Is it appropriate to fund a Protestant missionary?

[GraceDK]

Several years ago one of my relatives was soliciting thousands of dollars from family members, so she could participate in a missionary effort which lasted only a few weeks. She believes that the Gospels teach that contraception, abortion, divorce and remarriage, homosexual relationships, personal interpretation of the Scriptures, Sola Scriptura, and Sola Fide are all okay. As much as I love her, I did not want to contribute to anyone causing harm to souls by MIS-teaching the message of our Lord. I sent her $50, and told her it was for fun and souvenir-shopping before and after her missionary trip.

Thats one interesting Protestant you have met there. See I have met many Protestants (and many Catholics too) who are liberal and who find homosexual unions, abortion etc but these are hardly ever the kind who goes off into the mission and risk their life, health and comfort.
Why am I saying your relative is unique, well because she, according to you, TEACH that contraception, divorce, remarriage, sola scriptura, sola fide are all okay…
I somehow doubt your interpretation of reality though.
See every serious Evangelical I know is against homosexual relationships, against abortion (although not all as active in the pro-life movement, but neither are many Catholics) and against divorce and remarriage (they just dont have a teaching about annullments, but our numbers of divorde are about the same as theirs, so lets not pretend anything… many of them believe in the exception clause as the only valid reason for divorce…
No serious evangelical I know have ever TAUGHT abortion, contraception (they dont
find it to be a topic for them at all, and nobody thinks of asking them, all they wanna do is to share the simple Gospel with people)… also, when I talk with my Evangelical friends they agree that by grace we are saved through faith (the letter of Paul to the Ephesians) and this faith, if its alive, is active and fruitfull.
Maybe you can’t imagine other kinds of Christianity than the Catholic one which has an oppinion about every social or moral issue… But most evangelicals don’t and their churches don’t. Therefore you cannot actually say they teach eg. that contraception is okay, or that Tradition is wrong… most of them would be at a loss as to why you would even bring up the topics, because they are mainly concerned with the Gospel message of salvation and forgiveness through Christ. … and in some way they would be right. Its only when and if people know Christ, that is, have accepted the basic tenets of our faith personally, that other things start falling into place. And they are extremely good at passing on that which they have, so whats the fuss…
Many awesome Catholics I know were evangelised by Evangelicals, and only after that powerful work of our fellowChristians did these brothers have a chance of walking further and eventually finding our own sometimes rather passive churches.

 

[livnlern]

Thats one interesting Protestant you have met there. See I have met many Protestants (and many Catholics too) who are liberal and who find homosexual unions, abortion etc but these are hardly ever the kind who goes off into the mission and risk their life, health and comfort.
Why am I saying your relative is unique, well because she, according to you, TEACH that contraception, divorce, remarriage, sola scriptura, sola fide are all okay…
I somehow doubt your interpretation of reality though.
See every serious Evangelical I know is against homosexual relationships, against abortion (although not all as active in the pro-life movement, but neither are many Catholics) and against divorce and remarriage (they just dont have a teaching about annullments, but our numbers of divorde are about the same as theirs, so lets not pretend anything… many of them believe in the exception clause as the only valid reason for divorce…
No serious evangelical I know have ever TAUGHT abortion, contraception (they dont
find it to be a topic for them at all, and nobody thinks of asking them, all they wanna do is to share the simple Gospel with people)… also, when I talk with my Evangelical friends they agree that by grace we are saved through faith (the letter of Paul to the Ephesians) and this faith, if its alive, is active and fruitfull.
Maybe you can’t imagine other kinds of Christianity than the Catholic one which has an oppinion about every social or moral issue… But most evangelicals don’t and their churches don’t. Therefore you cannot actually say they teach eg. that contraception is okay, or that Tradition is wrong… most of them would be at a loss as to why you would even bring up the topics, because they are mainly concerned with the Gospel message of salvation and forgiveness through Christ. … and in some way they would be right. Its only when and if people know Christ, that is, have accepted the basic tenets of our faith personally, that other things start falling into place. And they are extremely good at passing on that which they have, so whats the fuss…
Many awesome Catholics I know were evangelised by Evangelicals, and only after that powerful work of our fellowChristians did these brothers have a chance of walking further and eventually finding our own sometimes rather passive churches.

What do you have to say about Protestant missionaries that go to places like Mexico and Brazil, traditionally Catholic countries, and try to convert those people? I know of someone who used to be Catholic but is now Mormon and has gone to Brazil to try to make conversions.

 

[livnlern]

If you are not sure, why even worry about it? Give your donation to a Catholic cause, if you want to make one. There is no call to explain to someone why you aren’t giving them money for their cause. If you want to tell them you are giving them something, you could say you will pray for them. You could then pray that they will do or know God’s will, for example.
I don’t see though objections that he would be violating Chinese law. In the Roman Empire Christians evangelized, though their activities were against the law.

You have a good idea Spencer. The OP could make a contribution to a Catholic group in the relative’s name. That person shouldn’t object to Christianity being spread in this way. And also praying for the relative’s safety and that he will come to know the true faith is a good idea. Obviously this person is serious about his faith and prayers to help him in his faith can’t go astray.

 

[AlwaysCurious]

I really do appreciate everyone’s insights!

If you are not sure, why even worry about it? Give your donation to a Catholic cause, if you want to make one. There is no call to explain to someone why you aren’t giving them money for their cause. If you want to tell them you are giving them something, you could say you will pray for them. You could then pray that they will do or know God’s will, for example.
I don’t see though objections that he would be violating Chinese law. In the Roman Empire Christians evangelized, though their activities were against the law.

This is more than likely what I will do. I am not tied-in-knots over it; since the donations are anonymous he will never know whether I contributed or not. I have been praying for him and will continue to pray. One of my biggest concerns, which was just mentioned, is with Protestant groups who actively seek out Catholics to get them out of the Church; but this particular group isn’t geared toward that. I don’t think China is Catholic enough for that to even be an option.

That brings up a memory for me though. I remember another family member going to the Dominican Republic for a week-long mission trip. She said they ran across some elderly Catholics, so they “witnessed” to them. It wasn’t the goal of their trip, and they’re not particularly anti-Catholic, but their knowledge of Catholicism is so slight that they believe anyone who doesn’t talk and think like an evangelical must be in need of “salvation.”

 

[GraceDK]

What do you have to say about Protestant missionaries that go to places like Mexico and Brazil, traditionally Catholic countries, and try to convert those people? I know of someone who used to be Catholic but is now Mormon and has gone to Brazil to try to make conversions.

I have at no time said to support anti-catholics. My own background and experience is with people who are evangelical or protestant and have nothing against Catholic.
The Evangelicals I know are mainly pentecostals, and a few non-denominational ones… they’ve never tried to make me leave the Catholic Church, never questioned my salvation etc. on the contrary a pentecostal friend said in front of the whole group that they were blessed to have me in their fellowship because our country was christianed by a Catholic in year 1000 something… I was allowed and met with a smile by the pastor when I approached the front of the church to give a message at one point, he trusted me although he didn’t know what I would say…
Many of these friends have honestly told me they were inspired or even jealous at my faith and relationship with Jesus. One of my closest pentecostal friends, who also never said anything against my Catholic faith, went to south america to work at an orphanage and also thus do missionary work.
And how could I mind. I know she is not Catholic… she believes there are true believers in all churches… and according to Scripture she is right. I believe that many a south american needs to be evangelised… alot of really sad things going on in South America, which come from the fact that there is little faith in many people, although the traditions are very visible.

I have said it before, and you might disaprove, but: rather be a spiritually alive evangelical/ protestant, than a spiritually dead Catholic.

However, as I said in the beginning I don’t support anti-catholics and wont do it. The brothers I know in other churches are far too occupied spreading the Gospel than with having endless discussions with people about secondary things… and thats good. i say, lets work together in the mission field. After that we can let people look at the lesser differences between church traditions.