Apologetics in action = frustration?

[Sancto_Spiritu]

Now I know the vast majority of the Catholics here pride themselves in their knowledge. They listen to CDs or podcasts, read Jimmy Akin’s books, scour these forums, all in an effort to gain an encyclopedic knowledge of logical, reasonable defenses of Catholicism.

Me too!

That’s why I get frustrated when I put my apologetics into action.

Just yesterday, I was engaged in a debate on a Facebook “comments” section. Someone was characterizing all priests as pedophiles, attacking the concept of infallibility, etc.

Of course, thanks to the apologetics I’ve learned since discovering these forums and the Catholic Answers podcasts, I utterly destroyed every scintilla of “argument” he put forward.

But despite the fact that I outfoxed him at every turn, he kept forwarding increasingly blatant anti-Catholicism. I’ll admit it- I got MAD. No, I didn’t call him names or anything- I hate ad hominem- but rather, I said in a condescending way (several times) that he should really become informed on an issue before discussing it.

I apologized, and feel bad about it. It was wrong, but I just got so mad that he was disregarding my logic and being anti-Catholic. Maybe he felt stupid for having lost the argument? I don’t know.

At any rate, does this kind of thing happen when you debate or defend the Faith? If so, how do you deal with the frustration and anger that might follow after they ignorantly insult Catholicism despite your logically superior points?

 

[Pax]

Now I know the vast majority of the Catholics here pride themselves in their knowledge. They listen to CDs or podcasts, read Jimmy Akin’s books, scour these forums, all in an effort to gain an encyclopedic knowledge of logical, reasonable defenses of Catholicism.

Me too!

That’s why I get frustrated when I put my apologetics into action.

Just yesterday, I was engaged in a debate on a Facebook “comments” section. Someone was characterizing all priests as pedophiles, attacking the concept of infallibility, etc.

Of course, thanks to the apologetics I’ve learned since discovering these forums and the Catholic Answers podcasts, I utterly destroyed every scintilla of “argument” he put forward.

But despite the fact that I outfoxed him at every turn, he kept forwarding increasingly blatant anti-Catholicism. I’ll admit it- I got MAD. No, I didn’t call him names or anything- I hate ad hominem- but rather, I said in a condescending way (several times) that he should really become informed on an issue before discussing it.

I apologized, and feel bad about it. It was wrong, but I just got so mad that he was disregarding my logic and being anti-Catholic. Maybe he felt stupid for having lost the argument? I don’t know.

At any rate, does this kind of thing happen when you debate or defend the Faith? If so, how do you deal with the frustration and anger that might follow after they ignorantly insult Catholicism despite your logically superior points?

I think that we have all succumbed to taking a shot at others that offend us. Please be advised that you may not have been uncharitable at all. If someone is uninformed, but insists on pushing forward, they may indeed need to be told to do their homework. Telling them to do so does require tact and diplomacy. The fact that you apologized is very important.

One of the things that I have begun doing in my exchanges with non-Catholics is to address them as a Christian. I will say something like “Jerry in Christ”, and then proceed with my response. When I address them this way it puts Jesus in the forefront and it helps me to be more thoughtful and charitable. Likewise, always say a prayer whenever you begin to get irritated.

Your charity in the face of hatred will go a very long way in winning the soul regardless of your success in the arguments presented.

I hope this helps.

 

[TheWhoFreak]

Now I know the vast majority of the Catholics here pride themselves in their knowledge. They listen to CDs or podcasts, read Jimmy Akin’s books, scour these forums, all in an effort to gain an encyclopedic knowledge of logical, reasonable defenses of Catholicism.

Me too!

That’s why I get frustrated when I put my apologetics into action.

Just yesterday, I was engaged in a debate on a Facebook “comments” section. Someone was characterizing all priests as pedophiles, attacking the concept of infallibility, etc.

Of course, thanks to the apologetics I’ve learned since discovering these forums and the Catholic Answers podcasts, I utterly destroyed every scintilla of “argument” he put forward.

But despite the fact that I outfoxed him at every turn, he kept forwarding increasingly blatant anti-Catholicism. I’ll admit it- I got MAD. No, I didn’t call him names or anything- I hate ad hominem- but rather, I said in a condescending way (several times) that he should really become informed on an issue before discussing it.

I apologized, and feel bad about it. It was wrong, but I just got so mad that he was disregarding my logic and being anti-Catholic. Maybe he felt stupid for having lost the argument? I don’t know.

At any rate, does this kind of thing happen when you debate or defend the Faith? If so, how do you deal with the frustration and anger that might follow after they ignorantly insult Catholicism despite your logically superior points?

Oh dude, I know right where you’re coming from. You have my sympathies, believe me. I usually tell myself that I did my part in sharing the Church with him/her, and whether or not they accept it/how they react to it is out of my hands. And even if you are totally turned down or bullied, you win in the end because Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for My sake”. So think of it like this. You are planting a seed of Catholicism in their minds. Now, if you plant a seed in real life, does a tree spring up immediately? No. It takes time for that seed to grow, right? And anyway, all their anti-Catholicism could just be a mask for their own curiosity about the Faith, but they don’t want to show it.

Anyway dude, good luck in future attempts at apologetics! I’ll pray for you

 

[lookaround]

Sancto Spiritu
I am worried that your heart is in the wrong direction. If you do apologetics to “utterly destroy” and “outfox” then you are missing the point.

Luke 10:20
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

I reread you post again. Your language sounds very negative (once again I don’t know your heart).
I think you should pray on this matter.

God bless

 

[Rolltide]

I always feel that the point of responding to public comments like that isn’t to convince the person you’re debating that you’re correct. Sure, you can convince them on rare occasions, but more likely than not, they’ll simply refuse to listen to you. The purpose of responding is to post your argument, and let the OTHER readers judge who’s right for themselves. If the person on the other end of the argument is getting increasingly angry, anti-Catholic, and agitated, resorting to little more than typing insults, and you present a cool, logical argument with numerous facts to back it up… well, most readers are smart enough to figure out what’s going on. People will give credibility to your argument, and it’s THOSE people you’re really after, because it’s THOSE minds that you might actually change.

 

[JustaServant]

I think the frustration many times comes from the fact that many of the people we are dealing with are simply intellectually immature. It’s like talking to an arrogant teen-ager who “knows everything”.
Some people are better parents than others.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Keep in mind that you are just working in the Lord’s garden. You plow, plant, weed, and water. The Lord harvests. Some of what you plant falls among the rocks and thorns, and won’t produce. Some of what you plant, though, falls on fertile grounds. You never know who is watching your convesations, but not posting. They may be shy, but searching. The late Pope John Paul II said that error enters because the truth is not taught. He cautioned against trying to correct every error we run across. He recommended, instead, that we just teach Christ’s truths, because when we do, grace goes along with it! And when that person needs the grace, it’ll be there!

Remember, it’s not about us. It’s about Jesus Christ and His Mystical Body, the Church. We’re just instruments (farmers).

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Now I know the vast majority of the Catholics here pride themselves in their knowledge. They listen to CDs or podcasts, read Jimmy Akin’s books, scour these forums, all in an effort to gain an encyclopedic knowledge of logical, reasonable defenses of Catholicism.

Me too!

That’s why I get frustrated when I put my apologetics into action.

Just yesterday, I was engaged in a debate on a Facebook “comments” section. Someone was characterizing all priests as pedophiles, attacking the concept of infallibility, etc.

Of course, thanks to the apologetics I’ve learned since discovering these forums and the Catholic Answers podcasts, I utterly destroyed every scintilla of “argument” he put forward.

But despite the fact that I outfoxed him at every turn, he kept forwarding increasingly blatant anti-Catholicism. I’ll admit it- I got MAD. No, I didn’t call him names or anything- I hate ad hominem- but rather, I said in a condescending way (several times) that he should really become informed on an issue before discussing it.

I apologized, and feel bad about it. It was wrong, but I just got so mad that he was disregarding my logic and being anti-Catholic. Maybe he felt stupid for having lost the argument? I don’t know.

At any rate, does this kind of thing happen when you debate or defend the Faith? If so, how do you deal with the frustration and anger that might follow after they ignorantly insult Catholicism despite your logically superior points?

Yes, it happens to everyone, BUT you’ve got to grow beyond getting caught up in it.
Listen to this classic song on doing apologetics:
youtube.com/watch?v=tu5W9G8s9YQ

Also, one of the hardest bits of advice I learned from Dave Armstrong, he told me: NEVER enter an apologetics discussion thinking you will change the person’s mind, you will be frustrated every time.

All you can do is lay out the facts and plant some seeds. And most of all, learn to recognize when a discussion isn’t worth your time (or risk of reputation).

This is not easy advice, it’s hard to not get too ‘involved’ in a situation where your faith is being trashed, but at the same time you’ve got to realize as part of “plan B” (when their argument fails) they RELY on winding you up so that you lose your cool and say something you will regret.

 

[Luke65]

Here’s a verse I like to recall to keep myself in line, maybe it will help you and others too:

“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

I love that St. Paul! Assassin of Pride.