Is it a good idea?

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Hi all. I have a slight problem. I have a friend/student at my martial arts class. He is 14 and a Sikh. Recently he has expressed an interest in Christianity, possibly a desire to convert. However, because of his Sikh upbringing and their bloody past with Islam in India, I don’t think he will respond well to evangelisation. How should I go about helping him to find Christ? Should I even try considering his age? I don’t think he would be very responsive to a priest as Sikhism has no concept of ‘priests’, I have a feeling I am his only point of contact with the Catholic world, and because we don’t come across as ‘friendly’ quite like the evangelicals, I have a feeling that unless I act soon, he may be lost.

Again this seems quite dramatic, but he is an intelligent kid, without guidance he will probably go off and try to educate himself, without a proper guide to Catholicism he will likely find protestantism to be far more appealing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated-even if just to tell me ‘‘he is too young and you aren’t qualified’’ 😃

God Bless
Peter
 
Answer his questions without any pressure and be a good example for him. You are correct that at his age the Church would probably not baptise him without his parents’ consent, but when he reaches his majority he will able to decide for himself.
 
If I understand what you are asking here, it seems to me that you are placing the “cart before the horse.” Don’t second guess this lad. He is the one expressing an interest. Teach him the basics. The rest will follow.
 
Matas said:
If I understand what you are asking here, it seems to me that you are placing the “cart before the horse.” Don’t second guess this lad. He is the one expressing an interest. Teach him the basics. The rest will follow.
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Thank you Matas. My only worry is that if left to do his own research on the matter he may feel more immediately welcomed by the protestants as they seem more outwardly friendly. He is intelligent but he is also searching for a sense of belonging.

I will teach him the basics and lead by example, God Willing that will be enough for now.

Peter
 
Help him to realise how ancient the CC is compared to the protestant denominations he might come across. How our Liturgy goes back to Jesus and how God was worshipped in the Temple and synagogues 2000 years ago.
 
Great idea. If he asks that is. As I said, he is currently a sikh, they fought tooth and nail against Muslim invaders and resisted conversion for centuries. I don’t feel he will respond well to overt evangelisation.

My other concern is that as a Sikh, a member of a relatively young religion (less than 500 years) He will not be overly concerned with how ancient our faith is, although, as a comparison against protestantism it is probably the best bet.

Thanks again Eileen,
God Bless.
Peter
 
LDNCatholic said:
Hi all. I have a slight problem. I have a friend/student at my martial arts class. He is 14 and a Sikh. Recently he has expressed an interest in Christianity, possibly a desire to convert. Any help would be greatly appreciated-even if just to tell me ‘‘he is too young and you aren’t qualified’’
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Sikhism teaches one God. That alone is a good starting point. Tell him of the peace, the joy, the fellowship, the promise of eternal life, the ability to commune with your Saviour on a daily basis. Tell him that he can attend mass in virtually every nation on earth and be among brothers and sisters. Show him as much care and compassion as you can, leading by example. When he sees Christ in you, he will have a stronger desire to convert. Just my two pence worth…

Christ’s peace be with you.
 
po18guy said:
Sikhism teaches one God. That alone is a good starting point. Tell him of the peace, the joy, the fellowship, the promise of eternal life, the ability to commune with your Saviour on a daily basis. Tell him that he can attend mass in virtually every nation on earth and be among brothers and sisters. Show him as much care and compassion as you can, leading by example. When he sees Christ in you, he will have a stronger desire to convert. Just my two pence worth…

Christ’s peace be with you.
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Excellent point, Monotheism is a good starting point. He isn’t a terribly observant Sikh, doesn’t observe the five Ks (only Kara) and doesn’t speak Punjabi, which is a big deal in Sikhism. I think you are right that the best way is to preach through actions. I pray that God will inspire him to search further for the truth. I have a feeling that Christmas or Easter will be his turning point but who knows.

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut and God Bless
 
Why dont you give him a book that is appropriate for his age. Tell him you will be happy to discuss it with him if he likes. If you think giving him the book might cause a problem for him if his parents find out, he could leave it at the martial arts studio and read before class etc.

Sincerely,

Maria1212
 
Maria1212 said:
Why dont you give him a book that is appropriate for his age. Tell him you will be happy to discuss it with him if he likes. If you think giving him the book might cause a problem for him if his parents find out, he could leave it at the martial arts studio and read before class etc.

Sincerely,

Maria1212
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Oh I don’t think his parents would mind their son exploring other religions, or converting, they are quite open minded. They might take offence if they feel I am making a conscious effort to destroy his cultural identity. However I would not be asking these questions if he hadn’t approached me first. We don’t have the option of leaving literature at the class, things are done on a smaller scale here in England, we rent out school halls rather than having purpose built studios.

Do you (or anyone else for that matter) have any suggestions for age appropriate books?

Thankyou Maria
God Bless
Peter
 
LDNCatholic said:
Hi all. I have a slight problem. I have a friend/student at my martial arts class. He is 14 and a Sikh. Recently he has expressed an interest in Christianity, possibly a desire to convert. However, because of his Sikh upbringing and their bloody past with Islam in India, I don’t think he will respond well to evangelisation. How should I go about helping him to find Christ? Should I even try considering his age? I don’t think he would be very responsive to a priest as Sikhism has no concept of ‘priests’, I have a feeling I am his only point of contact with the Catholic world, and because we don’t come across as ‘friendly’ quite like the evangelicals, I have a feeling that unless I act soon, he may be lost.

Again this seems quite dramatic, but he is an intelligent kid, without guidance he will probably go off and try to educate himself, without a proper guide to Catholicism he will likely find protestantism to be far more appealing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated-even if just to tell me ‘‘he is too young and you aren’t qualified’’ 😃

God Bless
Peter
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You are attempting something that very few people ever do. Begin at the beginning explain the concept of ONE God, in Trinity. Explain creation and then salvation history. Then Christianity, the Catholic Church will then follow. This is something that will take a long while to do.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
You are attempting something that very few people ever do. Begin at the beginning explain the concept of ONE God, in Trinity. Explain creation and then salvation history. Then Christianity, the Catholic Church will then follow. This is something that will take a long while to do.
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Ok thank you brother. He is a Sikh, they’re already monotheist so that shouldn’t present too much trouble. The trinity could be tricky (suppose I’ll have to pull a St Patrick 😃 ). I realise it will take a while, but it will be worth it to be a tool in someone’s salvation.

Once again brother thank you
God Bless
Peter
 
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