Scenario #3
Howard: King of All Online Media

Howard is part of an online Christian family support group. Ninety percent of the e-mail group is Protestant, but the Catholics are welcome. The purpose of this group is to discuss child rearing and discipline in a Christian environment. During Advent, a controversy arises concerning the celebration of Christian feasts. This erupts into a discussion about the history of these celebrations, and before you know it, anti-Catholic sentiment is flaming up on every side of his computer monitor. After a few days, the flames recede. The monitor of the group re-states the purpose of the digest and asks that no more comment be made on the subject. Howard has no wish to be hotheaded, but there were several false statements made regarding the history of the Church. He wants to comply with the wishes of the group. But there are several hundred people out there who may be misled by the statements that were made.
What should he do? What would you do?


Here's a few responses from readers like you!

I would write a detailed letter to the mediator of the group stating that many false truths are out there on this site and the integrity/honesty of the site will be compromised without some sort of clear statement and a clear,clean, closure on all the half truths. I would make certain to use the scriptural references that non catholics need to see and I would run it by my parish priest first to make sure I have represented our faith properly....it's a battlefield out there and we have to use the proper weapons to defend our faith..the first church.
James
Via E-Mail
I would have listed the topics where the errors were expressed, assume they were made in good faith, and find ways to introduce topics using historical sources. Where possible, I would also use sources they might find palatable.

For example, there is a Baptist church in, I believe, Georgia, which has "discovered" the writings of the early Church fathers and is very excited about this. They have posted them to their web site.

I would take one topic, express the correct truth of that topic, and then, if appropriate, site the Church fathers discussion of that truth, and give the cite to that little Baptist church.

The Holy Father has told us that proper evangelization is not to try to convince someone to become Catholic, but rather to convince them to seek, with you, the real truth. In finding real truth, they will find the Church. To get them on that path, you have to use, at least at first, sources of which they are not suspicious. Suspicion will interfere with acceptance of truth.

Jim Dobbins, Ft. Belvoir, VA

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