How Not To Share Your Faith

[Cure of Ars]

The following is from the Book How Not To Share Your Faith by Mark Brumley. I think it should be required reading for all members of the Church Militant Phatmass group. I know myself that I have to keep reminding myself that the reason for debate is not to win arguments but to win souls for Christ and His Church. There are times that I push people away with my debates instead of bring people closer to Christ. When I catch myself doing this I turn to this book to get some perspective. I am going to post parts of the book so that we all can become better apologists for Christ.

Apologetical Gluttony

We might call the First Deadly Sin of Catholic Apologetics the Sin of Biting Off More than you Can Chew. Not ordinary gluttony; this is a failure to respect the limits of what apologetics can accomplish. We might also have named this the Deadly Sin of Apologetical Gluttony.

What are the limits of apologetics? Subject matter is one. Some things are beyond the human mind’s power to know on its own. Even in the natural order, some mysteries, both scientific and philosophical, are impenetrable by the human mind. And if out knowledge of the natural world is limited, as it seems to be, how much more must be our knowledge of the supernatural order, of God and things of God?

Unfortunately, some apologists try to prove the unprovable. They forget that apologetics is a branch of sacred theology, which rests on the supernatural mysteries of divine revelation, the word of God, and upon faith. Human reason cannot, on its own power, come to know supernatural mysteries; they are above the “natural light of reason.” They require revelation on God’s part and faith on ours (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 50, 142, 143) if we are going to affirm them.

Edited September 16, 2003 by Cure of Ars

[skuba steve]

that's nice...

for everyone.

[Cure of Ars]

There is more to come.

[VeraMaria]

Thanks! That's helpful!! ;)

[Cure of Ars]

Reducing the Faith to Apologetics and Apologetics to Arguments

“It is absurd to argue men, as to torture them, into believing,” said Newman. From this comment, many Christians wrongly conclude that there is no point at all in agruging about religion. “Arguments never convinced anyone,” they say.

Not so. To reply that an argument against arguments is illogical and self-refuting might seem sophistry to the anti-intellectual or the fideist. What cannot be gainsaid, by either one, are facts. It is a fact that people change their minds all the time as a result of arguments.

Catholic apologists, therefore, should not apologize for arguing about the faith. What we must not do is exaggerate the place of arguments-understood here as presenting the rational case for something-in Christian faith or even in apologetics as such. Argument poses serious temptations for apologists. In fact, the Second Deadly Sin of Catholics Apologetics might be called Reductio ad Apologeticum et Argumentum, Reducing Everything to Apologetics and Argument. By everything I mean the Christian life as a whole. The error here is in looking at all or most spiritual matters “apologetically.” When your only tool is a hammer, as the saying goes, you tend to approach everything as if it were a nail. When apologetics becomes your only tool for understanding Christianity, and arguments the only tool for engaging in apologetics, you may try to nail all theological and spiritual subjects with apologetical arguments or put them into an apologetical category.

Consider a real-life example. A Catholic apologist friend once told me how during the sacred liturgy he routinely thought up arguments to defend the Real Presence. At first, they just popped into his head, he said. Then he began to cultivate them, to try to think them up at Mass. What is more, my friend did not see any problem with doing this. He looked forward to Mass because, he said, it was such fertile ground for apologetics arguments.

Now it is fine to meditate on the Real Presence at Mass. It may even, on occasion, be legitimate to think about arguments in defense of the Real Presence at Mass. But surely we risk neglecting the spiritual communion we are invited to have with God and neighbor, and the divine worship we are obliged to offer God, if the sacred liturgy is reduced to a debate-prepping session. At Mass, we are called not merely to think about Jesus or contemplate arguments to support the doctrine of his Real Presence, but to give ourselves to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. We are called to receive the eucharistic Christ and to become one with him and with the rest of his body, the Church. To focus on creating and analyzing arguments about him at Mass misses the point. It confuses ends with means.

[jmjtina]

*chanting*

We want more! We want more! B)

Very helpful Cure! Muchas Gracias!

[Theologian in Training]

It is an excellent book, and for those that would like it I would highly recommend picking up a copy. You can find it here Catholic.com

I would agree with Cure that it is definitely a book that all phatmassers to read, not just those that are Church Militant.

God Bless

[VanHooty]

*mumbles incoherently

<sarcasm> Thanks a lot guys. I have a lot of schoolwork as it is. I can't possibly read this book. </sarcasm>

*reads the exerpts*

Oh.... dear. Now I *have* to read this book. The exerpts are enlightening. Thanks a bunch. For finding me yet another way to avoid doing my schoolwork. :D

[Dave]

bump

[Cure of Ars]

Could this be moved to the apologetics section?

[Mickey's_Girl]

[quote]Catholic apologists, therefore, should not apologize for arguing about the faith. What we must not do is exaggerate the place of arguments-understood here as presenting the rational case for something-in Christian faith or even in apologetics as such. Argument poses serious temptations for apologists. In fact, the Second Deadly Sin of Catholics Apologetics might be called Reductio ad Apologeticum et Argumentum, Reducing Everything to Apologetics and Argument. By everything I mean the Christian life as a whole. The error here is in looking at all or most spiritual matters “apologetically.” When your only tool is a hammer, as the saying goes, you tend to approach everything as if it were a nail. When apologetics becomes your only tool for understanding Christianity, and arguments the only tool for engaging in apologetics, you may try to nail all theological and spiritual subjects with apologetical arguments or put them into an apologetical category.[/quote]

This is BRILLIANT, Cure of Ars! So true. Thanks for posting.

MG

[MorphRC]

Really all comes to common courtesy.