How does a person defend the Catholic Faith?

Answer 1

Defense of the Faith is called "Apologetics", or the act of explaining and expounding Catholic teachings and doctrines according to Faith and reason. The best way to do so if first to know your Faith, at least the basic catechism, and if time, sources and skill allow, also history, exegesis, philosophy and theology. The next step is to know where your questioner or opponent is coming from; if you understand their position as well as or even better than they themselves, you will be better able to give relevant information to their queries or attempts to refute or defame the Catholic Faith. The third thing is to be confident in the prevalance of the Truth. Often people who seek to defend their Faith do so with emotion, allowing it to become personal and thus the main impetus of their apologetics is force of personality - often this is also the reason they believe in their own religion, because it must be true since they believe it to be so. This kind of belief shows a lack of depth and spiritual understanding. By being well educated and resigned to your limitations and to the fact others have free will to choose, you will be able to calmly and clearly explain the Catholic Faith to the best of your ability. Last, but certainly not least, all Catholic action, such as apologetics, must be backed up by prayer. If you are not praying, you delude yourself. Prayer is essential for the spiritual strength of your own soul and convictions as well as a necessity to gain graces for those with whom you may speak concerning the Faith. Even if the above action is absent in your life, or you do not have the time or ability to explain the Faith to others well, you will do more by prayer than the greatest of preachers.

Answer 2

Truth must always be defended and I defend my Faith as it is true. I, as a practicing Catholic , must defend what is True and to do otherwise, would be to call God a liar - which is blasphemy.

Let us look at the issue from the perspective of a person who witnesses a crime - would he not defend the person who was falsely accused? Just as a witness would defend the innocent, I too defend the Truth as proclaimed by Christ Jesus.

Jesus founded a society of believers who accept His claim to be God incarnate, His mission to redeem mankind, and to make known to it the fullness of God's revelations. To such believers He offered a new supernatural density, and the means to achieve it. He offered a doctrine about God and a means to know that doctrine surely. It is as a member to that society that the believer would be saved, and in a very real sense the society would, once He ceased to be visibly and bodily present on this earth, continue His work among men.

So, who am I to tell Jesus that what He created, the Church, is not worth defending - I can do nothing except- defend the Truth, THE CATHOLIC FAITH.

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AnswerI defend my Catholic faith because that is my faith. Our Blessed Lord called us to be witnesses to Him. If we are not witnesses, if we deny Him, He will deny us.

St. Matthew 10:32-33:So ever one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Pretty clear, not so? If we expect to go to heaven someday, we *better* defend our Catholic faith.

And, then, of course, there is St. Peter's admonition:

1 Peter 3:15-16but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

You see, the Catholic Church wrote the New Testament, and we try to live by it!

Answer 3

To answer such a question is almost as impossible as to ask: "How do Americans eat their Hamburgers."

Much of the defense of the Faith depends upon the individual and his knowledge of the Faith.

One who is a nominal Catholic, and knows very little, would probably just agree with the argument and leave it at that.

One who knows more of the Church's teachings would give a reason for the subject at hand and would explain the whys and wherefores.

Then finally we have a knowledgeable person, who has studied the Church's teachings and Apologetics (defense of the Faith), who can give a reasoned answer to the question at hand removing all doubt about why something is done or why this belief is held. And who, if in doubt, would acquire the knowledge needed.

However, the best way to defend the Catholic Faith is to live a life in accordance with the Churches teachings (proclaim the Gospel always) and learn a bit about the Church so one can make a reasoned argument (use words when necessary - St. Francis). If one did this one would be a Saint and would defend the Faith in everything one does.