Why Is Catholicism So Unattractive to Evangelicals?

[FollowChrist34]

That’s…a little simplistic.
I grew up with and around nominal Catholics who had no interest in spiritual matters, no morality and no interest in following what the Church taught. It did indeed, as a young guy in his twenties appear very much dead and ‘going through the motions’.
On the other hand, walking into an evangelical church was like walking into a different world, and appeared to have everything I believed lacking in the Catholic Church.
Now, years after coming back to the Church I can see much of my reaction was youthful exuberance and ignorance. But that doesn’t mean the negative things I saw should be easily dismissed. Evangelicals don’t see a Catholic spiritual life lived out, celebrated, and wholeheartedly embraced.
But being evangelical all those years, make me a better Catholic today.
And Catholics solve nothing by denying what Evangelicals see.
There’s an old saying that sometimes it’s more fruitful to listen to your enemy rather than your friend. Because your friend will not identify your faults because he does not want to hurt your feelings. But your enemy will point out your faults no problem.

This is a great post.

Catholics should not disregard the criticism of Evangelicals. Most of it is right on the mark. I also believe the Catholic criticisms of Evangelicals are also mostly right on the mark.

 

[MSSheBear]

I think I would be Catholic today if Catholics (especially my age) would have welcomed me into the Church; excited to know that I’m coming to the “fullness of faith”.

Yes, there was much emptiness in that Cathedral when I signed up for RCIA. I recently started going to a new Evangelical Church that’s closer to where I have moved; the Theology is the same as my old one, it’s way smaller, but man those people noticed a new face. I walk in and everyone’s so excited that a new couple have come in; I’ve been invited to dinner by two different families, and coffee with the pastor.

Yes, I have noticed Catholic parishes are less friendly than Evangelical ones. The very first parish I attended basically no one would talk to me. I then moved into a “friendly” parish and what a difference that made. But I find you can attend Mass at a different parish for several weekends and no one basically cares you are there. At an Evangelical Church someone would have taken pains to greet you and probably sign you up for a ministry.

I think having several thousand parishioners in one parish is a factor, as is having parishioners who have been attending for decades. But at least at the start this lack of friendliness can have an impact on a shy introvert such as myself.

 

[JonNC]

No, those are just smokescreens.

Evangelicals find Catholicism unattractive because we need to be wrong for them to be right.

And vice versa.

Jon

 

[SuS33]

Exactly, but when the evangelical finally makes the realization that the Catholic Church is right, the look on their face, priceless

 

[SuS33]

Yes, I have noticed Catholic parishes are less friendly than Evangelical ones. The very first parish I attended basically no one would talk to me. I then moved into a “friendly” parish and what a difference that made. But I find you can attend Mass at a different parish for several weekends and no one basically cares you are there. At an Evangelical Church someone would have taken pains to greet you and probably sign you up for a ministry.

I think having several thousand parishioners in one parish is a factor, as is having parishioners who have been attending for decades. But at least at the start this lack of friendliness can have an impact on a shy introvert such as myself.

Sad but true.

 

[JonNC]

You…missed…the…point.


It’s very easy to leap into triumphalism and look down our noses at the criticisms of evangelicals.
It’s NOT easy to take a look at ourselves take what they say into consideration.

In this case, it seems we all think the grass is greener on our own side of the fence.

And yet, the speck and plank analogy is one all of us should consider.

Jon

 

[Peter_J]

Why does anyone have to be “wrong?”

Well, *technically *no one has to be. Evangelicals choose to be wrong rather than Catholic.

 

[Peter_J]

You…missed…the…point.

Well, I did cross threads a little bit (from the whole conversation about Eastern Orthodox and “the devil divides and Christ unites”: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=13244318).

But anyhow, isn’t it great to be on an RC (or C) forum rather than an Evangelical one.

 

[z_0101]

Hello dronald,

Yes, English speaking Catholics are terrible at the fellowship part. In non-English speaking nations, Catholics are WAY better.

Also, in regards to having dinner with Catholic Pastors, since they have hundreds or thousands of parishioners (and no wife), it’s often not realistic for them to invite people to dinner. However, they often attend when parishioners invite them to dinner (if their schedules are not crazy - as many are).

God Bless

^^^^ all that - even the part I snipped ^^^^

 

[Graceful_Lamb]

Well, *technically *no one has to be. Evangelicals choose to be wrong rather than Catholic.

So you are saying that Catholicism is “right?” So if anyone “chooses” to be another denomination other than Catholic, they are “wrong.”

 

[3_Dog_Night]

In my life wanderings, I have attended
a Catholic church
a Methodist church
an Assembly of God church
a Unity church
a spiritual but not religious/ New Age fellowship
and then back to the Catholic church

Each church, denomination, and spiritual approach has at least some truth. For me, it is a question of what has the fullest truth. What I like about being Catholic is the richness and the depth of the faith. The Methodist church only had two sacraments; the Catholic faith has seven sacraments. In hindsight, I could see that so much was missing – the Eucharist, the liturgy, the history and tradition, etc. – in making a comparison of the Catholic faith and Protestant and non-denominational churches. If the choice is 80% or 95%, I would prefer 95%. I really don’t think I could ever go back to being Protestant or non-denominational. It would mean giving up so many things (beliefs and practices) that I have come to love and appreciate. Maybe some of this is about what one is accustomed to or what one grew up with.

 

[jlhargus]

Good article. I’ll start with the second point first:

patheos.com/blogs/albertlittle/why-catholicism-is-so-unattractive-to-evangelicals/

Catholicism is unattractive to evangelicals because of misconceptions. To paraphrase Bishop Sheen there are millions who hate the Church for what they think she is and teaches. That is born out by evangelicals who covert to the faith after studying what the Church actually teaches.

 

[eazyduzit]

I have attended many denominations (including Catholic) and i have found that individual churches rarely live up to the ideals of their vision, much less God’s will for them. I am not a Pentecostal because i found a great Pentecostal church. It is the lives lived by the pioneers of the movement that inspire me to be like them. I would never even know how much God could do with a man except by studying the lives of such giants as John G.Lake, and Smith Wigglesworth. If they were Pentacostals then certainly i should be if i want to be anything like them. (I have a very long way to go) , but someone has to set the bar high.

To be honest, i think most Pentecostal churches are poor examples and many are caught up in prosperity teaching (although it is God’s will for us to prosper) . Most do not have the strength of worship to bring in tangible presence of God. Recall the story of how smoke filled the temple and the people could not stand? It was the Glory Cloud of God. We should have the manifest presence of God . We need to believe for a greater anointing. There are many Godly servants that lead by example today I would name Heidi Baker, Mel Bond, James Goll, Steven Brooks, Dr. Jim Richards, the late Katherine Kuhlman, and many less known.

It is God working in people that attracts and inspires me,not smells and bells.

 

[Peter_J]

Peter J;13263442:

Well, *technically *

no one has to be. Evangelicals choose to be wrong rather than Catholic.
So you are saying that Catholicism is “right?” So if anyone “chooses” to be another denomination other than Catholic, they are “wrong.”

That is partly what my post was about. The other part was that I’m trying to be a good Catholic stereotype.

 

[3_Dog_Night]

There is a Charismatic Renewal movement in the Catholic Church. If one wants “speaking in tongues” and “slain in the spirit” and “holy roller music” and “prophesy” … one can find it in the Catholic church. (There are probably other gifts of the spirit being displayed as well, I only attended one mass and prayer/ worship service.)

I felt as if I were back in the Assembly of God church with a “Catholic twist”. The rosary and the mass were the “Catholic twist” part of it. There were even some seminarians from the local seminary assisting in the mass. And one of the local parishes has a priest who was once a Methodist minister (he is married with four grown children and grandchildren). When he gives the homily, it is old-fashioned “Methodist preaching” – only Catholic style.

Now I must admit, I haven’t been back to the Charismatic mass and service. I like the more “traditional Catholic mass” style. But it was an adventure. Actually, it was beautiful …

 

[z_0101]

I have attended many denominations (including Catholic) and i have found that individual churches rarely live up to the ideals of their vision,

This, is why for the majority of my life I was an agnostic.
I did not see the Body of Christ; instead, I saw only the people.

I am not a Pentecostal because i found a great Pentecostal church. It is the lives lived by the pioneers of the movement that inspire me to be like them. [/quotes]
Ok, then why do not the Apostles, The Fathers, The Doctors, and the other Saints not inspire you to be like them?
Have you read about any of their lives?
May I suggest you start with St. Albert the Great Doctor of the Universal Church (this is only a short biography

please go to the local public library and see if you cannot check out:
The 33 doctors of the Church / Christopher Rengers (Link to a public library that his this book)
eazyduzit;13263837:

It is God working in people that attracts and inspires me,not smells and bells.

The smells and the bells are not what brought me to the Catholic Church.
The parish I attend does not use the incenses outside of Easter and the bells during the consecration have only been used within the last two years… the servers are still forgetting to ring them as they haven’t been used for over the prior 50 years in the church .
Five priests, all with science backgrounds, laying a logical foundation and the events that occurred during my RCIA journey, and the lives of the Saints and the Doctors and the Fathers of the Catholic Church, these are part of what brought me to the Catholic faith.

All I ask is that you take a few moments to add the Fathers of the Catholic Church to your reading list, after all, this is the foundation from which the Pentecostal Church ultimately grew from.

 

[Darryl_B]

Second, Evangelicals find Catholicism unattractive because of the Catholic witness. The lack of Catholics with a personal relationship with Christ.

As an Evangelical the Catholic faith was so unattractive, so un-Christian, because the Catholics we knew lacked a personal, genuine relationship with Christ. They weren’t, as Evangelical writers would put it, “disciples.”

They didn’t strive to model their lives after Christ—His compassion, His integrity, His generosity—and that made them not Christians.

And, actually, that seems pretty fair because Jesus did condemn the Pharisees for their empty religion.

And these two go hand-in-hand: A practice of [empty] religion replaces a relationship with Christ. Strip away the religion and focus on Christ.

It’s a fair argument and, in my opinion, our response shouldn’t be strike back, it should be to agree.

Catholicism is most intrinsically important to Evangelicals for the simple reason that if Catholicism did not exist, the Evangelical would have no one to compare themselves to in order to boast their (self)righteousness and self-esteem.

Strip away the religion and focus on oneself. Me and Jesus. I “have” Jesus is a phrase I have heard too many times. A lucky charm?

The Evangelical is a morphosis of the Puritan, the Purtian is a morphosis of the Calvinist, and the Calvinist is individualistic and separates themselves from all lesser souls than themselves and by nature therefore, is anti-Catholic-Church.

And Jesus has told them so.

 

[multitude]

Bear in mind, if Evangelicals want to continue with Pharisee accusations, they do have three fingers pointed back at them. The accusation of Pharisaism against Catholics is based on the misguided notion that it is wrong to expect something to be done right. Even the Evangelicals expect the Bible to be interpreted correctly, as per the Sola Scriptura principle, so again, if they can’t see those three fingers pointed back at them, I don’t know what to say.

Also, how can you really claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus without having a personal relationship with his Mother? Evangelicals are effectively saying to Jesus, “I love you Jesus but can you stop talkin’ about your mom? She’s just a vessel.” Ok, alright, go ahead and stick with that game plan, just don’t blame me if it doesn’t get what you want in the afterlife.

 

[JustaServant]

This is a great post.

Catholics should not disregard the criticism of Evangelicals. Most of it is right on the mark. I also believe the Catholic criticisms of Evangelicals are also mostly right on the mark.

Thanks FC, I still think people are missing the point. Self reflection and criticism is a tool we can use toward understanding between Catholics and evangelicals. Unfortunately, that is apparently a little too deep for this forum. We’d rather have a bar-room brawl than honestly discuss.

 

[JustaServant]

It is God working in people that attracts and inspires me,not smells and bells.

Which is the point of the article.

BTW, who are you and what have you done with Easyduzit?