Protestant (Evangelical) prayer

[po18guy]

Sadly, I have to say, that this is just the tip of the iceberg of problems that you will have to face when marrying outside of our Catholic Faith. And yes, I have experienced it firsthand, not just something that I heard about.

You have some big issues on your hands. First, you are marrying a non-Catholic and if this pastor is any reflection of your future husband’s attitude or even his family and church you really need to rethink this marriage. You can’t have a harmonious marriage if there are undercurrents of religious conflict…If you are getting married by the Catholic Church, you are obligated to raise your children Catholic.

No, I do not think you did anything intentionally wrong.

But this kind of issue is not likely to just up and disappear.

As a catholic you are gravely obligated as you seem to know already to commit to raise your children in the Catholic Church and to teach and have them live our beliefs. Your husband must agree with this in order to be married in a catholic Church.

Thank the Lord, this did not arise in our marriage. Yet, I was not even baptized when we were married. That occurred seven years later. Before he agreed to marry us, the Priest grilled me at some length about agreeing to raise the children Catholic. But, after visiting the grotto in Lourdes and “accidentally” receiving Pope John Paul II’s apostolic blessing in Genoa, I entered the Catholic Church before our children were conceived. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

Yes, interfaith mariages have many challenges, and it almost always leads to grave sin on the part of the Catholic, as many other denominations will not tolerate or accommodate the Catholic’s faith.

 

[AbideWithMe]

You have some big issues on your hands. First, you are marrying a non-Catholic and if this pastor is any reflection of your future husband’s attitude or even his family and church you really need to rethink this marriage. You can’t have a harmonious marriage if there are undercurrents of religious conflict. Even if this pastor does a part of the ceremony, if you are getting married in a CAtholic Church, it will be the priest officiating and not the pastor.
If you are getting married by the Catholic Church, you are obligated to raise your children Catholic. If your future husband doesn’t want this or won’t support this, you should call this marriage off. Sorry, but there are too many red flags here and to be honest, you are going to be in a holy war and that is not good for any marriage starting out. The fact that you met with this pastor and he is assuming that you are not born again or he manipulates you into prayers you don’t understand or are not comfortable with is a hugh red flag.

I’m an Evangelical Christian and I second these concerns. It also concerns me that you apparently feel more comfortable talking about this with strangers rather than your boyfriend and your own priest.

As a Catholic, you are discouraged from attending Protestant services except for infrequent special occasions—will your future husband be happy going to his church alone? Will you be happy taking your children alone to your Catholic church, or are you thinking you will change his beliefs?

 

[po18guy]

I’m an Evangelical Christian and I second these concerns. It also concerns me that you apparently feel more comfortable talking about this with strangers rather than your boyfriend and your own priest.

As a Catholic, you are discouraged from attending Protestant services except for infrequent special occasions—will your future husband be happy going to his church alone? Will you be happy taking your children alone to your Catholic church, or are you thinking you will change his beliefs?

Amen. A lot of prayer is needed in all such situations, and, as you rightly point out, OP needs to speak with her fiance as well as her Priest.

 

[PJM]

=po18guy;10148655]Thank the Lord, this did not arise in our marriage. Yet, I was not even baptized when we were married. That occurred seven years later. Before he agreed to marry us, the Priest grilled me at some length about agreeing to raise the children Catholic. But, after visiting the grotto in Lourdes and “accidentally” receiving Pope John Paul II’s apostolic blessing in Genoa, I entered the Catholic Church before our children were conceived. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

Yes, interfaith mariages have many challenges, and it almost always leads to grave sin on the part of the Catholic, as many other denominations will not tolerate or accommodate the Catholic’s faith.

What an AWESOME God we have! Amen

Continued Blessings,

pat

 

[po18guy]

What an AWESOME God we have! Amen

Continued Blessings,

pat

Pat, I know now that Saint Bernadette has been on my case for decades. As a non-baptized person, I crossed myself with water from the grotto at Lourdes and within the week, “coincidentally” was in a crowd which received the Pope’s Apostolic blessing. I was in RCIA the following year. To all of this, you may also add a Fred Hutchinson research doctor’s description of a “miracle” remission (twice) from stage 4 of a rare and aggressive cancer (“innumerable” tumors and cancer in my bone marrow) to all of this. I note that Saint Bernadette is the patron Saint of bodily illness. Praise God in heaven! Thoughts of His mercy bring tears.

 

[AbideWithMe]

Amen. A lot of prayer is needed in all such situations, and, as you rightly point out, OP needs to speak with her fiance as well as her Priest.

Yes, much prayer is needed, and no doubt the OP and her fiance have been praying deeply about these things.

I hope we don’t seem so harsh…I just get concerned for the whole family—husband and wife, future children, and in-laws—when I see these kinds of threads. Marriage is difficult enough without adding religious tensions and pressures into the mix. Our religious beliefs and practices go so deep into who we are and what we value, that when religion from the start is a source of tension rather than unity, it’s hard not to worry about the long-term health of a marriage.

 

[rfournier103]

I that happened to me, I would be pretty upset. If I were you, I’d visit my priest, and then have a long talk with my fiancee. I’d probably be so mad, I’d probably give the pastor what-for, too.

 

[po18guy]

Yes, much prayer is needed, and no doubt the OP and her fiance have been praying deeply about these things.

I hope we don’t seem so harsh…I just get concerned for the whole family—husband and wife, future children, and in-laws—when I see these kinds of threads. Marriage is difficult enough without adding religious tensions and pressures into the mix. Our religious beliefs and practices go so deep into who we are and what we value, that when religion from the start is a source of tension rather than unity, it’s hard not to worry about the long-term health of a marriage.

Well said. We are never oriented toward prevention, but it is so much more effective than the cure.

 

[Rosinante]

No, I do not think you did anything intentionally wrong.

But this kind of issue is not likely to just up and disappear.

…

From your post, I SUSPECT hubby may ask you to reciprocate and attend HIS serives; which ought not be done. By doing so you are open to teaching scandal to others who know that “YOUR ONE OF THEM CATHOLICS”; and conclude that your not firm in Our Faith.
You and hubby really need to talk to a Catholic priest and discuss therse isses in great detail before marriage.

God Bless you,

pat/PJm

I disagree with your suggestion that she not attend her hubby’s services, at least occasionally.

They are talking about MARRIAGE. If going in, H. has indicated that he has no intentions of conveting to Catholicism, then there should be no expectation of such. Not going to sevice with him at all, imo, isn’t very productive–possibly even coutner productive.

As I posted above, my wife is pro.–eveangelical, to be speicific. I go with her about once or twice a year. The services are frankly nauseating to me; transparently commercial ventures, noisy, superficial, etc.–but, that’s what she grew up with; that’s what she feels comfortable with; that’s how she believes the Lord is glorified. So I tolerate it.

IMO, it’s the least I can do, since she ‘endures’ mass with me and the kids, 2-3 sundays a month. This is the ‘balance’ that works for us. No doubt, I got the best of teh religion deal (she got the better of education). It’s marriage–there has to be some give and take.

No one size fits all solution. They need to figure things out for themselves…

The only exception to the above, is ignorance. Do not go in ignorant.

Know what your getting into…

As for the fella’ who suggested it was a bad idea to come on here, with a bunch of strnagers–non-sense. Just one more source of free info, to be processed and filtered by her (presumably) adult mind. She did it anonymously; didn’t thorw her fiance’s name or his pastor’s name in there. Didn’t sully anyone’s rep; just solicited free, hypothetical info.

That is to be commended.

Keep digging, keep inquiring, keep analyzing, playing it out in your mind…the more info. you have, the more you prepare in advance, the fewer surprises you will have to negotiate, in the already and always challenging (but rewarding and fulfilling) terrain of Marriage.

VIVAT JESUS!

 

[robwar]

Thank the Lord, this did not arise in our marriage. Yet, I was not even baptized when we were married. That occurred seven years later. Before he agreed to marry us, the Priest grilled me at some length about agreeing to raise the children Catholic. But, after visiting the grotto in Lourdes and “accidentally” receiving Pope John Paul II’s apostolic blessing in Genoa, I entered the Catholic Church before our children were conceived. Thank you, Holy Spirit!

Yes, interfaith mariages have many challenges, and it almost always leads to grave sin on the part of the Catholic, as many other denominations will not tolerate or accommodate the Catholic’s faith.

Thanks for sharing your story, I am assuming that you were not baptized yet because you were not in any Church. That’s not what is happening here. She went to see this Pastor in an effort to have some kind to joint ceremony which won’t happen in a Catholic Church, the priest would be doing it. This pastor obviously thinks she is not “born again” and then manipulate the OP into a prayer she doesn’t understand or feel comfortable with afterward. This is not a good sign and I don’t understand that if one’s faith is so important to oneself, that why in the world would you want to be married to someone who is very committed to something else and have it all work out. You have a great testimony but you did marry in a Catholic Church and agreed to having your children raised Catholic. This is a holy war waiting to happen.

 

[Rosinante]

Thanks for sharing your story, I am assuming that you were not baptized yet because you were not in any Church. That’s not what is happening here. She went to see this Pastor in an effort to have some kind to joint ceremony which won’t happen in a Catholic Church, the priest would be doing it. This pastor obviously thinks she is not “born again” and then manipulate the OP into a prayer she doesn’t understand or feel comfortable with afterward. This is not a good sign and I don’t understand that if one’s faith is so important to oneself, that why in the world would you want to be married to someone who is very committed to something else and have it all work out. You have a great testimony but you did marry in a Catholic Church and agreed to having your children raised Catholic. This is a holy war waiting to happen.

Your point is well taken, in so far as the pastor may have sought to sneak one in there (and arguably, did). Certainly if the OP’s priest walked up to the male fiance, and splashed holy water on his forehead, and said “…I hereby baptize you into the One True Holy Cat. and Apostolic Church that Yeshua himself founded, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”–he’d probably be taken aback. So sure, one may fairly characterize the Pastor’s actions as being out of line, and overstepping his bounds, and perhaps as being tasteless, tactless, classless, cheesy, and simply uncooth.

However, from HER vantage point, she did absolutely nothing wrong–and objectively speaking, what the pastor did, was pretty benign–as benign as a priest (or anyone) sprinklikng a few drops of water on anyone’s head, and baptizing them [against their will].

VIVAT JESUS!

 

[Rosinante]

^^^again to reitierate—the heresy of the ‘born again’ formulary, isn’t in any express contradicion of Catholic doctrine, teaching, or dogma–it’s in the fatal deception that it is sufficient, in and of itself, to attain salvation–especially ‘irrevocable salvation’. Like with baptism and sola scriptura–certainly there’s nothing wrong with baptazing folks in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the H/S…or with the Bible…

…the heretical aspect, is in claiming and teaching that Baptism and/or the Bible, are sufficient to attain eternal salvation, apart from the Church.

“Jesus, I invite you into my heart, and pray for your forgiveness of my sins”. [paraphrasing, of course].

Not only benign, but actually rather nice.

Just woefully incomplete, inadequate, and insufficient, as a subustitute for the Faith that Christ actually taught and coneyed to and through his Apostles, and/or for the Church that Chirst actually founded,.

VIVAT JESUS!

 

[steve_b]

I am Catholic , my boyfriend is Protestant and we are planning to get married next year. He agreed to have our wedding service in the Catholic church. But asked me if his Protestant pastor could officiate at our engagement which I agreed to.

The pastor wanted to meet us before the engagement and I was told he wanted to talk us about relationships, God, etc. so I agreed to go. When we went there yesterday he kept pushing me asking if i had received Jesus Christ as my saviour and that God wanted me to get water baptism and if I would do it. I replied said that I was strong in my Catholic faith and Jesus lived in me and I was secure in my faith, and that I had no need to get water baptised as I had already been baptised. The pastor mentioned that he wanted to pray with us - and I told him I had no issues with having a prayer.

Once he started the prayer - he asked me to repeat after him. I listened closely to what he said and the entire prayer was about asking Jesus for forgiveness and inviting him into my life. I had no issue saying it as I already have Jesus in my life. However, after the prayer I realised what he had prayed was his church’s prayer of salvation which is what they get people to pray when joining their church. I reflected back on every line in the prayer and at no point did it mention anything about renouncing or forsaking my current beliefs. So I thought what I did was ok - as from my point of view I was ok to ask Jesus for forgiveness. However from their point of view I have prayed their prayer and have kind of agreed . Ever since I realised this I have been feeling a severe guilt and am feeling so down and depressed.

Would love to get your thoughts on this and if what I did was wrong, and what can I do now. Im so confused, hurt and upset.

He opened the door, I was waiting for you to give the pastor a short catechism lesson on the only Church Jesus started and gave all His promises to.

• the Eucharist. Telling him you literally take Jesus body blood soul and divinity into you everytime you receive Him in the Eucharist. And that those who don’t, Jesus said, have no life in them [Jn 6:53-56]
• the sacrament of reconcilliation. Where even mortal sins are forgiven. You could have given him 1 Jn 5:16 If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him lifefor those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal. When John says, he doesn’t recommend praying for the forgiveness of mortal sin as one would with venial sin, Protestants really don’t have a response for this. They don’t even think mortal sin exists. To them all sin is the same. Not so
• the Mass and the necessity of not missing mass, because it’s a mortal sin, explained as follows.
• Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27* but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. 28* A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29* How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?

Dear Confused,
If you go into marriage thinking your fiance will change in the future, and he’s thinking you will change, that IMV is a blueprint for disaster. When it comes to marriage and faith, IMV, complete harmony on this issue should be a non negotiable. :twocents:

 

[brb3]

I Catholic , my boyfriend is Protestant and we are planning to get married next year. He agreed to have our wedding service in the Catholic church. But asked me if his Protestant pastor could officiate at our engagement which I agreed to.

The pastor wanted to meet us before the engagement and I was told he wanted to talk us about relationships, God, etc. so I agreed to go. When we went there yesterday he kept pushing me asking if i had received Jesus Christ as my saviour and that God wanted me to get water baptism and if I would do it. I replied said that I was strong in my Catholic faith and Jesus lived in me and I was secure in my faith, and that I had no need to get water baptised as I had already been baptised. The pastor mentioned that he wanted to pray with us - and I told him I had no issues with having a prayer.

Once he started the prayer - he asked me to repeat after him. I listened closely to what he said and the entire prayer was about asking Jesus for forgiveness and inviting him into my life. I had no issue saying it as I already have Jesus in my life. However, after the prayer I realised what he had prayed was his church’s prayer of salvation which is what they get people to pray when joining their church. I reflected back on every line in the prayer and at no point did it mention anything about renouncing or forsaking my current beliefs. So I thought what I did was ok - as from my point of view I was ok to ask Jesus for forgiveness. However from their point of view I have prayed their prayer and have kind of agreed . Ever since I realised this I have been feeling a severe guilt and am feeling so down and depressed.

Would love to get your thoughts on this and if what I did was wrong, and what can I do now. Im so confused, hurt and upset

.

What does your priest say about marriage to non-Catholic …before he enters your church via RCIA ?