Is it wrong to go to a protestant service?

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

forever_always

Guest
My boyfriend was raised Southern Baptist, and I am Roman Catholic (we are both in our early twenties; 21 and 22). He is in the Air Force so is away from his family, who lives in Arkansas (he is stationed in Washington state)… next summer, we are both taking time off to go down and visit his family so that they “can meet their future daughter-in-law.”

He has been going to mass with me lately, actually hasn’t missed mass in quite a while, and is learning all of the prayers and teachings on his own and says he wants to be married in the Catholic church and wants to raise the kids Catholic. So he is very open. The thing is, his family is very devout southern baptist and want us to go to a service with them when we visit. I know this is still like… 8 or 9 months away, but I want to know if it is wrong if i go to a service with them? It will not count as mass for me, and I planned on finding a Catholic church near by that I could go to in addition to their service.

Thanks…
 
There is nothing wrong with attending a Protestant service as long as you meet your Sunday obligation by attending Mass. If they have communion you are not to partake since you are not in communion with their beliefs and that would undermine our knowing that God is truly present in the Eucharist. I have been to Protestant services and while there is a definite difference in theology there is always a good message. Blessings to you and your future husband…teachccd 🙂
 
There is no two ways about it! You either stick to one or not. Protestant service is nothing but a gathering of like minded people. We true Catholics go to Mass to worship and partake. Remember Mass is Heaven on Earth. Read Revelation to understand about Mass. There is a fundamental difference between Mass and Service. Liberalism has no place in the Catholic Church.

Thanks

Akini
 
Akini said:
There is no two ways about it! You either stick to one or not. Protestant service is nothing but a gathering of like minded people. We true Catholics go to Mass to worship and partake. Remember Mass is Heaven on Earth. Read Revelation to understand about Mass. There is a fundamental difference between Mass and Service. Liberalism has no place in the Catholic Church.

Thanks

Akini
Click to expand...
It would seem presumptive to say that (most) Protestants do not worship God in their services. Duly noted that a Protestent service is a different animal than the Catholic mass, but if you read the OP’s post, it would seem that her going to a Protestant service under the conditions she stated is perfectly OK.

Besides, she could help win a couple of converts over, no? 👍
 
Keep your Sunday obligation and you will be fine. Ditto on the no participation on their grape juice and crackers. The “No thanks” got me some ugly stares, but I know where to find the real Bread of Life.

However, if was like anything like my experience, the “sermon” was geared to me, the questions were geared to me, they were ready for the “*that *Catholic” in hopes of converting me.

but I was there with a friend, and I know my faith pretty well. Prayers and God Bless. P.S. take a rosary. 👍

btw, ya’ll have talked about how ya’ll will raise the children Catholic I presume if you are engaged. That may trigger more questions/sermon geared towards you. But it’s your future husband that has to agree, not his baptist congregation. 😉
 
It is perfectly acceptable for you to go to a Protestant Service as long as you still attend Sunday Mass as well. Remember that we have more in common with Protestants than differences. Both you and they believe that Christ died for our sins, rose and will come again. Why you can’t celebrate that would be beyond me.
 
It is really admirable for you to go to the Protestant service for the reason in the sitaution you are in. If anything else it is out of respect for your future in-laws’ religion. If they are like most of us I am sure they respect and appreciate you for the gesture on your part.

Of course as has been rightly advised here, the service does not constitute as fullfilment of your Sunday obligation. You cannot participate in anything there that may contradict Catholic’s rule, like receiving their communion if there’s any. Finally,you still have to attend your Sunday mass.

May God bless you on your coming marriage.
 
Akini said:
There is no two ways about it! You either stick to one or not. Protestant service is nothing but a gathering of like minded people. We true Catholics go to Mass to worship and partake. Remember Mass is Heaven on Earth. Read Revelation to understand about Mass. There is a fundamental difference between Mass and Service. Liberalism has no place in the Catholic Church.

Thanks

Akini
Click to expand...
Protestants can be future Catholics. Lighten up a bit and realize that Jesus ate with everyone. You are correct in all of what you say about the Mass but to build this wall is not what Christ would want (cf. John 17) …teachccd
 
No, not really as long as you don’t start going to a Protestant Service instead of a Catholic Service. I guess my main concern is whether or not you might start getting taken in with protestant idology which is, in my opinion as a Catholic problematic. I would suggest that both of you, attend both services. Explain the faith to him, try your hand at apologetics 🙂 We have the fullness of the truth of Christ, we should want everyone to expereince it, particularly those we love.
 
By all means go, but be prepared that some well meaning folks might take the opportunity to try and “convert” you. A good review of Chuch teachings before you go will help you defend the faith.
 
No, i won’t recieve communion there. My going to the service is more out of respect for his family than anything. We would still go to Catholic mass as well for sunday obligation.

Thank you everyone for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
 
Is there any definitive documentation on the Church’s teaching on this? I know this is going back awhile and I can’t find any documentation to state that Vatican II superseded any teaching in the Baltimore Catechism which states: (205) A Catholic sins against faith by apostasy, heresy, indifferentism, and taking part in non-Catholic worship and (206) A Catholic sins against faith by taking part in non-Catholic worship because he thus professes belief in a religion he knows is false. If someone knows of a document that changed this, please educate me.

Also, another source (“The Faith Explained”) states the new edition (published in 2008) incorporated many changes since the second Vatican Council. This book states on page 220: “Indifferentism can be preached by actions as well as by words. That is why it is wrong for a Catholic to participate in a specifically non-Catholic religious service; that is, a specifically Lutheran or Methodist service. To participate actively in such a service would be a sin against the virtue of faith. We know how God wants to be worshipped and therefore it is gravely sinful for us to worship him in ways that are fashioned by man rather than dictated by God.” (Weddings and funerals excepted as everyone knows why the Catholic is there)

I have heard many Catholic speakers (radio primarily) state it is alright to go…if anyone has any documentation, please post!

In Christ and Mary
 
We need to consider what constitutes “active participation.” You can be present at a protestant service without actively participating by not receiving their communion or joining in with any prayers that would oppose Catholic teaching. To sit politely as a guest should not be a problem.

Betsy
 
rick43235 said:
Geez…talk about disrespectful. How would you like it if someone referred to the Eucharist as “wine and crackers?”
Click to expand...
Seeing as how Protestants don’t believe in the Real Presence, that is what it is 🙂 Granted, it might be bread and grape juice instead.
 
There are several very good reasons for a Catholic to attend a Protestant service. One is what we hold in common. Two is a demonstration of ecumenism.

In your relationship (which sounds like it is happily progressing!) you have been engaging in personal ecumenism as well as a deepening personal religious life. You have proselytized by example, which is wonderful.

It would be good for you to go with his parents to their church. It would be good to sing the hymns, talk about the sermon, read your Bible with them when they do so at home. Nothing wrong with any of these things. The grape juice and cracker, on the other hand, is different - if you believe in the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper that Baptists celebrate is a well-intended but incomplete form of worship - an ordinance rather than a communion. That is one of the theological differences between Catholics and the SBC, though I don’t think there are any sufficient to prevent marriage.

I should note that while others here have expressed concern that his parents would try to convert you, his parents may very well be concerned that you’re doing the same to their son. If it is important to them that he continue in the SBC, they may very well challenge you on taking him to Mass and ask you to defend your doctrine. While we should always be ready to give reason for our Hope, from a relationship perspective this is a talk your beau needs to have with his folks. They should not be coming down on you - he needs to make it clear that his decision to become Catholic is his own and to give reasons for it. It would also help to demonstrate what we hold in common - Jesus Christ for starters.

Let me reiterate that point - your relationship with your beau is not contingent upon anyone else. My father and my wife disagree deeply on politics (actually, she and I often do, too) but he learned early on that I won’t allow him to question her beliefs.

From experience of having dated evangelical Christians, I can tell you that it will feel like the sermon is targeted towards you - evangelical theology tends to place such an emphasis on faith and that first real conversion that there’s always an altar call, always the call to accept Jesus into your heart or say a ‘sinner’s prayer’. Not that it’s a bad thing to examine your commitment to Christ, but Catholicism sees faith as a starting point rather than the entirety of the process. While Catholic priests tend to assume that everyone gathered is Catholic and already has faith (probably an accurate assumption), evangelical ministers I’ve heard seem to assume that there are always those without faith.

Otherwise, don’t let religion be the focus of your visit, and don’t let the visit determine the course of your lives. If his parents detest you both because of your Catholicism, tough cookies for them. They found Christ in their church, you found Him in Ours. Why should it be any other way?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top