Posted on 01/04/2017 3:03:34 PM PST by heterosupremacist
full title:. Those who shy away from explaining and defending the faith may have good reasons to do so
It troubles me that members of the Church cannot defend the faith without referring me to a priest,” wrote Cordi.
“I love Catholicism,” she said in a comment on my last article, “and I wish I could convert, but there are some real hurdles to the doctrine that I can’t overcome.” She wasn’t happy with Catholics who couldn’t answer her questions and palmed her off on a priest.
Protestant and Catholic apologists jump on stories like this, for different reasons. They make the supposedly ignorant Catholic who says “Ask a priest” the villain. He’s not. He may be the hero.
Imagine you’re helping a friend move and he hands you the last thing he has from his beloved grandmother, something she loved that he remembers from his childhood visits to her home. It’s an extremely delicate vase, the kind of thing you can break by setting it down too hard, or by holding a handle without supporting the bottom. Your first and very sound instinct would be to hand it right back to him and tell that he needs to take care of it.
That’s the way many Catholics feel when a friend asks hard questions about the faith. They care about him and want him to enter the Church. They know, perhaps from experience, how fragile such souls are, how frightened they may be, how quick to find excuses to run back to safety. They know their friend may feel a fear or repulsion almost as strong as the attraction he feels.
(Excerpt) Read more at aleteia.org ...
Check with Pope Che.
He’ll tell you all about communism, er, uh, .......
I remember when Rush Limbaugh was thinking about converting when he was looking around for a Christian faith to believe in. He, of course, like a lot of fallen Protestants, seemed to think Catholicism was a political party rather than an ancient faith that, unfortunately, had many heretical members but had a strong catechism that overcame a thousand years of heresy!
Catholicism is a very complicated religion. The typical Catholic can’t explain it.
Some may feel this way.
Some may not know their faith very well, also.
Some may purposely disregard certain teachings of their faith because thdy dont believe them, but do not want to say that to someone asking questions.
They are all equal possibilities.
I remember when Rush Limbaugh was thinking about converting when he was looking around for a Christian faith to believe in.
He, of course, like a lot of fallen Protestants, seemed to think Catholicism was a political party rather than an ancient faith that, unfortunately, had many heretical members but had a strong catechism that overcame a thousand years of heresy!
Remember when Rush was stoned on OXY’S every day? That’s when I stopped listening. One day I was giving my mom a ride, so I put Rush on the radio - and I said to her, this guy is STONED!
She didn’t believe me, although I had been around many hundreds of stoned people before...
People who idolize Rush Limbaugh have been deceived, imho...
Re : Post #4
*Catholicism is a very complicated religion. The typical Catholic can’t explain it.*
Yes, I agree; which is why we Catholics should all strive to be ‘atypical’...
Sorry, you’re totally wrong. Rush got hooked because of back pain from an old injury. Anyone who has ever had pain (with me it was several tooth extractions) knows how beneficial oxycotin can be. Luckily, for me, I loathed that drug despite its pain relieving aspects. Nasty drug.
I’ve listened since at least 1992 and he never, ever sounded stoned!
That he doesn’t understand Catholicism is another kettle of fish.
Our own beloved priest said the same, lay people are not qualified to give instruction. Even so, it is an act of Charity, a spiritual work of mercy, to point out false doctrine when we encounter it.
While we are a royal priestly people, we are not gifted with all of the graces that come from the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
More than anything our example should light the way, but true conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light!
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