[the_old_crowd] A Rant on the DVC and Anti-Catholicism

[rebecca]

>Eileen:

>Not to mention, since when was debunking not a form of education?

>I see a WHOLE load of the usual anti-Catholic Anglo-American prejudice
>in the way the general public is reacting to this. Catholics are stupid
>for not understanding it's just fiction, even though the author, half
>his fans, and much of the general public is joining in to say that it is
>very much the truth. And how on *earth* could you possibly get the idea
>from this reaction that there's an anti-Catholic prejudice to this? That
>just *proves* how stupid and close-minded Catholics are!

<snip>

>But for goodness sake, how on earth could
>those Catholics have got the idea that they're an acceptable target for
>bigotry? Once again, it proves how ignorant they are

Rebecca now:

I didn't say debunking wasn't another way to educate oneself - at least in 
my quest for what I decide to be comfortable for me, I do go to both sides 
of the aisle to increase my knowledge no matter what topic that may be. That 
alone may make the search for personal answers slightly different from some 
segment of the public.

For you, Eileen,  I also wish to be clear that I never stated or believe 
that Catholics were stupid and closed minded by any means - I didn't say it, 
nor did *I* imply it.  However, I am guilty of chuckling at some of the 
verbiage contained in the "debunking" Catholic site I visited - sorry, I'm 
only human and a portion of it, IMO, is more verbose than it needs to be.

I said I find it compelling this reaction is far more overt than the 
original release of the book and for good reason. I  feel that an equal and 
opposite reaction such that anyone has takes so vehemently against the 
release of any entertainment based on fiction only increases its popularity 
and viewership.  IMO, as such leaders in Christianity lending that amount of 
disagreement and hostility to a book or a movie, it will make the general 
public more curious about what all the yelling is about and most of them 
won't be nearly as anal as the rest of us for discovering any truths for 
themselves.

>Eileen said:
>I highly recommend Philip Jenkin's "The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last
>Acceptable Prejudice" Read it with an open mind, and you may *begin* to
>understand the position Catholics are regularly put in within the
>English speaking world.

Rebecca:

Since you used my post to "rant", I can only surmise you think that I 
haven't read it or that I wasn't raised Catholic or am deluded about 
Catholicism - forgive me, but those are not correct assumptions to make. 
And BTW, the only trouble I had with the Jenkins' book is the suggestion I 
feel he makes that any criticism of the Catholic Church is a definition of 
bigotry - I'm not quite comfortable with that, although I do respect the 
books he has created thus far - and a certain portion towards the ending 
chapters that I feel is a problem that could be better solved by the Church.

Rebecca