those who hate us

“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”
― Fulton J. Sheen

In this life their will always be those who look down on you for what you have chosen to believe. This is not the usual level of disagreement. But rather profound and rather venomous contempt for the very core values that you practice. If anything social media has done much to make such hatred more apparent.

Lately I've had more than a few encounters with some members of various "Christian" groups. With one fellow specifically saying he "hates the Roman Catholic Church". He feels justified in his hate because he claims he use to be Catholic. The ones that I have encountered all use the same one track mind. Quote the Bible chapter and verse and then ignore any counter points that you may have to offer. Even if you offer up a Biblical explanation for the Catholic faith. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Pretty much the same debate over and over.

I have to openly wonder if these people truly believe on their own that the Catholic faith is evil. Or have they been mislead by some powerful and out right dangerous element that they don't realize. Even those who have left the faith and then go on to attack us. As if doing so just adds more validity to their arguments. No matter what the reasons for their dislike of us. Those who go on the attack have bigger issues than what they believe the Catholic faith to be.

Some time ago I made a decision that I would stop engaging these people unless it could not be avoided. Even then I would not stoop to their level and go on the attack. I will of course point out things that need to be shown. But instead I would rather put my efforts into praying for them. Even the fellow I mentioned above. The reality is that many people attack what they think the Catholic faith is. However what they are attacking is an illusion that they themselves have created. They have allowed their hearts to be corrupted and have decided to twist the Bible to serve their own personal agendas. To justify their hate of anything that does not conform to their world view. These are the people I pray for the most. Because unless you have chosen to walk in the path that is the Catholic Church. To embrace it completely. Then you really have no idea what it means to be Catholic.

-JM