--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the…" description: "\"When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the world-old, world-wide religio of amulets and holy places and priestcraft. Protestantism,in its corresponding d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/c-s-lewis-2-132_accused_when-catholicism-goes-bad-it-becomes-the_236797.png" --- # When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the world-old… ![“When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the world-old, world-wide religio of amulets and holy places and priestcraft. Protestantism,in its corresponding decay, becomes a vague mist of ethical platitudes. Catholicism is accused of being too much like all the other religions; Protestantism of being…” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/c-s-lewis-2-132_accused_when-catholicism-goes-bad-it-becomes-the_236797.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/c-s-lewis-2-132_accused_when-catholicism-goes-bad-it-becomes-the_236797.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/c-s-lewis-2-132_accused_when-catholicism-goes-bad-it-becomes-the_236797.png) > “When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the world-old, world-wide religio of amulets and holy places and priestcraft. Protestantism,in its corresponding decay, becomes a vague mist of ethical platitudes. Catholicism is accused of being too much like all the other religions; Protestantism of being insufficiently like a religion at all. Hence Plato, with his transcendent Forms, is the doctor of Protestants; Aristotle, with his immanent Forms, the doctor of Catholics.” [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When religions decline, they become ritualistic or vague, lacking true spiritual depth. **In simple terms:** Declining religions turn into empty rituals or vague ethics. Key Takeaway Seek authentic spiritual practice. Themes religion decline authenticity Mood critical inquisitive Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - church reforms - personal faith journeys - academic theology Key Concepts philosophy of religion institutional critique spiritual integrity Questions to Reflect On - What defines authentic spirituality? - Can rituals hold meaning without doctrine? A Different Perspective The view may oversimplify complex religious evolutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amulets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amulets/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Holy places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-places/) [Mist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mist/) [Old world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-world/) [Platitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platitudes/) [Protestantism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestantism/) [Protestants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestants/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Transcendent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendent/) [Vague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vague/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [When Catholicism goes bad it becomes the religion of amulets and holy places and priestcraft: Protestantism, in its corresponding decay, becomes a vague mist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-catholicism-goes-bad-it-becomes-the-religion-of-amulets-and-holy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If these holy places, things, and days cease to remind us, if they obliterate our awareness that all ground is holy and every bush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-these-holy-places-things-and-days-cease-to-remind-us-if-they/) [C. 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The name of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/the-title-of-christian-is-a-reproach-to-us-if-we-estrange-ourselves/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Uh... ," Ivy stammered, and I glanced up to see her eyes wide in consideration. "I'm kidding," I said. "It passed the lethal-amulet test,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/uh-ivy-stammered-and-i-glanced-up-to-see-her-eyes-wide-in/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [I read the signs,I got all my stars aligned,My amulets, my charms,I set all my false alarms,So I'll be someoneWho won't be forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-read-the-signs-i-got-all-my-stars-aligned-my-amulets-my-charms-i/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) ## More by C. S. Lewis > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Either Jesus is the Son of God ; or a madman or worse. But His being just a great teacher? He's not left that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/either-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-or-a-madman-or-worse-but-his-being/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [To every soul, God will look like its first love because He IS its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/to-every-soul-god-will-look-like-its-first-love-because-he-is-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Don't you understand anything? 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [If a man is going to write on chemistry, he learns chemistry. The same is true of Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-a-man-is-going-to-write-on-chemistry-he-learns-chemistry-the-same/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-first-fact-in-the-history-of-christendom-is-a-number-of-people/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I#pray because the need flows out of me all the time-walking and sleeping. 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