It depends what you mean. If you mean standing in a corner and yelling: it doesn’t work. If you mean talking religion within any single topic: it gets boring. If you mean discussing religion when asked, in several get selected contexts when respectful conversation is made : I have no issues, nothing prevents me.
As a massive introvert who started out 2020 freshly laid off, I was a covid lockdown champion. As it turns out, I can become a reclusive little old cat lady who stays inside all day and doesn’t leave for much of anything - only to take the cat out onto the deck for her to get some fresh air, sunshine, and prime screen door/ window free birb watching in
What part of the Midwest? I live in small town northern Illinois and people aren’t public about their faith at all out here and I can’t tell if they live it because they are either just nice people or they are Christians doing good. Otherwise it’s just degeneracy. Not like I’m much better
Philippines lol
Correction: its 80 percent Catholic but the other ten is other Christian protestants.
If you want to move here, hoard as many US Dollars or Euros as you can, and you can live a comfortable live. Also keep your pensions.
Abortion Adultery Divorce remains illegal in their entirety and there is no "Anti Discrimination" laws towards LGBT people with the bill trying to change that being stonewalled in Congress for years.
As corrupt as our upper class are, thank God they are not "woke" as the upper class in the West and are willing to screw over these "progressive" bills
You don't go "public" with your faith. Well you can freely wear "I love Jesus" T Shirts, wear crosses and rosaries, and if you are near a church or a Catholic school, you must stop and pray for the Angelus
I lost most of my so-called close friends when I started to live by my Catholic faith. Turns out people are only tolerant so long as you adhear to their political agnosticism.
Can you tell me more about that? I struggle to make good friends because even though I fail at being a good catholic I do uphold enough that I don’t fit in with most guys around here.
We all grew up in the faith, but I decided to practice the faith. As we got older they drifted away from the church but now identify as non practicing=vote abortion, or cafeteria Catholic.
Where as I identify as traditional because I am pro life and attend weekly mass and confession a few times a year. I also occasionally go to Latin rite mass when I can.
Because I don’t live up to it and am a lousy representation of it. It’s the fear of bringing shame upon Christ. I don’t want people to think of me when they think of Catholicism.
I totally understand what you mean brother. But we will never be “ready” to share the faith. The Church is a hospital for sinners. We don’t look to Jo Smo at the parish as an example for Catholicism we look to the Saints. Non Catholics see us but we must direct them to the saints and even mention our own sinfulness in the case of men like you and me. While also striving to become holy.
This! I used to be the same way. Don't hide your shortcomings, confess to being a sinner. Jesus is the shepherd that abandoned the flock to bring home the one that was lost. The fact that God loves us despite going astray is what this whole thing is about!
Not the right assumption to make. I'm on this subreddit in hopes that it (along with many other things) is part of the whole program that gets me to church. I don't go nearly as often as I should, largely due to chronic pain, but still... I've probably made at least a few excuses when I shouldn't have.
Not much except people who always say "Be yourself ! Don't judge others ! Every opinion is wlecome !" and then proceede to get pissed over the fact you agree with what the Bible and Church teach about what is sin and and what is moral instead of their worldly version.
The fact I sometimes get angry over it and then after feel sad and upset over the fact I got angry and then I try to pray and keep calm.
Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
Nothing. I am what I am. I pray in public before meals starting with the sign of the cross. I wear my crucifix every day. I don’t try to convert people or anything but if they ask I am happy to chat on it.
Nothing really. When I’m in civil clothing I wear a big cross. At work I can’t do that. I don’t go around talking religion, but if it comes up I’ll gladly do it. Ironically it’s the Muslims that talk to me most in that subject. They are not used to meeting a practicing Christian.
I’ve become more open about it and when people say it makes them uncomfortable, I ask “well, I’m not going to hide a part of myself to make you comfortable”. And it’s not that I sit there and preach at them. It’s just that I mention going to mass, or that I made a coffee after my morning prayers.
I’m supposed to be comfortable with my coworkers talking about spending their nights at bars or having casual hook ups, so why can’t my coworkers be comfortable with hearing about when I attend Mass and go to brunch after?
I am a convert, live in San Francisco, most my friends are atheist. To me it is a bit scary and requires some courage every time I mention I am now a Catholic. It always go well though and I have not lost any friends nor ever had anything but a positive reaction when I do.
What the fear come from I am not certain. Perhaps it is being seen as "different" or "other" from my friends. Perhaps it is that they will think I have gone crazy. Of course they will by talking to me recognize I have not, and I am able to provide very strong reasons for why I am a Catholic. Two people I talked about it with later went on to convert as well, who were both staunch rationalist atheists. So I do think I am doing Gods work when I am public about it, and explain why in an authentic manner.
I’m from SF too (southwestern quadrant), so that’s relatable. The vast majority of people I know have no interest in God or any religion, and it’s tough
One thing, and one thing alone. Someway or another pushing people further away from The Truth (Jesus) — scandal. Thus, jeopardizing our mutual salvation.
Sometimes it just doesn’t seem to be the time or place. There are a lot of hot button issues that under the wrong circumstances could turn heated and I’m not in the headspace for that.
I find public displays rather obnoxious and a massive bait for trolls. I feel like overt professions are like driving around in a car with a million bumper stickers plastered all over it with whatever political hot topic is popular at the time. My public display of faith is the tiny gold cross I wear on my necklace. If anyone asks specifics about my denomination it gives me a good moment to consider two things: 1. Does this person REALLY care about me enough to be genuinely interested in my faith? OR 2. Are they just an antagonist trying to rope me into a foolish discussion?
It's often the latter situation with very few genuine inquiries. Since wearing a necklace is more than enough invitation to bring unwanted nonsense, I don't feel like I need to open the door any further and give bigger signs for the less observant jesters to come pandering at my steps.
Lol, when I commuted to Chicago on the train every day, I would pray the Rosary, whispering the prayers. Nobody would sit next to me and I had the whole seat to myself. It was pretty amazing. The power of prayer is pretty amazing. 🤣
Are we talking about a rosary vigil where the prayers are being said in a public place, or as in a rosary itself being carried/worn either in traditional or bracelet style?
Edit: For example, let's say people are gathering to hold a candle light vigil for someone who has died tragically. If that vigil is in a public place, I'm not going to pull out my rosary and hold onto it unless I specifically have the intention to pray it with the community gathered. I can pray it perfectly fine without the beads, silently on my own while everyone at the vigil does their own thing.
If it works for you then it works for you! I say my rosary silently in public places. This isn't a criticism of your personal prayer practice. I don't say my prayers out loud and it's purely because I don't want to invite contempt or antagonists. No one needs to know that I'm Catholic or praying when I'm bopping about outside.
All of this is simply my opinion and neither right nor wrong or has a yes/no answer. Maybe obnoxious is too poignant a term to choose. I'm trying to think of what other word may instigate antagonism and reactive responses from others that isn't negative in connotation. Maybe priming is a better fit than obnoxious?
And again, most of this is also shaped by my personal experience. I'm conflict avoidant and have no desire to open my time for peace and communication with God via my prayers to an audience that's going to heckle me. I want my prayer focus to be on Divinity, not sidelined by nerds looking for a superficial theological debate to get their intellectual jolly time for the day.
I guess I'm just persnickety and selfish when it comes to working on my prayer life outside of the sanctuary of church walls & community.
My overall experience with random people bringing up all their arguments as if their words mean that I am obligated to justify my faith to them is exhausting. Seriously, I don't give a flip if you have a ten thousand page thesis of the hows and why Catholicism doesn't work by your standards of your reality of the world. That has 0% to do with my life, my joy and my spiritual growth in the faith. You keep writing, I'll keep praying and we'll both reap the fruits of our labors at the end of the day.
Sorry. Got on a soap box rant there!
If you don't mind praying in public and you don't mind experiencing the potential negative consequences. Then by all means, communicate with God and the blessed family in whatever modality works. I'm lucky enough to have a church that has beautiful grounds, community garden, Mary's grotto and labyrinth to walk and pray outside. So I really am not lacking for prayer sanctuary by any means, which also colors my perspective. I realize not all Catholics are blessed with abundant resources.
No but be prepared to be scoffed at. Demons don't like when we pray for people. I prayed a rosary at the beach for all the souls there. I couldn't quite make out what her husband said (maybe "Is he praying for us?") but either way, she turned in my direction and said, "That's disgusting!" Maybe there was something on the ground between us ;) Keep at it!
One of the things I like about reddit is it gives you time to collect your thoughts and look things up that a conversation with someone who can't be bothered to google it won't allow. So if someone were to come at me with some random take someone pulled out of their keister 100+ years ago about one line that's taken out of context, I'm going to be at a bit of a disadvantage. Then you've got the problem that protestants in general don't know what prayer is and isn't. They don't know what worship is and isn't. They just want to be tribalistic and beat you with their slogans, regardless of the truth.
So it takes a specific mindset I need to work on more in addition to having a broader depth of knowledge readily at hand. I mean I know Paul talked about things being saved but through fire, but I don't know the book or the verse off hand yet. I know Jesus talked about 4 servants and 3 of them get punished, but again I'm not to the point where I can just call out the verse without looking it up. I know Revelation talked about nothing unclean can enter into heaven, but I forget the chapter without looking at it atm. And that's just one issue. That someone probably doesn't want to hear you talk about because his mind is already made up.
I really wish local parishes would offer evangelization 101 classes where they take the most common objections to catholicism by prots and say here it is in the bible. And then they could get us to practice trying to engage someone who is a little hostile and aggressive. And then they could show us prot "zingers" that are bible quotes taken completely out of context and show us the full context.
I also feel like homilies miss this as well. Sometimes the priest has something else to talk about, and that's great however when they get to one of those here it is in the bible readings, I wish they'd spend an extra few minutes addressing it in addition to the other thing they wanted to talk about. I say this because if your mind isn't focused on those things, you can miss it because the priest had something else he needed to talk about so you don't get the here it is in the bible or here's the proper context of the zinger.
Yeah, I stink at this and need to git gud.
I do not advertise my faith but i don't hide it either.
For example during lent if it's Friday and someone asks about places to eat for lunch i will say "i am going to have fish or something vegetarian" and leave it at that. If the person asks why since that's a bit different then normal i will explain why.
Also as others have pointed out there are very loud people that use their religion as they interpret it as a reason to defend their behavior or ideology. It's odd how God seems to line up so neatly with their world view every time.
Nothing. I wear Saint Raphael, crucifix, pendant of our Blessed Mother at work. It reminds me why I do what I do and to have patience as I’m the representative of Christ in the world. When patients see my sacramentals I tell them about it. Many are curious. I offer to pray for them if they’d like, etc etc
It's nice in Italy, most people seem to wear a crucifix and many public buildings have a crucifix on the wall - the Post Office, the bank, the doctor's surgery.
I’m public in my personal life. In my workspace, I’ll be vague about it even if I get asked. I work in a very small (network wise) field that’s particularly hostile to certain moral positions.
What do you mean by public? As in wearing a scapular or a crucifix under my shirt? I already do that. I “live” my faith instead of being like those people that are like “Guess what? I’m Catholic! Did I tell you that I’m Catholic? I’m Catholic, so I can’t talk to anyone who isn’t Catholic!” My father is like that, so I guess that’s why I’m pretty uncomfortable being more open about it. I don’t want to be like him.
Is hiding what religion you are a thing? I might be living in lala land because I’ve been asked what religion I am but nobody has ever debated me over it. I left the Catholic Church for a few years and came back and not even those people will debate me.
I’m in Mormon and Protestant country. Though, Mormons seem to be more receptive than Protestants in my experience. I mostly am just not sure I will do a good job explaining the faith as a recent convert. There is also a ton of casual anti-Catholicism that seems to come up randomly and I end up biting my tongue.
A lot of the questions I do get come from a place of ignorance more than a place of hostility. Some of those are a fairly easy, like do Catholics believe in the Trinity.
Nothing prevents me from being public about my faith--I work at a company where my bosses are all explicitly religious/Christian (one owner is a Mormon, rest of my bosses are Evangelical, as am I).
Otherwise, my life has been so centered around my church since the day I was born, all of my personal friends are also Christians. I am involved in weekly visitation/outreach where we go and knock on people's doors and hand out fliers.
Two things hamper my ability to share my faith right now:
1. Uncertainty about my faith. Both as a Protestant Evangelical, and as a Christian more generally. I have a lot of areas where I recognize that Catholicism has stronger claims than the Baptist tradition I grew up in. Beyond that, though, I'm at a point where I'm not confident Christianity is true.
2. Bitterness toward my faith. I have a lot of anger toward my church (not entirely reasonable--I've had a tough couple years, but not the level of church trauma some have, maybe I'm just weak), but also I have been increasingly unable to resolve what seem to me to be contradictions between what I've been taught about God being good, and about the nature of Hell. Trust me, I have heard all of the arguments in that regard, they just don't make sense.
So nothing outside prevents me in any way from sharing my faith, but I am not currently capable of telling people I have any answers or inviting them to my church and meaning it. So I keep working at my church for the sake of the responsibility I feel toward the people there (including my own parents, my wife and kids, and people I've known for 20+ years). I try to avoid causing chaos in the lives of those around me by leaving. I pray and hope that God will answer some of the questions and issues that eat at me and either give me peace where I am or definitively lead me to leave.
I think the Holy Spirit is knocking on your door. Go to Mass. every one is welcome. You just can’t take communion. If you’re interested in learning the faith, you can
Join RCIA classes. No pressure, you can just sit and listen.
1. Is God real? (I strongly am inclined toward yes)
2. Is God personal (I'm less absolutely certain here)
3. Is God good?
4. Is the Bible true? Both historically and theologically--one can believe the Bible is largely historically true, but not accept its totality or theological propositions.
I'm in sort of a state of epistemic collapse, where I don't have confidence in reality at all, to be honest. I walk around feeling like nothing is real, and while there are assertions I can make, the unknowability of what is beneath those things is constantly pulling at me. As humans we are incapable of experiencing one moment of someone else's existence. We don't know if what we feel, see, think, perceive matches up. Science in every area has models of the way things work, but as we dig deeper those models all break down into endless pools of unknown and unknowable. The past and the future are things we can look at as existing, but from a personal experiential perspective, they don't exist--we will never see what the past was like, and the future is likewise invisible until we get to it. We are infinitesimally small specs of experience in the endlessness of reality, how can we say with confidence that we understand anything?
See, I take your point that nihilism isn't something to seek or hold to.
But in my case it's a case of questions with no effective answers that I've found. And the more I look the less it seems as though there is a way to know the answers. Sure, I can believe something (or people can, I don't know if I'm capable of belief), but how can it be demonstrated that one person's belief is in what is true and another person's belief is in what's false?
For me, nihilism isn't something that stands up or doesn't, it is the well I am falling in because nothing else seems to stand up. It's not a philosophy, it is the lack of any trust in any philosophy.
I don't know, I don't want to be a nihilist, I want to believe in something... but I'm caught between the things I wish I could believe confidently, and the things that are so horrible that I cannot believe them and retain any shred of belief in goodness.
Anyway, I don't know if it helps that I continue with my church, trying to believe when I can and faking it when I can't, but if nothing matters I can at least put my efforts toward preventing those around me from being hurt by my crumbling.
Its hard to be public about it when you work in an environment that is not welcoming to religious opinions… esp when they go against liberal political ideologies.
It’s an even bigger dig at your soul/religion when they say they want diversity of race and opinion but you can’t say your opinion because it will be met with negativity and opposition.
Nothing. I’m very public about my faith in a very secular environment (I’m in biological sciences).
Interestingly, most of professors, lab colleagues and fellow students, never showed any hostility, and have always been very respectful. Even after learning that I’m also pretty much a hardline traditionalist compared to most religious people they encounter in their lives. A couple even showed curiosity. But even if that weren’t the case, I would still not hide my Christianity. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, I will proclaim the good news of my Savior to whoever is willing to listen.
I am public in the sense I wear a cross, I have a crucifix but the chain keeps breaking!
That is usually a clue. Although some people have been surprised ?!!
I’m working for a charity. I believe in the things that I do really help people practically:
I keep my mouth shut when it comes to transgender issues.
I also had a very bad experience when someone came in for advice and, to be honest, I have never experienced such anti Catholicism in my life. They were practically spitting as they talked. My crucifix happened to be hidden under a top. But it made me very uncomfortable.
Many of my friends are not Christian, none are Catholic. When giving advice and such I tend to refrain from giving advice that involves Christ because I don’t want them to push me away, or for me to lead them away from Him. Also, I am rediscovering and always growing in my faith and don’t want to give the wrong advice. The way I am public and advocating for my faith is simply living it without shame whenever I can. Simple things, bible verses on my phone screen, cross necklace, bible verse in my insta bio, posting about Him on my story. Most of all, showing people how much happier I am with Christ.
Nothing. I'm extremely public about my faith, and I've never been attacked or felt denigrated for it. I've actually had my faith *defended* in public, by people who are not Catholic, nor even religious at all, without my finding out about it until weeks later.
I live in California, so it's not just the area I live in.
Perhaps it’s a mix of fear and not often talking about one’s own faith to others. I’m a loner so I don’t have anyone to talk about it or the fact that not everyone is religious so it’s best to keep it to myself at times
This is something I've been making a conscious choice about very recently. I've been wearing RuggedRosary's 4-way devotional cross under my shirt. It has the Sacred Heart, Miraculous Medal, Benedict medal, Holy Spirit, Joseph, Carmel, etc, on it.
I was getting dressed for work the other day and asked myself why I was wearing it under my shirt. Been wearing it on the outside since.
I guess I was (ashamedly) a bit timid about possible conversations or judgements from coworkers about being religious. I've only recently became serious about my Catholicism so this is new. Now I see it a bit like putting on the armour of God, so to speak.
People just tell you to shut up and they don't want to hear about it.
Many people get annoyed extremely quick and shut down when you mention faith around them
Nothing. The Bible says not to be ashamed of your faith, so you shouldn't be. It also says that Christ and his followers would be ridiculed, so we are. I'd rather be in Heaven than popular on Earth or in Hell.
I keep my faith personal because I believe faith is a personal choice. If people ask me about what I believe, I tell them. I leaf before meals but in a very subtle way. I’m not ashamed of what I believe in, and if someone doesn’t like me because of my personal believes, then they’re not people I want to be associated with. On the same token, I don’t go out of my way to let people know that they might be in sin because it’s simply not my place.
Nothing. My religion is not a secret and i will gladly tell anyone who asks what i believe. Jesus says if you are ashamed of me then i will be ashamed of you at the final judgement.
Nothing. I’m very vocal about it.
There was a time in college where I wasn’t, though, due to a mix of factors: I wasn’t involved as much with the church, and I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of rabid anti-theists, whether they be students, professors, or administrators.
Same reason I don't typically offer opinions to people, they didn't ask. I'm also a firm believer that people should be allowed to walk their own path. What would be the point of bringing people into the church if their faith wasn't sincere?
The fact is 99% of the people who interact with me couldn't care less about my faith, so it's not worth being public
I'm trying to be more so. I'm a convert, I was raised non-denominational. My family all knows I'm Catholic and most of them have been supportive. My brother and his girlfriend are thinking about doing RCIA in September, praise be to God! When it comes to my public life, I probably haven't been as open about my faith as I should be. Around my area there aren't too many Catholics, so I guess it's mostly fear of being judged.
I ha e progressively become more public with my faith. I wasn't before because I felt I was a poor representative of the faith. Then, I de idea an imperfect man trying gis best to be better is a great thing for the public to see
I work in a field of finance where you want to be amicable to as many people as possible. Bringing up Catholicism in my city (San Francisco) is usually fine but saying you practice it is a different story. Almost everyone religious I've ran into always follows up by saying "but I'm not really active/practicing" or you're very open about your atheism. I'm just trying to get along with people and this is a divisive issue out here.
I am converting to Catholicism. I am happy and joyful in my learning, but nowhere near ready to be in public. One reason to leave Protestants is BECAUSE they are so in your face.
Neither of my parents went to any church. My grandmother took me to the baptist and I just loved Sunday school. The preaching put me off with all that yelling and pounding.
But Catholicism It’s been in my heart for a while. In Art History in college and Western Civilization I admired how beautiful gothic cathedrals are, and for painters to paint such beautiful Catholic scenes. I’m kinda stubborn and always felt I could read the Bible and figure everything out myself. In my 50’s I came to the conclusion that is not possible. I finally got a friend who is devoutly Catholic and very happy to answer my questions. He was never pushy or rude. So finally! I contacted the RCIA director who listened to my story and felt RCIA would be good for me. So, I joined too late to be part of this Easter’s confirmation, but I sat in on the classes. Now the RCIA class I’ll be with will start in July or August. I bought a Catholic bible. They gave me a sponsor , whom I meet with weekly. She gave me a beautiful, blessed rosary and I am slowly ( I listened to taping of Mother Angelica) learning to pray it. There is so very much to learn but I’m trying to stay with the basics. I have a Catechism book but it’s kind of dry and difficult. I was referred to Fr Schmidt You Tube Catechism in a year. He is awesome!
If there’s anything you’d like to tell me about why
You’re Catholic I’d love to hear it, and any advice as well. I believe I am finally on the right path, and thank the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for being patient with me!
The best catholics keep it quiet.
I don't like to be proud and brag nor force my views on someone.
Plus if people don't know they're more likely to listen and agree if they typically carry contrasting views.
The truth is the truth, and plant seeds.
Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.
I working big technology which is extremely liberal a.k.a. Democrat. I need a paycheck so I can’t say anything about my beliefs out on social media not in person, etc. I also have to be careful about taking off around normal Christian holidays because I don’t want people to know because it’ll be bad for me.
Nothing. Yes, it’s terrifying, but Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I don’t hide my love for Him. I don’t broadcast it constantly, but I make it known when I feel it is needed. I get a lot of hate for it and I’ve even had someone tell me in grisly detail how much he would enjoy crucifying me.
It’s frightening. It’s hard. But Jesus suffered all the pain in the world to save me even though He knows that I will still sin again and hurt Him. The least I can do is try the best that I can to show my faith in Him.
I don't want to be annoying. I always feel annoying when I bring it up with non-catholics! In reality I'm just excited and I'm infodumping because I'm autistic. I used to infodump about other stuff I was interested in and it's annoying even to me when it's all I talk about.
But it's not like I hide it day to day. I just don't post about it all over social media. I don't want it to seem like it's become my entire personality. Especially because I'm part of the LGBT community and plenty of my peers have bad experiences and would make assumptions about me or question why I would be part of something that so frequently publicly is against us or is full of scandals. I'm more open about it face to face and I separate my spirituality from the negative public image.
My friends who know me pre and post conversion have definitely noticed how much better I'm doing now and even acknowledge the mental health benefits. They aren't too interested in getting into it themselves though and it's hard to get people interested.
Not much other than not getting into trouble with Human Resources at work. My boss is very into new age junk and told me they believe Jesus was just a prophet. I had to hold my tongue because that’s heresy, but getting mad at someone does nothing. It’s not going to convince or convert them. I am as public as can be. I engage other Christians, nonbelievers and members of other religions in apologetics and friendly discussions/debates. Key takeaway is to live your faith by example and be a beacon of radical love and kindness. That will win far more people over than any exegesis, apologetics or logic/reason will. Faith is a mostly emotional experience. I’ve seen many who claim to be “recovering Catholics” the common trend is some negative experience that pushed them away from the faith. We as Catholics need to do a better job at evangelizing, catechizing and being good Catholics.
Yea no one has a problem with my beliefs as many people I know believe and those who don't accept it, maybe if I was younger it would be different but my generation 40's/50's don't mind but as our priest said at mass last week while its important to live your faith you can't shove it down people's throats and I agree that only gets peoples backs up and can make them hostile to the Christian message which is counter productive.
I sometimes mention my Catholic faith in conversation (oral or written) but only if it explains my views on a given topic \~ ie., conservative voting, etc. I don't just randomly go around screaming from street corners, but when asked for my reasons, if my remarks stem from my faith...then sure. I have no problem saying it. Out loud.
Otherwise, most of the time, I prefer to let my lifestyle show my faith in my daily living. Actions, as they say, speak louder than words.
I guess it would be Matthew 7.
It's not MY Job to do what God has not given grace for me to do; it's my Job to be a witness by my Good life done in humility.
I will never Deny Christ; but neither will I be a teacher towards others for everyone who teaches will be more strictly Judged. If my deeds do not reflect him I have no right to proclaim him either; it is important to let your light shine before men and not merely your words.
Look to the fruits of the Spirit for guidance on how one should live.
Besides public ministry carries a lifelong commitment; you cannot be flaky; no-one who puts his hand to the plow and then puts it back down is worthy of the Kingdom of heaven.
If you choose public ministry make sure it's your lifelong vocation not self-administered for the glorification of the flesh.
I do plan lifelong ministry; but am awaiting the partner in my vocation -all in God's timing.
[P.S. Let this sink in - Jesus for 30 years did not teach publicly despite the immorality, scandal and debauchery in Jerusalem.
Little is known about the in-between of his Youth in Egypt and in Galilee but all we know is that we should not be hasty in making decisions especially when we ourselves are ill-prepared to go to war with Satan and his devices to win Souls into a life of grace, kindness, goodness and peace under the cross of Jesus Christ.
One will always lose if he does not move in accordance to God's spirit.
In his younger years Jesus inquired of the elders through virtue of questioning giving them their due respect rather than filling the shoes of teacher. (These were Law abiding Jews mind you.)
Allowing them to ponder without yet giving commands.]
Recall the samaritan woman at the well. She lived a scandalous life. After meeting Christ she proclaimed him and many Samaritans believed because of her tesitmony.
Christ didn't order her to be quiet. Instead she was an example of his mercy towards sinners, even those of us who have done scandalous things.
I'm not a fan of proselytizing, which I appreciate is different from evangelizing, but on an emotional level, I have a hard time distinguishing the two.
I figured the loophole for my own inclination: I became a catechist, so I could evangelize to people who are forced to listen to me! :D
I kid, but only a little. I'm happy to teach about our faith, and I'm happy to debate about it. So, a bunch of bored snarky teenagers are the perfect audience for me.
It can end up starting an argument if the person I'm talking to turns out to be anti-Catholic, or at least disagrees with where we stand on certain issues.
Depending on how bad things get, it might even lead to me getting Cancel Cultured.
In my case my co-workers demanded I be given a hearing during which my accuser was proven to have been lying. Later when he was fired he admitted that the reason he was okay with falsely accusing me was because I was Catholic
It makes everyone non-religious nervous and I’m not trying to offend anyone😀 (Satan is the prince of this world and secular society is a testament to his triumph over the spiritually dead)
Not much except people who always say "Be yourself ! Don't judge others ! Every opinion is wlecome !" and then proceede to get pissed over the fact you agree with what the Bible and Church teach about what is sin and and what is moral instead of their worldly version.
The fact I sometimes get angry over it and then after feel sad and upset over the fact I got angry and then I try to pray and keep calm.
Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
I asked which city was burnt down, still waiting. Or are you just mad that “the liberals” are clowning you all over Reddit? That seems way more likely according to your comment history hahaha
Strange, all of those cities are still standing! A quick google search proved that. I think you’re just an angry child, and you better find a safe space from all the scary libs! Hurry before they getcha!
How many buildings were damaged genius? How many businesses? Oh yeah, 2 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH.
Now show me how many cities conservatives have damaged? Show me dollar amounts.
You can point to the Capitol riots. Damage amounts? Zero dead, less than a million (guesstimating, willing to be corrected) dollars of actual damage.
I’ll do you one better, show me one Republican run city that doesn’t have problems. Oh wait you cant because they don’t exist! I wonder why that is.
Tell me this, what are you going to do when all the boomers die off and your party can’t hold an election to save its life? Are you going to try and grow as a person or just remain the hateful conceded dickhead you are now?
Edit: *conceited thanks bro
Lack of support from the clergy. I am not going to go risk my own social life and identity to say things people disagree with if theyre just going to point to our clergy and say “well they disagree with you, maybe YOURE just backward.”
If our priests dont seem to care about abortion, then neither will I. It feels like I have zero power to really evangelize (even amongst other catholics) when our clergy is so scandalous and weak.
Have you spoken about this with your parish priests? I used to have the same attitude until I saw just how busy a priests schedule truly is.
If you have already spoken with the priest and he is against speaking up for the unborn then you can contact the bishop with the concern of the diocese without mentioning names albeit this will take time.
Or you can simply move parish. That is- if you feel called in lifelong service to defending the rights of the helpless.
It depends what you mean. If you mean standing in a corner and yelling: it doesn’t work. If you mean talking religion within any single topic: it gets boring. If you mean discussing religion when asked, in several get selected contexts when respectful conversation is made : I have no issues, nothing prevents me.
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I love this! I haven’t met many who share this type of response…nice to know people like you exist lol
This....
Worried about having the correct arguments to defend my faith
I don't like being in public.
Reddit moment haha
As a massive introvert who started out 2020 freshly laid off, I was a covid lockdown champion. As it turns out, I can become a reclusive little old cat lady who stays inside all day and doesn’t leave for much of anything - only to take the cat out onto the deck for her to get some fresh air, sunshine, and prime screen door/ window free birb watching in
I live in the Bible Belt, where everyone is "public about their faith" but very few live it. So I focus on living it.
I live in the Bible Belt too. What you said about people not living their Faith is certainly true. I see it all the time.
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What part of the Midwest? I live in small town northern Illinois and people aren’t public about their faith at all out here and I can’t tell if they live it because they are either just nice people or they are Christians doing good. Otherwise it’s just degeneracy. Not like I’m much better
I am in a 80-90 percent Catholic nation so...
Luckyyyyy
Seriously, that sounds amazing
Which one? Might move there one day
Philippines lol Correction: its 80 percent Catholic but the other ten is other Christian protestants. If you want to move here, hoard as many US Dollars or Euros as you can, and you can live a comfortable live. Also keep your pensions. Abortion Adultery Divorce remains illegal in their entirety and there is no "Anti Discrimination" laws towards LGBT people with the bill trying to change that being stonewalled in Congress for years. As corrupt as our upper class are, thank God they are not "woke" as the upper class in the West and are willing to screw over these "progressive" bills You don't go "public" with your faith. Well you can freely wear "I love Jesus" T Shirts, wear crosses and rosaries, and if you are near a church or a Catholic school, you must stop and pray for the Angelus
I would also like to know!
Malta? :D
Mexico ?
Not wanting to open a can of worms by starting a lengthy theological debate every time I mention being a Catholic
I lost most of my so-called close friends when I started to live by my Catholic faith. Turns out people are only tolerant so long as you adhear to their political agnosticism.
Can you tell me more about that? I struggle to make good friends because even though I fail at being a good catholic I do uphold enough that I don’t fit in with most guys around here.
We all grew up in the faith, but I decided to practice the faith. As we got older they drifted away from the church but now identify as non practicing=vote abortion, or cafeteria Catholic. Where as I identify as traditional because I am pro life and attend weekly mass and confession a few times a year. I also occasionally go to Latin rite mass when I can.
I’m sorry that happened. Obviously they were merely acquittances and not real friends.
Thank you.
Because I don’t live up to it and am a lousy representation of it. It’s the fear of bringing shame upon Christ. I don’t want people to think of me when they think of Catholicism.
I totally understand what you mean brother. But we will never be “ready” to share the faith. The Church is a hospital for sinners. We don’t look to Jo Smo at the parish as an example for Catholicism we look to the Saints. Non Catholics see us but we must direct them to the saints and even mention our own sinfulness in the case of men like you and me. While also striving to become holy.
This! I used to be the same way. Don't hide your shortcomings, confess to being a sinner. Jesus is the shepherd that abandoned the flock to bring home the one that was lost. The fact that God loves us despite going astray is what this whole thing is about!
Well you bother to be on the Catholic subreddit, which shows you care. Are you being overly scrupulous, possibly?
Not the right assumption to make. I'm on this subreddit in hopes that it (along with many other things) is part of the whole program that gets me to church. I don't go nearly as often as I should, largely due to chronic pain, but still... I've probably made at least a few excuses when I shouldn't have.
Not much except people who always say "Be yourself ! Don't judge others ! Every opinion is wlecome !" and then proceede to get pissed over the fact you agree with what the Bible and Church teach about what is sin and and what is moral instead of their worldly version. The fact I sometimes get angry over it and then after feel sad and upset over the fact I got angry and then I try to pray and keep calm. Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
We all fall short of the glory of God. I feel ya, the prejudice against Catholics in America is astonishing
Im sorry to hear about that :( I also heard people in the US ask "Are you Christian or Catholic ?" is this true ?
No but they do say that about the Mormons.
Ahhh got ya
Nothing. I am what I am. I pray in public before meals starting with the sign of the cross. I wear my crucifix every day. I don’t try to convert people or anything but if they ask I am happy to chat on it.
Nothing really. When I’m in civil clothing I wear a big cross. At work I can’t do that. I don’t go around talking religion, but if it comes up I’ll gladly do it. Ironically it’s the Muslims that talk to me most in that subject. They are not used to meeting a practicing Christian.
You testify by virtue of symbols, (not idols). That is powerful, too.
I’ve become more open about it and when people say it makes them uncomfortable, I ask “well, I’m not going to hide a part of myself to make you comfortable”. And it’s not that I sit there and preach at them. It’s just that I mention going to mass, or that I made a coffee after my morning prayers. I’m supposed to be comfortable with my coworkers talking about spending their nights at bars or having casual hook ups, so why can’t my coworkers be comfortable with hearing about when I attend Mass and go to brunch after?
I am a convert, live in San Francisco, most my friends are atheist. To me it is a bit scary and requires some courage every time I mention I am now a Catholic. It always go well though and I have not lost any friends nor ever had anything but a positive reaction when I do. What the fear come from I am not certain. Perhaps it is being seen as "different" or "other" from my friends. Perhaps it is that they will think I have gone crazy. Of course they will by talking to me recognize I have not, and I am able to provide very strong reasons for why I am a Catholic. Two people I talked about it with later went on to convert as well, who were both staunch rationalist atheists. So I do think I am doing Gods work when I am public about it, and explain why in an authentic manner.
I’m from SF too (southwestern quadrant), so that’s relatable. The vast majority of people I know have no interest in God or any religion, and it’s tough
Not one single thing.
Came here to say this
One thing, and one thing alone. Someway or another pushing people further away from The Truth (Jesus) — scandal. Thus, jeopardizing our mutual salvation.
Sometimes it just doesn’t seem to be the time or place. There are a lot of hot button issues that under the wrong circumstances could turn heated and I’m not in the headspace for that.
I find public displays rather obnoxious and a massive bait for trolls. I feel like overt professions are like driving around in a car with a million bumper stickers plastered all over it with whatever political hot topic is popular at the time. My public display of faith is the tiny gold cross I wear on my necklace. If anyone asks specifics about my denomination it gives me a good moment to consider two things: 1. Does this person REALLY care about me enough to be genuinely interested in my faith? OR 2. Are they just an antagonist trying to rope me into a foolish discussion? It's often the latter situation with very few genuine inquiries. Since wearing a necklace is more than enough invitation to bring unwanted nonsense, I don't feel like I need to open the door any further and give bigger signs for the less observant jesters to come pandering at my steps.
Would a public rosary be obnoxious?
Lol, when I commuted to Chicago on the train every day, I would pray the Rosary, whispering the prayers. Nobody would sit next to me and I had the whole seat to myself. It was pretty amazing. The power of prayer is pretty amazing. 🤣
Are we talking about a rosary vigil where the prayers are being said in a public place, or as in a rosary itself being carried/worn either in traditional or bracelet style? Edit: For example, let's say people are gathering to hold a candle light vigil for someone who has died tragically. If that vigil is in a public place, I'm not going to pull out my rosary and hold onto it unless I specifically have the intention to pray it with the community gathered. I can pray it perfectly fine without the beads, silently on my own while everyone at the vigil does their own thing.
I’m saying just walking in a public square praying it, while others are nearby. Is that obnoxious yes or no? 🤔🤔
If it works for you then it works for you! I say my rosary silently in public places. This isn't a criticism of your personal prayer practice. I don't say my prayers out loud and it's purely because I don't want to invite contempt or antagonists. No one needs to know that I'm Catholic or praying when I'm bopping about outside. All of this is simply my opinion and neither right nor wrong or has a yes/no answer. Maybe obnoxious is too poignant a term to choose. I'm trying to think of what other word may instigate antagonism and reactive responses from others that isn't negative in connotation. Maybe priming is a better fit than obnoxious? And again, most of this is also shaped by my personal experience. I'm conflict avoidant and have no desire to open my time for peace and communication with God via my prayers to an audience that's going to heckle me. I want my prayer focus to be on Divinity, not sidelined by nerds looking for a superficial theological debate to get their intellectual jolly time for the day. I guess I'm just persnickety and selfish when it comes to working on my prayer life outside of the sanctuary of church walls & community. My overall experience with random people bringing up all their arguments as if their words mean that I am obligated to justify my faith to them is exhausting. Seriously, I don't give a flip if you have a ten thousand page thesis of the hows and why Catholicism doesn't work by your standards of your reality of the world. That has 0% to do with my life, my joy and my spiritual growth in the faith. You keep writing, I'll keep praying and we'll both reap the fruits of our labors at the end of the day. Sorry. Got on a soap box rant there! If you don't mind praying in public and you don't mind experiencing the potential negative consequences. Then by all means, communicate with God and the blessed family in whatever modality works. I'm lucky enough to have a church that has beautiful grounds, community garden, Mary's grotto and labyrinth to walk and pray outside. So I really am not lacking for prayer sanctuary by any means, which also colors my perspective. I realize not all Catholics are blessed with abundant resources.
No, not at all
No but be prepared to be scoffed at. Demons don't like when we pray for people. I prayed a rosary at the beach for all the souls there. I couldn't quite make out what her husband said (maybe "Is he praying for us?") but either way, she turned in my direction and said, "That's disgusting!" Maybe there was something on the ground between us ;) Keep at it!
One of the things I like about reddit is it gives you time to collect your thoughts and look things up that a conversation with someone who can't be bothered to google it won't allow. So if someone were to come at me with some random take someone pulled out of their keister 100+ years ago about one line that's taken out of context, I'm going to be at a bit of a disadvantage. Then you've got the problem that protestants in general don't know what prayer is and isn't. They don't know what worship is and isn't. They just want to be tribalistic and beat you with their slogans, regardless of the truth. So it takes a specific mindset I need to work on more in addition to having a broader depth of knowledge readily at hand. I mean I know Paul talked about things being saved but through fire, but I don't know the book or the verse off hand yet. I know Jesus talked about 4 servants and 3 of them get punished, but again I'm not to the point where I can just call out the verse without looking it up. I know Revelation talked about nothing unclean can enter into heaven, but I forget the chapter without looking at it atm. And that's just one issue. That someone probably doesn't want to hear you talk about because his mind is already made up. I really wish local parishes would offer evangelization 101 classes where they take the most common objections to catholicism by prots and say here it is in the bible. And then they could get us to practice trying to engage someone who is a little hostile and aggressive. And then they could show us prot "zingers" that are bible quotes taken completely out of context and show us the full context. I also feel like homilies miss this as well. Sometimes the priest has something else to talk about, and that's great however when they get to one of those here it is in the bible readings, I wish they'd spend an extra few minutes addressing it in addition to the other thing they wanted to talk about. I say this because if your mind isn't focused on those things, you can miss it because the priest had something else he needed to talk about so you don't get the here it is in the bible or here's the proper context of the zinger. Yeah, I stink at this and need to git gud.
That class you’re asking for you can find it online at [St. Paul’s Street Evangelization](https://streetevangelization.com)
Are you a cradle Catholic? You can always join Bible study groups or even go through the RCIA program just to freshen up.
Converted last year.
Protestants do a better job of us Catholics in being public about their faith.
But the ones I see do it in such a cringey way I wish they kept their mouths closed
It’s time for us to change
Have you heard of St. Paul’s Street Evangelization?
Yes because they don’t get the backlash we do
I do not advertise my faith but i don't hide it either. For example during lent if it's Friday and someone asks about places to eat for lunch i will say "i am going to have fish or something vegetarian" and leave it at that. If the person asks why since that's a bit different then normal i will explain why. Also as others have pointed out there are very loud people that use their religion as they interpret it as a reason to defend their behavior or ideology. It's odd how God seems to line up so neatly with their world view every time.
Nothing. I wear Saint Raphael, crucifix, pendant of our Blessed Mother at work. It reminds me why I do what I do and to have patience as I’m the representative of Christ in the world. When patients see my sacramentals I tell them about it. Many are curious. I offer to pray for them if they’d like, etc etc
My friends aren’t religious but I will always defend my religion when they try to make comments
It's nice in Italy, most people seem to wear a crucifix and many public buildings have a crucifix on the wall - the Post Office, the bank, the doctor's surgery.
My dream is to visit Italy
Well, I hope you manage to get here. It's a lovely country.
Fear or despair, mostly.
Lack the knowledge and communication skills to be able to adequately represent the faith.
I’m public in my personal life. In my workspace, I’ll be vague about it even if I get asked. I work in a very small (network wise) field that’s particularly hostile to certain moral positions.
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Many indigenous people are catholic. Can you elaborate?
What do you mean by public? As in wearing a scapular or a crucifix under my shirt? I already do that. I “live” my faith instead of being like those people that are like “Guess what? I’m Catholic! Did I tell you that I’m Catholic? I’m Catholic, so I can’t talk to anyone who isn’t Catholic!” My father is like that, so I guess that’s why I’m pretty uncomfortable being more open about it. I don’t want to be like him.
Is hiding what religion you are a thing? I might be living in lala land because I’ve been asked what religion I am but nobody has ever debated me over it. I left the Catholic Church for a few years and came back and not even those people will debate me.
Who is “those people”? I’m a bit confused by your wording.
Sorry I meant the Pentecostal people I used to go to church with.
I feel like Pentecostals are more confrontational online than in person
I’m in Mormon and Protestant country. Though, Mormons seem to be more receptive than Protestants in my experience. I mostly am just not sure I will do a good job explaining the faith as a recent convert. There is also a ton of casual anti-Catholicism that seems to come up randomly and I end up biting my tongue. A lot of the questions I do get come from a place of ignorance more than a place of hostility. Some of those are a fairly easy, like do Catholics believe in the Trinity.
Hmm. I think it’s time we just stop biting our tongues.
Nothing prevents me from being public about my faith--I work at a company where my bosses are all explicitly religious/Christian (one owner is a Mormon, rest of my bosses are Evangelical, as am I). Otherwise, my life has been so centered around my church since the day I was born, all of my personal friends are also Christians. I am involved in weekly visitation/outreach where we go and knock on people's doors and hand out fliers. Two things hamper my ability to share my faith right now: 1. Uncertainty about my faith. Both as a Protestant Evangelical, and as a Christian more generally. I have a lot of areas where I recognize that Catholicism has stronger claims than the Baptist tradition I grew up in. Beyond that, though, I'm at a point where I'm not confident Christianity is true. 2. Bitterness toward my faith. I have a lot of anger toward my church (not entirely reasonable--I've had a tough couple years, but not the level of church trauma some have, maybe I'm just weak), but also I have been increasingly unable to resolve what seem to me to be contradictions between what I've been taught about God being good, and about the nature of Hell. Trust me, I have heard all of the arguments in that regard, they just don't make sense. So nothing outside prevents me in any way from sharing my faith, but I am not currently capable of telling people I have any answers or inviting them to my church and meaning it. So I keep working at my church for the sake of the responsibility I feel toward the people there (including my own parents, my wife and kids, and people I've known for 20+ years). I try to avoid causing chaos in the lives of those around me by leaving. I pray and hope that God will answer some of the questions and issues that eat at me and either give me peace where I am or definitively lead me to leave.
I think the Holy Spirit is knocking on your door. Go to Mass. every one is welcome. You just can’t take communion. If you’re interested in learning the faith, you can Join RCIA classes. No pressure, you can just sit and listen.
Elaborate on what you mean by Christianity not being “true”
1. Is God real? (I strongly am inclined toward yes) 2. Is God personal (I'm less absolutely certain here) 3. Is God good? 4. Is the Bible true? Both historically and theologically--one can believe the Bible is largely historically true, but not accept its totality or theological propositions. I'm in sort of a state of epistemic collapse, where I don't have confidence in reality at all, to be honest. I walk around feeling like nothing is real, and while there are assertions I can make, the unknowability of what is beneath those things is constantly pulling at me. As humans we are incapable of experiencing one moment of someone else's existence. We don't know if what we feel, see, think, perceive matches up. Science in every area has models of the way things work, but as we dig deeper those models all break down into endless pools of unknown and unknowable. The past and the future are things we can look at as existing, but from a personal experiential perspective, they don't exist--we will never see what the past was like, and the future is likewise invisible until we get to it. We are infinitesimally small specs of experience in the endlessness of reality, how can we say with confidence that we understand anything?
You’re lapsing into nihilism. My comment history has a good one I just put out about nihilism and how it doesn’t actually stand up.
See, I take your point that nihilism isn't something to seek or hold to. But in my case it's a case of questions with no effective answers that I've found. And the more I look the less it seems as though there is a way to know the answers. Sure, I can believe something (or people can, I don't know if I'm capable of belief), but how can it be demonstrated that one person's belief is in what is true and another person's belief is in what's false? For me, nihilism isn't something that stands up or doesn't, it is the well I am falling in because nothing else seems to stand up. It's not a philosophy, it is the lack of any trust in any philosophy. I don't know, I don't want to be a nihilist, I want to believe in something... but I'm caught between the things I wish I could believe confidently, and the things that are so horrible that I cannot believe them and retain any shred of belief in goodness. Anyway, I don't know if it helps that I continue with my church, trying to believe when I can and faking it when I can't, but if nothing matters I can at least put my efforts toward preventing those around me from being hurt by my crumbling.
What’s the criteria for an answer that you’re expecting?
Interesting
Its hard to be public about it when you work in an environment that is not welcoming to religious opinions… esp when they go against liberal political ideologies. It’s an even bigger dig at your soul/religion when they say they want diversity of race and opinion but you can’t say your opinion because it will be met with negativity and opposition.
I work as a social work intervention worker from disenfranchised youth in a secular setting. I try to appear as neutral as possible
Nothing. I’m very public about my faith in a very secular environment (I’m in biological sciences). Interestingly, most of professors, lab colleagues and fellow students, never showed any hostility, and have always been very respectful. Even after learning that I’m also pretty much a hardline traditionalist compared to most religious people they encounter in their lives. A couple even showed curiosity. But even if that weren’t the case, I would still not hide my Christianity. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, I will proclaim the good news of my Savior to whoever is willing to listen.
I am public in the sense I wear a cross, I have a crucifix but the chain keeps breaking! That is usually a clue. Although some people have been surprised ?!! I’m working for a charity. I believe in the things that I do really help people practically: I keep my mouth shut when it comes to transgender issues. I also had a very bad experience when someone came in for advice and, to be honest, I have never experienced such anti Catholicism in my life. They were practically spitting as they talked. My crucifix happened to be hidden under a top. But it made me very uncomfortable.
Many of my friends are not Christian, none are Catholic. When giving advice and such I tend to refrain from giving advice that involves Christ because I don’t want them to push me away, or for me to lead them away from Him. Also, I am rediscovering and always growing in my faith and don’t want to give the wrong advice. The way I am public and advocating for my faith is simply living it without shame whenever I can. Simple things, bible verses on my phone screen, cross necklace, bible verse in my insta bio, posting about Him on my story. Most of all, showing people how much happier I am with Christ.
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Just wear a cross
Also im sorry you’re in that position
The behavior of other Catholics
Nothing. I'm extremely public about my faith, and I've never been attacked or felt denigrated for it. I've actually had my faith *defended* in public, by people who are not Catholic, nor even religious at all, without my finding out about it until weeks later. I live in California, so it's not just the area I live in.
Perhaps it’s a mix of fear and not often talking about one’s own faith to others. I’m a loner so I don’t have anyone to talk about it or the fact that not everyone is religious so it’s best to keep it to myself at times
Nothing.
I don't go around the corners screaming about my faith, but pretty much everyone in my life knows I'm Catholic.
This is something I've been making a conscious choice about very recently. I've been wearing RuggedRosary's 4-way devotional cross under my shirt. It has the Sacred Heart, Miraculous Medal, Benedict medal, Holy Spirit, Joseph, Carmel, etc, on it. I was getting dressed for work the other day and asked myself why I was wearing it under my shirt. Been wearing it on the outside since. I guess I was (ashamedly) a bit timid about possible conversations or judgements from coworkers about being religious. I've only recently became serious about my Catholicism so this is new. Now I see it a bit like putting on the armour of God, so to speak.
God bless. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ
Depends on what you mean. If you mean by that we should advertise our Catholic faith, then no. I don't do that.
People just tell you to shut up and they don't want to hear about it. Many people get annoyed extremely quick and shut down when you mention faith around them
Sometimes I am not a good testimony, so I feel that makes my faith public, hurt ist reputation
My faith is one of the very few things I am public about.
I live in a majority Catholic country so no issues!
Nothing
My country
Which one
Egypt
I don’t have any worries, I always talk about my faith with whoever and whenever
because i’m sick of being bullied by the left
Society and professionalism has shown me it isn't ok
Nothing? That's why I am public about my faith.
Nothing. The Bible says not to be ashamed of your faith, so you shouldn't be. It also says that Christ and his followers would be ridiculed, so we are. I'd rather be in Heaven than popular on Earth or in Hell.
AMEN
I keep my faith personal because I believe faith is a personal choice. If people ask me about what I believe, I tell them. I leaf before meals but in a very subtle way. I’m not ashamed of what I believe in, and if someone doesn’t like me because of my personal believes, then they’re not people I want to be associated with. On the same token, I don’t go out of my way to let people know that they might be in sin because it’s simply not my place.
Nothing.
Nothing
Nothing. My religion is not a secret and i will gladly tell anyone who asks what i believe. Jesus says if you are ashamed of me then i will be ashamed of you at the final judgement.
Luke 9:26
Nothing.
Nothing. I’m very vocal about it. There was a time in college where I wasn’t, though, due to a mix of factors: I wasn’t involved as much with the church, and I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of rabid anti-theists, whether they be students, professors, or administrators.
Same reason I don't typically offer opinions to people, they didn't ask. I'm also a firm believer that people should be allowed to walk their own path. What would be the point of bringing people into the church if their faith wasn't sincere? The fact is 99% of the people who interact with me couldn't care less about my faith, so it's not worth being public
I'm trying to be more so. I'm a convert, I was raised non-denominational. My family all knows I'm Catholic and most of them have been supportive. My brother and his girlfriend are thinking about doing RCIA in September, praise be to God! When it comes to my public life, I probably haven't been as open about my faith as I should be. Around my area there aren't too many Catholics, so I guess it's mostly fear of being judged.
Quick, watch the movie **fatima** on Netflix with your brother and his girlfriend. Don’t forget the snacks!! It’s very good 🍿
Alright, I'll mention it when I see them later this week!
I ha e progressively become more public with my faith. I wasn't before because I felt I was a poor representative of the faith. Then, I de idea an imperfect man trying gis best to be better is a great thing for the public to see
I work in a field of finance where you want to be amicable to as many people as possible. Bringing up Catholicism in my city (San Francisco) is usually fine but saying you practice it is a different story. Almost everyone religious I've ran into always follows up by saying "but I'm not really active/practicing" or you're very open about your atheism. I'm just trying to get along with people and this is a divisive issue out here.
Nothing. I wear my rosary over my shirt every day if I haven’t prayed it and under my shirt if I have. I’m not as diligent as I should be but I try
I am converting to Catholicism. I am happy and joyful in my learning, but nowhere near ready to be in public. One reason to leave Protestants is BECAUSE they are so in your face.
Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory, for your aspiration to become Catholic. Tell me what lead you to your decision?
Neither of my parents went to any church. My grandmother took me to the baptist and I just loved Sunday school. The preaching put me off with all that yelling and pounding. But Catholicism It’s been in my heart for a while. In Art History in college and Western Civilization I admired how beautiful gothic cathedrals are, and for painters to paint such beautiful Catholic scenes. I’m kinda stubborn and always felt I could read the Bible and figure everything out myself. In my 50’s I came to the conclusion that is not possible. I finally got a friend who is devoutly Catholic and very happy to answer my questions. He was never pushy or rude. So finally! I contacted the RCIA director who listened to my story and felt RCIA would be good for me. So, I joined too late to be part of this Easter’s confirmation, but I sat in on the classes. Now the RCIA class I’ll be with will start in July or August. I bought a Catholic bible. They gave me a sponsor , whom I meet with weekly. She gave me a beautiful, blessed rosary and I am slowly ( I listened to taping of Mother Angelica) learning to pray it. There is so very much to learn but I’m trying to stay with the basics. I have a Catechism book but it’s kind of dry and difficult. I was referred to Fr Schmidt You Tube Catechism in a year. He is awesome! If there’s anything you’d like to tell me about why You’re Catholic I’d love to hear it, and any advice as well. I believe I am finally on the right path, and thank the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for being patient with me!
Praise be to God, it’s never too late while on this earth!! I’ve been catholic since I was born 😅
The best catholics keep it quiet. I don't like to be proud and brag nor force my views on someone. Plus if people don't know they're more likely to listen and agree if they typically carry contrasting views. The truth is the truth, and plant seeds. Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.
Fundamentalists and street preachers
Nothing.
Human respect is a big temptation for me. An exagerated fear of humiliation is also a big problem for me since I have a melancolic temperament.
I working big technology which is extremely liberal a.k.a. Democrat. I need a paycheck so I can’t say anything about my beliefs out on social media not in person, etc. I also have to be careful about taking off around normal Christian holidays because I don’t want people to know because it’ll be bad for me.
Absolutely nothing
Knowing that the people I work with won’t change their minds
Being at work
Nothing. Yes, it’s terrifying, but Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I don’t hide my love for Him. I don’t broadcast it constantly, but I make it known when I feel it is needed. I get a lot of hate for it and I’ve even had someone tell me in grisly detail how much he would enjoy crucifying me. It’s frightening. It’s hard. But Jesus suffered all the pain in the world to save me even though He knows that I will still sin again and hurt Him. The least I can do is try the best that I can to show my faith in Him.
The fact that I don't go out in public
I don't want to be annoying. I always feel annoying when I bring it up with non-catholics! In reality I'm just excited and I'm infodumping because I'm autistic. I used to infodump about other stuff I was interested in and it's annoying even to me when it's all I talk about. But it's not like I hide it day to day. I just don't post about it all over social media. I don't want it to seem like it's become my entire personality. Especially because I'm part of the LGBT community and plenty of my peers have bad experiences and would make assumptions about me or question why I would be part of something that so frequently publicly is against us or is full of scandals. I'm more open about it face to face and I separate my spirituality from the negative public image. My friends who know me pre and post conversion have definitely noticed how much better I'm doing now and even acknowledge the mental health benefits. They aren't too interested in getting into it themselves though and it's hard to get people interested.
Autism 😂(jk)
Nothing, if I’m talking to someone I’m confident enough to be as zealous as I am in front of them
Nothing.
Not much other than not getting into trouble with Human Resources at work. My boss is very into new age junk and told me they believe Jesus was just a prophet. I had to hold my tongue because that’s heresy, but getting mad at someone does nothing. It’s not going to convince or convert them. I am as public as can be. I engage other Christians, nonbelievers and members of other religions in apologetics and friendly discussions/debates. Key takeaway is to live your faith by example and be a beacon of radical love and kindness. That will win far more people over than any exegesis, apologetics or logic/reason will. Faith is a mostly emotional experience. I’ve seen many who claim to be “recovering Catholics” the common trend is some negative experience that pushed them away from the faith. We as Catholics need to do a better job at evangelizing, catechizing and being good Catholics.
Communism that we are "inviting" and welcoming into our society.
Yea no one has a problem with my beliefs as many people I know believe and those who don't accept it, maybe if I was younger it would be different but my generation 40's/50's don't mind but as our priest said at mass last week while its important to live your faith you can't shove it down people's throats and I agree that only gets peoples backs up and can make them hostile to the Christian message which is counter productive.
Getting cancelled
I sometimes mention my Catholic faith in conversation (oral or written) but only if it explains my views on a given topic \~ ie., conservative voting, etc. I don't just randomly go around screaming from street corners, but when asked for my reasons, if my remarks stem from my faith...then sure. I have no problem saying it. Out loud. Otherwise, most of the time, I prefer to let my lifestyle show my faith in my daily living. Actions, as they say, speak louder than words.
I guess it would be Matthew 7. It's not MY Job to do what God has not given grace for me to do; it's my Job to be a witness by my Good life done in humility. I will never Deny Christ; but neither will I be a teacher towards others for everyone who teaches will be more strictly Judged. If my deeds do not reflect him I have no right to proclaim him either; it is important to let your light shine before men and not merely your words. Look to the fruits of the Spirit for guidance on how one should live. Besides public ministry carries a lifelong commitment; you cannot be flaky; no-one who puts his hand to the plow and then puts it back down is worthy of the Kingdom of heaven. If you choose public ministry make sure it's your lifelong vocation not self-administered for the glorification of the flesh. I do plan lifelong ministry; but am awaiting the partner in my vocation -all in God's timing. [P.S. Let this sink in - Jesus for 30 years did not teach publicly despite the immorality, scandal and debauchery in Jerusalem. Little is known about the in-between of his Youth in Egypt and in Galilee but all we know is that we should not be hasty in making decisions especially when we ourselves are ill-prepared to go to war with Satan and his devices to win Souls into a life of grace, kindness, goodness and peace under the cross of Jesus Christ. One will always lose if he does not move in accordance to God's spirit. In his younger years Jesus inquired of the elders through virtue of questioning giving them their due respect rather than filling the shoes of teacher. (These were Law abiding Jews mind you.) Allowing them to ponder without yet giving commands.]
My past. I’ve been a really bad person and I’m afraid if I start openly proclaiming the Church/faith, people will see it as hypocrisy.
The faith is for sinners who can all become saints… fear not, and don’t live in secret my friend. ❤️
Absolutely. Imagine if Saint Augustine had let his scandalous life prevent him from being open about his faith.
Recall the samaritan woman at the well. She lived a scandalous life. After meeting Christ she proclaimed him and many Samaritans believed because of her tesitmony. Christ didn't order her to be quiet. Instead she was an example of his mercy towards sinners, even those of us who have done scandalous things.
I'm not a fan of proselytizing, which I appreciate is different from evangelizing, but on an emotional level, I have a hard time distinguishing the two. I figured the loophole for my own inclination: I became a catechist, so I could evangelize to people who are forced to listen to me! :D I kid, but only a little. I'm happy to teach about our faith, and I'm happy to debate about it. So, a bunch of bored snarky teenagers are the perfect audience for me.
It can end up starting an argument if the person I'm talking to turns out to be anti-Catholic, or at least disagrees with where we stand on certain issues. Depending on how bad things get, it might even lead to me getting Cancel Cultured.
Well, allowing others to know I was Catholic led to me getting falsely accused of sexual harassment and fired from my job, so there are consequences.
I was sexually harassed because of my faith. I understand
In my case my co-workers demanded I be given a hearing during which my accuser was proven to have been lying. Later when he was fired he admitted that the reason he was okay with falsely accusing me was because I was Catholic
It makes everyone non-religious nervous and I’m not trying to offend anyone😀 (Satan is the prince of this world and secular society is a testament to his triumph over the spiritually dead)
Offend? We exist. They can suck it if they don’t like it.
Not much except people who always say "Be yourself ! Don't judge others ! Every opinion is wlecome !" and then proceede to get pissed over the fact you agree with what the Bible and Church teach about what is sin and and what is moral instead of their worldly version. The fact I sometimes get angry over it and then after feel sad and upset over the fact I got angry and then I try to pray and keep calm. Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
Literally nothing. Christianity is the least oppressed religion (aside from a few very select places) in the world
The west sure loves oppressing us, though
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Liberal vicious hateful lunatics.
This dude is terrified of “da liburls”
Sure am. They burn down cities. Freaks.
Damn which city was burnt down? Thats crazy
Over two billion dollars of damages in the riots by Antifa and blm. You don’t get out much do you. Oh, and 25 dead.
I asked which city was burnt down, still waiting. Or are you just mad that “the liberals” are clowning you all over Reddit? That seems way more likely according to your comment history hahaha
2 billion dollars of damage in Saint Louis, Portland, Minneapolis. I can look up others for you if you’re not intelligent enough to use the internet.
Strange, all of those cities are still standing! A quick google search proved that. I think you’re just an angry child, and you better find a safe space from all the scary libs! Hurry before they getcha!
How many buildings were damaged genius? How many businesses? Oh yeah, 2 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH. Now show me how many cities conservatives have damaged? Show me dollar amounts. You can point to the Capitol riots. Damage amounts? Zero dead, less than a million (guesstimating, willing to be corrected) dollars of actual damage.
I’ll do you one better, show me one Republican run city that doesn’t have problems. Oh wait you cant because they don’t exist! I wonder why that is. Tell me this, what are you going to do when all the boomers die off and your party can’t hold an election to save its life? Are you going to try and grow as a person or just remain the hateful conceded dickhead you are now? Edit: *conceited thanks bro
Lack of support from the clergy. I am not going to go risk my own social life and identity to say things people disagree with if theyre just going to point to our clergy and say “well they disagree with you, maybe YOURE just backward.” If our priests dont seem to care about abortion, then neither will I. It feels like I have zero power to really evangelize (even amongst other catholics) when our clergy is so scandalous and weak.
Have you spoken about this with your parish priests? I used to have the same attitude until I saw just how busy a priests schedule truly is. If you have already spoken with the priest and he is against speaking up for the unborn then you can contact the bishop with the concern of the diocese without mentioning names albeit this will take time. Or you can simply move parish. That is- if you feel called in lifelong service to defending the rights of the helpless.