How's your apologetics skills?

[elgom]

Hi I love apologetics, that’s why I’m here. My husband is Lutheran, so I started studying apologetics 15 years ago to try and answer any questions he might have. Unfortunately, I became so exuberant and he has been inbred with a real distain for the Church that he and I cannot talk about it at all. Nonetheless, he is very supportive and allows me free reign in teaching the children and even backs me up. I feel he is a closet Catholic, but he just can’t learn from me we are too close. I pray he will find a great catholic friend to play golf with that would have a positive impact on him.

I also find that even though I am surrounded by Catholics, I use my apologetics training all the time with very poorly instructed people. It is helping some to appreciate their faith better. Unfortunately, I think we need to use apologetics on each other now because so many of the protestant philosophies have sunk into the minds of those in the Church.

I also am teaching a 9th grade CCD class apologetics. Each of the kids are being provided with their own bible and I’m using Patrick Madrid’s book “Where is that in the Bible” to teach them how to use the bible to apologize to those around them. The kids are really being exposed to everything out there. College is a very dangerous place for unprepared Catholic kids.

 

[cassman]

Tanais:

I am more of an authoritarian. I try to establish the authority of the Church, Pope, etc. and from that the other doctrines logically follow.

I agree with that.

I usually respond to others questions/objections/bashing etc. If I start it, then it is probably going to be on some authority issue.

 

[Katholish]

I usually focus on Sola Scriptura, because in my opinion it is the soft underbelly of Protestantism. In reality it cannot be logically defended, but its acceptance lies in illogical sentiment. That being said, I don’t profess to be the best at arguing it, only that I usually focus on it. Hopefully I will become better and my knowledge will increase because it is certainly a topic of interest.

I am usually better with Polemics and sacramental questions. Having become somewhat used to the internet, I can find good sources fairly quickly, it is just a matter of having a person on the other end that will accept those sources and thus having dicussions with other Catholics is much easier.

 

[Mandi]

It is not hard to defend truth! For truth is an absolute.

Know your God - the rest is easy.

The Catholic Church was not made for Canon lawyers, it was made for the simple and pure of heart.

 

[MBS1]

From Rae,

"My brother-in-law, an Evangelical minister, has provided me, unknowingly, with a true desire to understand my faith well, and be able to defend it! "

Your post could have been written by me. Though my brother-in-law is not as openly anti-Catholic; he did write me a letter a few years ago essentially telling me I was probably going to Hell if I didn’t accept Jesus. However, I started learning apologetics about 5 years ago when my then 7 year old son came home from playing with his cousins and told me “Dad, we’re Catholic, but we’re not Christian, right?” I knew absolutely nothing about Catholic teaching at the time - just your average cradle, Sunday mass (most of the time) going Catholic. However, since three of my wife’s four brothers have left the Church, I decided it was time to be able to answer questions like this - lest that happen to my son. I have studied and learned as much as I could in the last five years on all topics. I guess I can answer questions on baptism’s role in salvation (Peter did say “baptism now saves you” after all), and purgatory. Even my son understands the Eucharist, Matt 16:18, what it means to be “born again” - heck, he even wants to be a priest now!!

However, there is more work to do. My 12 year old nephew recently asked me why some people worship Mary ! Oh well, so many Protestants, so little time . (No offense meant to the Protestants out there - I just have a strange sense of humor).
MBS1

 

[breneriu]

Well my apologetics began a few months ago at work when I was debating with a Jehova’s Witness, and anyone that has ever debated with a JW knows how hard it can be.Every apologetic should debate with a JW because its great training for apologetics!I did most of my research at catholic answers and really got to know more about my church and beliefs than I ever did at CCD.So I would’nt call myself an apologetic just yet,just one in training.

God bless.

 

[Richard_Lamb]

I can hold my own to the point that most non-catholics know where I stand and know to come to me if they have quetions. I am really bad about remembering verses. I know they are there but not the verse number.

 

[SMHW]

I think I’m pretty good at demonstrating to non-Catholics that there is biblical evidence for most of what we believe.

I find that it is frequently harder to convince those who call themselves Catholic that what the Church teaches is true.

 

[thomist]

"I can hold my own to the point that most non-catholics know where I stand and know to come to me if they have quetions. I am really bad about remembering verses. I know they are there but not the verse number.
In His Name; Richard Lamb "
A Protestant friend (actually, several!) asked me “where” in Scripture I was quoting from. Naturally, being a good Catholic, I had no idea ! Bible ‘math’ is as difficult for me as real math. Then - Praise the Lord! - I read the Letter to the Hebrews: (Quoting!) “To which of the angels, then, has God ever said: …” (followed by a bunch of O.T. scriptural quotes with NARY a location cite! Then the author says, “That is why, as the Holy Spirit says…” (again, with no cite), and - my favorite! - "“Someone witnesses to this somewhere with the words: …”. Thenceforth, I told my evangelical friends that if ‘God’s Word the Bible’ can quote without citing book, chapter and verse, well tehn, so can I.

As for apologetics, I’ve been super actively involved since the end of my ‘prodigal’. This was not my doing, but God’s - He brought people to me who were adamantly opposed to Catholocism. They included atheoids, pagans, Jews, Protestants and Moslems. It was difficult - “Catholic Answers” were what I had to come up with, not a great organization with information readily available! It was a marvellous learning time for me, though not always for those with whom I was dialoguing. While many of the conversations were vehement, very rarely were they hostile.

Being a ‘mick’ (=American of Celtic heritage), I simply couldn’t stand ‘losing’ an argument. And I lost many! So, I began studying the Faith, and ultimately wound up attending a Catholic seminary (as a layman - I am not called to the priesthood). Through it all, my faith has become stronger. I am competent to handle almost all the typical objections to the faith, but have found that my greatest Catechumenate is my own children. It’s as if God used all the non-believers to spark me into studying for what I thought was me evangelical role - converting them (some actually have), but the Lord was really preparing me to train my children up in Christ as alive Catholics. I mean, when my 5 year old daughter asked me how Jesus could be both the Son of God AND God, or when someone asks if their mother is in hell because she committed suicide, well that’s where the rubber meets the road in real apologetics, I say.

In this forum we read some of the ‘horror’ stories of various abuses: liturgical, homiletic, pastoral insensitivity, sex scandal, catechetical deficiencies, etc, etc, etc, that the casual reader might mistakenly presume that the Church in the USA is in bad shape. For years I felt as if I was a guerrilla Catholic, a kind of ‘commando catechist’ working alone behind enemy lines, bereft of human support and relying solely upon the Holy Spirit. (My apologetic history dates from 1974 - I was witnessing to Evangelicals before Scott Hahn could spell ‘Thomistic’, let alone define it!) I cry tears of joy in writing this, because NOW look what we have!! “The Lord has done great things for us”! In this forum we commiserate with each other, share success stories and are - in fact - the support group we not only need but have waited so long to have! The very fact that “Catholic Answers” (the organization) exists is a sign of God’s favor, one of the many demonstrations over the past 25 years that He has not abandoned us but - waayy to the contrary! - is guiding us, His Church. “I thank God daily for you” is also my prayer. And thank you.

 

[vz71]

I seem to do well in the long distance faceless debate that is the internet.

Most debates have a long response time in which I can formulate a good answer, check my facts, and obtain the source material (or a good link toit) before firing the reply back.

Also I have found it easy to maintain an emotional distance through the email forum that keeps hot-headedness at bay.

I wish it were the same for others, but anger still flows readily through the mail servers.
.02 duly deposited,

Z

 

[suemc]

I started to “get into” apologetics when I volunteered with the Salvation Army. As some may not know, they are an evangelical church, and I worked rather closely with their members. Upon learning I was Catholic, they would ask me questions. I realized then that I should become as familiar with all aspects of my faith in order to explain things to them and straighten out their misconceptions. It was surprising, also, how much of what I had been taught in grammar amd high school came back, including the answers to the Baltimore Catechism questions (showing my age.).

So – hanging out with Protestants made me appreciate my Catholicism more become a more informed Catholic!

 

[lsburk]

I like to debate them (fundamentalists) right where they live. Sola Scriptura! The rest follows from there. I tend to be very strong in several areas. Marian beliefs. Infallibility is a good one because it is so misunderstood. Purgatory is also fun.

 

[Andyz]

This is a good thread. My begining in apogetics began a year or so after high school. I was working as a mail clerk for a bank when I got into a debate with a J.W… He asked me to come in earlier to have a talk with him. So I did. At the time the only apologetics material that I had was my Bible. When we got on the topic of God’s name, he mentioned “Jehova”. I replied, “No. it is not Jeohva. It is Yehweh.” I opened up my bible and read the notes at the bottom of the page and mentioned that Jehova was an misused error for Yehweh. He was shocked. It was more of a mine Bible vs. your bible. After that he backe doff because he was not going anywhere. After that episode, I wanted to become more knowledgable in defending my Catholic faith.

Because when you are in College and in the work world you will encounter former Catholics and non Catholics who will get on you because of being a Catholic.

What had helped me for a time was going to a bookstore and finding books on the catholic faith. What is shocking is the first book that I bought on defending the Catholic faith was from, “Family Christian Book Stores”, called “Why do Catholics do that?”. That was the start. Also, besides having to deal with questions in the work world, I have an Uncle who became a Fundamentalist who will question about “being saved”.

What has really helped me to defend my faith was the internet. Especially, Karl Keeting and Catholic Answers. His website has help me the most in my apologetics. Since, I found his website and became a subscriber to his magazine, I am not dumb founded on answers to questions. Here is an episode that happened to me just last year.

Last September, I was saying my evening Rosary outside my parish in front of the Blessed Mother. After I was finished. I was walking back home. When I heard someone calling for me. I turned around and a young college man came towards me. I was bracing myself for any conflict when he mention that he has a prayer group and wanted me to join and when was I saved?
I knew then what his goal was. Then we started to go from there. I was polite and non hostile. I felt the answers flowing out of me. We went from versions of the Bible to who is actually is saved. What puzzeled him is when I mentioned faith and works. He was puzzeled. I also told him that, “Who perserveres to the end will be saved.” We debated for a half hour. I felt stronger and confident.

Another episode was last month when I debated an Internet Fundamentalist. I get daily prayer messages from him. They have good meanings. He brings up good points on issues the Catholic Church should. Like Abortion, Sex, violence on t.v. homosexualty ect… The issue that I have a problem with, is when he brings up “accepting Jesus as your personal savior is the only way of getting into Heaven.” I was tired of hearing talk about it. Evven when he brings up “works”. So, I decided to challenge him on it. I brought up verses in the bible on faith and works. Espacially from the Gospels. Instead of using my Catholic Bible. I used verses from The King James version. I checked and read them before i used them.

In his replies, he taped danced around my questions and asked what church do I belong to. I was expecting a good discussion sincehe mentioned that he has a masters of divinity degree. He did not challenge my questions.

AndyZ

 

[Annunciata]

I’m not really sure how my skills are…if I even have any? When it comes to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, I just can’t get enough ! The more I know, the more I want to know…and the more I want to share…It’s like being in LOVE!