Why are most Catholics passive in their evangelization?

[setter]

A few ponderings of mine: Why are most Catholics passive in their evangelization? How effective is it to give mainly a non-verbal witness? Is being silent about one’s faith and the reason for one’s faith a sign of dampering the Holy Spirit?

 

[briang72]

Why are most Catholics passive in their evangelization?

I think it has to do with the high rate of rejection in our society of the Church’s teachings, and the fear of the persecution that may come from opening one’s mouth and evangelizing. I have a genuine fear of talking to people about my faith, but at times I am able to find the courage.

How effective is it to give mainly a non-verbal witness?

Our actions speak VERY loudly, but our silence in the face of evil can be misunderstood for acceptance. I think most of us give a greater percentage of non-verbal witness than verbal witness. Thats just natural. Our actions are probably more important than our words when witnessing to others, but both are important.

Is being silent about one’s faith and the reason for one’s faith a sign of dampering the Holy Spirit?

I feel lousy when I let an opportunity to witness verbally slip away because I was afraid of the consequences of doing so. I think that lousy feeling comes from denying the Holy Spirit to work through me.

 

[Jason_Hurd]

I don’t know that most Catholics are passive in evangelising; I can only speak for myself. I have always felt that ‘actions speak louder than words’, and have tried to live my life this way. I feel that living one’s life in as conscientiously Catholic a way as possible is the most effective way to witness to non-Catholics. I also feel that prayer is the most powerful tool for conversion available to us. St. Monica could have nagged her son about converting until her tongue dried up, but she very wisely took the route of praying daily for his conversion instead, and her prayers were granted. The problem with verbal evangelisation, as I see it, is that too often the person we are trying to witness to sees us not as an authority, but really as just another person who doesn’t know anymore about Christ or the Church than they do. If we live exemplary Catholic lives, while at the same time praying for the conversion of others, I feel sure we will draw far more people to the Church than otherwise. After all, evangelisation is far more than just verbal witness and group prayer.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Wasn’t it St. Francis who said, “Preach the gospel always; use words if necessary?”

 

[setter]

The previous two posters make good points while also making my point: Why do Catholics almost always automatically revert to ‘my actions do the evagelizing’ while our protestant brethen are more willing to speak the word of evangelizing? Does not faith come from hearing, as well as behavior?

Btw briang72 – I can relate alot to your comments, and am seeking to be more willing (and courageous) to open my mouth and speak when I feel prompted by the Holy Spirit.

 

[Jason_Hurd]

Does not faith come from hearing, as well as behavior?

No, not always. Most people I know are quite allergic to someone coming up to them and trying to talk about a particular faith; they automatically shut their ears and do not want to hear anymore. Even if people give you a fair hearing, they are often only politely letting you speak while they formulate their rebuttal to what you have said. I’m not saying we shouldn’t witness verbally to people; just that it’s not always the best or even most efficient way to evangelise. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.

 

[Vaclav]

Why do Catholics almost always automatically revert to ‘my actions do the evagelizing’ while our protestant brethen are more willing to speak the word of evangelizing? Does not faith come from hearing, as well as behavior?

I think that part of it is that the Protestants have a far simpler and at face value, more enticing message. In my experience not all Protestant churches evangelize any more than Catholics.

Of course it probably depends where one lives, but the door-to-door evangelists where I live are mostly Baptists, Jehova’s Witnesses, and Mormons. The Baptists (as I expect a lot of “low church” protestants to do) tend to start with “Are you saved?” and then go into their spiel on how you can be saved in five minutes.

Catholicism, in my humble opinion, is much more intellectually honest and therefore would take quite a bit longer to discuss with anyone. It isn’t even easy to fit on one of the leaflets they mail out nowadays.

Moreover, we don’t have plasma televisions, rock bands, and stadium seating. We have a Mass and 2000 years of history as an organisation. We don’t generally tell people that the world is ending soon and X, Y, and Z are going to heaven but A, B, and C are not. We don’t generally equate the world’s most recent enemies to the end times (it was the Soviet Union, now it is Muslim Terrorists). Instead, we have incense, the Blessed Virgin, and most importantly - the Eucharist and the Real Presence.

I guess what I’m saying is that in purely market terms, we don’t really “shock and awe” the consumer like some Protestants do. I think that’s one reason we don’t always succeed at door-to-door evangelism, but we see them doing so. On the other hand, there do seem to be a lot of Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, and mainstream Protestants who have converted to Catholicism over time.

 

[scylla]

I find it comparable to the little monkey who gets shocked every time he reaches up to grab an electrified banana.
Eventually the monkey gets tired of being shocked.

Catholics constantly are being bashed about their faith, in the news, friends, society… etc…
So many times they are shy about sharing their faith.

It is certainly a good thing to witness the faith quietly and be examples, but we musn’t let that be the only way.

I think an excellent practice which was unfortunately dropped was the symbolic slap on the face which was done at confirmation.
Now it is just a handshake…

Many Catholics have lost their sense of urgency and need to share the faith.
Salvation is at stake here…

We need to bring back that sense of urgency
We have become a little too wimpy and passive these days.

Scylla

 

[Cari]

I think that part of it is that the Protestants have a far simpler and at face value, more enticing message.
The Baptists (as I expect a lot of “low church” protestants to do) tend to start with “Are you saved?” and then go into their spiel on how you can be saved in five minutes.

Catholicism, in my humble opinion, is much more intellectually honest and therefore would take quite a bit longer to discuss with anyone. It isn’t even easy to fit on one of the leaflets they mail out nowadays.

I am in complete agreement with this. I’ve found that to effectively evangelize, one has to have a long-term committment to a small group of people. Take, for example, my neighbor and friend. We’ve seen each other almost every day for the past 1 1/2 years, and it took about half of that time for her to even be willing to listen to anything about the Catholic Church at all. There is a) so much damage and misconceptions to undo first, then b) the Faith is so much more complex than can be expressed in the general public setting.

Six months ago, she referred to the Real Presence as “hogwash”. Now, thanks to a steady evangelization that takes place in plastic chairs at the foot of my driveway while our kids play, she has moved into a “it’s a Mystery I don’t understand.” Consider that. SIX MONTHS to gain that ground- not something that could have been done in any other setting.
It took about five conversations before she could accept that a) Catholics aren’t praying to false gods by praying to the saints and b) the practice actually makes sense, when properly explained. But it took almost a week of daily conversations to cover that one topic.

I think Catholicism is such a deeply complex, highly misunderstood and outright slandered religion that “conventional evangelization” simply won’t work.

That said, I think we should all take advantage of the chances we’re given to make it work!

Cheers,
Cari

 

[Mirdath]

Think of it as letting your light shine before all instead of blinding them with a maglite in the eyes

 

[KCT]

It depends on what you mean by evangelizing.

Helping in my parish youth group? Running a Catholic club for kids? Being on pastoral council?

Where ever we are, if we’re bringing others closer to Christ, we’re evangelizing. —KCT

 

[Genesis315]

People hide behind the St. Francis quote, but they often forget that it is very, very often necessary to use words. People need to know you are a Catholic, they need to understand the Catholic faith if your charity will have any meaning towards evangelization. The Second Vatican Council declared anyone who is not evangelizing to be useless!

(this decree should be required reading for all lay people: Apostolicam Actuositatem )

1. The Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to enable all men to share in His saving redemption,(1) and that through them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in various ways through all her members. For the Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate. No part of the structure of a living body is merely passive but has a share in the functions as well as life of the body: so, too, in the body of Christ, which is the Church, “the whole body . . . in keeping with the proper activity of each part, derives its increase from its own internal development” (Eph. 4:16).

Indeed, the organic union in this body and the structure of the members are so compact that the member who fails to make his proper contribution to the development of the Church must be said to be useful neither to the Church nor to himself.

In the Church there is a diversity of ministry but a oneness of mission. Christ conferred on the Apostles and their successors the duty of teaching, sanctifying, and ruling in His name and power. But the laity likewise share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ and therefore have their own share in the mission of the whole people of God in the Church and in the world.(2)**They exercise the apostolate in fact by their activity directed to the evangelization and sanctification of men and to the penetrating and perfecting of the temporal order through the spirit of the Gospel. **

 

[JudieK]

I agree that words are important, too. It’s too easy to say “If we just live a good life…” Most “Catholics” I know don’t even do that! Catholics scandalize the church way more than any criticism from non-Catholics. I also think that we must be very careful in our approach. We must live exemplary lives, so as not to bring scandal. Then, we must be unashamed of our Catholicism. People should ***know ***that we are Catholic. If a conversation comes up where it is appropriate to comment, do so. We must KNOW our faith… because it is too easy for other Christians to make fools of us using the Bible if we can’t give a thoughtful response. We must be BOLD, but not obnoxious. I have MANY born-again friends, and we have dwelt on our similarities for years, without the differences getting in the way of our friendship. But recently I took a bold step and gave everyone I knew this excellent (16 page!) printout from a website of a former evangelical-turned-protestant, where he answers in a very informal, friendly way, questions he got from his evangelical friends. I lend out books left and right. When Catholic friends are thinking of joining a Non-Denominational church, I make a lunch date to talk. Then I say, “This is your journey, and only YOU know why you might be leaving. But at least be sure you really KNOW what you’re leaving behind… trading God in the flesh for flashy productions and emotional sermons.” I’m OUT THERE, but not in a bad way. When people have questions, they know they can come to me. In a huge government agency of over 2000 employees, strangers come to me with questions about the faith.
But I also cannot underestimate the importance of prayer. In fact, I wear a St. Monica medal around my neck, and I ask for her intercession for all my family and friends. I think you need a good balance of ALL of these approaches, so that people don’t feel threatened by you or avoid you, but rather SEEK YOU OUT for guideance because it is clear to them that you know and live your faith.

 

[JudieK]

oops- I meant a former evangelical-turned-catholic…!

 

[Beowulf]

If I can add my two cents…
My wife, daughter, and I are the only Catholics on my side of the family. My relatives are either Protestant or do not attend. I wish I could say they would be open to hearing about the Catholic church, but their minds are made up by either years of Catholic bashing from their pulpits (believe me it happens ALOT) or the daily sarcastic diatribes from the mass media. They have already been programmed to believe things about the church that are not true, but it is accepted because of repetition or just lack of investigation.
Our church is hated today for being seen as old-fashioned, for believing in moral values and the integrity of people, even though we are imperfect.
That said, I have never once experienced a Catholic coming to the door, or getting any invitations through the mail to come to church. Some people just need a friendly smile or even a pamphlet to let them know they are welcome in church. The Protestant church as a whole is more welcoming in this regard, to my dismay.

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

Wasn’t it St. Francis who said, “Preach the gospel always; use words if necessary?”

That quote seems more like an excuse not to speak up. Obviously our actions should be consistent with our faith, and thus be a witness in themselves. That is not an excuse not to verbalize what we are thinking.

1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

Wasn’t it St Paul who wrote Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

As well as Romans 10:8-10 “But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”–that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Jesus taught by what He did and what He said"
Acts 1:1 "1The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,"

Michael

 

[Mt_28_19_20]

If I can add my two cents…
My wife, daughter, and I are the only Catholics on my side of the family. My relatives are either Protestant or do not attend. I wish I could say they would be open to hearing about the Catholic church, but their minds are made up by either years of Catholic bashing from their pulpits (believe me it happens ALOT) or the daily sarcastic diatribes from the mass media. They have already been programmed to believe things about the church that are not true, but it is accepted because of repetition or just lack of investigation.
Our church is hated today for being seen as old-fashioned, for believing in moral values and the integrity of people, even though we are imperfect.
That said, I have never once experienced a Catholic coming to the door, or getting any invitations through the mail to come to church. Some people just need a friendly smile or even a pamphlet to let them know they are welcome in church. The Protestant church as a whole is more welcoming in this regard, to my dismay.

Well said.

I have a lot of Protestant friends, who often to my dismay, have been led to believe false witness about the Catholic Church and what is taught. Part of that is due to our own witness in everyday life. Part of my two cents is to colabor with them on mission trips, living my faith along side them. After a day or two, conversations come up, or someone makes a remark about Catholics, and I do not remain silent. Often they are surprised that I am Catholic, having seen me share my faith in Christ, or having led a morning devotional. And often they are surprised at what the Catholic Church really teaches. While they might not be convinced in that short time, they often seem appreciative to have a better informed discussion. Almost always they mention conversations with other Catholics who either were not very fluent in Scripture, or did not explain the Catholic faith well.

Yes, never had a Catholic come to the door to share the Gospel. It was my Protestant friends who by example taught and encouraged me to share my faith in Jesus Christ. They also made me more Catholic, by challenging my faith. So the question is, why did it take Protestants to teach me how to be more open in sharing my faith, and to take my faith more seriously? Of course part of that is how open my heart and ears are to what I hear at Mass. At the same time, I was receptive to being challenged and to take my faith more seriously, and I wonder why I did not experience that in the Catholic Church.

Michael

Michael

 

[JudieK]

My family is also hostile to Catholicism…my parents having been Jehovah’s Witnesses years before having kids, and then raising us without any faith whatsoever. At 25, a wonderful Protestant coworker saw the rough times I was going through and reached out to me. He asked me to read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Thank God for him… no Catholic ever approached me like that. After reading the book, I was intellectually convinced in the logic of Christianity, but I had no “faith” per se. I began attending a huge non-denominational mega church, and was “born again.” I loved that Church… it was so welcoming and wonderful. It set my heart on fire for God and Jesus. Due to a serendipitous turn of events, I wanted to see my pastor, but he was too busy to see me. A friend suggested I talk to her priest. I laughed (rudely!) and said “I’m a Christian!” Anyway… he offered to meet with me *any time (*his availability shocked me… the megachurch pastor was always busy!), so I did. He was wonderful, and before long, I was in RCIA. Now I sometimes feel that the protestant church is a necessary “first step” for some people… who then “graduate” on to Catholicism at a later time. Catholicism can be overwhelming to a brand new believer! When I was new I almost gave up because I thought I was expected to say a daily rosary, wear a brown and green scapular, say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, etc. etc. ect. Well-meaning Catholics gave me these devotional pamphlets and I thought they were required. I said “This is too much!! Who can keep up with all of this???” I doubt that I would have been very inspired as a total non-believer going into a mass. It would have seemed boring and idolotrous to me… I probably would have run (not walked) as far from the Church as I could have. But God, in His wisdom, set my heart on fire first… let me be introduced gently into a very generic kind of Christianity, and then, when I needed and longed for more, led me to His Holy Catholic Church. Now I can’t get enough… and I want to tell everyone about it! But it seems that the best prospects are actually devoted Christians who read the Bible constantly, sincerely seeking the truth. I always tell them that if you are sincere in seeking the truth, you must at least CONSIDER the claims of the RCC, who claims to have “the fullness of truth.” To fail to do so shows you are not sincere in your quest. I have purchased leaflets from Catholic Answers such as “God’s Love for You” and “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth.” I hand these out all the time, to people who ask me about the faith, and friends who are seeking. There are also great resources online, as I stated above. I think we *all *need to reach out to others as is appropriate in our position in life. If we all did a little, we could accomplish a lot!

 

[Tantum_ergo]

That quote seems more like an excuse not to speak up. Obviously our actions should be consistent with our faith, and thus be a witness in themselves. That is not an excuse not to verbalize what we are thinking.

Use words if necessary–not ‘don’t use words at all’. If it become necessary (and there are many reasons which could call for this), and one’s prudential judgment calls for it, certainly words in addition to the many other ways we speak the gospel, which above all should be by living it, may be needed.

What a thing ‘seems to be’ is not necessarily what it is. And if persons do take what ‘it seems’ to be and thus ‘excuse themselves’–it is not the fault of the quote–nor perhaps even the fault of the person himself or herself, or at least not a ‘deliberate’ fault.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

BTW, Michael, I am confused. You say here that you are Catholic, yet you are continually arguing elsewhere against priestly celibacy and in those posts you certainly do not come across as “Catholic” in that you speak of our Catholic practices as “yours” rather than “ours.”

Might I ask if you are ‘small c catholic’, or baptized Catholic but currently a: not practicing or b: practicing something other than Roman Catholicism, or c: other?