Why are Catholics so reserved, generally speaking, about sharing their faith?

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jennstall:
This is interesting. I would have thought so too until today. I never had much recourse to discuss issues of faith with anyone who wasn’t of a like mind before I returned to Catholicism, but something seems to be shining out of me now because the queries have begun. Today I attended a Centering Prayer workshop in which I would guesstimate that the majority of attendees were not Catholic. After the workshop was over, one of them came up to me, asked me if I was Catholic and when I said “Yes” she sat down to discuss some things with me. Turns out she is a former Catholic now exploring some Catholic “stuff” and wonder of wonders she is now attending the church I attended before I reverted – so I had a lot to say to her and could say it in a manner that seemed to resonate because I knew just what she had been taught in Religious Science. I could never handle evangelizing a Baptist or another strongly bible-based Protestant, but I sure can evangelize a Religious Scientist. You bet! God works in mysterious ways. He gave me what I could handle and nothing more and through me I believe He did open a door for this women to think more about returning to the Church.

I think maybe that if if we’re simply open to the idea of sharing our faith vocally then God will steer the right opportunities to us.
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This is really nice. I’d actually welcome the oppurtunity. Provided it was the right one-on-one type setting as opposed to a crowd of individuals all intereseted in being the loudest voice.

There was one occasion were I was out after work celebrating a collegues Bachelor degree he got at the ripe age of 40+. Amongst this crew were some individuals who were out together on a pervious outing (geesh maybe I do this too often). Durint that previous outing a young collegue of mine, from India and very intrigued with the USA, posed the question, “Why do people get married”? My answer was “to make a commitment before God to be with this person, love this person and care for this person forever”. I went on to say that any other reason doesn’t make a great deal of sense. I sited my reasoning for this. I did this in a way where I never expressed my own belief on it. In other words I did it objectively. I made my case in a manner that could have come from an Atheist. I wasn’t touting the reason, I was expressing that it is the only reason that makes sense. In other words if one were to get married for any other reason there would not be much reason to stay together when things went sour (which they inevitably will).

Well, I impacted this person. I think he saw, not so much the Truth, in what I said but the logic. This converstaion came up again at the present outing, the celeration. The individual brought up how I made sense (I don’t recall how the conversation started). Well the guest of honor piped in quite loudly. “Religion was invented by people to help keep people in line”. He strongly made the point that he is Atheist. Well I clammed up like a quohawg on the beach.

I even find it difficult to bring up Christianity amongst my own children (17 and 20). They’ll listen but you can cut the tension with a knife. ALL my friends are cafeteria Catholics who believe church going Catholics are hypocrites and “good people” go to Heaven, “bad people go to Hell”. And of course, by thier very own standards, they are in the former group :rolleyes: .

I don’t know, maybe someday I’ll get to have discussions with others about Faith. It just seems such a taboo subject. It’s a – don’t ask don’t tell policy, in my little world.
 
quintessential5 said:
Why are you gonna vote for Bush?
Well you see as a Catholic I believe in five non-negotiable issues…

What are your hobbies?
Reading for sure!
O? What are you reading right now?
Orthodoxy by Chesterton.
What’s that about?
Well…

How was your weekend?
Good.
What went down?
O I just went to this Marian Eucharistic Conference in Oxnard where this one cool homie named Fr. Corapi spoke.
What does that mean?
Well…

This marriage amendment that Bush is pushing is so dumb. Why the heck would he think marriage between a man and a woman is so important anyway?
Well…

Why did you decide to become a math teacher?
So this one day I was trying to comprehend what God wanted with my life…

Penny for your thoughts.
I was just thinking how I should really go to confession this week…

Is this whole terrorism thing worrying you?
Psch…no.
Wow…how are you so calm about it?
Well…

What’s your favorite holiday?
Easter because…
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I didn’t see this earlier. I like it, thankl you. Although to be perfectly truthful, outside of my home, I am usually working. I work in eithe a lab setting or in a cube. I don’t think I could begin such a conversation as this without stirring controversy in an inappropriate place.

Although I will certainly keep this concept in mind. One thought just came to me though, why hasn’t anybody ever approached me in this manner?
 
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Mijoy2:
I didn’t see this earlier. I like it, thankl you. Although to be perfectly truthful, outside of my home, I am usually working. I work in eithe a lab setting or in a cube. I don’t think I could begin such a conversation as this without stirring controversy in an inappropriate place.

Although I will certainly keep this concept in mind. One thought just came to me though, why hasn’t anybody ever approached me in this manner?
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Even in a lab/cubical setting, I’m sure it will come up at some point. I worked in a microbiology lab for about a year and a half and my favorite time was when we would all go to lunch together. The bad thing about times like that is it’s really not a good time to have a good detailed conversation with someone, because the topic just goes all over the place, and it’s never really that meaningful with a lot of people. I’m sure though if you speak boldly and not arrogantly about something, whoever is truly open to God’s grace in their lives (whether they admit he exists or not) will be intrigued enough to ask you about it again later when you can speak one on one.

Also, I’m kinda confused by what you mean by “why hasn’t anybody ever approached me in this manner?” Do you mean like asking you about your weekend or what you’re reading or some random political question?
 
Thoughts that fell out of my head in no particular order:

Most of us are not experts in this richest faith on earth. Thank God some of us have the sense to know we could potentially do more harm than good for Christ’s Church.

I have been approached by well meaning, non-Catholic, mostly bi-polar types who were “on fire for Christ” this week, and on fire for the devil the next, and boy is it a turn-off. Thank God some of us have the sense to know we could potentially do more harm than good for Christ’s Church.
**
If, by how I live my life, I impress someone enough to have him ask me about my faith, I will have done better than giving lip service. It hasn’t happened yet, so my own faith needs work (maybe more works).

In this society and environment, non-experts should first learn to defend their faith so as to not lose it. Because if we go about “sharing” the Catholic faith with the wrong answers, we will be challenged and overwhelemed by folks who are experts at lies they have been taught about Catholicism by their churches.
**
Whew. That felt good! Especially the last sentence! I can’t help it, it ticks me off!!! Any advice?
 
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quintessential5:
Also, I’m kinda confused by what you mean by “why hasn’t anybody ever approached me in this manner?” Do you mean like asking you about your weekend or what you’re reading or some random political question?
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What I meant was I can’t recall ever being on the receiving end of someone attempting to lure me into a converstaion regarding Faith. With the exception of an Evangelist on the street I mean. never a co-worker or a friend.
 
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Mijoy2:
What I meant was I can’t recall ever being on the receiving end of someone attempting to lure me into a converstaion regarding Faith. With the exception of an Evangelist on the street I mean. never a co-worker or a friend.
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It might just be the classic if we open up, they’ll open up too.
 
I voted that Catholics were afraid to bring up their faith because of fear of retribution by the Protestants who were in control. Then it became part of Catholic culture. I also think that Catholics did always leave it up to the religious and clergy to operate missions.

Now, though, our Holy Father has called for a New Evangelization by us all, and I’m grateful to be able to share my faith openly with others whenever I can.
 
I can’t speak for Catholics in general, but the teens recently confirmed in our parish are eager to be evangelists. They have been asking for 2 years for guidance in evangelization. We hav done scripture studies, and a session on Pillar of Fire Pillar of Truth, and the CCD and Confirmation prep are based on CCC and bible. so I have gotten permission to go ahead with a dream project.

First we will train teams of teens and adult supervisors on what to say and how to say it, how to respond to questions and challenges. The project in mind is to contact every household within our parish boundaries. Purpose is to identify inactive Catholics and bring them into the life and worship of the parish. If they become registered contributing members, so much the better especially for the building fund for the new church.

We have a new class this year on beginning apologetics for post-confirmation, and several college students and other adults have also joined the class. This will be our nucleus. Plus teens who are already serving as catechists will be invited to train and to participate in this project.

We are gathering materials for an info welcome packet, and I will probably be asking for suggestions, but right now I ask for your prayers as we train the teams, hoping to begin right after Christmas, and complete in 3 years, the time expected for construction of the new Church.
 
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HumbleObedience:
I voted that Catholics were afraid to bring up their faith because of fear of retribution by the Protestants who were in control. Then it became part of Catholic culture. I also think that Catholics did always leave it up to the religious and clergy to operate missions.

Now, though, our Holy Father has called for a New Evangelization by us all, and I’m grateful to be able to share my faith openly with others whenever I can.
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Becoming Catholic requires such a complete change of mind set, behavior - a paradigm shift - and it doesn’t end there. Then, there is the living a Catholic life - that’s the challenge (although it comes naturally later on, it is not evident). The serious catholic recognizes what it entails for a person to convert or revert. The challenge may seem unsurmountable and discourages the evangelizing process. That’s when we should always remember the Holy Spirit and to pray to Him to guide us in what to say (or not say) and do the rest.

In America, the catholic has the added challenge that he/she can’t evangelize without having a good knowledge of protestantism. It is much easier to evangelize in other countries. And it is not because people are “more gullible” but because people operate more with common sense. I feel that in the western world, people have educated themselves out of common sense. Without common sense, Catholicism does not make sense. Catholicism does not appeal to instant emotional gratification to “sell itself”, therefore, hard to become mainstream in the western world, where cynicism is viewed as a sign of intelligence, but scripture calls it the hardning of the heart. We need prayer.
 
This is an old thread, but hey, I read it. Just a few of my ramblings on this subject.

I have to agree…
Becoming a new Catholic take quite a commitment and new folks who arn’t sure, might not be willing. The teachings of the Church are hard, and unless you are a pretty conservative Christian, hard to accept. But like my favorite priest said… “You can believe what you want, but it wont get you into heaven”, (I love that line).

Protestants have those classic lines too:
Are you saved?
Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?
If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?
Can I share with you the love of Jesus Christ?
All you have to do is say this prayer, will you pray with me?
Bingo, it is done and you are saved forever…

Catholics are a little grey and fuzzy on this whole thing. Makes it a little difficult to convince someone in this fast food society that salvation is a life long process. It is much easier for them to choose the easy way. I once told our priest that he might fill more seats if they didn’t make it so difficult to become a Catholic. He said that, that might be, but the church has never been in the religion flavor of the month club. Part of it is a top down attitude and the fact that you can only bring new members in during the Easter Vigil. But, that is one of our traditions…

As far as my Catholic family. Never heard them mention Church. Never! They think there is something really wrong with me for being on fire for the Church. I am now refered to as “Hollier than Thou”. I have invited them to Church with me and I am met with funny looks. I know they are thinking, Man, he’s going to Church an it aint even Easter or Christmas. Oh well… If we can’t convince Catholics to go, how are we going to get non Catholics to go?
 
People don’t realize how much anti-Catholicism there is out there in the world. When my Mother graduated from a public high school in 1931, she was told by her pastor, when looking for a job and filling out an application, just tell them that you are “Christian.” Or you wouldn’t get hired.

I’ve walked behind people, indavertently eavesdropping as they were saying derogatory things about Catholics. Who knows how many jobs I wasn’t considered for because I went to “Cathedral” High School?

And also, nobody I knew was ever exposed to evangelization. That was for the missionaries, I always assumed. The Lutherans and other “publics” were just damned, we also assumed. :rolleyes:

Then again, in our “etiquette” classes, we were always taught that there are two things you never talk about in public if you want to get along: religion and politics. :rolleyes:

So there’s a huge institutional culture which has framed my (geezer) generation and it is hard to break habits. But in the 44 years since I left high school, I would bet that the subject of religion, even in my own family comes up very rarely. 😦

I’ll try to help, and I am aware of the new evangelization, etc., but you young 'uns are going to have to lead the way for your elders. 😛
 
May I share a story in this regard? Back when I was a protestant minister I became interested in contemplative prayer. Because there were no good protestant books on the subject I decided to visit my local Catholic book store. Now I felt no little guilt about turning to the “heretical Catholic Church” for religious truth, so I justified myself by trying to evangelize the clerk while I was there. This poor Catholic whom I was determined to save was named David. I unloaded on him, explaining to him all about how the Catholic Church had corrupted itself with un-Biblical doctrines.

It had been my experience that when confronting Catholics in this way, they would suddenly remember something that they had to do or they would tell me that they were not interested in “arguing” doctrine. But David did something extraordinary, he quoted the Bible right back to me! He did not argue or attack my beliefs, but gave me good solid Biblical reason for Catholic faith. Shining through David’s explanations was a radiant love for Jesus and the Church He established. It is because of David’s love and patience with an arrogant Baptist that I am a Catholic today.

PAX CHRISTI

Bill
 
Although baptized Catholic, I wasn’t raised in the Church. At 14 I “accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.” I became very evangelical. It was important to get others saved. Anglicans, Lutherins, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians…were all suspect in their relationship with Jesus. As I grew older I began to have different experiences in which my faith and understanding of that relationship changed.

Now I am reticent to be evangelical for a few reasons. First, I don’t want to presume that someone isn’t saved. I am convinced now that I am in the fullness of God’s grace through my relationship with His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, however there was a time that I was convinced that I was right with God although I wasn’t Catholic. Second, I don’t want to get in the way of what and how the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of others. Certainly, the Holy Spirit was leading me to fullness of relationship with God the Son even when I was outside the Church.

I try now to evangelize by “being” Christ in the world. That is much more difficult and demanding on me as a disciple than handing out tracts and sharing the Four Spiritual Laws.

As Catholics we should pray and learn to discern. Sometimes God wants us to share the gospel directly, but He always wants us to live it continually.
 
well obviously nobody Catholic or otherwise on these forums is the least bit shy.
I have seen a lot of excuses about how badly Catholics are catechised in their faith, and even a criticism that Catholic children learn by doing, instead of learn by studying.

Our faith is a lived faith, it is part of every aspect of daily life or it is not faith at all. We learn by doing as children, and learn what it means as we grow older and submit to the urge implanted in us by God to know Him more intimately. We participate in a rich liturgical life that brings us grace that is, into relationship with Jesus Christ.

There is a difference between evangelization seen as preaching, proselytizing, persuading, convicing, exhorting-and evangelization seen as witness by ones actions, choices, words and manner of living to the truth and relevance of the good news. The Catholic traditionally has a bent, attraction, and innate perception that the second is ultimately more valuable and effective.
 
Well I see that this is old but I always wondered the same thing, mainly because I wanted to be evangelized myself years before I approached the Church on my own. I thought, if a Catholic came to my door rather than a Jehovah’s Witness or a Mormon, I’d join in a minute. I was living a chaotic and dissolute life. Why the passivity? You feel like such a phony, such a hypocrite, trying to be something you’re not etc. and I didn’t know any practicing Catholics. It seemed like a closed club that didn’t want any new members. When I finally came in contact with a hospital priest, I asked him right out how one becomes a Catholic and he acted surprised but told me about RCIA and I started that Fall. Best move I ever made.

Anyway I think Catholics are not well versed enough to counter the usual atheist dogma one hears–all wars are started by religion! all atrocities by religion! Like Fran Liebowitz on TV the other night, saying that religion is keeping the world in darkness and the whole thing should be chucked. So she equates our Church with radical Islam! Anyway, here I am,just getting into the 3rd volume of the Gulag Archipelago. Tell Solzhenitsyn that all misery is caused by religion.

If not that, then it’s the Crusades or the Inquisition, so you’re immediately on the defensive. My husband is a cradle Catholic who wouldn’t miss a Mass but he goes on and on about the suppression of Galileo. Most these people know squat about history. So I think maybe one should learn to counter these arguments.

More recently, though, we have the abuse scandal thrown in our faces. What to say?
 
CATHOLICS HAVE A LONG TRADITION OF QUIET PIETY AS A WAY TO SHOW THEIR FAITH. WOULD YOU EVER IMAGINE MARY TUGGING AT PEOPLES SLEEVES AND GETTING IN THEIR FACE ABOUT …HAVE YOU MET MY NICE JEWISH SON?
 
Catholics don’t see their faith as something that’s sharable. And it certainly cannot be shared the way the apostles did in the book of Acts because the Catholic religion is not the same faith. The aposltes in Acts did not go out and say to people: Repent, and be justified initially by baptism, then re-justified after committing mortal sin by the sacrament of penance, and increase your justification by going to a class of celibate priests, eating the body of Christ in the mass, and gaining indulgences from Rome.

So, because Roman Catholicism is apostate and is in no way the Christian Church on earth, most individual Catholics are at a loss as to how to go about even sharing such an odd, unbiblical message.

BouleTheou
 
First, I’m not so sure I’d say we’re reserved about ‘sharing’ our faith. We are certainly reserved about “proclaiming or displaying” our faith openly wherever we go.

I think Sunday’s Gospel is a big factor (Oct. 24th)…

Jesus spoke often about humility and against the Pharisees who boldly displayed their ‘religiousness’. Personally, that’s always held me back from proclaiming much about my faith, so yes, I’ve been reserved all my life.

Jesus was very subtle in His approach - He called on us to lead by example. And in many, many sermons over the years it has been drilled into me that, as in Christ’s time, people will be drawn to us if we live the life God calls us to. When they come to us, that is the time to share the faith.

Haven’t you found that to be true? That the happy, peaceful people around you despite any troubles they may have had to endure over time - once you get to know them and get to the point where you can discuss how they reached the level of peace they have in their lives - will almost always tell you it is because of their faith in God? And that if anyone were to approach you to ask where your peace or strength during adversity comes from, you don’t hesitate at all to proclaim at that time it is because of your faith in God? In that one moment, the power to move the souls of those around you are greater, I believe, than if you were to speak about God everyday at work, school, shopping, etc. to people who are not open to hearing it.
 
Right-thinking Serious Catholics - me among them, I believe in the Magisterium, the Pope, I study the Catechism, and believe the moral absolutes of Scripture - we ought to be evangelizing (read: re-programming) the New Age / Progressive / Liberal Catholics who favor same-sex marriage, abortion on demand, and are hostile to the Pope.

Secondly, can you put yourself in the position of, say, your middle-aged, baby boomer neighbor? Well, here, I’ll relate my encounter with my neighbor who fled from both California and his four children and wife to live up here in Oregon and marry his new younger bride. We have two other men who have done the same in our neighborhood.

Let’s call him Frank. Frank and his wife, uh, let’s call her Lola, go to a church, Protestant. She is a singer and sings in the choir. They have one son, aged 10.

In June, I knock on their door, hoping to get his signature on the Oregon marriage amendment petition.

He knows I’m Catholic, okay? I didn’t expect hostility. He used this opportunity to trash the Catholic Church and trash me.

Me: Hi Frank. Do you know about the petition; would you sign it?

Frank: paraphrased - “I know plenty of gays; I used to be in the music biz, you know, and heck, I tell you what, I’d trust my son with two gay men BEFORE I’D TRUST HIM WITH A PRIEST.”

Me: * “So would I! * But this is not about homosexuality; it’s about re-defining marriage…”
I used to talk about my sheer joy being Catholic. Most people shut up. Like when I invited my daughter’s Brownie troop and their moms to come to her baptism. Or invited my sister-in-law to come to that same baptism and she replied, “O-o-o-h, no!” The worst was a neighbor who is a Seventh Day Adventist. “Blah, blah, Saturday, blah, blah,” I finally had to say, okay, I’ve heard enough. You’re stepping over some bounds and I just want us to remain civil with each other. I was just trying to share with you how happy I am that our little girl is getting baptized.

And Catholics? You tell most Catholics in Oregon you’re reading anything but “Your Catholic Reporter” and they probably are judging that you’re “holier than thou”.​

Observation: Back in the day, nuns wore the habit and were the visible sign of our faith Now that’s what I call evangelizing. I can’t count how many times in my life a nun, in her habit, had given me “seeds” of my faith before I returned to the Church.​

The most receptive, I have found, are teens and I’m sticking with them. For now.**
 
  1. Many Catholics don’t know the Catholic Faith very well.
  2. Dissident catechists teaching faux Catholicism in parishs and schools
  3. Misguided Catholics do not understand that we (baptized and especially confirmed) are obligated to evangelize
  4. Most Catholics do not take the time to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal documents
    5 anti-Catholic bigotry from protestants, evangelicals, fundamentalists and anti-Catholic secularists
  5. Many do not know of the Catholic Answers web resources
Pray the daily rosary for peace and for conversions
 
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