Why does this happen?

[Heather07]

Its funny how whenever I am talking to my friends or even my mom (who is a fallen away Catholic) and something religious pops into the conversation and I bring my Catholic point of view into it, they quickly change the subject or if its online they sign off without saying anything (happened to me a few minutes ago, grrr!). Why are so many people afriad to talk about Catholicism, or even religion in general for that matter? I guess that little phrase “truth hurts” really comes into play here…

 

[JCPhoenix]

I think there are a couple of reasons for this.

First of all, in the culture around us, religion is a taboo topic, It is seen as divisive or offensive or some such nonsense.

Secondly, many people who are fallen away are wrapped up in their own ego-centric dissenting worlds where they have decided that they are God and that the Church can’t teach them anything. They want to live their own lifestyles without the crippling ability of the truth to remind them that it’s not ok to sleep around or use birth control, etc.

They want to think that they are elightened and that the Church is ancient and there are no answers for their “superior” and “original” “questions” that led them out of the church.

So when they meet someone who can actually answer the questions they never bothered to research or even ask a real person, they change the topic because they have no foundation for their secularism and can’t respond. It’s better in their mind to avoid this conversation so they don’t have to face themselves and the choices they made in light of the reality of the dictates of God.

 

[Pug]

I don’t usually talk about topics that I have no knowledge of, so I could see someone bailing out of a conversation about Catholicism for lack of having anything constructive to say.

Also, most people who bring up religion in real life seem to have a point to make, and they aren’t really interested in me. They just seem to look at me as a nice field to plow or something. So, often out of habit I could just brush off a topic of religion, at least until I felt the person was on the up and up. Even then, it remains a dangerous topic often best ignored for family harmony or whatever.

I’ve actually been told by a relative that they are happy to discuss their religion with me, but if I say anything remotely Catholic, they have announced that they will cut me off because they hate Catholic so much that all they do is get angry, so they just aren’t going to allow me to mention it to avoid getting angry. (And no, this is not in the context of me having done anything previous to this to annoy them. It seems to be Catholics in general). Suffice it to say I find this hurtful, in a way (the relative is very close to me).

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Pug:

Also, most people who bring up religion in real life seem to have a point to make, and they aren’t really interested in me. They just seem to look at me as a nice field to plow or something.

I love the way you put that.

I’ve actually been told by a relative that they are happy to discuss their religion with me, but if I say anything remotely Catholic, they have announced that they will cut me off because they hate Catholic so much that all they do is get angry, so they just aren’t going to allow me to mention it to avoid getting angry. (And no, this is not in the context of me having done anything previous to this to annoy them. It seems to be Catholics in general). Suffice it to say I find this hurtful, in a way (the relative is very close to me).

You do realize that they are actually confessing their own weaknesses to you.

If they profess to be Christian, then they have no business becoming angry over the discussion. They probably know that, but they may not. They have been brainwashed, and their own spirits are hurt by their false selves. This is not a Protestant only phenomenon, but some Protestants have the disadvantage that their leaders condemn other religions from the pulpit and not just in their hearts (like good old Catholic hypocracy). Therefore, in the short term they are honestly helpless to discuss it without anger because their limited minds have never experienced another way. They have been trained like good Christian soldiers to do battle at the sound of heresy, Catholicism, or other such evil.

Alan

 

[Pug]

AlanFromWichita:

You do realize that they are actually confessing their own weaknesses to you.

Yes. Not that it wasn’t worth your time to tell me!

their own spirits are hurt by their false selves

In this person’s case, this is true. Also, they have expressed despair and, ironically, disbelief about hell, and somehow, I feel it is all related. I wish, well, I wish a lot, but I’m praying about it anyway.

in the short term they are honestly helpless to discuss it without anger because their limited minds have never experienced another way.

Yes, I think they are unable to be very rational about it. I am of course helped by years of self analysis and can pretend to great heights of introspection…blah, blah …but I’m being irrational to be hurt, in the end. It seems silly to be getting hurt over another’s weakness, but that is often what we do.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Pug:

Yes, I think they are unable to be very rational about it. I am of course helped by years of self analysis and can pretend to great heights of introspection…blah, blah …but I’m being irrational to be hurt, in the end. It seems silly to be getting hurt over another’s weakness, but that is often what we do.

So much said with so few words.

I love it.

Sorry for laughing.

No I’m not.

You know what I mean.

I hope. :dancing:



Alan

 

[Pug]

:dancing:



Alan
[/quote]

Alan, I knew you’d understand.

 

[Lazerlike42]

I usually like to ask people if God is worth it.

I say, look you’re a human, and I’m a human. We can both be mistaken. Maybe I’m wrong about God, and you’re right. On the other hand, maybe I’m right and you’re wrong. Isn’t God worth it? Isn’t He worth just taking a few minutes to hear all the different perspectives to see which is really what He wants? If you already know the truth, spending 5 minutes listening to something else won’t hurt, but if you’re wrong, isn’t God worth that 5 minutes to see the truth? Isn’t he worth it for us both?