What were you told about visiting a Catholic Church

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answermethis

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My older sister and I were curious about what non-Catholic Christians were taught about entering a Catholic church? Was it seen as sinful since we were seen as “worshiping idols”, etc…
Just curious…
 
Attending a Mass is grounds for disfellowshipping for a Jehovah’s Witness. JW’s do not like even entering another church’s parking lot to turn around!
 
T_More said:
Attending a Mass is grounds for disfellowshipping for a Jehovah’s Witness. JW’s do not like even entering another church’s parking lot to turn around!
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Seriously? Did not know.
 
I was taught that it was all ritual and meaningless. That they believed that HAD to worship the statues and pray to saints to be saved. That it was full of idolatry and that they basically ignored Jesus.

My mother panicked the first time I went to Mass with my Catholic then-girlfriend. I guess she was right to.

I was incredibly offended at all I’d been taught all my life. It wasn’t anything like what the Protestants said. It was genuine, and Christ was physically there.
 
That I should expect to go up and down a lot and that I should not go forward to receive. Thats what I remember.
 
WetCatechumen said:
I was taught that it was all ritual and meaningless. That they believed that HAD to worship the statues and pray to saints to be saved. That it was full of idolatry and that they basically ignored Jesus.

My mother panicked the first time I went to Mass with my Catholic then-girlfriend. I guess she was right to.

I was incredibly offended at all I’d been taught all my life. It wasn’t anything like what the Protestants said. It was genuine, and Christ was physically there.
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It must be hard to come in the first time with that kind of teaching. Did you find that actually seeing a Mass helped??? or did you need to learn bits of knowledge over time?
 
Going to mass was a requirement of my Lutheran catechism. I’ve been many, many, many times since. I have to say I found it very cold, very distant, and monolithic in my fist visits. The only way I can describe it is that going to a Catholic Church is like being a little kid and going to your great aunt’s house where you aren’t allowed to talk, touch anything, and there is plastic on the furniture. It’s very clear she’ll be happy when you go home, and she’s in no hurry to see you again.

As far as the service itself, it was very familiar. I say and follow 90% or more and the parts I don’t agree with I just simply don’t say.
 
answermethis said:
It must be hard to come in the first time with that kind of teaching. Did you find that actually seeing a Mass helped??? or did you need to learn bits of knowledge over time?
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Answermethis,

I can’t answer your original question because truly, what I was told over the years upsets
me. People pass on misinformation and opinions that are based on misinformation – as I began to learn about the Catholic faith FROM Catholics I found truth.

I will, however, answer your second question - yes, it was hard for me to go into the church the first time because of the things I had been told over many years. I had to be encouraged by the Holy Spirit which I have experienced from time to time in my life - or maybe my guardian angel to even read about the Stations of the Cross online - as the cross or crucifix is considered something of idolatry in the church I have recently left - I obeyed and did read, and was touched at my core by finding what I was missing in my life, focus on Jesus Christ - a few days later I wandered into our church about 10:30 a.m. on a weekday morning at the beginning of the Lenton Season because I wanted to see the stations - And to my surprise, I felt again, that same spirit telling me that I was visiting a very good place. And that I should return. I spent the week reading about the Mass and attended the next Sunday. That was in February. Yesterday I began RCIA.

As for the bits of knowledge. Wow, I need wheelbarrows full! There’s so much to learn. For me, I think I needed the spiritual awareness because the bits of knowledge will take a lifetime to acquire.

Hope
 
BrianH said:
That I should expect to go up and down a lot and that I should not go forward to receive. Thats what I remember.
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I had to tell my wife that when I didn’t go up with her… I guess her being raised were almost everybody is Catholic or Sunni the fine rules about how others are to act are not emphasized. 🤷

I just followed my mom’s general rules for visiting other churches. Dress better then normal, women wear a long dress and a hat, and do what everybody else is doing.
 
My church (Assemblies of God) has no particular problem with visiting Catholic churches, and I feel perfectly free to do so without incurring any displeasure from my home church. We are Protestant of course, so some of our doctrines are different, but we aren’t taught that Catholicism is a false church or that Catholics aren’t real Christians. Last year, we held a weekend retreat at a site owned by an order of Catholic nuns (sorry, I forget which order) and were quite blessed by it.
 
I was never taught anything wrong or told anything scary about the Catholic Church, so we could visit 'em too. 😃 I think I was blessed to be around reasonable people as I grew up, so we had a proper understanding of what to expect at a Catholic parish. Many people here in the South think that they’re going to witness a bunch of idol worship or Mary worship (with no mention of Jesus anywhere). Nothing could be further from the truth; and thankfully, I was never taught (and never listened to) nonsense like that.
 
My mother actually used to attend a Catholic Church on a fairly frequent basis when she was in college. She said that she was sure I would like it, but to remember that it would be quite formal, so “behave yourself!” (Moms say things like that).

Before someone asks: The Catholic Church was within easy walking distance of her dorm, & they had a late mass. So, if she studied late, & woke up too late to go to her Methodist Church, she would walk down to the Catholic one. (And, since she was a Latin minor, she said she used to have the:thumbsup: best chats with the priest, afterward. She was late known well in the area because she was the only Latin teacher anybody around here knew, who could actually speak Latin fluently).
 
blazerdave said:
I was never taught anything wrong or told anything scary about the Catholic Church, so we could visit 'em too. 😃 I think I was blessed to be around reasonable people as I grew up, so we had a proper understanding of what to expect at a Catholic parish. Many people here in the South think that they’re going to witness a bunch of idol worship or Mary worship (with no mention of Jesus anywhere). Nothing could be further from the truth; and thankfully, I was never taught (and never listened to) nonsense like that.
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👍👍
Makes a big difference, doesn’t it??
 
We are told nothing about visiting a Catholic Church. See its not about the church is all about God. We have some of our members that go to other churches, whether it be Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, and nothing is said to them. We are not told that we should not go. We have free will to go to the CC or anyother church. We don’t discuss, say anything negative about other churches.
 
answermethis said:
My older sister and I were curious about what non-Catholic Christians were taught about entering a Catholic church? Was it seen as sinful since we were seen as “worshiping idols”, etc…
Just curious…
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I was told the Lenten fish fry’s were great, but the beer was lousy American brands. That was pretty accurate 🙂
 
While I was exploring it, a family who tried to dominate the church found out and ran me off from working with the youth. It totally turned me off from Southern Baptist, the denomination I grew up in!
 
Zooey said:
My mother actually used to attend a Catholic Church on a fairly frequent basis when she was in college. She said that she was sure I would like it, but to remember that it would be quite formal, so “behave yourself!” (Moms say things like that).

Before someone asks: The Catholic Church was within easy walking distance of her dorm, & they had a late mass. So, if she studied late, & woke up too late to go to her Methodist Church, she would walk down to the Catholic one. (And, since she was a Latin minor, she said she used to have the:thumbsup: best chats with the priest, afterward. She was late known well in the area because she was the only Latin teacher anybody around here knew, who could actually speak Latin fluently).
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That is awesome:)
 
reteeks21 said:
While I was exploring it, a family who tried to dominate the church found out and ran me off from working with the youth. It totally turned me off from Southern Baptist, the denomination I grew up in!
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How very sad. I hope you have found a community where you are welcomed now.
 
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