Going to an SSPX chapel doesn't necessarily mean the person has an iron grip on DOCTRINE, and that's the killer. Why do so many people loose their faith period? Often, it's because (or the excuse they have anyway is because) they had some question or problem with the faith, based on a misunderstanding or ignorance, that they didn't or couldn't clear up. Though the problem was with their understanding of the Faith and not the Faith itself, they nevertheless go flying out of the door (of the Church), firmly convinced it was all untrue.

Now realistically, most people quit the faith for agnosticism or atheism, and not really because they had an intellectual misunderstanding, but because they didn't want the burden of having to behave themselves, but... that's another story. Even if you take their word for it, though, the fact is when you present the truth to them in a way they can understand it, they often still just blow it off, because whether they want to be right, or whether they want to be "free" (of any moral restraint), the truth you can tell them is something they often simply do not want.

It's very difficult to reason with someone who has made up their minds against the truth. How do you explain truth to someone who has decided to hate it?

But it is also very difficult to continue to spend time with someone who becomes a danger to your own faith. If it comes to that, you cannot willingly endanger your faith. If the person continues to try to "debunk" your Faith, you may need to stay away from them. But that's up to you. I guess you should try to get the information to debunk their errors into their hands and heads, but... there comes a point when you're fighting in vain, and just drowning in their poison. (They're spewing garbage at you, while dismissing everything you say.)

Use prudence. Do what you can for the person, but if it comes to being a danger to your own faith, you have to protect your own faith first. We are not supposed to expose ourselves to unnecessary dangers on purpose, because we are only human, and since all of us are ignorant about SOME things, and subject to our own faults and flaws, all of us can be fooled or tricked at some point, if we just take in enough of the lies to twist our vision. All of us are capable of falling into error of some kind or other, under certain circuмstances, simply because we are human and fallible.

The biggest mistake we can make is thinking "my faith is too strong to loose to protestantism". If you put yourself in the poison, you can't expect it won't effect you sooner or later. It's happened to Catholics before, and I'm sure it will keep happening, wherever we Catholics think too much of our own strength. Don't make that mistake!

"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness..."

If the person has a good will to know the truth, you can find information to refute what they say with the truth. But if they have their minds made up, and they are just blowing you off, and bent on them "being right", then you are probably just wasting your time, and just exposing yourself to unnecessary danger of hearing the slimy lies of protestantism repeated to you again and again.

I recently got together with him for dinner and he brought up all the anti catholic protestant arguments that I've heard before. I wont go into detail, because I'm sure you guys have heard them too.

Be very careful. You cannot be friends with someone who is constantly trying to murder your soul. You may try to convert him back to the faith, but he is just as likely to convert you to his sect or at least shake your faith. He is no longer your friend, as he became your enemy when he became an enemy of Christ.

I'm trying to be nice and understanding and respect his decision on a personal level

Do not be nice to Heretics. Do not respesct his decision to become a heretic any more than you would respect the decision of a ѕυιcιdє to murder himself. You cannot respect sin, you have to hate sin.

It's hard for me to understand how someone can go from attending mass at a sspx chapel and even going on ignation retreats too becoming a tongue talking pentacostal.

I can-first off, welcome to CI, please go to general sectio nand intro yourself if not already done so..

some people get to wrapped up in what is wrong, they do not balance with what is right or what can be done to make things right they go off deep ends....seen it happen many times, they get madly searching and reading, get angrier and angrier and then start to drift too much...they start getting fed up and negative on everything...before too long, they say "why the hell bother" and either become home aloners on the couch, indifferent (most) or start to drift to Prot sects where at least some actively stand up for right morals and are willingly to fight something...

My dad tells a story of a young 30-something he works with, that wa raised Catholic, now attends Nazarene sect....she likes nazarenes she said as they are patriotic-they hear sermons on patriotism and america, have USA flags front and center on the stage and do attack homos, abortion,etc...

some have used abuse to either make that final break w/Church and many have gone Prot (as if there is no homos, pedophiles and adulterers there amongst their leaders! know there is from a Prot minister friend of mine..another friend went for 1 1/2 yrs to a Baptist seminary, stated a lot of sex and porno going on there)

The Ross stages of dying can be used as a template for the Church today
-disbelief
-anger
-resentment

etc, anyone want to construct it? have not the time....you get the picture....

Myrna, is there a organized push against these nuns? or just "they left, we are angry"??

are there some agitating to shun them or mis-treat them?

are they considered "unPersons"??

yes-I am really enquiring, not trying to stir the pot....

what about the deceased persons' daughter, you mentioned the other 14, but not her I beleive....

This "respecting" of people who make horrendous decisions is pure modern newspeak garbage.  Sounds like the Catholic Answers crowd..."I fully respect your right to dress like a woman even though you are a man."

If your friend was, as you claim, a traditional catholic (whatever that means anymore - did he just prefer the old mass?  That doesn't make someone a traditional catholic), what he has done is called apostasy..  He has rejected the one, true Faith for a lie.

St. John the Evangelist (the "little children, love one another" apostle) ran out of a bath-house rather than be under the same roof with a known heretic.  

And I think it was St. Polycarp that called Simon Magus the "first born of satan."

Hello forum,

 Recently my only traditional Catholic friend has left to Catholic Church  to become a Pentacostal. I really don't know how to deal with this, I'm trying to be nice and understanding and respect his decision on a personal level but on the other hand I realize what he has done is not very comendable, leaving the true church of Christ for a Protestant sect.

What do you think brought on your friend's formal apostasy? Was this person raised a Traditional Catholic, NO Catholic, convert/revert? Chances are if he is now a Pentecostal, his reasons were most likely not intellectual. "Feelings" may have had something to do with it.    

The devil can heal, if God allows it, but it won't last.  

Sounds as if it would take a very special grace now to bring him back, but who knows what God has planned for all of us in this world right now.  Chastisement right around the corner.  Could be!