Gideons Bible Ministry- Why aren't Catholics doing something similar?

[Tradycja]

Today walking into my University, there were some protestants from the organization “Gideons” handing out free Bibles. People actually take these Bibles, not like the tracts which they throw away. They are getting the Bible into a lot of people’s hands this way. People tend not to throw these Bibles away, they take them home.

I was wondering why we Catholics don’t do the same thing? This might be a great idea for organizations such as Catholic Answers, TFP, or the like. Or Angelus Press and the SSPX should get off it’s duff and do something like this. I would definitely donate money to such an apostolate.

When I am more established in life and have the resources I would actually like to start a Catholic “gideon-style” apostolate myself. Can you imagine getting the Douay Rheims or the Confraternity version out to thousands of University students? (With maybe several pages explaining basic Catechism) That would be great.

If anyone can pass this idea on to Karl Keating or anyone else who runs an apologetics organization please do so, I don’t know if this idea has been brought up before.

 

[mattwcu]

The reason is because Catholics don’t believe people should be given the Bible indiscriminately and without explanation. It would be better to pay for Penny Catechisms to be given out or Tracts to be placed inside the Gideon Bible to prevent their heresy from spreading. Perhaps a new testament with notes on the sacraments and a “How to give your life to Jesus” the real Catholic way explanation would be ok.

I did such a thing twice recently in hotel rooms. I wrote a little note indicating the Catholic Church was the truth and to look there if you are looking for God. The free stationary is great for that. I couldn’t just let the heresy sit in the drawer, nor would it be right to steal it.

If you just give someone a Bible to read who knows what they will get from it.

 

[Silverburg]

The truth? I think it takes a great deal of time, treasure and focus to do what the Gideons do on a national level and the Catholic Church just doesn’t have the sort of organization, focus and commitment to do that in a country the size of the USA.

On a national level I don’t think the Church makes good use of its resources. We have many, many bishops and archbishops who have their own little fiefs loosely knitted together by the USCCB and ultimately by the Holy See.

If we had the sort of functional/operational organization from say 1900 to today as say the Mormons, I think most of the USA would be Catholic today.

As far as giving away Bibles to college students, how about the one used at most Masses – the NAB that included at least a brief commentary?

 

[Jason_1977]

Today walking into my University, there were some protestants from the organization “Gideons” handing out free Bibles. People actually take these Bibles, not like the tracts which they throw away. They are getting the Bible into a lot of people’s hands this way. People tend not to throw these Bibles away, they take them home.

I was wondering why we Catholics don’t do the same thing? This might be a great idea for organizations such as Catholic Answers, TFP, or the like. Or Angelus Press and the SSPX should get off it’s duff and do something like this. I would definitely donate money to such an apostolate.

When I am more established in life and have the resources I would actually like to start a Catholic “gideon-style” apostolate myself. Can you imagine getting the Douay Rheims or the Confraternity version out to thousands of University students? (With maybe several pages explaining basic Catechism) That would be great.

If anyone can pass this idea on to Karl Keating or anyone else who runs an apologetics organization please do so, I don’t know if this idea has been brought up before.

YOU DEFINTIELY need to check out ROSARYARMY.COM

 

[Tradycja]

On a national level I don’t think the Church makes good use of its resources.

Even on the local level! I mean did you ever wonder how much money is wasted on those disposable missalettes which are printed EVERY YEAR and purchased by the parish. I mean why print new missalettes EVERY YEAR when there is only Year I and II for weekdays and Cycle A B and C for Sundays? Not only that 75 percent of people don’t even use the Missalette on Sunday! Those Misalettes don’t even have all of the readings for the Daily Mass either. So much money wasted on those Missalettes every year.

The “Novus Ordo” parishes should do things like the TLM locations do: have a few booklets that have the ordinary of the Mass and those who want to buy their own Missals. The Eastern Catholic parishes also just have books that have the Ordinary of the Divine Liturgy, so their “missalettes” could last up to 20 years.

Someone in the USCCB must have relatives in one of these publication companies or something, ***somebody ***is making a ton of money off those missalettes.

If parishes just saved some money on these throw-away missalettes and put that money towards EVANGELIZATION we could do great things.

 

[Silverburg]

Even on the local level! I mean did you ever wonder how much money is wasted on those disposable missalettes which are printed EVERY YEAR and purchased by the parish. I mean why print new missalettes EVERY YEAR when there is only Year I and II for weekdays and Cycle A B and C for Sundays? Not only that 75 percent of people don’t even use the Missalette on Sunday! Those Misalettes don’t even have all of the readings for the Daily Mass either. So much money wasted on those Missalettes every year.

The “Novus Ordo” parishes should do things like the TLM locations do: have a few booklets that have the ordinary of the Mass and those who want to buy their own Missals. The Eastern Catholic parishes also just have books that have the Ordinary of the Divine Liturgy, so their “missalettes” could last up to 20 years.

Someone in the USCCB must have relatives in one of these publication companies or something, ***somebody ***is making a ton of money off those missalettes.

If parishes just saved some money on these throw-away missalettes and put that money towards EVANGELIZATION we could do great things.

This is not a matter of the Ordinary Form of the Mass versus the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. It has to do with how the Church is organized. There are many good points to how the Church is organized. From an efficiency and evangelism standpoint it’s not the best however.

Individual parishes are able to choose what they want to purchase. Non-starter.

 

[Cluny]

<<Today walking into my University, there were some protestants from the organization “Gideons” handing out free Bibles. People actually take these Bibles, not like the tracts which they throw away. They are getting the Bible into a lot of people’s hands this way. People tend not to throw these Bibles away, they take them home.>>

How many people actually READ them?

 

[Jason_1977]

<<Today walking into my University, there were some protestants from the organization “Gideons” handing out free Bibles. People actually take these Bibles, not like the tracts which they throw away. They are getting the Bible into a lot of people’s hands this way. People tend not to throw these Bibles away, they take them home.>>

How many people actually READ them?

I’ve actually gone through & checked my progress, & I’ve read just over 75% of my bible. Not from one cover to the next either, here & there, I’ve covered 75% in 2 years.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Every great enterprise started out small. My former pastor would agree to most any suggestion for a new program or ministry as long as the person who suggested it would head it up. The Lord has put this on your heart. Could it be that you will begin this program? Or perhaps your part is to ask the question and inspire someone else.

I read my bible and I hear it proclaimed every time I’m at mass.

 

[Shin]

My belief is the best ministry is to share the writings of the saints with as many people as possible, and to try to deliver this in as many ways as possible to entice people to benefit from them.

If I had my way, every parish library would be full of the works of the saints, and the bookshops toss all the heretical books out into the pyre and replace them with the good solid works of the saints.

Well… it’s basic sense truly.

There would be great good in solid translations into other languages as well as from Latin of many works, and a wide distribution of all the works generally.

 

[Jason_1977]

2 things. Nobody’s checked out ROSARYARMY.COM yet, and also, reading scripture on your own ON TOP OF just hearing a little readin from 3 books a week isn’t really enough. We as catholics get hammered because we’re not scripturally saavy. I’m saying generally speaking.Many can rattle off the beatitudes & the acts of mercy, but What’s in matthew 26? what’s in Titus 3:8-11? What’s in James 2? How about John 2? or our defense for our view on salvation, philippians 2:12? Things like that are good to know. It’s good practice. I live in Charleston, SC & people will ask me if I’m saved & I quote Joan of Arc. They rattle off scripture & I rattle it back defending the faith and they are NOT ready for that. It’s kinda like a car salesman. He loses his power & confidence if ya kinda screw up his sales pitch. Watch it unravel!!! It frustrates me when fellow catholics say things like, I dont know the bible, or no, sorry, never read it, or even worse, no, I don’t even have one. We’re in a time of social decay & the church is coming under fire, & if they come under fire, then WE come under fire. I for one wont sit back & watch it happen. I LOVE telling people WHY their views are wrong about catholicism & pointing it out in scripture, the true nature of the RCC. The last time we were good at quoting and rattling off scripture was in the 1500’s-1600’s. The 1611 KJV came out with all the catholic books to give protestants a chance to read the same things a catholic could & give them a chance to make a better arguement. That was the purpose of the 1611 KJV. 400 years later, it is THEY who can rattle off scripture better than us as a collective, & 400 years ago, it was the other way around. It’s my personal feeling we need to get back to that & get back in touch with scripture.