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I believe the "Catholic bashing" referred to has to do with the bashing of the faith itself as opposed to the people in the hierachy.
There is plenty of blame so spread toward many in the clergy regarding the scandal, but when people on FR start claiming that Catholics aren't Christians, that we worship Mary (not so!), that we're heretics, etc., etc., that's Catholic bashing.

Listen, I'm a Roman Catholic. I'm not an evangelical, an Episcopal, a Baptist, a Lutheran, a Jew, a Muslim, a Morman, or anything else; but I respect other's right to practice their faith. Obviously I disagree with some tenets of other faiths (or else I would join that other faith), but I don't disparage their beliefs or faith. I do not claim that any non-Cathlic Christian is not a Christian with some stupid argument such as "Catholicism was the original and the rest left the 'true faith'." That would be absurd and I don't believe it. But it is a fact that Catholic bashing exists on Free Republic aside from anything to do with the molestation scandal.

There is plenty of blame so spread toward many in the clergy regarding the scandal, but when people on FR start claiming that Catholics aren't Christians, that we worship Mary (not so!), that we're heretics, etc., etc., that's Catholic bashing.

In some regions of the country, Catholics themselves are the ones who claim they aren't Christians. It's a cultural separation thing. They'll say things like "I'm not Christian, I'm Catholic". Of course, they're not denying Christ, merely an association with non-Roman churches. Oh, and you may not worship Mary yourself but I do think that some Catholics do judging by some of the loopy things they write. That's a problem internal to your church so deal with it yourself. And doctrinal bashing is hardly restricted to only the church of Rome. Mormons and Muslims and Baptists and liberal Protestants get a heaping share as do the Arminian and Calvinist strains in all the non-Roman churches. And we see spirited (sometimes mean-spirited) criticism of particular churches from both outsiders and from within their own conservative ranks here at FR. For instance, you may resent Rome-bashing by non-Roman sources but you also have to deal with criticism of Rome from liberal RC's and from traditionalists. They're all here at good ol' FR.

Good says me.

It's healthy.

If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen and quit yer bitchin'. If your hierarchy likes to claim exclusive franchise to salvation, then you drag all Christians into these matters. Protestants don't get in that situation because they can't (but the same things would happen to us if our leadership was in the same position with a similar hierarchical control system).

The religious discussion threads here at FR are vital to FR's health. Even many conservatives fail to recognize it. I certainly once did.

No discussion of liberty and the innate rights of man can be literate or informed without recognizing the essentially Christian nature of the God-given rights of a free and godfearing people. The Founders knew this well and still nearly made the mistake of introducing state-sponsored religion.

Here at FR, a little doctrinal scrapping is to be expected provided it isn't unrelentingly rude or results in stalking other posters from thread to thread. Another thing that I've found is that disputing with others here at FR over doctrinal matters actually has given me a deeper appreciation for the history of these disputes and the motives of those who began various strains of doctrinal belief.