Wisdom anyone?

[muslebard]

Had friends over. Got into inevitable conversation with protestant member. Was a very frustrating conversation with a few trap questions, a loud and (I thought) condescending tone, phrases like “I’m asking you to try and get you to think like…” I answered and questioned as I could, but I’m not the most educated Scripture scholar. I did feel like we finally got somewhere when they found themselves unable to answer, pondering my question.

However, somehow they got the ball rolling again, which eventually ended very badly, I think. My patience spent, I found myself swearing and accusing them of not making sense and being condescending.

I now feel like that’s the worst possible thing I could have done and I feel like a dunghill. Any wisdom to shed on the situation?

 

[Schedman]

I am not very wise myself but I think it is better sometimes to admit that you don;t know the answer but you will look up and get back to them. I don;t have very many prostestant friends to cross swords with but I know how frustrating evenings like you had can be. But the challenge of your friends question will eventual make you a much smarter Catholic if you seek the answers to their question. I am sure they are not asking any questions that the Church hasn’t already answered. You just need to find those answers.

 

[adv1sor]

I’m probably the last person who should be offering wisdom but, since you asked

Call them up or go and visit them as soon as possible and apologize for your actions. Going forward, try to steer clear of such conversations and, instead, try to show them the truth by the way you live your life.

 

[GoldStarMother]

**HI–I’m new here, and haven’t even started the RCIA classes as yet, but I can understand what you went through, since the same type of situation has happened in my life many times–I didn’t swear at my fellow protestants for the things they said against Catholicism, but I did become agitated and upset, because, as a pre-candidate, I didn’t know any of the answers to any of their questions, and accusations!–but, recently, I believe the Lord helped me to narrow things down to exactly where the Catholic Church departs from the beliefs of any and all protestants–and, it’s the crux of the entire matter–it’s the significance of the presence of the Lord within the Holy Eucharist, verses the protestant idea that Holy Communion is done just in memory of the Lord–if you start there, it will also probably end there, as well, since there is no way, as a Catholic, you can ever agree to the protestant idea behind Holy Communion–all other differences fall by the wayside when compared to the Real Presence of Christ within the Holy Eucharist–

–once they realize what you are telling them, perhaps, after that, the challenging of your beliefs will either cease, or the questions will be put to you with more respect, or at least with less hostility and arrogance–the hardest things I’ve found is trying to overcome that ‘attitude’, and the idea many protestants have for some reason, concerning the idea that protestants ‘got it right’, but Catholics are being led of the devil, so really aren’t Christians at all–talk about a scary way to view things!–but, the Holy Eucharist, as spoken of by Christ, Himself, in St. John, should be the opening Gambit, in my opinion, or even the point of departure if they really can’t do anything but reject the entire idea of the Real Presence of the Lord within the Holy Eucharist–because, if they can not accept that as a fact, no matter what else is discussed, the conversation probably won’t go anywhere, because I don’t see how it ever could..**

 

[fhansen]

Had friends over. Got into inevitable conversation with protestant member. Was a very frustrating conversation with a few trap questions, a loud and (I thought) condescending tone, phrases like “I’m asking you to try and get you to think like…” I answered and questioned as I could, but I’m not the most educated Scripture scholar. I did feel like we finally got somewhere when they found themselves unable to answer, pondering my question.

However, somehow they got the ball rolling again, which eventually ended very badly, I think. My patience spent, I found myself swearing and accusing them of not making sense and being condescending.

I now feel like that’s the worst possible thing I could have done and I feel like a dunghill. Any wisdom to shed on the situation?

The truth isn’t always easy to share and sometimes we’ll feel pretty raw-and just plain wrong afterwards but seeds are planted and someone else waters and sometimes we even get to see the results later on.

 

[Big_Dummy]

Yes, you should apologize.

But, what was the question they could not answer? You should bring that question up on the fourm here so, it can be developed and backed up with evidence.

And, if they start into this debate again next time, bring up that question again.