This morning I’m going to be up in Los Angeles giving three talk. These talks have some unusual characteristics:
1) They are about “a Catholic perspective on the Reformation.”
2) They are being given to 7th-graders.
3) They are being given in an interdenominational school that is 70% Protestant (including LOTS of Calvary Chapel kids).
4) They need to not cause overly much controversy with the kids’ parents.
Prayers appreciated.
(For my next trick, I will end world hunger.)
Author: Jimmy Akin
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."
View all posts by Jimmy Akin
Wow! I’d like to hear how all this came about.
Main trick is to stay truthful and not embellish. Both sides have had false things to say about each other – lots of false things, for generations. Time for that to stop.
Jimmy, ending hundger might be easier.
Bless you for your witness.
Good luck Jimmy!! Let us know how it turns out!
I certainly will! As part of my Newman Center’s RCIA team, our chaplain asked me to give a short talk about Tradition, the Church, and Luther for one of the units. Realizing this would be a touchy subject, and that being overly vituperative of where most of them were coming from might not help the candidates, I prayed and read books from different points of view, and then tried to be considerate as I explained the facts. However, there were still feelings that I was insensitive and had engaged in Luther “bashing.” Anyway, whatever their initial reaction, they are Catholic now, so I must not have done too bad a job : ) I think “not being controversial” might be a bit of a tall order, especially in a culture that confuses the difference between “I disagree with you” and “I hate you,” but I know you will be charitable so I am confident that everything will turn out all right.
My prayers are definitely with you Jimmy on this one. I am positive everything will work out great. I pray also that your talks will spark an interest in these young people to want to learn more about Catholicism.