My Fundamentalist Pentecostal Neighbor

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. I have a neighbor who is a Fundamentalist Pentecostal. She was baptised with a trinitarian baptism formula a few years ago when she became Christian. She is very very devout. I was witnessing to her about praying to saints and today she told me she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Apparently she was convicted about it or something and so it bothered her. Basically she said that she’s not Catholic and so she can’t believe in it or something of that sort. What chance do such Protestants have at getting to Heaven if they never come to the Catholic Church?

 

[Lazerlike42]

If she’s seeking God with all her heart, it’s always possible.

I would, by the way, recommend starting with something small.

lazerliek42.tripod.com/ever.htm

There’s a (non-complete) list I put together. Pick something minor out of it (like the Father thing for example, but not necessarily that one). Pick something that doesn’t have as much weight as praying to Saints, something that she won’t have a strong emotional reaction to. Start with that. Once a person beings to see a little bit of truth in something small, they become much more open to listening to bigger things.

 

[Della]

I wouldn’t try to win her over to the Catholic faith by telling her about Catholic teachings she doesn’t understand and has a knee-jerk reaction against. For instance, she told you she was baptized with the proper trinitarian form (although she didn’t word it that way). So, you could have mentioned that the Catholic Church recognizes her baptism and considers her as one of its separated brethren. In that way she would have learned something about the Catholic faith and not had to defend her own beliefs against yours.

The best thing you can do is be a kind, loving neighbor to her. Show her that Catholics are good people with deep faith in Christ. Share with her whatever she has of the truth and let her come to you with questions. If you try to force your faith on her she will, quite naturally, avoid the subject as well as you.

 

[Lazerlike42]

Della:

I wouldn’t try to win her over to the Catholic faith by telling her about Catholic teachings she doesn’t understand and has a knee-jerk reaction against. Instead, be a kind, loving neighbor to her. Show her that Catholics are good people with deep faith in Christ. Share with her whatever she has of the truth and let her come to you with questions. If you try to force your faith on her she will, quite naturally, avoid the subject as well as you.

That’s true too. Dave Armstrong said, and I agree completely, that there is NO substitute for spending time around [good and real] Catholics and seeing how they are as people, and also seeing how they are religiously. This is what won me over. I was non-denom but I was a part of my girlfriend’s Catholic group at college. At first, I was very against this group, and wouldn’t go anywhere near it. My best friend is also Catholic, and he was in the group too. Because we used to eat together at college, and spend a lot of time together, I became less harsh to Catholics because I saw how they were religiously and as people. Eventually I started going to the group meetings just because it was better than hanging around for an hour and waiting for them. It was only by spending time with them that I felt comfortable going. Once I was there, I started to hear the Catholic views on things. This softened me to the point that I was finally ready to really look into the Church and investigate it with an open mind.

 

[JKirkLVNV]

Holly3278:

Hi everyone. I have a neighbor who is a Fundamentalist Pentecostal. She was baptised with a trinitarian baptism formula a few years ago when she became Christian. She is very very devout. I was witnessing to her about praying to saints and today she told me she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Apparently she was convicted about it or something and so it bothered her. Basically she said that she’s not Catholic and so she can’t believe in it or something of that sort. What chance do such Protestants have at getting to Heaven if they never come to the Catholic Church?

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

[818](javascriptpenWindow(‘cr/818.htm’) "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . . . . All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."272 819 "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

And further, from the Catechism:

[838](javascriptpenWindow(‘cr/838.htm’) "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist."324

 

[Holly3278]

I was just offered the opportunity to witness to her again and praise God that the Lord gave me the words to say! http://www.catholicforum.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif She asked a few questions. I thought it was all over today when she said she didn’t want to discuss it anymore but praise be to God that the Holy Spirit is still opening up opportunities for me to witness to her. Everyone, please keep her in your prayers!

 

[Malachi4U]

Faith is a gift. We are free to take or leave it.

Your friend has chosen to have faith but not Faith. Closed mindedness is horrible. Everyone should seek the truth, allways. Even us Catholics need to allways strive to search for the truth. (Of course we have found it! )

People are scared of coming home to Christs body, His visable Church, the Catholic Church. They are afraid because they are lied to about it, made to fear it, isolated in their sects by antiCatholic bigots and Satan. The Catholic Church follows all of Gods laws and rules and this makes it difficult to be Catholic. Other churches just pick and choose what they want to follow so it is easy to be Protestant. Believe what you want, who cares what Jesus commanded. Your friend might be under severe pressure to avoid talking to you. Be kind to her and show her love.

 

[Holly3278]

Malachi4U:

Faith is a gift. We are free to take or leave it.

Your friend has chosen to have faith but not Faith. Closed mindedness is horrible. Everyone should seek the truth, allways. Even us Catholics need to allways strive to search for the truth. (Of course we have found it! )

People are scared of coming home to Christs body, His visable Church, the Catholic Church. They are afraid because they are lied to about it, made to fear it, isolated in their sects by antiCatholic bigots and Satan. The Catholic Church follows all of Gods laws and rules and this makes it difficult to be Catholic. Other churches just pick and choose what they want to follow so it is easy to be Protestant. Believe what you want, who cares what Jesus commanded. Your friend might be under severe pressure to avoid talking to you. Be kind to her and show her love.

I am so sad. I see little to no chance of bringing Donna, my neighbor, to Catholicism. That and my dad’s girlfriend’s son is starting to go to her church now too. Satan is at work with Donna.

 

[Lazerlike42]

Holly3278:

I am so sad. I see little to no chance of bringing Donna, my neighbor, to Catholicism. That and my dad’s girlfriend’s son is starting to go to her church now too. Satan is at work with Donna.

Don’t fret. You don’t have to do it overnight.

In fact, you can’t do it at all. Only God can do it. You can be nothing more than a servant of God.

So pray, and be patient. When the chances come to you to talk to her, take them. In the meantime, treat her with respect and nicely.

Do the same for this boy. If, though he is already Catholic, I would recommend perhaps trying to talk to him a wee bit. He may simply be following misunderstanding or lies which you could easily correct.

 

[Holly3278]

Lazerlike42:

Don’t fret. You don’t have to do it overnight.

In fact, you can’t do it at all. Only God can do it. You can be nothing more than a servant of God.

So pray, and be patient. When the chances come to you to talk to her, take them. In the meantime, treat her with respect and nicely.

Do the same for this boy. If, though he is already Catholic, I would recommend perhaps trying to talk to him a wee bit. He may simply be following misunderstanding or lies which you could easily correct.

You’re right. There is hope. But only a small amount of hope for Donna I think.

 

[Lazerlike42]

Holly3278:

You’re right. There is hope. But only a small amount of hope for Donna I think.

Pro 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;”

Mat 19:26 “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

[catsrus]

Holly3278, don’t give up and don’t worry!
15 years ago, I had a friend who was a Catholic. We sat and argued religion often; her defending Catholism and me refuteing it. But the seeds of information she planted began to take root, eventually, and I began to go the public library to look up some of the things she had spoken of.
Three years ago I was confirmed to Holy Mother Church. It took a long time, 10 years, but here I am today, a faith filled Catholic, thanks, in part, to my friends “seed planting” efforts.
I was the person that one would least expect a conversion from. But here I am! Just lovingly plant your seeds and give Donna over to God. If her ground is fertile, He will take it from there.

 

[wcknight]

Holly3278:

I am so sad. I see little to no chance of bringing Donna, my neighbor, to Catholicism. That and my dad’s girlfriend’s son is starting to go to her church now too. Satan is at work with Donna.

Leave it up to Mary, the Mother of God and the dispenser of all graces. Buy each of them a miraculous medal, have it blessed and chalenge them to keep it with them for one year. Mary promises miracle conversions and healings.

 

[Holly3278]

Holly3278, don’t give up and don’t worry!
15 years ago, I had a friend who was a Catholic. We sat and argued religion often; her defending Catholism and me refuteing it. But the seeds of information she planted began to take root, eventually, and I began to go the public library to look up some of the things she had spoken of.
Three years ago I was confirmed to Holy Mother Church. It took a long time, 10 years, but here I am today, a faith filled Catholic, thanks, in part, to my friends “seed planting” efforts.
I was the person that one would least expect a conversion from. But here I am! Just lovingly plant your seeds and give Donna over to God. If her ground is fertile, He will take it from there.

Hmmm, I suppose that anything is possible, especially with God. I will continue to lovingly plant the seeds. I just hope that she is indeed fertile ground.