Does your non-Catholic Christian church teach you about Catholicism?

[kell0618]

Hello kellO618,

Oops, Sorry about that, obviously a case of accidental “friendly fire”. I thought you were one on them “Protestants” , just kidding, I love “Protestants” too. I sent you a PM.,Will you please forgive me ?

Take care,

Forgive you for what? God bless you.

 

[Syele]

Does your non-Catholic Christian church teach you about Catholicism?

nope, not at all.

What have you heard? Is it a secret, or can you share it with us?

There is the occasional joke about how the Catholics have shorter services than us and so will get all the best tables at local Restaurants after church. Random denominations are also placed in the same joke, generally ones known for only having 45min - an hour long services. There are also occasional comments on the Catholic tenancy to pray to Mary(and how we don’t), but mostly not elaborated on at all.

What does your non-Catholic Christian Church teach you about Catholicism? Be honest and don’t pull any punches, we Catholics can handle it.

Really, the above covered it. My knowledge of Catholics all came from other sources. When I was 19 I got engaged to a Catholic. Asking about Praying to Mary was my first question for him as that was all I’d ever heard about Catholics. Then I noticed the Books that are in the Catholic Bible that are not in mine, so I asked him about those and he just gave me his Bible to read. I noticed the preface had stuff about “mysteries” and asked him about those too. he didn’t know anything at all about his faith. I was appalled, how can someone claim to be a member of a church and know NOTHING of what it teaches?? So I asked my other Catholic friends, they didn’t know either. I ended up reading a Prayer book, the CCC, a few other books by Catholics and talking to a very unfriendly Priest for all my info on Catholics until I found CAF years later.

Are there any specific things about Catholicism that are keeping you from ever becoming Catholic?

Yes I have mentioned them in the other thread about that recently, and in several before that one.

 

[Huguenot]

Same here in my Baptist Church. Never in all my years has a preacher of mine said a word about Catholicism. We are taught how to live a better Christian life. We don’t spend our time worrying about the Catholic Church.

-Mark

Anyway if we want to know something about the Catholics it would be a good idea to invite a Catholic priest to tell us, he knows better what Catholics believe … and then maybe we could ask him questions …( but let him speak first ! )

in France there are a lot of talks between Catholics and Protestants, about various issues, so you can also read the parts in which the Catholics explain what they believe and why ( if you’re a Protestant … or read the parts in which the Protestants explain what they believe----or the particular Protestant denomination the Catholics are talking with --if you’re a Catholic ) it really helps …

 

[Calliope]

I’ve attended church at several Protestant denominations and none of them ever taught or even spoke about Catholicism, they just spoke about Christianity as one Body of Christ.

 

[RWMorris]

In my pre-Catholic fundamentalist life, we were taught that the Catholic Church was the Whore of Babylon. Imagine my delighted surprise when I realized that the Catholic Church was the one true church. I shook off my fundamentalist dust and headed straight to RCIA and to Mass. Thank God I’m home!

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Does your non-Catholic Christian church teach you about Catholicism?

I have only attended 3 churches in my life–raised episcopalian, saved in a baptist and now currently growing in Christ at a non-denom. Not one of them ever taught catholocism. But why would they?

]What have you heard? Is it a secret, or can you share it with us?

Well if I tell you I will have to kill you During our last sermon series the minister was teaching church history and since the CC is part of that they were mentioned but only about being part of church histor–nothing negative was said.

What does your non-Catholic Christian Church teach you about Catholicism? Be honest and don’t pull any punches, we Catholics can handle it.

nothing—everything I have learned about catholocism has come from being on forums. Actually I know more about catholocism then my catholic friends My jewish neighbor who is married to a catholic asked me a NCC if they could eat fish on Fridays during lent. Of course I knew the answer.

Are there any specific things about Catholicism that are keeping you from ever becoming Catholic?

Too many to list. Im sure they are the same as you hear about in the forums from my NCC brothers and sisters in Christ.

Please share with us Catholics a summary of what it is that you are actually taught or what it is that you believe about Catholicism.

Well what I have learned fromt hese forums
The CC is the One True Church
The pope is infallable in faith and morals
Apostolic succession
The Church has 3 parts–pope,bible, sacred tradition

None of which I believe. Honestly, when I came here 2 years ago I didnt think we were that different, but I find out we are

 

[Hilde89]

I would think that a Lutheran would be taught a little about Catholicism, especially during confirmation classes and on Reformation Sunday. Which synod are you?

I’m a member of the state church of Norway, which is Lutheran-Evangelical. I have been confirmed there and I work as a youth leader for confirmands now in two churches and none have ever mentioned doctrinal differences between the RCC and ours. And the only time Luther has been mentioned is in a little booklet they get with his explanations of the 10 commandments.
One reason might be that the RCC isn’t big in Norway, or that for confirmands it may be confusing to bring things like that up.

 

[Steadfast]

It is amusing that so many Catholics think Protestants devote so much time to discussing them. Really we don’t. We spend very little time even thinking about you.

In my church we talk about Roman Catholicism very little. It comes up in the context of catechesis when the reasons for the Reformation are covered and of course in any other discussion of church history.

Recently, from the pulpit our pastor mentioned your Pope’s recent encyclical on the status of Protestant churches but this was only to say that it should come as a surprise to no one and that the Pope was just reiterating what your church has always believed.

Other than this we do hear a lot from former Catholics of their own experiences in your church but this is all anecdotal and probably not what you’re looking for.

 

[Pixie_Dust]

It is amusing that so many Catholics think Protestants devote so much time to discussing them. Really we don’t. We spend very little time even thinking about you.

You’re definitely right about Lutherans not spending much time talking about Catholicism. That was one thing that really stood out to me when I started attending a Lutheran church while still a part-time “Reluctant Baptist.” I talked to the associate pastor and he readily acknowledged that Baptists are Christians, as well as anyone and everyone else who names Christ as their Savior.

However, as a Baptist I was regularly bombarded with anti-Catholic slurs during the sermon and in Sunday School class. Of course, some of it would rightly be considered anti-Lutheran, anti-Presbyterian, anti-liturgical, anti-vestments, anti-sacramental. It’s all just vain ritual, you know. So while your experience is void of any type of “education” about those pagan Catholics, some of us were immersed in it.

 

[Steadfast]

You’re definitely right about Lutherans not spending much time talking about Catholicism. That was one thing that really stood out to me when I started attending a Lutheran church while still a part-time “Reluctant Baptist.” I talked to the associate pastor and he readily acknowledged that Baptists are Christians, as well as anyone and everyone else who names Christ as their Savior.

However, as a Baptist I was regularly bombarded with anti-Catholic slurs during the sermon and in Sunday School class. Of course, some of it would rightly be considered anti-Lutheran, anti-Presbyterian, anti-liturgical, anti-vestments, anti-sacramental. It’s all just vain ritual, you know. So while your experience is void of any type of “education” about those pagan Catholics, some of us were immersed in it.

Then you know that Lutherans do not teach that Catholics are not Christians. We even confess that the Catholic Church is a part of the Body of Christ in which the Gospel may still be heard and the Sacraments received.

You probably know the differences too but I wonder sometimes if I don’t spend more time here distancing myself and my kind from the rest of “evangelicalism” than I do actually talking about these differences.

I do find it annoying when all Protestants are just thrown into a bag.

 

[EmergencyOps]

It is amusing that so many Catholics think Protestants devote so much time to discussing them. Really we don’t. We spend very little time even thinking about you.

Agreed. I read threads on here (one example) all the time that ask why other denominations (protestants especially) hate Catholics and why we spread lies and why our preacher says such-and-such… It is painting with a really broad brush. Sure, some churches may do that, but it is a far cry from the majority.

I have nothing against Catholics. I think that we can agree to disagree. My girlfriend is a cradle Catholic and all her relatives are. I respect them and their beliefs. Many are very devout, and I find that honorable. If I marry her and she wants to have our child baptized as an infant, so be it. It is her belief, not mine. It may mean all the world to her, but in my belief it means nothing more than a baby dedication. I hope that she will respect my beliefs when the child comes of age and I wish to baptize our child after their profession of faith.

-Mark

 

[ralphinal]

Several years ago, I saw a book on world religions in Wal-Mart. Being curious, I picked it up and flipped to the Catholic section. The information given was right out of Jack Chick’s how-to guide on bashing the Catholic Faith, edited to make it more appealing to the masses. I thought to myself, how does a major company get this book? Last year, a small country church about an hour from me did a multi-part thing on world religions. I was not able to go, but I did call to get more information. Again, some of the information used was way off base. Now, if they were so wrong about my faith, why should I assume they were correct about any other one?

 

[cfrancis]

My girlfriend is a cradle Catholic and all her relatives are. I respect them and their beliefs. Many are very devout, and I find that honorable. If I marry her and she wants to have our child baptized as an infant, so be it. It is her belief, not mine. It may mean all the world to her, but in my belief it means nothing more than a baby dedication. I hope that she will respect my beliefs when the child comes of age and I wish to baptize our child after their profession of faith.
-Mark

Mark, your hypothesis presents the challenge of mixed-faith marriages. Do you really respect her belief in the regeneration of baptism if you have that child baptized again? Asked another way, how would you then respect her belief that any further baptism is unnecessary?
Please, Mark, my comments are not meant to be oppositional or contentious.

 

[EmergencyOps]

Mark, your hypothesis presents the challenge of mixed-faith marriages. Do you really respect her belief in the regeneration of baptism if you have that child baptized again? Asked another way, how would you then respect her belief that any further baptism is unnecessary?
Please, Mark, my comments are not meant to be oppositional or contentious.

I understand your inquiring. Children do become an issue in mixed-faith marriages. On an emotional side, I see it being an issue. But is it really an issue for her faith? The Catholic Church does not recognize additional baptisms, correct? Only one baptism, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So for her, the Baptist baptism would mean nothing. It wouldn’t be valid in her (or the Church’s) eyes.

I can see where you’re coming from, but I don’t see a conflict.

-Mark

 

[ralphinal]

Mark,
Are you the one who came on here to better learn the things that your significant other was supposed to know as a Catholic?

 

[EmergencyOps]

Mark,
Are you the one who came on here to better learn the things that your significant other was supposed to know as a Catholic?

Yes, it be me. I hope it’s not a problem
Me and her are getting serious, so it’s time to lay down the cards and really make sure we know what we are getting into. I’m reading up on mixed marriages. I know they are very difficult, but her family tree has had several successful ones in the past decade. One set of aunt/uncle met in the middle and became non-denominational, and other set of aunt/uncle just attend both churches. My sig. other is desiring the latter (if I don’t swim the Tiber before then).

-Mark

 

[ralphinal]

Yes, it be me. I hope it’s not a problem
Me and her are getting serious, so it’s time to lay down the cards and really make sure we know what we are getting into. I’m reading up on mixed marriages. I know they are very difficult, but her family tree has had several successful ones in the past decade. One set of aunt/uncle met in the middle and became non-denominational, and other set of aunt/uncle just attend both churches. My sig. other is desiring the latter (if I don’t swim the Tiber before then).

-Mark

NOt an issue at all. In fact, I find it highly admirable. Learing the other’s faith is a good step in making it work.

 

[po18guy]

Does your non-Catholic Christian church teach you about Catholicism?

Jimmy, my brother, you really know how to get them going! But, the dialog is great! As Bishop Sheen maintained: millions hate what they think the Catholic Church is, but only a few hundred hate what it actually is.

Christ’s peace be with all.

 

[po18guy]

Also, occassionally, some of the area Baptist churches in the Upstate will gather to hold a week-long series of evening classes on Catholicism. The last one I attended was in 2002 at Hampton Park Baptist and was called “To Open Their Eyes.” I was kicked out of this one, as I was a Catholic and kept questioning the “experts” and correcting them about what I, as a Catholic, believe. Go figure.

You have firsthand experience with one effect of the “spirit of antichrist”, written about in 1 John 4. These Christian brothers are mislead by the spirit which roams this earth, to sow the seeds of division. We are called by the Holy Spirit to be One.

Christ’s peace to all.

 

[po18guy]

In my pre-Catholic fundamentalist life, we were taught that the Catholic Church was the Whore of Babylon. Imagine my delighted surprise when I realized that the Catholic Church was the one true church. I shook off my fundamentalist dust and headed straight to RCIA and to Mass. Thank God I’m home!

Catholic (ex-Evangelical) author Mark P. Shea (mark-shea.com/) is extremely thankful to his Evangelical brothers and sisters for introducing him to Christ. He writes of this in his books, but went searching for what was lacking in his faith life, and ended up converting. He has absolutely nothing bad to say about any of them and praises their fervor. It’s just that he discovered more, and went for it out of love of Christ.

Christ’s peace.