Catholicism and Evangelism

[ctkrcia]

TACTFUL evangelization is usually always welcome. This is done by not criticizing other people’s beliefs, but by explaining the joy found in yours. As RCIA Director, I am always sensitive to this. During class lectures, I cannot openly criticize “this group” or “that group”. Some of the people may have come from that background and may get highly insulted by critical remarks. In addition, they may have family (including spouses) or very close friends still in other communities. I feel criticism, even if well founded, will give them a reason to leave Catholicism, if they ever go searching for one. I don’t want to be any part of that decision.

I like to look back to a couple of quotes from Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. “Win an argument, lose a soul.” We cannot evangelize with the intent to always prove we are right and they are wrong (i.e., “Can’t you see THAT?”) That will drive people away. Archbishop Sheen recognized that no one…NO ONE… can ever convert someone to Catholicism. That is the exclusive privilege of the Holy Spirit. He used to say to the Holy Spirit, “You convert them and I’ll instruct them.” So we can push our faith, but not so hard that is make people fall over.

Are there ways we can evangelize? Sure! We can be a living witness to the faith. If anyone asks a question, answer it as instructed in 1 Pet 3:15-16, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.” We can be on fire with the love of Christ every day. When people ask why you are in such a good mood, tell them and be positive!

When my son was in college, the Catholic Student Center there had an on campus ministry. They would send a group of 3-5 students to stand in the center of the campus, near the Student Union building. They were wearing bright, neon yellow t-shirts with bright, big, neon pink lettering that read, “Ask a Catholic a Question!” They do not reach out to others - that’s against campus policy. They cannot erect a sign or table - again, that’s against campus policy. So they came up with a very creative way to evangelize to others. However, their main objective is to plant seeds, to inform, to correct misconceptions. Then get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit work.

Door to door ministry? Not the typical work of Catholics. However, I have invited those who knock on my door into my home and had open and frank discussions with them. Sidewalk ministry? Catholics do this very well outside abortion clinics. Not only are they ministering to the young ladies considering abortion, they are reaching out to non-Catholics standing next to them. There is a lot of Catholic evangelizing that occurs when Christians of all faiths come together for a common cause. Look at the Manhattan Declaration. What a great way to join hands across communities for a common cause. Through all of that, Catholics can explain the truth of Catholicism, dispel misconceptions, and plant seeds.

 

[Barbkw]

I’ve had conversations with a few people attending protestant denominations and also with my own family (most of whom are non-attending Catholics). Both scenarios are like “walking on eggs” I don’t want to responsible for delaying or conflicting with the Holy Spirit and His walk with them.

It’s far more difficult talking with the non-practicing Catholics because most are speaking from some old life injury that they have found personal ways around without involving Christ’s Church.

The Church attending protestants I’ve had conversations with have visceral objections to Catholic theology. Which, I’m fine with, in that I refuse to argue faith. They believe what they have been raised and trained to believe and I’ve come to respect that. I’m able to explain Catholic beliefs and then I leave the conversation. Most unfortuneately want to drop the conversation.

I’m a sponsor in RCIA, and we have a mix of people who are either coming back to the Church or they are converting into the Church.

Many converting into the Church are engaged to marry a Catholic. Or, they are married to a reverting Catholic. It’s difficult to get a “true read” on people there, in that social setting. Many are simple too uncomfortable to express their views - particularly in a Catholic setting.

 

[JRKH]

I agree completely and this is exactly the point I am trying to make. Acts of charity and evangelization should go hand in hand. If we just evangelize without charity, there is no reason for anyone to think that there is anything special about us because of the way we live, etc. Acts of charity without evangelization will likely just make them think we are nice people.

My point is that among many Catholics that I meet, the only idea of “evangelism” among laypeople is to do works of charity, and nothing else. When I bring up evangelization, a lot of the times the reaction is negative. “Yes, by all means do acts of love and kindness, etc. but for goodness sake, don’t tell them the greatest news they could ever hear.” Also, it should be known that evangelization can be done tactfully. If, when you hear the word “evangelization” all you can think of is that pastor hosting his “burn a Quran day,” then you are thinking of it in the wrong way.

As for evangelizing fallen away Catholics, of course they are of huge importance to our ministry but I wouldn’t necessarily agree that we should only evangelize them and not others. Evangelize them both.

And professing your faith to another person is not the same as spiritual pride. Gary, I agree that many evangelicals do push their faith too much, in a way that is abrasive, I am not saying that this kind of evangelization is acceptable. But telling someone (in a spirit of charity) about your faith is not the same as spiritual pride.

All good points.
In reference to peoples negative reaction when you bring up “evangelizing”, I think the reason for this negative response is because, in today’s society, many people associate “evengelization” with "pushy kinds of things…Door to door, Street evangelization, “Are you saved” type approaches and so forth…
They don’t see that evangelization can be gentle and even subtle.

As you say above, simply doing works of Charity - might not serve to evangelize very much. On the other hand, True Christian charity builds trust and openness that can allow for the Christian to come to the spiritual aid of another at just the right moment…when they are ready to hear the Gospel.
Likewise, a True deep Chrisitanity should be visible in all aspects of ones life in large ways and in small ones. Thanking God sincerely. Saying grace in public places. Giving money to a begger with a God bless you. Refraining from gossip, profanity and other sinful speech…
All of these kinds of things, that demonstrate a deep belief and faith and trust in God, along with our actions can serve as the most powerful of evangelizing methods.

Peace
James

 

[Cat]

I converted to Catholicism from evangelical Protestantism, so yes, CompSciGuy, I know what you’re talking about.

First, Catholics don’t evangelize because verbal witnessing is not part of their “culture,” just like dances and beer in the Fellowship Hall are not part of evangelical Protestant culture.

One person’s post above talked about having babies and raising them in the Church. That’s the way Catholics evangelize. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s actually a good idea for mothers and fathers. But how about all the Catholics who don’t have children? I kind of wish that some of those Catholics had evangelized me decades ago so I wouldn’t have waited 47 years to become Catholic. That’s a lot of years of missing out on a treasure just because “it’s not part of Catholic culture to witness verbally.” Culture, schmulture. It’s time for Catholics to dump that “culture,” because there are a LOT of non-Catholics in the U.S. now who are dying to hear about Catholicism.

Second, Catholics don’t evangelize because they don’t have the “tools.” In evangelical churches, we had (and still have) The Four Spiritual Laws (Campus Crusade for Christ). It’s a great little booklet and it made it possible for even a child to share the Gospel with someone.

There are lots of other evangelizing tools that evangelicals use; e.g., the Evangelism Bracelet (from Child Evangelism Fellowship).

These things don’t exist in the Catholic Church. There are no “evangelism training workshops.” There’s no “Evangelism Explosion” seminars (with two searching questions that can be used to get a conversation about God started). There’s no “Catholic Campus Crusade For Christ.” (CCCC! Cool!)

Why not?!

Again, this kind of ancient thinking needs to change. Catholics need short, pithy, written tools that would help us to share the Gospel–the FULL Gospel, as taught through the centuries by the Church of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church. Perhaps rather than writing lengthy, intellectual tomes, some of the Church leaders might want to take on the job of writing a short evangelicism tool for U.S. Catholics to use in their daily life around their friends and family members who ask, “So what do you Catholics believe, anyway?”

Third, Catholics don’t evangelize because they don’t understand their own Church and faith and Savior, so why would they tell someone else about Christianity? Someone above mentioned the need to evangelize Catholics–I agree wholeheartedly with this. But unfortunately, there is no consensus how to do this. I personally think that before we can evangelize them, we have to get them into the Church again, if not at Mass, at least at some kind of “study” or “concert” or “class” or “social.” But they don’t come. The music in most Catholic churches is dreadful, and the people are unfriendly–a bar is much more appealing to those who have no faith.

So again, something else to work on–Catholic parishes need to work on becoming friendly, welcoming “lighthouses” in a dark world. It doesn’t really matter whether the Mass is contemporary or traditional–what matters is how do the people live out their faith outside of Mass. Anyone can put on a good show at Mass–we need to live it for real when Mass is over in order to earn the privilege of evangelizing others.

 

[Barbkw]

Perhaps the problem as well, is that protestant denominations have internal pressures to evangelize people toward their particular denomination.

The Cathoic Church is unified worldwide and the pressure to evangelize people into the Church is diminished.

IMO, we need to evangelize our own with adult faith formation. Our priest has said the Church teaches children and socializes with adults and that instead we need to socialize our children and educate our adults.

I agree with him.

 

[Barbkw]

Catholics need short, pithy, written tools that would help us to share the Gospel–the FULL Gospel…

I attended our parish’ “Compendium of the Catholic Church”. Pope Benedict wrote the book, it’s the Cliff Notes to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The problem is, it’s difficult evangalizing the Sacraments when protestant denominations in general refute ordination and papal authority.

It’s rather like finding common ground with Islam, when their religious books say that Abraham was asked to sacrifice Ishmael and not Isaac.

 

[ctkrcia]

Perhaps the problem as well, is that protestant denominations have internal pressures to evangelize people toward their particular denomination.

This is so true. A simple read of any of the Surprised by Truth books will support this claim. Many Protestant ministers are under high pressure from their church leadership to increase membership. Statistics are tracked like a baseball game and if a church is losing membership the minister may lose his/her job.

As a result, they strongly encourage every member to evangelize. They have BAFTOD - Bring a Friend to Church Day. They have open social events where members are encouraged to invite those outside their membership. They preach “feel good” sermons, emphasize the love of Christ, and downplay the harsh reality of the cross. They have high def screens, large bands, and design their worship space like a Broadway theater. They do anything and everything they can to increase membership. And it works…until…

After a while it gets a little stale. New members, who were on fire when joining, leave because something is lacking. They get entertained but recognize that being a disciple is not all about being social with church members. Then, when a minister gets replaced (especially in non-denom churches), their belief system changes too. There is little continuity from preacher to preacher and even less from congregation to congregation. But to some people they see it as a reason to form a “break out” church. But most leave and go to the cool church down the street with the new building and really big youth program. Until it too fades.

What is missing is a central authority. What is missing is 100% of the hard and honest truth. What is missing is the real presence. What is missing…is Christ.

These are the people who are searching for us. We need to…we HAVE TO tell them about the truth of Catholicism and show the way home.

 

[JRKH]

Cat - you have a lot of really good stuff in your post, but I just want to address a couple of points…

I kind of wish that some of those Catholics had evangelized me decades ago so I wouldn’t have waited 47 years to become Catholic.

I wonder though…If a Catholic HAD tried to evangelize you during say - the first 30 years of your faith journey - would you have been open to them?
As you are aware there is a fair amount of anti-catholicism in the Evangelical Protestant world. If a person is not open to it, if they are filled with what someone above refered to as “speitual pride” and have bought into the “anti-catholic” party line…They simply will not listen.

That’s a lot of years of missing out on a treasure just because “it’s not part of Catholic culture to witness verbally.” Culture, schmulture. It’s time for Catholics to dump that “culture,” because there are a LOT of non-Catholics in the U.S. now who are dying to hear about Catholicism.

I absolutely agree - That is why I said above, and will say again, I bless God for the influx of converts from the evangelical background.

Second, Catholics don’t evangelize because they don’t have the “tools.” In evangelical churches, we had (and still have) The Four Spiritual Laws (Campus Crusade for Christ). It’s a great little booklet and it made it possible for even a child to share the Gospel with someone.

There are lots of other evangelizing tools that evangelicals use; e.g., the Evangelism Bracelet (from Child Evangelism Fellowship).

These things don’t exist in the Catholic Church. There are no “evangelism training workshops.” There’s no “Evangelism Explosion” seminars (with two searching questions that can be used to get a conversation about God started). There’s no “Catholic Campus Crusade For Christ.” (CCCC! Cool!)

Why not?!

To an extent, I think that the problem is the very richness of the Church. The depth, the history, the richness of the faith tends to not lend itself to “sound bite marketing” and so forth. _ Not that I am disagreeing with you, just saying that, as I look at my faith and what brought me back into the church it was a long journey…Not am altar call, sinners prayer and a dunking…(sorry to sound trite - it’s not my intent.)

Again, this kind of ancient thinking needs to change. Catholics need short, pithy, written tools that would help us to share the Gospel–the FULL Gospel, as taught through the centuries by the Church of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church. Perhaps rather than writing lengthy, intellectual tomes, some of the Church leaders might want to take on the job of writing a short evangelicism tool for U.S. Catholics to use in their daily life around their friends and family members who ask, “So what do you Catholics believe, anyway?”

I believe you can find some of these kinds of tools right here on CAF. Short tracts that explain the faith and even things like “10 ways to evangelize”

Third, Catholics don’t evangelize because they don’t understand their own Church and faith and Savior, so why would they tell someone else about Christianity? Someone above mentioned the need to evangelize Catholics–I agree wholeheartedly with this. But unfortunately, there is no consensus how to do this. I personally think that before we can evangelize them, we have to get them into the Church again, if not at Mass, at least at some kind of “study” or “concert” or “class” or “social.” But they don’t come. The music in most Catholic churches is dreadful, and the people are unfriendly–a bar is much more appealing to those who have no faith.

While I think this is a bit harsh…Our parish is quite friendly and welcoming…I do agree with you that too many Catholics are too poorly educated in the faith. It seems most never get past about a 4th grade level. They know the “rules”, but little else - a distinct disadvantage when challenged on things like Mary, or the Real presence, etc.

So again, something else to work on–Catholic parishes need to work on becoming friendly, welcoming “lighthouses” in a dark world. It doesn’t really matter whether the Mass is contemporary or traditional–what matters is how do the people live out their faith outside of Mass. Anyone can put on a good show at Mass–we need to live it for real when Mass is over in order to earn the privilege of evangelizing others.

Amen

Peace
James

 

[GaryTaylor]

The challenge remains, what are “you” doing" to bring these needed changes into the light of day? Its not how come “they” are not doing this or that. You are the “they”!

The CC works from the inside “and” the outside. Why then is there not a group of individuals that present the ideas you would like to initiate to the Arch Diocese or local Parish?

I don’t see the clamor about what isn’t happening as a valid argument ever. I look at myself first and always, before I ever say…they. Usally in the “I” area I find the fault.

If in fact you have a useful idea, why then are you not acting to initiate the process to reach the goal?

I don’t understand at this point. Its not being critical of anyone or defending the Church. I fail to see why if you have a great idea, your not acting on it? I get the feeling you somehow feel restricted or limited. Is it truth the church is restricting you? Have you tried and been told no?

Those who bought the Church to this point, did everything “they” could think of, now the ball remains in your hands. The eggs are in your basket to carry for the next generations.

Those who have converted to the CC and do see areas which could be improved. Would “you” not be the best to initiate that? I actually admire those who convert, my sister in law converted and is a very good Catholic. I’m impressed. So why not use the energy and knowledge for the greater good?

God Bless, Gary

 

[rbarcia]

How would a catholic articulate the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

 

[CompSciGuy]

The challenge remains, what are “you” doing" to bring these needed changes into the light of day? Its not how come “they” are not doing this or that. You are the “they”!

The CC works from the inside “and” the outside. Why then is there not a group of individuals that present the ideas you would like to initiate to the Arch Diocese or local Parish?

I don’t see the clamor about what isn’t happening as a valid argument ever. I look at myself first and always, before I ever say…they. Usally in the “I” area I find the fault.

If in fact you have a useful idea, why then are you not acting to initiate the process to reach the goal?

I don’t understand at this point. Its not being critical of anyone or defending the Church. I fail to see why if you have a great idea, your not acting on it? I get the feeling you somehow feel restricted or limited. Is it truth the church is restricting you? Have you tried and been told no?

Those who bought the Church to this point, did everything “they” could think of, now the ball remains in your hands. The eggs are in your basket to carry for the next generations.

Those who have converted to the CC and do see areas which could be improved. Would “you” not be the best to initiate that? I actually admire those who convert, my sister in law converted and is a very good Catholic. I’m impressed. So why not use the energy and knowledge for the greater good?

God Bless, Gary

Are you talking to me? Or someone else in this long thread?

I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that I’m not acting on this. I do evangelize with other people. I don’t feel powerless. I was commenting and discussing on current attitudes and opinions among Catholic laity toward the subject of evangelization. So far I think it’s been a very good discussion. I have no quarrel with you, but it seems like you keep asking a lot of defensive-sounding questions that have either already been answered or don’t really apply to the discussion. I am not attacking anyone, and yes, I do plan to use whatever talent I have to encourage other Catholics to evangelize.

 

[CompSciGuy]

I wonder though…If a Catholic HAD tried to evangelize you during say - the first 30 years of your faith journey - would you have been open to them?

I know this question is not directed at me, but as a convert I thought I would share my thoughts. Personally, I think I can honestly say that I would have been. I can’t speak for everyone. But the thing is, nobody ever told me that the Catholic Church was the one true church. Nobody made that argument to me. Having just said that, I am beginning to understand the emphasis some of you guys put on adult education.

If someone had told me that, I can guarantee you it would have gotten me thinking and asking questions. From age 0-21 I literally had absolutely no idea what Catholics believe about anything. You want to know how I converted? I was link hopping on Wikipedia and saw an article that mentioned Catholicism, and realized that I knew absolutely nothihng about Catholicism and wanted to research it. When I found out that the CC was backed by the early church fathers (which calvinists practically claim for their own, by the way) I was intrigued and Catholicism already had started to have some legitimacy in my mind. For the next several months I spent a huge amount of my spare time researching Catholicism on my own. It was several months before I set foot in St. Mary’s Catholic Center, the parish ministry associated with my University. Fortunately this parish is pretty active (they actually started doing the “Ask a Catholic a Question” ministry recently) and had a brilliant RCIA minister who was able to help me over a lot of hoops.

I trust that there are other people out there who are open to hear about what the Church has to say. To be fair, I wasn’t exactly a model Calvinist before I started the journey… I was pretty much a pseudo-Christian agnostic who had a hard time relating with the Evangelical college scene that is really big in the south, especially here in Texas. But that’s not altogether uncommon on college campuses, as I’m discovering.

 

[Hiskid1973]

Interesting post, thanks for bringing the issue up…I had a radical conversion experience at the age of 21 almost 40 years ago…I was growing up in the hippie generation but God had a different plan…At the office I worked at my druggie coworker/friend has an similar experience
a few months later…We really amazed our coworkers as we started talking about Jesus…It all started with a cute petite blond giving out a little booklet of scriptures…Didn’t take the Holy Spirit long to get through to me…I’ve passed out the same booklet and talked to hundreds over the years…Today when I talk to people I use cues in the conversion…Today so many wonder about what’s going on in the world…Perfect opening to talk about Jesus and His soon return…We are to be ready in season and out to share the hope that lies within us.
He that wins souls is wise…As for your OP, I lived/worked in an Italian catholic town and lived/worked with many catholic christians over the years…In all that time i have been approached by many regular bible christians,JW’s and a few latter day saints but never one person that was catholic christian…Shalom

 

[cooterhein]

A couple months ago my dad, who is Calvinist and who raised me Calvinist, brought up the topic of evangelism and told me he didn’t think that Catholics evangelized much. It kind of struck a chord, because frankly, it really seems like among Catholics I know evangelism is almost a taboo.

I’ve seen that before, too. Something to do with privacy of your personal religious beliefs. It might be a cultural thing in some ways. Except it seems like it’s true of Catholics and not Protestants when they’re occupying the same culture, so there’s probably more to it that that.

Now of course I agree with Vatican II, that those who through no fault of their own don’t fully know or understand the gospel can still be saved. But it almost seems like many Catholics I know use this as an excuse not to tell others about Jesus.

Do they really make that excuse, or does it seem like they would make that excuse if they chose to make one?

From my perspective, this teaching gives me comfort of knowing that those people whose circumstances are beyond which they can be fully reached with the gospel are not without hope. That doesn’t diminish the fact that people are in fact saved through the gospel and through Jesus alone and it would be uncharitable to keep it from them. That includes people of other faiths. I am unwilling to assume that because someone has a faith, any faith at all, that it automatically makes them right with God.

Me too. And apart from being uncharitable, I also think Christianity (whether you’re Catholic or otherwise) should be a very important part of your life. The most important part, actually. As a result, anyone who gets to know you well should find out about the things that are most important to you, and that would obviously include Christianity.

So that’s why the whole “private religion” thing doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I guess there’s quite a bit of “cultural Catholicism” as compared to “cultural Protestantism,” though, so it might be as simple as this: For a lot of Catholics, being a Christian is not all that important to them. You can get to know them really well and find out all the important things about them, and Christianity is not one of those things.

I wouldn’t say that of the average Catholic on CAF- I actually think a specifically Catholic form of Christianity is one of the things most of these people will tend to lead with when you’re getting to know them. But CAF Catholics are definitely not “most Catholics.” Most Catholics are cultural Catholics for whom religion in general and Catholicism in particular is not of very great importance, and that’s probably why they don’t ever talk about it in even the most informal of situations. To them, it’s not an important part of who they are. So why would they tell people it is? I think most people like that are just being honest about who they are and what’s important to them.

I teach conversational English classes through a Christian campus organization, and lately we have been a lot more open about sharing our faith with the people who come there. Most of the people there are from China, Turkey, and Iran, so you can get an idea of the religious makeup of these people. Believe me, it is entirely possible to share your faith with a Muslim without offending him/her.

That’s actually a very welcome experience a lot of the time, especially when Islam is very important to someone and they’re living in a part of the world where most people aren’t Muslims. When religion is very important to you and you don’t feel like you can discuss it with anyone, it contributes to a feeling of isolation. The best thing that can happen is an opportunity to share with like-minded people that are entirely supportive of your faith, but the next-best thing is an opportunity to share that part of you with someone of another faith who will be your friend in spite of those differences. You can become friends with people while excluding religious dialogue, but it’s impossible for people to really open up and get to know each other if they’re withholding some of the most important things about their identity. So when a Muslim and a Christian, for example, get to the point where they can open up and share those things with each other, it brings them a lot closer together…provided that they’re respectful of each other. IMO, it’s much better than keeping those things from each other and maintaining a relationship at arm’s-length.

I think that’s true of pretty much everyone, but it’s awfully hard to share important details about your Christian identity when there is nothing of significance to share. I tend to think that’s usually the problem.

In fact, many of the people there are very happy to listen and learn more about what Christians believe; as many have pointed out, due to cultural barriers, they don’t always get a clear picture of this.

Exactly! And aside from mere curiosity, it helps break down barriers and establishes a sense of trust. Like if you’re a Muslim in Saudi Arabia, you feel like you can trust anyone with your Muslim identity and all that it means to you. But when you’re a Muslim in America, you feel like you can’t trust a lot of people with that (and often, it’s extremely true). So when you do run into Christians that trust you and show that you can trust them, it’s good for everybody.

I am pretty sure that the Pope has continuously encouraged us to tell others about Jesus. (Am I correct on this?)

I believe that’s correct. I think people need to have something to share before they can share it, though, and for many people that are merely culturally religious, they have absolutely nothing to share. That is, there’s no connection between Christianity and their identity, and so there’s nothing that they would share. Thus, they don’t share it.

 

[Cat]

Cat - you have a lot of really good stuff in your post, but I just want to address a couple of points…

I wonder though…If a Catholic HAD tried to evangelize you during say - the first 30 years of your faith journey - would you have been open to them?
As you are aware there is a fair amount of anti-catholicism in the Evangelical Protestant world. If a person is not open to it, if they are filled with what someone above refered to as “speitual pride” and have bought into the “anti-catholic” party line…They simply will not listen.

James

My conversion to Catholicism started in 1987, seventeen years before I converted. My husband and I were on a bus on our way to the March For Life in Washington. It was the “Catholic” bus out of Raleigh, North Carolina, and a lady sitting next to us spoke to us, asked who we were, and when she heard that Jan 22 is both my husband’s and daughter’s birthday, she told us she would pray a Rosary for them. And she did, right there on the bus.

THAT’S when I believe the Holy Spirit started working in our hearts. It took 17 years for anything to come of it.

Actually, I believe the Holy Spirit started working in my heart years and years earlier than that. When I was a child, my dad brought home two elementary school readers (Streets and Roads, and More Streets and Roads) from an auction. As a bookworm, I devoured these books, which contained “Catholic” stories along with all the other stories. I loved the Catholic stories! From then on, I was always curious about Catholicism.

One other factor in my life is that a great uncle was Catholic. He was the only Catholic in our family, and he was hands-down the most beloved relative in our entire family. Everyone loved and trusted Uncle Paul, including my parents. So I didn’t grow up in an anti-Catholic atmosphere; rather, I grew up in a house where people said, “There’s a of good Catholics, and Uncle Paul is the best.”

So you see, CompSciGuy, even though we evangelical-type people tend to scoff at it, there really is a lot that can be accomplished by living out the Gospel through actions and a good life. Uncle Paul never said a word to try to convert any of us, but when I was debating whether to become Catholic, his witness was a major factor.

As a matter of fact, there were many other Catholics that I met throughout my life that played a role in my conversion. When my kids were growing up, I was (and still am) very involed at the ice skating rink in the local skating clubs. For years, one of the rink dads worked alongside me (and my husband), and we were both impressed with his tactfulness, gentleness, and trustworthiness–in a skating rink, there is a lot of back-stabbing, but this man was above it all. He was a Catholic, and made this clear to us. But he never preached or said anything.

So when it came time to make the decision to convert, his testimony, lived out in his good life, was an influence. There were lots of Protestant Christians in that skating rink, but their testimony was blurred compared to his. He attended our Easter Vigil confirmation and First Communion, BTW.

But JRKH, the fact remains that none of these people said anything to us about their Church or told us why they were Catholic and why we should think about being Catholic.

Now perhaps we were not “ripe.” Jesus speaks about the fields being ripe for the harvest, and perhaps we weren’t ripe yet.

However, what eventually tipped us over to conversion was getting kicked out of our Protestant church. Perhaps this was necessary to put my husband and me into the mindset that would be open to conversion. It was a hard way to come into the Church, though, and to this day, I have trust issues. I tend not to trust anyone, and that’s one reason why I am so rigidly determined to listen only to my bishop and not pay much attention to what other Catholics, especially laypeople, have to say about liturgy, Mass music, and many other issues. I just don’t trust the people that God hasn’t put in charge of the Church because I’ve seen what happens when we trust mere humans. Yes, the bishop is a human, but he is divinely appointed and ordained to his authoritative position, and I trust that God has given him the charisms necessary to lead.

OTOH, perhaps if one of those Catholics had talked to us, or given us a great book about Catholicism, we might have ripened earlier and avoided the tragic ousting.

Who knows?

HOWEVER–it is NOT up to us to determine when someone is “ripe” for the harvest. Our job is to do our job! The Bible makes it very clear that we are to give witness, not just with our actions, but with our WORDS as well. We need to speak up and tell others about Jesus when the Holy Spirit gives us opportunity and when He prompts us to speak. Even if the person is not “ripe” for the harvest yet, the words we speak will influence the ripening process. Perhaps the seed we sow in someone’s life will germinate and bear fruit YEARS later, as it did with us. Those little childrens’ stories in the Streets and Roads books were words that stayed with me and helped me to eventually be ready to convert.

One suggestion, CompSciGuy and other Catholics, that I would recommend, is to loan your friends the excellent books that many ex-Protestants have written. Evangelical Protestants especially do a lot of reading (there’s another thread about this in the Popular Media Section). Scott Hahn, Tim Staples, David Currie, Steve Ray, etc. have all written great conversion stories–get these and loan them out. They aren’t short and pithy like The Four Spiritual Laws, but they are sooooo good for evangelical Protestants.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Are you talking to me? Or someone else in this long thread?

I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that I’m not acting on this. I do evangelize with other people. I don’t feel powerless. I was commenting and discussing on current attitudes and opinions among Catholic laity toward the subject of evangelization. So far I think it’s been a very good discussion. I have no quarrel with you, but it seems like you keep asking a lot of defensive-sounding questions that have either already been answered or don’t really apply to the discussion. I am not attacking anyone, and yes, I do plan to use whatever talent I have to encourage other Catholics to evangelize.

My brother I am not talking to you in specific, had that been the case I would have done exactly that. Its a proposed question which appeals to the greater good of what can be done on an individual basis and how. And for others who do have good ideas other than yourself that feel weighted in obtaining them.

Sorry if you took this personal

God Bless, Gary

 

[mark_avery]

Hi,

I am currently an RCIA candidate and had some observations I wanted to discuss regarding Catholicism and Evangelism.

A couple months ago my dad, who is Calvinist and who raised me Calvinist, brought up the topic of evangelism and told me he didn’t think that Catholics evangelized much. It kind of struck a chord, because frankly, it really seems like among Catholics I know evangelism is almost a taboo. Now of course I agree with Vatican II, that those who through no fault of their own don’t fully know or understand the gospel can still be saved. But it almost seems like many Catholics I know use this as an excuse not to tell others about Jesus. From my perspective, this teaching gives me comfort of knowing that those people whose circumstances are beyond which they can be fully reached with the gospel are not without hope. That doesn’t diminish the fact that people are in fact saved through the gospel and through Jesus alone and it would be uncharitable to keep it from them. That includes people of other faiths. I am unwilling to assume that because someone has a faith, any faith at all, that it automatically makes them right with God.

I do understand that there is the issue with regards to cultural sensitivity, especially when it comes to our other non-Christian Abrahamic friends. I think that it is possible to be culturally over-sensitive. I teach conversational English classes through a Christian campus organization, and lately we have been a lot more open about sharing our faith with the people who come there. Most of the people there are from China, Turkey, and Iran, so you can get an idea of the religious makeup of these people. Believe me, it is entirely possible to share your faith with a Muslim without offending him/her. In fact, many of the people there are very happy to listen and learn more about what Christians believe; as many have pointed out, due to cultural barriers, they don’t always get a clear picture of this. Many of the people in our class stay afterwards for the Bible study. We also give them a chance to tell us about their beliefs. But ultimately it is more than just a religious “discussion” or inter-faith dialogue; we do let them know that we hope they too will believe in the gospel and find the joy of knowing Jesus. They are not offended by this and most of them appreciate our sincerity and respect us all the more. Some, in fact, do come to believe; especially the people from China with no spiritual background whatsoever.

I am pretty sure that the Pope has continuously encouraged us to tell others about Jesus. (Am I correct on this?) At any rate, the opportunity to evangelize is a huge blessing. There is a tremendous joy that comes from sharing the gospel with other people.

Well done fellow servant!

You seem to have such opportunity to share,may god be with you and thanks on our behalf who have not such vocation choice.
Love you!

 

[JRKH]

Cat - Thank you for your wonderful testimony above…You answered far more than just my question in your response.

What you, and others, have pointed out is that there are many levels and forms of evangelization that contribute to conversion.
A critically important one is the idea of, not just Living a good Christian life, but doing so openly. Of not being ashamed of ones faith. Of wearing it right out in the open.
The woman you met on the bus, was not ashamed or afraid to tell you that she would pray a rosary for you - or To actually DO it. And if you (or any non-catholic) had asked her about the rosary, I’m sure she would have gladly explained it.

An oft quoted phrase around here is the one of St Frances saying, “Preach the Gospel Always. When necessary use words”. This is good advice, but I fear that too many use it as an excuse to NOT use words - or overt acts - to evangelize others.
Using your Uncle Paul as an example, You say that everyone loved and trusted him because he was so good…But you also knew why you loved and trusted him. You knew why he was so good. It was because of his great faith. He did not hide it. He was not ashamed of it.

This is where too many falter in their commision to spread the Gospel…Those who see us as good, happy, joy filled, loving friends, co-workers, neightbors etc. need to know why we are so…It is because of our faith. A faith that we wear with joy.

Peace
James

 

[Hiskid1973]

This is where too many falter in their commission to spread the Gospel…Those who see us as good, happy, joy filled, loving friends, co-workers, neighbors etc. need to know why we are so…It is because of our faith. A faith that we wear with joy.

Peace
James

Amen…It’s all abut Jesus…Christ in us our hope of glory…We can say, I’m of Peter, I’m of Paul, I’m of Apollos, but it’s all about Jesus…A christian is still a christian whether it was in Jerusalem , Antioch or Rome to the uttermost underground in China or central Kansas.
Happy are the feet of those who bring the good news…We are living stones, we reflect Christ in all our words, deeds , thoughts, attitudes and actions. We are to be ready in season and out to share the hope that lies within us…Always remember that the Holy Spirit draws and we have the words of life in the form of the gospel…

 

[Cat]

Cat - Thank you for your wonderful testimony above…You answered far more than just my question in your response.

What you, and others, have pointed out is that there are many levels and forms of evangelization that contribute to conversion.
A critically important one is the idea of, not just Living a good Christian life, but doing so openly. Of not being ashamed of ones faith. Of wearing it right out in the open.
The woman you met on the bus, was not ashamed or afraid to tell you that she would pray a rosary for you - or To actually DO it. And if you (or any non-catholic) had asked her about the rosary, I’m sure she would have gladly explained it.

An oft quoted phrase around here is the one of St Frances saying, “Preach the Gospel Always. When necessary use words”. This is good advice, but I fear that too many use it as an excuse to NOT use words - or overt acts - to evangelize others.
Using your Uncle Paul as an example, You say that everyone loved and trusted him because he was so good…But you also knew why you loved and trusted him. You knew why he was so good. It was because of his great faith. He did not hide it. He was not ashamed of it.

This is where too many falter in their commision to spread the Gospel…Those who see us as good, happy, joy filled, loving friends, co-workers, neightbors etc. need to know why we are so…It is because of our faith. A faith that we wear with joy.

Peace
James

Absolutely.

There are many good, happy, loving people who do not believe in Jesus at all. Lots of atheists do more good works than many devout Christians.

So what makes Christians “different” from these people?

If we don’t tell people about Jesus, people will assume that we’re just nice people for no special reason.