Hey there guys, I'm cradle catholic. I live with my cousin and his wife, who are protestants, they attend a reformed calavinst church.
Lately, if I'm being honest I feel a growing sense of bitnerness towards them for constant jabs at me and always mischaracterizing the Catholic Church and its beliefs. We just follow the bible and the Catholic Church doesn't, et cetera, et cetera.
I don't mind people not understanding Catholicism, (I'm always learning about it too, I wouldn't claim to be a expert about Catholicism either), and asking questions about it if they're coming from a place of sincerity. But they always throw jabs towards me about it.
The classic ones like like idol worship, worshipping Mary, putting Mary above jesus, the abuse scandals, praying to the dead in relation to Saints, my rosery beads, it's starting to become quite hurtful. It's all done with a air of superiority and ignorance. My cousins wife's family are heavily anti-catholic and pass down strong prejudices to everyone in they're family; but they themselves don't ever really examine why they hold those positions in the first place. A quick google search will tell them otherwise. I'm not even sure they take Christianity seriously, it's just what they have been raised with. It's seems more like a family identity to me.
Not going to lie, I haven't been wholly innocent here though. After the constant jabs, I found myself doing the exact same thing, but too them. You could even say I've mischaracterized a lot of Protestant positions too, So I'm no better, it's just crazy how the quiet resentment has stirred in me about it, that I retaliate with pride and argumentation. I just recently lost my cool today about it. I'm starting to feel anger towards them, and don't like that I'm feeling this way towards people I Love.
I just recently found out through a family friend, my cousin doesn't want to attend our bible study sessions anymore, apparently because of the prayers we do, and because he's feels like a traitor in a sense to his Protestant beliefs? We study the bible, say a few catholic prayers, nothing crazy. It's wild. Of course, this is all conjecture and that's just what some people have told me, but knowing him and but also living with him, it doesn't seem to far out of the realm of possibility for him. I just wished he was transparent with me.
He recently told me, he always found the Catholic Church was creepy aesthetically because he watched a lot of horror flims, and this painted Catholicism in a negative light for him. Which is just stupid to me personally.
It just hurts. It's starting to really hurt my personal faith with this growing resentment. I find myself getting into to arguments out of egotism, to affrim my Catholic positions. I know this isn't what the the Lord wants. It's prideful.
I truly don't hate anyone, and always rejoice when people find the Lord, and take they're faith seriously. Even if it's outside the Catholic Church. We may disagree about certain things when it's comes to theology, but the core remains there. We both believe in Jesus, the resurrection, the crucifixion, and the trinity.
I'm sorry for venting guys, I just wanna see if anyone had similar experience to me. Because it's starting to knaw away at me. Peace be with everyone, and God Bless. Pray for me.
Lately, if I'm being honest I feel a growing sense of bitnerness towards them for constant jabs at me and always mischaracterizing the Catholic Church and its beliefs. We just follow the bible and the Catholic Church doesn't, et cetera, et cetera.
I don't mind people not understanding Catholicism, (I'm always learning about it too, I wouldn't claim to be a expert about Catholicism either), and asking questions about it if they're coming from a place of sincerity. But they always throw jabs towards me about it.
The classic ones like like idol worship, worshipping Mary, putting Mary above jesus, the abuse scandals, praying to the dead in relation to Saints, my rosery beads, it's starting to become quite hurtful. It's all done with a air of superiority and ignorance. My cousins wife's family are heavily anti-catholic and pass down strong prejudices to everyone in they're family; but they themselves don't ever really examine why they hold those positions in the first place. A quick google search will tell them otherwise. I'm not even sure they take Christianity seriously, it's just what they have been raised with. It's seems more like a family identity to me.
Not going to lie, I haven't been wholly innocent here though. After the constant jabs, I found myself doing the exact same thing, but too them. You could even say I've mischaracterized a lot of Protestant positions too, So I'm no better, it's just crazy how the quiet resentment has stirred in me about it, that I retaliate with pride and argumentation. I just recently lost my cool today about it. I'm starting to feel anger towards them, and don't like that I'm feeling this way towards people I Love.
I just recently found out through a family friend, my cousin doesn't want to attend our bible study sessions anymore, apparently because of the prayers we do, and because he's feels like a traitor in a sense to his Protestant beliefs? We study the bible, say a few catholic prayers, nothing crazy. It's wild. Of course, this is all conjecture and that's just what some people have told me, but knowing him and but also living with him, it doesn't seem to far out of the realm of possibility for him. I just wished he was transparent with me.
He recently told me, he always found the Catholic Church was creepy aesthetically because he watched a lot of horror flims, and this painted Catholicism in a negative light for him. Which is just stupid to me personally.
It just hurts. It's starting to really hurt my personal faith with this growing resentment. I find myself getting into to arguments out of egotism, to affrim my Catholic positions. I know this isn't what the the Lord wants. It's prideful.
I truly don't hate anyone, and always rejoice when people find the Lord, and take they're faith seriously. Even if it's outside the Catholic Church. We may disagree about certain things when it's comes to theology, but the core remains there. We both believe in Jesus, the resurrection, the crucifixion, and the trinity.
I'm sorry for venting guys, I just wanna see if anyone had similar experience to me. Because it's starting to knaw away at me. Peace be with everyone, and God Bless. Pray for me.
