Anxiety, Trust and Proselytizing Protestants

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vocatio

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You know, I was thinking that most of the anxieties I suffer from today seem to be caused directly from receiving anti-Catholic or when I was in a Protestant faith, anti-that group because I believed in baptism for salvation. Have you been the recipient of such attacks that has caused to to stumble in your faith walk? If you’re brave enough elaborate.

The irony is that my own wife’s family is the root of much of my struggles as well as my mothers family. The irony is that my wife’s family would say that my mother’s Protestant family is doomed to burn eternally.
 
vocatio said:
You know, I was thinking that most of the anxieties I suffer from today seem to be caused directly from receiving anti-Catholic or when I was in a Protestant faith, anti-that group because I believed in baptism for salvation. Have you been the recipient of such attacks that has caused to to stumble in your faith walk? If you’re brave enough elaborate.

The irony is that my own wife’s family is the root of much of my struggles as well as my mothers family. The irony is that my wife’s family would say that my mother’s Protestant family is doomed to burn eternally.
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Why would you suffer from anxieties about what others say about your faith (I know, family is tough)? In my time on CAF, one thing I’ve learned is that Catholics have a strong faith with deep roots. I would say to cordially ignore the anti’s and follow where the Holy Spirit leads you.
My dad was a Lutheran minister in an area where Lutheranism was, how shall I say, influenced by other protestant groups. When I was young many of his parishoners didn’t like the idea of weekly communion, etc. He pushed for what he believed in as a Lutheran. This was a great example to me.
Hope that helps.
Jon
 
Simply make God your anchor, cast your anxiety on Jesus, seek his peace that goes beyond understanding, read the following for context for details.

Psalm 37:3-6 (New International Version)

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Matthew 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 
A Solo Scriptura lot we have here. Oh but suffering for Christ is a blessing. That’s something that Luther didn’t like. Nor do the other 33,000 denominations out there. My anxiety is not that unusual, but it does not prevent me from my life as it does some folks out there. My best friend suffers from it and wasn’t even a Catholic until recently. Discovering this fact has made my friend’s life so much more powerful in finding peace with it. Marginalizing people by shoving your faith down their throat is sinful. It’s a form of prejudism. It’s remarkable how many of you guys [Protestant, Orthodox or Catholic] don’t get that. Sure we must evangelize, but the fullness of faith is what we must evangelize with, not the kind that beats people over the head until they give. That’s protestant style evangelization. It’s abuse that is just sinful. Teach what you beleive, dust your shoes off, leave. Don’t beat the bageebees out of people when they are silent about their faith around you. They just know to stay away. Wise up some and let people find peace in knowing Christ in their time.

You see, the Lord calls people into suffering with him. It’s part of our Catholic faith that if we follow the teachings of the Church and we accept it and offer up, it would make many more holy people of God. Read your bible again with this in mind and you might see it. Prosperity theology is a revived heresy in modern televangelical circles. It removes hope from those trying to be one of the “truly saved” if you don’t fit in their neat little corner. Anxiety is a type of suffering in the garden with Jesus.

But you have no idea what I’ve been through and the nerve to still turn around in your dimness trying to shove more of it down my throat. How sad…I offer up my anxiety for you this night. Many of the Saints suffered from anxiety brought on by suffering an abuse form others - even brothers and sisters in the same orders or families. PTS is similar and many people would benefit from realizing its value if they only knew that after unsuccessfully trying to treat it with medication it they could find a sort of peace in realizing its value…but this is a distraction from the post.

Before you equate anxiety to weakness you’d best get to know people like my father or even me first. I’m as hardcore a soldier as they come. In fact, I have to work on being a little more sensitive here and there so that I don’t turn people off. I used to be really quiet until I heard one too many proselytizing act that I bought into and became the idiot I always hated. But anxiety has nothing to do with knoweldge and faith. You throwing quotes at me was just twisted in reality and has nothing to do with my thread.

While other fathers were teaching their children how to throw a ball, mine was teaching me how to throw knifes and take out a man twice my size. I have no problem there. Anxiety has many causes, but I’m talking about the kind that is created by so called “Christians” shoving their faith in the form of anti-Catholicism or anti-something else. I have a genuine concern for others, like my best friend, who really suffers form anxiety issues that only a few people would relate to and comes from the abuse dished out by so called well meaning Protestants as well as from living in an abusive home or situation, whether Catholic or otherwise.

But it is true that proselytizing Protestants are working against God when they do this. Why do you justify it then?
 
vocatio said:
A Solo Scriptura lot we have here. Oh but suffering for Christ is a blessing. That’s something that Luther didn’t like. Nor do the other 33,000 denominations out there. My anxiety is not that unusual, but it does not prevent me from my life as it does some folks out there. My best friend suffers from it and wasn’t even a Catholic until recently. Discovering this fact has made my friend’s life so much more powerful in finding peace with it. Marginalizing people by shoving your faith down their throat is sinful. It’s a form of prejudism. It’s remarkable how many of you guys [Protestant, Orthodox or Catholic] don’t get that. Sure we must evangelize, but the fullness of faith is what we must evangelize with, not the kind that beats people over the head until they give. That’s protestant style evangelization. It’s abuse that is just sinful. Teach what you beleive, dust your shoes off, leave. Don’t beat the bageebees out of people when they are silent about their faith around you. They just know to stay away. Wise up some and let people find peace in knowing Christ in their time.

You see, the Lord calls people into suffering with him. It’s part of our Catholic faith that if we follow the teachings of the Church and we accept it and offer up, it would make many more holy people of God. Read your bible again with this in mind and you might see it. Prosperity theology is a revived heresy in modern televangelical circles. It removes hope from those trying to be one of the “truly saved” if you don’t fit in their neat little corner. Anxiety is a type of suffering in the garden with Jesus.

But you have no idea what I’ve been through and the nerve to still turn around in your dimness trying to shove more of it down my throat. How sad…I offer up my anxiety for you this night. Many of the Saints suffered from anxiety brought on by suffering an abuse form others - even brothers and sisters in the same orders or families. PTS is similar and many people would benefit from realizing its value if they only knew that after unsuccessfully trying to treat it with medication it they could find a sort of peace in realizing its value…but this is a distraction from the post.

Before you equate anxiety to weakness you’d best get to know people like my father or even me first. I’m as hardcore a soldier as they come. In fact, I have to work on being a little more sensitive here and there so that I don’t turn people off. I used to be really quiet until I heard one too many proselytizing act that I bought into and became the idiot I always hated. But anxiety has nothing to do with knoweldge and faith. You throwing quotes at me was just twisted in reality and has nothing to do with my thread.

While other fathers were teaching their children how to throw a ball, mine was teaching me how to throw knifes and take out a man twice my size. I have no problem there. Anxiety has many causes, but I’m talking about the kind that is created by so called “Christians” shoving their faith in the form of anti-Catholicism or anti-something else. I have a genuine concern for others, like my best friend, who really suffers form anxiety issues that only a few people would relate to and comes from the abuse dished out by so called well meaning Protestants as well as from living in an abusive home or situation, whether Catholic or otherwise.

But it is true that proselytizing Protestants are working against God when they do this. Why do you justify it then?
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What did I say? :confused:
 
Sorry Jon, I was reacting to a litany of scriptural recitation seemed directed towards me personally. I’m fine. I was sharing a bit about myself in hopes of getting a little back, but not like that. I’m a very strong person, everyone would tell you that. Even father said “you’re the type of person that’s not afraid to say NO”. I agreed and hoped that that’s not a bad thing in his eyes, but then again I’m not agraid to be frank either.

My family situation just to be clear:

Dad - on of 4 Catholics…he’s dead, the 3 sisters are not fully practicing and their children are not practicing either except a few…and most of those went to Catholic School all they way through high school. Dad was SSPX type.

Mom, one of 10 Protestants …she’s dead, unsure about who practices what because I avoid them now. Anti-Catholic.

Wife’s Dad, one of 10 …oldest…bishop/elder father of 8…converted me.
Wife’s mother, one of ? several. Supposedly raised Baptist, converted to church of Christ. mother of 8. All church of Christ, with exception of my wife now, they do not know of her conversion and we plan to keep it that way. 2 preachers in the family. Several deacons and several of their children or grandchildren are preachers. Anti-Catholic.

So if you do the math almost all are anti-Catholics, including the Catholics. I’m a bit hyper sensative about this subject in that I don’t put up with down talk. I know my situation is rather extreme. I’ve handled it quite well. It takes everything I have not to spout off at the mouth…that’ the anxiety…being charitable.

I know to cast all my anxieties and cares onto the Lord. Ain’t stupid you know nor ignorant …hick voice]. It’s difficult to protect those closets to you when they’ve been serioiusly hurt. There are boundaries that a healthy person must maintain, even when their is justified reason to take another man’s life by wild west standards. I have to bight my tongue and suck in my pride not to take care of some unfinished business. I remind myself I have to leave it up to the Lord. Vingience is the Lord’s, not mine. I’m just another sinner in this cesspool of sin. You see, I could easily become physical about it. Trained at it too. Not afraid to use it. I hear prison is easier than the Army. So why don’t I take out some sexual preditors in my past, because its the charitable thing to do and not my place. You see, a lot of that proselitizing is coming form folks that do not have healthy boundaries with women. It’s a crime at the level they scream bloody murder at the Catholic Church, though well diserved on some of the facts, but to act like it has not occured under their own roof is another.

A former preacher refused to allow my wife in the church building to prepare for bible classes. That was only one of many other things he did to avoid being in the same roof as her. She’s not a a flirt. She’s terrified of men, especially church leaders. I believe he was fighting his own sin. My wife dressed very conservatively, but is just beautiful and was very timid back then. I know far too many perverts in our former faith. Some are even in the family. They twist things to justify bad behavior. Like “it’s her fault”. She shouldn’t look at me that way. Or she shouldn’t wear clothes like that…my wife wore skirts that went to her ankle. Beautiful underneath it by it was well covered and not tight fitting. I protected her…over the top though, but showed her dignity that she never recieved form one of her own kind. I was truly Catholic inside and out and my conscience was well formed in that way. Seminary formation is discipline. I could be celebate my whole life… It’s in most people’s minds that they can’t abstain. I even did it in the military and when I planned to return to the seminary…then I met her and her family.

Anxiety comes in all forms. Sometimes its not because we’re scared of the other person, it may be that we’re scared of what we might do if we get caught off guard. Can’t tell you how many times I wanted to personally remove a few heads of elders, deacons and preachers in several places throughout my life…in churches that I attended…justified too. Lying cheating theiving and hateful people are everywhere.
 
So the charitable thing to do is not to do anything sometimes which may go against ones nature of taking care of the matter.
 
vocatio said:
Sorry Jon, I was reacting to a litany of scriptural recitation seemed directed towards me personally. I’m fine. I was sharing a bit about myself in hopes of getting a little back, but not like that. I’m a very strong person, everyone would tell you that. Even father said “you’re the type of person that’s not afraid to say NO”. I agreed and hoped that that’s not a bad thing in his eyes, but then again I’m not agraid to be frank either.

My family situation just to be clear:

Dad - on of 4 Catholics…he’s dead, the 3 sisters are not fully practicing and their children are not practicing either except a few…and most of those went to Catholic School all they way through high school. Dad was SSPX type.

Mom, one of 10 Protestants …she’s dead, unsure about who practices what because I avoid them now. Anti-Catholic.

Wife’s Dad, one of 10 …oldest…bishop/elder father of 8…converted me.
Wife’s mother, one of ? several. Supposedly raised Baptist, converted to church of Christ. mother of 8. All church of Christ, with exception of my wife now, they do not know of her conversion and we plan to keep it that way. 2 preachers in the family. Several deacons and several of their children or grandchildren are preachers. Anti-Catholic.

So if you do the math almost all are anti-Catholics, including the Catholics. I’m a bit hyper sensative about this subject in that I don’t put up with down talk. I know my situation is rather extreme. I’ve handled it quite well. It takes everything I have not to spout off at the mouth…that’ the anxiety…being charitable.

I know to cast all my anxieties and cares onto the Lord. Ain’t stupid you know nor ignorant …hick voice]. It’s difficult to protect those closets to you when they’ve been serioiusly hurt. There are boundaries that a healthy person must maintain, even when their is justified reason to take another man’s life by wild west standards. I have to bight my tongue and suck in my pride not to take care of some unfinished business. I remind myself I have to leave it up to the Lord. Vingience is the Lord’s, not mine. I’m just another sinner in this cesspool of sin. You see, I could easily become physical about it. Trained at it too. Not afraid to use it. I hear prison is easier than the Army. So why don’t I take out some sexual preditors in my past, because its the charitable thing to do and not my place. You see, a lot of that proselitizing is coming form folks that do not have healthy boundaries with women. It’s a crime at the level they scream bloody murder at the Catholic Church, though well diserved on some of the facts, but to act like it has not occured under their own roof is another.

A former preacher refused to allow my wife in the church building to prepare for bible classes. That was only one of many other things he did to avoid being in the same roof as her. She’s not a a flirt. She’s terrified of men, especially church leaders. I believe he was fighting his own sin. My wife dressed very conservatively, but is just beautiful and was very timid back then. I know far too many perverts in our former faith. Some are even in the family. They twist things to justify bad behavior. Like “it’s her fault”. She shouldn’t look at me that way. Or she shouldn’t wear clothes like that…my wife wore skirts that went to her ankle. Beautiful underneath it by it was well covered and not tight fitting. I protected her…over the top though, but showed her dignity that she never recieved form one of her own kind. I was truly Catholic inside and out and my conscience was well formed in that way. Seminary formation is discipline. I could be celebate my whole life… It’s in most people’s minds that they can’t abstain. I even did it in the military and when I planned to return to the seminary…then I met her and her family.

Anxiety comes in all forms. Sometimes its not because we’re scared of the other person, it may be that we’re scared of what we might do if we get caught off guard. Can’t tell you how many times I wanted to personally remove a few heads of elders, deacons and preachers in several places throughout my life…in churches that I attended…justified too. Lying cheating theiving and hateful people are everywhere.
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Vocatio,
I guess my response sounded a bit shallow compared to the pain you’ve been through. A church that claims Christ should never be the source of pain for people, regardless of tradition.
I will pray God’s comfort for you.
With Christ’s love,
Jon
 
vocatio said:
You know, I was thinking that most of the anxieties I suffer from today seem to be caused directly from receiving anti-Catholic or when I was in a Protestant faith, anti-that group because I believed in baptism for salvation. Have you been the recipient of such attacks that has caused to to stumble in your faith walk? If you’re brave enough elaborate.

The irony is that my own wife’s family is the root of much of my struggles as well as my mothers family. The irony is that my wife’s family would say that my mother’s Protestant family is doomed to burn eternally.
Click to expand...
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOU. I GO THROUGH THE SAME AS YOU. IT SEEMS LIKE WHEREVER I GO SOMEBODY SAYS SOMETHING AGAINST OUR CHURCH. BUT I AM LEARNING TO LOOK AT THEM AS, LORD THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE SAYING. AS BEFORE I WOULD GET ALL UPSET. I LEARNED TO TELL MYSELF THE DEVIL IS TRYING AGAIN TO MAKE ME UPSET.
 
You know, I was thinking that most of the anxieties I suffer from today seem to be caused directly from receiving anti-Catholic [comments from family, friends, and catholics] -]or /-] and when I was in a Protestant faith-], /-] that taught everyone else was not saved anti-]-that group because I believed in baptism for salvation/-]. Have you been the recipient of such attacks that has caused -]to /-] [you] to stumble in your faith walk? **If you’re brave enough elaborate.
**
The irony is that my own wife’s family is the root of much of my struggles as well as my mothers family. -]The irony is /-] [Also ironic is the fact] that my wife’s family would say that my mother’s Protestant family is doomed to burn eternally.

Maybe I can correct the direction everyone has taken here. Notice the bold oversized text…that’s the emphasis meant from the beginning…NOT MY anxieties…I just included it to share a little about my journey in, out and back in to Catholicism. Sorry if I’ve confused you.
 
“Lord forgive them for they know not what they do” I am brave enough to say, this is hard to live by, I struggle only when I am blatently being lied to about my faith. It is one thing to come across someone with misunderstandings about my Catholic faith, these walking in love and praying at the same time. But when someone is telling me what I believe as a Catholic and it isnt true, this requires fasting for me.

Our Lord suffered so much for me. The least I can do is try to live by his teachings, and It ain’t easy. I cant wait for each Sunday to come around, I look forward to seeing my Lord and savior, He refreshes me each week. Without him, I would probably be in Prison or dead. Anxiety, I cant speak too much of it here at the CAF, only when I am not serving my Lord Jesus as I could, and should will cause me some anxiety. Thank God for the ministry of Reconciliation.
 
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