How do I deal with Protestant Co-Worker?

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Gabbanelli911

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How do I deal with a Protestant co-worker who insists on evangelizing me while at work??? I know that St. Peter said that I should always be ready to give an explanation of my faith to everyone, but I’m still learning. I feel that this co-worker isn’t necessarily evangelizing me, but more like attacking my Catholic faith. The topics he insists the most are on salvation, the Virgin Mary, and praying to saints. Sometimes I feel I give him great answers but then he leaves, I imagine he does some reading and comes back with something else
 
First of all pray for them and for guidance.

Second, live your Catholic faith - be a good example of a Christian …live the Beatitudes …be honest, speak well, be charitable, do not gossip, etc.

Next, learn about your faith on the topics so you are comfortable …they have some good tracts here at Catholic Answers …worth the cost and good reads. Build a reference library. Get a catechism

Engage with them in charity …not defensively… and acknowledge those areas where we share common beliefs. …

If they ask you a question and you dont know the answer - tell them you will find out …then research it and get back to them.

Another good opportunity to engage them might be in prayer and/or a book club type of activuty at lunch…a book of the bible or a topic like say the life of Christ …say to them lets read a book on Christ by your favorite author …then one by mine …then I would pick “Life of Christ” by Bishop Sheen … in my opinion they won’t find a better look at Christ. You wont be hurt reading about Christ …many of our Protestant brethren truly love Christ and serve him …and they will be exposed to a wonderful and very Catholic view of Christ - a treasure trove of our Catholic heritage … and if you have never read it …you are in for a real treat.

Good luck:thumbsup:
 
It seems to me that you and your Protestant co-worker are both attempting to convert each other to each other’s religion. 😛

You may find this journal article very enlightening, because it is concerned with the ethics of evangelism in the workplace and talks about the extreme evangelistic zeal that evangelical Protestants have. 🙂

Please note: if you ever feel uncomfortable or harassed by your co-worker’s excessive preaching, then you can report him to your boss and let your boss deal with the behavior.
 
Thanks for your response. I try not to be defensive but sometimes he gets on my nerves and even though I try to be nice, deep inside me I feel like I want to yell at him!!! Today I stayed nice and just told him that I admired him and all other non-catholics because instead of really studying Scripture, that they look for things to criticize the Catholic faith. I told him that because of that, the Catholic Church is really the real church that Jesus established because why would everyone focus their efforts on attacking the Catholic Church? I then told him that the Catholic Church is like America, everyone hates her but everyone wants to be an American. But I was nice 🙂

I’m going to look for that book you recommended, hopefully it’s offered via Kindle
 
Politely advise him that work is not an appropriate place for religious discussions/evangelism. (I am presuming that you are not working in a religious-based business.) Advise him if this continues, you will have to take this to your boss, and if need be, to HR. Do not engage in likewise behavior yourself.
 
As an attorney I can advise that what he is doing is inappropriate. Talk to him and explain to him respectfully that what he is doing is not lawful, and if it continues you would have to report his behaviour to your superiors.
 
I had the same problem. I realized the problem was with me and not him.

-I was frustrated that I didn’t know the scripture references.
-I was angry with myself for hearing excellent answers by the apologists on Catholic Answers Live and not remembering them.
-Spend less TV time and more study time memorizing one specific answer including all the scripture references. Practice it on a friend. Pray. Study. Practice it again. Memorize it perfectly. Soon you will integrate the answer into the marrow of your bones.

+Know that he will ignore your arguments even if they answer his questions.
+Gently find a way to guide future discussions back to his previous question(s). Ask him to address specific parts of your answer.

John Martignoni has written out actual debates he has had. He analyzes each debate with a challenge, response, strategy format. He is simple, clear, direct. Look here:

biblechristiansociety.com/home.php
 
Invite him to Holy Mass; be willing to goto his service.

Is your work faith related?
 
This is a chance for evangelism, an opportunity to invite him into the fullness of faith. Perhaps you are talking to the next “Tim Staples”.
 
I have the same problem with a dear friend, who left the Catholic church at 15 years old after a coach gave him the bible to read for himself while encouraging him Catholic traditions were wrong. He was also an altar boy, but at the time he was going to Mass the entire mass was in Latin, which was the first thing he attacked. He was not aware, until I gently educated him that since Vatican II masses are held in the native language based on the parish location.

Each time he brings something up or I mention I cannot attend one of his services or secular functions due to my commitments to my parish (for example, he did not understand Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament), I use it as an opportunity to educate him about the faith. Sure, he quickly points out that it’s not in the bible and should not be practiced, however each time I have been able to show him book, chapter and versus where it is, and remind him that if he truly believes what is written in the bible why is he refuting it? I also gently remind him that but for the Catholics he would not be reading the bible.

Stay strong, and look at it as an opportunity to show them how beautiful it is to be a Catholic! May I suggest Patrick Madrid’s book, Answer Me This, to help guide you. He addresses the major topics most Prostestants use to sway us. [BIBLEDRB][/BIBLEDRB]
 
Indigo_Cardinal said:
Politely advise him that work is not an appropriate place for religious discussions/evangelism. (I am presuming that you are not working in a religious-based business.) Advise him if this continues, you will have to take this to your boss, and if need be, to HR. Do not engage in likewise behavior yourself.
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This!!!
 
Johann_du_Toit said:
As an attorney I can advise that what he is doing is inappropriate. Talk to him and explain to him respectfully that what he is doing is not lawful, and if it continues you would have to report his behaviour to your superiors.
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And as an HR professional, I second this. Also, you should not be responding in kind, that makes you just as much in the wrong as he is.
 
Pray for him… and tell him if he doesn’t knock it off you’re going to HR about it. What he’s doing is totally inappropriate.
 
Indigo_Cardinal said:
Politely advise him that work is not an appropriate place for religious discussions/evangelism. (I am presuming that you are not working in a religious-based business.) Advise him if this continues, you will have to take this to your boss, and if need be, to HR. Do not engage in likewise behavior yourself.
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:bowdown2:👍
 
Indigo_Cardinal said:
Politely advise him that work is not an appropriate place for religious discussions/evangelism. (I am presuming that you are not working in a religious-based business.) Advise him if this continues, you will have to take this to your boss, and if need be, to HR. Do not engage in likewise behavior yourself.
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^ That’s the answer - You don’t have to put up with being annoyed by this kind of pushy individual at work.
 
Indigo_Cardinal said:
**Politely advise him that work is not an appropriate place for religious discussions/evangelism. **(I am presuming that you are not working in a religious-based business.) Advise him if this continues, you will have to take this to your boss, and if need be, to HR. Do not engage in likewise behavior yourself.
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You and I have differing opinions on this. Everywhere is an appropriate place for discussing your faith for a Christian. As Christians, our faith is undifferentiated (or should be) from who we are. It effects all that we say, think or do and as such can’t really be separated. It doesn’t mean we go about proselytizing everywhere, but as a natural part of our conversations it will come up. (It is the same with pagans and atheists btw).

But it is not ok to be abrasive or to push it on people who would rather not hear it.
 
ChurchSoldier said:
… As Christians, our faith is undifferentiated (or should be) from who we are. It effects all that we say, think or do and as such can’t really be separated. …
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Yes. I never did buy that line about leaving your religion outside the voting booth.
 
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