7 Common Catholic Church Myths That Critics Believe

There are many myths about Catholics and their beliefs. The Roman Catholic Church has long been the target of suspicion and hostility. Unfortunately, many of these beliefs are rooted in prejudice and ignorance. Many of these myths are not only untrue, but also unfair and need to be cleared up. It’s very important that believers distinguish fact from fiction, particularly when it comes to understanding other’s beliefs. When many people discover that someone is Catholic, they often ask at least one question or make at least one statement that is off-base, absurd or even downright rude. While many Catholics aren't shy about their faith nor have problems with people asking them about their faith, the issue really comes when Christians develop an inaccurate, opinion-based beliefs about Catholics and don't take the time or are unwilling to grow in their understanding about what they truly believe. Here are seven of the most common Catholic Church myths and why they are totally false.

"Catholics aren’t Christians."

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"So are you Catholic or Christian?" To understand the absurdity of the question, you have to know the history of the Catholic Church and understand what it means to be a Christian. A Christian is a person who believes in Jesus in Christ and His teachings. Catholics believe in God, and also believe that God sent His only son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins. If you know your history, you also know that Catholics were the original Christians. Many Christian denominations adopted traditions from the Catholic church, including yours most likely. So for anyone who has ever asked this question, let's set the record straight: Yes, Catholics are Christians.

"Catholics worship statues, Mary and Saints."

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This statement is pretty common, but untrue. Catholics don't worship statues. They honor Jesus, His disciples and the Saints all of which are highly regarded in the Catholic Church. Many question Catholics relationship with Mary, believing they worship her, when in fact they honor her, admiring her particularly for her courage and her willingness to serve God humbly and wholeheartedly. Catholics are not idol worshipers. Just as many Christians of various denominations have and carry things around them that remind of us Jesus, like a cross necklace, or a wall cross, many Catholics have pictures of Jesus, His disciples and the Saints that also remind them of those they highly regard.

"The Catholic Church abandoned the Bible for man-made traditions."

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While the Catholic Church does have many traditions that aren’t explicitly found in the Bible, so does every church and every individual. Traditions aren’t themselves bad. It’s only when these traditions are prioritized over God Himself or when they take us further away from God instead of drawing us near. One reason that the Catholic Church has so many traditions is that the first century apostles didn’t write down every single thing they taught. John 21:25 says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Catholics do their best to value and uphold both the written and oral teachings that were passed down from the apostles. Protestants look to the written teachings (the Bible) only.

"Catholics only care about tradition."

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Catholics, who consider themselves to be the original Christians, try their best to hold the same traditions that the church held in the first century. While tradition is important to Catholics, it is not the sole source of their belief system. Traditions are simply ways for Catholics to honor and celebrate God and their faith. These traditions have meaning and are meant to bring them closer to God. There is also a common misconception that Catholics made up all their rules, when in fact all traditions in the Catholic Church have biblical roots. The history of the Catholic Church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His teachings.

"The Catholic Church added books to the Bible."

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The books that are currently in the Catholic Bible are the same books that the church has recognized as being in the Bible for centuries. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Martin Luther and the Reformers moved them from the appendix, before they were ultimately taken out. What many don’t know is that Martin Luther actually made an attempt to remove the books of James, Hebrews, Jude and Revelation from the canon (notably, her perceived them to go against certain Protestant doctrines such as sola gratia and sola fide), but this was not generally accepted by his followers and ultimately, unsuccessful. Whether or not the additional books should have been left in or taken out isn’t certain.