In defense of the faith...with my friend

[Lillith]

I had a problem of sorts that sounds identical to the one your experiencing now.

For years we never spoke of religion, but suddenly more and more often over the past year she began to bring up the subject…I believe she became a born again born again…whereas before she was a luke warm born again, apparently she was on fire.

There are lots of similarities between fundamentalists and catholics that people should focus on…we can fight abortion, resist gay marriage, and try to improve our communities together…and maybe you can sway your friend to focus on those subjects.

I unfortunately was unable to sustain that friendship. My friend was not in the mood to find common ground and I was not in the mood to hear any more bashing about the Church that I love. I defended rigorously one night last May and haven’t heard from her since.

 

[Robert_in_SD]

Hi annb;

If you haven’t already bought a copy of Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating, go get it and read it. You might try to offer it to your friend so she can read it on her own without engaging you in a debate. You can offer to talk with her about the book after she’s had a chance to read it.

Also, it helps to have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and a good Catholic (Ignatius/RSV) Bible handy. (The RSV is accepted by most protestants as well as Catholics, so its a good source to use)

Always remember to be charitable, but that does not mean you have to agree with her or remain silent when she makes a misinformed statement about our faith. Ask her where she got such an idea and why she believes such a thing is true. Turn the attack into a dialogue in which she explains the basis for her understanding so you can correct her.

Best of luck,