Apologetics help needed

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Happy Friday,

I am looking for some help from this board. I have a desire to create a very simple Master Question File (old military term) for everyday Catholics to use. This would be 50 or so pretty basic quotes that could/should be memorized and used in our first discussions with non-Catholics. I know that much more will be needed as someone really gets into explaining our Faith, but this is a starting point and hopefully will get some folks that are standing on the sidelines to get actively involved in Spreading the Good News. Here is an example of what is needed:

Everything we need is in the Bible?

2 Thes 2:15…Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our letter.

Why do you Catholics confess your sins to a priest?

John 20 verses 22-23…And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus did not make his disciples mind readers…so they (the priest) must actually hear the sins.

Did you know that the first King James Bible version contained ALL of the books that are included in the Catholic Bible?

So, if you had the chance to teach current Catholics 50 statements, what would they be?

I am in the process of creating this list (and actully have lots of sources in the apologetics world), but would appreciate any thoughts/ideas that you have. By the way if you have not seen the Catholic Verse Finder produced by San Juan Catholic Seminars…it is worth looking into—a great resource for the more in-depth disucssions one might have.

Thanks in advance

God’s Peace
 
Luke 65

Thanks for the links. They will be a big help to our group as we begin discussing the How To’s of conversations with non-Catholics. Do you have any personal examples of things that you use? We are working on a class that would involve some role playing…you’re at a party and someone says…You Catholics worship Mary. The idea is to give them a short easy answer to use!

The way I generally start off a conversation with the big picture (assuming we will meet again a second time) and ask (1) Which church do you regularly attend, (2) When was your church established, (3) What authority does your preacher use to intepret the bible?

If there is a second meeting, the answer to $3 usually ends up with the preacher using the Holy Spirit to guide his/her intepretation of the bible. Then we head down the path of Why do you think that the ONE Holy Spirit would give so many different intepretations of the same thing.

The only bad news is that there is not normally another meeting!!! It is then that I pray to the Holy Spirit to open the eyes and ears of that person.

God’s Peace
 
cbsjrcol said:
We are working on a class that would involve some role playing…you’re at a party and someone says…You Catholics worship Mary. The idea is to give them a short easy answer to use!
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We don’t worship Mary, we venerate her - just like the holy angel of God, Gabriel did: “Hail Kecharitomene!” (“full of grace” - lit., graced in the indefinite past, continuing in the present, and into the indefinite future)

We call her “blessed”, as Mary prophesied we would…

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is thee. Blessed art thou…”

And we ask for her intercession, along with all the other Saints who stand before the throne of God, because the prayers of the righteous are “powerful”.

Here’s a website that has all the Scriptural and early Church resources nicely categorized:

scripturecatholic.com/
The way I generally start off a conversation with the big picture (assuming we will meet again a second time) and ask (1) Which church do you regularly attend, (2) When was your church established, (3) What authority does your preacher use to intepret the bible?
Click to expand...
What is the History of Your Church?

Holy Orders
If there is a second meeting, the answer to $3 usually ends up with the preacher using the Holy Spirit to guide his/her intepretation of the bible. Then we head down the path of Why do you think that the ONE Holy Spirit would give so many different intepretations of the same thing.
Click to expand...
The only bad news is that there is not normally another meeting!!! It is then that I pray to the Holy Spirit to open the eyes and ears of that person.
Click to expand...
You should get to that in the first meeting. 🙂 And here are a couple short prayers:

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your well beloved spouse.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breath into me Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.
Amen.

Outpouring of Spirit

Holy Spirit,
we ask for an outpouring of your graces, blessings and gifts,
upon those who do not believe, that they may believe;
Upon those who are doubtful or confused, that they may understand;
Upon those who are lukewarm or indifferent, that they may be transformed;
Upon those who are constantly living in the state of sin, that they may be converted;
Upon those who are weak, that they may be strengthened;
Upon those who are holy, that they may persevere.
Amen.
God’s Peace
Click to expand...
Amen.
 
I have not reverted to Catholicism, yet. But i think that one doctrine that separates Catholics from Protestants is that of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As a Fundamentalist, and later as an Evangelical, the thought of the real presence never entered my mind, except to quickly dismiss it as Catholic myth or deception. I even heard several sermons on John, chapter 6, but never thought about the Eucharist. Then Catholics brought these words of Christ to my attention:

53Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.”

(John 6)

The question to ask–and one that i believe should be asked of every Protestant one tries to evangelize–is this: “What did Jesus mean?” Let them read the three verses out loud to you. Let them tell you what their Lord and Savior’s words mean. If they say Jesus was telling us to believe in Him to have eternal life, ask them where in the Bible eating is a figure of speech for believing. One really does not have to win any kind of an argument with John, chapter 6. All one needs to do is raise the question to make them think about it after they walk away. Keep in mind that some liberal Protestants will reject John’s gospel, saying the Apostle never wrote it, but not those who most strongly oppose Catholicism–not Evangelicals and Fundamentalists–for they have great faith in the words of the gospel writer.
 
cbsjrcol said:
Happy Friday,

I am looking for some help from this board. I have a desire to create a very simple Master Question File (old military term) for everyday Catholics to use. This would be 50 or so pretty basic quotes that could/should be memorized and used in our first discussions with non-Catholics. I know that much more will be needed as someone really gets into explaining our Faith, but this is a starting point and hopefully will get some folks that are standing on the sidelines to get actively involved in Spreading the Good News. Here is an example of what is needed:

Everything we need is in the Bible?

2 Thes 2:15…Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our letter.

Why do you Catholics confess your sins to a priest?

John 20 verses 22-23…And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus did not make his disciples mind readers…so they (the priest) must actually hear the sins.

Did you know that the first King James Bible version contained ALL of the books that are included in the Catholic Bible?

So, if you had the chance to teach current Catholics 50 statements, what would they be?

I am in the process of creating this list (and actully have lots of sources in the apologetics world), but would appreciate any thoughts/ideas that you have. By the way if you have not seen the Catholic Verse Finder produced by San Juan Catholic Seminars…it is worth looking into—a great resource for the more in-depth disucssions one might have.

Thanks in advance

God’s Peace
Click to expand...
Before you go too far down this path, you might want to check out:

ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NbQoxcVrL.SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115.jpg
 
Socrates4Jesus said:
I have not reverted to Catholicism, yet. But i think that one doctrine that separates Catholics from Protestants is that of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As a Fundamentalist, and later as an Evangelical, the thought of the real presence never entered my mind, except to quickly dismiss it as Catholic myth or deception. I even heard several sermons on John, chapter 6, but never thought about the Eucharist. Then Catholics brought these words of Christ to my attention:

53Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.”

(John 6)

The question to ask–and one that i believe should be asked of every Protestant one tries to evangelize–is this: “What did Jesus mean?” Let them read the three verses out loud to you. Let them tell you what their Lord and Savior’s words mean. If they say Jesus was telling us to believe in Him to have eternal life, ask them where in the Bible eating is a figure of speech for believing. One really does not have to win any kind of an argument with John, chapter 6. All one needs to do is raise the question to make them think about it after they walk away. Keep in mind that some liberal Protestants will reject John’s gospel, saying the Apostle never wrote it, but not those who most strongly oppose Catholicism–not Evangelicals and Fundamentalists–for they have great faith in the words of the gospel writer.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the great feedback. I will be praying to the Holy Spirit for you as you consider returning to the Catholic Church.

God’s Peace
 
cbsjrcol, you said:

I am looking for some help from this board. I have a desire to create a very simple Master Question File (old military term) for everyday Catholics to use. This would be 50 or so pretty basic quotes that could/should be memorized and used in our first discussions with non-Catholics. I know that much more will be needed as someone really gets into explaining our Faith, but this is a starting point and hopefully will get some folks that are standing on the sidelines to get actively involved in Spreading the Good News. Here is an example of what is needed:
*

**Perhaps you could ask them the same question I asked myself before coming home to the CC: **

*Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

What is in the cup once blessed?
 
I think you should have a couple of verses on Baptistsm, some on really ALL of the sacraments.
A couple on Authority! (Not just our bible!!)
Mary being the queen mother, ark of the new covenant, new eve etc.
Mass
Purgatory
Sins not ALL being the same (venial and mortal)

Maybe even throw some ECF quotes in there!
 
cbsjrcol said:
Happy Friday,

I am looking for some help from this board. I have a desire to create a very simple Master Question File (old military term) for everyday Catholics to use. This would be 50 or so pretty basic quotes that could/should be memorized and used in our first discussions with non-Catholics. I know that much more will be needed as someone really gets into explaining our Faith, but this is a starting point and hopefully will get some folks that are standing on the sidelines to get actively involved in Spreading the Good News. Here is an example of what is needed:

Everything we need is in the Bible?

2 Thes 2:15…Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our letter.

Why do you Catholics confess your sins to a priest?

John 20 verses 22-23…And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus did not make his disciples mind readers…so they (the priest) must actually hear the sins.

Did you know that the first King James Bible version contained ALL of the books that are included in the Catholic Bible?

So, if you had the chance to teach current Catholics 50 statements, what would they be?

I am in the process of creating this list (and actully have lots of sources in the apologetics world), but would appreciate any thoughts/ideas that you have. By the way if you have not seen the Catholic Verse Finder produced by San Juan Catholic Seminars…it is worth looking into—a great resource for the more in-depth disucssions one might have.

Thanks in advance

God’s Peace
Click to expand...
Once you get your Catholic apologetics arsenal together, please feel free to practice it on me. Just send me a pm when I can be of practical assistance on what thread you will like to practice on.
 
kristanl said:
I think you should have a couple of verses on Baptistsm, some on really ALL of the sacraments.
A couple on Authority! (Not just our bible!!)
Mary being the queen mother, ark of the new covenant, new eve etc.
Mass
Purgatory
Sins not ALL being the same (venial and mortal)

Maybe even throw some ECF quotes in there!
Click to expand...
Thanks…Do you have any specific recommendations. I am looking for (name removed by moderator)ut on 50 easy to learn facts that could be used in conversation with non-Catholics?

God’s Peace
 
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