[ronald reagan]

Everyday, I am questioned by someone from eastern kentucky about my Catholic beliefs. I was raised in a conservative protestant church (The Church of Christ), and every single friend and family member is a member of protestant baptist and pentacostal churches. To be from east ky, and be a catholic -- is sometimes incompatible, and often unforgivable. What I've found, however, is that the questions they ask, or the things they 'know' about the Catholic church, are often wrong at a fundamental level.

Here are some things I'm told on a regular basis:

Catholics....
-worship Mary.
-worship the pope.
-can sin freely, as long as they confess.
-worship saints.
-commit cannabalism (through eating the actual body of christ).
-erroneously go through a priest for forgiveness, and not Jesus.
-drink too much.
-forbid people to get married.
-are against science.
-discourage bible study and reading.
-baptize infants, against scriptures.
-just plain wrong on just about everything.
-practice idolatry.
-believe in 'magic'.
-aren't even christians.
-are the apostate church, and Rome is the whore of babylon.

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Well, thats a small list of the things that many protestants think of me and my faith as a whole. Through careful study, classes, conversation, strengthening through christ jesus and the eucharist, and a healthy prayer life... I've learned to defend my faith. I feel that it is very important to not only believe, but to defend that which you do. And being educated is the key to this.

If anyone has any serious questions that I may be able to answer, please ask. I'm grateful and blessed that this community also includes many other devout catholics who can answer them as well. I look forward to helping clear up misinformation about the faithful.

Who's first?