The following is based on a recent reply I made on a message board to the question, "Why do people hate Catholics?"

Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that we would be hated:

If you find that the world hates you know it has hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own; the reason it hates you is that you do not belong to the world. But I chose you out of the world. John 15:18-19

The world hates the Holy Catholic Church for the same reason it hated Christ: It teaches by the Spirit of God.

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Paraclete-to be with you always: the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, since it neither sees him nor recognizes him; but you can recognize him because he remains with you and will be within you. I will not leave you orphaned; I will come back to you. John 14:16-18

Protestantism, of course, affirms that Christ DID leave us orphans - that's why they believe the preposterous blasphemy that God abandoned His own Church for some 1,000(+) years and let it fall into apostasy and heresy.

Notice how anti-Catholic attacks parallel the attacks upon Christ by looking at the forgiveness of sin.

Christ's enemies called him a blasphemer for forgiving sins:

"He commits blasphemy! Who can forgive sins except God alone?" Mark 2:1-12; Matt 9:1-8

Christ gave his Church the same power:

"As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Then he breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound." John 20:21-23

The world has shifted its accusations and attacks from Christ Himself to his Church:

"Who can forgive sins but God?"