Anyone up for a challenge?

[FightingFat]

Hello friends!

You may have noticed over the last few days I have posted a number of threads asking for ideas about various questions I have been asked by a Baptist. I was shown a forum by a friend (a fighter, not a Catholic friend) who loves me and respects my beliefs and could not believe the spiteful lies posted about our beloved faith there.

I intended to leave it alone, but could not help but get drawn in- there was no one sticking up for us and some of the stuff being posted is absolutely FOUL!! There were a couple of Catholic posters being torn to shreds. Anyway, thanks to Catholic Answers, my Bible, Catechism an edition of ‘Catholicism and Fundamentalism’ and your help, I have been trying to answer (and I think suceeding). I have answered every false accusation, but they tend to not come back once I have posted, but simply move onto another topic (which is frustrating). Any how, I kept posting, as I was contacted by one of the ladies and thanked for my (name removed by moderator)ut and praised by all the Catholics there for defending the faith (so I thought I must be doing some good). I have thus far avoided being banned by being as charitable as possible and truly answering in love- not to convert, but to demonstrate the depth of thought and scriptural grouding our wonderful faith enjoys. However, they’ve finally banned me, not for being abusive or anything like that, but for posting my Catholic ‘lies’.

One of the things that has been said in parting is that I was the only Catholic who had defended the faith on their forum, that demonstrated to them that Catholics do not know anything about their faith. That comment has led me to post this thread in the hope as many of you as possible may visit and engage in some ‘defending’ for as brief a time as you may be allowed.

I know that there are loads of forums like this, and I know that many of you might consider this a pointless exercise, but I would urge you all to demonstrate our Catholic solidarity by paying a visit and having a post or two.

(Link removed to prevent “board swarming” as per CAF policy.)

Finally, I wanted to say that although I may not always feel the most welcome poster here, and I often find myself at odds with much of the politics, I really do think that CA has an important ministry in apologetics and supporting Catholics defending the faith, and that it is comforting to have such an intelligent bunch to refer back to for help answering difficult questions that do not always make sense to someone who has not been exposed to this kind of attack before. So, a big thank you to CA and to you all!

Thanks & pax vobiscum.

 

[awalt]

Please pardon my opinion, I just think sometimes we go about this the wrong way. This might give some thought for meditation (from today’s Mass reading).

The story in 1 Samuel 4:1-11 illustrates how wrong it is to “use” God for our own agendas. We do this when we dig up Bible verses to prove our point without first letting our lives prove the truth of the scriptures. Christians who use God’s name to try to make abortion or homosexual marriages sound morally acceptable do this. And we’re just as wrong when we use scripture as a weapon to judge and condemn those morally erring people.

Perhaps we’d like to use scriptures or Church laws or God’s name to force others into attending Mass, threatening them with eternal damnation. We only have the best of intentions, right? But this is no better than the ploy some Protestants use to “save” Catholics when they quote from our Church’s teachings – out of context – to claim that we’re going to hell.

Apologetics means explaining Church teachings to someone who’s already interested in hearing the explanation. Testimonies and faith sharing, not apologetics, will bring an unbeliever to the faith or a fallen-away Catholic back to the Eucharist.

Before defending any truth, we must first pray and discern if the time is right to speak up. Unless the Holy Spirit has first prepared the hearer to recognize the truth that we speak, we’re only wasting our breath. We can do more harm than good. We’re carrying the ark into battle without the Lord’s protection.

Pray about your response to the sins you want to address. Pray about the needs of the one who is sinning, and listen for the Lord’s inspiration on how to meet some of those needs, thus giving them the gift of Christ before mentioning the name of Christ. Watch for the Lord’s groundwork – the soil must be tilled and fertilized. Your prayers will help wither the weeds as the Gardener does his work.

During this preparation time, speak the truth silently but loudly in the way you live. Although this might seem to be too little, it’s much more effective than verbally trying to force others to change. Listen for the Lord’s quiet “go ahead, speak up now.” Until he gives us the words to speak, the truth causes arguments, which causes us to be unloving and unChrist-like.

When people are ready to hear the truth, they ask questions or show a desire to find help with an inner struggle. This is your cue. You are now in a position of ministry with God’s victory guaranteed. You can take the ark onto the battlefield and sit down with the enemy and open it together to look at the truth it holds.

Isn’t that how God converted you?

 

[FightingFat]

Wonderful post. You’re absolutely right!