Anti-Semitism and Anti-Catholicism in the Protestant Church

Now, if that's not a clickbait title, I don't know what is!

While there are likely some fringe, radical "Protestant" churches that are deliberately anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic, I would venture to say that most are not deliberately so.  Though, just like racism and sexism, even those who say they stand against such things are prone to systematic racism and sexism, anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism.

Let's back up to the beginning of my train of thought.

Today, as I listened to portions of The Catholic Channel on SiriusXM 129, hosts were discussing Pope Francis' Papal anniversary.  One thing they brought up was how some people are against his papacy and others are not.  Along those lines were little discussions on the papacy being filled by..ahem...imperfect men in the past.

This reminded me of one of the arguments Protestants and even secularists have against the Catholic Church.  That is that if the Pope is truly established and chosen by God in Apostolic succession, why would there be such sinners and bad Popes in the papal office?  And if Catholicism is the faith set by Christ before His ascension, then why have so many atrocities been committed by the Catholic Church?

Immediately, I thought of King David and the Israelites.  Now, my intention isn't to argue with secularists.  It isn't to argue with anyone.  I enjoy intellectual conversation, not arguments.  I'm not trying to get anyone to believe anything...just listen and understand where I may be coming from.  But, I do want to pose this to Protestants.

How can you denounce the Catholic Church and the Pope because of the imperfections of human being even under the wing of God's establishment when the Old Testament reflects just that among Israel and her leaders?  Did God not establish Israel?  Did God not appoint King David and call him "A man after my own heart" despite his sinfulness?  Were there not kings and rulers who turned against God?  Couldn't this mirror image occur with the Catholic Church?

So, unless you are ready to denounce the Old Testament, how can you use the same argument to denounce the Catholic Church?

But, I suppose Protestants do.  We see Anti-Semitism and Anti-Catholicism in bits and pieces throughout the Protestant faith:

1. Martin Luther was anti-Semitic.
2. Some Protestant churches avoid the Old Testament
3. Some within the Protestant church believe Jews and Catholics will not go to Heaven.
4. I once invited a Jewish friend to a party of mine and wanted to make sure that there was kosher food she could eat.  Another Protestant Christian guest bristled and said we shouldn't have to make provisions for a Jew and their false beliefs about Kosher foods.  She can just pick what she can.  I reminded this Christian friend that Christ Jesus HIMSELF was Jewish, and a Jew who practiced His Jewish faith!
5. I am all too often "reminded" within Protestant services how Catholics are wrong, often utilizing Protestant rhetoric rather than establishing Biblical and historical facts against the catechism.
6.  Jews and Catholics are seen as "those people" outside of us.
7. Many Protestant churches seem to ignore church history, focusing mostly on the reformation onward.  To utilize the apocrypha or the Torah is considered wrong amid sola scriptura.

So, I suppose I can see, with such systematic anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism how they can't seem to even try to understand.  Ultimately, I believe it hurts all of Christianity and gives secularism a step up.