Catholics - is your purpose here to convert others to the catholic faith or are you here to defend and explain the Catholic faith?
Non-Catholics - do you think the catholics here are trying to convert you to the Catholic faith or here to defend and explain the Catholic faith?
2007-09-25 03:26:36 · 21 answers · asked by Sldgman 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
CJ...I am seriously trying to find the truth in your post, but i cannot find it.
2007-09-25 03:31:18 · update #1
Sigh. I know I've probably been here too long when I expect to see CJ as the first poster, and wave as I pass by.
Conversion is the Holy Spirit's work; ours is to speak the truth. I'm here as a Christian voice and don't necessarily just answer questions related to Catholicism. I will explain and defend my faith, but I'm not about to whack anyone over the head with it. I'm happy to debate doctrine with fundamentalists (heck, I used to be one) as long as we can remain civil. For the rest, well, I try to clear up misconceptions, but people are going to believe what they want to believe. I'm not under any illusions about changing people's minds, but I'm not afraid to speak mine.
2007-09-25 04:05:12 · answer #1 · answered by Clare † 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Defending, explaining, and proselytizing are inseparable.
When I was a young atheist on the prowl for irrational Christians to puncture with my blade of reason, it was a Catholic who easily parried my thrusts, hardly breaking a sweat. He showed me that Catholicism was fides quaerens intellectum--faith seeking understanding--and that centuries of careful thought lie behind every claim advanced by the Church.
More recently, I returned to studying the faith as a response to the DaVinci Code, which tried to recast Catholicism as a conspiracy. Rechecking the sacred traditions of Catholicism, I found not only no contradiction between Catholic claims and the biblical evidence, but subtle lines of scriptural support. When I examined the extrabiblical evidence from the Fathers of the Church in the early centuries, most of the puzzles in scripture were solved.
From my own experience, discovering the truth of Catholicism makes me want to explain the faith, defend the faith, and tell others about faith seeking understanding.
Cheers,
Bruce
2007-09-25 08:32:28 · answer #2 · answered by Bruce 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hi, I am here to do both and as we Catholics hold the full deposit of the truth it seems the right thing to do.
Agood example is CJ who has total hatred and venom towards Catholicism and if anyone needs the truth it is him and those like him.
I agree with Crusaders answer on this matter and also the comment regarding the Anglican denomination and Fr.K, there can be only one communion,one body and one church, not hundreds of off cuts with their own ideas, if you are not in full communion with the Pope and the Bishops united with him then you are not fully Catholic.
2007-09-25 08:53:37 · answer #3 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Defend and explaining the Catholic faith! Conversion is done by the Holy Spirit!!!
2007-09-25 03:47:23 · answer #4 · answered by Sniper 5 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Catholics have a divine mandate to try to bring people into the true Church. In founding the Catholic Church, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commanded its leaders to "go forth and make disciples of all people". The Catholic Church takes that divine command seriously.
On the other hand, defending and explaining the Catholic faith is the only way to give people the freedom to leave manmade denominational religion behind them and come into the Church Jesus Christ founded for them. No person of good conscience, no-one who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit, could possibly understand the Catholic faith and not become Catholic. The watered down manmade semi-Christian churches they now belong to are a such a poor substitute for full Christianity. Jesus wants them to know the fullness of truth and to experience the fullness of grace in the one Church He personally founded, and the only Church He ever authorized. More than1.5 million adult non-Catholics, including several hundred Protestant clergymen, discovered the fullness of truth last year alone, and came home to God's own Church.
2007-09-25 03:34:07 · answer #5 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 9⤊ 1⤋
I see it more as defense and explanation thing. There are a lot of people on YA disparaging the Catholic religion, so I doubt that most Catholic posters really have time to proselytize even if they wanted to (see first answer for as an example.)
2007-09-25 03:36:40 · answer #6 · answered by Cathy 6 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Hi EDC!
Long time no see.
a) this CJ is a big-mouth, who could NOT dispute anything in Catholic.com, left panel, when I promised him 10 points if he did! Ignore him; I feel I wasted five points on that one.
b) Let anyone who says we are proselytizing PROVE it! I have been watching these boards for some years now, and I certainly NEVER try to convince anyone to be Catholic, in fact, I tell peopel it is HARD to be Catholic.
I say let those big mouths prove it, although they could not dispute our SCRIPTURAL arguments on why we believe what we believe.
Peace!
2007-09-25 09:44:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only time I even mention the teachings of my Catholic faith is when somebody comes on asking a question about them.
I am not interested in proselytizing unless I know you are interested in converting to the Church yourself. I only defend when people offer false teaching, such as "Catholics worship Mary," that we are a "cult," or that the Vatican is a "genocidal" organization.
I only explain when people ask questions or make wrong statements about the Church.
My purpose on R&S is to see other people's points of view and to discuss spirituality. Nothing more sinister than that.
2007-09-25 03:31:05 · answer #8 · answered by Acorn 7 · 9⤊ 2⤋
I see far more protestants doing the proselytizing than Catholics. Catholics are more defending the faith.
2007-09-25 03:31:17 · answer #9 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 11⤊ 2⤋
To defend and explain and share the complete fullness of Christ with those who are lost
2007-09-25 09:06:54 · answer #10 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋