Need help creating 6 week intro to Catholicism

[Dolphin]

@Londoner I never said sex. I said sexuality → JPII’s Theology of the Body

 

[De_Maria]

Somebody has six weeks to explain Catholicism to Protestants and the first thing you think of is sex?

Sounds like a fun class. Where do I sign up?

 

[Thomasbradley312]

Not possible.
Our faith is something that someone could learn for a lifetime and still have more to learn.

 

[Londoner]

Okay, so you said “sexuality” and I admit that that is not exactly the same thing as sex, as in the actual mechanics of sexual intercourse, but I was responding to your point overall. The fact that I used a shorter and somewhat offhand form of words doesn’t change the point that I was making. I could go back and change it to “sexuality” and everything I said would still stand. I find it genuinely strange that when asked what to include in a six-week introduction to Catholicism for Protestants you would think that the first thing that comes to mind is John Paul II’s theology of the body and Catholic ideas about human sexuality in general. At most, I would subsume the theology of the body into my final point about focusing on the Church’s social teaching and the teachings about the culture of life and the dignity of the human person and the Church’s role in the history of the twentieth century. In the whole of the 2,000-year worldwide history of the Catholic Church, the theology of the body is not the most important thing to tell Protestants about. There is just so much that is more fundamental. Like, for example, I didn’t think to mention our idea that what the Church teaches is revealed by God and the sources of that. Protestants would be fascinated to know how Catholics read the Bible for example. So much more fundamental than talking to them about sexuality.

Oh, and as somebody else pointed out, purgatory. I mean, the Catholic Church’s teachings on purgatory was possibly the single biggest contributing factor in the Reformation in the first place. Purgatory and indulgences. That would be totally fundamental in dialogue with Protestants. It would just be infinitely more important to cover than anything to do with sex or sexuality or the theology of the body.

 

[SteveLy]

:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: You’re funny

 

[Wife.of.Gabriel]

I have the opportunity to give a 6 week class to a group of Protestants to provide an overview of Catholicism. What 6 topics would you suggest?

What an exciting opportunity!!!

1. Focus on God’s Salvation Plan through His Covenants established through human history: Marriage, Family, Tribe, Nation, Kingdom & Universal Church. Discuss the other Catholic Churches within our Universal Church: Byzantines, Maronite, etc. Mention also how the Church is established with parishes on every continent of the world, including Antarctica.
2. Focus on the Papacy. Established by Christ to replace the High Priest. The unbroken line of Successors. How the Papacy differs from the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Moscow, Alexandria, Antioch & Jerusalem. How the Pope’s authority is over the Universal Church, not just the Latin.
3. Saved by Grace Alone through Faith & Works. Show in the Bible the numerous New Testament passages about how Faith without Works is Death. How Jesus repeatedly says He’ll judge us on our Works - separate the weeds from the wheat - based on what we did.
4. Focus on what Jesus specifically gave to us as how we should live, the Seven Sacraments & the 2 Commandments. Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick.
5. Holy Mass - Liturgy of the Word (Bible read every 3 years - same readings in every Catholic Church world wide). Liturgy of the Eucharist - God feeds us Himself so that we may grow to be more like Him. Masses are held every day of the year.
6. Our Mother Mary. Her life, feast days, Old Testament prophecy & New Testament writings, especially in Luke and Revelations 12. Truly our Mother. Truly the Mother of God, because of she’s Not God’s Mother, than Who is Jesus if not fully God and fully Human. Mother, but not the source of His Divinity. Her approved Apparitions since her Assumption into heaven.
7. Saints - our goal in life our sanctification, a gift from Jesus that we cooperate with. We remain members of Christ’s Body even after our earthly life. Their writings while on earth, like the Church Fathers. Our brothers & sisters in heaven praying for us and miracles. Also, our brothers and sisters in purgatory. Lastly, be sure to name names of the multiple pastors of their denominations who’ve converted to Catholicism and include that list and resources for more info. in handouts you leave with them, if possible.

be sure to look up and present Bible verses through out your talk. Let them know our Church teaches “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”.
If possible, make printouts so they can review for themselves, hopefully prayerfully at home.

Praying for you and for the conversion of the hearts of those you present to. Again, amazing opportunity!!! God Bless your presentation.