I try to avoid using Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, etc. and instead use Catholic church, Baptist church .... It is less personal that way.
That's an excellent point. I worked with a Jewish man who didn't like the use of "Jew," as a noun or adjective, so I make a point of using "Jewish person," "Jewish believer," etc.
We can also say "Baptist congregant" and similar variations.
Yes, articles that talk about papists, romanists, etc. are generally going to be considered inflammatory. Articles that speak to the whore of babylon as an equivalence to the Catholic Church can likewise be considered to be inflammatory, as well.
Of course, there are exceptions. On another board I frequent, a fellow-poster will occasionally say that I'm not bad...for a papist. I tell him in turn that he's pretty orthodox for a heretic. Good-natured banter...and we both know it. (We find ourselves more often than not on the same side of theological discussions with pagans, monophysites, atheists, and arians)
But, seriously, though, I find it highly objectionable when an a thread is opened with an article from a protestant 'ministry' website that talks about how wrong the Catholic Church is (it's never the Catholic Church...it's always the Roman Catholic Church or the RC's...so I guess if I switched to the Chaldean rite, the Byzantine Rite, or the Maronite Rite, rather than the Latin Rite, I'd be OK?). Articles with titles like "Why nobody should be Catholic," "Just how acurate is Catholic Church history," etc., particularly when the assertions in those articles are just-as-likely not accurate, are likely to be viewed as an intentional affront by myself and, I would reckon, most Catholics.
Seriously, if you have a question about a point of Catholic doctrine, why not just ask it in a vanity post?
Or if you have a problem with a point of Catholic doctrine, the same thing?
I bet if you do, you will be flooded with well thought-out, very polite posts!
If you don't buy the reasoning provided, if you think that it is logically flawed, please, please point it out. But the counter can be made politely...and then an actual discussion can happen where we can have respect for each other or at least politeness.
Other than reciprocation (i.e., avoiding articles that call protestants heretics, apostates, or whatever), are there some guidelines that Catholics can use to have legitimate discussion without inadvertantly opening a flame war?
The point is that the majority of us our Christians by mutual agreement...there is a far wider majority of us who self-designate ourselves as Christian.
1 Cor 10-13: 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you; but that you be perfect in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been signified unto me, my brethren, of you, by them that are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I am of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Seems to me that we suffer a bit from that disease that afflicted the Corinthians.
Phil 1:18 But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion, or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
I am again very glad that Between the Lines started this topic...
After all, there are plenty enough problems with the ACLU (atheist civil liberties union), mohammedans, and socialists, we really don't need to argue among ourselves.