How to lead family members/ evangelize them?

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Walterross

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Hi there everyone. So I’ve done a lot of thinking about eternity as of late and am very scared for the salvation of the world, almost to the point of despair. I recently heard the bible verse that says God does not like lukewarm christians and will spit them out. After realizing that I “fit the bill” so the speak, I’m going to do my best to change. However, I’m fearful for my family: little brother and my single mother. I know we all go to church every Sunday (haven’t been able to because of covid, but we watch a mass in our living room together and participate in it) but I’m not sure if my family reads the bible regularly or prays a rosary, chaplet, etc. Being that I love my family I want to tell them to repent! (even though I’m not sure they are sinning to begin with, we just don’t happen to talk about repentance like that) Or I want to tell them to read the bible and pray these other devotions. I’m not sure how to approach this. Or even if I should. I don’t want to be seen as a person who’s crazy or a “Jesus-freak”. I don’t care so much about being seen as one but I’m scared they will make that assumption, and then move even further away from the advice because I seem out of place or acting strange. I also am not sure if I should fast in front of them or pray in front of them or read my bible in front of them. Would this be like me being a Pharisee and praying out in public. I would not do it out of pride or anything and I wouldn’t be shoving it down their throats either. Would this be okay? I’m pretty fearful for the salvation of everyone and I read somewhere that our venial sins are no match for the mercy of God when we die. Mortal sins are to be avoided like the plague for sure, but if venial sins will not cost our salvation, why does God hate luke warm christians so much? I feel like a lukewarm Christian is probably okay as long as they are not mortally sinning right? They probably aren’t ideal because they don’t have a strong stance in the faith, but I’d assume they’re doing their best? I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, and I sure hope God does as well when we pass. I tend to think I may have some scrupulosity but I’d hate to use that as comfort if souls are really being lost. It scares me. Lots of questions here. Any insight/suggestions?
 
Talk to them about Jesus. I might not be able to get my little sisters to read the Bible as much as they should, but I still talk to them about it, and I remind them to pray on a daily basis.
 
You can only do what you can do. God also works through others in their lives. It is not all on your shoulders!

Anxious? Faith drives out fear. Work on your faith. If it does not provide you with peace, talk to Father. If appropriate, talk to your doctor, as recurring or intrusive thoughts of a negative nature may indicate a pathological or cognitive condition that can be easily treated.

Christ strongly desires that you live in peace.

To help others find Christ, live a holy life filled with the love of God.
 
Walterross said:
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Christian witness is important, and encouraged by the Catholic Church, where acts of witness are indulgenced, for example. Venial sin is significant for it merits temporal punishment and creates disorder that must be repaired, even though not destroying the friendship with the Holy Trinity, yet per the Catechism:
1863 … Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. …
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It is important that all form the conscience, Catechism:
1798 A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience.

1801 Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt.
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@Walterross, I know you are new here, so I will tell you this, please, use paragraphs if you want people to read what you post. Many members will take one look at that and say “I am not reading that.”

Also, while you wait for more replies, you might want to use the search feature. Your topic has come up fairly often on CAF.

Lead by example. Let them see you reading your bible or fasting, but you don’t need to be telling them what to do, especially your Mom.

I think that possibly you are overthinking things, as I have seen your other thread.
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Fear for the salvation of others? Catholic Living
Hi everyone, I recently read a vision of hell by St. John Bosco and I have been very scared for my salvation. I’ve went to confession and have achieved a state of grace. One thing that has stuck with me is the fact that Jesus said the way to Heaven is the narrow way. I am very fearful for other people in the world: all sinners. I’m scared for myself, but more so those who are not currently in a state of grace. Especially my family and friends. I can’t help but want to go out telling everyone I …
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Irishmom2 said:
I know you are new here, so I will tell you this, please, use paragraphs if you want people to read what you post. Many members will take one look at that and say “I am not reading that.”
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Thanks for the advice! I didn’t think of it that way but you’re probably right.
 
So here’s yet another question pertaining to the salvation of my family members. I come from a state that is primarily democrat and Catholic. In my family, my younger brother and I are strong Republicans. We do it because we are pro-life, pro 2nd amendment, pro limited government and so forth. Well my mother, who I love dearly with all my heart, is a democrat. I think she was somewhat raised to be a democrat as my grandparents are also democrats. I know that this party is the party that sides with abortion much more.

My mom seems to side with the democrats because she believes that they are the party that supports the poor and that the republicans support the rich. We’ve never been extremely wealthy. We make ends meet but we don’t live lavishly. My mom is also a single mother who has been through physical and emotional abuse from my father, who no longer lives with us.

Now that my mom is raising us on her own, I think she may feel somewhat insecure about finances? Perhaps that is why she sides with the democrats. Now my brother and I bring up politics quite a bit, usually to bash the democrats and why they don’t make sense, but every now and then we bring up abortion and how it is really bad. My mom agrees with us and thinks that abortion is wrong, but can’t come to the point to vote Republican over this one issue when she believes all the other issues.

Since my mom is aware of the fact that her party supports abortion and she votes for a candidate that supports abortion, is she mortally in danger? My mom is a great woman who has sacrificed lots for my family and she’s the closest to an angel I know. But I’m very worried that this one thing where actually many people are stubborn in (politics), will prevent her from entering Heaven. When we bring up abortion to my mom or grandparents/aunts they all say something along the lines of: “I’m against abortion, but abortion is not the only issue at hand.”

If so, how do I get them to change their minds? I love my family so much and the last thing I want is to push them further from the church or away from salvation.

Any prayers are much needed as I’m incredibly fearful for them (almost nauseous). Thanks God bless.
 
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Walterross said:
…I’m very worried that this one thing where actually many people are stubborn in (politics), will prevent her from entering Heaven…
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Did it occur to you that neither the GOP nor the Democratic Party is exactly the party of the angels?
“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Matt. 6:24

Money runs politics in this country, the worship of wealth runs politics, both Republican and Democratic, and I think everyone here can admit that on some level, can’t we? Yes, when we have a voice in choosing our government, we have to do our best to choose according to moral law. There is no obligation to do what we have not been given the power to do. It does not follow that we ought to be going to the mat for the lesser of two evils, though, does it? The lesser of two evils is still…an evil.

My feeling is that the Devil has two groups of Christians in this country convinced that defense of a party that includes some small slice of the Gospel in the totality of its platform is a moral obligation. I’d say that our moral obligation lies in very loudly insisting that those running for office pursue the entire Gospel. That may make us into crackpots in our party, whatever that is, but it is better to be thought a crackpot than to be a sell-out.

Maybe your best bet is to consider how to get your party to embrace the parts of the Gospel that your mother is concerned about. If you think it already does (and I know some here honestly have that belief about their own party), then show her why you think that. See it as your duty, though, to tell your party about the things that would make a Christian hesitate to vote for the party’s platform. Be that crackpot.
 
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Someday you too will learn that life is not black and white. And that there are issues other than abortion, as important as that issue is.

And, that one should really focus on Catholic teaching rather than Republican or Democratic Party affiliation or loyalties.
 
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1ke said:
Someday you too will learn that life is not black and white. And that there are issues other than abortion, as important as that issue is.

And, that one should really focus on Catholic teaching rather than Republican or Democratic Party affiliation or loyalties.
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I read on EWTN that if you know a candidate supports abortion and vote for them, even if not for that reason, you commit mortal sin. Isn’t that black and white? I’m really asking.
 
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Being a Democrat, in and of itself, is morally neutral. For what it’s worth, I filed for absentee ballots the remainder of this year (caregivers for the sick and disabled are allowed to), and I had to state a party preference for primaries. I specified Democrat because I always vote in Democratic primaries to push them as close to the pro-life position as I can. (This usually involves voting for the least odious of several objectionable candidates.) I do not think that faithful Catholics should flee from either party — are we not called to be a leaven unto the larger society, and doesn’t that include mainstream political parties?

Catholics, of good will, can and do disagree on the best candidates to support in any election. It could also be fairly objected that a party that is pro-life regarding abortion is anti-life in other ways. And nobody is ever legally forced to have an abortion. One could also raise a legitimate objection to conservative politicians who would sacrifice many lives to CV in the name of “getting the economy started again”.
 
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Democrats and Republicans have different ways of helping the poor. Some ways have worked, and others haven’t worked, for both sides. Both parties are for helping people who need help.

However, there is one major difference in the party’s platforms. Abortion. The Democrats won’t even support a candidate, or judicial nominee, unless they are pro-choice.

Abortion is where the line is drawn. Just like slavery for the Confederacy, and the “Final Solution” for the Nazis, the victims are labeled as sub-human in order to justify their treatment.
 
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You need to stop taking on everything as if it your duty. This is at least the third thread where you think you need to save your family from themselves.

I don’t know why you think that your way of thinking is the only way people can go.

Please read up on free will. Everyone has it. Everyone get to make their own choices in life. It is not your place to make decisions for anyone except yourself.

Please make an appointment when you are able to speak to someone if need be. You are going to be a very unhappy stressed out person if you can’t let it go.
 
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There are many Catholics who, in good conscience, and having carefully considered all the issues, vote Democrat. One is allowed to take into consideration the totality of the issues involved and the probable overall impact of one’s vote. Pragmatically, one can take into consideration the fact that while the Democrats tend to support legal abortion, the number of abortions performed in the United States is actually less under Democratic governments. One is also allowed to take into consideration the fact that abortion is not the only pro-life issue. The death penalty, use of lethal force by the police, gun control, and healthcare are all examples of issues that involve the sanctity of life.
Walterross said:
I read on EWTN that if you know a candidate supports abortion and vote for them, even if not for that reason, you commit mortal sin. Isn’t that black and white? I’m really asking.
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EWTN is not an infallible source of information about the Catholic faith. It tends toward the more conservative end of the spectrum. To the best of my understanding, it is fine to vote for a pro-abortion candidate as long as you vote for them in spite of their position on abortion and because you feel that overall the positions that they hold are the most likely to be conducive to the common good.

Please also remember that not everyone is American. In many countries, all of the main political parties are pro-choice. If somebody votes in the UK, for example, both the ruling Conservative Party and the opposition Labour Party are pro-choice, as are all the other major parties in England, Wales, and Scotland, and even some of the parties in Northern Ireland. If it were a mortal sin to vote for a pro-choice candidate, almost every person in Britain would commit a mortal sin every time they vote. On the other hand, it probably is a mortal sin to vote for the pro-life British National Party, as its main political platform is explicitly racist.
 
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You have now posted several identical threads. You have received excellent advice in each of them.

Please talk to Father about scrupulosity. I’d say it’s bad.

And consider asking your doctor as it is a variety of anxiety disorder.
 
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po18guy said:
And consider asking your doctor as it is a variety of anxiety disorder.
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Actually, after reading the lot, I think a talk with a qualified mental health professional would not be a bad idea.
 
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Bruised_Reed said:
Can you link to where
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Irishmom2 said:
You need to stop taking on everything as if it your duty. This is at least the third thread where you think you need to save your family from themselves.
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I just wonder if they are actually aware of this to the extent of the matter or if even telling them would worsen the sin. After all their intentions are good. I’m sorry that I’m worrying so much but I think this is a big deal and am afraid of anyone going to hell, I just wish there was more we could do, which makes me feel very hopeless for humanity.
 
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