Answering those Hard Questions | Explaining your Beliefs to Protestants

The other day I had a couple of my friends over. It was a really big event for me since I don’t have friends over that often. (you could tell that it was a big deal because my room was sparkling clean. :) ) I had the whole night planned out: one of my friends Sally* would come first, then my two other friends Rachel* and Grace* would come over an hour or two after. So when my friend came we immediately escaped into my room to talk. (I could really talk all day! J) Any who, we got to the topic of religion. I knew that Sally was a Mormon. Some of my friends were also of other denominations. I am pretty comfortable talking about my religion… but sometimes you know you feel a bit… awkward. They ask you questions that you would never think about in real life since they are so second nature to you. Like, “What is your belief about Heaven?” my friend asked me. That was one of the questions that kind of caught me off guard. So I told her that I, as well as other Catholics, believe Heaven is a place for the ones who’s soul is pure (either right when they die or after Purgatory) and where we meet Jesus face to face and spend the rest of eternity in. I told her that Hell was a place for the people who were aware of God, but openly decided to go against Him and His mercy. They chose to not follow God. Lastly, I told her Purgatory was a place that people stop after death to purify their souls so they can be pure to see our Lord.

After I finished I pretty much assumed that Sally would have the same opinion, but I was proved wrong. She drew this pretty cool diagram and told me how she was taught there were three levels of Heaven. Celestial (the highest), Terrestrial (the middle) and Telestial (the lower). A certain group of people would go to either depending on their lives, if I heard her right. She also said that she believed that only fallen angels went to Hell, not humans.

Although I didn’t agree with her, I found it interesting. What we agreed upon is that all denominations believe in the same main thing: Jesus is our Savior and He died for us so that we may have eternal life. The other details, (Heaven, Communion, saints, etc.) are a little different depending on the denomination. Each one has a different opinion of those details, therefore separating each branch of Christianity.  

That night, I learned a lot about the Mormon religion and about my beliefs as well. That night prepared me for questions that other people might have about the Catholic religion in the future. It can be awkward when people ask you question, especially when it is asked with a tone. But what I love about Sally is that we both talked so openly about our faiths and we didn’t criticize each other. But I can’t say that everyone is like that. Some people will make fun of you, or say “That is totally wrong. It goes like this…” But you have to stand strong in your faith, and try to educate your friends the best you can on your faith. And if you aren’t a hundred percent sure on a topic, make sure you tell them that! For example, the Eucharist. When you in Mass, we don’t second guess our beliefs in the Eucharist or not understand what it means. But when you are confronted about it with another fellow Christian, it gets kind of hard. How do you explain?

For starters, we belief that the bread and wine is Jesus’ real Body and Blood. We do not see it as a symbol, a gesture, or just something pretty to look at. We believe that it is really and truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We go to Mass every week to receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist is considered a sacrament. A sacrament is a gift given from God through Jesus to give us a share of His grace.

Whenever you are asked a hard question, start out simple. If even you don’t know what you are talking about, stop! Just tell your friend that you aren’t for sure.

If you really aren’t sure, make sure you know for future reference! The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is the place to go if you have any questions about our faith. All the questions and answers to anything about our faith are in there. If you don’t have the CCC at home, here is the link to the online version. http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm (I might actually do a guide to reading the CCC, and maybe the Bible. Hey, we all need a refresher once and awhile! J If you want a guide, just let me know through comments!)

You can always talk to your parish priests. Confession is a good time to ask any questions that might confuse you about your faith.

Also, please remember that I am not a Catholic scholar or priest. I may not be 100 percent correct, but I have answered the questions to the best of my ability. J

So if you ever have that really curious friend, you will be prepared! It is a great time to evangelize, and you are also preparing yourself for the future.

All through Christ,

Maddie

*= All names are changed for privacy purposes.

Questions, comments, concerns or just want to leave me a note? Add a comment to this page, fill out the Contact Form to the right, or send me a quick email to randommusings13@gmail.com! I would be happy to reply! (Note: if you leave a comment, anyone could see, but if you send me an email by the form no one but you and me will. :) )
Want to stay up to date with all of my posts? Just enter your email into the follow by email box to the right. It will update you whenever I have posted an update to my blog! Very handy, right? :)