I don't think most of the usual, obvious antisemitic diatribe gets much traction these days. And I'm guessing you don't hang around with (or on the same boards with) the sort of mouth-breathers that still believe that old stuff.
I'm delighted to say that I do not.
Roman Catholicism, on the other hand, is a very convenient whipping-boy for everyone from liberal Christians, to liberal non-Christians, to paranoid Evangelicals, and of course everyone who generically disdains religion, organized religion, or what-have-you. Black, white, poor, rich, barely-literate or highly-educated, it's appeal as a whipping-boy is consistent. Along with Islam, Catholicism's history (Crusades, Inquisitions, you know the drill) offers a big, juicy example for those who wish to prove the dangers of religion, intolerance, blind obedience to authority, and so on, for leftists. And the dangers of following the traditions of men, rather than scripture, if you're an evangelical.
Of course. The problem, of course, is that Catholicism is any more evil or intolerant or blindly obedient etc, than any other faith. We tend to be more visible about it. I found Catholicism to be a perfect compromise between the absolute unchangeability of the law in Judaism and the shifting sands of most of American Christianity. Well, plus Jesus. Big bonus in picking a religion. And Mary is not bad either. But I digress....
And then there's the refugees, still scarred by the ruler of Sister Mary Margaret.
Ha! I laugh at people who found Catholic school oppressive. I was threatened with expulsion for having been seen holding a boy's hand--off of school property and outside of school hours, when I was sixteen years old. They don't know from oppressive. But then I did enjoy my educational experiences, despite the heavy restrictions.
Jews don't eat pork.
Reaction: Ah, how cute and old-fashioned of them.
Catholics don't believe in contraception.
Reaction: What!! How dare they judge me! Let's go throw some condoms into their church!
Or: Stupid Catholics! They think there's a tiny baby in each sperm! Ha-ha!
Exactly. I mention that I'm Jewish and I hear about how cool that is and how "Oh, my brother's classmate has a neighbor who is Jewish! That's sooooo cool!!!" I mention that I'm a Catholic and well, first I get lectured for being a bad Jew. Seriously. From non-Jews. From non-observant Jews. From pagans. It's freaking bizarre. Then I get to hear about how much the person's mother/sister/neighbor/co-worker/self suffered horribly in the Church and how evil priests are.
And lots of people feel free to tell me I'll get pregnant next week if I don't start using a condom. Completely randomly. Mention that you are Catholic, especially if you have a kid, and random people feel free to mock your presumed sexual practices.
And that whole pedophile priest thing.
Yeah. That's the only part that *really* angers me about all of this. I am a very good position to know personally that rabbis sometimes abuse the young people young under their care as well. As to evangelical preachers and boy scout leaders and people in every other position where they will have ready access to children and the ability to cultivate respect, affection, and fear, and the opportunity to find time alone with a child. A rabbi got to me. A boy scout leader to a friend of mine. Another rabbi to another friend. The Church has the hierarchy in place that it is possible to go back and find the crimes, and the cover-ups. The Jewish community is more decentralized. Most of these people won't be caught in other communities. I think the strong hierarchy makes the Church potentially safer; there will, at least for the past few years and into the future, always be someone higher up a victim can report problems too. Not so in other communities.
I don't mean this as an indictment against Jewish communities or boy scouts or evangelical communities, but it really bothers me that coming from the experiences that I am coming from, people look at me like I support pedophilia for having joined the Church.
/rant
