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

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I suppose the majority poll answer is correct, that many Catholics do not understand their faith, but a much greater component of why Catholics are not more individually evangelistic is that they have not been taught either 1) how to evangelize or 2) how to defend the faith.

I would say that the evidence in the previous generation was the popularity of the Baltimore catechism, which explained the faith in a series of questions and answers.

Believe it or not, when I went to Catholic grade school in the late '50’s, the method of teaching was to require us to memorize the answers to the questions in the catechism. That required both an accomplished level of literacy as well as a healthy level of recall. I remember rather clearly the mental burden of having to try to memorize all those questions and answers. As time goes by, I think I forgot most of that stuff. I think it was pushed at us too quickly and a bit too soon.

But, I must say, it was presented to us as a rich heritage of the Church and it was designed to help us transcend the existence of the material world.

Looking back at that and at Catholic high school and secular college experience, I think the development of lay evangelists was quite conspicuously overlooked, in deference to an emphasis on vocations to the ordained clergy. Today, I think the goal of Catholic education should be to create strong grassroots leadership within the Church.
 
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you, MAT 7:6.

Does anybody know what the above statement means ?

Well I’ve read it many times and never understood it, but about 5 years ago I was down in the House of Prayer on Achill Island, where Christina Gallagher’s Spiritual director was saying Mass.(County Mayo)
Anyway not sure if you’ve heard about Christina Gallagher, so Fr. Mc’Ginnity read this passage from Saint Matthews Gospel, and he explained it as well.
He said it means if we preach to those that don’t want to hear, they will resent it, and in some cases may kill us, look at all the Missonaries that have been murdered.
So in my case it’s not like i’m afraid to defend my faith, but we have to realise that not everyone wants to hear the word of God & and if we admit it, some of us are afraid of being laughed at.
Anyway if anyone asks me about my faith I always try and explain it the best I can, but I don’t try and ram it down peoples throats.
 
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Dolores49:
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.”
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He should wake up ! it’s not just a Catholic problem, check out this site if you like.
reformation.com/
 
I would vote for the immigrant answer. When people came to America there was a bias against Catholocism. To speak out would mean no job. I think that we sometimes forget that our forefathers did not have the freedoms we take for granted today. Actually we had better wake up because those freedoms are being chipped away at right now.

If Kerry were a good Catholic, a practicing one…most of his base wouldn’t be happy with him. They are trying to chip away at relegioius rights.
 
They don’t know their faith and are afraid of getting slapped down apologetically speaking.
 
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Dolores49:
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.
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YES…where are the nuns?? The last ones in my town have died. I met a new-style nun and she made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it, like, it’s her private business ya know?

Anyway, thanks Dolores for all your good work. Yesterday I voted early, and the main thing was voting for the marriage amendment here in Montana.

Carol
 
The best way you can share your faith is through your actions!! We teach this sometimes forgotten concept in prison ministry. Many of the prisoners have told me that other inmates approach them after seeing them go to our Bible study. Of course, this example is a bit more obvious for them to know they are Christians but it can work in other instances as well.

We have to use the gifts that God has given us. Some people have the wonderful gift of gab and are able to non-confrontationally speak to non-Christians about their faith. But don’t fret if that’s not your gift, just keep using the ones you have been given!
 
Sometimes its hard to talk about your faith and feel you are being taken seriously because:
  1. People often associate it with evangelical protestants straight away.
  2. Popular TV generally ridicules religious characters.
 
I can tell you from my experiences in the Navy that I had good friends make snide comments when I stated I was catholic, also many protestants are very combative.
 
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Sowndog:
Sometimes its hard to talk about your faith and feel you are being taken seriously because:
  1. People often associate it with evangelical protestants straight away.
  2. Popular TV generally ridicules religious characters.
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An atheist that I worked with used to laugh at me about my faith, but curiously enough I wasn’t the one that started the questions.
So I used to remark to my other friend, who also didn’t believe in God, “that for someone that doesn’t believe in God he sure asks me a lot of questions”, my friend had to agree.
So he used to try and trick me, but thanks God he was left scracthing his head.
Actually I saw it as an oppurtunity to break what I believe to him gently, one question that stumped him was “are you in control of your life” ? he said yes.
I said you can’t be otherwise you could stop yourself from dying, he gave me a strange look.
Another I asked him was " where were you before you were born ? 😃 (no answer)

Anyway the punch line was. "so you couldn’t stop yourself from being born & you can’t stop yourself from dying, so how can you say you are in control ? :confused: (he was silent) then remarked, “your right I can’t stop myself from dying”.

Anyway the questions went on in daily basis but he always started the conversation, he eventually said to me, " you know what you may have something there".

Another question he put to me was how can something have no beginning and no end ? " so I throw in the little circle one for good measure" and asked him to show me the beginning & end of a circle :cool: (cruel I know)

Anyway we need to learn from the Master and how Jesus taught us, with Parables, or life like stories, & everyday events.
 
Once you lay it on the line and start talking about your faith, then people scrutinize you for hypocrisy. And it is very hard to say you aren’t vulnerable. I mean, my life is not perfect, nowhere near. I think my first priority is to spend time making sure my life won’t be a cause of stumbling for someone once they learn I am Catholic.

And who can forget the book of James, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,” verse3:1. It gives one pause.

But I think we should always be willing to say “Come and See” to someone about Jesus. Just direct them to the right place and don’t try to be an answer machine.
 
because Catholics, generally speaking, do not believe heart and soul in the Faith they profess, so they would not make convincing evangelists. This is because either they have not been instructed in the faith, have not been raised with or spent time with committed faithful Catholics, or have been duly catechised but have rejected all or part of the deposit of faith. Just as well they keep their mouth shut because if they don’t believe it and live it, just talking about it is no witness at all.

The paradox here is, once a person volunteers to teach others or begins to study the scripture and catechisms, either he experiences conversion due to being steeped in the power of the Truth, or he closes his mind and heart completely when confronted with things he refuses to accept. So, bearing in mind that Paul says not all have gifts to teach, preach, evangelize, we all have a calling to witness, and we do it by actions, talk is cheap.
 
The reason is that much of this are styles developed by Protestantism which tends more to the indivualistic and personal rather than the communal and liturgical nature of Catholicism.

We can look at excellent Catholic street preachers like Frank Sheed and Maise Ward, by they were viewed as somewhat odd, innovative, cutting edge progressives (and they were – God bless them!!).

How often are lay Catholics invited to give their personal faith testimonies at church?
 
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jeffreedy789:
protestants tend to be much more evangelically minded for several reasons - one, evangelism is the ONLY thing that many prot groups teach as important for spiritual growth - .
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I don’t think a generalization about all protestants will hold up. I have never been approached by a Presbyterian, Lutheran or Methodist and asked “Have you been saved,” or “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior?”
 
Steven Merten:
Many Protestants have sure made evangelization appear as a dirty word in the world. You start talking about Jesus to a nonbeliever and they automatically associate you with the evangelical Protestants who are mainly looking to put another knotch on their belt.
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Well said. I think most people who think of the word “evangelize” and they picture that “that guy” on tv with the snow white hair and jewelry galore and that flashy white suite yelling at the top of his lungs, while there are people convulsing on the floor and a congregation of people with their hands in the air.

People don’t want to be like that, because it’s (for the most part) a farse. We also come to believe that someone who pounces on us telling us to come to their Church and believe in what they believe or we will burn for eternity, are scarey, heated people who just want to feel they’ve climbed up another step to Heaven. Would you want to tag along with someone who just damned you forever? Sure! I want to be a part of that religion! I want to be a part of something that’s already approached me as hateful, resentful and judgemental. Welcome people with open arms, not flames and pitchforks in hand.

I can tell you, I don’t recall a Catholic ever coming to me and saying “Be Catholic of you will burn forever!”.

The most important part of evangelizing is to be kind about it, open your arms in love, not hate and damnation. I think in a way, Catholics are afraid to speak up, because of how judgemental people are about Catholocism (and my goodness they are, I’ve just been shown this as I show my interest in Catholocism to my family.)
 
Personally I believe the reason is because they were not given the necessary tools and be comfortable in using them. There is a way to evangelize. Its the way Jesus did using the law for the law is written on every mans heart.Present the law to them and they will see the need for a Savior. 👍 God Bless
 
I think a big part of is that people don’t know their faith. Before I started learning some things about Catholicism, I never got into inter-religious debates because I didn’t know what to say. I think that other than that, people don’t like making waves, and unless you enjoy arguing (like me 😃 ), then you don’t spark debates with people who want to argue, and sincerely know what they are going to say. Now I have a good time doing it because I know what to say.

Eamon
 
Matthew 7
6 Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you.

Apocalypse 22
15 Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and unchaste, and murderers, and servers of idols, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.

Catholics have NO NEED to argue. When one makes an honest sincere inquiry, then plenty of Catholics respond. But, polemics? See The Scriptures above.

When an outsider responds to the Grace of God to inquire, and so cherish the Truth, Catholics are obliged to cooperate in every way.
Ephesians 4
11 And he gave *some *apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors…
Not all are called to evangelism.
 
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