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F e a t u r e A r t i c l e
APOLOGETICS BY MAIL
By KAREN CONRAD
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This Rock
Volume 4, Number 6
 June 1993 
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AS a reader of This Rock, you're
obviously interested in Catholic apologetics. Perhaps you'd like to
get involved in apologetics work, but feel shy about starting. If
you're a newcomer to apologetics, as I am, the idea of going head
to head with Fundamentalists who have spent years with their own Bible
studies and door-to-door evangelism may make you feel uncomfortable,
if not downright queasy.
Happily, there is a middle ground between doing nothing and confronting
"Bible believing Christians" who can rattle off five scriptural
references while you're still fumbling around with your Bible, trying
to locate the letter to the Ephesians.
I discovered this middle ground about six months ago, when a good
friend with whom I had corresponded for years became a "born
again Christian." Pat and I had been best friends as little
girls. As adults we had begun writing to one another, usually filling
our letters with the joys and tribulations of motherhood - an inexhaustible
subject. And then suddenly Pat had "accepted Jesus" in
her heart.
As recently as a year ago, Pat's conversion would have disconcerted
me. What in the world did I have to talk about with a woman who laced
her letters with passages from Scripture and wrote confidently of
being "sealed" by the Holy Spirit? But now I saw an opportunity
to ease into Catholic apologetics, despite my inexperience.
I wrote to Pat, suggesting we focus our correspondence on the subject
of Christianity. I added that I'd welcome any questions she had on
Catholic beliefs or practices. She was enthusiastic about being "spiritual
penpals," so my work in apologetics began.
Pat's next letter to me highlighted some fundamental differences
in our faiths. She read the Bible "literally." Why did
Catholics insist that Mary was a life-long virgin if the Bible clearly
states that Jesus had brothers? She also wanted to know why we pray
to Mary and the saints. Isn't this a form of idol worship?
I sat down with my Bible, back issues of This Rock, Karl
Keating's Catholicism and Fundamentalism, and Radio Replies
by Fathers Rumble and Carty. I took notes and began outlining
my response.
In my letter to Pat I tried to explain the Catholic positions on
Mary's perpetual virginity and the intercession of the saints, using
plenty of scriptural references. Because Pat and I were communicating
by mail I had all the time I needed to find appropriate Bible passages
and to muster the best arguments I could. I also kept my tone non-confrontational.
We are, after all, friends, not antagonists.
Pat wrote back, saying she was "really excited" about my
"Bible knowledge" (really surprised, more likely - Catholics
aren't supposed to be able to quote Scripture!). But she wasn't convinced
that Jesus was the only child of Mary. She focused on my argument
from John 19:26-27: If Mary had other children, why had Jesus asked
the apostle John to care for her?
Pat had taken this question to her Bible study group and was told
Jesus had done this because none of his brothers were believers until
after the Resurrection. Pat admitted this explanation was not entirely
convincing to her, but then neither was my explanation of how the
Greek word for brothers (adelphos) was used in the Bible to
include cousins and other relatives. She also did not appear to be
particularly interested in the beliefs of the early Christian writers.
Still, she was now starting to question what she had always believed
and was willing to give the Catholic view the benefit of the doubt.
Pat understood what I had written about the communion of saints and
in fact, once I had explained that praying to the saints and Mary
simply meant we were asking them to pray for us (as we Christians
do for each other), admitted she found the idea very appealing. But
a big question remained: Is it scriptural to believe those in heaven
can actually hear our prayers?
I went back to the Bible and my reference books, taking more notes
and trying to make a strong, scriptural case for our belief that those
in heaven are indeed able to hear us. This was a challenging task.
It was quickly becoming evident to me that people like Pat who believe
in sola scriptura have a difficult time accepting doctrines
not explicitly stated in the Bible. Again, Pat replied that she couldn't
completely accept the Catholic position, but she couldn't completely
discount it, either. She'd think about it some more.
At first I was discouraged by Pat's responses. Obviously, a part
of me had fantasized about converting her with a few well-researched
letters. I now try to keep a few things in mind.
Pat's "born again" experience is fairly recent, and the
emotional involvement she feels with like-minded believers is very
strong. She also tends to be guided by conviction and feeling ("I
just know I won't lose my salvation!") more than by logic
and reason, making apologetic work with her somewhat frustrating.
Therefore, I am keeping more modest and more realistic goals in sight.
For now I'm satisfied if she sees Catholicism has scriptural merit,
that our beliefs are grounded in the Bible and were not "invented"
by one pope or another. I can at least dispel her gross misconceptions
about Catholicism - that we worship Mary and the saints, for example.
Perhaps at her Bible study meetings she'll speak up and straighten
out anyone who makes such outlandish statements about Catholics. With
the help of This Rock and other publications I'm also nudging
Pat to begin looking at her own beliefs with a more critical eye. At
the same time, I'm getting practice learning how to defend my faith.
I've found apologetics by mail an ideal way to get my feet wet in
Catholic witnessing. I'm not ready for the sort of face-to-face apologetics
requiring quick thinking and a storehouse of memorized Scripture.
It might be months before I feel comfortable inviting the Jehovah's
Witnesses who ring my doorbell in for a chat. But this is a start.
If you, too, are a letter writer, be alert to any clues from your
non-Catholic correspondents hinting they might welcome a discussion
of Christianity. Do they mention their church work or Bible study
groups? Perhaps you correspond with family members or friends who
are lukewarm or fallen-away Catholics. Don't be timid about bringing
up the subject of religion in your letters. It might spark a response,
and you can begin to use your knowledge of Catholic apologetics.
My correspondence with Pat has been doubly rewarding. As fellow Christians
we have much in common and many insights to share. I also have the
chance to share the truth about Catholicism with her and perhaps,
through her, with other "Bible Christians."
Karen Conrad freelances from Bloomington, Indiana.
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