What do Catholics think of the Gideons?

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TheLittleLady said:
Wow!

We do a “Read the New Testament During Lent” every year at our Parish.

There are so many great Catholic Bible Studies out there.

I’d suggest start with Macabees if you are more of a “story” person and Sirach if you are more of a “poetry” person.
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Judith and Tobit are good reads, too.
Outside of the seven, I love the Prayer of Manasseh. It is short, and I use it during Lent.
 
lanman87 said:
However, after thinking about it we are worried we offended his daughter and son in law as we don’t know the Catholic stance on organizations like the Gideons.
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Of course, I can’t speak for his daughter and son-in-law, but I think that was a fine way to honor him.
 
I’d honestly rather read the Gideon Bible than the cheesy magazines the mechanic usually has on hand, or watch the garbage daytime TV they always have blaring.
 
They do a good thing, even if the Bibles they distribute are missing the Catholic books.

But, I thought that I read somewhere that the Gideons are quite anti-Catholic. Is this true, or am I mistaken? I do know that they have a prayer in the back of their Bibles which is a pledge to commit one’s life to Christ, but the theology is overtly Protestant. I guess that would be my biggest complaint.
 
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You made a fine selection, Ianman, and I think your friend was touched by your warm gesture in honoring the memory of her father. Blessings to you for your thoughtfulness!
 
Interestingly, in 1984, my Catholic Secondary School (High School) here in Ireland was run by the Vincentian order and when we started in first year we were all given Gideon New Testaments. They saw no issue with them.
 
lanman87 said:
. However, after thinking about it we are worried we offended his daughter and son in law as we don’t know the Catholic stance on organizations like the Gideons.
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Idk either. But, when friend or acquaintances pass away who are Evangelical or Protestant, we also purchase Bibles in their honor. Every family who received one has sent a Thank you card. (Imagine!)

Now, this is dicey because I have several Bibles at home in different translations. I ordered a King James version with the attached Apocrypha, those books we Catholics use.

I think you did a good thing. But, you could still have a Mass, or request prayers from the Pink Sisters for your friend’s special intentions.

It turns out recently I had a friend pass away. This family has no interest in holding a funeral. This lady was unchurched, her whole life, although the family has shown more Christian Charity to my family than many we went to Mass with at the Parish.

The day I found out, I had a Mass requested for her. I will keep the card unless sometime in the future they are open to receiving it.
 
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Not sure it’s even the LDS church placing those. They’re mainly at Marriott properties, and their subsidiaries, who are Mormon owned.
 
halogirl said:
I have a confession to make - I still haven’t read the books that are in the catholic bible. And not in the Protestant one. Yes I realise I still call it that. Sola scriptural background. I am not ready to. I didn’t even know these books existed until a year or so ago and I have not met many Catholics who read their bibles whereas that’s a big deal for non Catholics. Help?
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I am a cradle Catholic and I have only read one of the books in question. Not for any particular reason, it is just that I have not read most of the Old Testament. God willing, I will get to them some day, but those particular books are not the highest on the list.

I did love my New Testament and Psalms (from the Gideons) when I was in the Army.
 
Marriott properties are quite the paradox. Mormon owned, Book of Mormon in each room, yet you can still get a good stiff drink in the bar in the lobby. I guess the consumption of the alcohol is sinful, but making a buck off the heathens that drink it is quite ok.
 
Judith and Tobit are some good stories when you’re ready to read the books.
Would make great “Ten Commandments” type movies.

That said, if you don’t get around to reading the books, many Catholics have not read those books either. While I myself prefer to read them, I know my mother had read very little of the OT and got most of her NT knowledge from Mass, and she managed to be a fine Catholic nonetheless. She knew all the important stuff even if she wasn’t interested in sitting around making Jesse trees of all the patriarchs and prophets for Christmas.
 
No definitely not but been in church like 15 months . I do remember hearing a reading from ‘apocalypse’ rather than revelation and thinking it sounded a lot more metal 😉
 
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I work from home now but if I resume regular travel I will get a hold of some to leave behind.
 
I never said that GNT-CE was a great Catholic Bible. It is from the American Bible Society after all.

However, I do think they fully integrate the Deuterocanonical Books used by Roman Catholics within the Old Testament, sequenced according to the Latin Vulgate order.

Plus, with the Vatican II docs and a few other Catholic docs in that Bible, the GNT-CE is better then Gideon’s - and makes for a great free Bible.

These bibles from CityofAgape would make for a great alternative to the Gideons bibles in hotels

As FYI - I think it is essentially this Bible (with a revised cover):

https://www.bibles.com/bibles/churc...ion-catholic-edition-latin-vulgate-order.html
 
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