How to Defend Catholicism

[whichwaytogo47]

As many of you know, I attend and participate in both Catholic and Evangelical services. I am a greeter and teller in the evangelical church and am a lector in the Roman Catholic church. I’ve been doing this for over 5 years; been lectoring for 8 years. I’m also a 4th degree Knight.

I have no plans to become a member of the Protestant Church since my loyalty is to the Catholic Church and I don’t want to split loyalties. I do wish my wife could be a member of her church unless she converted to Catholicism. I take the Eucharist in the Catholic church. There’s a fullness that I’m literally getting Christ’s Body and Blood. I am a cradle and practicing Catholic and haven’t missed mass. My wife attends most masses with me. I believe wholeheartedly that by helping and praying for other Christians, I am helping my wife’s prayer walk - it’s by one’s example that you bring people to Christ. I also have a Protestant small group I belong to as well as a men’s Catholic small group. I have been on the Catholic and Protestant retreats and I definitely prefer the Catholic ones. I’d like to go on more Catholic retreats.

I definitely think there’s a way to speak to fellow Protestants that lift them up for being Christian but don’t bash them for not being Catholic. I think it’s important to meet them where they’re at - aka having a relationship with God. It’s also important for me to keep reading the Bible and also having a rich relationship with God. I feel praying to God is definitely fruitful. My favorite saint to pray thru is St Michael the Archangel. I do enjoy praying to the Blessed Mother as well as St Anthony. For my Protestant brothers whom believe that you’re praying to saints, I just bring up that you ask your friends to pray for you instead of simply praying to God yourself.

 

[Diaconia]

Evangelicals are in love with the Lord Jesus. They are pointed in the right direction.

They just need help joining the Church that Christ started, and need introduced to His life-giving sacraments.

Share your love of His Church and the Sacred Mysteries, God will do the rest.

Deacon Christopher

 

[whichwaytogo47]

Evangelicals are in love with the Lord Jesus. They are pointed in the right direction.

+1 Thanks. I agree that they are.

They just need help joining the Church that Christ started, and need introduced to His life-giving sacraments.

Share your love of His Church and the Sacred Mysteries, God will do the rest.

Thanks for the heads up. I will pray for the wisdom of when to bring this up appropriately.

 

[MT1926]

I believe wholeheartedly that by helping and praying for other Christians, I am helping my wife’s prayer walk - it’s by one’s example that you bring people to Christ.

Sounds like you are going in the right direction.

Your title stated how to defend Catholicism, but you didn’t really say anything in your post of what needed defended. My only recommendation would be that you continue being the example of Christ that you are. Also, have you read Trent Horn’s book “Why We’re Catholic”? It is a simple read and might be a good book to have a few copies on hand if the opportunity arises that someone has questions and is open to answers.

God Bless

 

[Tommy999]

As a non-Catholic myself, I would agree with this approach from Catholics. I am most open to Catholicism when Catholics acknowledge and show appreciation for the positives of non-Catholic Christianity and focus on how Catholicism can enhance a person’s life and draw him even closer to Christ, like with the sacraments, etc.

However, when Catholics act like there is nothing of value in my faith tradition and everything must be undone, blown up, and started from the beginning as if in a spiritual boot camp, that’s when I tend to not want to listen to what that person has to say anymore.

That’s why I like to hear from converts who came from a similar background to mine and hear from them how their lives have been enhanced and how they have benefited in mind, body, and spirit from becoming Catholic. That is what I think the replies I’ve seen so far have indicated, so I would tend to want to listen to folks like you.