Protestant Father in Law, on the wrong path

[Lady0Faith]

I was born and raised Roman Catholic. I married a Protestant man who currently attends Catholic church with me, is open to learning Catholicism and agreed to raise our future kids Catholic (when we do have them). We married 2.5 yrs ago and he is slowly making the transition. My husband is also from a Protestant home (his mom is Protestant and father was Catholic but his mother converted his father). His parents are now “ruling elders” in his old Protestant church – therefore I imagine the transition for my husband is going be slow (all in good time) since we was raised with such Protestant influence.

Anyway, my father in-law(FIL) (who I do love dearly & even look up to) seemed to be miffed by our choice to remain Catholic, he hasn’t said anything but I can tell in his non verbals. He and I still get along very well otherwise, the only issue is that he has mentioned several times that the bible does not state you have to go through Mary to get to Christ and she is human not like him. I could argue with him for days and days about this b/c my faith is unshakable especially with regards to the Blessed Mother and my FIL knows that. Part of me thinks he likes the religious debate we have, I do tend to bring up history of mistakes even Martin Luther did to help quiet him. All this teaches me is that Protestants can’t help but protest instead of spend more time believing and trusting when something is good. However, I do tend to stay quiet when he mentions that Christ doesn’t want us to spend time praying to the Blessed Mother b/c it is not in the bible. I would like some advice to handle him or even answer him back appropriately. I am in the process of learning about my religion further and will be continuing my education and search of a Catholic church to belong to (we just moved out of state due to the military). But as I am learning as always.

*My Catholic education has been interrupted several times in my life due to being the daughter and spouse of a veteran – the military moves us around. I was Baptized Catholic and I did attend Catholic school up until about age 10. I still need to be Confirmed and will be able to do so.

 

[freerf]

However, I do tend to stay quiet when he mentions that Christ doesn’t want us to spend time praying to the Blessed Mother b/c it is not in the bible. I would like some advice to handle him or even answer him back appropriately.

*My Catholic education has been interrupted several times in my life due to being the daughter and spouse of a veteran – the military moves us around. I was Baptized Catholic and I did attend Catholic school up until about age 10. I still need to be Confirmed and will be able to do so.

As a Protestant, I find the whole Mary thing quite confusing. (I’m a potential convert though.) However, having said that I do now pray Hail Marys and have tried to pray the Rosary. And while my brain doesn’t understand it, I know that it helps in my spiritual battle. I am amazed that I can pray a Hail Mary during temptation and the temptation goes away. I am amazed that I can pray the St. Michael and it helps me win battles (spiritually).

Jesus was accused of doing miracles by the hand of Satan, to which he replied:
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” Luke 11:14-20.

That is my take on the Mary situation right now. If she leads one to Christ, how can this be of the devil? My intellect does not understand it, but my personal testimony is that she does in fact lead me to Jesus. A poster once corrected me when I criticised a “faith in Mary” by saying God gives us parents in whom we have a degree of faith, and their job as Christians is to lead us to Christ. If we go to them to ask for prayer and help, is that wrong? of course not. so too with prayer to saints (not worship of saints). we ask for help. and if they are consistantly leading us to Christ, how can this be in error?

Your personal testimony may be your best arguement. How has prayer to Mary led you to Christ? A Protestant will have a hard time telling you not to do something that leads you to Christ.

Remember though, keep it light, they are Christians too and saved. there may be non-christians or spiritually weak christians who will not be edified by this conversation.

 

[Stuart5]

Check this out:

Isaiah 7:14 Behold the virgin shall bear a son and his name shall be called emanuel.

We think nothing of asking a friend to pray for us. So why can’t we ask Mary to pray for us. … Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners … now and at the hour of our death … so we honor her in the first part of the prayer and then ask her to pray for us.

The first part of the Hail Mary ---- is what Gabriel said ---- that last part, we ask for her to pray for us.

The Catholics believe in the Gospel of John 6: 53-58. This means that Christ is in communion. The protestants do not believe this yet they say — we are to walk by faith not sight. The Catholics literally interpret the scriptures here for exactly what they say. This is the single thing that led me back to the catholic Church after 40 years of being with the protestants.

I am glad that the protestants have faith — good for them — there is only one church for me and I am in it

 

[freerf]

Check this out:

Isaiah 7:14 Behold the virgin shall bear a son and his name shall be called emanuel.

We think nothing of asking a friend to pray for us. So why can’t we ask Mary to pray for us. … Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners … now and at the hour of our death … so we honor her in the first part of the prayer and then ask her to pray for us.

The first part of the Hail Mary ---- is what Gabriel said ---- that last part, we ask for her to pray for us.

The Catholics believe in the Gospel of John 6: 53-58. This means that Christ is in communion. The protestants do not believe this yet they say — we are to walk by faith not sight. The Catholics literally interpret the scriptures here for exactly what they say. This is the single thing that led me back to the catholic Church after 40 years of being with the protestants.

I am glad that the protestants have faith — good for them — there is only one church for me and I am in it

I wouldn’t go down this road with him. . . he’ll merely say it’s a metaphor (similar to many other metaphors in the bible). He’ll probably also point out that eating human flesh is cannibalism, which is a sin. I’m not trying to argue this point. I’m merely showing how this is a good way to start a debate you’ll not win (even if you’re right, it reasonably could be a metaphore)

not agreeing with Catholics on this point is not a faith issue, it’s an interpretation issue.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I was born and raised Roman Catholic. I married a Protestant man who currently attends Catholic church with me, is open to learning Catholicism and agreed to raise our future kids Catholic (when we do have them). We married 2.5 yrs ago and he is slowly making the transition. My husband is also from a Protestant home (his mom is Protestant and father was Catholic but his mother converted his father). His parents are now “ruling elders” in his old Protestant church – therefore I imagine the transition for my husband is going be slow (all in good time) since we was raised with such Protestant influence.

Anyway, my father in-law(FIL) (who I do love dearly & even look up to) seemed to be miffed by our choice to remain Catholic, he hasn’t said anything but I can tell in his non verbals. He and I still get along very well otherwise, the only issue is that he has mentioned several times that the bible does not state you have to go through Mary to get to Christ and she is human not like him. I could argue with him for days and days about this b/c my faith is unshakable especially with regards to the Blessed Mother and my FIL knows that. Part of me thinks he likes the religious debate we have, I do tend to bring up history of mistakes even Martin Luther did to help quiet him. All this teaches me is that Protestants can’t help but protest instead of spend more time believing and trusting when something is good. However, I do tend to stay quiet when he mentions that Christ doesn’t want us to spend time praying to the Blessed Mother b/c it is not in the bible. I would like some advice to handle him or even answer him back appropriately. I am in the process of learning about my religion further and will be continuing my education and search of a Catholic church to belong to (we just moved out of state due to the military). But as I am learning as always.

*My Catholic education has been interrupted several times in my life due to being the daughter and spouse of a veteran – the military moves us around. I was Baptized Catholic and I did attend Catholic school up until about age 10. I still need to be Confirmed and will be able to do so.

Wow–this could be me…except I left the Catholic church when I got married. I’m returning and my husband is converting. I too had been baptized, went to CCE, and received my first Holy Communion but had never been confirmed. Currently in RCIA.

Mary is something that I wasn’t too sure of given my Protestant background. You know the trinity isn’t specifically mentioned in the Bible…are we not supposed to believe in that?

A couple of things that helped me. First of all…we don’t pray to Mary…we ask her to pray for us. Much like I can ask a friend to pray for me. Although it’s much more powerful because Jesus’s mother is asking Him. When we pray the rosary…it’s not so much the Hail Mary’s we are suppose to concentrate on but the mysteries, which are mainly about Jesus.

When I returned to the church, I was blessed enough to have a wonderful priest who has helped me so much. I can see how he helps lead people to Christ. Why can’t Mary help lead people to Christ?

But…yes some Protestants love to argue…so they can show how much they know…

 

[Big_Dummy]

As a Protestant, I find the whole Mary thing quite confusing. (I’m a potential convert though.) However, having said that I do now pray Hail Marys and have tried to pray the Rosary. And while my brain doesn’t understand it, I know that it helps in my spiritual battle. I am amazed that I can pray a Hail Mary during temptation and the temptation goes away. I am amazed that I can pray the St. Michael and it helps me win battles (spiritually).

Jesus was accused of doing miracles by the hand of Satan, to which he replied:
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” Luke 11:14-20.

That is my take on the Mary situation right now. If she leads one to Christ, how can this be of the devil? My intellect does not understand it, but my personal testimony is that she does in fact lead me to Jesus. A poster once corrected me when I criticised a “faith in Mary” by saying God gives us parents in whom we have a degree of faith, and their job as Christians is to lead us to Christ. If we go to them to ask for prayer and help, is that wrong? of course not. so too with prayer to saints (not worship of saints). we ask for help. and if they are consistantly leading us to Christ, how can this be in error?

Your personal testimony may be your best arguement. How has prayer to Mary led you to Christ? A Protestant will have a hard time telling you not to do something that leads you to Christ.

Remember though, keep it light, they are Christians too and saved. there may be non-christians or spiritually weak christians who will not be edified by this conversation.

When I was in Christian Science, I would pray for a healing and it happened. I now know that the demon causing the pain in someone simply ceased causing that pain because it gave the other person in that cult a reason to believe that cult was true. My point being demons can simply withdrawal from an attack if it gives a person a reason to believe in something that is false. Bottom line, experience is not the best way of knowing what is true.

In Romans 8, we have both Jesus and the Holy Spirit praying for us, when we don’t know exactly what to pray. It could also be your prayers were answered not because you prayed to a creature in heaven, but because your prayer was cut off by God and God gave a propper prayer in its place.

 

[Big_Dummy]

Check this out:

Isaiah 7:14 Behold the virgin shall bear a son and his name shall be called emanuel.

We think nothing of asking a friend to pray for us. So why can’t we ask Mary to pray for us. … Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners … now and at the hour of our death … so we honor her in the first part of the prayer and then ask her to pray for us.

The first part of the Hail Mary ---- is what Gabriel said ---- that last part, we ask for her to pray for us.

The Catholics believe in the Gospel of John 6: 53-58. This means that Christ is in communion. The protestants do not believe this yet they say — we are to walk by faith not sight. The Catholics literally interpret the scriptures here for exactly what they say. This is the single thing that led me back to the catholic Church after 40 years of being with the protestants.

I am glad that the protestants have faith — good for them — there is only one church for me and I am in it

Ecclesiastes 9:6b (New International Version)

    never again will they have a part 
   in anything that happens under the sun.

Because they have no part in what happens on earth anymore, they simply cannot hear yo

 

[Big_Dummy]

Your best approach with him is pointing out what both catholics and protestants believe in.