Nazarene Faith vs Catholic Faith

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I am married and my non Catholic husband has converted from a non practicing Nazarene to a practicing and involved Catholic. He did not come from a family that really practiced religion that much. They’d read the bible KJV and occasionally attend the local Nazarene church.

After our marriage we both searched for a church that we felt comfortable in and that encompassed what we believed in. We found our home in the Catholic Church. That is the faith we are raising our daughter in.

My brother in law/sister in law are not Catholic, quite honestly I do not know what church they attend, but he did go to college to be a Nazarene minister (?).

Now over the years of my relationship with them, it’s never really been an issue…however I have heard bits here and there about them not liking my faith and not wanting others to associate with the faith (I have invited my MIL/FIL to mass with us, no pressure, just a Christian invite to attend church).

Now I don’t know much at all about the Nazarene faith and I was hoping that maybe I could get some light shed on this matter. Is there a reason why Nazarenes would not like or even vehemently dislike Catholics? Is there something between the two faiths that make them like oil and water? Would there be any reason why (religiously speaking) my BIL/SIL would harbor such negativity towards me and my husband for being Catholic?
:confused:

Thank you.
 
This does not surprise me. I too have heard and encountered this sort of anti-catholicism from the Nazarine communtiy. They tend to buy into the whole “Catholicism = Whore of Babylon” nonsense.

Peace
James
 
Here’s an interview with a former Nazarene minister who became a Catholic.

EWTN - Journey Home
Program #322 4-12-2004
Doug Gonzales

Mr. Gonzales lost his home, his wife, his children, and, of course, his job as a minister in the Nazarene church because of his conversion. He tells some miraculous stories of how he became a Catholic and of his hatred for the Church before his coversion.

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?pgnu=11&SeriesID=-6892289

This should get you to page 11, then look for ‘Nazarene minister’ and the name, Doug Gonzales, in the list of programs. Program numbers and page numbers change as new ones are added, but the dates of the programs, of course, do not change.

This will be really helpful to you. You can listen to it, then download it if you want to keep it on your computer.

There’s another EWTN Journey Home program with Gonzales as one of the guests. I’ll get the link to that for you also.

Jim Dandy
 
I was invited to play on the Nazarene softball team in the small WI town where I lived.
No, I did not encounter any “hatred” of Nazarenes regarding the Catholic Church. Yes, they knew I was Catholic and that I attended Mass before joining them in worship.
The members of the Nazarene community exhibited a simple faith. The pastor and I even discussed the scripture passage about God choosing the simple over the wise and how we both struggle as a result of our intelligence and education and how much easier it was for his parishioners to believe.
This same minister came to my apartment to check on me when I failed to show one Sunday. He was checking that I was not ill. He made no attempt to convert me. I cannot say the same for the pastor of the Assembly of God (a former Catholic).
The Nazarenes come from the Wesleyan background, as do Methodists. They tend to be sola scriptura. While they regularly hold altar calls, I never saw a “communion service.”
While we as Catholics may enjoy dancing, they do not allow their high school students to go to the prom, or other dance. Parishioners brought potluck every Sunday to share after the service. Young children were taken out at the halfway point for instruction which included memorizing scripture versus. They also gathered Thursday evenings.
James Dobson of Focus on the Family is a Nazarene. I did hear him say during one of his radio programs that he could not accept much of what the Catholic Church teaches. He did not go into specifics.
 
I’m sorry. I realize now that my post #3 is the original program and my post #5 was a repeat of the interview with Doug Gonzales.

There is another interview, I know, and I’ll keep looking for it. I apologize for the duplication and confusion. It was too late to delete or edit when I realized they were the same interview.

Jim Dandy
 
Here’s the link to the 25th Anniversary Journey Home program in San Francisco

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?pgnu=8&SeriesID=-6892289

Program # 240, 1-30-2006

Guests: Dale Ahlquist, former Baptist; Bob Fishman, former Jew; Doug Gonzales, former minister, Church of the Nazarene

This show is less about the Nazarenes, per se, but has additional information about Doug Gonzales.

Here’s a link to the official Church of the Nazarene website, but you won’t find anything here about their attitude toward Catholicism.

nazarene.org/ministries/administration/visitorcenter/beliefs/display.aspx

Peace be with you,

Jim Dandy
 
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