Apologetics for the Masses #462 - The #1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization

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Topic

What is the necessary mindset one must have, as a Catholic, to successfully evangelize?

General Comments

In case you didn't already know, my new book - A Blue Collar Answer to Protestantism (Catholic Questions Protestants Can't Answer) - is out and is available here:

https://sophiainstitute.com/product/a-blue-collar-answer-to-protestantism/.

It's currently being offered at a 10% discount.

Also, it is now available as an eBook (mobi and epub) at that same link. Just choose the "eBook" option under "FORMAT". And, the Kindle version is now out. You can get it on Kindle here:

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If you get a copy, let me know what you think...good, bad, or ugly.

Introduction

So, what is the "#1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization"? I'll tell ya, but before I do, I first have some questions for you that I want every Catholic reading this to answer, and then I have a few reasons for why I focus so much of my time and energy on evangelizing Protestants. After that, it should make sense as to what the #1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization is.

Challenge/Response/Strategy

The first two of these questions can be answered by anyone, whether you're Catholic or not. However, the third question is specifically for Catholics.

1) How old is the Church?

2) Who founded the Church?

3) Do you believe the Eucharist is actually the real Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, or is it merely a symbol?

Okay, keep your answers to those questions in mind as we continue on.

I often have people ask, or even scold, me in regards to my focus on evangelizing Protestants. After all, Protestants believe in God. They believe in the Trinity. They have the Bible. They believe Jesus is true God and true man. That He was born of a virgin. That He died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was resurrected and ascended into Heaven. And that He will come again at the end of time (and maybe even sooner...i.e., Rapture believers). Many of them claim to have a "personal relationship" with Him. So, why "pick" on Protestants? Why not focus more on those who do not know Jesus as God, if they know Him at all, as in the non-Christian religions? Or, those who do not believe in God at all, as in atheists and agnostics?

These questions and/or admonishments come from two groups of people:

1) Catholics who are married to Protestants, which makes them particularly sensitive to anything that might make "waves" in the marriage and family.

2) Catholics who believe that it generally doesn't matter what particular Christian faith tradition one is, because they are all basically the same - Trinitarian God; Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Man; got the Holy Spirit; the Bible; Jesus was born, lived, died, and resurrected; Heaven, Hell; and so on.

So, here are the 5 main reasons why I focus mainly (although not exclusively) on evangelizing Protestants:

1) Practical considerations - Everything I write and everything I speak about in my talks, flows out of my personal experiences. Everything I write and speak in regards to apologetics and evangelization is taken from my actual conversations, dialogues, arguments, debates, email exchanges, and/or social media exchanges (particularly Facebook) with folks. And, who, besides Catholics, am I talking to and dialoguing with 99% of the time? Protestants. I have conversed with probably a few thousand Protestants - across the entire Protestant spectrum - over the last 25 years or so in doing what I do. The number of atheists I've spoken with is maybe a few dozen (all online). And, less than a dozen Eastern Orthodox Christians. I have never had a conversation on religion with someone who is Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, New Age, or any other such religious faith tradition.

2) A House Divided - Jesus tells us, in Mark 3:25, that a house divided against itself cannot stand. The Christian "house" has tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of divisions within it. Every Protestant denomination and "non-denomination" is a division within the Body of Christ. That is why the world is going to hell all around us. Because Christians do not speak with one voice. Christianity does not speak with one clear unequivocal and authoritative voice to the world. There are "Christians" who advocate for abortion. For same-sex "marriage". For transgender "rights". They're okay with divorce and remarriage, contraception, fornication, and adultery. They advocate for euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. And that's just the moral teachings. All the contradictions in the theological teachings lead to all sorts of confusion, as well. Before we can become a truly effective witness to the world, we have got to get our house in order, so that the world will believe Jesus was sent from the Father (John 17:21).

3) The Eucharist - Quite simply, the Catholic Church has Jesus Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - in the Eucharist. The Protestant faith traditions do not. I want all Protestants to have what I have - Jesus in the Eucharist.

4) Jesus Prayed for Unity - Jesus prayed, at the Last Supper, that we, His followers, those who believe in Him, would be one as He and the Father are one (John 17:20-22). If Jesus prayed for it, then it's our duty, as His followers, to do what we can to make that happen.

5) Truth Matters - The Bible tells us that God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). It also says that Jesus IS the Truth (John 14:6). That the truth will make us free (John 8:32). And that those who are "of the truth" hears the voice of Jesus (John 18:37). Nowhere do I read that God wants all men to come to the partial knowledge of the truth. Or that some of the truth will make us free. Or that those who have partial truth will hear Jesus. And, since Jesus is the Truth, then that means the more truth you have, the more Jesus you have. Since I believe Protestants have, at best, partial truth (some more than others), I want to share with them the fullness of truth that is Jesus Christ as found in the church, which is the fullness of Him Who fills all in all (Eph 1:22-23).

Okay, now we've come to getting the answer to the question we started off with: What is the "#1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization"? Remember your answers to those first 3 questions I asked above?

1) How old is the Church? You should have said: "2000 years".

2) Who founded the Church? You should have answered: "Jesus Christ."

3) Is the Eucharist the real Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, or merely a symbol? You should, as a Catholic, have answered, "Real".

Given those answers, let me ask you 3 additional questions:

1) Who is it that Jesus does not want as a member in the Church He founded 2000 years ago? Is there anyone on this earth, who you can think of, about whom Jesus would say: "Do not bring that person into My Church."? Anyone?

2) Who is it that Jesus does not want to receive Him in the Eucharist? Is there anyone on this earth, who you can think of, about whom Jesus would say: "I do not want that person to ever receive Me in the Eucharist. I do not want them to ever receive My Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist."? Anyone?

3) Who is it that you dislike so much that you do not want to make any effort, whatsoever, to bring them into the Church founded by Jesus Christ and in which they can become one with Christ by receiving Him - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - in the Eucharist? Who?

So, have you guessed the #1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization? The #1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization, as a Catholic, is this: You need to believe, deep in your soul, that God wants everyone to be Catholic. You need to believe that God wants everyone to be in the Church He founded and which He guides through His Holy Spirit. You need to believe that God wants everyone to be united with Him in the Eucharist. That's it. If you believe that...if you have that attitude...it will move you out of your comfort zone and get you out there planting those seeds.

Did I surprise you with that? I'll wager that a number of you were thinking I was going to say that love for your neighbor is the #1 Attitude Necessary for Evangelization, right?. Well, love is indeed important in the evangelization process, but it is not #1. It's not #1 because, what if you love your neighbor, but you don't necessarily believe that God wants them to be Catholic? What if you think God is just fine if your Baptist son-in-law never receives Him - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - in the Eucharist? Or if he never has access to the incredible graces received through Confession? That God is fine if he never enters the Church founded...by God? If you believe those things, then will you go out and evangelize your son-in-law? Or anyone for that matter? Highly doubtful. So you first need to believe that God wants everyone to be Catholic, that God wants everyone to have the fullness of truth, in order to be an effective Catholic evangelist.

But, I'm not dismissing the role of love in all of this. Once you believe that God wants everyone to be Catholic, then, motivated by love for God, and your fellow man, you will do whatever you are able to do - in the way of planting seeds for the truths of the Catholic Faith - with whoever is in your sphere of influence (family, friends, co-workers, fellow students, etc.), in order to bring them into the true Church of Christ...the Catholic Church By doing that, you are truly showing love for God (Who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth) and for your fellow man. I contend that if you don't care whether or not your fellow travelers (family, friends, co-workers, or even strangers) come into the Catholic Church, and whether or not they ever receive Jesus in the Eucharist, then there is something lacking in your love for God and neighbor.

Now, two things:

1) Do not take all of that to mean that I'm saying that if someone is not Catholic then they are going to Hell. I do not presume to judge who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. I also do not presume to say that God cannot save whomever it pleases Him to save. What I will say, though, is that Jesus established a Church, through which we receive the Sacraments - also established by Jesus - so that men could be made holy. Because, as the Word of God tells us, one needs to be holy in order to see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). So any given person's best chance for becoming holy, and thus seeing the Lord, is through the Catholic Church - the Church, again, founded by Jesus Christ - and its Sacraments. Did He start the Church, and establish the Sacraments, because He only wanted certain people to join and partake and become holy, or because He wanted everyone to join and partake and become holy?

2) Also do not take what I've said to mean that you have to shove the Catholic Church down people's throats. You want to evangelize people, not alienate people. Obviously, in any given circumstance, you have to take into account all of the situational factors, all the personal relationships, and where a person is in their particular journey of faith and so forth. What I am saying, though, is at the very least - the very least! - you should be praying for all those in your circle of friends and family who are not currently Catholic, to become Catholic. Pray for opportunities to plant seeds. Pray that God bring others into their lives who will plant seeds of the faith with them. Pray that God makes them curious. That He unsettles their souls just a bit. That He makes them just ever so uncomfortable with where they are and helps them to realize that there is something more out there (spiritually speaking). What I am doing is trying to take away your excuse of, "Well, they don't really need to be Catholic, they're okay where they are," that keeps you from stepping into the arena and joining the fray.

To be an effective evangelist, then, as a Catholic, you must have, first and foremost, the attitude that God wants everyone to be Catholic.

Closing Comments

I hope all of you have a great week! As always, please know that I'm praying for all of you, and I ask that you please keep the Bible Christian Society in your prayers.

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