I come to ask to please pray for me and please give me advice on what to do.
Prayers coming your way and may God help us to give you good advice.
last Monday, my friend (lets call him J) whom I’ve been friends since High School, recommended me to go to the CARM and gotquestions websites (I did not know that he is a Fundamental Baptist at the time) to what he said "explains the true doctrine of the Catholic faith. I thought those were good websites to explore the faith until I saw their hate filled positions against the non-Christians and especially us, the Catholics. Those positions (esp the statue worshiping, pagan, anti pope and Whore of Babylon parts) literally made me sick to the point that I had a fever, flu like symptoms and a huge emptiness in my soul, almost as if I have died from the inside. I could not attend my college classes for 2 days (1st day I went to the doctor to see if I was sick, he said I was healthy and 2nd day I was too sick to drive to college) and not even the announcement of the new pope made me feel better. On the night of the 2nd day, J called asking why I have not attended my college classes and I told him what he had done. All he then told me that it was my fault for believing in heresy and for being spiritually dead. I told him that I could not talk to him for some time and hanged up. Days have gone by and he hasn’t called nor do I feel the presence of Gods grace. Please help me and forgive me if I annoyed someone for the long text, but thank you for reading.
No need to apologize. You have explained well and succinctly.
First - it is sad that your friend chooses to let others tell him what the Church teaches when he could just as easily go directly to the Church to get answers.
Second - the revulsion you feel is the same revulsion that anyone would feel upon seeing that which they Love attacked - desecrated - injured - and slandered. So be heartened. Your response comes from Love and that is of God. This feeling of deadness, is not abandonment by God or by your faith. A person who has a severe shock (injury, sudden loss etc.) will often go into a “shut-down” and this is what has happened to you. Far from being abandoned…God has shielded you.
The question now is what to do about it.
There is no doubt but that we can all give you excellent advice on dealing with the various points that have brought you concern.
But I would suggest that you first and foremost go and spend some time before the blessed sacrament. Just tell Jesus what is troubling you and how important His Love is to you. That you seek only Him. Also make sure that you receive communion as often as possible.
Next - and of course this is up to you but - before you reconnect with your friend by phone - write him a letter. Tell him how troubling this was for you. Express the things to him that you have shared here. How disappointed you were to see so much hatred flowing from fellow Christians. I would also mention that you find it strange that he would be willing to take the word of strangers about what the Church teaches over the word of a friend (you) or instead of looking for himself at Church documents which are just as easily accessible on the internet as the anti-Catholic stuff is.
Having laid this groundwork…tell him that you wish him to go to some Catholic websites. “Catholic Answers” has many good articles that can be recommended. “Scripture Catholic” can provide biblical links to Catholic beliefs. The Catechism itself can be read online As can many other Church documents(Forgive me for not providing links right now but I’m short of time).
So - Challenge him to learn about Catholicism from Catholics instead of Anti-Catholics.
I hope some of these ideas are of help to you.
Peace
James
