Beware of Bible studies!

[Les_Richardson]

cestusdei:

As to Vatican II and ecumenism. I am all for it. But I am not stupid. When someone says they have an interfaith Bible study and use it to steal my parishioners that isn’t ecumenism. It is wolves in sheeps clothing. We don’t have to allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. I have never been asked to teach an ecumencial Bible study. I volunteered once just to see what would happen. I mean it is interdenominational right? They never got back to me. Go figure.

It has been my experience that many have not actually read the Vatican II documents on ecumenism. Unitatis Redintegratio says in Chapter II #11,
*11. The way and method in which the Catholic faith is expressed should never become an obstacle to dialogue with our brethren. It is, of course, essential that the doctrine should be clearly presented in its entirety. Nothing is so foreign to the spirit of ecumenism as a false irenicism, in which the purity of Catholic doctrine suffers loss and its genuine and certain meaning is clouded. *
That about covers it. A one-sided discussion led by someone with an anti-Catholic axe to grind is not ecumenism.

 

[La_Chiara]

Les Richardson:

A one-sided discussion led by someone with an anti-Catholic axe to grind is not ecumenism.

More often (in my albeit limited experience) the “non-denominational” Bible studies is not anti-Catholic with an axe to grind (though individual members may well fit that bill). Instead, and perhaps more dangerous, are the “non-denominational” Bible studies that are really Protestant–using Protestant books and with a Protestant viewpoint. They masquerade as “non-denominational” and suggest that they are “interdenominational” because they have Catholics in positions. But I have found that having Catholics in positions in such “non-denominational” activities is merely window dressing.

 

[scaxter]

Has anyone heard of the Metro Bible Study? Is it worth attending?

 

[all4life]

The interdenom. study I attend is called CBS–Community Bible Study. It is truly a bible study, in question and answer format…we do the lessons at home and discuss the answers in our groups.

The main facilitator of our group day study is a catholic…she began that position last year. Previously, I am assuming the leader was a baptist, but I’m not sure. There are a handful of us catholics still there. I prayed before deciding whether or not I should stay or leave when the catholic one started, and my answer was to stay, so we do both.

I think us Catholics do need to be there…there was actually a lecture a few years ago on how Tradition is not important. As you know it is in our faith, so it was called to the leaders attention and she deeply apologized because she really didn’t know. We need to share about our faith, even in inconspicuous ways.

By praying on our way (I pray the rosary) and upon entrance into the building, I feel very confident in defending the faith should the need arise.

Oh, and we do study scripture…every now and then there is a “for deeper thought” type of question. This year we are studying the books of Hebrews and Galatians.