Adam, your ecumenical tolerant mindset isn't shared by everyone. The essence of Roman Catholicism is an exaggerated focus on the place, power, jurisdiction, and authority of the Pope of Rome. Theologically, they rightly deserve to be called Papists, as the followers of any sect are generally called by their leaders or places of association (Arians, Marcionites, Nestorians, etc). Calling you an Anglican technically isn't fair or appropriate, since you're a Christian first. Any name or word can be an epithet, just as easily as it can be a neutral term or a compliment. You gotta give people the benefit of the doubt here. There are even some RCs who proudly identify with "Papist", hehe.
It doesn't matter. Those slurs are not allowed on other forums, and I am asking for that same rule here.
That's the point. One can be charitable and loving while calling a spade a spade; in fact, I think that's the height of charity: honesty.
Do you do that in real life too? Do you call people slurs after they ask you not to, because "that's what they are"?
Is "Prottie" a slur? And yes, "papist" is considered a slur on every other forum that I've ever seen. Now that "Orthie" is also being used here, I was hoping that the Admin would be willing to stand up for what's right and stop the use of offensive terms.
As nice as it is to throw around lovely-sounding aphorisms and implicit accusations of racism, the fact is that the Admin already chose not to prosecute people who use the P-word. The Catholic Answers people do indeed call us prots, heretics, etc., all the time. We need to stop being cowardly arch-ecumenists and fight back with rhetorical battle. The Holy Fathers, who constantly spoke and wrote on love and forgieness toward men, were not at all reluctant to call a heretic a heretic, nor to make up pithy descriptive names ending with the suffix "-ist". They saw no contradiction between the two attitudes. We need to fight over it. Destroying the very words we use is dangerous. Let it be...
Then don't read CAF? Does this look like CAF to you? "They called me an xxxx, so I can call them a yyyy" is beyond pathetic.
That's not the whole of it. They call us prots and we are; we call them papists and they are. I actually see it as an affectionate way of being honest. You don't see me advocating the murder of papists, and I don't think you'll hear many of them making calls for prots to be burned at the stake. So long as it stays in the realm of words, what's the problem? Whoever doesn't like my choice of idiomatic terms can tell me off, as you're doing now. One day someone's mind will get changed, eventually!
1. To be considerate is not to be "arch-ecumenists", (is that a word) 2. Whatever the Catholic Answer people do or do not is not my standard for behaviour.
I just hope enough people keep the " call-papists-'papists' " idea alive, if only to get ecumenically-minded people to loosen up a little. When I was a RC, I actually called myself a papist for fun. The number of RCs you think are offended by this is probably not as bad as all that; unless, of course, your objection is that by using the word we make ourselves less credible to them. That would be a valid reason to not use the word.
You have my permission to call me a "Prottie". Actually, the nickname, or 'slur' as you call it, has a nice ring to it, and is probably more descriptive than "Protestant", which can include many superstitions that a proper Prottie would disdain. Precise words are for those who love language and know that it matters to use the right words. Interestingly, St. Francis of Assisi never said that words don't matter. I believe he preferred to communicate precisely, yet with as few words as possible. Whatever it takes. Sincerely, Prottie Word removed. -Admin