My mom wants me to go to Protestant Easter service

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I had my Confirmation and First Communion at the Easter Vigil. 🙂

My mom went to Mass and now she wants me to go to the 11am Protestant Easter service with her, my dad, and my brother.

It would mean a lot to her if I went.

Should I go?
 
It’s a special day. Your mother supported you by attending Mass and celebrating your Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Surely that meant a lot to you. If it would mean a lot to her for you to attend her service, then I think you should. Just make sure you don’t receive any type of communion; otherwise, you are free to pray and sing with fellow Christians on this most Holy of Days! Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you so that you might be able to discern anything in the sermon that might not align with Catholic Teaching. But the basic message for today is one of joy for all Christians: Jesus is risen today! And we may have eternal life with Him because of His great sacrifice. We only need love Him, love others, and be faithful to His teachings (and for you, that means the teachings of the Catholic Church.) Congratulations on your confirmation!! 👍
 
Veronica97 said:
It’s a special day. Your mother supported you by attending Mass and celebrating your Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Surely that meant a lot to you. If it would mean a lot to her for you to attend her service, then I think you should. Just make sure you don’t receive any type of communion; otherwise, you are free to pray and sing with fellow Christians on this most Holy of Days! Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you so that you might be able to discern anything in the sermon that might not align with Catholic Teaching. But the basic message for today is one of joy for all Christians: Jesus is risen today! And we may have eternal life with Him because of His great sacrifice. We only need love Him, love others, and be faithful to His teachings (and for you, that means the teachings of the Catholic Church.) Congratulations on your confirmation!! 👍
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Thanks! 🙂
 
Do you mind if I ask what Protestant denomination your mother is?
 
I asked b/c I’m a former Protestant and I’m familiar with several denominations. As far as Southern Baptists go, I think the main thing to remember is that while Catholics believe that we can choose to mortally sin and lose our salvation, Southern Baptists tend to believe that it’s not possible for a true believer to fall from a state of Grace. Correct me if I’m wrong. Otherwise, I’d say they’ll be celebrating the same thing we are: the Resurrection of Christ!
 
Veronica97 said:
I asked b/c I’m a former Protestant and I’m familiar with several denominations. As far as Southern Baptists go, I think the main thing to remember is that while Catholics believe that we can choose to mortally sin and no longer be “saved”, Southern Baptists tend to believe that it’s not possible for a true believer to fall from a state of Grace. Correct me if I’m wrong. Otherwise, I’d say they’ll be celebrating the same thing we are: the Resurrection of Christ!
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Yeah, the pastor there said he believes in “once saved always saved”.
 
Then as long as you’re aware of that, and as long as you don’t partake of Communion, I think it will be nice of you to be with your family on Easter. I wouldn’t make a habit of it, though, because you are new in your Faith and you don’t want to become confused.
 
There’s no problem with attending on occasion provided that you don’t recieve communion or sing along with any heterodox songs.
 
Zenkai Welcome Home! May you always live in the joy of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church!

Veronica’s answers to you give you sound advice. I hope your Easter morning is a blessed and beautiful opportunity to join with your mother and other family members as they worship our Lord in the way they best know how.
 
I’d say you could go 🙂 we praise the same God!

In regards to communion…the other day I encountered this problem…I had to attend a non-Catholic church for a class and didnt receive their communion…but if you did it just wouldn’t mean anything you know? You’d basically just be eating bread or grape juice so I guess it doesn’t matter
 
Caliloo said:
I’d say you could go 🙂 we praise the same God!

In regards to communion…the other day I encountered this problem…I had to attend a non-Catholic church for a class and didnt receive their communion…but if you did it just wouldn’t mean anything you know? You’d basically just be eating bread or grape juice so I guess it doesn’t matter
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No you wouldn’t. And yes it would matter. You would be expressing unity with the denomination in which you communed - including ALL their beliefs. And implying that all communions are equal. Basically lying by your actions. And thereby sinning gravely.

As I said in another thread, a Catholic communing in a Catholic Church is like a US citizen pledging allegiance to the US flag. Same with a Baptist communing in the Baptist. Doing any other is like a French citizen pledging allegiance to the US flag - plain old wrong and insulting both to France and the US.
 
If one does attend a “Protestant” Easter service, do not worry.

We get the same overall message,

The music may sound a little different but it’s all good!
 
LilyM said:
No you wouldn’t. And yes it would matter. You would be expressing unity with the denomination in which you communed - including ALL their beliefs. And implying that all communions are equal. Basically lying by your actions. And thereby sinning gravely.

As I said in another thread, a Catholic communing in a Catholic Church is like a US citizen pledging allegiance to the US flag. Same with a Baptist communing in the Baptist. Doing any other is like a French citizen pledging allegiance to the US flag - plain old wrong and insulting both to France and the US.
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No I wouldn’t what? And if a random person walks up to you and tells you “Hey this piece of bread is communion” and clearly they’re not a priest…then it’s just a piece of bread …the Host is only considered communion when it’s blessed by a Catholic priest.

Anyways I didn’t tell them to take it I said that i wouldn’t but as a Catholic we would not recognize it as communion anyways.
 
If anybody gets anointed with oil, that may be a little different. I never seen that done at any Catholic service that I’ve witnessed.
 
Caliloo said:
No I wouldn’t what? And if a random person walks up to you and tells you “Hey this piece of bread is communion” and clearly they’re not a priest…then it’s just a piece of bread …the Host is only considered communion when it’s blessed by a Catholic priest. Anyways I didn’t tell them to take it I said that i wouldn’t but as a Catholic we would not recognize it as communion anyways.
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Caliloo, are you Catholic? Your description of the Blessed Sacrament and transubstantiation as a “blessing” sounds like you are not, or else you need a bit of brushing up on the faith. Or perhaps it’s merely your peculiar syntax that’s confusing me.

Lily is correct. Catholics do not participate in non-Catholic religious services. You may attend. You may observe. Your stance would be polite but passive. Taking their bread and grape juice is most expressly forbidden, it’s not an option that “doesn’t matter anyways (sic).”

There is nothing in life that doesn’t mean something. It is not a matter of “recognizing” Communion. Either the Body and Blood of Christ are present through the act of Consecration, or they are not. And if Christ is present, it matters not who is holding the host, it could be stolen and left in a cookie jar, it retains it’s hidden yet sacred nature.

It doesn’t matter if you or anyone else “recognizes” something that is not there, and it is not there in a Baptist church. So it does indeed matter what you do in either case.
 
Caliloo said:
No I wouldn’t what? And if a random person walks up to you and tells you “Hey this piece of bread is communion” and clearly they’re not a priest…then it’s just a piece of bread …the Host is only considered communion when it’s blessed by a Catholic priest.

Anyways I didn’t tell them to take it I said that i wouldn’t but as a Catholic we would not recognize it as communion anyways.
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You wouldn’t just be eating bread and wine. You would be making a statement and sending a message and participating in a deeply religiously significant act by eating that bread and wine.

Communion is a very different thing, even from the point of view of those who do not believe in transubstantiation or the real presence, from a common or garden Sunday snack of bread and wine.
 
LilyM said:
You wouldn’t just be eating bread and wine. You would be making a statement and sending a message and participating in a deeply religiously significant act by eating that bread and wine.

Communion is a very different thing, even from the point of view of those who do not believe in transubstantiation or the real presence, from a common or garden Sunday snack of bread and wine.
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Transubstantiation?

Is that the belief that the wafer and wine literally becomes the real blood and body of Christ?
 
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