Conversion of the Jews

[Frank_Montelion]

My wife is Jewish. We’ve been married for 39 years. She attends mass frequently with me but will NEVER convert. We have a “friend” who is a non denominational “born again” christian who insists on bringing every conversation around to “those that will be saved in the end days are only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior”. To me it is obvious she is trying to convert my wife.

How do you answer a person who is so “in your face” evangelizing that she turns people off and they never really hear her “arguement”. She is so insistant that even I, as a more then a cradle catholic, don’t want to hear it anymore.

She is a great friend and will be there when and if we need her. I would hate to loose a friend but there must be something in the scriptures that can easily short circuit her rhetoric so we can move past the “conversion” and “born again” argument.

I tell my wife that in the end days I beleive that the messiah the Jews have been waiting for will appear and in our belief it will be Jesus. Our second comiing will be the Jews first coming. Even this doesn’t satisfy our friend.

 

[coolduude]

Try this:

catholic.com/library/Are_Catholics_Born_Again.asp

 

[Moonstruck888]

My wife is Jewish. We’ve been married for 39 years. She attends mass frequently with me but will NEVER convert. We have a “friend” who is a non denominational “born again” christian who insists on bringing every conversation around to “those that will be saved in the end days are only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior”. To me it is obvious she is trying to convert my wife.

How do you answer a person who is so “in your face” evangelizing that she turns people off and they never really hear her “arguement”. She is so insistant that even I, as a more then a cradle catholic, don’t want to hear it anymore.

She is a great friend and will be there when and if we need her. I would hate to loose a friend but there must be something in the scriptures that can easily short circuit her rhetoric so we can move past the “conversion” and “born again” argument.

I tell my wife that in the end days I beleive that the messiah the Jews have been waiting for will appear and in our belief it will be Jesus. Our second comiing will be the Jews first coming. Even this doesn’t satisfy our friend.

I would answer her with two words if I were you, and the second one is off.

Presumably, your wife has a faith that is equally strong, but different. Tell her that trying to convert your wife serves no purpose and that you want her to desist and show your wife the same repsect your wife shows the friend by not trying to convert her to Judaism.

 

[white_sheep]

The easiest way to tell someone anything is to open your mouth and say it.

 

[puzzleannie]

How do you answer a person who is so “in your face” evangelizing that she turns people off and they never really hear her “arguement”. She is so insistant that even I, as a more then a cradle catholic, don’t want to hear it anymore.
d.

you say, “if you insult my wife to her face again we will have to end this friendship, as much as we value it.”

 

[jhash1]

My wife is Jewish. We’ve been married for 39 years. She attends mass frequently with me but will NEVER convert. We have a “friend” who is a non denominational “born again” christian who insists on bringing every conversation around to “those that will be saved in the end days are only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior”. To me it is obvious she is trying to convert my wife.

How do you answer a person who is so “in your face” evangelizing that she turns people off and they never really hear her “arguement”. She is so insistant that even I, as a more then a cradle catholic, don’t want to hear it anymore.

She is a great friend and will be there when and if we need her. I would hate to loose a friend but there must be something in the scriptures that can easily short circuit her rhetoric so we can move past the “conversion” and “born again” argument.

I tell my wife that in the end days I beleive that the messiah the Jews have been waiting for will appear and in our belief it will be Jesus. Our second comiing will be the Jews first coming. Even this doesn’t satisfy our friend.

Dear Frank,

Ask the evangelical friend to help you understand St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 11. It says many things about how God has been using “Israel” through human history, and how he plans to bring them home in due time. None of us is smart enough to understand everything the inspired word of God is trying to tell us, but this chapter should make for a fascinating discussion. Of course, we could all hope that those who participate in the Holy Mass for many years will have a continuing conversion experience themselves, but this will happen in God’s time and in God’s way. “Never” is a very long time and is not relevant to God’s ways.

Conversion is also a life time experience as we grow in love for God and God’s people. Perhaps your friend can also consider other ways to encourage the conversion of folks other than a pre-programmed speech that means little to someone who doesn’t share that faith tradition and view. Leading by example, demonstrating love for God’s people through service to others, and many other ideas. It would seem this friend has what she believes is your wife’s best interest at heart (eternal life), she just needs to recognize there are other and more effective ways to help folks you think need helping if the first couple of tries using her patterned method don’t bear fruit. No one said any of this would be easy or happen in a short time, just that it happens in God’s time.

Hopefully that discussion of Romans Chapter 11 helps the overall dialog.

Many blessings.