Have you ever been "witnessed to"?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Church_Militant
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Church_Militant

Guest
Who was it?
What church or religion?
Did you feel that it was done in sincere concern for your soul?
Did they attack Catholicism?
What was your reaction?

Do you attempt to share your faith with others?

How do you respond to attacks on our Catholic Faith?

Comments?
 
Many times. The most recent and memorable was a door to door baptist. He kindly asked if I went to church. When I responded yes, he asked if I minded telling him which Church. I said Catholic. He appeared to become excited. He then asked me what I believed I needed to do to go to heaven. I said “Believe on the Lord and though shalt be saved” He looked confused. I said, “those words are in the Bible, you know, God told us if we repent of our sins and believe in Him we can have everlasting life.”

He said, “Yes, yes, I understand. I know.”

I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Well now you can tell your friends that there are Catholics that understand too, and I am not the only one.”

He left. He forgot to offer me any reading material.

There is nothing that contradicts Catholic teaching in the statements I made. Sometimes using the same language goes a long way to promoting understanding.

On the otherhand, when that language has been used here on this forum, I have been told I really don’t understand:D Can’t win 'em all over.

God Bless,
Maria
 
I think you did it just right Maria. You know what you meant & what it means to us. I say WAY TO GO YOU! 👍
 
A few times… mainly by Church of Christ members…(my father attends their “church” and I must be on a hit list or something!)…

mainly all were very nice… seemed sincere in their interest to “save my soul”… but not very good at presenting their faith.

As a new Catholic, I am not too far removed from my agnostic days to remember all of the ridiculous arguments that I heard for Christianity… and looking back, all of those arguments that seemed odd came to me from Protestants… suprise suprise!

So, in many cases… ok maybe only a few, these Protestant witnesses by their false doctrine actually help some to explore their faith more… and we all know what happens to anyone who truly looks at the history of Christianity… 🙂

Peace in Christ,
Scott
 
Do you feel that the person or persons were genuinely concerned for your soul, or was it something else that motivated them?

Do you know what religion they were?

Were they charitable?

How about knowlegeable about Catholicism?

What was the setting? Work, recreation, door to door, or what?

What did you like about this experience?

What did you DISlike about it?
 
40.png
SOGFPP:
A few times… mainly by Church of Christ members…(my father attends their “church” and I must be on a hit list or something!)…

mainly all were very nice… seemed sincere in their interest to “save my soul”… but not very good at presenting their faith.

As a new Catholic, I am not too far removed from my agnostic days to remember all of the ridiculous arguments that I heard for Christianity… and looking back, all of those arguments that seemed odd came to me from Protestants… suprise suprise!

So, in many cases… ok maybe only a few, these Protestant witnesses by their false doctrine actually help some to explore their faith more… and we all know what happens to anyone who truly looks at the history of Christianity… 🙂

Peace in Christ,
Scott
Click to expand...
Yep!

“To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant”
John Cardinal Newman 😃
 
I was hit with the old"if you die tonight would you go to heaven or hell?" my response’I hope heaven" then the “do u know christ as your PERSONAL savior” I was like “yeah,i believe he was the son of GOD” then they still say’But,do u know him personally"At that point I 'm like “what do you mean personally,I go to church,was confirmed,what else do u want to know” Then they hit you with-"but those things won’t save you-they are man made rituals-then you have to walk away and laugh and say-The church is a man made “ritual” you people are WACKED.Most of these people seem like they have been rejected in life and seem to get a power trip off telling others they are going to hell.
 
I always enjoy it. I usually respond with some very Catholic reply. Then the fight begins…
 
Who was it?

Baptists, Mormons, JW, and some other odd, unidentifiable groups have come to my door.

What church or religion?

There is this one local (baptist) church that has left the same pamphlet like about 12 times (or more if it blew away).

Did you feel that it was done in sincere concern for your soul?

No. The JW often seem to be making obligatory rounds, like, we’ve got to talk to 10 people today or else. The Baptists seem more to be drumming up membership or something.

Did they attack Catholicism?

The Baptists, yes they have.

What was your reaction?

I’ve gotten sick of the local Baptist Chruch. Occasionally have thoughts of leafletting their parking lot.

Do you attempt to share your faith with others?

I don’t go door to door. In other ways, yes.

How do you respond to attacks on our Catholic Faith?

On my door? Answer with correct doctrine or a supportive scripture. The scripture astonishes the Baptists.

Comments?

The JW just want to give you a pamplet and get out of there. This seems unpleasant, like they are using me for something. I’ve become rather tired of this. I tend to avoid them now (I recognize several, my neighborhood is quite popular for evangelization and trick or treat).

The Mormons seemed sincere and did not bother me in the least.
 
Church Militant:
Who was it?
What church or religion?
Did you feel that it was done in sincere concern for your soul?
Did they attack Catholicism?
What was your reaction?

Do you attempt to share your faith with others?

How do you respond to attacks on our Catholic Faith?

Comments?
Click to expand...
I have been “witnessed” to by Evangelical Protestants and Jehovah’s Witnessess

Evangelical Protestants “witnessed” to me because it shook them up that I would return to the Catholic faith after I had been “shown the light,” so to speak. In their eyes, “witnessing” to me would serve to “heap burning coals upon my head” so that I would roast well in hell eternal. JW’s “witnessed” to me because they consider me and all other non-Jehovah Witnesses as under the lordship of Satan. If they didn’t, Jehovah God would be angry with them and would probably prohibit them from resurrection to life on an earthly paradise governed by King Jesus the First.

Yes, both groups have a profound and unrelenting hatred for the Catholic faith.

My reaction was to defend my faith as a Catholic Christian. Here is an exerpt from an exchange that I had recently with a rabid anti-Catholic evangelical:

Dear XXX,
I received the packet that you sent.
**I certainly regret having been so brash in judging the beautiful Catholic faith that had been handed on and entrusted to me as expressed in the contents of pamphlet you created with my disgraceful assistance. I was in grave error, heresy and apostasy, and I gave bad example. For this I am truly sorry. Know that I have sought and obtained forgiveness for these and other sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. **
We do not share the same beliefs, and I am unwilling to engage you in any exchange where sincere respect for the Catholic faith that I hold dear is not evident. Please know that I have discarded the materials that you have sent me. You need not waste precious time and energy copying and sending me any materials of this sort.
My wife and I truly wish you and YYY and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Be assured that you remain in our thoughts and in our prayers this Holy season.
 
Many times, and I am thankful! The two most important times were…
  • When I was nine and a classmate took me to his Bible Church. I became a Christian.
  • As an adult when my “cradle Catholic” wife and I were witnessed to by some Baptist friends. This led me to the Church because my wife and I agreed that we should worship together. I said I would check out the Catholic Church since it was more important to her (not that she was particularly faithful, it was more a matter of comfort.)
What’s the old saying? “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” I fell in love with Church and converted. Now we have both grown immensely in our faith.

God bless all y’all in your journeys,

Robert.
 
I had to smile when I read your question of “have you ever been witnessed to”. We use to have some Jehova Witness come to our house all the time. My husband who is a little rough around the edges, a little mischievous, and been know to use a few cuss words would invite them in to mess with them. He had no intentions of converting. They were ok people but when they would start in on my church it was time for them to go. They kept coming back. I guess they thought my husband was a challenge.
 
Bear in mind that “witnessing” is part of almost all Non-Catholic religions. We call it sharing our faith, but our tactics are different and unlike the rest out goal is not proselytizing separated brethren away from their church. We present what the faith teaches and if they are moved by the Holy Spirit then they will join us. Right?
http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/chest.gif
 
Oh brother have I !!? It’s like “Hey man, are ya saved?” and I’m like " Yes, I’m Catholic."…but then it’s like “but do you know that if you died tonight that you’d go to heaven?” and I’m like “Geez…I’m trying to get somewhere, do ya mind?” and then it’s like , “Well here brother, take this tract and read it for me.” and it turns out to be some lame thing by Chick Publications about how Catholics are all bad and the church is the whore of Babylon and I wanna puke …so I toss it in the trash. Luckily, the people are gone when I come back from where I went, or I might endeavor to enlighten them…or at least give them a small segment of my mind, which I figure (in all the charity that I can muster) is about all they could handle anyway, :mad: :rolleyes:
 
I found that when these folks knock on the door, if you answer it wearing only your undershorts with a beer in hand, they tend to just hand you a leaflet then split in embarassment. Works great!😃

Peace.
 
A few times. Last time two nice JW ladies came and started talking about stuff. So I politely asked them where they got their info, they said that in the Bible. So I asked them how do they know that the stuff in the Bible is true and if they were sure that their Bible should have 66 books not 72 or 101. Could not answer anything. I gave one of them my e-mail if she wanted to talked a bit more, but I have not heard form here since then. I guess they are not grounded in Bible as they think they are.
 
Church Militant:
Who was it?
What church or religion?
Did you feel that it was done in sincere concern for your soul?
Did they attack Catholicism?
What was your reaction?

Do you attempt to share your faith with others?

How do you respond to attacks on our Catholic Faith?

Comments?
Click to expand...

Often 🙂​

By Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and assorted evangelicals.

I’ve no reason to believe it was ever done with anything except the very best intentions. Very few of them attacked Catholicism - those who did, gave their reasons; there was no ranting, or any of that sort of thing; most people, if one gives them the chance, turn out to be reasonable human beings. And listening to them can be a very good opportunity to learn from them. After all, most of these are people who are our fellow-Christians.

I don’t bring up these subjects - I prefer them to be brought up naturally, in the ordinary course of conversation, without being forced. If the conversation passes to something else, I let it do so. I don’t really like explicit evangelism - so many people have heard all of this stuff before, and are probably bored out of their skulls by it. Why risk inoculating them against Christ any more ? Besides, unless Christians live up to what they profess, their verbal testimony is very unconvincing; it becomes no more than empty words. And there are too many of those already. The unChristian behaviour of Christians is one of the great causes of loss of faith. ##
 
“Most of these people seem like they have been rejected in life and seem to get a power trip off telling others they are going to hell.”
quote, Alekzander

Dear Alekzander,

Thanks for explaining what has always puzzled me…
the seeming *satisfaction *of so many I’ve encountered
when they tell me I’m going to burn in hell.

I sometimes wonder whether hell has more meaning
for them than heaven.

Oh, well…

reen12
 
Oh, yes usually by JW or non-demonationals. The last time was about 2 months ago by the wife of a nondemonial minister. She was very concerned that I have a personal relationship with Jesus. I forget how I handled it but she has not witnessed to me again.

Mary
 
Being witnessed to is like having some stranger walk up to you out of no place and say,… "hey my names Jack, could you please drive me to your house and let me search its contents out of blind trust to a stranger?” There is a certain need to establish a relationship with people before they can be converted. This sort of thing feels more like talking to a car salesmen. (Not that there is anything wrong with selling cars.)

-D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top