Do Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have an easier time converting Catholics than Evangelicals when they come to our homes?

[2nd_Adam]

Do Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have an easier time converting Catholics than Evangelicals when they come to our homes? Please explain your answer.

 

[Hesychios]

>> Do Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have an easier time converting Catholics than Evangelicals ? <<

It seems (if I read your question right) to be the case. Statistically these two groups are (supposedly) more successful with converting Latin Catholics than with converting Evangelicals. Don’t ask me to provide the facts or links, I don’t have them.

Some random thoughts:
I do not know why, but when I was growing up the Latin Catholics tended to be very strong on sacramentality, and weak on scripture.

I recently encountered this in a way that hit home with me. An older couple wanted to buy a Bible for their grandson and walked into a Protestant bookstore. I happened to be their while the store manager very patiently explained the difference between a Protestant Bible and a Catholic one. I give him kudos for very honestly sending them away with enough knowledge to buy a Bible, instead of pressing an NIV into their hands and ringing up a sale.

That kind of Catholic was legion in the 1950’s, 1960’s & 1970’s. They received a Bible upon getting married, and put it in the closet. I think it may still be like that to some extent, because I believe many (especially younger adult) Catholics are interested in the “free Bible studies” (of the Watchtower variety) at some point and get sucked in with their methodical spiel and “love bomb”.

I know very little about Mormonism, but it has it’s own forms of sacramentality. This is just a guess, but these temple rituals may resonate better with some Catholics than with the average Protestant.

 

[bpbasilphx]

My own observation is that Evangelicals, Mormons, and JW’s tend to get converts from Catholicism and Orthodoxy who simply do not know what their own faiths teach.

OTOH, many knowledgeable Evangelicals and others embrace Orthodoxy or Catholicism, and can answer the usual objections.

 

[zerinus]

Do Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have an easier time converting Catholics than Evangelicals when they come to our homes? Please explain your answer.

Who knows? That is an impossible question to answer. It is something that depends on each individual, not on what religion he has.

 

[2nd_Adam]

Who knows? That is an impossible question to answer. It is something that depends on each individual, not on what religion he has.

I’m sure the Mormon Church has very enlightening statistics to share with us.

 

[zerinus]

I’m sure the Mormon Church has very enlightening statistics to share with us.

I doubt it. The Mormon Church only compiles statistics about the number of convert baptisms in different countries each year. If a country is mostly Catholic, then most of the converts are likely to have been Catholic. If it is a Protestant country, then most of the converts are likely to have been Protestant. And how does that answer your question?

 

[Marie5890]

As some have suggested it could be because Catholics tend to be poorly educated in the scriptures and more focus has been put on the sacraments. Or they are nominal/cultural Catholics and less truly believing Catholics.

AFA the LDS Temple ceremony; Mmmm it is ritual but I wouldnt say it had a sacramental flavor, but very Masonic one.
Would that matter to a poorly catechized Catholic? Dont know.

One thing AFA Latin America goes, the welfare problem, which is excellent in the LDS church, is a big initial draw.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

Do Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have an easier time converting Catholics than Evangelicals when they come to our homes? Please explain your answer.

I have sat down with both Mormons and JW in my home and have not converted to either of their Churches. I have never, though, sat down with an evangelical in my house. Maybe this is the reason if (and I say if) Mormons and JW are grabbing more Catholics than Evangelicals; they are out there spreading their faith more.

God bless

 

[2nd_Adam]

As some have suggested it could be because Catholics tend to be poorly educated in the scriptures and more focus has been put on the sacraments. Or they are nominal/cultural Catholics and less truly believing Catholics.

AFA the LDS Temple ceremony; Mmmm it is ritual but I wouldnt say it had a sacramental flavor, but very Masonic one.
Would that matter to a poorly catechized Catholic? Dont know.

One thing AFA Latin America goes, the welfare problem, which is excellent in the LDS church, is a big initial draw.

The text that I changed to red seems to be my answer too.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

The text that I changed to red seems to be my answer too.

I tend to disagree with you. Even as a lapsed Catholic, very poorly educated on the scriptures, I felt loyal to my religion and was not interested in becoming some other convert. Once Catholic always a Catholic. Somehow, deep down, I knew Catholicism was true. I felt an adversion to other religions, even though I wasn’t a practicing Catholic. When I decide to come back to the Church, I felt like I was coming home. It was very emotional and felt completely right.

 

[ralphinal]

1 billion Catholics in the World. 1 billion of everybody else. Basically, there will always be more Catholics converting to other groups than any one group converting to the Catholic faith.

 

[2nd_Adam]

1 billion Catholics in the World. 1 billion of everybody else. Basically, there will always be more Catholics converting to other groups than any one group converting to the Catholic faith.

I guess your post ties in well with the birth control thread on the moral theology section.

 

[2nd_Adam]

I tend to disagree with you. Even as a lapsed Catholic, very poorly educated on the scriptures, I felt loyal to my religion and was not interested in becoming some other convert. Once Catholic always a Catholic. Somehow, deep down, I knew Catholicism was true. I felt an adversion to other religions, even though I wasn’t a practicing Catholic. When I decide to come back to the Church, I felt like I was coming home. It was very emotional and felt completely right.

It sounds like you believe that you were predestined to be a Catholic Christian. I think you are better described as a Catholic Calvinist with your post.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

It sounds like you believe that you were predestined to be a Catholic Christian. I think you are better described as a Catholic Calvinist with your post.

I guess YOU would say that!! Don’t know much about that predestiny stuff, just love my Mother Church. (Just bought Pope Benedict’s new CD “Alma Mater” - means “Nourishing Mother”)

 

[ralphinal]

I guess your post ties in well with the birth control thread on the moral theology section.

I don’t know how. I have not seen that thread, and I doubt I will.

I like this section better

 

[izoid]

I guess your post ties in well with the birth control thread on the moral theology section.

Why does it surprise you that there are more followers of Christ in His true Church than in any other?

I would think that it would be easier to convert Calvinists since there is a relatively small remnant there. There are many more non elect to pick off.

 

[izoid]

Why does it surprise you that there are more followers of Christ in His true Church than in any other?

I would think that it would be easier to convert Calvinists since there is a relatively small remnant there. There are many more non elect to pick off.

Adam knows I am teasing him!

 

[Sunstone]

As someone who was a Mormon missionary, I’ll share a few observations:

1. Catholics who knew their scriptures and attended mass liked to talk with me, but weren’t interested in conversion.
2. Catholics from strong “Catholic families” rarely converted to Mormonism. There’s pull in family and tradition.
3. Single, young, and married-without-children Catholics who weren’t particularly religious, and who were between the ages of about 18 and 30, were the most likely to convert to Mormonism.
4. Catholics from lower economic classes were a little more likely to convert to Mormonism.
5. Evangelicals have plenty in their fold who don’t know the Bible from beans. Sometimes I think its an Evangelical/Protestant strategy to convince Catholics that they are less knowledgeable about the Bible.

On the whole, my experience is that Catholics are not more likely to convert to Mormonism than evangelicals are, but then I was a missionary in the U.S. and can’t speak to the conversions in Latin America (of which, in Mormonism, there are quite a few).

 

[2nd_Adam]

As someone who was a Mormon missionary, I’ll share a few observations:

1. Catholics who knew their scriptures and attended mass liked to talk with me, but weren’t interested in conversion.
2. Catholics from strong “Catholic families” rarely converted to Mormonism. There’s pull in family and tradition.
3. Single, young, and married-without-children Catholics who weren’t particularly religious, and who were between the ages of about 18 and 30, were the most likely to convert to Mormonism.
4. Catholics from lower economic classes were a little more likely to convert to Mormonism.
5. Evangelicals have plenty in their fold who don’t know the Bible from beans. Sometimes I think its an Evangelical/Protestant strategy to convince Catholics that they are less knowledgeable about the Bible.

On the whole, my experience is that Catholics are not more likely to convert to Mormonism than evangelicals are, but then I was a missionary in the U.S. and can’t speak to the conversions in Latin America (of which, in Mormonism, there are quite a few).

Thanks for the information. The United States is quite unique with its Puritian roots as compared to Central and South America. I agree that many Protestants do not know their Bibles. Hey, aren’t you the guy from that world religion website?

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[Sunstone]

Thanks for the information. The United States is quite unique with its Puritian roots as compared to Central and South America. I agree that many Protestants do not know their Bibles. Hey, aren’t you the guy from that world religion website?

religiousforums.com/forum/

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.lava , Alceste , amapsePasty , Apex , Beaudreaux , biomystic , dogsgod , fantôme profane , Guitar’s Cry , hindupridemn , Kerr , mickiel , monta , Mr Spinkles , Nepenthe , Panda , PureX , rojse , StarChaser , Storm , Sunstone , TheAmazingLoser , thewindblows , xkatz , zenzero

That’s another Sunstone! Sunstone is the name of a magazine for Mormon intellectuals, so I’m sure it gets used as a screen name now and then.

I do, though, edit articles for an academic religion journal and have published articles on Mormonism (which doesn’t make me a world authority or anything).