Conflict with RCIA and the Protestant Church

[mary_bobo]

Initially in RCIA you will not be asked to make any commitment whatsoever. However, there will come a time when you have to make a decision as to what you want to do and what you believe. Some decide to put it off and end up going through RCIA more than once before being received into the Church. You will not be judged or pressured regarding your decision, merely informed that eventually you must make one, even if it is to wait another year.

If, at some point, you decide that the Catholic Church is for you and you are received and profess your faith, you will be expected to worship as a Catholic. That should not come as a surprise. This does not mean that you must cut off all contact with your former church, merely that you have moved to a point where you do not believe the same things that they do. That difference in belief should be reflected in the manner in which you worship God.

As a former RCIA sponsor, I agree with this. There will be no pressure to make a decision and you can, as stated above, go thru RCIA more than once. You can even leave and then come back.

 

[mary_bobo]

My wife, who converted to Catholic when I did, has left the Church and has gone back to being Baptist. We don’t worship together. I don’t want to be protestant and she doesn’t want to be Catholic. She can’t understand what I see in Catholicism. I go to Mass at 6:30 in the morning. Then I come home and she goes to the Baptist community. I don’t know what to do. Recently I found all her Catholic books on my study desk. We also had a statue of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” that suddenly disappeared. When I asked her about it she said she threw it in the trash because it was “idolotry” to have it. I do have a picture of the “Divine Mercy” image which so far hasn’t been disposed of! My most favorite devotions are reciting the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, I go to bed praying the Prayer to St Michael and I also read the Bible and Catechism cover to cover during the course of a year. Right now I’m doing the Divine Mercy Novena which I started on Good Friday.

How very sad. I will pray for you. On a lighter note, you can suggest to her that she throw away any pictures of deceased family members that you like to remember. That might be idolatry also. Lightness aside, you are in a bad place and my heart goes out to you.

 

[Splagchnizomai]

You might think about the Israelites as they left Egypt; they constantly wanted to go back to enjoy certain aspects of their lives there which they could not experience in the desert.

Not saying that you should give up the Protestant church before you’re ready, just saying that if that time comes, it may be still be quite difficult.

Very insightful.

 

[eschator83]

As an RCIA convert, and later a team leader, I assure you there is nothing in the Catholic Catechism that rules against attending non-Catholic churches–and I frequently attend church with non-Catholic family members and friends. I too find some aspects of other churches’ worship to be enjoyable and rewarding.
Obviously there will be many who will caution you (and have cautioned me) against frequent attendance, especially if that causes absence from our Masses and Eucharist, but mostly their intent is to encourage you to get a clear understanding of our views on the various issues that divide the many Christian churches.

 

[LegoGE1947]

How very sad. I will pray for you. On a lighter note, you can suggest to her that she throw away any pictures of deceased family members that you like to remember. That might be idolatry also. Lightness aside, you are in a bad place and my heart goes out to you.

Thanks for your prayers. We do have some pictures of deceased family members and one family member who is not deceased but is in a foster home because her mom and dad are split up and neither can care for her properly. This one is a little granddaughter who is about 8 years old and we have no idea where she actually is. We can only hope she is with a family who loves her and is taking good care of her. Her name is Raichel and I’m sure could use any prayer she can get!

 

[blanc10]

I actually had a few people in the same group as I was this year. They participated in protestant services and went through RCIA secretively. If you decide to go through with it (enter the church at Easter), then you have to break that relationship with your protestant church. These people that I’m talking about have been through the program a few times, but you can leave and come back. It’s totally up to you.

 

[fbl9]

My wife, who converted to Catholic when I did, has left the Church and has gone back to being Baptist. We don’t worship together. I don’t want to be protestant and she doesn’t want to be Catholic. She can’t understand what I see in Catholicism. I go to Mass at 6:30 in the morning. Then I come home and she goes to the Baptist community. I don’t know what to do. Recently I found all her Catholic books on my study desk. We also had a statue of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” that suddenly disappeared. When I asked her about it she said she threw it in the trash because it was “idolotry” to have it. I do have a picture of the “Divine Mercy” image which so far hasn’t been disposed of! My most favorite devotions are reciting the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, I go to bed praying the Prayer to St Michael and I also read the Bible and Catechism cover to cover during the course of a year. Right now I’m doing the Divine Mercy Novena which I started on Good Friday.

Throw out her KJV and tell her it wasn’t the whole word of God as Jesus said anything less than the full truth isn’t the truth.…naw but that would have been my first thought.
i pray for you and your wife

 

[SecretGarden]

I actually had a few people in the same group as I was this year. They participated in protestant services and went through RCIA secretively. If you decide to go through with it (enter the church at Easter), then you have to break that relationship with your protestant church. These people that I’m talking about have been through the program a few times, but you can leave and come back. It’s totally up to you.

I’m sorry I don’t agree with the idea of having to break the relationship with your protestant church. I will agree initially it would be a good idea to take a break after you join the Catholic church because there are many spiritual changes that occur during the first year that happens inside Catholic church that doesn’t happen when you are inside the Protestant churches such as there will be odd yearnings to go to confession every now and then. Plus there will be times when both churches will have events that are occurring at the same time. It’s impossible to divide yourself in half. Discernment will be the key to decide. It won’t be easy. It is one of the most painful aspects to the journey. Having a good spiritual director will help you greatly as well as a good understanding community on both sides who will love and support you whenever God sends you.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Throw out her KJV and tell her it wasn’t the whole word of God as Jesus said anything less than the full truth isn’t the truth.…naw but that would have been my first thought.
i pray for you and your wife

Actually the KJV as it was first written had the deuterocanonical books in it. Then near the end of the 18th century a new edition of the KJV was brought out that deleted those books. (A lot of people may not know that. I didn’t!)

 

[LegoGE1947]

I’m sorry I don’t agree with the idea of having to break the relationship with your protestant church. I will agree initially it would be a good idea to take a break after you join the Catholic church because there are many spiritual changes that occur during the first year that happens inside Catholic church that doesn’t happen when you are inside the Protestant churches such as there will be odd yearnings to go to confession every now and then. Plus there will be times when both churches will have events that are occurring at the same time. It’s impossible to divide yourself in half. Discernment will be the key to decide. It won’t be easy. It is one of the most painful aspects to the journey. Having a good spiritual director will help you greatly as well as a good understanding community on both sides who will love and support you whenever God sends you.

Of course, if you were a friend of St. Clare of Assissi you could be in one place and see what is happening in the other. According to what I hear she was once too sick to attend an event and so was home in bed but she could see the event played out on her wall even though several miles separated her from the event. Thus she has become the patron saint of TV.

 

[Neofight]

Throw out her KJV and tell her it wasn’t the whole word of God as Jesus said anything less than the full truth isn’t the truth.…naw but that would have been my first thought.
i pray for you and your wife

Whoaaa…I hope this response and others who pile on it is tongue and cheek! Don’t throw out anything. St. Monica did not convert Augustine by being a tyrant, his conversion was brought about by her prayers to God. Retribution is not in order, prayer and forgiveness are. Forgive your wife for discounting your beliefs and throwing away a sacred object. Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften your wife’s heart. We cannot obtain forgiveness, and salvation, unless we first forgive others.

 

[Neofight]

I’m sorry I don’t agree with the idea of having to break the relationship with your protestant church. I will agree initially it would be a good idea to take a break after you join the Catholic church because there are many spiritual changes that occur during the first year that happens inside Catholic church that doesn’t happen when you are inside the Protestant churches such as there will be odd yearnings to go to confession every now and then. Plus there will be times when both churches will have events that are occurring at the same time. It’s impossible to divide yourself in half. Discernment will be the key to decide. It won’t be easy. It is one of the most painful aspects to the journey. Having a good spiritual director will help you greatly as well as a good understanding community on both sides who will love and support you whenever God sends you.

I agree. The Body of Christ should spend more time being supportive of the THE CHURCH rather than The Protestant Church, or the Catholic Church, or MY Church, or THEIR Church****

 

[LegoGE1947]

Whoaaa…I hope this response and others who pile on it is tongue and cheek! Don’t throw out anything. St. Monica did not convert Augustine by being a tyrant, his conversion was brought about by her prayers to God. Retribution is not in order, prayer and forgiveness are. Forgive your wife for discounting your beliefs and throwing away a sacred object. Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften your wife’s heart. We cannot obtain forgiveness, and salvation, unless we first forgive others.

I wouldn’t throw anything of hers out. That would just bring me down to her level. Besides it would be disrespectful to what SHE believes. If St Monica could pray for Augustine for years and years before he would convert I guess I can do that too. (This coming weekend, Apr 21-23 the parish I attend is having a “Light of the World” retreat which I have invited her to accompany me and she has agreed!) Prayer would be appreciated!

 

[Miriam1947]

Prayers up for a good retreat for you and your wife, LegoGE1947.

 

[skeyes]

My 2 cents. Don’t go to another church unless it is a funeral or wedding. By being there we would be giving our testimony that we believe what is being presented. I sometimes miss some of the old hymns, but I also realize that many of these old hymns are not teaching the truth.

Stan

 

[LegoGE1947]

My 2 cents. Don’t go to another church unless it is a funeral or wedding. By being there we would be giving our testimony that we believe what is being presented. I sometimes miss some of the old hymns, but I also realize that many of these old hymns are not teaching the truth.

Stan

I’m not going even to funerals or weddings. Even some of the new Praise & Worship hymns don’t teach the truth either. All they are is rock music with some religious-sounding lyrics.

 

[DJK100]

My wife, who converted to Catholic when I did, has left the Church and has gone back to being Baptist. We don’t worship together. I don’t want to be protestant and she doesn’t want to be Catholic. She can’t understand what I see in Catholicism. I go to Mass at 6:30 in the morning. Then I come home and she goes to the Baptist community. I don’t know what to do. Recently I found all her Catholic books on my study desk. We also had a statue of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” that suddenly disappeared. When I asked her about it she said she threw it in the trash because it was “idolotry” to have it. I do have a picture of the “Divine Mercy” image which so far hasn’t been disposed of! My most favorite devotions are reciting the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, I go to bed praying the Prayer to St Michael and I also read the Bible and Catechism cover to cover during the course of a year. Right now I’m doing the Divine Mercy Novena which I started on Good Friday.

Ask her if she know what Idolatry is. Owning a statue is not idolatry. And tell her to please stop disrespecting your faith.

 

[SurlyMermaid]

I was going to start RCIA last fall (was pregnant and they asked me to wait until this coming fall). I did not want to give up going to our church (Anglican) for several reasons.

As I’ve gotten more knowledgeable in the faith and spend more time at our parish, I’ve spent less and less time at the other church. I wouldn’t worry about it. As it’s been said, the beginning of RCIA can be simply exploratory. Later you make your decision. As I said, our family is starting to fall aways from the other church we were attending, even though we had comfortable ties there.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[Lifesong]

I was in your position last year- I was VERY active in the Methodist church to the point of being on the Stephen Ministry team and was very much in with the in crowd so to speak. The Holy Spirit had other ideas and I felt the call last Lent (one of these days I will start that conversion blog). Anyway, I actually felt I needed to sit down my associate pastor and friend and take her to coffee to tell her what I was considering as I knew it would be a shock. I actually planned to attend both as my kids were raised Methodist too and I didn’t want to leave- I wanted it all-LOL! Again The Holy Spirit again nudged me as I attended a 7:30 Mass on a Sunday lasy May nice and early so I could rush over to my contemporary service afterwards. The homily referenced Dietrich Bonhoeffer who eerily enough I had just heard the story of on Catholic radio in the parking lot that morning. A little background, i am pro life and have never liked the pro choice position of my old church. But something stirred in me that morning and my husband and I went on the Methodist web site and had our eyes opened to how much money was going to anti life causes in their budget. I knew the Dietrich Bonhoeffer message and the timing was telling me no more money to that church and once I made that decision I knew I had to make a clean break. I gradually weaned myself from attending two services and from my Stephen Ministry duties. I too love contemporary Christian music but there is always K Love and Sirius XM’s The Message when I need a fix. I actually find the songs have even deeper meaning for me now that I have a Eucharistic understanding of our Lord- and yes adoration is amazing, like an altar call on steroids-LOL! It helped that my fallen away Catholic husband came back into the Church with me and was actually my sponsor- all this after telling me if I became Catholic he was happy as he was off the hook about having to go to church as he was not coming with me. Later he told me he was testing me as he never though I would leave the Methodist church and all of my friends. When he saw it was the real deal, well there goes that Holy Spirit again-LOL! I think it is ok to attend both for a while, but get ready, when you open the door to your heart just a crack sometimes the Holy Spirit will just bust down that door! God Bless!

Val

PS- I also picked up a Rosary last May and haven’t put it down since- Our Lady is the best prayer partner as you discern the Church!

 

[LegoGE1947]

I was in your position last year- I was VERY active in the Methodist church to the point of being on the Stephen Ministry team and was very much in with the in crowd so to speak. The Holy Spirit had other ideas and I felt the call last Lent (one of these days I will start that conversion blog). Anyway, I actually felt I needed to sit down my associate pastor and friend and take her to coffee to tell her what I was considering as I knew it would be a shock. I actually planned to attend both as my kids were raised Methodist too and I didn’t want to leave- I wanted it all-LOL! Again The Holy Spirit again nudged me as I attended a 7:30 Mass on a Sunday lasy May nice and early so I could rush over to my contemporary service afterwards. The homily referenced Dietrich Bonhoeffer who eerily enough I had just heard the story of on Catholic radio in the parking lot that morning. A little background, i am pro life and have never liked the pro choice position of my old church. But something stirred in me that morning and my husband and I went on the Methodist web site and had our eyes opened to how much money was going to anti life causes in their budget. I knew the Dietrich Bonhoeffer message and the timing was telling me no more money to that church and once I made that decision I knew I had to make a clean break. I gradually weaned myself from attending two services and from my Stephen Ministry duties. I too love contemporary Christian music but there is always K Love and Sirius XM’s The Message when I need a fix. I actually find the songs have even deeper meaning for me now that I have a Eucharistic understanding of our Lord- and yes adoration is amazing, like an altar call on steroids-LOL! It helped that my fallen away Catholic husband came back into the Church with me and was actually my sponsor- all this after telling me if I became Catholic he was happy as he was off the hook about having to go to church as he was not coming with me. Later he told me he was testing me as he never though I would leave the Methodist church and all of my friends. When he saw it was the real deal, well there goes that Holy Spirit again-LOL! I think it is ok to attend both for a while, but get ready, when you open the door to your heart just a crack sometimes the Holy Spirit will just bust down that door! God Bless!

Val

PS- I also picked up a Rosary last May and haven’t put it down since- Our Lady is the best prayer partner as you discern the Church!

Have you ever seen the painting of Jesus knocking on a door that has no door knob on it. It represents Revelation 3:20 about Jesus knocking at the door of hearts and begging to be let in.