Protestant leading catholic bible study

[Dan-Man916]

I am a revert. I converted to an evangelical denomination from 1997 to 2002, and during that time attended a small group bible study. As I was discerning reurning to the Catholic Church, it got increasingly difficult to participate in that bible study because my comments weren’t welcomed (especially by the ex-catholic older woman who was there who believes every mischaracterization of the Church).
When my wife and I reconciled back to the Church, I wrote a long letter to the group telling them why we could no longer participate in the Church. I also wrote the pastor as well.

I can’t really understand why someone would want to regularly participate in a bible study or worship service that is in contradiction to their faith. There are too many differences that it makes bible study mostly impossible. The more I came into the Catholic faith, the more I was unable to participate in faith sharing that was contrary to my beliefs. How can a person sit and be silent when people around them are talking about once saved always saved, and eternal assurance when the bible obviously doesn’t teach that unless you do a bunch of gymnastics to shove those beliefs into the text.

 

[Richard_Hurtz]

Scott Waddell:

Let me put it this way–if a Protestant objected to a Catholic coming into his church and teaching, I would say he has plenty of grounds for complaint. Let me add that I might be flexible on bible study, but what the op is describing sounds more like catechesis, which I would not be flexible on and I would expect a non-Catholic to be the same.

Scott

I don’t have any problem with any Christian leading a Bible study, I think we can all learn from each other.

Teaching doctrine however should be left to those individuals that have been approved of by the leadership of their respective churches.

Blessings,
Richard

 

[Kendy]

Richard_Hurtz:

I don’t have any problem with any Christian leading a Bible study, I think we can all learn from each other.

Teaching doctrine however should be left to those individuals that have been approved of by the leadership of their respective churches.

Blessings,
Richard

It is a bible study, not an adult catechism class. The person in charge of it is not trained in anyway. However, the bible study is regular listed in the parish’s bulletin and the meeting is held at the church. So, I innocently assumed that it would offer a catholic perspective.

I hope this doesn’t come across as a slam on protestants. All of my friends and immediate family members are protestants. Like I said, I still go to a protestant bible study. But because of the important doctrinal differences, it is inappropriate to lead each other’s bible study. People have a right to get what they signed up for. I am trying to deepen my understanding of catholic teaching. Luckily, I knew enough to know that what this man was saying is not catholic, but it didn’t seem like many of the cradle catholics did. They understood that he was obnoxious, but another guy and I had to explain one of the women after the meeting (a middle woman who had been catholic her whole life) why his “sola scriptura” view is not catholic. She had never heard of this sola scriptura and didn’t realize that catholics believed in bringing in tradition and the teachings of the magisterium.

The worst part is that he never said, I am going to give my fundamentalist, protestant perspective on this. He just spoke as if this was the only logical way to interpret these passages. Because I have been evangelical protestant for the past ten years, I recognized where he was coming from, and I confirmed it by pulling him aside and asking him if he’s catholic. But nobody else realize it. Thus, for people who are ignorant or confused but trying to educate themselves by coming to this bible study, this man causes confusion.

Kendy

 

[Philthy]

Kendy:

I have been trying to return to the RCC and get connected to my local parish, and let me tell you it hasn’t been easy. So, I went to the bible study at my parish for the first time, which is lead by two people. One of them (a guy) got into several very heated discussions with all of us about how we were interpreting scripture and the fact that we were not putting God’s word’s first. He insisted that celibacy is not a gift, that when Paul said this is my opinion in Corinthians that Paul doesn’t know what he’s talking about in reference to his own opinion, and God has many different wills (I don’t know what he meant).

Anyway, after the meeting, I asked him when he became catholic, and he said, there was no specific time but that he evolved into it. When I pinned him down, I discovered that he didn’t go through RCIA and was never confirmed.

I spoke to two other classmates about this (one of them then really understand how this was connected to how he was interpreting the bible), and I told them that I would speak to our other leader about this since she is officially in charge.

I called her and expressed my concerns (assuming that she didn’t know that he wasn’t catholic); she said she would pray about it. She admits that he is rude and disruptive, but she told me not to discriminate against him for not being catholic and it had nothing to do with the problem. Of course, his being protestant has nothing to do with him being obnoxious but it has everything to do with why he keeps challenging everything we say and quoting “all scripture is good for instruction and reproof.” There was one gentleman who kept saying, “that’s not what the church teaches” but he would respond but it’s right here in scripture.

Can you believe this? This parish is one shock after another!

Kendy

“I know the plans I have for you” says the word of the Lord.

“To him who is given much, much will be expected.”

“No trial has come to you except what is human - God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength. But with the trial he also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.”

“Therefore, my beloved…, be firm, steadfast, always devoted to the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is never in vain.”

Go get’em Kendy and “be not afraid”.

 

[Kendy]

Thanks Plithy

Kendy

“I know the plans I have for you” says the word of the Lord.

“To him who is given much, much will be expected.”

“No trial has come to you except what is human - God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength. But with the trial he also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.”

“Therefore, my beloved…, be firm, steadfast, always devoted to the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is never in vain.”

Go get’em Kendy and “be not afraid”.

 

[Richard_Hurtz]

Kendy:

It is a bible study, not an adult catechism class. The person in charge of it is not trained in anyway. However, the bible study is regular listed in the parish’s bulletin and the meeting is held at the church. So, I innocently assumed that it would offer a catholic perspective.

I hope this doesn’t come across as a slam on protestants. All of my friends and immediate family members are protestants. Like I said, I still go to a protestant bible study. But because of the important doctrinal differences, it is inappropriate to lead each other’s bible study. People have a right to get what they signed up for. I am trying to deepen my understanding of catholic teaching. Luckily, I knew enough to know that what this man was saying is not catholic, but it didn’t seem like many of the cradle catholics did. They understood that he was obnoxious, but another guy and I had to explain one of the women after the meeting (a middle woman who had been catholic her whole life) why his “sola scriptura” view is not catholic. She had never heard of this sola scriptura and didn’t realize that catholics believed in bringing in tradition and the teachings of the magisterium.

The worst part is that he never said, I am going to give my fundamentalist, protestant perspective on this. He just spoke as if this was the only logical way to interpret these passages. Because I have been evangelical protestant for the past ten years, I recognized where he was coming from, and I confirmed it by pulling him aside and asking him if he’s catholic. But nobody else realize it. Thus, for people who are ignorant or confused but trying to educate themselves by coming to this bible study, this man causes confusion.

Kendy

This is an interesting irony I think that many converts to Catholicism are shocked by. Many enter into Catholicism to find the doctrinal “certainty” they found lacking in their previous church. However, many are shocked to find that lifelong Catholics are either disinterested in or oblivious to the teachings that attracted the convert.

One would think that the “Protestant perspective” would be so alien to the cradle Catholics that it would immediately raise eyebrows.

I’m neither surprised nor shocked by what you experienced. I’ve found it to be the rule rather than the exception.

Peace to you,
Richard

 

[Kendy]

Richard_Hurtz:

This is an interesting irony I think that many converts to Catholicism are shocked by. Many enter into Catholicism to find the doctrinal “certainty” they found lacking in their previous church. However, many are shocked to find that lifelong Catholics are either disinterested in or oblivious to the teachings that attracted the convert.

One would think that the “Protestant perspective” would be so alien to the cradle Catholics that it would immediately raise eyebrows.

I’m neither surprised nor shocked by what you experienced. I’ve found it to be the rule rather than the exception.

Peace to you,
Richard

Richard,

Actually you are absolutely right. I was raised catholic and my experience at this parish is not different than my experience at the three parish (in two different countries) I belonged to during the first 16 years of my life. In fact, I have learned more about catholicism in the past three months than I did during the first sixteen years of my life when I was catholic and attended a catholic elemtary school in a predominantly catholic country. I don’t know why I am shocked. This is why I was so upset about going back to the church. I knew it was the right thing, but to be frank, I wasn’t looking forward to the catholics. The vineyard doesn’t have as many doctrines but generally, the people there know what we believe in.

A while ago, when I was sharing my story about leaving the church someone said, you obviously didn’t understand what you were leaving. And I thought, that’s ridiculous, I was raised catholic. Of course, I knew what I was leaving. But now, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new about the church. I had no idea what I was leaving!! The church had me for sixteen years but blew every opportunity to impart the faith!

I don’t know who is responsible, but a lot of people are dropping a lot of balls.

Kendy

 

[CARose]

I think Catholics are finally beginning to wake up to the fact that we haven’t learned our faith and as a result have not adequately been teaching it to young people. This is reflected in the way we conduct ourselves at Mass (if one even bothers to go) and how one incorporates the teachings of the Church into their lives (e.g. birth control).

I pray that what I see as a reversal in this trend is a real change that will take root and bear good fruit.

I think Good, Catholic, Orthodox Bibles Studies are one step towards correcting these errors. I wish and pray only that the priests who currently allow these abuses to continue in their parishes would realize how responsible they are for the souls entrusted to their care. I thank God for the good and faithful priests who are leading their flock home through careful shepherding.

God Bless,

CARose

 

[AquinasXVI]

Kendy:

All I can say is WOW!!! To revert is one thing, but in the same breath you’ve become an apologist of sorts…

IMHO, have the CCC in hand and if you know the material coming in, you can brush up on the topic in the CCC. Then you’ll be able to bring in orthodoxy when needed. The clarity and brilliance of what the CCC have will shine on its own, it just needs to be released.

Secondly, I think it would be good if you found solid orthodox catholics so to keep you refreshed…Opus Dei, Regnum Christi for instance.

God bless your apostolate and return.

in XT.

 

[Kendy]

AquinasXVI:

Kendy:

All I can say is WOW!!! To revert is one thing, but in the same breath you’ve become an apologist of sorts…

IMHO, have the CCC in hand and if you know the material coming in, you can brush up on the topic in the CCC. Then you’ll be able to bring in orthodoxy when needed. The clarity and brilliance of what the CCC have will shine on its own, it just needs to be released.

Secondly, I think it would be good if you found solid orthodox catholics so to keep you refreshed…Opus Dei, Regnum Christi for instance.

God bless your apostolate and return.

in XT.

Thanks

 

[bigdawg]

Richard_Hurtz:

I don’t have any problem with any Christian leading a Bible study, I think we can all learn from each other.

Teaching doctrine however should be left to those individuals that have been approved of by the leadership of their respective churches.

Blessings,
Richard

Why would you want to learn error from a Protestant or why would you want Catholics to learn error that could be dangerous to their faith?

 

[Vonier]

It’s the misrepresentation that would bother me. If, at the outset, it had been made clear that this fellow was not a Catholic, and was there in the Bible study to bring another perspective, that might have been ok. But Kendy had to pry that information out of him, after class, with pointed questions. Why? Especially troubling considering that he actively contradicted Catholic interpretations of Scripture during class.

Definitely go to your priest.