One of the things that greatly frustrate many non-Catholics is when Jesus speaking through the Apostle Paul declares that ' . . . there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,' [I Timothy 2:5]
Ray --
You started out on this board in a rather nice fashion, and yet have now joined the chorus of those who both continue to express misleading information peppered with inuendo, slander, and outright lies.
Your exegesis is also woefully lacking, and I care not a whit if you are seminary trained or not. Just because you went to a seminary doesn't mean that you are necessarily smart in regards to the things of Scripture and the Lord. A seminary only trains what it believes, which means, in the case of those who train in that which is not truth, that they are merely brainwashing willing minds. The Pharisees noted that the apostles were "ignorant and unlearned men" and marveled at them because of how they taught. Even a dolt like me can learn
if he is willing to be taught. Your fear of Cathoilicism has closed your mind to learning. You and many others on this board. Men like Carson and others do a profoundly good job of explaining the Faith to you and others, but you are not willing to listen.
As for the mediatorship issue, that has to with the covenant between God and man, of which Christ Jesus is the Last Adam, the new and permanent federal head over mankind.
Heb 8:6 ¶ But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Heb 9:15 ¶ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Is that enough Scripture for you, or do I have to "carpet bomb" you with exegesis to prove my point?
The saints, both those on earth and those in Heaven, are not mediators of the covenant of God's salvation. We all mediate for one another in prayer, but only Christ, as the Great High Priest who offers eternal YOM KIPPUR for God's people, the Israel of God, is the mediator of the covenant of salvation. Only He could offer His Blood for the world, only He prays to the Father and offers that Blood perpetually in Heaven for the sins of the Church, and only He could reunite man and God through His sacrifice. But that is not the same thing as our mediation for one another as we journey towards Heaven. Of course, since you believe I assume ) in the heresy of "once saved - always saved" , there really is no need for any mediation, is there?
Catholics boldly deny His authority and words of Divine truth and stubbornly insist that this does not matter.
This is an outright LIE and you should be ashamed of yourself. EVERYTHING in the Church and in the Faith is based upon the authority of Jesus, the Last Adam, and the authority He has
and has given to His Church and the apostolic offices. If ANYONE denies authority, it is that motley crew of rebels called Protestants who will brook N

NE telling them what to believe or how to behave!! I cannot begin to tell you how many times I heard BOASTED from the pulpit
"N

NE tells ME what to preach and N

NE tells ME how to run MY CHURCH!!"
YOUR CHURCH!!
Well, I guess so, because being Independant Fundamentalist, it certainly is NOT God's Church, which He established upon St. Peter and the apostolic offices.
They pray to Mary,
Of course I do. She is the Mother of all who are truly alive in Christ. Don't you talk to your earthly mother?
Padre Pio and multiple numbers of earthly people who now have seen the glorified, beatific vision/sight of our Lord.
The communion of the saints has been discussed here ad nauseum. I will not belabor the point. We are
united in Christ and all of one Body -- ALIVE IN HIM!!
Enough said.
To answer the original question, the animus between Catholics and non-Catholics comes from
1. misunderstanding of the teachings of the Church by those who are outside of Her.
2. stubborn rebellious refusal to bow to Her authority (which sadly plagues the Church Herself from within by such men as apostate California baby-killing governor Gray Davis and his ilk).
3. fear that Catholic doctrines and teachings are soul damning and will lead one to hell.
4. and the most telling, upon which the so called "reformation" was based, a real and substantial argument about how one is justified before God. As one Protestant said "If you remove the issue of justification, there is simply no reason for the Reformation".
Indeed.
And the worst problem is the habit of the Catholic Church, as put by Dave Armstrong on his website, of "putting wonderful and glorious truths in absolute obscure and non understandble language."
Amen. No wonder there are so many theologically illiterate Catholic laity and no wonder the average Protestant, upon reading some of the encyclicals or other works of the Church, throws his hands up in frustration. We are fortunate to have such men as Scott Hahn and the whole realm of Protestant converts to be out there
clearly explaining the Faith.
Now if we could only get people like you, Ray, to stop and listen.