- Influence of the entertainment media, especially television, films, and music, in making sin, especially the sex sins (pornography, masturbation, co-habitation, fornication, contraception, abortion, adultery, divorce, same-sex activity, perversions, and even rape) acceptable and even wholesome in our culture. People who are involved habitually in these sins will not be eager to come to Mass or be part of the Catholic Church.
My answer: Christians need to “take back” the entertainment media and produce excellent television, films, and music. This will be expensive, and it will be difficult, as many parents are hesitant to allow their children to become involved in “entertainment” because of the darkness and unwholesomeness of this mission field.
- ** Aggressive and appealing Evangelical Protestant evangelization**–my husband and I were evangelical Protestant for 47 years, and a huge percentage of our churches, probably close to around 50%, were former Catholics. The main attraction for Catholics was BIble-based teaching, especially freedom from “works”–salvation by faith alone. The second attraction was good fellowship and lots of friends–this is something that seems hard to find in modern Catholic parishes that no longer are “neighborhood” parishes.
My answer: I believe that apologetic ministries like Catholic Answers are helping, but I think that more aggressive catechesis needs to be offered in local parishes, especially for children. I suspect that many religious education programs are being taught by under-trained catechists who are using material from a hundred years ago. I think that much of the religious education curricula needs to be “Bible-based,” so that Catholic children and teenagers will be prepared to answer their evangelical Protestant friends.
I also think that all Catholic parishes should offer some kind of teenage and adult Bible study.
I realize that the Catholic Church does not teach that the Bible is the Authority for Christians. But since evangelical Protestant evangelization is so aggressive and appealing, Catholics HAVE to be trained to use the Bible correctly to answer evangelical Protestants.
I also think that Catholic parishes need to create opportunities for people to find friends and spend time with them in
church-based activities (picnics, potlucks, social groups, musical programs, pilgrimages, singspirations, etc.). I think that priests need to encourage friendliness
before and
after the Mass in the lobby or fellowship hall, even though many Catholic church buildings are not designed to encourage conversation.
- Encroachment of U.S. government into everyday family life, especially higher and higher taxes at the local levels, making it necessary for both parents in a family to work outside of the home. This has resulted in a tremendous time crunch, which causes families to “cocoon” together on weekends, or to fall apart and become separate people living under the same roof. Also, when both parents work, it is harder for a couple to make a decision to have several children.
My answer: Vote for candidates that have a record of supporting the limited government outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Catholics need to stop voting according to the traditions of their family, and truly look at the candidates to see who is most likely to enact policies that will help create better families, not hurt families. The family is the basis of our civilization in the U.S.–anything that hurts the family will hurt the Church.
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