Ignorance, Dismissiveness, Arrogance Solves Nothing
Just a while ago I read three articles. One said Catholics are reading their Bible more. One said most Catholics are not aware that there is a body of teaching on social issues from the Catholic Church. The last article by a Catholic lay-person made fun of a Protestant pastor’s view that we are seeing the Old Testament played out in current events.
Nothing bugs me more than Protestants telling me Catholics (and therefore I) don’t read the Bible. Guess what? I do, although I used to do it better than I do now. Other Catholics read it constantly and use it to live by. Other Catholics don’t read it, true. But guess what again? Some Protestants don’t read the Bible. Some do. Some are better at it than others. If you are one of the non-Bible reading group (and I would hazard a guess you would be in the majority) you would consistently have the opportunity to hear more Scripture, both Old and New Testament at church if you went to a Catholic Mass. You’d have to sit up and actually, you know, listen and participate—but more Scripture is shared in one Mass that in months of most Protestant services.
These last two years I have heard repeatedly how uneducated Catholics are and that caused a great falling away of members of the Church. I’ve argued that it is more pride, more feeling one knows best or that surely the Church cannot tell someone what to do, versus poor teaching. The other reason I’ve felt many Catholics left the Church is out of laziness. The “I don’t wanna…” mentality. I don’t feel like getting up, I don’t feel like sitting there, it is boring, liturgy is not my thing. I for one, feel I received a fairly good Catholic education, was surrounded by good and active Catholics and chose to live a life of sin out of selfishness and pride. And laziness—it’s a lot of work to choose the good choice and so very easy to choose a sinfull choice.
But I’m starting to change my opinion about the untaught angle.
I’m starting to change my opinion because I am seeing arrogant Catholics mock Protestants the way I feel many Protestants mock Catholics, out of ignorance. Protestants that have never seriously considered the Catholic Church and not really looked at history have a very one dimensional, flat and very distorted view of what and who the Church is. But the converse is true and it is likely the reason when I left the Catholic Church the second time I joined a Protestant denomination. I wasn’t dissatisfied with God at that time; I just still didn’t want anyone to tell me what to do. I didn’t have a good view of history. I remember the audacity of my statement after finishing a course on the core beliefs of the denomination I chose. I said, “I finally found a church that lined up with my beliefs.” Whoa, Nellie!! How is that for making it all about me and not all about God? What arrogance!
But the same was true when I was a Catholic growing up. My knowledge of mainline Protestantism (won’t even start to go into the diverse branches) was flat and one dimensional. I see that today in people who are considered leaders in the Catholic Church. Most often they are lay people, but I have heard nuns and priests share ideas that are dismissive and even insulting about Protestant beliefs.
I think (and this is where it gets shaky—that word “I”) that to dismiss someone’s beliefs without knowing more about a subject is dangerous. To say “That is not what the Church teaches.” if it is true, is one thing. To laugh at something just because it is not something you’ve personally ever considered is another thing. And sadly that is more what I’ve seen on each side of the fence.
From a personal position, I read the Bible more, and more consistently as a Protestant. But, and this is huge, I knew most of it because I had heard it for years and years, read out loud at Mass. It was inscribed on my heart. While I might not have been able to pull out chapter and verse at will it was there and when I read it for myself I could only say, “Oh! I know this already.”
I think most Protestants and Catholics don’t have a good grasp on Christian history, and those that have studied history have an “American” perspective. It’s not hard to believe that is the only perspective. It is what is taught in public schools and on network television. When one can realize that history can be taught from several perspective—and that each one is biased then a true understanding can be the goal.
If ecumenism is a goal for people both Protestant and Catholic a good start would be a few more lessons in history from a few more perspectives. But more importantly, a little humility and being a little slower to be dismissive before considering someone else’s point would be huge in united Christians.
Leave a Reply