I have recently met a new group of nurses at work. All of the ladies are very spiritual in their own way. We have had several discussions about God, religion, faith, and so forth. One of the ladies suggested we all meet outside of work and perhaps do a Bible study together. Everyone was so excited. She even purchased a book for us called The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R. Cross. We are to read the book in sections and meet at her house to discuss it along with Scripture. Is this okay? I feel a little uneasy and I don’t want to hurt her feelings.
Studying the Bible with non-Catholics is not “wrong,” but it may be imprudent if you are not well-educated in your faith and familiar with how Catholics understand Scripture. This is because it would be very easy to pick up non-Catholic understandings of Scripture that are incompatible with the Catholic faith and to accept those understandings uncritically. If this is the case for you, then while you should have politely stated at the time that you were unable to “commit” to attending this Bible study, you still can call or email the group leader and let her know that “other obligations” now prevent you from attending. On the other hand, if you do feel you have the knowledge of your faith and Scripture necessary to participate, see the link below for more information.
DISCLAIMER: Catholic Answers has turned over the archive to Catholic-Questions.org and no longer owns, manages, or moderates the forums. For additional apologetics resources please visit www.catholic.com.
