Apologetics to other Catholics

[emom]

I didn’t realize how much that other Catholics are so against a lot of the Church’s teaching and traditions. It seems like speaking to other Catholics is much harder than Protestants because they are in the same faith.

Is there any good resources and tips on how to talk to other Catholics on staying in line with the real teaching of the Church and not to pick or choose, modernize or even make up their own teaching? It seems a lot harder.

How do I try to get them back and not offend or sound too preachy?

 

[thann]

I agree with you – talking the faith with my relatives is nigh to impossible. Every one of them replies, “I had 12 (or 16) years of Catholic school, so I know my faith” and all the while they’re practicing artificial contraception, supporting pro-abortion politicians, missing Mass for no good reason, etc.

The way I have decided to deal with this is to pray for them daily, to gently correct them when they misrepresent the Faith, and to live my life as a devout Catholic as best I can.

'thann

 

[JaneFrances]

Great question! And I think the answer lies in the situation.

In your personal friendships, you can sometimes best evangelize by your behavior and not by your preaching, so if you take this approach you needn’t worry about being preachy. That being said, when you do speak, speak truth. Be like a duck in water. Try your best to be obviously Catholic, but not overt and overly demonstrative. Does that make sense?

In other, less personal, relationships–such as those developed in Scripture studies, Church groups, and Church sponsored events–you could encourage formal study of certain Church teachings. You could try to encourage Catechism classes for adults. You could make sure that your church has resources and information available to anyone seeking to know what the Church teaches. You could start your own “Why do Catholics ___________” group to study a particular church teaching.

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

I didn’t realize how much that other Catholics are so against a lot of the Church’s teaching and traditions. It seems like speaking to other Catholics is much harder than Protestants because they are in the same faith.

Is there any good resources and tips on how to talk to other Catholics on staying in line with the real teaching of the Church and not to pick or choose, modernize or even make up their own teaching? It seems a lot harder.

How do I try to get them back and not offend or sound too preachy?

If someone is a practising Catholic, then in a sense this is not your job. They are hearing a homily every Sunday, and it is their pastors’ job to ensure that they have a correct interpretation of the faith.

However I know what you mean. It is best to have a few organisations of committed people within the church, preferably defined in such a way as to be non-divisive, and then get the semi-wavering people to join those. Then they see that the norm within the little group is to be committed.

Then you must recognise that there are certain issues, such as the use of the Tridentine rite, where Catholics can legitimately disagree.

 

[Tietjen]

I didn’t realize how much that other Catholics are so against a lot of the Church’s teaching and traditions. It seems like speaking to other Catholics is much harder than Protestants because they are in the same faith.

Is there any good resources and tips on how to talk to other Catholics on staying in line with the real teaching of the Church and not to pick or choose, modernize or even make up their own teaching? It seems a lot harder.

How do I try to get them back and not offend or sound too preachy?

The problem lies in a combination of things. First, and probably the leading factor as to why this situation exists is because many people have bought into relativism. Second, is poor catechesis when they were being brought up in the Church. To help prove my point, look at and compare many of the converts coming into the Church today along side many who are considered “cradle Catholics.” When I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, I went to Catholic school, CCD, etc. Much of what I was taught was incorrect or simply lacking. Because I did not have a good understanding, I ended up leaving the Church as a young adult. I was gone for more than a decade all because I did not understand (and therefore could not accept) several teachings of the Church. Luckily, for me, I tried several Protestant Churches and found them to be way off base. Therefore, I decided to study everything I could on the Catholic Church and talked with several Priests. In the end, the misunderstandings were cleared up and I returned.
I do not have an answer for how to reach these cafeteria style Catholics. It is possible to prove them wrong on many of their issues, however, I have found that 9 times out of 10, they remain stubborn and continue to do what they wish to do, picking and choosing what they want from the Church. The thing about cafeterias is, at the end of the line, there is always a register where one must pay. In this instance, these people will have to pay for what they choose to bypass.

 

[gardenswithkids]

I didn’t realize how much that other Catholics are so against a lot of the Church’s teaching and traditions. It seems like speaking to other Catholics is much harder than Protestants because they are in the same faith.

Is there any good resources and tips on how to talk to other Catholics on staying in line with the real teaching of the Church and not to pick or choose, modernize or even make up their own teaching? It seems a lot harder.

How do I try to get them back and not offend or sound too preachy?

I don’t know if it’s really any harder. When speaking to a protestant who is convinced he already understands the Catholic faith, it’s hard to clear up misunderstandings. A similar problem exists when trying to reach out to other Catholics who think they already know Catholicism espcially if they think rejecting Church teachings is an acceptable way to practice Catholicism. Sadly, sometimes it seems the more so-called “Catholic education” they have, the harder it is to break through if teachers in authority misrepresented the faith.

What helped me personally was growing in my prayer life and Bible knowledge. Some of my growth happened when I was away from the Church–and I know that I had family members praying for me and offering up suffering at that time. Pray for them. Encourage them to grow in their prayer life and to meditate on scripture. Discussions and encouragement about prayer is usually fairly non-confrontational with other Catholics, yet as we pray God moves people where He wants us to be. Encourage them to pray and to be open to God’s will.

If they heard the faith mis-representing by authority figures, they probably aren’t going to respond when hearing the real Church teachings from a family member. I think that many times what the average dissenting Catholic needs is a Catholic authority re-teaching them the Catholic faith. Sacraments of family members, such as First Communions, baptism, weddings, etc. provide good opportunities, especially if the priest who performs the ceremony provides some solid commentary on the faith. (We once asked a specific priest we knew, told him of some family dynamics and he did an amazing job of teaching the faith during the ceremony.) Otherwise, if any good, solid Catholic speakers visit your area, invite your family/friends to go with you. Father Corapi gives excellent talks, and you can also buy some of his talks on tapes. Also, make sure they are aware of Catholic media such as EWTN and Relevant Radio–those are excellent ways God reaches Catholics in some places.

As far as books for you, I recommend Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid and How *Not *to Share Your Faith. Catholic Answers sells both. They offer great advice on what to do–and mistakes to avoid–when trying to share your faith with others.

Above all, remember the importance of charity. Speak the truth in love.