14 replies to this topic

[JoyfulLife]

Hello,

Am I right in thinking of "liberal Catholics" as those Catholic in name-only, that tend to be for gay marriage, abortion, contraception, etc.?

How are laity, religious, Priests, parishes, etc. to convert them to follow the commandments and be totally faithful to the Church?

What keeps them going to Church if they aren't really for the Church in it's fullness?

I heard an awful story about a Parish that had a problem Priest, and a new Priest was brought it. He was very spiritual, very good, and the very faithful people in the parish were very grateful. But, most in that parish were liberal and they contacted the Bishop and had him removed!

God bless you!

[Ed Normile]

Good luck with converting those types, I think its just a matter of habit with them, going to a catholic church. I seen a woman the other day driving a nice car with her rosary hanging from the rear view mirror, on her bumper was one of those coexist bumper stickers, the one where each symbol is from some religion, one for wiccan and the "t" at the end was a crude crucifix, the middle bumper sticker was an Obama sticker and the one on the right side said Christians for responsible Pro choice. The rear window had a Catholics for Choice sticker proudly displayed in the upper middle of the window, kind of ruined the look of the Mercedes though....

ed

[JoyfulLife]

Oy vey.



I'm confused at how we can even call liberal Catholics, Catholic at all, as they go against what the Church stands for in so many respects.

Edited by JoyfulLife, 02 October 2011 - 06:23 PM.

[Brother Adam]

Prayer, fasting, penance, reparation for sin, love.

Live a holy and blessed life, be an example. Let others see your joy and love. Give them something to hope for. Be about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

[jaime]

Prayer, fasting, penance, reparation for sin, love.

Live a holy and blessed life, be an example. Let others see your joy and love. Give them something to hope for. Be about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

well said

[arfink]

Good luck with converting those types, I think its just a matter of habit with them, going to a catholic church. I seen a woman the other day driving a nice car with her rosary hanging from the rear view mirror, on her bumper was one of those coexist bumper stickers, the one where each symbol is from some religion, one for wiccan and the "t" at the end was a crude crucifix, the middle bumper sticker was an Obama sticker and the one on the right side said Christians for responsible Pro choice. The rear window had a Catholics for Choice sticker proudly displayed in the upper middle of the window, kind of ruined the look of the Mercedes though....

ed

What a horrible thing to do to a Mercedes!

But yeah, I see this sort of thing alot too. I think #1 needs to be to pray for these people constantly, daily. Every time I have some presence of mind and see bumper stickers like that I'll just say a Hail Mary real quick. It also helps keep me sane and charitable around those people, which is perhaps the best part.

I have found that the best way to get to talking to people who are very "progressive" or "free thinking" or "liberal" is not to approach them with an attitude of "I'm a conservative Catholic." But rather to approach them as you would anyone else, without even letting the politics of the situation enter your mind. Otherwise you'll just come off seeming like an enemy combatant: too brash and ready to attack or conversely, too defensive, like a man sitting in a trench waiting for the whites of the enemy's eyes. Politics never converted anyone, so I'd say just leave the politics behind. Politics will just put you and the person you want to convert on opposite sides of a field of combat- you want to be on their side. So yes, you have to be nice.

Once you're "in" then the hard part happens: witness to the truth. Hopefully at that point God can do the rest. But you'll never be an effective witness from the other side of the battlefield. They'll never notice you.

[Basilisa Marie]

Prayer, fasting, penance, reparation for sin, love.

Live a holy and blessed life, be an example. Let others see your joy and love. Give them something to hope for. Be about the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

^ That. Forever.

[cooterhein]

You can find out more here. http://www.christianforums.com/f966/

[morostheos]

I definitely can't say it any better than Bro Adam. That's the key. Help them to meet and experience Christ by being Christ for them.

[Groo the Wanderer]

all come to mind....

[nunsense]

Yes, Bro Adam has it - set an example and lots of prayer and fasting. That works better than any amount of trying to bludgeon them with words.

[truthlvr]

Consider the points in this article and then decide if Catholics are under attack.... http://www.theblaze....er-the-history/

[Hasan]

http://www.newadvent.../summa/3011.htm

I answer that, With regard to heretics two points must be observed: one, on their own side; the other, on the side of the Church. On their own side there is thesin, whereby they deserve not only to be separated from the Church by excommunication, but also to be severed from the world by death. For it is a much gravermatter to corrupt the faith which quickens the soul, than to forge money, which supports temporal life. Wherefore if forgers of money and other evil-doers are forthwith condemned to death by the secular authority, much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not onlyexcommunicated but even put to death.

On the part of the Church, however, there is mercy which looks to the conversion of the wanderer, wherefore she condemns not at once, but "after the first and second admonition," as the Apostle directs: after that, if he is yet stubborn, the Church no longer hoping for his conversion, looks to the salvation of others, byexcommunicating him and separating him from the Church, and furthermore delivers him to the secular tribunal to be exterminated thereby from the world by death. For Jerome commenting on Galatians 5:9, "A little leaven," says: "Cut off the decayed flesh, expel the mangy sheep from the fold, lest the whole house, the whole paste, the whole body, the whole flock, burn, perish, rot, die. Arius was but one spark in Alexandria, but as that spark was not at once put out, the whole earth was laid waste by its flame."

Edited by Hasan, 15 March 2012 - 05:32 AM.

[LittleWaySoul]

But yeah, I see this sort of thing a lot too. I think #1 needs to be to pray for these people constantly, daily. Every time I have some presence of mind and see bumper stickers like that I'll just say a Hail Mary real quick. It also helps keep me sane and charitable around those people, which is perhaps the best part.

I have found that the best way to get to talking to people who are very "progressive" or "free thinking" or "liberal" is not to approach them with an attitude of "I'm a conservative Catholic." But rather to approach them as you would anyone else, without even letting the politics of the situation enter your mind. Otherwise you'll just come off seeming like an enemy combatant: too brash and ready to attack or conversely, too defensive, like a man sitting in a trench waiting for the whites of the enemy's eyes. Politics never converted anyone, so I'd say just leave the politics behind. Politics will just put you and the person you want to convert on opposite sides of a field of combat- you want to be on their side. So yes, you have to be nice.

Once you're "in" then the hard part happens: witness to the truth. Hopefully at that point God can do the rest. But you'll never be an effective witness from the other side of the battlefield. They'll never notice you.

Great analogy! I feel this way a lot of the time around many of my friends. I think I'm on the same side of the battlefield by now, but I just need to get up the courage to witness to the truth. I've always been afraid that I'll say something wrong or misrepresent my faith or start an argument. I also don't want to come across as preachy...

[beatitude]

I think we have to remember that we are all unfaithful at times.

Think of the last time that you sinned, and thought it was a good idea. We have all had moments in our lives when we did something wrong without seeing it was wrong. Ask yourself how you would have needed other people to respond to you when you were in that situation.

I'm confused at how we can even call liberal Catholics, Catholic at all, as they go against what the Church stands for in so many respects.

In Auschwitz there were two Catholic men: St Maximilian Kolbe, the martyr and the saint who gave his life so that someone else could live; and Rudolf Hess, the camp commandant who shares responsibility for the million killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau alone (including Kolbe). Hess died in full communion with the Church, in spite of what he did. I think Maximilian Kolbe would have wanted that, and I don't think he would have called Hess non-Catholic. Sinners are welcome here, even terrible sinners. As Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom else shall we go?"

Liberal Catholics are Catholic by virtue of their baptism. They are Christ's. If we start saying that such people are not Catholics, where do we draw the line? When I sin, am I no longer Catholic too? How do I know that God does not judge my sins to be worse than those of my liberal Catholic friend, as my knowledge of Catholic theology and ethics is so much more extensive than hers?

We can't judge, but we can pray.