Why do false representations of Catholic doctrine tend to come from Christians not Atheists?

It seems to me that the daily barrage of ';Why do Catholics believe... '; questions tend to come from the reformed Christian adherents. I rarely see an Atheist present a misrepresentation of Catholic doctrine. They may not agree with it, but they rarely misrepresent it. In fact, it seems common for at least one or two to chime in on these questions and say ';that's not what they believe';





It seems that most atheists can understand that Catholics are required to accept the teachings contained in their Catechism and are apparently better informed on what those teaching are, while most Christian reformers seem to be misinformed regarding Catholic doctrine. IMO.Why do false representations of Catholic doctrine tend to come from Christians not Atheists?
Because most atheists have at least a grasp of the way a system of belief works, and attempt to view the beliefs of another as valid to that person.





Many vocal Christians, on the other hand, demonstrate a disturbingly intense inability to view another person's mental state as valid in even that person's own mind. They totally and utterly lack empathy.





As far as why you'll occasionally find atheists answering in defense of Catholics, I think you'll find that on the whole, atheists are genuinely interested in the truth. If someone parrots a falsehood, even about a belief system we do not believe ourselves, we seem prompted to correct the falsehood, either to teach or at least prevent it being said again. I've become fairly knowledgable of Judaism over the past few years, so I try to answer questions about Judaism as well -- fairly, accurately, sincerely, even though I'm an atheist.





Belief systems posit certain logical axioms. From these you can draw conclusions, even if you don't accept the initial axioms as true.Why do false representations of Catholic doctrine tend to come from Christians not Atheists?
I believe that most Catholic-bashers are other Christians because they don't understand the RCC or don't want to. Most evangelical protestant groups are in competition with the RCC to ';save'; as many people as they can, so they have to come up with nonsense against the Catholics in order to persuade. So many of these Christians are so busy worshipping the Bible they don't try to understand how 2,000 years of history has shaped an institution that has withstood just about everything that can be experienced by humanity.


I no longer practice Catholicism, but to all you non-Catholic Christians who insisit on spreading lies and half-truths, give it a rest already!


All religious institutions are run by humans and are therefore subject to imperfection, including your own Bible church or wherever you go. Deal with it and move on.
I am not surprised


the basis of what you are asking is why some christians lie about you yet atheists present accurate facts.


I've seen loads of similar questions about catholics that are asked by christians and have all of the catholics point out the the question is wrong, maybe they should be in the drinking game?


I think it's easy for some christian fundies and loons to lie about others even though it's a 'sin' by their own rules
Because atheists have sufficient arguments to reject all versions of Christianity based on logic, historical evidence and general Christian dogma. They have no need to misrepresent any of the particular Christian cults or make one sound better than the others.





Protestants however are in the 'my version of our imaginary friend is better than your version of our imaginary friend' game. So making Catholic dogma looks stupid does two things:





It might make a catholic going their belief system, and they get vindication through numbers.





It makes them feel better in believing their dogma over the doma of other cults, again giving them vindication of their beliefs.








It does not matter if they are distorting Catholic dogma, they are just lookig for vindication that they are right and others are wrong. That their vindication is a shallow shadow of a thing does not matter, as long as it exists in their minds.





Face it, if any religious person was after the real truth they would have found the historical evidence that disproves their beliefs ages ago.
When I attended catechism class in an Evangelically oriented Presbyterian church as a teenager we spent almost as much time being taught negative ';facts'; about Catholic practices and teaching as we did studying the dogma and polity of our own denomination.


Sadly most of those ';facts'; were either obsolete or never true to begin with.
Ignorance! I asked that question a few days ago. There are so many misconceptions: like Catholics aren't Christians, Catholics are Pagan, Catholics are idol-worshippers, Catholics haven't been saved.... I believe it mostly comes from fear, or maybe their Protestant, Pentecostal, etc. Gives false information about Catholics in their sermons. Since Atheists aren't exposed to such things, they probably have a better idea of the whole thing :/ however, im Catholic, so i will never know.
Virtually all of the poisonous things said here about Catholicism come from uneducated fundamentalist Christians. They're railing not against Catholicism at all, but what they've been TOLD is Catholicism. You're just not going to get anything factual out of Jack Chick's website, it's really as simple as that.
Well of course most misrepresentations come from other Christians. Christians who are not Catholic or Orthodox are, by definition, Protestants. The purpose of Protestantism is to protest against the Catholic Church. Many of them will find something to protest about even if they have to make it up.
Bing, hit the nail on the head. As said so many times before, most atheists have studied religion to such an extent that they were able to make an informed decision, whereas most religious people take the entire doctrine for granted, because someone else said it is so.
Sadly, this answer is going to sound really harsh. I'm not normally so blunt. But we (Catholics) have all seen this repeatedly.





Because so many of them prefer to shut their brains off and believe what ever lies they are spoon fed. Such as the earth is really only 5000 years old and Catholics are Pagan idol worshipers.





If they'd just pick up a book and read, things would be very different.





Then there is the petty highschoolish need to be better than us. They feel they must talk smack about is to feel better about themselves.
atheists know both sides are screwy, and will judge people for who they are, not what they claim to believe, since an atheist believes that doesn't matter





a ';christian'; (notice the quotes) will judge someone based on what they have been taught about their beliefs
Atheists rely on reason.





Protestants rely on faith.





Neither position is superior to the Catholic position of relying on both faith and reason ... as illuminated by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ, and his authentic Church.
Atheist tend to at least attempt to reason logically and hopefully get their facts straight.





Where as religious types take a more emotional approach.
Atheists tend to get their facts from studying, not from blindly believing and parroting whatever the preacher says.
Because believe it or not - even though we don't believe, the majority of atheist know a thing or two about religion.





Diggin' your avatar.
Perhaps because the majority of Protestants get their information from their own faith whereas atheists are more likely to look it up in unbiased areas.
Atheists while they may not believe do study facts and understand our faith better than other christians. They actually read about it. IMHO they are often more respectful.
the daily athiest like me, dont see any point in trying to present our information logically to an illogical group of people.
Christians who focus on a splinter in someone else's eye do so because of the great big log in their own eye.
Because why pull the no true scotsman stunt when you believe there are no true scotsmen in the first place....
because they are the ones trying to sell their snake oil to the masses. not atheists.
I don't know
Most of the atheists I know are well-informed people who don't accept anything on blind faith and who check their facts before presenting them. They aren't content to swallow someone else's version of the truth without verifying the details.





The same thing can't be said of many fundamentalists and evangelicals who mindlessly accept whatever their pastor tells them about Catholicism or what they've read in Jack Chick tracts. If Pastor So-and-so said it or they saw it on a website, it has to be true.





Just take a look at some of the anti-Catholic responses you've already gotten. The writers are presenting their information as ';facts,'; but not one of their accusations is true. An atheist would be much more likely to check his sources and reject poorly documented information.





It's the difference between being well-read and informed about a subject and being one of the sheeple who trot along meekly after someone they think they can trust.
There are no errors in Catholic Dogma.





The Catholic Church is founded by God, is Indefectible, one of its divine marks, and cannot have errors. It is the Perfect Society, with Christ as its Head, therefore it is Holy. It is One, because all members believe exactly the same doctrines. The Church speaks those Words of Christ give us by the Apostles, it is therefore, Apostolic. The Four Marks define the True Church: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. There is no dissent among its members, therefore it is Catholic, as the Greek word from the First Century, ';kathol,'; defines. The Church of Christ exists in all eternity, indefectible and holy.





There are only errors in the Vatican II Roman Protestant Church, which never existed before 1965. Its ';proposals'; and heresies. Yes heresies. When Paul 6 violated the sacraments he touched on divine law, the words of the sacraments, and that is what the other Protestants are referring to. The violated new Words of the sacraments is full-out sacrilege for any valid priest who uses them. The Protestants think that the Catholic Church ';changed,'; when all it did was go underground, takings its faithful and its holy sacraments and priests with it. It left the Newchurch behind.





The Impostor Church has taken over the offices and attempts the mutilation of the doctrines. It is not the Catholic Church, headed by the Invisible Vicar that would allow changes or errors! It has nothing to do with the Catholic Church, except to change and mimic the True Church. Vatican II was a council that took place from 1962-1965. Vatican II was a false council that constituted a revolution against 2000 years of Catholic teaching and Tradition. Vatican II contains many heresies that were directly condemned by past popes and infallible councils. Vatican II attempted to give Catholics a new religion. But Catholics knew their doctrine, and they knew it was a false council. In the period following Vatican II, massive changes in the dogmatic reservoir of Catholicism was abused, including the implementation of a New Mass, violating Quo Primum and the Council of Trent, a Dogmatic Council with de fide dogmas on the Mass. I can, today and since 1967, no longer be seen as Catholicism.





Vatican II also came out with new practices and views toward other religions, leading the Protestants to think that they were not heretics without requiring any Abjurations Against Heresy or The Profession of the Catholic Faith. Well, how could it when it had conformed its Mass to the Protestant ';mass';? The Catholic Church cannot change its teaching on other religions and how it views the members of other religions, since these are truths of Faith delivered by Jesus Christ. Vatican II attempted to do that. The Catholics then left to retain their Mass and their doctrine of the faith underground.





The Heresies in Vatican II:





Vatican II was called by Freemason Roncalli, and it was solemnly promulgated and confirmed by Montini on Dec. 8, 1965. Vatican II was not a true general or ecumenical council of the Catholic Church because it was called and confirmed by manifest heretics (John 23 and Paul 6) who were not eligible for the papal election (see Paul 6's Apostolic Constitution). The fruits of Vatican II are plain for all to see. Any honest Catholic who lived before the council and compares it with the religion in the dioceses today can attest to the fact that Vatican II inaugurated a new religion. Maybe the honest ex-Catholic likes the new religion, but, nevertheless, because he wasn't watchful, or because of choice, he has taken himself out of Catholicism and entered the Church of Vatican II.





It also took until the internet for a wider reach to the world in order to correct and explain the Errors of Vatican II. Today there is no excuse any longer. Savvy?
Why would atheists care about the doctrine of the Catholic Church?





We aren't misinformed. Catholics are. They follow a pseudo-pagan-Christian doctrine that is nothing at all what Christ taught. I don't care what the Catholic catechism teaches. It is NOT what the real teacher taught. The real teacher is/was Christ.





Kevin- I am not an uneducated fundamentalist, nor did I get my info from Jack Chick. Your problem is that you don't want to actually take the time to learn the real origins of many things the Catholic church teaches, or has done to the teachings of Christ. So much of it comes from pagan worship it isn't funny. Plenty of atheists know that Easter and Christmas come from pagan holidays. How come Catholics don't?
It is the truth that Catholic church is anti Christ.





Christ is the Word. Catholics changed the words and doctrines of the bible.
Because the Christians can see that the emperor has no clothes....








We know the Bible and what they teach and speak is the traditions and laws of men and contrary to the word of God...
Yes they are to accept those teachings, but even a lot don't if you are really honest and still attend the Catholic church.
Both atheists and Catholics are non Christians so I suppose there is a compatibility of sorts there.
Catholics are really crazy
Perhaps the reason that it is Christians who most frequently point out errors of faith in the Catholic doctrines is because it is Christians who study the scripture which is the place where those errors are most visible.





It was all started in 1520 by Martin Luther who was a priest and bible teacher at Wittenburg university in Germany. During a solitude study in his tower retreat, he discovered the promise of the gospels that states without a doubt that all of us are capable of praying to God (directly) and that through our faithful acceptance of the sacrifice that God made through Christ Jesus, we are all absolved of our sinful indiscretions.





Although there is no harm in discussing those sins with your pastor, it is not required to perform sacraments for absolution. Also, the whole scenario that followed the debates that began with Luther's 95 thesis only made this divide (and distinction) between Catholic and protestant beliefs stronger.





If you truly want to see the history of the protestant reform that has lead to your perception that Christians seem to question Catholic doctrine, it is all here in the book of Concord, the very doctrine that is the Lutheran Church.





Here. you can read Luther's life works along with the Popes response and Luther's apologetics





You might find a better understanding of you query there as well