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Blue Collar Apologetics Session 2
Handout Material
“The glory of God is man fully alive” (St. Irenaeus, Lyons).
Website info –
“The Catholic faith is like a lion in a cage. You don’t need to defend it. You simply need to open the cage door.”
Reminder of 2 Essential Layers of Foundation
1. The Bible is a Catholic book!
2. There truly is an answer for every intelligible question about our Catholic faith – it is your responsibility to go find it.
4 Strategies (today’s in-depthdiscussion of the first 2)
1. The ignorant Catholic, similar to rules of engagement #6
A. Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know. Then promise to find out. And then find out, as Catholics these days we have no excuse. You might say, “I’ll be honest, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I can sure find out for you. Give me a couple of days and I will get back with you on this. By the way, you do know where that Bible you have came from don’t you, it came from the Catholic Church.” I like the way John says to not be afraid to appear ignorant. Especially if you are ignorant. Ignorant is fixable, stupid is not so easily fixed.
A little humility can go a long way, winging it can do more damage than good. They will respect you a lot more for admitting you don’t know, and believe me, most people can easily tell when you are winging it. Think of all the saints that have gone before us, andall oftheir great teaching starting with the original apostles. But you also need to consider all the early Fathers of our faith in the first 700 years of Christianity and in every generation, now available to us through the internet and Church documents.
And don’t forget all the great teachers we have in our generation, Dr. Scott Hahn and Bishop Barron just to name a few. With all the tools available to us, we can always find the right answer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church covers our entire Catholic faith, not only the “what” we believe, but also “why”, and many times “when” it was added to the teaching of our faith. The Catholic Church pioneered the understanding of the Trinity andfought back numerous heresies that were hell-bent on doing away with core truths of what it means to be a Christian. It is a miracle that the Church today is not Arian, instead of Trinitarian, thanks to the strong defense of early Catholics, fighting off many forms of heresy they were confronted with back then.
B. Make sure you get back with them with the right answer. Don’t close that door. Lives could be in the balance, and we need to take this responsibility very seriously. God opened the door, and He will guide you toward planting good seed in the lives of all those seeking the truth. The Holy Spirit may prompt you about a book, or a CD/DVD that can touch that person and lead them home to the Catholic Church. Jackie and I began to watch The Journey Home program with Marcus Grodi, tell them you an amazing woman and her quirky husband that were on that show last year.
Get back to them as soon as you can, but it is important not rush things either. Get all your ducks in a row, before you give your answer. You decide when, where, and how. John used an example of a Catholic winging it and when that person was asked about Catholics not knowing anythingthe Bible, his answer was that Catholics don’t go by the Bible…it made him cringe.
2. Be Aw-fensive and not Uh-fensive, not always on the defensive
A.It is important for Catholics to ask questions in the process of sharing and defending our faith. Too often we are put into a defensive posture, when we could just as easily go on the offense, without being uh-fensive. Asking good questions shows you are interested in what they have to say, and you should be. Most protestants are not used to talking with a Catholic who knows their faith. I know from experience, you can really open up a conversation by going on the offense, but not in a offending way. It is actually a good thing to let them try and evangelize, or “save” you. You will be surprised by how many other doors will open to you, allowing you to evangelize them. Move the conversation to one that is in search of the “truth”.
B. Be bold to say that the reason you are Catholic is because you were in search of truth…or…I have found amazing truth in my faith. Let me give you a specific example. By engaging them with questions of your own andchanging the conversation to one of “seeking truth”, you have opened them up to listen to what you have say, and effectively lowered their defenses against Catholic teaching. Remember most of them have never had an extended conversation with a Catholic who knows their faith. This is all about opening up the cage door and letting the lion of the Catholic faith out. This is not longer a battle between and evangelical and a Catholic, this now about both of us finding the truth.It is not about winning an argument, it is about sharing setting the record straight about what we believe.
Here is one idea that I am very comfortable with, you could say, “I have lived my life in search of truth, and I read in John 14:6 this, “John 14:6 (RSV2CE) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
I believe with all my heart that Jesus led Jackie and I (if you are a cradle Catholic, “led my parents”) into the Catholic Church, and I found Jesus and I found His truth in the teachings of the Catholic faith. If you know of something specific that the Catholic Church teaches that is false teaching, I sure would like to hear what you thinkthat might be. She (the Church) fought off a lot of heresies for over 2000+ years, right up to the Protestant Reformation, and as far as I can tell She is still fighting them off today.
You say the Bible teaches that we should not confess our sins to men but only directly to God…could you show me where the Bible says that? Matthew 9 and James chapter 5 seems to say just the opposite.
Matthew 9:6–8 (RSV2CE) 6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic— “Rise, take up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (not to God alone)
James 5:16 (RSV2CE) 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
C. You can initiate questions too. Don’t always be on the defensive and try and keep to one subject at a time. Ask them about what it is they find untruthful about the Catholic faith. Here comes your opportunities!
Notes: