BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) hmm?

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I have a Baptist friend who is wanting me to attend BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). He say’s it’s a 7 year course and they go through the entire Bible in that 7 year period.
Has anyone heard of this? My undersyanding is they break down in small groups and have assignments. Not sure as a Catholic if this is a good thing.

Any feed back is appreciated.

Please read below:

"BSF International, formerly known as Bible Study Fellowship is "an interdenominational, not-for-profit, international, lay Christian organization [which] aims to acquaint people with the truth of the Bible through classes using personal study, discussion group participation, lecture, printed notes.“1 It sounds so good, but after participating in BSF for 4 years from Sept., 1991 - April, 1995, I recognized deviation from Scripture resulting in serious errors in BSF’s 1) organizational structure, 2) method of presenting the Bible study material, and 3) content of the Bible study material itself. Although BSF presents itself as a Biblically sound organization in both teaching and practice, the negative elements exposed in this article contaminate BSF and demonstrate that it simply is not faithful to the Word of God.”
 
why would any Catholic, who has so many good Catholic bible study resources available, waste time with a non-Catholic study. go to catholicexchange.com, emmaus road through cuf.org, ignatius press for Our Father’s Plan videos and study guides, Jeff Cavin’s great bible adventure or any other study if you want to look at the whole bible, or any part of it with orthodox Catholic guidance. Our number one complaint as moderns is lack of time for spiritual things, yet we are so ready to waste that valuable time on unproductive and even dangerous things.
 
Do a search on BSF - there was a thread about this not too long ago.
 
Zooey said:
I’m the Friendly Neighborhood Methodist, and you could not pay me to attend a Baptist Bible study.

Well,http://bestsmileys.com/blushing/6.gif actually, if youhttp://bestsmileys.com/blushing/6.gif paid me enough, I might go…But they’d:p throw me out mighty fast, once I started http://bestsmileys.com/talking/1.gi...ing/1.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/talking/1.gif…
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Zooey -

'Tis to laff! Loudly! 😃

I live right next door to a Baptist church. Wednesday is Bible study night. I’ve been trying to get there, but my Wednesdays are typically used (I’m a musician - Wed is rehearsal night)

I have to say this, however - the Catholic study groups I have been to seem as though they have no clue. The ones I’ve been to turn out to be coffee socials.

Anyway, I read scripture daily and add in reading the Catechism at the end of the reading. I am a lector, so the daily exposure helps greatly.

Also, I occasionally do studies with my nephew.

Subrosa
 
tparsons said:
I have a Baptist friend who is wanting me to attend BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). He say’s it’s a 7 year course and they go through the entire Bible in that 7 year period.
Has anyone heard of this? My undersyanding is they break down in small groups and have assignments. Not sure as a Catholic if this is a good thing.

Any feed back is appreciated.

Please read below:

"BSF International, formerly known as Bible Study Fellowship is "an interdenominational, not-for-profit, international, lay Christian organization [which] aims to acquaint people with the truth of the Bible through classes using personal study, discussion group participation, lecture, printed notes.“1 It sounds so good, but after participating in BSF for 4 years from Sept., 1991 - April, 1995, I recognized deviation from Scripture resulting in serious errors in BSF’s 1) organizational structure, 2) method of presenting the Bible study material, and 3) content of the Bible study material itself. Although BSF presents itself as a Biblically sound organization in both teaching and practice, the negative elements exposed in this article contaminate BSF and demonstrate that it simply is not faithful to the Word of God.”
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I agree! He is doing his best to covert me even after he borrowed Karl Keatings book Catholicism and Fundamentalism. shheeeesh
 
I attend a TLM some Sundays. I also have a 4 volume set The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers which gives the teaching of the early Church Fathers on the Gospel reading for that Sunday.

It gives me insight as to what was taught right from the beginning on any Gospel passage.

I also get teaching in the homily following the Readings at Mass, and the online homilies of Fr Larry Richards and Fr Robert Altier (although these are removed from the original website, many can be found in the Internet archives).

As far as teaching goes, we are told to"hear" the Gospel. I think the danger of BSF groups, for Catholics, is that they do not have authority to interpret Scripture and you may pick up some dodgy viewpoints that go against what the Church has taught through the centuries.

Plus…do you really think you can give the Church’s interpretation of a particular controversial passage without being shot down?

Why not pray about starting a dynamic Catholic Bible Study group using Catholic material. You may find converts who are hungrey for just such a group to start up.
 
I lived in Raleigh, North Carolina, for ten years, and I believe that BSF was started in Raleigh by Anne Graham Lotz, who lived there. It was huge in Raleigh; I knew so many people who attended or wanted to attend.

I used to be Protestant, and I always wanted to attend BSF. But there were such strict rules! You weren’t allowed to miss more than a meeting or two, or you had to start over. Even for sickness.

IMO, this group isn’t especially conducive to family life. I wouldn’t want to be so tied down.

If you are single with no serious relationships and no kids, I could maybe see it. But to put yourself under such strict rules when you have a family is not a real good idea IMO.

In fact, one of my friends in Raleigh felt the same way. She was a gifted Bible teacher, and started her own Ladies Bible study that met on a different night than BSF. There was homework and prep, but a woman was allowed to miss meetings without getting the boot. Her study grew to several hundred women. So apparently I’m not the only one who felt that BSF was a little too rigid.
 
[SIGN]Don’t do it![/SIGN] Come study with us at the CAF Bible study in my sig!
 
Zooey said:
I’m the Friendly Neighborhood Methodist, and you could not pay me to attend a Baptist Bible study.
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hum;; a Baptist Bible study, No better place to learn the truth of God’s Word

forever Baptist
allischalmers
 
allischalmers said:
hum;; a Baptist Bible study, No better place to learn the truth of God’s Word

forever Baptist
allischalmers
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My friend is Baptist but it’s not held at a Baptist church. The meetings are at McKinney Memorial Bible Church which they say is non-denonminational, but in my opinion denonmination means division so they can call themselves whatever they want it doesn’t change the fact they are a denonmination. They invite all denonminations so I guess that leaves me out because I’m Catholic and Catholic is not a denonmination.
 
You can learn alot about the Bible in a BSF group but they are strictly Protestant. I attended one for one year. The theology is often at odds with the Catholic position, and if you are not well versed in Catholic theology you might get mixed up. Worst of all, small group leaders at BSF are not allowed to be Catholic.
 
I attended BSF for several years (tried getting a family member to leave it during those years) and it is extremely anti-Catholic, though they try to keep that bias low-key. They have an unwritten rule that no practicing Catholic can ever be considered for leadership roles.

I would not attend if I were you.
 
aj10 said:
You can learn alot about the Bible in a BSF group but they are strictly Protestant. I attended one for one year. The theology is often at odds with the Catholic position, and if you are not well versed in Catholic theology you might get mixed up. Worst of all, small group leaders at BSF are not allowed to be Catholic.
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That’s what I thought!
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys!..You have all been terrific!
 
My dad and one of my brothers are really into BSF. But as others have said, it will give a Protestant (mostly Baptist) interpretation of things. (My brother has always tried to get me to get involved with a local group, but I always find a good excuse. 😃 I was turned off by alot of things as well.) And they don’t go through the whole Bible. A look at their website will show that they only do certain books. (And since they don’t use a Catholic bible, they obviously don’t use a whole bible! :D) Do find a Catholic Bible Study instead.

A side note.
I remember my mom asking my brother if Catholics attended BSF and he said something along the lines that “no, there isn’t enough about Mary for them”. I was furious, but kept silent as I was in RCIA and didn’t have enough to answer back. Being here helps though.If he said the same thing today, well… he’d get an answer. 😃
 
tparsons said:
I have a Baptist friend who is wanting me to attend BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). He say’s it’s a 7 year course and they go through the entire Bible in that 7 year period.
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Greetings tparsons!

Here is a link to a great Catholic Scripture Study program that was built around the BSF template. It is a 5 year plan. I’ve been in it for a couple of years and am enjoying the fruit it is producing in my life.

catholicscripturestudyinc.org/

Sincerely in Christ,

Corrgc
 
puzzleannie said:
why would any Catholic, who has so many good Catholic bible study resources available, waste time with a non-Catholic study. go to catholicexchange.com, emmaus road through cuf.org, ignatius press for Our Father’s Plan videos and study guides, Jeff Cavin’s great bible adventure or any other study if you want to look at the whole bible, or any part of it with orthodox Catholic guidance. Our number one complaint as moderns is lack of time for spiritual things, yet we are so ready to waste that valuable time on unproductive and even dangerous things.
Click to expand...
I just became Catholic a few years ago, and before that attended several protestant bible studies. Unfortunately, the school parish I attended did not have a bible study, nor did any of the other parishes in the community. Therefore, I started my own bible study for fraternity and sorority members of my local college. Originally it was led by a friend of mine who was just becoming a Christian. Wow, those were tough times with her finding the way, but led to serious discussion. After the first year I was asked to lead the group, and I tell you if their was ever a group of people who needed to hear the Gospel these people did. It was wonderful. It was open to all denominations (some of them had never even walked into a church) and I tried to be fair with people’s views. Even though there are lots of Catholic resources few parishes in my experience (now that I’ve been out of college I’ve been searching in my region) that Catholics normally do not have bible groups. Even the web pages you offer require you to pay to receive bible study packets. A non-denomination bible study is better than no bible study at all. You can learn a lot from different types of people. I do warn you though that you need to have a catechism to make sure you stay on track and no when someone is trying to lead you astray. Imagine you might just get one of your friends to come home to the Catholic church.

Jerry
 
Of course it’s not a “good thing” for you as a Catholic because they will be teaching non-Catholic theology and doctrine.

Go to a Catholic bible study or start one yourself. Seven years of wrong teaching is a bad idea.
 
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