PLEASE READ FIRST :: AAA Notes, Tips, Options

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One of the frequent questions received by the Catholic Answers staff is how to become an apologist. Listed below are some links to information. In the future, this list may be extended as more resources become known, so be sure to check back occasionally.
AAA Forum Q & A:

Qualifications for being an apologist?
Which apologist has the Church’s approval?
How does an apologist learn to talk with people about religion?
What is internal apologetics?
How do you find reliable Catholic information online?
What is the best Bible for Catholic apologetics?
What is the difference between an apologist and a theologian?
What is the difference between an apologist and a catechist?

Catholic.com articles:

Practical Apologetics by the Catholic Answers staff
Debating 101 by Jimmy Akin
Toolbox Apologetics by Jimmy Akin
Skill Is Gained By Experience by Jimmy Akin
Five Books Every Apologist Should Read by the CA staff

Book recommendations:

Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid
How NOT to Share Your Faith by Mark Brumley
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Can one of you give in your own words what the Church teaches on predestination? You often link us to Jimmy Akin’s A Tiptoe Through TULIP but it is very ambiguous. Let us know what we should be telling Calvinists is the Catholic Church’s teaching and why. I’m sure if you are in a discussion with a friend of yours and he brings up predestination, you wouldn’t say, “Read Jimmy Akin’s article or buy his book.” Please tell us what you would say.
 
The staff apologists use links because we are trying to answer as many questions as possible in a limited amount of time. If we know of an article or a book that addresses the inquirer’s question, we often will link that article or book so that the inquirer will know where to go to get the information he seeks. Since the Ask an Apologist forum is an informational forum and not a discussion forum, those interested in opinions should take their questions to one of the general forums such as the Apologetics forum.
 
I very much like our new AAA Docent with his horde-o-links for questions that have been asked often, but I’d like to know if he is a real person or a “bot.”
 
Reginald Plum is indeed a real person who has recently joined the Ask an Apologist (AAA) forum. Our new AAA Docent is part of an ongoing effort here at CAF to help more people with the faith. The role of the docent is to assist people in the AAA forum find the answers they are seeking by performing searches and compiling links.

In this manner, the docent is acting more as a personal assistant than as an apologist. But the role is important as it provides personalized help to individuals. Many newcomers are concerned primarily with getting answers (and not so much with learning AAA protocol and the intricacies of the forum software). They just want their questions answered and the docent helps them in this regard.
 
One of my favorite things about CAF was reading the insightful answers in the AAA forum. In fact, it was a comment made by Fr. Serpa that is largely responsible for my finally coming back to the Church.

Now, sadly, it seems that the vast majority of questions are being “answered” by Reginald Plum. His links – some of which are, indeed, written by CAF’s resident apologists – are no doubt helpful, but I truly miss the concise yet incisive responses of the professional apologists, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

My question is: why? I understand the need to have someone do what Reginald does, but it’s very frustrating to find a list of 10 articles I should read when I’m hoping for a quick answer from an expert. It seems to me that (with due respect to Reginald) that this function is inappropriate for a forum called “Ask an Apologist”.

Peace,
Dante
 
Hi Dante,

Reginald Plum is simply using answers that the apologists on this forum have given in the past. Since we so often receive questions that have been asked and answered many times before, Reginald is providing the apologists’ answers from the past. This frees the apologists to answer more questions that have not be answered before.

The number of questions Reginald is providing gives you some idea of how often we have had to answer the same questions over and over. Anyway, never fear we’re still here. And also, thank you for the feed back. We know in general that the Lord uses this forum in powerful ways. But it is always gratifying for us to hear of specific instances.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
 
The Forum Administrator has asked me to explain the apologetics staff’s activity in the Ask an Apologist (AAA) forum.

Staff apologists for Catholic Answers will log onto the Catholic Answers Forums (CAF) as time permits from their other duties, which are considerable. What this can mean, much to our regret, is that staff apologists may not have much time to devote to answering questions in the AAA forum. There are three means though by which members can get their unanswered questions answered:
The AAA Docent: The bulk of questions in the AAA question queue have already been answered at one time or another by the staff apologist. Our AAA Docent, Reginald Plum, helps the staff apologists by searching for and posting links to answer questions that have already been answered. This assures that more questions are answered than would otherwise be the case.

The General Forums: Many of our members are fine amateur apologists. A question that goes unanswered by the staff apologists can be reposted in one of the general forums where members may take up the question for discussion.

Catholic Answers’ Office: Staff apologists answer one-hundred-percent of the questions that are phoned into our office and left on a staff apologist’s voice mail – which helps to explain some of the duties that take up the apologists’ time and prevent them from answering all AAA forum questions. If your question goes unanswered in the AAA forum and if you, for whatever reason, do not wish to ask the question of fellow CAF members, you may contact Catholic Answers directly with your question.
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When using the AAA forum, here are a few quick ways to increase your chances of getting a question answered:
1. Read the AAA forum rules carefully and follow them precisely.
2. Read the AAA forum rules carefully and follow them precisely.
3. Read the AAA forum rules carefully and follow them precisely.
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I say this with tongue in cheek, but it reflects one of the primary reasons why questions often go unanswered. The rules were created as a means of expediting the process and when they are not followed it is less likely that your question will be answered. We have answered many questions that reflect a lack of familiarity with the AAA forum’s rules, but it takes more time for us to do so, which means that there is less time available to answer as many questions as we would like.

I hope that this will be helpful in explaining the AAA forum and the staff apologists’ activity there. Please know that we very much appreciate the confidence that so many place in us by entrusting us with their questions and we are gratified that so many write to let us know that our answers helped them in some way. Thanks, and God bless.
 
 
I am brand-new to interacting on the Catholic Answers Forums (CAF) and thank you for the opportunity. Is this a liberal or conservative Catholic web site?
 
CAF is an outreach project of Catholic Answers, a lay-run Catholic apostolate. Liberal and conservative are political terms and should be avoided, whenever possible, when indicating allegiance to the Church. CAF is a Catholic site. Period.
 
From a spouse who isn’t fulfilling his or her obligations to a priest who is giving poor advice in the confessional to an employer who is acting unethically, it is not uncommon to see a thread by an anonymous poster that explains a problematic situation in his or her life and asks for advice on how to best address it.

It is equally common to see the person be told that posting about a problem with his or her spouse, priest, employer, family, friend, etc., is sinful and scandalous. Even if the facts are true and necessary for understanding the problem, the response is that posting about it at all is commiting the sin of gossip or detraction. Even if it is completely anonymous, the response is that it casts aspersions on all spouses or priests and is also scandalous.

Could you please comment on these accusations and any truth they contain? Is it sinful to post problems in one’s life to look for advice from other Catholics?
 
I can only say that it depends on the post. Here are some questions posters might want to ask themselves before posting about personal problems they are experiencing with private individuals:
  • Is this necessary? (Can I get the answers I need from offline sources I can trust?)
  • Is this constructive? (Am I seeking to solve this problem or merely to rant about it?)
  • Will the person I am complaining about recognize himself in the post? (Is the information I am giving about the problem too specific?)
  • Am I as anonymous as I think I am? If not, will that “out” the person I am complaining about? (Can posters piece together who I am or where I am from, and thus who I am complaining about, by reading through my profile and posting history?)
  • Have I given every benefit of the doubt to the person about whom I am complaining? (Or am I painting his character only in black?)
  • Is the problem too intimate for public consumption? (Does it discuss highly-personal information that would embarrass a family member who should be able to rely upon my public discretion?)
  • Is it appropriate for the information to remain online for an extended period of time? (If the problem likely is temporary in nature, how will I feel about it remaining online potentially forever – particularly since most discussion forums lack the time and resources to accommodate me in removing posts I no longer want online?)
    After considering these questions, the poster must make an informed choice about whether or not it is prudent to post on the Internet about the problem he is experiencing. Anyone posting online should be highly cautious and prudent about the topics he chooses to discuss with strangers on the Internet.
Recommended reading:

[Personally Identifiable Data (http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=177274) by CAF
 
How to Ask a Question in the Ask an Apologist (AAA) Forum:
1.) Read the AAA Rules, Procedures, Tips, Options thread for an overview of the board.
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2.) Go to the Ask Your Question Here forum.
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3.) Start a new thread by clicking the “new thread” button in the upper left.
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4.) Give your thread a title in the form of a question.
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5.) Type your question in the message box. Strive to keep it brief.
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6.) After checking for spelling, grammar, and completeness, press the “Submit Message” button below the text box.
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7.) Periodically check the AAA forum to see if your thread is selected and answered.
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8.) If it isn’t selected or if you want to be sure to receive an answer, contact Catholic Answers directly.
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