Should Catholics do more evangelizing like Protestants?

[dominicansoul]

I work in an office. Most of my co-workers are the wives of protestant ministers. One of my co-workers is the pastor of her own church...

...and then there's one lady who is the office agnostic...and she has become my best friend in this environment! I find her to be one of the most understanding, charitable, loving people I have ever met!

I struggle a lot in this environment, because I want to share the truth of my Faith against the ignorance and apathy of these others who think they know what the Catholic Church is all about....but I find myself failing all the time! I guess it's because I feel such an animosity towards my beliefs from these women, that I fear just sharing even a little of it will bring only attacks and scorn against It. What do you tell self-righteous-present-day-Pharisees? It has been so difficult to speak to them about Jesus Christ!

I pray for them, and I believe the only thing I can do is speak when the Holy Spirit tells me to, and remain silent when He tells me to. There are moments when the best thing is to be quiet, because I feel like they set traps for me....and then there are those moments when I feel I can share...(and those are usually with my agnostic friend!)

[LouisvilleFan]

I also find that I naturally socialize more with the atheists/agnostics/secuarlists/gays/feminists in the office than the Christians. But the three guys I usually eat lunch with are Protestants and we're on friendly terms with religion too. One of them is a Baptist seminarian and another was raised Catholic. I've also joined into some e-mail debates with a couple of Protestants and a Christian/nominal Catholic.

Yeah, it can be fun sometimes.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='rhetoricfemme' post='1597071' date='Jul 10 2008, 03:54 PM']Sometimes I feel like it's the more subtle approaches that catch peoples' attention in a positive way. Like a casual conversation or random act of kindness, then they notice a Crucifix or medal around the neck, maybe a Catholic school uniform or school logo, or even a stranger's positive attitude.[/quote]

You could hand out these painted medals from [url="http://www.saintsforsinners.com/"]SaintsforSinners.com[/url].

Edited July 10, 2008 by LouisvilleFan

[rhetoricfemme]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1597118' date='Jul 10 2008, 02:09 PM']You could hand out these painted medals from [url="http://www.saintsforsinners.com/"]SaintsforSinners.com[/url].[/quote]

Genius! Thank you.

[fides quarens intellectum]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1560882' date='Jun 6 2008, 08:47 AM']Indeed. The popular St. Francis quote says "[i]when[/i] necessary, use words," not [i]if[/i] necessary.[/quote]

and, there's no record of him ever saying that.

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='Farsight one' post='1596359' date='Jul 9 2008, 04:10 PM']*haven't read the rest of the topic*

Should we do more evangelizing? Yes
Should we do it like protestants? No[/quote]


Amen!

Do it on a grand scale like this:


[url="http://www.kmbc.com/video/16860060/index.html"]http://www.kmbc.com/video/16860060/index.html[/url]

[JustJ]

I have one very simple answer in reply to the title question: If you truly believe that your faith is true, and that it may, in fact, be the only true means to salvation, would you risk letting the soul of anyone you loved be lost to the pits of Hell?

[Galloglasses]

No. But what could you do if they've rejected Christ?

[JustJ]

[quote name='Galloglasses' post='1599363' date='Jul 13 2008, 05:58 PM']No. But what could you do if they've rejected Christ?[/quote]
Do whatever it takes to show them the truth. The attempt to find proof would probably the most convincing, because then only the truly lost causes would turn away.

[Galloglasses]

But proof would only be just that. If I show them proof, but cannot reason with them in regards to it, the proof will become next to meaningless. (Like showing them the Miracle of Lorento yet not being able to reason with them)

Edited July 13, 2008 by Galloglasses

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='dominicansoul' post='1599232' date='Jul 13 2008, 04:25 PM']Amen!

Do it on a grand scale like this:
[url="http://www.kmbc.com/video/16860060/index.html"]http://www.kmbc.com/video/16860060/index.html[/url][/quote]

That's a perfect example of bad evangelism because it's completely impersonal. Good evangelism because with personal relationships. That is how God evangelizes us to begin with: not through dead idols, but the living Man.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='JustJ' post='1599354' date='Jul 13 2008, 06:53 PM']I have one very simple answer in reply to the title question: If you truly believe that your faith is true, and that it may, in fact, be the only true means to salvation, would you risk letting the soul of anyone you loved be lost to the pits of Hell?[/quote]

Of course not, but could you explain how your question answers the question raised by this thread?

[JustJ]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1599641' date='Jul 13 2008, 11:59 PM']Of course not, but could you explain how your question answers the question raised by this thread?[/quote]
Doing more evangelizing to reach out to people who might be at risk of hell?

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='JustJ' post='1599744' date='Jul 14 2008, 01:59 AM']Doing more evangelizing to reach out to people who might be at risk of hell?[/quote]

The prevention of damnation is a great part of evangelizing but not the only or greatest part.

[JustJ]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1599746' date='Jul 14 2008, 03:04 AM']The prevention of damnation is a great part of evangelizing but not the only or greatest part.[/quote]
Excuse me?

Wow, I thought that the whole heaven thing was the most important part. Ya know, usually less than 100 years here, an eternity there? o_O