Why do we evangelise Christians?

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If the RCC already believes that the ‘separated brethren’ will eventually be saved, why the need to evangelise them and engage in apologetics with them?
 
They won’t be necessarily saved, they might be saved, though not through their church but through the Catholic Church alone. Therefore, it is our duty to try to bring everyone back into the fold, where the fullness of Truth is found.

In the Catholic Church alone does one have the surest way to salvation by means of the Sacraments and the Truth of Catholic doctrine and dogma. While others “may” be saved, it is iffy.
 
The Catholic Church affirms truth, so any truth in other belief systems are good and no matter how far off their belief systems are the individual adherents in their submission to truth and not to themselves have a chance to be saved. Of course this chance diminishes if they believe things like whatever you do doesn’t matter, sin is ok, put your own desires above God’s etc… all that leads to hell and though someone ignorant of truth can be saved that is only by the truth held not the rejection of it.

Also since Jesus commanded us to preach the Gospel and since He founded a Church it must be of importance. If it isn’t then Jesus founded the Church for nothing as it isn’t needed for salvation, this is lunacy if this is the case. So definitely Jesus died to testify to the truth and started the Church.

We are to share that truth with others since He commanded us to and affirm all truth and Catholics are supposed to do that. Unfortunately we are in a society where it is common to believe what you want to believe and not necessarily what is the truth.

So if we are to behave as Christians we are the share the Catholic faith and to bring people to unity in the Church Jesus founded, or else we are denying the Gospel and our belief that there is definite truth. You will find some of the more radical anti-catholics even based off a belief of any belief as long as it isn’t Catholic. Which is essentially a denial of any definite truth and an opinion based faith, that just is merely a protest instead of an affirmation of faith.

God Bless
Scylla
 
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Inquirer:
If the RCC already believes that the ‘separated brethren’ will eventually be saved, why the need to evangelise them and engage in apologetics with them?
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Catholics don’t necessarily go out of their way to “evangelize” Protestants in the same sense that some Protestants target Catholics. These Protestants start with the premise that Catholics aren’t Christians at all and are trying to “make Christians” out of them. The proper Catholic approach is that a professing Protestant is a Christian, but that they lack the **fullness of Faith ** that is only found in the Catholic Church. We are only giving them more than they already have – the fullness of Faith that Christ intended for them.

As for the purpose of apologetics, it is entirely defensive and exists only because the Catholic Faith is attacked with misconceptions and, sometimes, downright lies. Apologetics often removes obstacles to appreciating Catholicism that some may have because they don’t know what the Church really teaches. If there were no anti-Catholicism, there would be no need for apologetics.
 
Because we have the Eucharist and they don’t.

Imagine how stunned when they get to Heaven and find out what they have missed out on all these years, and no Catholic cared enough to make it real to them?

They will say we saw them hungrey and did not give them to eat. Not good, folks.

Isn’t that covered in the Sermon on the Mount? :hmmm:
 
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Inquirer:
If the RCC already believes that the ‘separated brethren’ will eventually be saved, why the need to evangelise them and engage in apologetics with them?
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Because the Catholic Chruch does not believe that. The Catholic Church believes that other separated Christians or even non-Christians could possibly attain salvation, because of their ignorance of the Catholic Chruch and Christ’s teachings. All of us should be working to help them overcome their lack of undrestanding and more fully unite themselves to Christ and His Church.
 
I myself am feeling called to evangelize my Protestant friends, and frankly it makes me nervous. I feel so unworthy… At the same time, it makes my heart ache to see my friends call themselves Christian and yet have no knowledge of the Church He established; no knowledge of His healing Presence, here, on this Earth, right now, in the Eucharist. I tremble with sorrow at His broken Body. I can’t imagine anything more important that bringing our brothers and sisters in Christ to the fullness of the Truth, except for perhaps sharing Christ with someone who has no faith at all. Can you?
 
Apologetics is explaining and defending what one believes.

This is a truth seeking process. If one believes that there is such a thing as absolute truth, then one is morally bound to both seek it out and then obey it when one discovers it, regardless of where it leads.

If I didn’t believe that the Catholic Church was absolutely right…I would BE Catholic. :ehh:
 
I think that only the Holy Spirit can lead other Christians home to Rome. I do stand up for our Church at every opportunity though and I feel this is important because of all the anti-Catholic stuff out there; a lot of people have been told terrible lies about the Church. To “Evangelise” is to preach the Gospel- the good news. We have to be careful not to proselytize, our mission is to evangelise.
 
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FightingFat:
I think that only the Holy Spirit can lead other Christians home to Rome. I do stand up for our Church at every opportunity though and I feel this is important because of all the anti-Catholic stuff out there; a lot of people have been told terrible lies about the Church. To “Evangelise” is to preach the Gospel- the good news. We have to be careful not to proselytize, our mission is to evangelise.
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“Few people in America hate the Catholic religion,
but there are many who hate what they mistakenly believe is the Catholic religion
—and if what they hate really were the Catholic religion,
Catholics would hate it too.”
Bishop Fulton Sheen
 
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Inquirer:
If the RCC already believes that the ‘separated brethren’ will eventually be saved,
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can be saved, not will be saved
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Inquirer:
why the need to evangelise them and engage in apologetics with them?
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Christ founded the Church to administer the Sacraments and to bring the fullness of truth to the world. God wants all men to have the fullness of Truth. Those who are outside the Catholic Church do not have the fullness of Truth found only in the Catholic Church nor do they have the Sacraments and the grace they afford us.
 
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Inquirer:
If the RCC already believes that the ‘separated brethren’ will eventually be saved, why the need to evangelise them and engage in apologetics with them?
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As others have pointed out, there’s no guarantee of salvation, and the further away from the fullness of the truth you are, the less your chances of salvation (all other things being equal).

Catholics should evangelize everybody… including other Catholics!🙂
 
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FightingFat:
I think that only the Holy Spirit can lead other Christians home to Rome.
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Then may I be a humble instrument of the Holy Spirit.

Amen!
 
I don’t agree Eileen T - our fellow Catholics are the ones who are closest to living their lives and believing the things that God wants them to do and think. They need the least evangelisation (anyone who is clean does not need to take a bath - sound familiar? Last Supper of course). It is good to evangelise everybody, especially the non-Catholics.
 
I was a Protestant Christian evangelized by a Catholic, and all I can say is thank God! Yes, I was “saved” before, but the truth and grace I have found in the Catholic Church have enriched and blessed me beyond my ability to describe. I’m grateful to have the whole revelation of God in Christ Jesus and access to all the means of grace He has established. Just having Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament would be enough! I want my Protestant friends to have what I have.
 
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Inquirer:
If the RCC already believes that the ‘separated brethren’ will eventually be saved, why the need to evangelise them and engage in apologetics with them?
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Catholics generally don’t. The Catholics who do this these days are a relatively small group compared to all Catholics worldwide. Don’t be misled by this board.

Edwin
 
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Flopfoot:
I don’t agree Eileen T - our fellow Catholics are the ones who are closest to living their lives and believing the things that God wants them to do and think. They need the least evangelisation (anyone who is clean does not need to take a bath - sound familiar? Last Supper of course). It is good to evangelise everybody, especially the non-Catholics.
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we have two generations of Catholics who, because of liberalised, watered-down teachings do not really have a Faith they would be willing to die for.

Now, that is a generalisation, but largely, it holds true.
 
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DeFide:
Catholics should evangelize everybody… including other Catholics!🙂
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I’ve been doing alot of that lately. Sad that it’s so necessary
 
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