“You don’t use your mind to think about religion.”—J. R. “Bob” Dobbs, Church of the SubGenius.
The question you asked is how to convince your friend not to become a Catholic. That’s the question I’ll answer, but it’s the wrong question for you to ask.
The Episcopalian faith has much of the content and structure of the Catholic faith, but it is (I hear) more accommodating to women and to non-straight people. Perhaps this might be a better fit for your friend.
The blogger behind ravingatheist.com became a Christian. To his or her credit, the blog remains as it was and the entire record of his or her conversion is there for all to read. This might serve as a guide to you and to your friend, not necessarily in the direction either of you want to go.
If no good can come of or be retained after your friend’s conversion, then go ahead and try emotional blackmail. Say ‘if you do this I’m not talking to you any more.’ If that doesn’t feel comfortable, you are starting to ask a better question than how to stop your friend from converting.
If no good can come of or be retained after your friend’s conversion, then go ahead and try emotional blackmail.
Please don’t. Becoming a Christian is not the end of the world. People are remarkably good at compartmentalizing, and a large part of the reason he’s likely thinking of converting is probably that there’s a large, supportive community waiting for him if he does. Demonstrate that he has a community if he doesn’t convert, don’t threaten to take away his current one. But emotional blackmail is not the way to go.
“You don’t use your mind to think about religion.”—J. R. “Bob” Dobbs, Church of the SubGenius.
The question you asked is how to convince your friend not to become a Catholic. That’s the question I’ll answer, but it’s the wrong question for you to ask.
The Episcopalian faith has much of the content and structure of the Catholic faith, but it is (I hear) more accommodating to women and to non-straight people. Perhaps this might be a better fit for your friend.
The blogger behind ravingatheist.com became a Christian. To his or her credit, the blog remains as it was and the entire record of his or her conversion is there for all to read. This might serve as a guide to you and to your friend, not necessarily in the direction either of you want to go.
If no good can come of or be retained after your friend’s conversion, then go ahead and try emotional blackmail. Say ‘if you do this I’m not talking to you any more.’ If that doesn’t feel comfortable, you are starting to ask a better question than how to stop your friend from converting.
Please don’t. Becoming a Christian is not the end of the world. People are remarkably good at compartmentalizing, and a large part of the reason he’s likely thinking of converting is probably that there’s a large, supportive community waiting for him if he does. Demonstrate that he has a community if he doesn’t convert, don’t threaten to take away his current one. But emotional blackmail is not the way to go.