How To Convert Your Family/Friends: The Sneaky Way
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- Опубліковано 17 чер 2024
- Beyond Sermons: How Catholic Community Draws People to Christ (The Power of Belonging and Conversion Stories)
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Ever wonder why people are drawn to the Catholic Church? It's not just about the teachings! In this video, I'll explore the surprising power of Catholic community in bringing people closer to faith.
We'll dive into:
The warmth of Catholic fellowship: How a welcoming community fosters connection and belonging.
Witnessing faith in action: Seeing the joy of living out Catholic values can be deeply inspiring.
Finding support and guidance: Catholic communities offer a network for spiritual growth and encouragement.
Is the Catholic community right for you? Whether you're curious about faith or a returning Catholic, this video might be the first step on your journey.
Share your experiences! Let us know in the comments how faith communities have impacted your life.
#Catholic #CatholicCommunity #Faith #FindingBelonging #ConversionStories #ChurchLife - Розваги
“Remember that your fallen away family and friends are people to be loved and not problems to be solved.”
🎯
Great work, my brother in Christ. Keep it up!
Thank you! I am glad you found this helpful 😄 God bless you!
It's true, I bear more fruit By living my Catholic faith instead of my mouth! Which is so many times back fires.
Amen! Be doers of the word and not hearers only :)
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ save us n the whole world. Pray daily n constantly on you family n country.
Amen! Well said :)
I can't tell you how many people I have helped to convert by introducing them to the Traditional Latin Mass. Praise be to God!
Thanks for the comment! That is also a powerful motivator for some people :)
How did you find that helped when they couldn’t understand the words? Wouldn’t that turn people off?
@@crabbit. Who says they can't understand the words? The missal has Latin on one side of the page, and English on the other. After only 3 or 4 Masses, people tend to become old pros at following along with the Traditional Latin Mass.
@@bengoolie5197 idk, I’ve never been but I don’t speak any Latin. I’m not trying to come off rude or anything, genuinely trying to learn so I can bring my family and friends to God.
@@bengoolie5197so true. I was clueless the 1st time but after going a few times I got the hang of it and could actually follow what is going on.
Good tactic. What's hidden behind this is, Boredom is the most inciting hidden sins in life, and many verses point to this fact which let God to recommend things like Cameron proposes, including family, spiritual family, Catholic social activities, etc. The most direct verse i can cite, though God used his mysterious ways cleverly in it is "But if a man makes no provision for those dependent on him, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is behaving worse than an unbeliever."
Good point!! Thanks for the comment :)
An idle hand is the devil’s workshop.
@@lucettebrown6493 very true! Always stay busy doing something good!
@@lucettebrown6493 100%!!
Cameron, yes, thank you for your prayers.
I am a Grandmother whose unbaptised 16 yo Granddaughter, now wants to talk about faith, that’s all. Has begun saying the rosary with me and looking up the bible the matching scripture to the decades, with my encouragement.
Occasionally comes to mass with me, yes, mainly grey-headed persons attend the 8.30am mass.
I’m going to take your advice on board. Thanks. (Of course I pray often for her).
I will pray for your granddaughter as well :) God has a plan for her
Watch Following padre Pio. Then the warning or illumination of conscience by Christine Watkins. There’s baptism by desire. Always ask your guardian angel to help you and to communicate with your family’s guardian angel’s. Look up Prison to Praise by Merlin Coruthers. God bless.
@@simonslater9024I also enlist the help of St John the Baptist and his mother St Elizabeth by asking them to intercede to Jesus that my granddaughter aged 18 decides to be baptised by her own free will. She lives very far from me so I can’t talk to her and teach her the Faith so I rely on Our Lady, St Joseph and the saints I just mentioned to do it for me. I have great faith that they will succeed one day, according to God’s will and His timing.
Yes, that’s helpful advice :)
I converted a friend of mine back to Catholicism by actually showing them what Catholicism teaches and offers in spiritual practices - we had long theological debates, prayed the rosary and when she went with me to her first mass in long years she cried during consecration. She actually studies Protestant theology, but now she wants to be confirmed. I think it’s always different from person to person and there’s not a one-fits-all solution. What’s probably helpful is to think how can I help this person to find religious and spiritual peace and fulfillment rather than how can I effectively convert them asap to Catholicism.
Thanks! I just needed this!
Yesterday I babysitted my neephew. He is 8 years, soon 9.
Unfortunately my brother and his girlfriend really told him that Jesus never existed. That was so hard to hear yesterday from his mouth.
Please, pray for him and also for his elder brother!
Thanks!
Will pray! God bless you!
Hello to all...
If children in your family aren't Baptised, take some Holy Water & BAPTISE THEM yourself:
Do it without them- the children knowing it, put some Holy Water in your hand, and discreetly make sign of the Cross as the Holy Water touches their skin,
and in your mind say,
"I BAPTISE YOU IN THE
NAME OF THE FATHER
& THE SON
AND HOLY SPIRIT:"
The amount of Holy Water is to be a minimum :
Perhaps just on yr finger tip...
OR
You can dip a face cloth in the Holy Water and pretend to wipe the dirt marks
on the face or hands or legs, as long as the HW touches their body:
OR
Comb their hair, dip the comb in HW. Be very discreet.
And say the Baptism WORDS IN YOUR mind: NOT ALOUD:
Be smart about this!
For those who have children and grandchildren and nephews or nieces:
Do this very secretly and be very careful:
If the children aren't Baptised, take some Holy Water & BAPTISE THEM yourself:
Do it without the CHILDREN KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO!
Put some Holy Water in your hand, and discreetly make sign of the Cross as the Holy Water touches their skin,
and in your mind say,
"I BAPTISE YOU IN THE
NAME OF THE FATHER
& THE SON
AND HOLY SPIRIT:"
● The amount of Holy Water is to be a minimum :
Perhaps just on yr finger tip...
OR
You can dip a face cloth/washer in the Holy Water and pretend to wipe the dirt marks
on their face or hands, as long as the HW touches any particular of their body:
OR
Put some Holy Water on a comb and comb their hair
And say the Baptism WORDS IN YOUR mind: NOT ALOUD:
Be smart about this!
Ask your brother if He believes Cesar ever existed.... that's history not even a religious thing. The fact that they probably believe César did exist, but not Jesus, can not be explained other than your personal choice on what you want to belief and not necessary what is the truth.
@@fritula6200 As I know this is only aloud in case of a near death.
They are at an age where they need to express their own wish to become baptized. Otherwise I would do a sacrilege and that is not good either. I talked about this already some years ago with a priest. So, I rather pray as I know that it is Jesus who want them to get to know them. He got me and I was not an easy case either although I never really doubted HIM. I just didn’t understand and lived my own way.
Nevertheless please pray!
You are very inspiring!!! … Even as a retired 76 year old man I have often prayed to be “unique” (if indeed that’s what it takes) to bring close friends & family in union with my strong and joyous religious beliefs. 👍✝️👍. PLEASE continue to share your Godly wealth of knowledge.
Thank you for the support 😁 all glory to God!
The prayer is amazing!! I’m going to keep praying it for the lost ones.
It works great :) Thanks for the comment!
I always pray for my 12 year old who used to believe, but now wants nothing to do with faith or church. I’d love to find Catholic friends the same age as her, who could sit with her in church (it’s boring sitting with mom and dad!). All I want is for her to know how much Jesus loves her. 🙏🏻❤️🕊️
I will pray for her! God bless you!
Remember the family is the domestic church and is her biggest and best influence that will shape her view of the church.
Get her into youth group where she can have some fun with Catholics her own age. God bless!
I remember when I was in my early 20s a Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach Ca had a young adult group that met up a lot to do just fun things. Every Catholic Church should work towards a good, strong young adult group. Getting married to another practicing Catholic makes the marriage so much more solid.
Great point! Community is key!
I use a somewhat similar tactic. The keyword that I practice is: attractivenes. There are many tools at our disposal given that we are Catholic and have the fullness of the faith (all the sacraments, tradition, centuries of theology, the origin and all the books in the bible, a wide range of Catholic community around the world from all classes and areas of work, organizations, a central base of authority in Rome, history dating back to Jesus, etc). There are way too many to name. I also say, there is something for you in the church depending on what you like or the type of person you are and because that is the case, different people require different methods of approach. Part of the attractiveness is also displayed in the way we live our lives and how that peace and way of thought or response shines. One additional thing I would like to add is a pitfall and something that I learned recently. That is that we need to only play our part in God's plan and not impose what we think might be right because we don't have the full scope of God's step by step plan in a person's walk. In those situations we need to have faith and pray.
Amen! Let your light so shine before men that they glorify God :)
Thank you for your prayers & love for all!!!🙏❤️😇➕️ God bless you!!!
Thanks for the support :) God bless!
The Father draws us. We trust ♥️♥️
Thank you for the comment :) God bless you!
Only God can covert sinners. We can only plant the seeds as in the Parable of the Sower. Let ever rejoice then and sow seeds of joy and not disdain.
Very true! All glory to God :)
POPE BENEDICT XVI: “The Church does not engage in proselytism. Instead, she grows by attraction... she accomplishes every one of her works in spiritual and practical imitation of the love of her Lord.
Charitable works cannot be used as a means of engaging in proselytism. Love is free. It is not practiced as a way of achieving other ends.
Those who practice charity in the Church’s name will never seek to impose the Church’s faith upon others. They realize that a pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in whom we believe and by whom we are driven to love. They know when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak. They know that God is love, and that God’s presence is felt at the very time when the only thing we do is to love.”
Amen!
Mother Mary also gave us the Green Scapular as a means of conversion for our loved ones. We can give them a Green Scapular (blessed by a priest), or even hide it in a place where they reside (under the mattress, for example) as expressed by Mother Mary--we are also called to pray the prayer written on the Green Scapular every day for them: "Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death."
Yikes!
@@glennherron9499yea as an ex catholic, these kinds of things just give me the ick. Of course I used to think like this at one point. Now I’m a project for my family to convert. None of our conversations are authentic anymore. They over exaggerate how joyful and in love they are with god and their faith. But I know what they’re covering up because I’ve lived with them. Anxiety, depression, fear their god will separate them from their kids for all eternity, and so much more. Their interactions are based on manipulation and fear. It’s so sad and very hard to see.
@AandM8 I have many conversations with Catholics but when 1.5 billion people are Catholic, my voice, the word of God means nothing. Catholicism is a backward looking religion. Instead of looking at scripture thru the eyes of Jesus and the Apostles, they look backwards and see scripture thru the eyes of men who were born hundreds, even thousands of years after John died. This prism skews the scripture and teaches something completely different.
@@glennherron9499 I completely agree. And I think many people along the way have twisted Jesus’ teachings to control people. And this is why there’s such diversity in scripture interpretation (plus the fact that the original manuscripts are not complete, have been added to and subtracted).
“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.“ -Venerable Fulton Sheen. This includes people who were raised Catholic and thought they knew their faith, but in reality had a distorted or limited knowledge of it-I would know, I was one of them! 😀 (If only we had a dollar for the amount of times the phrases “I went to Catholic School growing up” or “I was an altar boy” have been used as a rebuttal!) But it wasn’t until, through the grace of God, I studied my Catholic faith in-depth when I realized it all checks out and is true.
For me, I just tell them the story of the saints and miracles and gradually they converted. Showing wisdom also inspires them.
That is also a very effective method :)
community is such a powerful way to communicate the gospel-- an important message for the Church. Community, like a garden takes preparation and watering.
Very true! Community helps with every aspect of the faith!
A great video.. Activities outside the Church should be important too. Pilgrimage journeys is a good way too.
Well said! Thanks for the comment :)
If I want to attract people to Jesus Christ and His Church, I must be a joyful Christian.
Additionally, a friend of mine really enjoyed the weekly charismatic prayer group we went to at her dad's parish. She stopped going and talking about her previous community of faith and became quite involved in the parish.
Read and read to children St. Therese's autobiography "The Story Of A Soul" and other quality books. Stories are fun, eye opening, and inspire listeners to ask fantastic questions! Make sure you pre-read the material first and have exciting answers and counter questions to engage with. There is a lot of rich history to draw from. Stories of saints can be riveting and are an easier way at first to reach people before teaching the instructional things like the Catechism. Thanks Cameron Riecker!
Thank you for praying for us mate 😊
Happy to :) It's one of my favorite things to pray for! God bless you!
Great video. Spot on.
Thanks for the comment :) I am glad you found this helpful!
Most people are attracted or repulsed by the IMAGE of Catholicism bourn out of one's perception and imagination. In witnessing the faith we affect the perception and image of the followers of Christ for good or for bad.
That is true! We need to be good stewards of the faith :)
I see your point, but two of my grandchildren live in another state. I pray for them and plead the blood of Jesus over them. Thanks and many blessings
Thanks for the comment :) God bless you!
Can’t wait to try it out!
I’ll pray for whoever you’re hoping to convert 😁
@@CameronRiecker yes please pray for my sister Rosie and her husband Mike to revert back to the Catholic Church!
Many thanks for the tips!
I'm glad you found them helpful :) God bless you!
Such helpful advice, as I am praying 🙏 for my children to convert and get closer to Jesus, and I sometimes nag them to come to church, and yes, they are young they may think that I am forcing them. Thank you, and God keep you and your family and friends strong in faith 🙏
I am praying for your children! God hears your prayers :)
Thanks for the advice!
I hope it helps :)
@CameronRiecker 2:40 "Just invite them to come with you next time you do something with your Catholic friends". I doubt a person who is a sceptic is going to instantly agree with that! Alarm bells will be ringing in their minds! I am not convinced.
Thanks for the comment :) That's why you have to be sneaky lol
Example and also have casual conversations in a family group,make it normal,not impossible,be happy.
Pretty well all of my children and most of my grandchildren also go to mass but make it happy.
Loved your video how u spoke was easy normal and also not over the top,u,u ,u factor.
When my children were in their teenage yrs I sang the hymns on the way home in the car and we laughed make it an enjoyable humble occasion to spend with God full of love and of course as u said pray for them every day.I have 28 grandchildren from 4 children and they love their priests and friends,cousins.
Goodness.❤🙏🖐
Love our Catholic faith and I am also a convert.
Thanks for the comment :) Catholics should be the most joyful of people!
Amen brother !! Thank You !!
Thanks for the comment :) I'm glad you found this helpful!
I converted after my brother gave me a green scapular and prayed for me. I was from a Protestant background (Seventh-day Adventist).
Do you think the green scapular is what caused your conversion?
@@CameronRiecker yes because I had been very resistant to join. In fact, 2 weeks before my confirmation I was going to join a protestant church. But his prayers and the scapular helped me stay on the right path.
Thank you so much! I will definitely do this 🙏❤️
God bless you! :) I am glad you enjoyed this!
Amen!
Thanks for the support :)
This is the first video that I have ever seen from you, and it is top notch!! Thanks for the great advice, brother :D
God bless you!
Thank you for the support 😁
I am glad you found this helpful!
Amazing video! Highly appreciate your tips! God Bless you young man 🙏🏻🕊️📿
Thanks for the support :) God bless you!!
Thank you 🙏🇵🇭
You are welcome :) God bless you!
Great prayer! I will be praying it a lot going forward.
Praise God :)
Amen ❤
Thanks for the comment :) God bless you!
That's good advice. Finaly someone who understands that telling people they're going to hell isn't the way.
Thanks for the comment 😁 God bless you!
So true. I fell into my own trap of being judgemental without even knowing and pushed them away. Undid my wrongs and trying to be a now trying to be a lot “Cooler” and relaxed, seeing a bit more success now. But above all, as it’s written in 1 Corinthians, only God can give growth, we can plant and water but we can’t give growth.
So true!
At the end of the day God is the only one who can move hearts 😁
Wonderful video!
Thank you for the support :) God bless you!
Thank you for sharing! Unity helps, nagging doesn’t!
Thanks for the support! God bless you!
Great video! All I need now are some Catholic friends!
Go to the local bar, apparently they are there
Good friends will change your life :) God bless you!
Word ... Me too 😂
excellent suggestions! thank you!
I am glad you found this helpful :) God bless you!
Catholic baseball they never called our son to play on their team. He now plays with a secular team. Catholics around our location are clicks. We moved here from Chicago were we hada great Catho,ic friends. Not here.. we have been here for decades.
The town I’m in is like that too. It’s sad. Jesus doesn’t want it to be so.
After 20 odd yrs I stumbled across a little church in a old part of town. They are so nice, not clicky. I hope Yiu can find the same.
My oldest(adult) is anti religion due to the click judgemental people we found at other Catholic Churches so I’m still praying for that to heal.
Oh, I thought this video was gonna be about doing penance.
"Pray, pray much, and sacrifice for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to sacrifice and pray for them." - Our Lady of Fatima
Here, Our Lady is revealing that many aren't converted and eventually end up in Hell because there's a lack of praying and doing penance from the faithful. Most people interested in converting others have probably tried praying, but doing penance is heavily underlooked. So let's do penance, penance, penance!
But still, great tips! Good friendships are super important
Well said!!
I totally agree 😁
I will stick with the prayer and fasting, as well as thanksgiving for the conversion to come by the prayers of the Virgin Mary and a posey of saints invoked for their sake. A parent cannot arrange a positive fun Catholic time for an adult child in another country or in far away big city when their primary values are tolerance and inclusion of all lifestyles.
True! This advice may not apply for everyone.
But if you can make it happen it’s very effective 😁
Your child(ren) sound well adjusted and so kind!
good advice
Thank you :) I am glad you enjoyed it!
Can't stress enough the importance of John 13:35. When you and your "family" of fellow believers show genuine Agape love for eachother (not Eros), non-believers notice and are attracted to it.
I'd just clarify it's not about joining a particular denomination, but bringing them into God's Kingdom rule ❤
Love like God loves and everything else will figure itself out :)
If Church had more events for the young men... Some wasting their beautiful lives checking social media. Would you have any other events during the summer? God bless you
The event I was talking about wasn’t done through a church 😁 it was just at my friends house!
This is the tactic I use, but it carries the danger of turning faith into a diversion or a "fun experience." In this normality of our life through which one must seek to attract people to Christ, one must, above all things, seek to be holy and that implies mortification, penance and surrendering entirely to God... What is truly complicated I think is uniting this love with the sacrifice that a Christian must bear. How do you explain to someone that true love and true joy are in sacrifice? It's a difficult thing to explain to a non-Christian.
❤Amen!!!🙏😇➕️
Thanks for the support :) God bless you!
Yes difficult if the parents don’t support you in helping you with your grandchild wanting to know Christ .
Very difficult! I will pray for you!
Not sure how to do that when my non practicing children live 2,000 miles away and don’t like to visit or call me. I continue praying they will fall into a great Catholic group such as you described. ❤
I will pray for them as well! God hears your prayers :)
I’m in the same position as you. One prayer I find which gives me great optimism for their future faith is to say the 12 year St Bridget Prayers, which promise that 4 generations of your offspring will be saved. If you die before the 12 years are up, the promises still remain, just so long as you intended to complete them. The prayers only take 10 minutes per day. You can also nominate 3 others to be saved as well as your children and grandchildren etc.
@@katperson7332 I love that prayer 😄
I’m in AZ- where does this Catholic Oktoberfest happen?! 😆
It is usually in Scottsdale 😂
I wouldn't want to convert from Protestantism to either Catholicism or Orthodoxy, whatever religion you are in at the moment, I believe it's still better to not be sneaky and say the things you know and so the person can maybe come to the point of converting by himself/herself.
Thanks for the comment :) A lot of behind the scenes work needs to be done for every conversion
Always use beauty, goodness and truth. If you can show that, people are attracted.
Amen!
neat
I'm glad you thought so :)
Our bishop in Australia Melbourne has banned the Latin Mass. I cannot believe it can you. Other states do allow it but have to petition all the time a number game it is!!!
That is very sad :( I will pray for you!
Sneaky is the work of evil. We go to the Lord by our own volition. This is why we are faithful servants of the Lord.
By sneaky I just meant this is a strategy you can use behind the scenes!
A friend of mine came from a charismatic community of faith, so I took her to the weekly charismatic prayer group at her dad's parish (she was going to move back to her dad's). She really enjoyed it; she didn't know about charismatic groups in the Church. She stopped going and talking about her previous community of faith and became quite involved in the parish.
Was I "sneaky? No. I just caringly guided her to the right community for her within the parish.
Blessings! 🙂✝️
Why did I hear “our Gardner is a Harvard psychologist” 😂😂 had to rewind that lol got me thinking like dang that’s really over qualified but everyone could use a side hustle I guess 😂 3:50
Haha! Yeah we don't let just anyone water our plants!
”Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?“
1 Corinthians 11:14 KJV
Good thing my wife cuts my hair lol
@@CameronRiecker why do you put up images of Jesus with long hair?
Sounds good but the Catholic Churches in Minneapolis are about as fun as a hospice.
Find a Latin mass and I bet you’ll find a young community!
Lol well first Ill need to make some catholic friends. Its not been so easy but its mostly bc im cowardly in new social situations. Socially anxious is what they call it
I will pray for you :) That can certainly be difficult
3:51 - my ears heard "Our gardener is a Harvard psychologist..."
haha! Yeah we don't hire just anyone to tend to our garden
@@CameronRiecker 😁😁😁
🙏👍
I am glad you found this enjoyable! God bless you!
It real not having a local Catholic friends O would like to have some. And yes the local church is full of old women who wear trousers and no Rosary beads. And men have fled and stay at home . Found another parish to attend where the ratios are better . The parish was described as cold and men emasculated. May God help us not be scandalised.
Thanks for the comment :) Find a better liturgy if you can.
I had to move to find one.
Old ladies praying (the rosary) is attractive. You want old people not to give up. Young and old must get along.
Thanks for the comment! Very true!
But young people need young friends 😁
Limbo, death penalty, V2, come to mind(I can’t seem to remember much these days), but there are quite a few. Nothing huge, but changes nonetheless. Also, the doctrinal development process in and of itself is change. Change made by people, that the body can’t question. What happens if the leadership is not mentally competent or just gets it wrong because they are merely mortal? Just stating that the Pope is infallible when creating dogma, doesn’t seem to follow. IDK, I realize I’m bias, and the many Protestant denominations don’t give me much of a leg to stand on, but just food for thought.
Those are not changes in doctrine, they are changes in how the doctrine is inacted :)
I dont know of anything like this in the UK. 😢
See if you can find a Latin Mass nearby. They usually have great young communities.
If Christianity was actually morally or intellectually defensible, if its claims were demonstrable with reason and evidence, people wouldn't have to resort to sneaky tactics to persuade others to join.
Thanks for the comment :)
What if my family are introverts and doesnt like meeting new people?
That may be tough! Pray extra for them :)
Hi Cameron
I have a friend who has just turned 18. He is struggling with multiple addictions. And it seems to be providence that I came across your daily rosary group 30min after i gave him a rosary. He is however a newly baptised Anglican with no Catholic background. And is completely novice when it comes to Catholic prayer, would he still be able to join the group?
Of course :) The group is for sinners who need help not Saints who are already perfect!
@@CameronRiecker thank you Cameron for responding. I hope you will offer him guidance as to how to pray the rosary and that maybe he has the option to pray less for the moment to ease into it. I know he will be in good hands.
Get them to Confession, chances are they are in a State of Mortal Sin. Then allow them to find their way back, to Confession. People’s Receiving The Holy Eucharist Can be Offensive!
🤫 I call this, the passive conversion. 🤫
Love it lol
What are the books on your shelf?
My favorite one on that shelf is called "What is Redemption?"
It's a Thomistic treatment of how Christ saves us!
I dreamed of applying these tactics to my Muslim family. None of the scenarios ended well. Sometimes you just have to tell and run. 😂
May not apply in all cases! :)
Nope. My Mom grew up on Latin Mass - she knew very little about the faith.
Haven’t you folks ever heard of Pentecost Convert to Christ- not Catholicity.
There are exceptions to every rule
What if there is no Catholic community like them? For example, where I live there is no Chinese Catholic community, but there is a very vibrant Chinese Baptist community. I know people who would very likely convert if they could find a Chinese/Mandarin speaking Catholic community, but as far as I can tell none exist here.
Thanks for the comment! Can you build one?
That is possible.
I also wanted to say, as someone who was recently baptized and converted in large part due to their friends, I think that this video leaves out the fact that you need to know your theology really well. I grew up in a religion with a great community, but no one could explain why we believed what we believed or the glaring contradictions of doctrine. People showed up for their friends instead of for God. I was an atheist for a decade because I thought that’s what religion was: a place to see your friends and sing songs. I got to meet Catholics who were devout in spite of having no community, including some converts whose relationship with their own parents fractured when they got baptized. People want really want reverent mass. Most importantly, they could clearly and thoroughly explain in a way that I could understand why they are Catholic. If community is the only thing you can show me, then Ill just go join a bowling league or a faith with more fun and less sacrifice.
No. I do not try to covert, how could I? God calls people
True! But sometimes God uses us as His instruments :)
This is an evangelical tactic.
True! It works well though!
Don’t people need to believe in God first before any of this? 🤨
That would help! But not necessarily :)
Only God can convert someone....
True :) But He likes to use men as His instruments!
@CameronRiecker Exactly. Compiling a list of Biblical examples where God uses men and material things to accomplish His will would be time-consuming and it might be easier to make a list where He _didn't_
The Catholic Church is not a place for fun but for conversion. By providing fun you are misleading them. Nothing against fun, but won’t they go for the wrong reasons?
Maybe they start coming for the wrong reasons, but they will stay for the right ones :)
Give people a community and you will change their hearts and minds.
Wow! Do you think it might work on the Pope?
haha! I'm willing to try!
Very sad for this Disrespectful comment towards the Head of our Catholic Church. He is the representative of Jesus, a human being to be respected, appreciated and prayed for.
@@mariasainz7690 I totally agree 😁
@@mariasainz7690 Then you're not paying attention. I pray for the Pope everyday --that he converts to Catholicism.
@@cherylwaclawczyk9098detraction is a mortal sin in Catholicism.
You might want to delete your comment and stop publicly sinning on the internet.
Also..... learn the basics of Catholicism before you question someone else.
Without lies, catholicism dies. Not surprised to see a rc try to be sneaky in converting someone.
The Early Church all submitted to the authority of Rome :)
www.catholic.com/tract/the-authority-of-the-pope-part-i
www.churchfathers.org/origins-of-peter-as-pope
EasternChristian333 didn't your church ever tell you detraction is a mortal sin?
You may want to delete that comment and stop publicly sinning on the internet?
If I had to pick between old ladies and rosary vs christian youth gatherings, I'd pick the old women.
There's nothing more cringe than those guitar tea clubs singing Jesus songs.
Old women with rosaries keep the rest of of afloat lol
So smoking and drinking and 'having fun' is what makes a catholic? In all of that i didn't hear one thing about the gospel. Paul placed a premium on that. As Romans 1:16 says 'it (the gospel) is the power of God for salvation to all who believe..' Seems you want to convert people by trickery. That doesn't surprise me in the least. People are drawn to God by God. We are His instrument to bring the gospel to them. I've seen this too many times. Catholics have to edit church fathers, twist scripture, ply them with fun. Thats not the image of a true church. False converts are still going to hell unles they hear and believe the gospel. You didn't even come close to suggesting that. Its a spiritual battle which require spiritual weapons, not booze and smoking.
Thanks for the comment 😁 people are drawn to fun. If it’s not sinful, why not enjoy it!
@@CameronRiecker Youre trying to convert people. Maybe thats the catholic way. The great commission is about telling people about Jesus. Big difference.
I just read the title, and I'm pretty sure God doesn't like sneaky.
Jacob was sneaky… worked for him lol
But why would I follow a sect with anti biblical traditions? Praying to Mary and the saints is idolatry, and the Eucharist is not literally the body of Christ nor does it become the body of Christ at any point.
The liturgy is cool, and I have no problem with Catholics, but I disagree with those too much to attend a Catholic service.
Thanks for the comment :) I see the seeds of all of these doctrine in the Scriptures
@@CameronRiecker I’m not sure where you can see the concept of praying to anyone other than God. Mary and the saints aren’t God and have no power. Angels have power, but are still not God. Directing prayers to them would seem to be in violation of the first commandment.
In the OT, God prohibited the Jews from eating human flesh and from consuming blood, so the concept of transubstantiation would appear to violate that covenant as God gave it to them, as opposed to the tradition they developed for themselves that Jesus spoke against. If Jesus was saying that the blood and wine were literally ahis flesh and blood, that would seem to directly contradict the previous revelation, which would discredit Jesus as God.
@@ryankelly9032that's because your church took those books out
@@ryankelly9032it's also because you in general don't understand or know scripture.
@@zwijac because those books aren’t authoritative and their authenticity is questionable. They’re fine to read, but they aren’t scripture.
Where is the mantle of Mary in scripture? Why do you have to be sneaky and trick people? That doesn't seem to be very Christ like, as is smoking and drinking! But hey, if your denomination has no problem with it, go for it, right?
Thanks for the comment!
Where does the Bible condemn smoking and drinking? :)
@CameronRiecker I seem to recall something about dissipation..and not doing in your freedom that may cause those who are weak to stumble. I know it's somewhere... you encourage a brother to drink and he becomes an alcoholic....
@CameronRiecker If your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...
@@glennherron9499 Jesus drank wine 😁
@glennherron9499 You're confusing excessive drinking with any drinking. Jesus not only drank wine, he miraculously produced more when there was a shortage!
BTW, Protestant opposition to drinking doesn't go back to the Reformation. In New England during the Puritan Era, households would brew their beer and serve it to the minister when he called. The idea that wine-drinking is bad only goes back to the 1800s.
Or you can mind your own business and let them live their lives as they see fit.
Sounds like a poor evangelization strategy to me lol
It's literally Jesus' command to convert people. 🤡
Now did that nasty statement make u feel great?
Step 1: find young, catholic friends 🥲 (We are the only young ones in our church, but we get along with the "old" ladies very well 😂)
Time to move?
@@CameronRiecker No! The flat we are currently renting was a Gift from God, and we live next to my parents, my aunt and my cousin. Church is Just 5 mins away (on foot) - it's in the Center of my home-city so I barely need a car and it would not make sense to move away from my loving family when I have little kids. It takes a village after all. Maybe we will try to go to the catholic churches in the neighbor towns and See if we find younger people there. Luckily we live in a catholic country, so we basically have a church next to every barn 😂 PLUS, we love our church as I said, we love going there
The more I try to be “Family” the meaner they are to me.🥲😪😕😟😔😣
I'm sorry to hear that :( I will pray for you!
I forgot where I got this quote from "Preach the Gospels and if necessary use words"🤌🤌🤌
To preach the gospels is to deny catholicism.
@@glennherron9499 how?
That quote is attributed to Saint Francis but he never actually said it 😁
@@CameronRiecker interesting
@joshflinchbaugh5866 If you teach the gospels you have to show that the role of Mary was limited and restricted. Only mentioned by name 19 times, 12 in Luke, 5 in Matthew, 1 in Mark, and Luke did once in Acts 1. After the period of Jesus's birth and His childhood, Mary's name is only mentioned three times. Matthew 13, Mark 6, and Acts 1, all three times her name is mentioned we are told she had other children.
Matthew 12 when Jesus was told His mother was outside He pointed to the believers in front of Him and said, "Here is My mother ", He added that anyone who does the will of God is His mother! For Jesus, His family were those in His blood and not in earthly blood. This is why He gave Mary to John at the cross, it was either John or His brothers who didn't believe in Him, John 7:5
Mary, like John the Baptist are prophecy fulfilled and neither have an active role in our salvation. From the creation of the first Christian Church in Acts thru Revelation Mary's name is not mentioned.
John, her caretaker after the cross never saw anything special about her to write about, he never mentioned her name. Never told us she died or where she was laid to rest. If Jesus returned for her John would have definitely told us.
Paul, wrote almost half of the New Testament and never mentioned her name
Peter, ignored her existence in his writings. He never said she was the mother of God, the new ark, the queen of heaven. He never told us to pray to her, or to seek her. He never said she remained a Virgin her whole life, was sinless or co-redeemer with Jesus. He never said a single Hail Mary.
To place scripture above all other sources is to see that Mary being the mother of Jesus was enough for her to be blessed!