Should Catholics do more evangelizing like Protestants?

[Jesuspaidtheprice]

Evangelize always out of love and always for Christ. Never evangelize because 'you're right and they are wrong'. It is amazing what that does to your attitude.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Budge' post='1019422' date='Jul 7 2006, 04:58 PM']
The Catholic church believes in DIALOGUE, everyone have a happy rap session and learn about false religions rather then evangelization.

What is the [u]good news[/u] in Catholicism?

You MAYBE get to go to PURGATORY....
[/quote]
I will be very grateful if I am found worthy of purgatory.

[quote name='Jesuspaidtheprice' post='1019842' date='Jul 8 2006, 08:44 AM']
Evangelize always out of love and always for Christ. Never evangelize because 'you're right and they are wrong'. It is amazing what that does to your attitude.
[/quote]
We agree.

[rkwright]

[quote name='jswranch' post='1019746' date='Jul 7 2006, 11:49 PM']
I am waiting for that last little nudge to begin some sort of street evangelization or full court press to my separated bretheren family and friends. I want to place fliers on the windshields of the local megachurch. (Hang a sign around my neck infront of the local ma and pa parish stating to 'stop this false church.' ? )

I want to make appointments with pastors of protestant churches, to sit across the desk from them and ask them why they are not catholic.... then go to work proving their response (what ever it is) wrong. I want to ask 'Christians' how they can call themselves 'saved' when they have not eaten the body and blood of Christ when he tells warns us that to neglect the sacrement is to "have no life within you."

I guess I am waiting for confirmation that I am not just nutty in my mannerism of evangelization.
[/quote]


More good ideas! I started this thread really for 2 reasons, to get people's reaction but also to see some practical ways of doing it. Keep em coming!

[pyranima]

passing out tracts is fun, you can make your own or buy some from catholic.com

[Era Might]

[quote name='jswranch' post='1019746' date='Jul 8 2006, 12:49 AM']I am waiting for that last little nudge to begin some sort of street evangelization or full court press to my separated bretheren family and friends. I want to place fliers on the windshields of the local megachurch. (Hang a sign around my neck infront of the local ma and pa parish stating to 'stop this false church.' ? )

I want to make appointments with pastors of protestant churches, to sit across the desk from them and ask them why they are not catholic.... then go to work proving their response (what ever it is) wrong. I want to ask 'Christians' how they can call themselves 'saved' when they have not eaten the body and blood of Christ when he tells warns us that to neglect the sacrement is to "have no life within you."

I guess I am waiting for confirmation that I am not just nutty in my mannerism of evangelization.
[/quote]
I've been there, I definitely know what you mean. The only thing that worries me about that kind of thing is that it tends to turn people off. Just from personal experience, how do we feel when someone comes to our door to talk about Jehovah, or how often do we just take a tract and throw it away when someone is out on the street? It's pretty rare that anyone really cares, and they'll probably just think Catholicism is another crazy cult.

Something I've thought about is handing out something like icon tracts. No doctrine, just a picture of an icon, and maybe a prayer on the other side. I always find personally that a good icon gets me thinking about God, whether I want to or not. It talks to the soul rather than the head.

Something else I've thought about is going around to a street every week and collecting addresses, and personally sending out letters about Catholicism, and maybe starting a website for people to come to if they want to discuss more, or at least an email (or maybe even a phone number). This avoids the awkwardness of going door-to-door, but still gets the message out. It's illegal to place things in people's mailbox, so you'll have to pay for postage, but it would be a good apostolate expense.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Jesuspaidtheprice' post='1019842' date='Jul 8 2006, 07:44 AM']
Evangelize always out of love and always for Christ. Never evangelize because 'you're right and they are wrong'. It is amazing what that does to your attitude.
[/quote]
Haha, reminds me of this time a baptist minister came to our door and got into an argument with my dad and he (the minister) ended up walking out in the middle of what my dad was saying because he had nowhere to go with his argument.

[Sojourner]

Personally, I've never liked the in-your-face kind of evangelism that many Protestants do. I've done it before ... forced to do it in high school at malls and other similar venues ... but it's just not something I'm comfortable with. I suppose I don't think it's [i]wrong[/i] per se, just uncomfortable, both for the evangalizer and the evangelizee.

I guess part of what makes me uncomfortable about confrontive evangelization is the tendency to treat faith and the church as something that people should "buy" -- that if I can just say the right words, manipulate the situation just so, a certain percentage of people are bound to bite. It becomes a sales technique for faith, and that just makes me a little squirmy.

I dunno. I have such a bad taste in my mouth from being forced into doing this that I am probably not a good judge of whether or not it's a good thing. These days, I find I don't have to go out seeking opportunities to share my story -- they come to me. I get to talk about my faith quite often, and share my story, and talk about how my life has changed. I'm quite comfortable doing that, and those opportunities just seem to happen. But God in his providence gifts us all differently ...

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Sojourner' post='1019897' date='Jul 8 2006, 09:57 AM']
Personally, I've never liked the in-your-face kind of evangelism that many Protestants do. I've done it before ... forced to do it in high school at malls and other similar venues ... but it's just not something I'm comfortable with. I suppose I don't think it's [i]wrong[/i] per se, just uncomfortable, both for the evangalizer and the evangelizee.

I guess part of what makes me uncomfortable about confrontive evangelization is the tendency to treat faith and the church as something that people should "buy" -- that if I can just say the right words, manipulate the situation just so, a certain percentage of people are bound to bite. It becomes a sales technique for faith, and that just makes me a little squirmy.

I dunno. I have such a bad taste in my mouth from being forced into doing this that I am probably not a good judge of whether or not it's a good thing. These days, I find I don't have to go out seeking opportunities to share my story -- they come to me. I get to talk about my faith quite often, and share my story, and talk about how my life has changed. I'm quite comfortable doing that, and those opportunities just seem to happen. But God in his providence gifts us all differently ...
[/quote]
I think it makes sense to say that they are trying to sell faith. Evangelizers actually remind me a lot of telemarketers when it's the the in-your-face style.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='MissScripture' post='1019918' date='Jul 8 2006, 10:19 AM']
I think it makes sense to say that they are trying to sell faith. Evangelizers actually remind me a lot of telemarketers when it's the the in-your-face style.
[/quote]

And keep in mind that a salesman is considered unreputable if he/she forces an immediate decision without giving time to condifer it.

My personal approach is basically to get to know the people you are involved with in everyday life, find out where they are, keep your own nose clean so that you are a good example, and when the time comes, present/defend the faith as necessary. You may not get an immediate conversion, but at least you may "prep the fields" for the future, as well as dispel any misconceptions about Catholicism. And that in itself may be important because you may prevent [i]that[/i] person from leading [i]someone else[/i] astray or into anti-Catholic hatred.

As far as "in your face" is concerned, if someone gets in my face, I will get back into their face. It's like what Sean Connery said in "The Untouchables": "If someone comes at you with a knife, you go after them with a gun".

[misereremi]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1019880' date='Jul 8 2006, 03:30 PM']

Something I've thought about is handing out something like icon tracts. No doctrine, just a picture of an icon, and maybe a prayer on the other side. I always find personally that a good icon gets me thinking about God, whether I want to or not. It talks to the soul rather than the head.

[/quote]
Yes, I do this! I love icons and religious art and think that a picture really speaks volumes. I know a friar who saw a picture of the Divine Mercy that helped him in his conversion. So I got a few Divine Mercy and icon tracts from the Catholic enquiry office here that have a simple prayer at the back for people who are searching. It also has contacts to learn about Catholicism. I used to make my own. I thought if more people knew the St Michael prayer it would help.

Whenever I go out, especially to dodgy areas I stop and give a card to someone, a homeless person, an addict, a single mom, whoever. Or if I get talking to someone and they start telling me about suffering and problems they have, I give them one. I leave them in places like phone booths to replace the sex calling cards (this might be illegal.. ), drug taking hot spots, or among secular flyers in bars, or other hang-outs. I started thinking of other places, like where people gather to mourn someone who was killed at a certain spot, like in a road accident or stabbing. I'm not sure if this would be right?

It's amazing how many people we bump into who do want to know, and how no one we meet is by chance.

I don't like the "in your face" persuasive evangelisation which can be off-putting, I agree.
I have gone up to people to hand out flyers for Catholic events for them to check out, or if I see someone wearing a rosary (for fashion or other statement) we get talking. But it's never pushy.

Any suggestions for ways to evangelise are really welcome!!! Music is of course a great way to do it.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Lahecil' post='1019313' date='Jul 7 2006, 12:10 PM']
That's true. Still doesn't upset me any less when others from my faith are called demon-whores and teenage girls are driven to suicide when she is constantly mocked by her classmates for being Wiccan (true story, her name was Tempest Smith). Even if it's not actually evangelizing, it's trying to show someone the light, and hurts them in the process. But at the same time, I won't deny it didn't bring a big smile to my face when my friends and I were approached by a girl our age from a local church in a parking lot and offered us prayer cards, said a prayer with us, and told us that her church was always open. That I have no problem with, and actually enjoy the unity in love of whatever gods we believe in between myself and a complete stranger for those few moments.
[/quote]


I had a friend once too that was wiccan she too killed herself, Jessica Trent, she was a bright catholic girl untill she became wiccan then she turned into this depressed person. I nor anyone that I know of ever called her a demon-whore... in fact I knew of no one that ever even put her down at all for it, she told me everything and I her... her death had a great effect on me... she called me the night she killed herself leaving a message begging me to come over, but I was gone and the next morning I returned her call only to find out she was already gone... she had cut her wrist, and her mother said she had tried to cut out the pentagram out of her left hand. I had tried to bring her to Christ before she left me and back then I did not understand who wicca was... after her death I read many things from wiccan documents themselfs that lead me to believe that infact wicca is satan, wicca has many of the same names as satan, and there are even storys in wiccan books of wicca are very similar to that of satan in the bible. Ehh.... every time I hear about wicca I think of Jessica and how he destroyed her life... and so now when I think of her I pray for all wiccans who are lead astray... come to Christ I beg of you, wicca will not save your soul.

Peace be with you...

Edited July 9, 2006 by KnightofChrist

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Budge' post='1019422' date='Jul 7 2006, 02:58 PM']
The Catholic church believes in DIALOGUE, everyone have a happy rap session and learn about false religions rather then evangelization.

What is the [u]good news[/u] in Catholicism?

You MAYBE get to go to PURGATORY....
[/quote]


The Holy Catholic Church teaches that Christ is the savoir of us all, teaches every thing that Christ taught is true and must be believe by all Catholics, that is a fact. But if what you've been trying to say that Catholics instead work for Satan, how can Satan cast out Satan, he would be divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

[God Conquers]

[quote name='rkwright' post='1019227' date='Jul 7 2006, 10:17 AM']
Since I've been in school I've been handed 2 tracts, approached by 4-5 people, all evangelizing to me. They don't really get too far before I tell them that I'm a Christian Catholic. Yet I wonder if we should be doing more of the same stuff. If we really cared about bringing people to the fullness of the Christ, converting the 'heretics', should we also be using similar tactics?
[/quote]


I've handed out tracts, gone door-to-door and done dramas downtown on busy days with a bunch of Catholics.

So.. I agree we should be doing more of this stuff.

[Lahecil]

KnightofChrist, I will reply to your post in a private message, as it would be considered spam in this thread.

[pyranima]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1020182' date='Jul 8 2006, 05:02 PM']
I had a friend once too that was wiccan she too killed herself, Jessica Trent, she was a bright catholic girl untill she became wiccan then she turned into this depressed person. I nor anyone that I know of ever called her a demon-whore... in fact I knew of no one that ever even put her down at all for it, she told me everything and I her... her death had a great effect on me... she called me the night she killed herself leaving a message begging me to come over, but I was gone and the next morning I returned her call only to find out she was already gone... she had cut her wrist, and her mother said she had tried to cut out the pentagram out of her left hand. I had tried to bring her to Christ before she left me and back then I did not understand who wicca was... after her death I read many things from wiccan documents themselfs that lead me to believe that infact wicca is satan, wicca has many of the same names as satan, and there are even storys in wiccan books of wicca are very similar to that of satan in the bible. Ehh.... every time I hear about wicca I think of Jessica and how he destroyed her life... and so now when I think of her I pray for all wiccans who are lead astray... come to Christ I beg of you, wicca will not save your soul.

Peace be with you...
[/quote]
as a religion student i know alot about wicca, wicca is based on Paganism its only about 100 years old, it is very popular among young teens and eventually leads them into main stream lavey satanism. Wicca is actually not satanic though it does have alot in common with paganism and satanism from my experience with it (which is quite a bit) Satan really has no interest in it. he does not bother with those who seek him out they are already damned.

even as an atheist i found wicca stupid, not because i didnt believe in magic but rather because its only 100 years old.

I am told that i am a good speaker, and i learn things very quickly so i find it fun to on a friday saturday or sunday to do the whole "soapbox" and go to a public park and preach to all there. i dont get the chance to go to the park that much but i do go into Mc. Donalds or things like that and i will start to talk to one person and the next thing i know i am talking to 15 or 20 people. its fun because i get a banter going where i will speak for a while and get 5 or 6 questions and then i will respond in detail to the questions.

[Socrates]

[quote name='pyranima' post='1023223' date='Jul 12 2006, 06:14 PM']
as a religion student i know alot about wicca, wicca is based on Paganism its only about 100 years old, it is very popular among young teens and eventually leads them into main stream lavey satanism. Wicca is actually not satanic though it does have alot in common with paganism and satanism from my experience with it (which is quite a bit) Satan really has no interest in it. he does not bother with those who seek him out they are already damned.

even as an atheist i found wicca stupid, not because i didnt believe in magic but rather because its only 100 years old.

I am told that i am a good speaker, and i learn things very quickly so i find it fun to on a friday saturday or sunday to do the whole "soapbox" and go to a public park and preach to all there. i dont get the chance to go to the park that much but i do go into Mc. Donalds or things like that and i will start to talk to one person and the next thing i know i am talking to 15 or 20 people. its fun because i get a banter going where i will speak for a while and get 5 or 6 questions and then i will respond in detail to the questions.
[/quote]
Actually, Wicca is only 52 years old, being founded by Gerald Gardner in England in 1954. It borrows from various older occult ideas though, including those of Alister Crowley. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca"](Wikipedia article here)[/url]
It is essentially a made-up religion. Though it may not be directly Satan-worship, it is definitely something Satan can use draw people astray. The Bible and the Church clearly condemn all forms of magic and sorcery.

And, on the main topic, I do think Catholics should do more to publicly evangelize. Some methods may be more effective than others, and not every method is for everyone, but we shouldn't be afraid to spread the faith publicly.

[pyranima]

Wicca became offical in the 50's but it started in the 1920's, the title came along later though. you are right to say that it stems from crowley. Wicca came about because Crowley was TOO Pagan (he believed in human {infant} sacrafice), i have a spell of his for asteral projection that includes parts of an infant(no i never tried it). those who chose wicca thought crowley was too brutal. Lavey as a reaction to Crowleys form of magic founded the Satanic Church in 1966, while Crowley believed in human sacrafice Laveys source of magic Relied on Sex and Orgasms. Masturbation is a common theme at Laveyist black masses, normally the "alter" consists of a naked woman who symbolizes lilith Queen of Hell the Satanic Priest Fornicates with her to complete the petition to the four Princes of hell (Leviathan Beliel Lucifer and Satan {also the names of the four books in the Satanic bible}) along with whatever other specific Demons he has petitioned.

Lavey Hijacked many of his ideas from Freud Nietzsche Bertrand, and Crowley. His believed very much in applied pyscology.

well that is just a little intersting tid bit.

[Like a Child]

[quote name='rkwright' post='1019337' date='Jul 7 2006, 11:42 AM']
See now the prayer idea would be a cool thing. Maybe a divine chaplet 'tract' or something? Like Raphael was saying, why not attach them to free water at some event or something. My Parish could easily hand out free water with a prayer card attached type deal on big weekends, football games, any event really.

Era is kinda hitting on another point, that our actions do speak greatly. But sometimes in this day I wonder how often people equate living out the Gospel to being a Catholic Christian and not just a Christian.
[/quote]

In this day and age we do need more positive exposure for the Catholic Church, and maybe you're right that just by living Gospel lives it might not be obvious to very many people that we are Catholics. But as far as "active" evangelization is concerned, don't you think that an evangelizing attempt by a Catholic Christian and a Protestant should be fairly similar. . .at least initially? I usually tell folks I'm a Catholic at the beginning of a conversation, but I don't always bring up doctrine that is strictly Catholic.

For most non-believers, accepting that a guy who lived on this Earth 2,000 years ago somehow saved us all and taught us a profoundly new way of living, is the hardest part, the toughest hurdle. I try to get folks over that hurdle before I get anywhere near the part about how I think my Church is "where it's at".

Also, one easy thing we as Catholics can do to better evangelize is to get better at welcoming visitors to our parishes. I was a Protestant who converted to Catholicism in 2003. I did not get much of a welcome. For several weeks before I started RCIA, I had NO idea what was going on during the service. I was totally lost and no one even spoke to me to ask me who I was. All I really wanted was for someone to say, "Hi, welcome. Do you need some help following along with the Mass? (Do you even know what the Mass is?) Are you interested in joining our church?"

I'm sure some parishes are better at welcoming folks than others. . .but I bet we're nowhere near as good as the Protestants are. At most Protestant services, visitors receive a flower during the "greeting" and are usually approached by several people after the service at "coffee hour" and are warmly welcomed.

[journeyman]

One doesn't need to "evangelize" in the same manner as Protestants
Nor does evangelization need to be limited to non-Catholics

I've only just started reading this, but the US Bishops Letter "Our Hearts Were Burning" (while primarily directed at adult catechesis) incorporates the idea of evangelization as a fruit of the transformation experience (there seems to be a sense that catechesis is not "just" teaching the theology (sort of the apologetics approach) but teaching by doing (living the fruits of the Holy Spirit, if I'm reading it right)

[url="http://www.nccbuscc.org/education/ourhearts.htm"]http://www.nccbuscc.org/education/ourhearts.htm[/url]





and the ballot leaves off the option of

yes, and . . . do something else

[cathoholic_anonymous]

It takes an extremely gifted evangelist to pass out tracts on the street. So far I have not met one person who possesses that gift. All the people who have stopped me have left me feeling violated in some way - be they the Muslim religious police in Saudi Arabia (grim and forceful), members of a fundamentalist church in London (hysterical and forceful, shrieking to passersby with the aid of a megaphone), Jehovah's Witnesses (using sweet-looking little children to pass out pamphlets), Hare Krishnas (balding, middle-aged white men with cheap and cheesy scripted lines) or evangelical Christians from charismatic churches (making friends with me purely for the sake of 'witness', and not because they actually had any regard for me as a person). Each approach felt like spiritual rape.

As a Catholic, I have no desire to get involved with that kind of thing. I believe that you can only evangelise to someone if you first connect with them on an individual level. I have a form of autism that makes me very uncomfortable around strangers. The people who try and engage me in religious talk on the street have actually caused me to have panic attacks before now - I am not good at speaking to people whom I don't know. If I weren't a 'cradle Catholic', their approaches would probably have turned me right away from Christianity. That is how stranger-wary I am. It is only when you know a person that you can understand how best to present the Gospel. It may be a universal message, but it can't be offered in a universal way.