Irritating Intolerance by Ignorance

I'm not sure if I've ever explicitly mentioned it in this blog but I am Roman Catholic. That means that I am hated slightly less than Atheists, hated as much as Mormons and hated slightly more than any fire and brimstone baptist by most Protestants. This is a problem. It is also quite irritating to hear from some Protestants that I am in fact, not even Christian...

Don't worry, I'm not going to spend time defending Catholicism from such charges on this blog. It would take time and wouldn't change anyone's mind anyway, so what would the point be? Instead, I'd rather share my frustration in being interviewed for an Episcopal camp and receiving this question: "So James, you seem to want to pursue God through reason and even hold discussions with Atheists and fellow Christians to pursue truth. But it says here you are Roman Catholic, how did you ever become so driven for Jesus and scripture if you grew up Catholic?"

There's no reason to mention all the expletives that may or may not have ran through my head that this man would seriously ask this question in earnest. Well to be fair, there weren't any really, just supreme surprise that he would seriously ask that. Why do we do this to each other? How is it that we can all make assumptions about each others faiths based on denomination? Ugh, I'm so tired of fighting this Protestant arrogance to Christ. I've been questioned so many times from so many of them why don't I become Protestant. The attitude that "You are pursuing Christ but James, you will NEVER find Him in the Catholic Church. We have the answers though. We can give you the relationship with Jesus you've been searching your whole life for." Please, don't give me such a promise only to try to fulfill it by joining your church. The belief that Protestants have the only access to salvation because they have the only true connection with Jesus is ridiculous. The higher churches are bastardizations of the Roman Catholic Church and the lower churches are bastardizations of those and each other. And as I type type this I even think: "How is what you're saying different from what they are saying?" And you know what, it isn't. I won't delete it though, so the reader can see my own error but at least I'm here owning up to it. Ugh, I hate such religious arrogance. I really do. Sorry if this blog was a pure vent session but at least I'm addressing an issue all Christians are in on.