Ex-Catholic. Part 2

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WesleyF

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Ok, so I have been having this email conversation with this ex-Catholic Protestant.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=477998

A few emails have been exchanged. (If you want to see the emails, send me a private message and I will mail you the .doc files. This offer is limited upto one month from now :D. I don’t want someone to open this thread after 2 years and ask me for the emails (coz I did that to someone before!!:D) )

I sent him a brief message first, asking him for evidence that “praying to dead came from pagans.”

He gave a short reply.

Then I sent him a huge reply. He replied back. At this point I started the earlier “ex-Catholic” thread.

Then I replied again, this time giving him a stronger dose of Catholic apologetics.

And now yesterday, he replied back. But his arguments are so weak that I am appalled. It just seems to me that he is not open to the Catholic church. He obviously couldn’t refute any of the standard Catholic biblical arguments that were made, so he replies back saying “this is not biblical”!

And towards the end of the email he says “I don’t want any further discussion with you, since you claim to know Christ. I will discuss with those who don’t know Christ.”

I would appreciate if some of you who are experienced read these email conversations and tell me how I should go about responding, or should I respond at all.
 
I would not bother responding. He has already shut his mind off of your arguments, and convinced himself you are wrong. There is no changing him for the time being.
 
WesleyF said:
Ok, so I have been having this email conversation with this ex-Catholic Protestant.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=477998

A few emails have been exchanged. (If you want to see the emails, send me a private message and I will mail you the .doc files. This offer is limited upto one month from now :D. I don’t want someone to open this thread after 2 years and ask me for the emails (coz I did that to someone before!!:D) )

I sent him a brief message first, asking him for evidence that “praying to dead came from pagans.”

He gave a short reply.

Then I sent him a huge reply. He replied back. At this point I started the earlier “ex-Catholic” thread.

Then I replied again, this time giving him a stronger dose of Catholic apologetics.

And now yesterday, he replied back. But his arguments are so weak that I am appalled. It just seems to me that he is not open to the Catholic church. He obviously couldn’t refute any of the standard Catholic biblical arguments that were made, so he replies back saying “this is not biblical”!

And towards the end of the email he says “I don’t want any further discussion with you, since you claim to know Christ. I will discuss with those who don’t know Christ.”

I would appreciate if some of you who are experienced read these email conversations and tell me how I should go about responding, or should I respond at all.
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In my opinion (like that really counts for anything :D), you have two options.
  1. Respond graciously, and explain that yes, you do know Christ, and would like to converse with someone else who knows Christ. You could go on to say something like, "The Church’s interpretation of (insert scripture) is…What is yours? That way you aren’t being confrontational, but can actually help guide them, so to speak.
  2. Don’t respond, but be ready to. It sounds like you might have planted a seed of doubt in what they “thought” was the truth.
I have encountered numerous people that shut down like this because what you have said “is” biblical, “is” provable, etc. etc. It makes them nervous because they start to realize what they *thought *was true really isn’t, or at the very least is only *partially *true.

It also makes them realize that maybe they don’t know Catholicism as well as they thought they did.

Something I tell each and every one of my RCIA classes is, “I have never seen anyone dragged to Jesus. He will meet you where you are, and bring you the rest of the way himself.”

All we can do as good Catholic Christians, is to make the introductions.
 
I would not reply. Sometimes people just shut themselves out. Only the Holy Spirit can reach them when they are like that. And the best thing you can do is pray. It’s possible you could do more harm than good if you pursue. I am the same way… I like to “get through” to everyone. But there comes a time when you need to just step back and let the Holy Spirit take over.
 
srferdave said:
I would not reply. Sometimes people just shut themselves out. Only the Holy Spirit can reach them when they are like that. And the best thing you can do is pray. It’s possible you could do more harm than good if you pursue. I am the same way… I like to “get through” to everyone. But there comes a time when you need to just step back and let the Holy Spirit take over.
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I would so exactly as dave says. When people harden their heart, it is just impossible to get through to them, but certainly the Holy Ghost can do much in their life to change them. Save your time and use it towards someone else who IS WILLING TO LISTEN. That’s how I see it…time is better spent elsewhere, but do keep them in your prayers.
 
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