Husband doesn't agree with me being so vocal about Catholicism

[nat_c1990]

As I have said in previous posts, my husband and I have recently stopped going to a nondenominational church and have started attending a Catholic Church. We have been going for about a month now.

Literally almost all of our friends on Facebook are Protestant so I don’t have much support when it comes to this kind of thing. Regardless of this, I decided to share a couple posts on Facebook yesterday in reference to Catholicism. One of our old friends from church replied to it, letting it be known that she disagreed. I basically told her in the most polite way as possible that most of the things people are told about Catholics are misconceptions and that’s it’s something she would need to some research about.

Today she replied back to me, sending me this link. chick.com/m/reading/tracts/readtract.asp?stk=0071

It didn’t take me more than a few seconds of reading this article to realize that the person who wrote it is a quack. It’s nothing but your stereotypical view that Catholicism is just a big cult and bla bla bla. I looked up the guy who wrote this article, his name is jack chick. After reading a bit about him, it confirmed that he was not a reliable source. Again, I tried to be polite and told her that if she wants to learn about Catholicism, this Jack Chick guy isn’t someone that I would trust. I shared a link about him so that she could read for herself who he is.

When I told my husband about this, he got upset, saying that he doesn’t agree with me “arguing” about it with her. He thinks that since we have only been going to the Catholic Church for a month, that we should give it more time and not be so “in your face” about it just yet. I don’t see what the problem is. I tried to get my point across in a polite way. She voiced the fact that she disagreed with Catholicism and all I did was defend myself. I almost felt obligated to inform her about this Jack Chick person. If anyone is going to buy into the nonsense that he says, I feel they need to know who he is and that he has no solid proof to back up his claims. My husband sees it differently. He says I should have never shared the post in the first place because by doing so, I was basically instigating an argument.

Since we have mostly Protestant friends, I knew there was a good chance some of them would have a problem with my post. But, I figured if they confronted me about it, it would be a good opportunity to educate them about it. Also, it’s freedom of speech. Everyone else is allowed to post about things that they feel passionate about, why can’t I? Did I do anything wrong? Should I just ignore people when they try to spread nonsense claims about Catholicism? The whole thing has me a little upset and I really wish my husband would see where I’m coming from.

 

[Tablefor9]

Monicad nailed it. As you just found out, there is a nasty streak of anti-Catholicism out there. Even in the sane Evangelical world, there is a quieter strand of it. It’s not uncommon for converts to be very quiet about it with friends or family that may be hurt or unsupportive. Conversion is worth all you have, and sometimes it costs it.

 

[nat_c1990]

While you were right in my opinion to send your friend a polite rebuttal in response to the completely ridiculous Jack Chick cartoon that was sent to you, I think I might see where you husband might be coming from, at least I think so.

Exploring a new faith can be complicated, and it seems that your husband wants to keep his faith journey a private one for now. While I think it is fantastic that the two of you are attending Mass, I can see that he might not yet be ready to advertise this to the world just yet. Since you are his wife, when you tell others about the Catholic church, it is a safe assumption as a married couple that the two of you might be attending together? That’s not always the case of course but it often is and he might not be as ready as you are to give reasons for why he is attending the Catholic church or defend the faith. He might be a bit embarrassed still, or be confused by some of the teachings, or still be unsure about some things.

Like many things in a marriage it can be better lived out if a couple are a united front. That doesn’t mean you have to be joined-at-the-hip for everything. However in this instance I might take a step back and give your husband some space until he gets his bearings a bit. How long that will take remains to be seen, but clearly he isn’t ready after just a month to be hearing from friends about defending the Catholic church. Maybe he is worried about being seen as an outsider, or losing friends? Whatever his reasons it really doesn’t matter because people are entitled to a certain amount of privacy, when people are on a faith journey that can be considered a private matter so if he would like to keep that private for several months that would be reasonable in my opinion so perhaps you might consider keeping those sorts of posts off of Facebook for now.

I know people who converted and attended RCIA and didn’t tell their families for months, just to keep family peace they didn’t want arguments or negative distractions. It all depends much on the dynamic between friends and family too. Hope this helps a little, please be assured of my prayers for your marriage and for your faith, God bless you!

Thanks for your reply. When I look at it from that perspective, I guess I can see where my husband is coming from. It’s just that he was actually the one who was interested in Catholicism first and he was the one who actually influenced me to look into it. Catholicism is something he’s been reading about and studying about for the past year or so. I mean literally, he has tons of books on it and there was a time where it was all he ever talked about. He made sure that he was fully aware of what Catholicism is before he made the decision to leave our church and start going to Mass. So I guess it was just hard for me to grasp why he still isn’t ready to become public with it yet since it’s something that he has been studying and learning about for so long.

Then again, that’s just his personality. He is usually a very private person when it comes to most aspects of his life, not just religion. I get it, I’m a fairly private person too, just not as much as him. I will take your advice and respect his wishes by giving him a little bit more time before becoming so public about it.

 

[pianistclare]

FaceBook.
Not for the faint of heart.
This might be the time to get rid of it.

Jack Chick tracts are not respected by any mainstream Christian faith.
Pray for your friend. She is greatly misled.

 

[Padres1969]

As I have said in previous posts, my husband and I have recently stopped going to a nondenominational church and have started attending a Catholic Church. We have been going for about a month now.

Literally almost all of our friends on Facebook are Protestant so I don’t have much support when it comes to this kind of thing. Regardless of this, I decided to share a couple posts on Facebook yesterday in reference to Catholicism. One of our old friends from church replied to it, letting it be known that she disagreed. I basically told her in the most polite way as possible that most of the things people are told about Catholics are misconceptions and that’s it’s something she would need to some research about.

Today she replied back to me, sending me this link. chick.com/m/reading/tracts/readtract.asp?stk=0071

It didn’t take me more than a few seconds of reading this article to realize that the person who wrote it is a quack. It’s nothing but your stereotypical view that Catholicism is just a big cult and bla bla bla. I looked up the guy who wrote this article, his name is jack chick. After reading a bit about him, it confirmed that he was not a reliable source. Again, I tried to be polite and told her that if she wants to learn about Catholicism, this Jack Chick guy isn’t someone that I would trust. I shared a link about him so that she could read for herself who he is.

When I told my husband about this, he got upset, saying that he doesn’t agree with me “arguing” about it with her. He thinks that since we have only been going to the Catholic Church for a month, that we should give it more time and not be so “in your face” about it just yet. I don’t see what the problem is. I tried to get my point across in a polite way. She voiced the fact that she disagreed with Catholicism and all I did was defend myself. I almost felt obligated to inform her about this Jack Chick person. If anyone is going to buy into the nonsense that he says, I feel they need to know who he is and that he has no solid proof to back up his claims. My husband sees it differently. He says I should have never shared the post in the first place because by doing so, I was basically instigating an argument.

Since we have mostly Protestant friends, I knew there was a good chance some of them would have a problem with my post. But, I figured if they confronted me about it, it would be a good opportunity to educate them about it. Also, it’s freedom of speech. Everyone else is allowed to post about things that they feel passionate about, why can’t I? Did I do anything wrong? Should I just ignore people when they try to spread nonsense claims about Catholicism? The whole thing has me a little upset and I really wish my husband would see where I’m coming from.

On Facebook I typically find this can be a mistake in and of itself. You should not typically flood Facebook with multiple posts on a subject if you want to share the underlying position/subject/opinion it conveys. People don’t tend to respond well in my experience to more than one or two posts a week on a subject, never mind a day. Particularly if it’s something controversial or something you know they may not necessarily agree with. Unless it’s cats… everyone loves posts about cats.

 

[WJeffrey]

If your Protestant friends are going to desert you because you decide to become Catholic, they really were not very good friends to begin with. I’m friends with Muslims, and they were all glad for me that I returned to the Catholic Church and reaffirmed my relationship with God. I would hope that your Protestant friends would be as open minded as my Muslim friends.

 

[Memaw]

Thanks for your reply. When I look at it from that perspective, I guess I can see where my husband is coming from. It’s just that he was actually the one who was interested in Catholicism first and he was the one who actually influenced me to look into it. Catholicism is something he’s been reading about and studying about for the past year or so. I mean literally, he has tons of books on it and there was a time where it was all he ever talked about. He made sure that he was fully aware of what Catholicism is before he made the decision to leave our church and start going to Mass. So I guess it was just hard for me to grasp why he still isn’t ready to become public with it yet since it’s something that he has been studying and learning about for so long.

Then again, that’s just his personality. He is usually a very private person when it comes to most aspects of his life, not just religion. I get it, I’m a fairly private person too, just not as much as him. I will take your advice and respect his wishes by giving him a little bit more time before becoming so public about it.

You didn’t do anything wrong but I do think I would wait a while longer before you take on your protestant friends. Get to know the Catholic Faith more yourself, maybe even read some of your husbands books. Discuss them with him. Then you will be more ready to defend your beliefs. I have many protestant friends, some for years. and I can tell you it is NOT easy to change their minds on what Catholics believe or better yet do NOT believe. They really do not want to even hear what I have to say and sometimes I just have to let it drop or make them mad, which does no good in the long run. Be patient, and I can promise, to learn about the Catholic Faith will be a wonderful adventure that will take time and you will be amazed at the depth your spirituality will grow. Prayers for all and God Bless, Memaw

 

[underacloud]

Facebook is not the place for it. I don’t think it is a suitable place to argue about (you can use the word “discuss” if you prefer) religion or politics. And if you have predominantly protestant friends who have negative views towards Catholicism, it could backfire badly.

I’m with your husband. Get to know your faith better before you expose yourself too much to the need to defend it. Many evangelical protestants are misinformed, but nonetheless quite well trained in going after Catholics. And even for well-seasoned Catholics who have dealt with all the issues they may throw up, it is wearying! It has the potential to strain both your faith and your friendships, and seemingly your marriage.

 

[Larryk113]

As I have said in previous posts, my husband and I have recently stopped going to a nondenominational church and have started attending a Catholic Church. We have been going for about a month now.

Literally almost all of our friends on Facebook are Protestant so I don’t have much support when it comes to this kind of thing. Regardless of this, I decided to share a couple posts on Facebook yesterday in reference to Catholicism. One of our old friends from church replied to it, letting it be known that she disagreed. I basically told her in the most polite way as possible that most of the things people are told about Catholics are misconceptions and that’s it’s something she would need to some research about.

Today she replied back to me, sending me this link. chick.com/m/reading/tracts/readtract.asp?stk=0071

It didn’t take me more than a few seconds of reading this article to realize that the person who wrote it is a quack. It’s nothing but your stereotypical view that Catholicism is just a big cult and bla bla bla. I looked up the guy who wrote this article, his name is jack chick. After reading a bit about him, it confirmed that he was not a reliable source. Again, I tried to be polite and told her that if she wants to learn about Catholicism, this Jack Chick guy isn’t someone that I would trust. I shared a link about him so that she could read for herself who he is.

When I told my husband about this, he got upset, saying that he doesn’t agree with me “arguing” about it with her. He thinks that since we have only been going to the Catholic Church for a month, that we should give it more time and not be so “in your face” about it just yet. I don’t see what the problem is. I tried to get my point across in a polite way. She voiced the fact that she disagreed with Catholicism and all I did was defend myself. I almost felt obligated to inform her about this Jack Chick person. If anyone is going to buy into the nonsense that he says, I feel they need to know who he is and that he has no solid proof to back up his claims. My husband sees it differently. He says I should have never shared the post in the first place because by doing so, I was basically instigating an argument.

Since we have mostly Protestant friends, I knew there was a good chance some of them would have a problem with my post. But, I figured if they confronted me about it, it would be a good opportunity to educate them about it. Also, it’s freedom of speech. Everyone else is allowed to post about things that they feel passionate about, why can’t I? Did I do anything wrong? Should I just ignore people when they try to spread nonsense claims about Catholicism? The whole thing has me a little upset and I really wish my husband would see where I’m coming from.

The first step to Catholicism is defending the Church. This happened to me five years ago and I’ve been Catholic for five days. I hope you continue your journey to the Catholic faith.
Original Christianity!

 

[thecolorsblend]

Since we have mostly Protestant friends, I knew there was a good chance some of them would have a problem with my post. But, I figured if they confronted me about it, it would be a good opportunity to educate them about it. Also, it’s freedom of speech. Everyone else is allowed to post about things that they feel passionate about, why can’t I? Did I do anything wrong? Should I just ignore people when they try to spread nonsense claims about Catholicism? The whole thing has me a little upset and I really wish my husband would see where I’m coming from.

I feel your pain. My friends are mostly Protestant. When I was in the process of converting, any time I found a neat quote from a Church Father or a Pope or whoever and shared it on my Facebook, I’d get some fire-breathing evangelical on my case.

“You Catholics follow the traditions of men,” shouted the Calvinist.

I eventually decided that my Facebook is for ME to talk about stuff I enjoy. It isn’t a platform for debate. It’s also not a democracy. I don’t go onto other peoples’ page and tell them what’s what. Why do I tolerate it when they do it to me? So I removed comment privileges for some people and PRESTO my Facebook instantly became more supportive.

Protestants have never really gotten over this attitude that Catholics know not what we do. It’s a bit condescending, really. But if it’s any comfort to you, they’re probably just doing what they believe is right. They’re trying to help you. It may not seem that way when you read Jack Chick’s wackadoo pamphlets but it’s true in a majority of cases.

 

[nat_c1990]

I feel your pain. My friends are mostly Protestant. When I was in the process of converting, any time I found a neat quote from a Church Father or a Pope or whoever and shared it on my Facebook, I’d get some fire-breathing evangelical on my case.

“You Catholics follow the traditions of men,” shouted the Calvinist.

I eventually decided that my Facebook is for ME to talk about stuff I enjoy. It isn’t a platform for debate. It’s also not a democracy. I don’t go onto other peoples’ page and tell them what’s what. Why do I tolerate it when they do it to me? So I removed comment privileges for some people and PRESTO my Facebook instantly became more supportive.

Protestants have never really gotten over this attitude that Catholics know not what we do. It’s a bit condescending, really. But if it’s any comfort to you, they’re probably just doing what they believe is right. They’re trying to help you. It may not seem that way when you read Jack Chick’s wackadoo pamphlets but it’s true in a majority of cases.

Yea I agree that my Protestant friends are probably worried about me because they genuinely believe that their views are right and mine are wrong. I thought the same thing about Catholics until I took the time to learn a little bit about it. I’ve only scratched the surface, I’ve got a lot of things to learn about Catholicism still. Yet, just from what I have learned so far, I can already see that the majority of the things I’ve been told about Catholicism were false claims, similar to the ones that Jack Chick writes about.

I admit, I chuckled a little bit when you referred to his stories as “wackadoo”. Its true. I’ve heard some really out there stuff about Catholics before but this guy takes it to another level. I am shocked that anyone would believe any of that mess. Thats why I couldn’t stop myself from saying something about it to my friend. I know you can’t force someone to believe anything, people will choose to believe what they want to. But I felt like it was an obligation to at least let her know who this guy is and that he isn’t a reliable source. If she can’t see that, then theres nothing more I can do. Maybe she just doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand, not that she’s stupid or anything but some people just really don’t get Catholicism no matter how much you try to explain it.

I talked to my husband a little bit more about this tonight and I understand a little bit better where he was coming from. He basically just thinks that I should be really careful because since we are new to this and still have a lot to learn, I could easily turn people away from Catholicism, even though my intentions are the opposite. I can agree with that. I definitely don’t want to turn anyone away so I’ve decided to just calm it down with all the Catholic stuff on social media for now. After I have learned more about it, hopefully I will get better at learning what to say and what not to say to people, without coming across in an argumentative or defensive way.

 

[thecolorsblend]

I admit, I chuckled a little bit when you referred to his stories as “wackadoo”. Its true. I’ve heard some really out there stuff about Catholics before but this guy takes it to another level. I am shocked that anyone would believe any of that mess.

Yes indeedy. Jack Chick is little more than a propagandist. Not even a very good one, in fact. His anti-Catholic views are what I at least consider to be borderline psychotic.

As you say, much of this comes down to ignorance. My experience is when someone hears Catholic apologists or clergy explain doctrine, the hostility usually evaporates. Not always but in a good number of cases.

If I may be so bold, hand-on-heart I believe the future belongs to us. The Protestant mainline in America has very little life left to it. Evangelical denominations are diminishing too, although at a slower rate.

We may all be Catholics before this over.

Thats why I couldn’t stop myself from saying something about it to my friend. I know you can’t force someone to believe anything, people will choose to believe what they want to. But I felt like it was an obligation to at least let her know who this guy is and that he isn’t a reliable source. If she can’t see that, then theres nothing more I can do. Maybe she just doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand, not that she’s stupid or anything but some people just really don’t get Catholicism no matter how much you try to explain it.

This is a tender issue. But… yes. I do think there’s something to your theory about mental capacities. That sounds terrible to say but the expression about “knowing enough to be dangerous” is a cliche because it’s true. Someone who has read just enough Protestant stuff in their lives may have the mental faculties to absorb and memorize those things but they’re not quite sharp enough to see through the veil.

This, incidentally, is yet another argument in the Catholic Church’s favor. It doesn’t require someone to be an armchair theologian or a brilliant scholar. It gives the same sacraments to everybody. Those who need to feed their brains are encouraged to do so. Those who, shall we say, don’t want to feed their brains can receive the same body and blood as the smarties in the room and we’re all equal.

No matter what somebody needs spiritually, the Catholic Church is ready, willing, able, and eager to provide it.

I talked to my husband a little bit more about this tonight and I understand a little bit better where he was coming from. He basically just thinks that I should be really careful because since we are new to this and still have a lot to learn, I could easily turn people away from Catholicism, even though my intentions are the opposite. I can agree with that. I definitely don’t want to turn anyone away so I’ve decided to just calm it down with all the Catholic stuff on social media for now. After I have learned more about it, hopefully I will get better at learning what to say and what not to say to people, without coming across in an argumentative or defensive way.

I understand. And he may have a point.

Not that it’s any of my business but I have a question for you if you are willing to answer it. But first a quick digression.

When I began studying Catholic doctrine, I was vaguely a Sola Scriptura, fire-breathing evangelical. But the more I studied Catholic theology, the more I saw how flawlessly, perfectly logical every single Catholic doctrine is. No matter how strange it may seem at first, the logic is unassailable.

Because of that, I went through a phase where I was a bit angry because I felt lied to and betrayed by my entire life up to that point. Not only is the Catholic Church not my enemy, everything they believe looked to be right as far as I could tell. And everything I believed was wrong. The anger at the jeopardy my soul had been placed in was difficult to overcome for a long while there.

My question: Are you perhaps experiencing that same resentment?

Again, totally not my business and I don’t blame you if you’d prefer I keep my questions to myself. I’m only curious, that’s all.

 

[Memaw]

Yea I agree that my Protestant friends are probably worried about me because they genuinely believe that their views are right and mine are wrong. I thought the same thing about Catholics until I took the time to learn a little bit about it. I’ve only scratched the surface, I’ve got a lot of things to learn about Catholicism still. Yet, just from what I have learned so far, I can already see that the majority of the things I’ve been told about Catholicism were false claims, similar to the ones that Jack Chick writes about.

I admit, I chuckled a little bit when you referred to his stories as “wackadoo”. Its true. I’ve heard some really out there stuff about Catholics before but this guy takes it to another level. I am shocked that anyone would believe any of that mess. Thats why I couldn’t stop myself from saying something about it to my friend. I know you can’t force someone to believe anything, people will choose to believe what they want to. But I felt like it was an obligation to at least let her know who this guy is and that he isn’t a reliable source. If she can’t see that, then theres nothing more I can do. Maybe she just doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand, not that she’s stupid or anything but some people just really don’t get Catholicism no matter how much you try to explain it.

I talked to my husband a little bit more about this tonight and I understand a little bit better where he was coming from. He basically just thinks that I should be really careful because since we are new to this and still have a lot to learn, I could easily turn people away from Catholicism, even though my intentions are the opposite. I can agree with that. I definitely don’t want to turn anyone away so I’ve decided to just calm it down with all the Catholic stuff on social media for now. After I have learned more about it, hopefully I will get better at learning what to say and what not to say to people, without coming across in an argumentative or defensive way.

Great, your in my prayers. I would also suggest watching EWTN Catholic Cable network on Monday nights at 7 pm CST, “Journey Home” program. Lots of the guests are former protestant ministers who became Catholic. Their stories are very interesting and very informative. God Bless, Memaw

 

[oldrover]

Great, your in my prayers. I would also suggest watching EWTN Catholic Cable network on Monday nights at 7 pm CST, “Journey Home” program. Lots of the guests are former protestant ministers who became Catholic. Their stories are very interesting and very informative. God Bless, Memaw

This. JH was instrumental in bringing me, a lifelong Protestant, and my wife, a Catholic-raised-subsequent-evangelical, to the Church.

 

[nat_c1990]

Yes indeedy. Jack Chick is little more than a propagandist. Not even a very good one, in fact. His anti-Catholic views are what I at least consider to be borderline psychotic.

As you say, much of this comes down to ignorance. My experience is when someone hears Catholic apologists or clergy explain doctrine, the hostility usually evaporates. Not always but in a good number of cases.

If I may be so bold, hand-on-heart I believe the future belongs to us. The Protestant mainline in America has very little life left to it. Evangelical denominations are diminishing too, although at a slower rate.

We may all be Catholics before this over.

This is a tender issue. But… yes. I do think there’s something to your theory about mental capacities. That sounds terrible to say but the expression about “knowing enough to be dangerous” is a cliche because it’s true. Someone who has read just enough Protestant stuff in their lives may have the mental faculties to absorb and memorize those things but they’re not quite sharp enough to see through the veil.

This, incidentally, is yet another argument in the Catholic Church’s favor. It doesn’t require someone to be an armchair theologian or a brilliant scholar. It gives the same sacraments to everybody. Those who need to feed their brains are encouraged to do so. Those who, shall we say, don’t want to feed their brains can receive the same body and blood as the smarties in the room and we’re all equal.

No matter what somebody needs spiritually, the Catholic Church is ready, willing, able, and eager to provide it.

I understand. And he may have a point.

Not that it’s any of my business but I have a question for you if you are willing to answer it. But first a quick digression.

When I began studying Catholic doctrine, I was vaguely a Sola Scriptura, fire-breathing evangelical. But the more I studied Catholic theology, the more I saw how flawlessly, perfectly logical every single Catholic doctrine is. No matter how strange it may seem at first, the logic is unassailable.

Because of that, I went through a phase where I was a bit angry because I felt lied to and betrayed by my entire life up to that point. Not only is the Catholic Church not my enemy, everything they believe looked to be right as far as I could tell. And everything I believed was wrong. The anger at the jeopardy my soul had been placed in was difficult to overcome for a long while there.

My question: Are you perhaps experiencing that same resentment?

Again, totally not my business and I don’t blame you if you’d prefer I keep my questions to myself. I’m only curious, that’s all.

It’s funny that you mention this because this is exactly what I was just talking to my husband about. I told him that it made me angry that for all these years, I had been told all these negative things about the Catholic Church and I feel like an idiot for blindly trusting these people and not doing my own research on it. I definitely felt deceived.

And I’m not going to lie. When my friend posted that ridiculous link to Jack Chick, my initial emotion was anger. I felt like it was just another person trying to spread more nonsense about the Catholic Church. When I told her that she would need to do her own research on it in order to fully understand it, she responded with “I have indeed done my own research on Catholicism.” And then she posted that link. I was thinking to myself, if this is your idea of doing your own research, you obviously don’t understand. This guy had absolutely no proof to back up his absurd claims.

This is why my husband is suggesting that I give it a little more time. He said that I need to wait long enough so that I can tell people about Catholicism without those feelings of anger and hostility. He says that I’m more likely to get people to really see the truth about Catholicism if I can talk to them without involving my emotions.

 

[jmjZelie]

I haven’t read the rest of the thread but I have two immediate thoughts based on your OP.

First, I loathe Facebook. I think it is just awful. I think it ruins actual relationships and makes it appear that non-relationships are actual ones. And I think it is essentially a vehicle for narcissism. I advise all people of good will to get off Facebook.

Second, when I was going through conversion, I was initially very secretive. I didn’t want to have to talk about or defend my newly embraced religion to anybody, until I felt strong enough and sure enough to do so. My husband felt the same way, so we waited to inform family until a month or two before we were confirmed. Perhaps your husband feels similarly?

One final thought, welcome home tothe Catholic Faith!

 

[JimG]

I haven’t read the rest of the thread but I have two immediate thoughts based on your OP.

First, I loathe Facebook. I think it is just awful. I think it ruins actual relationships and makes it appear that non-relationships are actual ones. And I think it is essentially a vehicle for narcissism. I advise all people of good will to get off Facebook.

Second, when I was going through conversion, I was initially very secretive. I didn’t want to have to talk about or defend my newly embraced religion to anybody, until I felt strong enough and sure enough to do so. My husband felt the same way, so we waited to inform family until a month or two before we were confirmed. Perhaps your husband feels similarly?

One final thought, welcome home to the Catholic Faith!

I pretty much agree with this. I can only tolerate Facebook for a few minutes each month to see if a relative has new photos of the kids. Other than that, it drives me up the wall.

 

[thecolorsblend]

It’s funny that you mention this because this is exactly what I was just talking to my husband about. I told him that it made me angry that for all these years, I had been told all these negative things about the Catholic Church and I feel like an idiot for blindly trusting these people and not doing my own research on it. I definitely felt deceived.

And I’m not going to lie. When my friend posted that ridiculous link to Jack Chick, my initial emotion was anger. I felt like it was just another person trying to spread more nonsense about the Catholic Church. When I told her that she would need to do her own research on it in order to fully understand it, she responded with “I have indeed done my own research on Catholicism.” And then she posted that link. I was thinking to myself, if this is your idea of doing your own research, you obviously don’t understand. This guy had absolutely no proof to back up his absurd claims.

This is why my husband is suggesting that I give it a little more time. He said that I need to wait long enough so that I can tell people about Catholicism without those feelings of anger and hostility. He says that I’m more likely to get people to really see the truth about Catholicism if I can talk to them without involving my emotions.

It’s understandable. Giving yourself time to study more, learn more and, perhaps, let go of some of your anger could be the way to go.

My policy with Facebook is that I get to post whatever I want. If someone disagrees, they’re welcome to post anything they want on their own page. Other people get to post whatever they want on their page. If I disagree, I’m welcome to post something on my page.

Facebook easily lends itself to putting people into conflict with each other. It feeds into bitterness and vitriol. Just today a Catholic acquaintance dragged me into some atheist vs. theist debate forum without my permission. Or even a warning!

I don’t have fire in my veins these days. I don’t have the energy for meaningless arguments anymore. If someone has sincere questions, I’ll try answering. But Catholicism is a really beautiful tradition and I won’t use it as a battering ram to “win” some dumb argument. I get baited enough by my Protestant family as it is.

It can be irritating when someone posts inflammatory stuff on Facebook. But there’s a lot to be said for ignoring it or maybe posting something affirming from a Pope or a Church Father or something on your own page instead.

Your anger is understandable though.

 

[slh3016]

I can TOTALLY understand where you are coming from because our family just came into the Church this past Easter Vigil. I fight the temptation a LOT to post things regarding Catholicism, saints, etc. and I have posted some things that are pretty non-confrontation like the bio of St. Patrick on St. Patrick’s Day. I had several Protestant friends actually thank me for posting it because they didn’t know the history behind St. Patrick’s Day.

I would daresay that most of my family doesn’t know yet that we’ve converted. I don’t think Facebook is the proper platform for that and I honestly don’t want it to be that big of a deal. I’m sure they will find out eventually Heck, I’ve not even told my mom However, she doesn’t attend church so I’m not sure she cares or even knows enough to have an opinion

For me, I want to share all this newfound information because I want my family’s and friends’ to learn the information as well. I want them to experience the fullness of truth because of my deep love for them and not as a “I’ve got one up on you” which I think Facebook tends to promote. So, my advice is that you can post some non-confrontational things such as quotes from saints or church fathers that are not really offensive to any brand of Christianity. There are certain things that ALL Christians can’t deny and I think that the best way is to display the fact that there were many wonderful Christian people who lived throughout the centuries and whose deep love of God is so evident in how they lived that it leaves a Protestant scratching their head and thinking, “Geez, these people sound like they love Jesus and have a relationship with Him and they are Catholic. If Catholicism is so totally wrong, how could it have produced men and women like this?”

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

But I felt like it was an obligation to at least let her know who this guy is and that he isn’t a reliable source. If she can’t see that, then theres nothing more I can do. Maybe she just doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand, not that she’s stupid or anything but some people just really don’t get Catholicism no matter how much you try to explain it.

I talked to my husband a little bit more about this tonight and I understand a little bit better where he was coming from. He basically just thinks that I should be really careful because since we are new to this and still have a lot to learn, I could easily turn people away from Catholicism, even though my intentions are the opposite.

I think it was good that you let her know that the source is not to be trusted. But l would now leave it at that.

Some converts really want to share their journey and evangelise, which l believe is a common phase. Not a bad thing in itself, but l agree with your husband that the zeal can backfire.

Best of luck, I’ll keep in you in my prayers.