Door to door evangelization

[Telstar]

Point taken on the quotes. I’m still learning.

I would like to point out that the JW’s don’t necessarly beleive they are telling lies. They are trained and, I hate to say it, brainwashed into beliving these things. They truly believe they have the truth.

No problem on the quotes thing. I know it takes a while to get used to doing it.

Oh, I completely understand that JWs believe what they’re telling people is true, but I was referring to a particular former Catholic that knew very well that he was trying to sell me a crock. He had been here many times over a period of a couple of years. We had many conversations about his background in the Church, and his negative view of it. He was no spring chicken and neither am I, so I know for a fact that he knew they were untrue, but he was bound and determined that he was going to ‘convert’ me to his way of thinking (he had already boldly told me that, many times before). We talked about the Bible and doctrine most of the time, but this time he decided to go well beyond the pale and was being extremely insulting.

I really think he was trying to justify his leaving the Church in his own mind, by the things that he was telling me were ‘true’. After listening to him rant (and I do mean rant… as in defiant anger) about the Pope and other points that he was trying to make, some of which were unbelievably nasty references to Priests, etc., I finally lost my patience and told him to leave and never come back to my house. I have never seen him at my door, again. I’m hoping that he really considered what I had told him and returned to the Church, but I have my doubts. He was an extremely arrogant man that didn’t like the fact that I knew more than his typical ‘mark’, and was not about to budge from any of my beliefs. I’m sure it must have bruised his huge ego that he never got the satisfaction of ‘converting’ me. As a result of that encounter, I have become much less patient with JWs and rarely bother to engage them in any more discussions. They were much more interested in bashing my religious beliefs than they were in trying to sell me on the ‘finer points’ of their own, especially that particular individual.

 

[KathleenGee]

Telstar,

Agree with you here…I think that people drawn into such organizations whose religion has to condemn apostolic Christianity is a reflection on the people themselves. In no way can you have a reasonable conversation with them.

And yes, fundamentalist charismatic individuals are grandiose, manipulative, and unreasonable. If they were, they would have the integrity to study academically and seek the truth, which requires a certain degree of objectivity.

So they resort to promulgating little tracts that nurture people’s scrupulosity and confusion while totally ignore 2,000 years of Christian history, minimizing this historic faith into something inhuman and devious.

 

[Tony888]

Christ instructed His apostles NOT to go door to door, and Christ never preached and bellowed at the market corners.
.

Kathleen, please substantiate the above claim.
I had never thought about it before your post, and what little scritupural and historical evidence I could find indicated the early church did do the equivalent of preaching in open spaces or among the croweded tenaments. I am open to being eduated on how the early church spread.

For parity with modern evangelism, we should focus on how the average church member evangelized, rather than what the original apostles did. The apostles were the celebrities of their day, and I expect easily drew a crowd in the market place.

 

[KathleenGee]

Tony,

You are reading those scriptures outside of apostolic tradition. I am referring to my Catholic bible, and the evangelical tradition, as well as the lack of provisions that the Apostles originally have.

Think about it. They have no purse – no money. They only have God. God is what people need to bring them into the life of God. Not money or the status of money. They have no set up homes for shelter…only those who accept them.

Christ and His apostles did not go door to door. It is like you are outside your place, 2000 years ago…like today…we see them going from door to door, and it is like what do they want?..you put up your guard.

Instead Christ met people on their terms, at the well, at public places of sharing and teaching and reflection, keeping boundaries by not going door to door.

You don’t know how many times through out life people complain about such behavior.

You are looking at the terms from a restorationist viewpoint.

 

[Tony888]

Kathleen,
Please give me a link to catholic bible commentary, or some other Catholic study aid that supports you.

Even the story of Pentecost disagrees with you

WHAT HAPPENED ON PENTECOST?

Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the twelve apostles, Jesus’ mother and family, and many other of His disciples gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads. This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29). The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire. This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. (You can read the Biblical account of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-41).

 

[sallybutler]

Kathleen,
Please give me a link to catholic bible commentary, or some other Catholic study aid that supports you.

Even the story of Pentecost disagrees with you

Tony, what you posted says that they preached to the people at the Festival. It does not say they went and knocked on peoples’ doors and preached to them one to one. I thought what was described was the apostles going out to the public meeting area (something we don’t really have in this country) and preaching to those that were there. Sort of a Tower of Babylon in reverse.

If the 12 apostles did go door to door on this day and converted people individually, they would have each had to convert one person every 6 minutes. 3000/12 = 250. 250 per apostle would be more than 10 per hour for 24 hours.

 

[KathleenGee]

There is nothing in Scripture saying the apostles went door to door.

The Scriptures give us clear examples of the settings where Christ and His apostles met the public.

The Lord was telling them to go with little and how to go for food and shelter, because He was calling them to greater faith in trusting in God’s providence alone.

Homes who were in the Providence of God provided mutual peace.

 

[Tony888]

There is nothing in Scripture saying the apostles went door to door.

The Scriptures give us clear examples of the settings where Christ and His apostles met the public.

The Lord was telling them to go with little and how to go for food and shelter, because He was calling them to greater faith in trusting in God’s providence alone.

Homes who were in the Providence of God provided mutual peace.

Kathleen,
So it is ‘your opinion’ but you have no RCC references that support your claim, that Christ told them not to do the equivalent of going door-to-door. I’m fine with your opinion, just don’t pretend it’s official church interpretation of the scriptures, or even RCC policy.

The fact that it is not RCC dogma explain why those Catholic Churches I linked to earlier are teaching their members how to conduct door-to-door evanagelism. The fact they may be primarily focused on ex-Catholics (low hanging fruit) doesn’t change they are going door to door, uninvited, speading fellowship and God’s word. My respect for the RCC increases when I read stories such as those.

 

[KathleenGee]

References???

Look at the Gospels and Acts…

You show me where they went about knocking on every door in Scripture!!

You totally missed Christ’s instructions to depend on God alone when He sent them out with so little.

The Mormons I see wear nice suits, bikes, helmets, backpacks…the works…

My girlfriend moved to Kentucky. She is Afro American, former Baptist from Louisiana, and now a most devout Catholic.

She was approached by two Mormons. She totally disagreed with them and they began following her into her local post office. A man came by and she asked the man if he could answer them because she was sure having a difficult time getting her point across…he looked at them and ran off. Pretty aggressive bunch…

Guess here they are targeting the affluent neighborhoods…have their temple placed at the entrance into the most hoytee toytee town in the state…

Sounds like pretty selective reasoning with an obvious attraction to money and power if you ask me…and a total disregard for Christ’s instructions in sending His disciples out as poor with little on their backs.

In contrast and in keeping with the Gospels, the Church has its option for the poor, and in them they are made strong in Christ.

 

[Tony888]

Kathleen,
I think the only thing scritpural you’ve said is that some of the LDS are too persistant -** I agree**.
When it is clear the party does not want to hear God’s word they should follow his instructions and move on,.

Again, if the RCC Magisterium teaches that going ‘door to door’, evangelizing to strangers is agasint scripture and the will of God, they would have made this clear in some official document (it would probably be in the CCC). Also, the diocese I linked to would not be training their members to go ‘door-to-door’

 

[Tony888]

Kathleen,
I think the only thing scritpural you’ve said is that some of the LDS are too persistant -** I agree**.
When it is clear the party does not want to hear God’s word they should follow his instructions and move on,.

Again, if the RCC Magisterium teaches that going ‘door to door’, evangelizing to strangers is agasint scripture and the will of God, they would have made this clear in some official document (it would probably be in the CCC). Also, the diocese I linked to would not be training their members to go ‘door-to-door’

While not specific, the CCC does seem to encorage evangelism to all. Certainly no metion of avoiding doors.

[875](javascriptpenWindow(‘cr/875.htm’) "How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?"390 No one - no individual and no community - can proclaim the Gospel to himself: "Faith comes from what is heard."391 No one can give himself the mandate and the mission to proclaim the Gospel. The one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of Christ’s authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, bishops and priests receive the mission and faculty (“the sacred power”) to act in persona Christi Capitis; deacons receive the strength to serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word and charity, in communion with the bishop and his presbyterate. The ministry in which Christ’s emissaries do and give by God’s grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a “sacrament” by the Church’s tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.

---

Participation in Christ’s prophetic office

904 "Christ . . . fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the hierarchy . . . but also by the laity. He accordingly both establishes them as witnesses and provides them with the sense of the faith [sensus fidei] and the grace of the word"438

To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer.439

905 Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, “that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.” For lay people, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world."440

This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful.441

906 Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications media.442

 

[Nicea325]

There are several missionary instructions Jesus Himself gave with the most relevant summarized as “don’t insist with those who are not interested”. It seems he said to try a couple of times but leave if people did not listen. Considering it was repeated in three Gospels, **dealing with rejection was a big issue **

**Matthew 10:14 **And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

**Mark 6:11 **And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

**Luke 9:5 **And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

How could the church have spread without strong evangelism? I think it’s naive to image they walked into a new town and just winked over new believers, without any debate of doctrine (the big miracles were exceptions). They were on a mission from Christ.

Matt 24:14 And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.

Acts 20:20-21 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Tony:

Kindly tells us what constituted “house” in first century Palenstine?

 

[Tony888]

Tony:

Kindly tells us what constituted “house” in first century Palenstine?

Nicea,
I don’t know the answer, and I’m not the one who said Christ forbid going door to door or speaking in a public market.

Please show me what your Magisterium teaches on evangelizing to strangers, whether door to door or in open spaces?

 

[Nicea325]

Nicea,
I don’t know the answer, and I’m not the one who said Christ forbid going door to door or speaking in a public market.

Please show me what your Magisterium teaches on evangelizing to strangers, whether door to door or in open spaces?

Tony,

That is the issue at hand with many who believe house-to-house meant the same in 1st century Palestine. One cannot assume our understanding of certain words had the same definition or understanding 2000 years ago.

By all means, I am not saying door-to-door is necessarily a bad thing,but people need to be careful as to what words meant 2000 years ago, which is my point.

 

[TexanKnight]

Tony,

That is the issue at hand with many who believe house-to-house meant the same in 1st century Palestine. One cannot assume our understanding of certain words had the same definition or understanding 2000 years ago.

By all means, I am not saying door-to-door is necessarily a bad thing,but people need to be careful as to what words meant 2000 years ago, which is my point.

the difference between a Catholic and Mormon evangelizing is that a Catholic will tell someone how wonderful it is to be Catholic and that being a Catholic is right. A Mormon will tell you that what you believe is wrong unless you believe like them.

 

[robbie20]

Anyone who comes to my door preaching anything; I just slam it in their face…

Not very Christian of me; but I don’t want people preaching to me every hour and every minute of my life…

I go to mass at my parish two days a week and do confession daily…

I’m already living my faith and I don’t need someone telling me how to live it…

 

[Little_Mary]

Anyone who comes to my door preaching anything; I just slam it in their face…

Not very Christian of me; but I don’t want people preaching to me every hour and every minute of my life…

I go to mass at my parish two days a week and do confession daily…

I’m already living my faith and I don’t need someone telling me how to live it…

I’ve never heard of “Independent Catholic”. What’s that?

 

[ivecomeback]

Having been there, that is, the one doing the door knocking or canvassing in malls, you have to be pretty convinced to do it. Also, as a fairly retiring person, I was completely mortified but that is beside my point.

So many of these people are like me, disillusioned former Catholics who for one reason or another feel that they were “saved”. In my case, I was drawn in by the warmth of the relationships as well as the real knowledge of the Bible that was not present in my parish.

But, I “reverted” after 2 decades immersed in the fundamentalist life. How? Not by the efforts of some well meaning friends or relatives who got heated with me, but by the people who demonstrated a deep and abiding love for God by their LIVES, by the way that their faith was evident in their hearts and actions and not by the number of converts they had. And, of course, when you REALLY study Scripture, the Catholic Church rings true and it is not the whore of Babylon as some purport (and as I have been told by some old friends).

It is absolutely important to be prepared to answer, and to be confident in our faith. However, may I, as a former evangelical, offer the following verse?

1 Timothy 6:20-21:, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

My 2 cents.

 

[KathleenGee]

Tony…

I missed your post on where you showed in Acts those who went door to door…Sorry I missed that…my apologies…

But yes…again we go back to historical context…to cultural context…the Gentile Christians met in houses…these were large buildings…owned by the rich, and at the beginning the poor were designated back out in the courtyard…with the appearance of the sacred banquet looking like a class oriented form of worship.

That is why St. Paul spoke out that God has no favorites…and provided the early believers more articulation of how they were to meet together in a more unified way.
There are liturgical texts out there that show the courtyards, the size of the houses…and that a number of family groups lived in them.

Those encounters we mainly read about are those who meet in public gathering places as Christ did. And you have to remember this is at the beginning of Pentecost…the church was just as a seed…and just as Paul had to remark about the placement of poor at rich homes…the Church developed, and the same with evangelization.

The Nazarene and Orthodox Jews suffered alike in Israel during the diaspora, and the former church of Jerusalem that St. James the Lesser headed was disbanded. In the Roman empire, Christian gatherings were already being observed by state authorities, and in time they were suffering great persecutions.

Persecutions of Christians continued for 300 years, the last segment the most decimating…so you go around door to door evangelizing…your work would not last very long. You would be dead.

CCC835 is quite true…the missionary life is a true calling from God. I have met church people who wish they could go but are not called, but they do great work in the church. My initial call came in an image, wanting to thank God for giving me the chance to go to college…seeing African women and children standing in the mud and rain seeking an education. That was before my high school senior year. Then beginning my freshman year…I was given the grace to ask Christ how I could follow Him…and it was the missions in Africa.

I ran away from that interior calling in college, to the point a professor told me I reminded him of the poem, ‘Hound of Heaven’. I finally gave in, left college, moved to a city…and then everything fell into place. My archdiocese sponsored me, I was the only lay missionary, and worked with Italian missionary priests, considered the best in the world.

I was afraid…but felt sent…and my priest companions I met in Europe…we could not wait to see the people…after arriving at our lodgings…in just a few hours we were out in the barrios meeting the Africans. I got my assignment in a small town by the Zambezi River…and eventually went out going through the barrios, walking down the paths…and those interested would come to speak to me.

I was told to serve Christ, do good, and not speak of Christ. Only when a native would ask why did I come there?..it was not to make people Catholics…but I was there because of Christ. Within 30 minutes after being instructed this, I went out and a teen asked me why I was there, and I said, ‘Because of Christ’.

 

[KathleenGee]

So our instruction is essentially to be all and do all for Christ.

The language, customs, the force of mother nature…the threat of disease and poisonous snakes (I was attacked by a cobra…but it zipped past me)…and then land mines and political factions involved in acts of terror – 900,000 Africans were killed in the subsequent war…we never know how long we will be there.

And we all ended up being in darkness every day…not knowing the effect or depth of faith or correct understanding of faith was actually being passed on…at Mass in mental meditative prayer…it was like being in darkness…but being led by this small, lit candle – Christ Himself.

Now when I see the new Paschal Candle being lit on Holy Saturday and being processed out into the darkness and into the church for the Mass of the Resurrection, the Paschal Candle represents Christ Himself…leading us to the banquet table.

Subsequently our whole Catholic sentiment of evangelization, and how we developed as evangelizers, is very different than the Restorationists – the Mormons, the JW’s, and so on. And the early persecutions of ancient Christianity really changed how we evangelize.