Have you ever tried to convert a person to be catholic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Evangelical_chr
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I do try my best to model my faith but I honestly wouldn’t have to clue how to convert someone who didn’t show any obvious interest. It doesn’t seem to be something that is typically taught in church. I do think most people are seeking on some level but many don’t really know where to look and a lot have anti-Catholic prejudice.
 
When I was in high school someone asked me for a rosary. About eight years later I learned tha the was received into the Catholic Church.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
The neighbor across the street when I was little had a Catholic wife but was not Catholic himself. He converted on his deathbed. I don’t know what finally moved him.
Click to expand...
The same thing happened with my father. He went to mass every Sunday with my mom and us kids for 30 years. Never converted until his deathbed.
Tis_Bearself said:
I’m still working on my own husband. If you want to help, pray that he converts, please.
Click to expand...
I will pray for you Tis Bearself. I know how hard it is for people to change while they are still alive and believe they have their whole lives ahead of them. I saw my father that way and my ex-husband is that way. Right now I’m praying that my ex-husband someday just believes in God, becoming a Catholic seems an impossibility.

Catholics are taught to just live good lives and be a witness to God and the faith. People will come (or not) to follow our examples. Unfortunately it always seems to be the people closest to you that have the most aversion to converting. Human nature I suppose. Or maybe they figure they can coat-tail off you without making the personal decision themselves with God.
 
Evangelical_chr said:
Have you tried to convert someone to be catholic?

Has your church assembly taught you how to convert a person?

Do you know any one who was converted to Catholic ? And why they converted?
Click to expand...
When asked, or when an opportunity presents itself, I give people information properly referenced, and what they do with that is up to them and their response to the grace of God.
 
I’ve been involved in street evangelism in the past. The approach was one of public prayer in central London and then wait to be approached. Then we did our best to explain Catholic teaching on a one to one basis to those who approached us (who tended yo be atheists or Muslims).

Is that trying to convert people? Probably, but it is probably more a case of trying to open people up to accepting key teachings and sew seeds in their minds for the future.
 
Nap66 said:
I will pray for you Tis Bearself. I know how hard it is for people to change while they are still alive and believe they have their whole lives ahead of them. I saw my father that way and my ex-husband is that way. Right now I’m praying that my ex-husband someday just believes in God, becoming a Catholic seems an impossibility.

Catholics are taught to just live good lives and be a witness to God and the faith. People will come (or not) to follow our examples. Unfortunately it always seems to be the people closest to you that have the most aversion to converting. Human nature I suppose. Or maybe they figure they can coat-tail off you without making the personal decision themselves with God.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the prayers. I’ll pray for your ex-husband as well. My husband believes firmly in God but he does not yet believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, and he also seems to think that if he just lives a responsible life and pays his taxes, God will take care of everything without himself having to pray much or do much of anything.

I suppose I could have pushed him harder to convert as a condition of us being married, but it didn’t seem so important at the time. He is a good man and being married to him provided me with a better and more moral life than how I had been living, so he should get points for helping me get to heaven in any event. He has also never objected to anything I wanted to do spiritually and if we had had children they would have been raised Catholic without any complaint from him.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
He is a good man and being married to him provided me with a better and more moral life than how I had been living, so he should get points for helping me get to heaven in any event.
Click to expand...
Isn’t there a verse in the Bible about unbelievers being saved because of their believing spouses?
 
Bonnie said:
Isn’t there a verse in the Bible about unbelievers being saved because of their believing spouses?
Click to expand...
I hope so, but sometimes I feel pretty unworthy, so maybe it’s the case that I’ll be saved because he was a nice stable rock. Or maybe we’ll save each other, which is how it’s supposed to work as I understand it.
 
As I am still but young in faith – and still trying to find the clear explanation to explain about the teachings (namely, how they different from protestant and the world), I will not actively do it.

However, if they insist on me doing things that is against the church, I will do my best to explain. I do wish I can convert my cousin completely and immediately, but for now I will just let him present opportunities – that is, when he insist me divide my faith when looking for a girlfriend.
 
Evangelical_chr said:
Have you tried to convert someone to be catholic?

Has your church assembly taught you how to convert a person?

Do you know any one who was converted to Catholic ? And why they converted?
Click to expand...
Tried and accomplished many times.
 
I try to convert my grown children every day. I pray for their conversion daily, invite them to Mass, and model Christian behavior. This morning I took one of my grandchildren to Mass with me. When I brought him home, my son (his father) asked if he wanted to go to church again. My grandson said yes, so I told him he would need to bring his daddy with him. 😃
 
No. We don’t conflate proselytization with evangelization. In my tradition (Benedictine) we evangelize by the conduct of our personal lives.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry but this is nonsense. The Benedictines - before Vatican II - were active missionaries. Joseph Ratzinger chose the name ‘Benedict’ because he knew that the Benedictines built Christian Europe. They built the Monasteries and the towns were built around them. The Benedictines were the engines of Christian civilisation.

Proselytisation IS evangelisation; it’s not social care or showing a good example! It’s about sharing the good news and saving souls from Hell! Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his apostles to go out and preach the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Jesus died to save us from Hell and he wants everyone to be saved!

The viruses of Ecumenism and Inter-religious dialogue have destroyed the missionary spirit of the Church. This is not what Vatican II wanted. The main goal of Vatican II was Evangelisation/Proselytisation! What happened?!
 
Horton said:
I try to convert my grown children every day. I pray for their conversion daily, invite them to Mass, and model Christian behavior. This morning I took one of my grandchildren to Mass with me. When I brought him home, my son (his father) asked if he wanted to go to church again. My grandson said yes, so I told him he would need to bring his daddy with him. 😃
Click to expand...
I had a 20 something man in RCIA. He had never been baptized since his parents didn’t believe in it. But as an adult he became interested in learning more about the Church because he remembered going to Mass with his grandmother. I’m sure she had no idea that her example would one day bear such fruit.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
I had a 20 something man in RCIA. He had never been baptized since his parents didn’t believe in it. But as an adult he became interested in learning more about the Church because he remembered going to Mass with his grandmother. I’m sure she had no idea that her example would one day bear such fruit.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I know God works in His own time so I just keep praying. I will take any/all my grandkids to Mass anytime I’m able.
 
I remember when I was 14 and in the Brethern Church
a member joined a Catholic Monastery, he must have
prayed for me, 'cus I later, much later became Catholic
too.
 
Dempsey1919 said:
I’m sorry but this is nonsense. The Benedictines - before Vatican II - were active missionaries. Joseph Ratzinger chose the name ‘Benedict’ because he knew that the Benedictines built Christian Europe. They built the Monasteries and the towns were built around them. The Benedictines were the engines of Christian civilisation.

Proselytisation IS evangelisation; it’s not social care or showing a good example! It’s about sharing the good news and saving souls from Hell! Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his apostles to go out and preach the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Jesus died to save us from Hell and he wants everyone to be saved!

The viruses of Ecumenism and Inter-religious dialogue have destroyed the missionary spirit of the Church. This is not what Vatican II wanted. The main goal of Vatican II was Evangelisation/Proselytisation! What happened?!
Click to expand...
Proselytization used to be synonymous with evangelization but is now used with regards to wrong ways of presenting the Gospel. however we need to evagelize
 
rabbitdonkey said:
Proselytization used to be synonymous with evangelization but is now used with regards to wrong ways of presenting the Gospel. however we need to evagelize
Click to expand...
Is it? Did the definition of the word change?

The dictionary definition of proselytise seems to be to convert (or attempt to convert) someone from one religion, belief, or opinion, to another.

There are of course wrong ways to proselytise (bridery, coercion, deceit etc) but is proselytising itself now wrong?
 
Brendan_64 said:
Is it? Did the definition of the word change?

The dictionary definition of proselytise seems to be to convert (or attempt to convert) someone from one religion, belief, or opinion, to another.

There are of course wrong ways to proselytise (bridery, coercion, deceit etc) but is proselytising itself now wrong?
Click to expand...
Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith:
The term proselytism originated in the context of Judaism, in which the term proselyte referred to someone who, coming from the gentiles, had passed into the Chosen People. So too, in the Christian context, the term proselytism was often used as a synonym for missionary activity. More recently, however, the term has taken on a negative connotation, to mean the promotion of a religion by using means, and for motives, contrary to the spirit of the Gospel; that is, which do not safeguard the freedom and dignity of the human person.

Evangelization and proselytization used to be the same thing, but now the word is being used negatively that is why some of our modern Popes have encouraged evangelization but not proselytiziation. Of course missionary activity (whichever word is used) needs to be encouraged.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top