How to behave in Non-Catholic Churches

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theistgal said:
We’ve had Protestants visiting our church and it wouldn’t bother me at all to find out they were silently praying for our conversion. In fact, if they honestly believe their church is the only one that leads to Heaven, I’d be kind of offended if they weren’t praying for me to convert! 😉
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“Let me see if I understand this. You’re concerned that he isn’t concerned that you’re going to hell. And you feel that she’s too bossy?” (Father Curtis, Seinfeld episode “The Burning”)
 
jmcrae said:
Don’t participate in their Holy Communion (nor with the Orthodox - the reason is that we are not in union with them; it has nothing to do with whether they have, or think they have the Real Presence - even if they do have, they are still in schism from us).
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You mention “if they do have”. So is it an open question whether the Orthodox have the Real Presence?
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?

What are your opinions ?
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All those things are welcomed in our church. If you want to pray the Rosary, by all means you are welcome to do so. I may be sitting next to you with my Anglican Prayer Beads (kingofpeace.org/prayerbeads.htm ) praying alongside of you for unity and peace…

God Bless!
 
Peter_J said:
You mention “if they do have”. So is it an open question whether the Orthodox have the Real Presence?
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Sorry, I wrote that too fast, and my grammar was inside out - I was referring to the Protestants in the second clause. I can see how it was misunderstood, though - sorry! :o
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?
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In an Anglican church, you will find that people generally make the sign of the Cross, bow to the altar, and in many cases also genuflect to the tabernacle. Naturally we don’t want you to do things that contradict your Church’s teachings (at least I don’t), so you probably don’t want to genuflect to the tabernacle (since Pope Leo XIII ruled that we do not have the Real Presence), and perhaps not bow to the altar as well. But there is no reason not to make the sign of the Cross when the Trinity is invoked, at the reading of the Gospel, and at other such times. In fact, you will often find Episcopalians crossing themselves at times when Catholics wouldn’t.

I will let the Lutherans speak for themselves–many of them also use some of these traditional signs.

When going to Orthodox or Eastern Catholic churches, you might want to observe what they do and try to imitate them. But don’t get up tight about it.

Protestant churches where these traditional signs are not normally used present a more difficult problem of etiquette, obviously. I attend a Methodist church on Sunday morning (and an Episcopal church Saturday evening), and play the piano. I don’t make a point of crossing myself, bowing, etc., because I don’t want to be ostentatious, and frankly also because I’m a bit of a coward. The previous pastor was a friend and definitely on the high church side of Methodism in many ways. He made the sign of the Cross himself under certain circumstances and certainly had no problem with my doing so. The current pastor, however, is much more low church, and furthermore is a senior clergyman in the denomination with which my college is affiliated (Methodists allow non-Methodist clergy to serve Methodist parishes under certain circumstances). I am not going to flaunt my Catholic leanings, to be honest, because I don’t want to make too much trouble for myself (unless it’s a real matter of principle). The other day I did cross myself, because I was ashamed of my cowardice, and the pastor made a joke about it after church. He didn’t seem particularly upset about it (he obviously knows I’m Episcopalian), but he clearly noticed.

Edwin
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?

What are your opinions ?
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Well, for starters, when you enter you need to jump and down three times screaming “praise Jesus!” After that, find a pew to sit in, preferably one that “belongs” to another family, and then proceed to get into a fist fight over who gets to sit there. After that, it is snake handling time. If you get bit, you are a catholic. If not, you are ok. Then it’s time for the group baptism where you will be expected to be hosed with a fire hose along with the rest of the congregation, but that’s after you “walk the aisle”. To top it all off, we hold hands and sing “It is well with my soul”, then go to Sonny’s Barbecue for lunch and talk about how preacher sucks, but at least you love the Lord. (Yes, very tongue-in-cheek!)

Really, do whatever moves ya. If others stare and gossip let them answer for it. It’s only their fault that they may be missing out on something different and rewarding that they should try.
 
Contarini said:
But there is no reason not to make the sign of the Cross when the Trinity is invoked, at the reading of the Gospel, and at other such times. In fact, you will often find Episcopalians crossing themselves at times when Catholics wouldn’t.

Edwin
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This is what I generally do when I visit my Wife’s CofE church - though she doesn’t really approve. 🤷
 
reteeks21 said:
Well, for starters, when you enter you need to jump and down three times screaming “praise Jesus!” After that, find a pew to sit in, preferably one that “belongs” to another family, and then proceed to get into a fist fight over who gets to sit there. After that, it is snake handling time. If you get bit, you are a catholic. If not, you are ok. Then it’s time for the group baptism where you will be expected to be hosed with a fire hose along with the rest of the congregation, but that’s after you “walk the aisle”. To top it all off, we hold hands and sing “It is well with my soul”, then go to Sonny’s Barbecue for lunch and talk about how preacher sucks, but at least you love the Lord. (Yes, very tongue-in-cheek!)

Really, do whatever moves ya. If others stare and gossip let them answer for it. It’s only their fault that they may be missing out on something different and rewarding that they should try.
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Giggle, giggle…you forgot to add to bring your W2 so that we can make sure that you are giving your fair share…😉
 
In an Anglican church, you will find that people generally make the sign of the Cross, bow to the altar, and in many cases also genuflect to the tabernacle. Naturally we don’t want you to do things that contradict your Church’s teachings (at least I don’t), so you probably don’t want to genuflect to the tabernacle (since Pope Leo XIII ruled that we do not have the Real Presence), and perhaps not bow to the altar as well. But there is no reason not to make the sign of the Cross when the Trinity is invoked, at the reading of the Gospel, and at other such times. In fact, you will often find Episcopalians crossing themselves at times when Catholics wouldn’t.
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Thank you Edwin for this Information about the Anglican Church. I think there is only one Anglican Church or two in the country where I live.
 
reteeks21 said:
Well, for starters, when you enter you need to jump and down three times screaming “praise Jesus!” After that, find a pew to sit in, preferably one that “belongs” to another family, and then proceed to get into a fist fight over who gets to sit there. After that, it is snake handling time. If you get bit, you are a catholic. If not, you are ok. Then it’s time for the group baptism where you will be expected to be hosed with a fire hose along with the rest of the congregation, but that’s after you “walk the aisle”. To top it all off, we hold hands and sing “It is well with my soul”, then go to Sonny’s Barbecue for lunch and talk about how preacher sucks, but at least you love the Lord. (Yes, very tongue-in-cheek!)

Really, do whatever moves ya. If others stare and gossip let them answer for it. It’s only their fault that they may be missing out on something different and rewarding that they should try.
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😃 👍
 
And once again tithing is 10% off the top. That’s gross income, not net. Please people, don’t force us to audit. Now I’m going to pass this around a second time. Brother Ned, you’ll do the honors …
 
And as we pass the collection plate, please give as if the person next to you was watching. (Reverend Timothy Lovejoy)
 
Peter_J said:
And once again tithing is 10% off the top. That’s gross income, not net. Please people, don’t force us to audit. Now I’m going to pass this around a second time. Brother Ned, you’ll do the honors …
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Wow, I can’t believe the number of people in this congregation who only make ten dollars a week! :eek:
 
reteeks21 said:
Well, for starters, when you enter you need to jump and down three times screaming “praise Jesus!” After that, find a pew to sit in, preferably one that “belongs” to another family, and then proceed to get into a fist fight over who gets to sit there. After that, it is snake handling time. If you get bit, you are a catholic. If not, you are ok. Then it’s time for the group baptism where you will be expected to be hosed with a fire hose along with the rest of the congregation, but that’s after you “walk the aisle”. To top it all off, we hold hands and sing “It is well with my soul”, then go to Sonny’s Barbecue for lunch and talk about how preacher sucks, but at least you love the Lord. (Yes, very tongue-in-cheek!)
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Really. I insist. When you come into my church please genuflect, bow, kneel, make the sign of the cross, pray the Rosary instead of this.

Jon
 
Peter_J said:
And once again tithing is 10% off the top. That’s gross income, not net. Please people, don’t force us to audit. Now I’m going to pass this around a second time. Brother Ned, you’ll do the honors …
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Please don’t forget that we do have a special collection for the Building Fund Campaign–dig deep! If you need envelops, Brother Ned has those available. We do take credit card tithings, so please check with an usher for more information on this option.
 
MY EXPERIENCES IN PROTESTANT CHURCHES
Code: 
 In recent years I've becoming am amateur student of religion, you might say, and jave worshiped at over 175 different ones. These have included everything from Mormon to Muslim, Baptist to Buddhist, Jewish to Jehovah Witnesses,

  I try my best to follow whatever others do, except when they conflict with my own faith. I consider that good manners as well as respect for other faiths, which I possess. I am not one who easily accepts the idea that only one church has the full truth. That sort of arrogance has caused so much bigotry and worse over the years. It resembles the position of the Islamic crazies, and I want no part of such an exclusivistic point of view.

  Now, as far as mainline Protestant churches go, I find them extremely open - that is, if a visitor genuflects that's fine, though the members won't do that. They just assume you're Catholic and will likely give you a special welcome. Most of them practice a 'big tent' approach to religion. "You go to your church and I'll go to mine, but let's get along together." They just don't go along with various doctrines and practices, whether they concern Mary, transubstantiation, priestly celibacy, praying to saints, etc. I find that their personal theologies differ from one to another and that they are divided on issues such as abortion or same-sex marriage. 

  Evangelical Protestants, however, who number about the same as mainstream Protestants, are usually even further away from Catholicism on doctrines and practices, but on social issues like abortion or same-sex marriage they take the same position.
They may see you genuflect and then make an effort to ‘save you’ because most assume that Catholicism is a false religion.
 
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