Apocolips

Hola!

I am not a practicing Christian, but I have been to many churches before, from Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Prespyrterian etc.

When I go into a Baptist church, people (members) wish to know me, and desire for me to return to their church. I have been invited before to Pentecostal (Holiness) services by many people. When I went to Korea, a Korean man who spoke little English always pestered me to go to his church!

What about Catholics? I have gone to mass before, but no one bothers me, or really cares if I come back. This is cool in a way, but with Catholics, it seems to me that one is born into a Catholic family, take catechism, then join the church. I have many Catholic reletives, so I know. I went to mass only because I had a friend who is Catholic, and I am always interested.

SO, the question to the board is this, how come the Catholic church recruit new members from the outside? How come they do not proselytize in the USA? The Church has a long history of spreading the faith in the third world, in Africa, South America, and everywhere else. So, let's say for argument that I want to be Catholic? What do you do???

SENOR

John Page

Buggered if I know.

brighid

It might have something to do with Evangelical vs. non-evangelical faiths. I was raised Catholic and I can't say that I ever remember being encourage to spread the word of Christ the way some Protestant faiths do. It isn't an important part of Catholic faith as I remember it.

Brighid

eh

Aslo, consider this. There are a billion Catholics in the world. Take away all the half assed believers, and what is left? A much smaller church, that's for sure.

Though we do we a couple of Catholics on this board. There is Albert, and I think Bede is also.

jpbrooks

One possible reason may have something to do with the popularity of ecumenism in the "dominant" churches in the USA. Another possibility may be that Catholics may just have a way of proselytizing that is different than that of other Christian groups. However, this site (which also has Catholic apologetics links) seems to suggest that Catholics may simply be trying to avoid the proselytizing tactics that are being used (by non-catholic christians) on them.

Bill Snedden

An interesting topic, but not really suited to the Philosophy forum.

I'm moving it to GRD, where it might get a better response...

Milton

Maybe it is because catholics are happy with the amount of people they already have, and don't need any more? Perhaps they just don't care if one believes or not--most of them don't even believe in any kind of punishment for what you do in this life.

Barcode

The ones I have met care more about whether or not you're a good person. My girlfriend is a practicing Catholic and doesn't talk much about it outside the church and her group. She just doesn't see the need.

She does talk if somebody asks her, but I think that's no different from me talking about my preference for a particular movie or book if I'm asked ....

sullster

I can offer an answer which would apply to the USA. Catholicism was hated and reviled by the dominant protestant sects for a couple of centuries. Catholics in the USA have learned to be low profile and keep their religion to themselves.

This lack of proselytizing is a modern mannerism, though. A quick look at history will tell us that the Catholic sect has brutally installed itself in areas where it could. The native populations of South America and Central America would attest to this.

Protestants convert individuals, Catholics convert groups.

Roland98

I agree with the rest of your post, but "was hated and reviled?" As in, past tense? Maybe the official denominations no longer condone "Catholic-bashing," but many of the individuals I know still actively participate (and just ask any Catholic who posts on other Christian forums for confirmation).