Should we continue to evangelize the US?

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fakename

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Sometimes I think that we ought to kick the dust from our sandals and focus on learning our own doctrines (the ones Catholics have lost). For the most part, converting people to our beliefs just annoys them while diminishing us. Therefore we shouldn’t cast pearls before swine and should wait until our non-religionists are ready to listen.

Agree or disagree?
 
As an outsider, I think with things like Catholic radio, TV, and internet that Catholics are becoming much more knowledgable than back when I was a kid. I remember going to CCD classes in the early 80s, and we learned nothing. I do think that encouraging people to evangelize needs to go hand-in-hand with studying the arguments and counter-arguments of the faith.
 
That is a very negative way of thinking. You never know who you are inspiring and encouraging to join the Church. Even if you help 1 person in your lifetime, that is a huge blessing.
 
fakename said:
Sometimes I think that we ought to kick the dust from our sandals and focus on learning our own doctrines (the ones Catholics have lost). For the most part, converting people to our beliefs just annoys them while diminishing us. Therefore we shouldn’t cast pearls before swine and should wait until our non-religionists are ready to listen.
Agree or disagree?
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If you kick the dust and retreat to your safe, Catholic world, you won’t be “there” when people are open to the message.

Retreat and focus on learing our own doctrines? Are we now to become Catholic Amish or Catholic survivalist? That is in direct contradiction to the command of Jesus to go to all nations.

How exactly does speaking about our faith and being examples of our faith, diminish us?

In fact, the Church is always more powerful in its message when it outside the mainstream. Many of the problems within the Church have occurred has been “too comfortable” with secular power structures.
 
We should continue to seek to bring others to Christ. Jesus, just before his ascention, commanded his apostles to go out and preach the good news, making disciples of all men. (or women)
 
coachdennis said:
If you kick the dust and retreat to your safe, Catholic world, you won’t be “there” when people are open to the message.

Retreat and focus on learing our own doctrines? Are we now to become Catholic Amish or Catholic survivalist? That is in direct contradiction to the command of Jesus to go to all nations.

How exactly does speaking about our faith and being examples of our faith, diminish us?

In fact, the Church is always more powerful in its message when it outside the mainstream. Many of the problems within the Church have occurred has been “too comfortable” with secular power structures.
Click to expand...
Again, Jesus also said not to cast pearls before swine and to keep certain doctrines hidden until a more opportune time.

In any case, the number of people we convert will always be less than the number of people we turn-off in this climate (for why has Catholicism been losing so many people if this were not the case?), and we can easily reach-out to people since the Church will always be a public body and as such, recognizable to anyone who wants to join.

I say, the others have more or less made their beds and now they must have the displeasure of sleeping in them.
 
fakename said:
Again, Jesus also said not to cast pearls before swine and to keep certain doctrines hidden until a more opportune time.

In any case, the number of people we convert will always be less than the number of people we turn-off in this climate (for why has Catholicism been losing so many people if this were not the case?), and we can easily reach-out to people since the Church will always be a public body and as such, recognizable to anyone who wants to join.

I say, the others have more or less made their beds and now they must have the displeasure of sleeping in them.
Click to expand...
All I can say, I am sorry that you have reached such a conclusion.
 
coachdennis said:
All I can say, I am sorry that you have reached such a conclusion.
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I haven’t come to any conclusion. The point of this thread was to question if there was another practical way. I do believe that it is quite possible that Catholicism would grow stronger if we acted like America First-ers, instead of trying to solve the rest of America’s incorrigible problems. Unless there’s a de fide solution to this, I think that my alternative is at least superficially practical.
 
Continue to spread the word of the living God, for this is our duty as the Universal Church:signofcross::getholy::grouphug::bible1::angel1:
 
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