Why Aren't You Catholic: The Question to Ask
Years ago I was a frequent listener to the Catholic Answers Live radio show. I was always drawn to the shows titled “Why are you an atheist,” “Why aren’t you Christian,” “Why are you Protestant,” and the like, but I’ll admit my favorite show was titled, “Why aren’t you Catholic?” In these shows, it was staff apologist Trent Horn along with the then-host Patrick Coffin, ready at the helm to defend Mother Church to any caller who would ring in to give answer to the hours’ theme.
The radio show had callers from all walks of life: Muslims, Jews, Protestants, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, you name it. What always struck me about these shows in particular were what I then perceived to be the audacity to ask that question in an open forum. In those days I was reinvigorated in my faith and was looking to take my understanding of it to new depths. I wanted to know how to respond to the many perspectives who object to the Catholic worldview.
As I began to listen to the live shows, I noticed that many of the callers took the title of the show to insinuate that the Catholic stance was that of an authoritarian one, and that all of the others were inferior. In many cases, the callers had somewhat of an animosity toward the show hosts and were attacking them for appearing to take a pedestal approach to allowing anyone call in and challenge the Catholic perspective.
Time has since passed and while I no longer listen in on these shows, I still come back to that question of “why aren’t you Catholic?” What may seem as audacious to some to pose such a question is in reality an invitation. Let us table this for now and come back to it.
We live in a time where tolerance is king and to challenge anything in the name of truth is considered utter bigotry; particularly that of Christianity, not to mention Catholicism. Relativism is rampant and what one perceives to be true is true for them regardless of its rationale or logic. The relativistic truths of today are straw-men ideas that fail to stand up to any sort of questioning. Not only do people have trouble defending what they believe, but perhaps even more so, they dare not question the person next to them for fear of being labeled what appears to be the new trigger word, a “bigot.”
To say that the current times are politically charged would be an understatement. In the age of passive aggression and timidity (to put it politely), the culture lacks a definitive directness toward anything, for fear of being offensive or coming on too aggressively thus sparking another “#metoo” movement. This direct, point-of-fact frankness is needed desperately in our era; this is why people like Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, Steven Crowder, and the like, are drawing so much attention. They are able to be matter-of-fact but maintain a level of charity.
This is not something we see much of as of late within the Catholic Church. In the Church of Nice, we have our nice attempts at “evangelizing” and our endless ministries “trying” to bring people to the Catholic Church. But when was the last time that we put it bluntly and asked our neighbor, “Why aren’t you Catholic?”
Depending upon your interlocutor, this can create some shock and even tension. I wouldn’t propose that you lead a conversation with this as an ice-breaker, but that you should look for an opportunity to do so. I have dropped this question in several conversations with those who are either Protestant, atheist, or agnostic and have received varied responses that open the door to bountiful dialogue. I have learned much of the journeys that my fellow man has been through, why he or she is not Catholic and what objections he or she has to being Catholic."
The primary response to the question is that of surprise; “how could this person ask me such a frank question?” Well, truth be told, I want to know why they are not Catholic, because in reality, I want them to be. I want them to know the richness of the Church that Christ instituted. All Catholics should desire this; a universal body of Christ.
By having these conversations with many people with a wide array of backgrounds, I have learned how to listen more intently to the heart of the wanderer, how to respond to several objections and questions, all while I have taken large doses of humility, because truth be told, I do not have all the answers nor will I ever.
A good priest-friend of mine always says, “The Faith is caught, not taught.” Quite rightly, he is onto something there. While I may be able to argue and debate my fellow man into submission of the Catholic Truth, if I do not do so in love, I have lost the battle and maybe his soul. I must show that I truly care for the salvation of his soul, because if we are all God’s children (and we are), then I must have an ardent desire for my brother to be gathered up into the arms of our heavenly Father. I must do what I can to get him there.
I have always been an advocate of the idea of evangelizing one person at a time, meaning that I gravitate toward taking the time to walk hand in hand with someone with complete intentionality to get them to the understanding of the Catholic Faith. By asking the seemingly uncomfortable question of “why aren’t you Catholic,” I am de facto getting to the most important question I have on my mind. Tell me why you are not, let me listen to your case, and allow me to explain the goodness, truth, and beauty that God is.
Faith and reason go hand in hand, as St. Thomas Aquinas always promulgated. It is a delicate balance no doubt, but an imperative one at that. We ought to ask the question when we get the chance if we truly desire the union of Christ and His beloved and do so firstly with love. When we ask our fellow man why they are not Catholic, we should do so in a spirit of concern and invitation, and God willing, with the help of the Holy Spirit, journey with our brethren to Holy Mother Church.
