Author Topic: Traditional Catholic versus Regular Catholic? (Read 1218 times)

Cato · « **on:** December 27, 2013, 01:19:03 AM »

How do you feel about the term "Traditional Catholic?"

I don't like it; I feel like I'm being described as some variant of a regular Catholic. Are the NO Catholics the de facto heretics? Shouldn't we be described as Catholics and NO Catholics as some deviation from the norm?

In fact "Traditional Catholics" should be called just Christians. Protestants and N.O. should be heretics.

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2013, 01:23:54 AM »

This is a perennial question, but it comes down to common usage.

Even though it's not fair that the heretical conciliar NewReligion gets the buildings, the name, the "Catholic" reputation, the public mindshare, etc. it's nevertheless true that they have possession of all these things.

To pretend otherwise would be unrealistic.

If you don't distinguish yourself from the protestants, many will assume you're protestant if you refer to yourself as a Christian today.

Likewise, you have to do SOMETHING to show people that you're a REAL Catholic, and not just one of those fake ones like John Kerry. If you can manage it without using the term "traditional", then more power to you.

Not to show off, but to be a good example. You can't let people think that EVERYONE finds real Catholicism "too hard" or "outdated". The whole conciliar experiment is a major disaster and an embarrassment for Catholicism. You have to remember that.

But the fact is that there are two kinds of Catholics today:

A) Novus Ordo, which are more like protestants (and they get along better with protestants than they do with...
B) Traditional Catholics, who live the Faith and truly believe all its dogmas and follow the morality it imposes.

Language should reflect reality. Ergo...

StCeciliasGirl · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2013, 03:25:01 AM »

I say "Catholic" and, if someone looks affronted, I quickly add "with no guitars".

When speaking of a NO Catholic, I merely say, "[Person] attends [NO parish]" and that usually explains that. The ones I refer to most commonly (acquaintances) usually identify with another belief-system, like Buddhism, or sometimes I learn of a surprise addition to their belief system, and I bite my tongue from saying what I think ("new age catholic") and just leave.

Catholic is Christian, but Christian in common parlance isn't always Catholic because apostolic succession, or at least that's how I was taught. (Catholic, not anathematized, is where we want to be; someone raised Protestant who is Baptised, and otherwise does the best they know how in this evil age, hopefully will at least fall under invincible ignorance, and EENS/Church, but I'm not dogmatic at all on what exactly constitutes "the Church on earth" in this age. I think Baptism is pretty necessary unless you live in the bush somewhere in Africa.)

Yeah, I like Catholic.

jen51 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2013, 08:33:18 AM »

I say Catholic unless the Catholic people in my little town ask why they never see me at Mass. Then I explain in the most simple terms possible. Lately I've often found myself explaining it like, "I go to the Mass that still uses Latin." Most people are satisfied with that answer, others ask questions and I'm usually happy to answer them.

Matthew, it's true what you said about most people considering Christrians to be Protestant, and I'd actually say it's worse than that. Many Protestant don't even know what the word Protestant means. I wish I were kidding. The Protestants around here believe that Catholic is a different religion other than Christianity- and many times it's not an act of bad will but of pure ignorance. I tolerate their ignorance unless they start Catholic bashing, spouting off the most ridiculous things that some old Protestant told them and they foolishly believed. Perhaps I am too tolerant. I used to be that type of "Protestant" so I know some of them have good will.

A few months back I was at an old highschool friends house and we got to talking about my conversion. She's what everyone around considers a very good Christian. She innocently asked me if Catholics believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for our sins. It was a bit staggering. If she wasn't so sweet I would have had a hard time not changing my countenance from friendly to annoyed. Many just have no clue.

crossbro · « **Reply #4 on:** December 27, 2013, 08:57:51 AM »

The "true" protestants that I run into are mainly "ex-catholic".

My evangelical niece and I had a conversation years back where I tried to explain to her that Catholics do not worship Mary, she argued that she had a friend who was ex-Catholic at Church who said we did too, among other things. I explained to my niece that at least every Sunday these ex-Catholics said a Credo swearing an oath to God and asked her if they would lie to God, why would they not lie to her also ?