PLEASE, tell me how to respond to nasty E-mails from Protestant friends and family?

[sparkle]

theMutant:

Have you read “Rome Sweet Home” by Kimberly and Scott Hahn? It is their account of how Scott’s conversion to Catholicism affected their relationship. There are also tapes available with each of them telling their conversion stories.

Be patient with your family, practice your Catholic faith openly and reverently, and - above all - remember that it is the work of the Holy Spirit and not us that will convert people. Therefore, your best tool for their conversion is prayer. My wife is not Catholic. Each day I pray to God to grant me the grace I need to fulfill the role He wants me to have in her spiritual journey. I also entrust her to the care of St. Monica and St. Jude.

Yes, have read this book. Thank you “theMutant” for your concern and prayers. I too, pray for my husband and my children, that as you say, for God to grant me the role I play in their conversion, and spiritual journey. I KNOW our Lord knows our individual struggles and He, and our Blessed Mother, is there to assist, and of course The Holy Spirit. We must take heed. Sometimes it involves deep sacrifice.

God Bless~~

 

[Mom_of_5]

My husband is having problems with his children since he was baptized Catholic a year ago. Two of his daughters don’t really care, another daughter and his two sons are VERY angry. Of course it was the “wicked” step-mother that caused all the trouble. None of his children go to church or have any religion. Initially they were LDS but all fell away at an early age. The two boys were excommunicated because they were over -heard talking about some things in the church they did not agree with. I am really glad the Catholic Church reserves excommunication for really serious offenses,or not many of us would be Catholic. Anyway, the boys have decided not to talk to their father, (they feel he should have asked their permission to be Catholic, have his marriage annulled). I remind my husband that this “too shall pass”, one day the “spirit” will move them and they will come back to his loving arms. If not, they are the ones missing out on a whole lot.

Here are two sources," Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" and “Where We Got The Bible–Our Debt To The Catholic Church”, by Henry G. Graham (copyright 1911). If and when we get the opportunity, we will give the children copies, if they will accept them. Otherwise, we send Christmas gifts, birthday cards and pray.

Love and peace

 

[INRI]

If I may forward another suggestion, I would recommend the book* The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism* by Louis Bouyer. I think this review by someone on Amazon.com about sums it up:

“The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism” is a critically engaged yet remarkably sympathetic analysis of the Protestant Reformation by a Lutheran who converted to Catholicism. In the first half he praises the key positive principles of the Reformation, showing how they are good, true, and fundamentally Catholic. In part two he shows how those same great principles have been continuously and inevitably undermined by and among the Reformers (and their heirs) as a result of Protestantism’s failure to properly critique and throw off the nominalistic philosophical framework of the late medieval period. He clearly explains how the positive principles of the Reformation and Protestantism can only be sustained and flourish within the Catholic Church.

 

[CARose]

sparkle:

…“itsjustdave”------I love Patrick Madrid too and his show “Search and Rescue” on EWTN…

Did you know that Patrick Madrid wrote a book by that title for helping us whose families are not in the Catholic Faith.

While I was born and raised Catholic, I am now (after having wandered away and returned myself) the only practicing Catholic in my family (I’m the oldest of 6) and in my mom’s family (she was one of 7, 4 of whom survive) or their kids. My dad had 2 sisters. One is a practicing Catholic with 3 great sons (I don’t know if they’re practicing Catholics or not). His other sister passed away a couple of years ago and her 27 yr old son has never been baptized.

Being Catholic was never meant to be easy!

CARose

 

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Dear sparkle,

By temperament, I’m with it’sjustdave, the small candles and the two large statues! But, jokes aside, I think the reading materials are the best way to go.

My advice may not mean much since I’m a cradle Catholic; however, I’ve spent my entire life around people who just criticized my religion outright or found subtle ways to achieve whatever satisfaction that sort of thing gives.

Today, I have enough books like those of Patrick Madrid to let others who are well taught in Protestant doctrines answer the criticisms. I just figure that people who were once where the criticizers are “coming from” and have left that life are the best prepared to field their complaints. Oddly enough, no one seems to confront me anymore!

Meanwhile, I’d use the little speech that carol marie gave you (and also the single - and powerful- statement from VociMike - just exactly as he put it)!

God bless,

Anna

 

[burnside]

Sparkle
I haven’t had a problem with anti-catholic e-mails,but i have had problems with Spam.That is,porn,prescription drugs etc.When i changed to Broadband,it meant changing my main e-mail account.Even then,i created a secondary e-mail address which i use for most people.So,if the spam builds up again,i’ll delete it.Only my two sisters now know the main account e-mail.
I’ll think of you in my prayers.

sparkle:

Friends:

Since my Easter conversion to Christ’s Church, I am getting e-mails from friends and family so very anti-Catholic. One came in this morning saying "Catholicism leads people to a religion based on good works, practices and beliefs that are not in line with Scripture and is leading many to a Godless eternity"…

Any thoughts on how to respond to these? These are my good friends, and family. But they are so blinded by what they think the Catholic Church is. I feel so sorry for them, in their schism; they are all members of “break-off” churches, one denomination or another. Had no idea, my entire family and friends would react like this. Where have they gotten their “anti-Catholic” sentiment? Think it has been around for years. How would you all handle this? Any suggestions on what to say? Have already recommended some books which I know they will never read. Protestants don’t seem to read anything but the Bible. Pitiful really.

Thx my brothers and sisters.

Now I must say a Rosary for all my HUGE anti-Catholic family. Pray for me friends.

 

[Zosimus]

I think its time to worry when they STOP talking bad about the church!

You can walk into most Catholic Churches 24/7 and witness Adoration someone praying literally on their knees worshipping God. You can actually feel Gods presence in the church but try walking into a protestant church at 2am on a Monday morning nothing but a cold empty building. We offer Mass every single day of the week.

By the way how often have you been to a protestant church service and actually have seen them on their knees worshipping God?

It’s usually nothing more than a few hymns and a bible lesson unless you count the singing as actual worship I don’t see it. And no I don’t mean every one of them is like that but I am sure more than less are. As how to respond to them just ask them for the same respect you give them and know that you are doing the right thing.

Peace of Christ be with you

 

[steve_b]

sparkle:

Friends:

Since my Easter conversion to Christ’s Church, I am getting e-mails from friends and family so very anti-Catholic. One came in this morning saying "Catholicism leads people to a religion based on good works, practices and beliefs that are not in line with Scripture and is leading many to a Godless eternity"…

Any thoughts on how to respond to these?

First of all, congradulations, and welcome aboard!.

What were you before you became Catholic? What got you to come home?

With respect to your family and friends, you have an avalanche of information available to you for teaching your family the truth. All you need is to pick the right time to share it. One point you can make that they can’t, is that the one divinely instituted Church Jesus promised to build on Peter is the Catholic Church. The entire world watched this Church on living color, over the past weeks. They heard over and over, how JPII was the successor of Peter, that this is the Church where Peter is buried. That it is 2000 years old, it’s the Church Paul preached to, etc etc etc. Ask them to do a geneology on their church. It’s really important to show that God didn’t start their church. God started the Catholic Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And we know God perfects what he starts. Where as Protestantism is purely man made.

sparkle:

These are my good friends, and family. But they are so blinded by what they think the Catholic Church is. I feel so sorry for them, in their schism; they are all members of “break-off” churches, one denomination or another. Had no idea, my entire family and friends would react like this. Where have they gotten their “anti-Catholic” sentiment? Think it has been around for years. How would you all handle this? Any suggestions on what to say? Have already recommended some books which I know they will never read. Protestants don’t seem to read anything but the Bible. Pitiful really.

I’m with you, I suspect they won’t read those books either. You might try asking them to defend their pet views from scripture alone. Rather than play defense, Go on the offense.

1. Ask them where they find sola scriptura, taught in scripture. Don’t leave this one alone. Really persue it.
2. Ask them. what is the pillar and foundation of truth? If they say scripture, point them to 1 Tim 3:15.
3. Ask them where they find faith alone taught in scripture
4. Ask them where good works mean nothing

Make them defend these tenets of protestantism. See how much they REALLY know. I suspect It won’t take long, and problems are going to crop up for them.

sparkle:

Thx my brothers and sisters.

Now I must say a Rosary for all my HUGE anti-Catholic family. Pray for me friends.

 

[steve_b]

sparkle:

Friends:

Since my Easter conversion to Christ’s Church, I am getting e-mails from friends and family so very anti-Catholic. One came in this morning saying “Catholicism leads people to a religion based on good works, practices and beliefs that are not in line with Scripture and is leading many to a Godless eternity”…
Any thoughts on how to respond to these?

Rm 2:

---

6God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are selfseeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: … 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good:

[a] Ps 62:12, Prov 24:12

In other words, they’re obviously wrong.

 

[nevancik]

Well Pretty much by pointing out that in order to get to the idea of justification by faith alone is only gotten to by taking the scriptures out of context. It requires jumping all over the scriptures, and ignoring portions that lead between the statements used to getb to this point of view.

I also like to point out the tendency of Protestants to point out the part of Revelations stating that not one word shall be added or removed from the scriptures, and then Protestants removed several books from the bible because they essentially refuted the idea of justification by faith alone.

Also you can get to the portions of the New Testament warning against causing schism in the Church.

I remember once having a young man come to our house to clean the carpet who states I used to be Catholic, but now I am Christian. I got him sometwhat perplexed when I pointed out the issues about not adding or removing “one jot or tille” from scripture and then pointing out the Protestant removal of the Apocrypha.

As well as the teachings of the early Church fathers who stated that all schism is the result of heresy.

But it usually doesnt do any good anyway. And you just end up fighting. Just smile and say nothing. Or answer their emails with something about how nice the weather is.

Turning the other cheek is probably the only thing you can do.

 

[sparkle]

steve b:

First of all, congradulations, and welcome aboard!.

What were you before you became Catholic? What got you to come home?

With respect to your family and friends, you have an avalanche of information available to you for teaching your family the truth. All you need is to pick the right time to share it. One point you can make that they can’t, is that the one divinely instituted Church Jesus promised to build on Peter is the Catholic Church. The entire world watched this Church on living color, over the past weeks. They heard over and over, how JPII was the successor of Peter, that this is the Church where Peter is buried. That it is 2000 years old, it’s the Church Paul preached to, etc etc etc. Ask them to do a geneology on their church. It’s really important to show that God didn’t start their church. God started the Catholic Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And we know God perfects what he starts. Where as Protestantism is purely man made.

I’m with you, I suspect they won’t read those books either. You might try asking them to defend their pet views from scripture alone. Rather than play defense, Go on the offense.

1. Ask them where they find sola scriptura, taught in scripture. Don’t leave this one alone. Really persue it.
2. Ask them. what is the pillar and foundation of truth? If they say scripture, point them to 1 Tim 3:15.
3. Ask them where they find faith alone taught in scripture
4. Ask them where good works mean nothing

Make them defend these tenets of protestantism. See how much they REALLY know. I suspect It won’t take long, and problems are going to crop up for them.

Steveb:

I was raised Presbyterian (Dad a pastor for over 50 years now)…hubby and I attended an Episcopal church for last 15–where our kids were baptized)…Thanks so much brother in the faith! YES, you are right!!! Please stay on these forums. You have real wisdom.!!! God Bless~~I just don’;t know what to do first, being the very outspoken extrovert I am, I get thrown for a loop with all my nasty e-mails from my Protestant family and very anti-catholic verbage here and there. For even my own parents had nothing kind to say about my confirmation service–i.e., “it was all chanting”…people didn’t bow their heads when praying"…the candles were such a nuisance"…“it went on and on” what is it about the baptism being remembered" “oh all the saints thing” how irritating"…“don’t you all know the saints are dead”? “why pray to them anyway”?..

friend–my head explodes from all this…need your reassurance here or ***any ***remarks anyone can give me. I am so alone. But I know, totally God has called me to his church.

John 15:18

"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, No slave is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."

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[alfredo]

sparkle:

I am getting e-mails from friends and family so very anti-Catholic. …Any thoughts on how to respond to these?.

I would recommend reading and study, for example, the works of St. Thomas.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

I find the delete key works marvelously as a response to this type of criticism.

sparkle:

Friends:

Since my Easter conversion to Christ’s Church, I am getting e-mails from friends and family so very anti-Catholic. One came in this morning saying "Catholicism leads people to a religion based on good works, practices and beliefs that are not in line with Scripture and is leading many to a Godless eternity"…

Any thoughts on how to respond to these? These are my good friends, and family. But they are so blinded by what they think the Catholic Church is. I feel so sorry for them, in their schism; they are all members of “break-off” churches, one denomination or another. Had no idea, my entire family and friends would react like this. Where have they gotten their “anti-Catholic” sentiment? Think it has been around for years. How would you all handle this? Any suggestions on what to say? Have already recommended some books which I know they will never read. Protestants don’t seem to read anything but the Bible. Pitiful really.

Thx my brothers and sisters.

Now I must say a Rosary for all my HUGE anti-Catholic family. Pray for me friends.