Is it better to be a committed evangelical or an apathetic Catholic?

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I didn’t vote in the poll but I would have to say that it is better to be the apathetic Catholic because at least one is in the true Church. That said, I would hope with all my heart that an apathetic (or even cafeteria Catholic) would grow in their spirituality toward a wholly devout life in the Catholic Church. :gopray2:

Let us all pray that we do not become apathetic in our Catholic faith and that those who are may be drawn into the love of Christ and truly see the mercy and goodness of Jesus. :gopray:
 
…well, i was gonna say the A-catholic… but, it’s hard to convince someone who thinks that they have been there and done that…

…the C-evangelical might actually listen long enough to learn something… at least they will look at scripture with you…

…good question…

Peace:thumbsup:

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To answer the question as it was asked, it is better to live a life as Jesus taught us to live. By any name or denomination.

I have to ask the question, with all respect for everyone in the military because I have respect for those in the military, Why would a chaplain of the Air Force Academy be telling cadets to evangelize their friends. It just seems like the focus of those attending such a place would be to defend our nation - militarily- to the best of their ability. Of course chaplains should always encourage believers to live according to Jesus’s teachings but to make preachers out of B-2 pilots seems a bit odd to me. It seems like seminaries are a more appropriate place for that, whether Catholic or evangelical.

peace

-Jim
 
Jesus answered this question in the 3rd chapter of Revelation when he prefered hot or even cold to the lukewarm.

Again, while a nominal catholilc might have access to the sacrament a couple of times a year, this is more a frightening thought. For to whom much is given, much will be required. To have all the potential of God’s grace and the fullness of the faith, and then give one’s life to the world is a quick path to a hardened heart.
 
It is not where you are but where you end up. Is the question which would be better to be at the moment of death, or which provides a better environment for the Holy Spirit?
 
I didn’t vote in the poll, but it is an interesting question. Both people (the committed evangelical and the apathetic Catholic) have a very real opportunity to grow.
As others have pointed out, Christ did say that to be hot or cold was preferable to being lukewarm. St. Alphonsus Liguori said that in order to be a saint, a person must first have the desire to be a saint, a desire that might be more present in a committed evangelical than in an apathetic or lukewarm Catholic. Also, the evangelical in this scenario is more likely to delve into the Scriptures and may find in doing so that there is more to true Christianity than he can find in his church.
On the other hand, the apathetic Catholic has the benefit of the sacraments. In addition, an apathetic Catholic faces fewer obstacles if he decides to become more fully Catholic. While an evangelical may face opposition from family and friends, especially if they think the Catholic Church is evil, a lukewarm Catholic probably would not experience the same degree of opposition. I have known lukewarm Catholics who after years of being apathetic felt the Holy Spirit tug on their hearts. One of them now attends daily Mass and weekly Confession.
I think it really depends not on where people are in their faith, but in what direction they are headed.
 
Some respondents have mentioned that this isn’t a really useful or easy to answer question. I agree. A better way to look at the issue is to ask “What should be my response upon encountering either of these?” Whether confronted with a commited evangelical protestant or an apathetic Catholic, I should pray for him, and hope to lead her by my example of living the imitation of Christ into the fulness of membership in the Body of Christ. Pope Benedict has spoken forcefully of his commitment to overcoming the pseudo-religion of relativism. I would say it’s close cousin is indifferentism, which has infected many even in the highest hierarchical levels. Indifferentism is the idea that all well-meaning persons searching sincerely for God are equally positioned for salvation, so why should we upset them by trying to bring them into the Catholic Church. Let them work out their salvation as evangelical Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc. Many stories are told of priests, even heads of religious orders telling Jews or Protestants not to worry about converting, just be “good persons” where they are, God is OK with it. Some literally were refused instruction and baptism by priests, especially Jews on the grounds that the Old Covenant (with Abraham & Moses) is still in force and is their way to salvation. The Old Covenant was not abrogated by Jesus, but as St. Paul said, it was, and still is, not able to redeem and justify, because it depends on human perfection in the absence of grace. So, brothers and sisters, be very careful about comparing apples and oranges, or in this case, committed evangelicals with apathetic Catholics. Instead, follow Jesus, obey him, go out to “instruct all peoples, baptising them in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, in other words, bring them to the fulness of membership in the Mystical Body, which subsists in the Catholic Church. “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the OBLIGATION and also the SACRED RIGHT to evangelize all men” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #848.)
 
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