How do I respond to complacent Protestants?

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duffyk4

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When talking to many of my Protestant friends, I feel like I could throw all the logic and theology I can at them, but they just don’t care enough to actually get in the debate. Christianity, to them, is about feeling and being comfortable. Catholicism doesn’t “spiritually feed” them, so they don’t care enough to actually research their religion. How do I get someone who doesn’t care enough to change to look at Catholicism seriously?
 
I don’t know… pray for them? I am thankful to God that he gave me the desire to learn and seek the truth and come to the Catholic church. But not everyone, especially even many within the Catholic church, are concerned with debating, learning, studying, or seeking deeper knowledge of Christianity.
 
duffyk4 said:
When talking to many of my Protestant friends, I feel like I could throw all the logic and theology I can at them, but they just don’t care enough to actually get in the debate. Christianity, to them, is about feeling and being comfortable. Catholicism doesn’t “spiritually feed” them, so they don’t care enough to actually research their religion. How do I get someone who doesn’t care enough to change to look at Catholicism seriously?
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Have you tried prayer and fasting?
 
duffyk4 said:
When talking to many of my Protestant friends, I feel like I could throw all the logic and theology I can at them, but they just don’t care enough to actually get in the debate. Christianity, to them, is about feeling and being comfortable. Catholicism doesn’t “spiritually feed” them, so they don’t care enough to actually research their religion. How do I get someone who doesn’t care enough to change to look at Catholicism seriously?
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  • What is it that truly feeds people that Jesus established? The Eucharist.
  • Is there life in anyone who doesn’t receive the Eucharist? Not according to Jesus.
Do you think that would get some interest?
 
You can’t force people to think or rationalize anything. That’s something that they have to do for themselves. There are many Christians (both Protestant and Catholic) who are simply too comfortable with the status quo to change their outlook or their rationalization of their beliefs. All you can do is pray that they take a rational look at their own beliefs. Trying to force feed them logic will only create resentment.
 
This verse might make them pause to consider the primrose path…

*But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. *

I can’t see how any Christian could possibly be ‘comfortable’ in this world which at present is so alienated from all things divine. Maybe they have already got their reward and so are content with their lot.
 
**Ask them if they love Jesus.

They will surely say “Yes!”.

Ask them if they believe that the Bible is literally the Word of God? Again they will surely answer Yes!"

Ask them if they believe that Jesus really lived & actually died on the Cross for our sins? They will surely say “Yes!”

Then ask them “What if Jesus was speaking literally when He said twice, 'I am the Bread of Life” (JN 6:35 & 48) & continued, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (JN 6:51, KJV)?

If they are honest they will answer “Yes!”

Then ask them, “What if Jesus wants you to “eat of this bread” (JN 6:51), His Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity, which has only been found on earth in the Eucharist at the Catholic Mass for the past 2000 years, would you refuse Jesus Christ, our Lord & Savior?”
**
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
duffyk4 said:
When talking to many of my Protestant friends, I feel like I could throw all the logic and theology I can at them, but they just don’t care enough to actually get in the debate. Christianity, to them, is about feeling and being comfortable. Catholicism doesn’t “spiritually feed” them, so they don’t care enough to actually research their religion. How do I get someone who doesn’t care enough to change to look at Catholicism seriously?
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I think the most important thing to do is to love them where they are at and to allow your faith and love shine forth so that they can see a Catholic who lives their faith and has a heart on fire with love for God. Too often we try to convert with reason alone when it is the Lord who touches the Heart and we must love the person and show them we don’t “just” have an intellectualized faith but a living rational faith from the Heart, if that makes sense
 
Mark77 said:
**Ask them if they love Jesus.

Then ask them, “What if Jesus wants you to “eat of this bread” (JN 6:51), His Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity, which has only been found on earth in the Eucharist at the Catholic Mass for the past 2000 years, would you refuse Jesus Christ, our Lord & Savior?”**

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
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Only at the Catholic Mass…really?
 
Non-Catholic Christians love testimonies and the chances of reaching them can be improved by giving them your testimony. Your expression and sharing of how the Lord has touched you and is working in you by way of the Catholic Church and Catholic life will go a long way in opening the door which now seems closed to you.

Holiness on our part and living the life of Christ in all that we do will get noticed by our non-Catholic brothers and sisters. The grace of God is working in them and they are primed to recognize the work of the Spirit within us. They will want what we have if we show them Jesus within us.

So pray, praise, and share. Also know the scriptures better. If you share the scriptures with them in charity, they will appreciate your familiarity with and knowledge of scripture. They will then begin to ask you questions. Before discussing anything, always say a quick prayer for guidance from the Holy Spirit. Where the light shines, the eyes begin to open and seek.

God bless.
 
duffyk4 said:
When talking to many of my Protestant friends, I feel like I could throw all the logic and theology I can at them, but they just don’t care enough to actually get in the debate. Christianity, to them, is about feeling and being comfortable. Catholicism doesn’t “spiritually feed” them, so they don’t care enough to actually research their religion. How do I get someone who doesn’t care enough to change to look at Catholicism seriously?
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rattling on about. Great- those are nice sounding words, but they are looking for an experience- something beyond words.

I share your frustration. I’ve known many people like this. They couldn’t care less about scriptural defense of Catholicism, or what the early Christians believed. To them, it’s just about their personal experience and what works for each individual is just fine- it makes no difference- but it DOES make a difference. The Catholic Faith isn’t just one nice way of coming to know God among many, equally good, equally-flawed ways. It is more- so much more- than that. The only thing that will help them is prayer. Only God can open their eyes to the awesomeness of His Church.
 
duffyk4 said:
When talking to many of my Protestant friends, I feel like I could throw all the logic and theology I can at them, but they just don’t care enough to actually get in the debate. Christianity, to them, is about feeling and being comfortable. Catholicism doesn’t “spiritually feed” them, so they don’t care enough to actually research their religion. How do I get someone who doesn’t care enough to change to look at Catholicism seriously?
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Neoprotestantism, which is what passes for mainstream Protestant Christianity, is therapeutic deism. It is about feeling and being comfortable. It is not about God, so the logic and theology you throw at them is irrelevant. But, coming to this Catholic forum, I see a lot of that here, as well.
 
m134e5 said:
rattling on about. Great- those are nice sounding words, but they are looking for an experience- something beyond words.
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Ignore this part- I didn’t realize I had left it in until it was too late to delete.
 
Josh233 said:
Only at the Catholic Mass…really?
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You must have a valid priesthood, something the Orthodox and Catholic church alone have.

Anywhere else, it is simply bread, if it is not so, where in the Bible does it say how a preacher may turn the bread into body, and wine to blood? Its Catholic tradition, if you deny tradition, then your pastor has no authority to even attempt to change the bread and the wine.

If you meet complacent Protestants, the best thing to do is pray, and as Jesus said, clean your feet from the dust of that town (or in this case people).
 
I entered the Catholic Church 3 years ago from a Pentecostal background. I agree with you that many Protestants may seem complacent or uninterested when it comes to discussing Catholic teaching - they see it as a conversion attempt - and they’re correct because they’re trying to do the same thing to you.

Thirdly, I’ve found that the best approach is to first find the commonality between the Protestant faith and the Catholic faith. Protestants have a “portion” of the Truth, but not all of it - only the Catholic Church can lay claim to having the fullness of Truth. Discuss what you have in common and introduce small truths on that. You don’t need to present “everything”…leave room for them to ponder a bit and they may return with questions later. If you overload them with information, it is the same as adding too much salt - it’s overwhelming.

Second point is to work on relationships - you’re not in this to win an argument, you’re in it to simply present the Truth. Be genuine and be sincere.

First point is to PRAY. And when you think you’ve prayed too much, you’re only halfway there. Pray the Rosary and ask Mary to help you point them to Christ.

And now you’re wondering why I’ve numbered them backwards - that’s because the last shall be first and the first shall be last. In other words, be humble and meek. I’ve found that some Catholics can appear “arrogant” because they know that they have the fullness of Truth. It’s one thing to be sure of your faith and quite another to be smug.

None of my peers have yet even expressed much interest in Catholicism, but I still pray for them. Some of them are held by their biases, others are content to be spoon-fed from the pulpit, and many are just unwilling to even remotely consider leaving their church. Still, I pray and I continue to maintain those relationships. I just need to be ready when the questions arise - the rest is up to the Holy Spirit - hence why I pray.

God Bless,
CSJ
 
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