Awkward Moment with a Coworker

[h4521]

Hi everyone,

I recently just started my new job and a coworker and I were talking about how we both come from Italian families. We were talking and laughing and comparing stories from our Italian upbringing. She mentioned that she was raised “100% Catholic,” so I said “Oh, you’re Catholic?” (I was thinking it was going to be another “YES! ME TOO!” moment). Instead, she went began talking about how she grew up Catholic but isn’t anymore, and how she never truly felt Jesus until she entered a protestant church and got saved. She then said, “But since all you have to do to be saved is to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior in your heart, I think we’ll see more Catholics in Heaven than we think.” I obviously didn’t get into it any further than that because we were at work and surrounded by other coworkers at that. It just made me feel extremely awkward, and also offended that she knew I was Catholic, yet made the comment that we’ll “see more Catholics in Heaven than we think.” How would you all have reacted? I have been thinking about it ever since!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Hi everyone,

I recently just started my new job and a coworker and I were talking about how we both come from Italian families. We were talking and laughing and comparing stories from our Italian upbringing. She mentioned that she was raised “100% Catholic,” so I said “Oh, you’re Catholic?” (I was thinking it was going to be another “YES! ME TOO!” moment). Instead, she went began talking about how she grew up Catholic but isn’t anymore, and how she never truly felt Jesus until she entered a protestant church and got saved. She then said, “But since all you have to do to be saved is to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior in your heart, I think we’ll see more Catholics in Heaven than we think.” I obviously didn’t get into it any further than that because we were at work and surrounded by other coworkers at that. It just made me feel extremely awkward, and also offended that she knew I was Catholic, yet made the comment that we’ll “see more Catholics in Heaven than we think.” How would you all have reacted? I have been thinking about it ever since!

I’m not sure why you were offended by her comment ?

Anyway, the Lord is feeding her where she is at, for the time being.

If she grows spiritually, she’ll eventually move away from the denomination she’s in and back to the Catholic faith, but that is entirely up to God, not us.

Concern yourself with your own relationship with Jesus, and let Him be your center.

Do not get into debates with her, nor try to defend Catholic doctrines without first knowing that she is actually interested instead of trying to justify herself for leaving the Church.

Anyway, prayer is your key. Do it often and center yourself in Christ.

Jim

 

[pianistclare]

I’m not sure why you were offended by her comment ?

Anyway, the Lord is feeding her where she is at, for the time being.

If she grows spiritually, she’ll eventually move away from the denomination she’s in and back to the Catholic faith, but that is entirely up to God, not us.

Concern yourself with your own relationship with Jesus, and let Him be your center.

Do not get into debates with her, nor try to defend Catholic doctrines without first knowing that she is actually interested instead of trying to justify herself for leaving the Church.

Anyway, prayer is your key. Do it often and center yourself in Christ.

Jim

Yes.
And never ever get into a convo about religion at work. If someone wants you to share about your faith, or has specific questions about Catholicism, do it away from work and on your own personal time. At their behest. Otherwise you’ll get fired or written up, and the other person will at some point get upset anyway. Just as you did.
Pray for her. She’s Catholic. She was baptized and raised Catholic. Regardless of what church she currently attends.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Well, looking at #2 and #3, the question I have is are you upset because of her Heaven comment or upset because she’s no longer Catholic…or something else?

 

[DeniseNY]

I would have politely smiled and got back to work. But really, I don’t think I would have gotten into a conversation about religion in the first place.

 

[Adam95]

As people have noted, you do need to be cautious about discussing religion at work. Perhaps you work somewhere that you may be able to discuss faith; you need to be able to determine that.

I do understand stand why you felt offened by her comments, but I would encourage you to not allow yourself to be offened. (For anyone who did not understand, the lady was implying that some Catholics will be saved, despite their erroneous Catholicism). We will never win hearts and minds by being offended. The reality is that there are many protestant/evangelicals who harbor great animosity towards the Church, and we must face this reality. We need to love them and show them Christ.

 

[AttendeDomine]

How would you all have reacted?

Well, to be frank, I would not in the least be “offended” by her comment regarding Catholics. Firstly, I would understand this to be both an intended compliment, and also a way to excuse her leaving the Catholic Church. Secondly, consistent, confessional Protestants usually don’t think that Catholics are saved. I have no problem with that, and neither am I uncomfortable discussing this idea with them. What does make me uncomfortable, on the other hand, are persons who clearly are angry, prideful, and venomous. But one can consider Catholicism to be a false version of Christianity without succumbing to those particular faults.

Having said that: your friend is wrong with regard to her understanding of salvation, and one does not simply “accept Jesus into their heart” in order to go to heaven. That’s a common understanding of things from an evangelical perspective, but it’s absolutely without doubt incorrect and incredibly simplistic.

I would try to engage your friend simply by asking little questions. For example:

“I see. When you say ‘accept Jesus into your heart,’ what does that mean to you?” After she explains herself, “Interesting! Well, here’s what the Catholic Church teaches about that topic.”

You can do this with anything she states as true, and can thereby discuss the differing theologies in a way which allows her to explain, and also to be informed on what the Church has to say about things. Chances are high she genuinely doesn’t know, and you’ll give her things to think about. I would recommend you ask gentle questions that get to the heart of her assumptions regarding Scripture. “How does a person know that books like Ruth or 2 John are inspired, and belong in the canon? Here’s what we Catholics think, and this is why I think the position makes sense … .”

Also, especially since she never experienced conversion in the Church, you can show her that there are Catholics who have experienced conversion. Let her know what Jesus means to you, how happy He makes you, how much you love to read Scripture and pray, and much you love the Sacraments. Let her know the joy of being able to go to Confession, or to actually receive Christ in Holy Communion. A lot of folks think Catholicism is a dead religion, and frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. Show her some of the life that our Church has.

… And by the way: if you don’t know something, Catholic Answers is a great place to browse, especially their tracts: catholic.com/tracts/browse.

Here’s a great tract you can read about the very comment she made regarding salvation: catholic.com/tracts/assurance-of-salvation

 

[SMH_2015]

Remember what mama told you…never discuss religion, sex, or politics in “mixed company” (which includes work).

 

[Anglewannabe]

She then said, “But since all you have to do to be saved is to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior in your heart, I think we’ll see more Catholics in Heaven than we think.”

I would have taken that to mean she was really saying ‘I hated the Catholic religion so I became a protestant and now although I am still protestant, I now realize that Catholicism is not as bad as I once though’

 

[schaeffer]

Perhaps her comment was addressing a tradition in certain Catholic cultures, and Italian may well be one of them, that even among Catholics, few will make it to heaven. And she feels that indeed many Catholics will be saved via their deep belief, even if they fail in some particulars.

There are many flavours of Catholicism among different ethnic groups with traditions and emphasis on different things.