Roman Catholics: Do you think that some Christians bring up problems of the RC doctrine for no good reason?

[Christian sinner]

Do you think that anything said about Roman Catholic doctrine in a negative way is completely pointless? Do you think that all other Christians with any kind of concern are only attacking you or your "church"?
I will not thumbs down anyone for answering this question.

Roman Catholics, this is not an attack. I'm asking for your opinion, which I will respect (maybe not agree with, but maybe I will).

[John quill Quill]

Hell is "want to, but can't."

[lowwood537]

We are supposed to 'reason together', but it seems a lot on all sides of Christianity have a problem with this,

[reflexologist]

Yes, it's pointless. Misrepresentation, historical revisionism, prejudice, and blatant lies is more than being negative.

Not 100 people in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is. --
Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

[thing]

No, we should all bring up problems with doctrine- everyone's doctrine. How are we going to notice them otherwise, or try to fix them or figure out why they're wrong?

If I'm believing stuff which cannot be verified by objective reality (like much of history) AND possibly has an effect on where I go after I die, I'd definitely want people to point out any flaws to me ASAP.

Of course this only holds true so long as those flaws are actually real, and not "Your religion eats babies, mine is better, nyer nyer nyer nyer. Ignore those flaws over there, only your one counts, baby eater".

Edit: For example, if you said "your religion contradicts mine, therefore it's wrong" you're not picking a flaw in the other person's doctrine.

If I told a Baptist that he should be a Catholic because Baptists are not Christian, or they think John the Baptist was the messiah, that's not pointing out flaws in Baptist doctrine (since those things aren't true), that's just being ignorant and annoying.

[Sacra Veritas]

More often than not, when other Christians bring up "problems" with Catholic doctrine, it is due to either a completely false understanding (meaning, it isn't even a Catholic doctrine), or a lack of understanding, or ignorance of history. I wouldn't say that it is pointless though.

[Daver]

<<Roman Catholics: Do <snip> no good reason?>>

There IS no good reason since Roman Catholic Doctrine has no problems.


<<Do you think <snip> is completely pointless?>>

Pointless and wrong.


<<Do you think <snip> or your "church"?>>

As a Catholic, I only care about anti-Catholic claims.


<<I will not thumbs down anyone for answering this question.>>

Why do so many people care about getting thumbs up/down? What is the big deal?

[smeitemm]

Most of the time they don't attack RC doctrine, they attack what they believe is RC doctrine.

For example Catholics pray to the saints. Since protestants only pray to God, protestants equate prayer with worship. For Catholics prayer is communication, and worship is reserved for God. So when some uneducated protestant comes along bashing away about how we worship saints, yes it's for no reason.

Just saw another where they say "Catholics added books to the bible." Simple answer for simple minds. Tell these same uneducated that these "added books" were in the 1611 KJV and they are documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and you get silence. Dumbfounded, irritating silence. Which is proof they are not on here to do anything but to blindly spout their own doctrine and have no interest in hearing anything outside of their own safe delusions. Now there are serious apologetics on both sides of this issue, but the whole "added books" argument is not one of them.

Yes it is for no reason? One can search YA and see these issue have been addressed ad nauseum. Major facepalm. The arrogance, the self-rightousness, it's disgusting.

@Daver, I gave you a thumbs up, not that you care.

[thankfulmitten996]

If someone asserts a position about RC doctrine which I know is incorrect, I'll answer and the issue is resolved. That same person will again assert the same thing, and I'll correct the issue.
Again and again and again...it makes me wonder about the other person and why they keep at it:

-They did not hear my answer
-They did not understand my answer
-They did not listen to my answer
-They thought I was lying and/or "deceived"
-They already have their preconceived notions and are not really asking a "question"
-They have an personal agenda to attack the faith

I don't so much mind when someone is concerned for my spiritual well being, but if they assert that my spiritual well being is being jeopardized by the Roman Catholic Church, then that's just ignorance, even if that person is a former Catholic. I don't appreciate being told that I'm going to hell JUST BECAUSE I am Catholic.

I don't see it as pointless though. I welcome questions and I think questions should be asked. I see it as an opportunity to correct people's ill-conceived notions about the Church and hopefully the answer sinks in; if that takes several attempts, then so be it.

When I think the line of pointlessness has been crossed is in certain situations that I have seen: For example, there are several debate boards on Facebook and a lot of fundamentalists attack the Church. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen an unsourced quote from a "catholic" resource which is contrary to Catholic teaching put forth by a fundie; even though terrific Catholic apologists PROVE the source as false or misquoted, it's like fundie flies to the light; they just don't let it go. It's very frustrating because it's intellectually dishonest. I see the JWs here misquote Catholic sources all the time. Even though I link to the actual source and copy/paste the entire quote they use, I'm the one who is "stoned". It makes me want to say, "Fine! Be content in your own ignorance."

Do you seriously expect us to believe that someone like Chris/CJ/Matthew/Garrett or Susanna is actually interested in my spiritual well being? Or are they more interested in scoring some sort of "victory"?

Edit:
Something else I though of...take a step back from Yahoo Answers for a moment and have an overall look. The vast majority of the Q&As that Catholics deal with here are a perspective of "Catholicism on trial", which automatically puts us on the defensive.
Why do Catholics worship Mary?
Why do Catholics worship statues/idols?
Is the Pope a god?
We don't need a priest...
Why don't Catholics read the Bible?
Why do Catholics call priests father when it says in the Bible...
Are Catholic Christian?
etc...

Sure, there are sincere askers of these questions, but it is usually easy to glean the tone of the question/answer, and hence, the intention behind it, especially when one has been here in R&S for a few years.

It's unfortunate that the questions are not more geared toward theology of what we have in common, or of how our Christian faith is to be lived out in this secular world.