised to be polite towards diverse people; however, I absolutely hate Catholics. I hate everything about them. They're greedy, rude, uncaring, bigoted, liars, cheaters, nosy, pretentious, and beyond self-righteous. I can't be around them. I can't be friends with them, and in my mind, I can't even associate them with other human beings. I see Catholics as a completely different being.
- I give them a lot of crap
- I have protested the Catholic Church, refused to donate to Catholic charities, and
- ditched friends because they were Catholic.
I can't stomach anything Catholic and it's getting progressively worse.
Now, I am actually considering performing hate crimes and possibly even resorting to physical violence. Some days, it's literally all I can contemplate, especially if one has made me angry the day, or even a week, before. I tend to go out of my way to avoid Catholics, but somehow they always find a way to enrage themselves with me.
- Basically, I want to know how to fix this before I get into trouble with law, for resorting to violence?
I have been advised to speak with a priest, but I don't know if I can do that. I am not sure how to approach a priest, let alone a Catholic church. I feel if I sat down with a priest, I would probably get up and leave in anger.
Help me, please.
Thanks!
Greg
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{
How do I fix my hatred for Catholics before it gets me into trouble with law by resorting to force? }
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Mike replied:
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Hi Greg,
Thanks for the question.
I empathize with you to a certain extent.
While the Catholics that drive you crazy are:
- greedy
- rude
- uncaring
- bigoted
- liars
- cheaters
- nosy
- pretentious, and
- beyond self-righteous
The ones that drive me crazy are those that:
- scandalize the Church by their:
- public witness, and
- what they say and do publicly
especially those in political office
That said, as a Catholic Christian, I am called to love the sinner but hate the sin.
Yeah, my Catholic brethren are acting like scandalous idiots but they were probably never:
- taught the faith correctly or
- trained by their parents to be good Catholic role models.
They are spiritually acting like children.
In order to put things in perspective Greg, you have to separate bad, Judas, behavior from true teachings.
Once you do that, and some research you will confirm that Catholic teachings have never changed since 33 A.D. Heck, in the earlier eras of Church history we had a pope with secret mistresses!, yet the teachings never changed.
Living the sacramental life of the Church is key to a healthy physical and spiritual life.
One difficulty you do have is at most "prestigious" educational institutions there is a bias against people of faith. Many professors are either atheists, agnostics or secularists.
You said:
- Basically, I want to know how to fix this before I get into trouble with law, for resorting to violence?
Although my Catholic brethren are acting like scandalous idiots, violence is never the answer.
In any current or future situation, you can always ask yourself: WWJD? [What Would Jesus Do?]
I would suggest similar advice to what your friend told you.
Ask around and find a solid Catholic monastery or religious retreat house that has a religious order that is known to be faithful to the Church.
Make an appointment with one of their priests to talk over the issues. I have a little concern that you have been given a false stereotype about what Catholic priests are like. Don't be afraid to talk to a few. They won't bite. I promise ... most of the time : )
I don't know anything about your spiritual background but I would strive to start up a daily prayer life. Initially, it doesn't have to be anything more than asking the Lord to guide you appropriately and to send good people into your life.
We have had more than a few Protestants who have visited our site, who know much more than the ordinary Catholic in the pew. Don't attack a straw horse . . . meaning don't attack a Church that appears to condone bad behavior but doesn't!
If you are interested in what faithful Catholics believe, consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Hope this helps,
Mike
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Greg replied:
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Mike,
I'm an atheist, so I will not be praying about anything.
Greg
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Mike replied:
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Hi Greg,
Well, you just re-enforced by opinion of "prestigious university"; looks like you are another victim of, as I said: atheists, agnostics or secularists.
May be the numerous dictionaries and encyclopedias should re-fine "prestigious universities" as universities being run by these tenured people.
You said:
I am a pretty smart person ...
No your not Greg! If you are an atheist, that tells me you are not using your God-given brain.
If you are interested,
I discuss three types of Atheism in this posting:
Take care, and again, I'm sorry for the scandalous behavior by some in our Church. Trust me,
we aren't all a bunch of scandalous idiots, though many have been uncatechized and
were never taught the importance of the great faith they were blessed with by their parents.
Mike
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