Friend just left the Church... how to react?

[acoustice]

I have a friend who as of recently claims that he doesn’t believe in God. He’s been having some family problems and was trying to refuse going to Mass, though I think they were making him go, and he just recently moved out of his family’s house in aggrivation and is living with a friend who actually lives in the same town as I do.

I just know that I’m going to bump into him, and even if I don’t, I know that whenever in the near future that I do hear from him, he’ll let me know that he’s through with God.

That’s just the way this friend is, I know that he’ll use close to the exact words, “I don’t believe in God anymore.” He’s ignorant, kinda blunt, just puts things in the simplest words he can find.

How should I react to this? I know I’ll be confronted with him sometime, but I’m worried that I’ll just excuse the comment, because he’s old enough to make his own decisions. I know that I won’t argue him. Is that OK? Should I argue him? What can I say so that I don’t get all theologan and offensive?

He’s real simple minded, I can’t give him any apologetics with doctrine and stuff, claiming the existance of God. Can I respect, yet correct his decision at the same time?

 

[Scott_Waddell]

Pray, fast, encourage and be the best Christian you can be. The rest is up to God.

Scott

 

[Cupofkindness]

What is that line from The Count of Monte Cristo that the priest says to Edmund who has lost all faith and feels that God has abandoned him: “God will never abandon you.” Or something like that!

 

[jc-servant]

I heard a great story in RCIA that may help, but I’m not sure of the original source.

“I heard the other day about an explosion at this Ford plant that makes Explorers. It was so big that all the car parts just flew up into the air and when they landed they just happened to fall into place as a fully assembled Ford Explorer. When someone found the key it actually worked!”

Of course your friend will probably laugh or say yeah that can’t happen. Then you say, “If you don’t believe that the 100’s of parts needed to make an Explorer can just randomly fall into place and work then why do you think the entire Earth can just fall into place with everything working so well together like plants making oxygen and people and animals breathing that in and letting out the carbon dioxide that the plants need. People and animals being able to eat what just happened to be on the Earth, etc. Don’t you think it would take something intelligent like God to plan all of this out and have it all work together?”

This is not the exact story, but it is close. I wish that I could find it for you because it really stops everyone and makes them think.

Also pray, pray, pray for him! You may never see the results, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t help him someday. I had Catholic friends rooting for me for almost 20 years before I became Catholic!

 

[Lischou]

acoustice:

That’s just the way this friend is, I know that he’ll use close to the exact words, “I don’t believe in God anymore.” He’s ignorant, kinda blunt, just puts things in the simplest words he can find.

If his personality is upfront and blunt, I would use the same approach and tell him the truth…“I’m really sorry to hear that. I’ll be praying for you.” And then let it go unless he asks you questions.

“God will never abandon you.”

Pray, fast, encourage and be the best Christian you can be. The rest is up to God.

Also pray, pray, pray for him! You may never see the results, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t help him someday.

Keep it short and direct, just as you describe him. But above all, continue to be his friend. He needs you now. You may not be able to go everywhere he may choose to go now or do the things he may choose to do, but even in that you will be a witness.

Lisa

 

[Jabronie]

I have quite a few friends that have either left the Church to “become atheist” or just don’t go at this point in their lives. The best approach is to simply lead by example. Show how happy you are since God is an important part of your life. Every now and then I’ll just slip something “catholic” into a general discussion to see if they bite, but never EVER do anything that will make them think you’re pushing your faith on them or they’ll just continue to turn away.

And it never hurts to pray for him.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

My first reaction would be, “He believes in you.”

Maybe you don’t want to be THAT blunt though.