re: #183 Florida Panhandler

Growing up in a fundamentalist Christian sect, I can assure you Catholics are not regarded as “real Christians” by many and are more likely to be viewed as idol-worshippers- mainly “Mary-worship.”

The leadership of the Pope is also not recognized as anything more than idol-worship or a flawed interpretation of church authority. A Catholic President as a result is always viewed as suspect and not a straight-up “normal” Christian for a large percentage of American Christians.

Please! The proper terminology is “Mary-worshipping, Clip-tipped, Mackerel-snappers.”

I were one. When we moved to May-retta, Ga (eighth grade), I was casually asked if I’d “been saved”. Further conversation usually went something like this:

ME: “From what?”

“Eternal damnation!”

ME: “By who?”

“God.”

ME: “Why would he do that? God loves me.”

“What?”

ME: “Why would God do that? He loves me.”

{pause}

But have you been *saved*?!?

ME: “From what?”

“Eternal damnation!”

&c

Everyone walked away confused. I was speaking in Baltimore Catechism. They were speaking in a foreign religious language.