Sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).
“to dismiss the questioner who presumably has a sincere concern for your soul is churlish. The answer that the article recommends, — I was baptised, which event put me on the road toward salvation and gave me hope of eternal life, — is accurate and it gives the opportunity for the Catholic or Orthodox Christian to evangelize the questioner in the doctrines of our faith.”
First, I don’t assume that the person standing at my front door is as concerned about my well-being as he is in lording his view over mine and demonstrating that he can recite some scripture.
The same goes for many other people who ask about whether someone is a Christian, the implication being that if you have not been “born again,” you are not a member of the new club. Who knew that being a “Christian” was so exclusionary?
I have no problem w/ the explanation/response given in the post by the Catholic writer — if there’s an honest, sincere discussion of what “born again” might mean to different people. And it can mean many things. But in most cases, whether I consider myself born again or not is irrelevant to the person asking.
If a Catholic feels called upon to defend his position,I would simplify the answer by saying that each time he attends Mass and says “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again,” a re-affirmation of faith has been made. Some might even call that being born again.