How do the Protestants do it?

[Cat]

I agree, many Protestants nowadays don’t know their Bibles as well as they know “The Purpose Driven Life.”

A few months ago, someone posed a question on Family Life Forums (a Protestant online forum): Have you read the whole Bible through?

There were only a few “yes” responses. I thought EVERYONE would say “Yes, many times.” (That was my response). But amazingly, very vew had read it through. Many hadn’t even read through the whole New Testament.

I was shocked.

When I was in college, the church I was in issued a challenge to “read the New Testament”. Those who did received T-shirt that said, “I read the New Testament in 1978” (or whatever the year was).

I think Catholic Churches should consider trying something like that. It’s fun and many people like me enjoy a “competition.” Give t-shirts at the end of the designated time period.

Or even if they didn’t say the whole New Testament, but just one portion of it, e.g., The Four Gospels. THAT would be cool and I think a lot of people would do it.

The Church gives an indulgence (I can’t remember if it’s plenary or partial) for reading the Scriptures for a half hour. So this Read It Through challenge would help the parishioners in lots of ways.

 

[Fidelis]

Most of the Catholic Parishes I’ve seen (but keep in mind I live in the South) have opportunities for Bible study, but they seem to be seen as more of an extracurricular type thing that few people have time for, like Parish dinners.

This is true, and this is why well-intentioned attempts to start Catholic Bible studies in many parishes have died a slow death.

When it comes to religious and spiritual growth, Catholics *at large *seem to have the mentality that if it it isn’t required (like, for instance, sacramental prep), only a religious fanatic or lonely old ladies could possibly want to attend. Catholics are no busier than Protestants, so that excuse doesn’t wash. That we hear much of the Scripture at Mass is a weak response as well – hearing is not the same as being taught. The only thing that will change that is forceful and consistent direction from the pulpit. Until this attitude changes, regular Catholic parish Bible studies are just a pipe dream.

 

[Tonks40]

TThe only thing that will change that is forceful and consistent direction from the pulpit. Until this attitude changes, regular Catholic parish Bible studies are just a pipe dream.

 

[Cat]

I am a convert to Catholicism after 40 years in evangelical Protestant churches.

So I learned my Bible well.

I think there is a ton of peer pressure in evangelical churches to KNOW the Bible. No wonder they know it so well. You don’t dare NOT know it or you will be shunned.

A good evangelical Protestant Christian can recite memorized Scripture, not just a few verses, but whole chapters and even books. There is Bible quizzing for teenagers in several denominations (e.g., Assemblies of God, Christian and Missionary Alliance).

I personally think it would be an interesting “field trip” for Catholic youth groups to sit in on a Bible quizzing competition at a Protestant Church. And I think it would be even better if the Catholic youth group not only sat in on it, but decided to JOIN IN and challenge the Protestant church!

A good evangelical Protestant will be able to locate quickly various verses and passages of Scripture suitable for all occasions. If you can’t do this, you are not going to fit in well in evangelical circles. You’ll feel left out and foolish compared to all those knowledgeable people who can spout Bible while they pat their heads and rub their stomachs.

A good evangelical Protestant knows how to use a concordance and often has one in his/her Bible. I wish that more Catholic Bibles had concordances. I try to make my own little concordance in the back of my Bible, but most Catholic Bibles that I’ve seen don’t have any blank pages for notes.

A good evangelical Protestant marks his/her Bible up in a rainbow of colors, and also writes lots of notes in the margins. I think this is another thing more Catholics need to do. It helps you find passages.

A good evangelical Protestant attends at least one Bible study with other Christians. Often a good evangelical Protestant will attend more than one Bible study, ideally, a “Bible Study Fellowship” type class that involved several hours of study and homework each week.

But more importantly, a good evangelical Christian has a daily “Quiet Time” or “Devotions” or “Morning Watch.” During this time, the Protestant studies God’s Word alone.

If you are an evangelical Protestant and you don’t read God’s Word daily, watch out. Your whole day will go bad and you will fall into sin and Satan will chew you up and you’ll snap at your kids and kick your dog.

I’m not kidding, everyone. This is what lots of evangelical Protestants actually say during “Testimony Time.” (Can we say “lucky charm” or “talisman”, everyone?!)

If you continue to avoid God’s Word, then you probably were never really a Christian, because a true Christian will have a “hunger” for God’s Word.

Do you all see what I mean when I say “peer pressure?” It’s tremendous in evangelical churches. If you don’t know your Bible, you are an outcast. People will probably be nice to you, but you won’t fit in.

In fact, it got to the point where I realized that the evangelical Protestants are often the churches teaching “works-based salvation.” A Daily Quiet Time is a “requirement” to prove that you are a true Christian. Isn’t that “works?”

A

 

[E.E.N.S]

Semi-off topic, but it was through the Bible study at a Calvanist church that led my family and I into the Catholic Church about 7 years ago.

 

[jmcrae]

When you’ve only got one book, you get to know it very, very well.

Kids in Protestant Sunday Schools are busy memorizing Scripture verses, while kids in Catechism classes are reading not only the Bible but a great many other books, as well - Lives of the Saints, the Catechism, and other books that are related to these.

That having been said, my personal experience is that when I was Protestant, I came to Catholic Bible classes to learn the Bible better.

The Protestant Bible study that I had been attending was just going over the same stuff over and over, and I was wanting to take a fresh look at the Scriptures as a whole, because I had a strong feeling that we were missing something - and so I came to the Catholic Bible study (mostly because the Catholic Church is close to where I live - at that point in my life, any church that wasn’t going to try to make me convert and had a Bible class would have qualified for what I was looking for) and they were working on the Gospel of Luke with an audio tape commentary by Scott Hahn.

WOW, was he ever interesting - and so was the priest who was leading the Bible study - I haven’t been back to Protestant Bible study since. (This was about nine or ten years before I actually converted to the Catholic faith.)

 

[deb1]

I
If you continue to avoid God’s Word, then you probably were never really a Christian, because a true Christian will have a “hunger” for God’s Word.

Do you all see what I mean when I say “peer pressure?” It’s tremendous in evangelical churches. If you don’t know your Bible, you are an outcast. People will probably be nice to you, but you won’t fit in.

In fact, it got to the point where I realized that the evangelical Protestants are often the churches teaching “works-based salvation.” A Daily Quiet Time is a “requirement” to prove that you are a true Christian. Isn’t that “works?”

A

I, too, noticed this tendency in the Protestant church that I attended. It was almost as though you had to prove your Christianity to your fellow church members.

At my last church, the pastor was very much faith alone. He was always stressing that works do not save or person. Yet, in the same breath he would coment that a person who was actually saved would have a hunger for God’s word(The KJV, of course) and would have a desire to attend church everytime the doors opened. In such churches(I understand that not all Protestant churches are like this) there was a lot of pressure to memorize bible verses so that you wouldn’t be judged as a nonChristian.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

After worship with the adults, the children go to sunday school.

We start with the Babies in the nursery teaching them verses like “Children obey your parents in the Lord” and teaching them concepts like “God is powerful” or “I can talk to God (prayer)”

Then we move on to Bible stories, Creation, the flood, the Coat of many colors, Shadrach Meshach and Abendigo (Yep I probably misspelled all that!), the plagues of Egypt, Moses parting the red sea, etc etc. By the time kids are teens they know all the stories they’ve heard them all many times over. Each lesson usually has some way for the kids to apply it “Share your toys”, “help others”, “Obey God”, and others.

When I was a kid I was also encouraged to read other books about the Bible. I had a book that had interesting Bible trivia… stuff that would make me think “Really??!” and go look it up. I also had a children’s commentary that covered every book of the Bible. My 4yo’s Bible is a devotional Bible for Children and every day she does the devotionals… I read her the scripture and she reads the devotion on it and does the activity. Today’s had her write a letter to God, thanking Him for creating her in His image.

Pre-teens and Teens start with more indepth Bible study. They start learning to apply historical information we have about the culture of the times and usually have it explained that the Bible was not origionally written in English. Good Youth pastors spend alot of time getting teens to study their Bibles daily at home and help them understand it.

By the time they are adults they have the basics down… they know what God expects, they know alot about the nature of God and should have a basis in how to understand scripture. Most protestant churchs have Adult Sunday School for an hour before or after the church service for Bible study as well as cell groups where we meet in homes in small groups for Bible Studies. There are tons of choices of what kind of Bible study to attend and most people go to different types at different times. Some are based on a common trait… such as only women or only parents or only singles or only men and they try to teach things that people in that group struggle with the most… Others have verse by verse studies. Those will study an entire book of the bible verse by verse and consider the origional text, and discuss the context and the meanings behind every word. there are topical studies… like “What does the Bible say about divorce/baptism/dealing with others/insert anytopichere”. There are also usually new member classes or beginning Bible Studies for those who don’t join the church until after they are adults. Those generally focus on the New testament and the story of Jesus Life.

Hi,

Ditto. It should start with birth and go till death.

We have ladies bible sudies during the school year. I am studying Daniel via Beth Moore. I highly encourage it. It has only been three lessons and already I have learned so much about history and how to apply to my life.

Because the bible is timeless, it is important that we read and put to practice, in our daily lives,what the bible teaches us. Everyone learns at different levels.
I was just talking to someone at the gym today who was upset that their children just dont understand the catholic faith. I said to her that IMHO I think the CC teaches all the rules on how to be catholic and all the bible stories and how that relates to being catholic. Of course they teach about Jesus and all the teachings that go with that. All of that is great but, IMHO I think they dont take it a step deeper and teach the children how to apply this in their lives and why they need to apply it to their daily lives. Also how to do this and why. You really cant just tell a kid to do something and not explain it if you want them to carry it with them for life. It makes me want to cry when people(catholics) have told me that when they asked their teacher/nuns/priest how to get to heaven, they were told to be a good girl/boy.
Part of this is because catholics(not all of course)dont read their bibles or study it.
I am not saying this to slam the CC. This is just an observation and what catholics have told me.

 

[Mommyof02green]

Hi,

Ditto. It should start with birth and go till death.

We have ladies bible sudies during the school year. I am studying Daniel via Beth Moore. I highly encourage it. It has only been three lessons and already I have learned so much about history and how to apply to my life.

Good for you!!!

Because the bible is timeless, it is important that we read and put to practice, in our daily lives,what the bible teaches us. Everyone learns at different levels.

Yes everyone learns at different levels and you have to meet them at their level

I was just talking to someone at the gym today who was upset that their children just dont understand the catholic faith. I said to her that IMHO I think the CC teaches all the rules on how to be catholic and all the bible stories and how that relates to being catholic. Of course they teach about Jesus and all the teachings that go with that. All of that is great but, IMHO I think they dont take it a step deeper and teach the children how to apply this in their lives and why they need to apply it to their daily lives. Also how to do this and why. You really cant just tell a kid to do something and not explain it if you want them to carry it with them for life.

All of this is true! However, it’s NOT the Church ALONE that is responsible to teach the children!!! The parents must teach the children! The parents are the children’s first teachers. So if a parent is upset that THEIR Child does not know the Catholic Faith, I have to ask Where is the parent??? Why isn’t the parent, also, teaching them??? You’re child goes to school and has homework that they have to do OUTSIDE of school…study for the spelling test, read a book, etc. We all make sure our children do these things OUTSIDE of school.

Yet many people don’t want to take responisbility to teach their children faith. They want to leave it in the hands of the church. Well that NOT how it works. Parents have equal responiability to teach their children the faith.
"Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2223:

Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues…

Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphes 2224-2226:

The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into solidarity and communal responsibilities. Parents should teach children to avoid the compromising and degrading influences which threaten human societies

Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of which they are the “first heralds” for their children. They should associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church. A wholesome family life can foster interior dispositions that are a genuine preparation for a living faith and remain a support for it throughout one’s life.

Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel…

Source CCC web-link: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2.htm#art4

It makes me want to cry when people(catholics) have told me that when they asked their teacher/nuns/priest how to get to heaven, they were told to be a good girl/boy.

I only wonder how old they were when they asked their teacher/nuns/priest. Where they 5??? or Where they 13???
My 4 year old asked me just this week if she’ll be in heaven someday to see Jesus and the Angels. I told her “yes, if you “love” Jesus and if you are a “good” girl and do your best “listen” to Mommy and Daddy” you wil go to heaven.

Seriously is there something more that I should have told my 4 year-old???

Part of this is because catholics(not all of course)dont read their bibles or study it.

There is just as many Non-Catholic that don’t read their bible as Catholic that don’t read.

And yes is may be part of the problem, but more so the problem is that the Parents aren’t doing their share of the teaching!!! They expect the Church to do it all!!! Just like the lady from the gym… she’s expecting the Church to do it ALL. I would of asked her what have you done???

 

[ComradeAndrei]

I was suprised at how much I knew of the Bible, just from paying some attention at Mass, reading some on my own, “folk Catholicism” (i.e. the little phrases and euphemisms that people use, and devotions etc) and such. We Catholics know the Bible differently though. I can’t sling verse, but I can practically paraphrase almost every major event in the Old and New Testament. With such a foundation, I’ve found that further study (and it need not be extremely exhaustive) pays off considerably.

Really, we Catholics have the chance to know quite a bit of the Bible, and if we want to delve further into it, there are many good references at hand.

A Bible study can be good, but it isn’t absolutely necessary.

 

[Fidelis]

It makes me want to cry when people(catholics) have told me that when they asked their teacher/nuns/priest how to get to heaven, they were told to be a good girl/boy.
Part of this is because catholics(not all of course)dont read their bibles or study it.

I know what ya mean… I feel the same way when I hear my Protestant brothers and sisters say they are saved by “faith alone.” :crying:

I know it’s because they (some, not all) have been taught to find support for that belief in the Bible, but it’s still sad.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Good for you!!!

Yes everyone learns at different levels and you have to meet them at their level

All of this is true! However, it’s NOT the Church ALONE that is responsible to teach the children!!! The parents must teach the children! The parents are the children’s first teachers. So if a parent is upset that THEIR Child does not know the Catholic Faith, I have to ask Where is the parent??? Why isn’t the parent, also, teaching them??? You’re child goes to school and has homework that they have to do OUTSIDE of school…study for the spelling test, read a book, etc. We all make sure our children do these things OUTSIDE of school.

Yet many people don’t want to take responisbility to teach their children faith. They want to leave it in the hands of the church. Well that NOT how it works. Parents have equal responiability to teach their children the faith.

Source CCC web-link: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2.htm#art4

I only wonder how old they were when they asked their teacher/nuns/priest. Where they 5??? or Where they 13???
My 4 year old asked me just this week if she’ll be in heaven someday to see Jesus and the Angels. I told her “yes, if you “love” Jesus and if you are a “good” girl and do your best “listen” to Mommy and Daddy” you wil go to heaven.

Seriously is there something more that I should have told my 4 year-old???

There is just as many Non-Catholic that don’t read their bible as Catholic that don’t read.

And yes is may be part of the problem, but more so the problem is that the Parents aren’t doing their share of the teaching!!! They expect the Church to do it all!!! Just like the lady from the gym… she’s expecting the Church to do it ALL. I would of asked her what have you done???

Hi,
Yes I agree with you. The one person was told to be good when they were about 15. I guess I just dont like the term “good” because in the eyes of God we are not good. I forget the verse but He thinks of us as filthy rags.After we have made a true profession of faith and the Holy Spirit comes into us are we looked upon as pure and blameless in God’s eyes. In our church we dont tell our little ones to be good. We tell them you have to believe in Jesus Christ and follow him and try to be more Christ-like. Of course talk about the cross and what that means. Your right small children are taught small ideas and learn as they grow. Parents are to be teachers of the faith as well as a good example.

I do agree with all you say.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

A Bible study can be good, but it isn’t absolutely necessary./

QUOTE]
Hi,

I use to feel the same way until I started to study the bible. When I did I was like WOW–so much came alive for me. When I come across something that happened thousands of years ago and can directly link it to today’s world it just is an amazing AHA moment.

I also feel that reading the bible is really the only way to know God at a deeper level and His character. Im not saying you dont learn the bible at Mass. I understand where you are coming from. Reading the bible for yourself can help you grow in Christ at a much deeper level. I cant explain you have to experience it for yourself. IMHO

 

[TheGarg]

You are blessed to have had Bible study available to you in all of your parishes. I am 37 years old. The parish I belonged to as a child did not have Bible study. I never studied the Bible in high school or in college. Thankfully, the parish I currently belong to has had Bible study for adults for over 5 years now. Maybe it is a regional phenomenon. I don’t know where you are from. I am from Cleveland, OH. My parish is using the Little Rock Scripture Study. I know that Bible study is more common in the South (whether Catholic or Protestant) since that is the “Bible Belt”.

We just started the Jeff Cavins “Journey through the bible” teimline course adn it is fabulous. it will give you all that you are looking for.
greatadventureonline.com/

 

[TheGarg]

QUOTE]
Hi,

I use to feel the same way until I started to study the bible. When I did I was like WOW–so much came alive for me. When I come across something that happened thousands of years ago and can directly link it to today’s world it just is an amazing AHA moment.

I also feel that reading the bible is really the only way to know God at a deeper level and His character. Im not saying you dont learn the bible at Mass. I understand where you are coming from. Reading the bible for yourself can help you grow in Christ at a much deeper level. I cant explain you have to experience it for yourself. IMHO

you ought to see how deep the relationship gets when you partake in the Eucharist

 

[LeahInancsi]

“my parish has a poorly run bible study” is not the same thing as “it is no secret the Catholic church is not big on bible study”. The best advertising is by word of mouth, so ask around for other opportunities around you. Our diocese has one priest assigned to find out and publicize all bible studies, missions, and similar programs in the parishes and make sure the word gets out, and that parishes get the resources they need to provide good programs. Might be worth a call to your diocese or check their website to see if they do the same.

Annie,

I’ve heard this from 70 & 80+ year old craddle Catholics and many Protestants who were raised in the Catholic church, but left in early adulthood. From my experience on a Baptist forum, many former Catholics, now Baptist, are very bitterly angry because they were not exposed to the Bible in depth in the Catholic Church.

Since I didn’t have the benefit of being raised in the Catholic church, I’m left to the parish Bible study class or self-study.

I think you and several others on this forum are the exception. I admire you for that.

 

[LeahInancsi]

Don’t generalize - this is not true.

That was my quote. I stand corrected, but my own experience and what I’ve been told by some very good craddle Catholics says otherwise.

 

[InLight247]

…and why can’t the Catholics do it? Teach the Bible, that is.

It’s no secret that the Catholic church has not been big on teaching the Bible. I fully understand that over 2,000 years the very wise men of the Magisterium have studied every detail of the Bible thoroughly and interpreted it via the Catechism.

That’s all well and fine, but I want to know about all of the Bible stories and their meaning. Situations such as Zechariah and Elizabeth who had a very similar experience to Abraham and Sarah, etc., etc., etc… I want to know EVERYTHING!

Protestants: How do your churches teach the Bible?

Catholics: What type of Bible study do your parishes have?

Reading and learning Bible is the responsibility of our own.
If a believer disciplines himself to regularly read his Bible, he will be familiar with the Bible.

Catholic church has the universal daily readings for us to follow, plus the readings during each Mass everyday.

Catholic churches have small church groups to study the coming Sunday’s Scriptures. In addition to that, my parish also has other Bible study activities, most of them use Scott Hahn’s material.
Scott Hahn also offers free online Catholic Bible study.salvationhistory.com/

If you like to see more Bible study groups in your church, why not initiate one? You and I are part of the Church.

 

[LeahInancsi]

If you attend Mass daily, you will have received practically all of the New Testament and about 2/3 of the Old.

I’m well aware of that. It’s not the same as Bible study.

When I was going through RCIA, we were dismissed from Mass after the Liturgy of the Word to discuss the “Word”. I miss that time when we discussed the Scripture readings in depth. Currently, I read the preface to the Scripture readings in my St. Joseph’s missal before Mass begins or I read the verses before and after each reading from the Bible on Saturday night.

 

[Mommyof02green]

Hi,
Yes I agree with you.

Thanks for sharing! Sometimes it amazes me how people can agree.

The one person was told to be good when they were about 15.

Well if that is the case, then he was done a serious disservice.

I guess I just dont like the term “good” because in the eyes of God we are not good. I forget the verse but He thinks of us as filthy rags.After we have made a true profession of faith and the Holy Spirit comes into us are we looked upon as pure and blameless in God’s eyes. In our church we dont tell our little ones to be good. We tell them you have to believe in Jesus Christ and follow him and try to be more Christ-like.

What does it mean to be Christ-like???

Of course talk about the cross and what that means.

Amen, that’s why we have crucifixes in our churches!!! For more click here: biblechristiansociety.com/2min_apologetics.php?id=6

Your right small children are taught small ideas and learn as they grow. Parents are to be teachers of the faith as well as a good example.

There’s nothing more to say!