Apologists and anti-Catholics

I'm still following the vigorous discussion at Camp on This, where the tone is slipping in and out of nastiness. In particular, the term "anti-Catholic" has been introduced into the conversation, and I feel like it needs some clarification.

Apologetics is a fine line to walk, particularly between Catholics and Protestants, who regard each other as brothers. At least the Catholics should see it that way, after Vatican II, and a good number of the Protestants do too. Apologetics is a necessarily confrontational activity, in that it regards opposing viewpoints, but it's vital to separate the viewpoint from the person holding it. There's also a differennce in tone between the two sides of Christendom: Protestants tend to argue angrily, as though they would wipe Catholicism from the earth if they could (and many of them would love to), while Catholics tend to be condescending and more than a little smug towards those poor, uneducated Protestants. What we fail to bear in mind sometimes is that with Protestants, the question is more urgent, as many of them genuinely believe that our souls are in danger. We (Catholics, that is) don't have that urgency, so the strident tones can get under our skins fairly easily.

We need to remember that almost nobody engages in apologetics out of malice. This is where I feel like it's necessary to define what is meant by the term "anti-Catholic." Anybody who argues against Catholic teaching is not automatically anti-Catholic. It's much better to consider such a person "anti-falsehood," as he argues to convince another of what he believes is true. That it's not is irrelevant to our attitude; remember his motive.

So what marks a genuine anti-Catholic? I use this hypothetical situation as a touchstone:

Imagine the scene at the Pearly Gates on judgment day. Let's assume that the Protestants (specifically, Calvinists, since they seem to be the most vehement) are right on all counts, and they are numbered as the elect, and automatically invited into Heaven. (Take a deep breath and keep reading; I said it was hypothetical.) As they're entering into Paradise, along comes a throng of Catholics, billions strong, lined up hoping to be admitted. The Lord turns to our Protestant apologist and says, "I know these people have held to false doctrine, and have been deceived into heresy. Yet My mercy is great, and I will admit them if you want Me to. The decision is yours. Would you like Me to allow them into Heaven?"

My contention is that the vast majority of Protestant apologists would say, "Of course, Lord. If there is any way they can be saved even now, by all means, I hope You will." But there are a few that would be offended, and actually would prefer to see us consigned to the flames. I know there are such; I've encountered them. Those, to my mind, are the genuine anti-Catholics, the ones who hate Catholicism more than they love mercy. But they are in the minority.

Most of the people you will encounter in the course of apologetics discussions are not anti-Catholics, but pro-"truth". Even if they're wrong, they deserve to be treated as brothers who have some wrong ideas, and not as enemies. After all, there is no enmity in Heaven.