Friend going to non-denom bible study - should I be worried?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Flopfoot
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Flopfoot

Guest
My friend is Catholic - doesn’t practice that strongly, but still okay. He told me lately he has been going to a bible study. It is non-denom in the sense that people from all denominations go, not in the sense that the people who run it are against the idea of denominations and churches. I told him what Fr. Vince Serpa said, “Going to a bible study that’s not Catholic is like going to Spain to learn to speak German”, but he said never mind, it’s okay, its not contraversial or anything, just people meeting up to discuss the bible. My experience of pretty much all bible studies, when there are non-Catholics or Catholics who are ‘too ecumenical’ present is that they have not been good for me spiritually, all they did was make me mad and try to mess with my head. Should I be worried about my friend going to this non-denom study?
 
If your friend is ignorant of Scriptures, then I’d be very afraid. Non-Catholics have spent 500 years perfecting their skills at converting ignorant Catholics with the right mix of Scriptures (It’s like shooting fish in a barrel).

If your friend is pretty adept, then its a great chance for him to evangelize.

Notworthy
 
I don’t know if you can stop him from going. But I think it would be a good idea to talk to him about it afterward. Ask him what he got from it. If he gets the wrong ideas from this Bible study, you should correct him and use this as evidence not to attend anymore.

But if it’s just discussing the Bible with other Christians, I don’t think it’s wrong to do so. Isn’t that what people do on this forum? I just hope he’s careful to represent Catholic beliefs properly. Wouldn’t want him spreading misinformation you know.
 
My friend is pretty ignorant of Scripture, but thing is that since he is not a ‘hardcore’ Catholic then anything they tell him probably won’t mean anything to him anyway, I think he probably hasn’t formed an opinion on a lot of issues they talk about… I could be wrong though. Anyway, it’s unlikely that he would be doing any evangelising.
What could happen though is that hanging out with this group will just make him think that ‘they (Christians) are all the same anyway’ and even less inclined than usual to care about the CC.

From what I can tell it seems much worse if you are a hardcore Catholic but ignorant of Scripture (like me) because you actually know and care about what the Church teaches but can’t back it up from the bible. As a result I really don’t like going to bible studies, my only way of ‘defence’ is to just keep away from them and if people do try and tell me stuff, I just don’t listen / ignore it.

I suppose I could go along once just to see what they’re doing to him though. From what he tells me they seem a bit ‘soft’ rather than trying to get into theological stuff and conversions, he tells me from what they’ve read it seems like every chapter of Matthew is just about love. (Nice message but I think there’s more that they could be getting out of it).
 
40.png
Flopfoot:
My friend is Catholic - doesn’t practice that strongly, but still okay. He told me lately he has been going to a bible study. It is non-denom in the sense that people from all denominations go, not in the sense that the people who run it are against the idea of denominations and churches. I told him what Fr. Vince Serpa said, “Going to a bible study that’s not Catholic is like going to Spain to learn to speak German”, but he said never mind, it’s okay, its not contraversial or anything, just people meeting up to discuss the bible. My experience of pretty much all bible studies, when there are non-Catholics or Catholics who are ‘too ecumenical’ present is that they have not been good for me spiritually, all they did was make me mad and try to mess with my head. Should I be worried about my friend going to this non-denom study?
Click to expand...
Yes, because they might end up like ME 😉 We went to a few things at a different church (fairly non-denominational) and now that’s where we go. It does happen. If you are concerned, pray for your friend, that anything that is not pleasing to God will be forgotten.
 
40.png
Flopfoot:
From what I can tell it seems much worse if you are a hardcore Catholic but ignorant of Scripture (like me) because you actually know and care about what the Church teaches but can’t back it up from the bible. As a result I really don’t like going to bible studies, my only way of ‘defence’ is to just keep away from them and if people do try and tell me stuff, I just don’t listen / ignore it.
Click to expand...
If they present you with something that makes you question your Church’s teachings, do you have the strength to study what we teach AND WHY WE TEACH IT? I’ve learned so much from my non-catholic friends this way, and it drives them nuts when they find they’ve led me closer to my Church.

Ignorance of Scriptures is something we should all strive to overcome.

If I only have a nickel, will you give me three pennies back?

Notworthy
 
You need to make sure that your friend has a good Catholic Bible and then plug him into the best Apologetics materials that you guys have there in OZ. If you were here in the US I’d say get him all 14 of John Martignoni’s Apologetics CDs from The Bible Christian Society. San Juan Catholic Seminars is also very good.

Scripture Catholic is also a great online resource.

I don’t go to non-Catholic studies. I did too much of that for the 34 years that I was out of the faith and the biggest problem is simply the fundamental error of Sola Scriptura, which is the very foundation of all the rest of the reformation/post-reformation errors.

If he’s got a comp Floppy, then get him in here with you and we’ll help all we can. Soinds like he’s hungry & doesn’t know what not to eat…
Pax vobiscum,
 
Sending an under-catechised Catholic into a “non-denominational” Bible study is like sending sheep to the slaughter. At first, they’ll keep the controversy and theology low-key, but as the person gets to know and trust these people, he will start to trust their interpretations which become more and more non- (and even anti-) Catholic. Soon that person will fellowship himself right out of the Catholic Church. It’s a pattern that has been repeated many, many times. :mad:

Catholic convert and Bible teacher Steve Ray has a great article on this very subject:

Non-denominational, Ecumenical Bible Studies?
Catholics are Welcome if they Keep Quiet!
catholic-convert.com/Por…lBibleStudy.doc

You may have no choice but to take matters into your own hands. Study up on the Catholic approach to the Bible and offer to study it with him–maybe even start a Bible study group yourself. If you are not up to the task, find someone who is and put your friend in touch with them.
 
Yes, because if he is interested in going to one in the first place, that is very likely a big sign that he is… looking around so to speak. Something prompted him to go to this study, possibly a longing for God which he doesn’t feel being met. If the sheep aren’t fed in their own fields, they will go to others’.

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-306548622&T1=Hahn

Suggest to him that he listen to those audios. It is an entire series, and it is frankly just fantastic. If he has not read much about the Bible, it may really excite him.
 
Do what Church Militant said, but also, get yourself invited. If you do, don’t be a jerk, but just…do your thing. I like to infiltrate these things from time to time, but I find that the same thing happens when I “out” myself–everyone gets quiet. It’s actually pretty rare to find an outspoken evangelical in th real world. When they meet knowledgable Catholics, they retreat into terrible anti-rationalism.

But anyway, go to this thing.
 
Your friend should be applauded for his desire to learn Scripture. Unfortunately, he does risk learning incorrect interpretation from a non-Catholic Bible study. Is Bible study offered at the Catholic Church that your friend attends? If he is determined to keep attending his current group, he could offset some of the misinformation he will hear by getting a Catholic study bible with excellent footnotes or an orthodox Catholic commentary to aid him in his studies. I’ve used the Collegeville Bible Commentary for a couple of the books of the Bible. (It’s okay, but I’ve heard there is better. Anyone know which commentary would be best?)

You’ve received some great advice. Attend with your friend. Let him know about your concerns. And above all…pray for him.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top