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Catholic and Protestant Dating

By Gary F. Zeolla

 

In the following email exchanges, the emailers' comments are in black and enclosed in "greater than" and "lesser than" signs. My comments are in red.


>Please give me a answer! I am a 24yr old Baptist believing women, who has been dating a 26yr old Catholic man. I am very strong in my religion but really believe that he is who I could marry some day. I do not understand "being confirmed" along with many other beliefs he has. We both really like each other, but love our religion.

Is there too much of a difference in the Baptist and Catholic religion for us not to be able to make us work? Since we both know that we are saved and going to heaven when Jesus comes back, then don't we know the basics, and is that enough?

Ginger
11/30/2000<

My mom was Methodist and my dad Catholic when they got married. And they've been married for over 40 years now. So it is possible for a "mixed" relationship to work. 

However, it does take a lot of compromise. My mom was not saved at the time she got married, and my dad is not *that* "Catholic" in the sense that he does not pray to Mary or the Catholic saints, have statues of Mary or the saints in his house, or most of all, believe as the Catholic church does, that you HAVE to be a member of the Catholic Church to be saved if you understand it's claims to be the "one true Church."

I would suggest taking the time to find out what the Catholic Church really teaches, how serious your boyfriend is about the "unique" aspects of Catholicism, and decide if you can live with them. Perhaps a talk with his priest would be enlightening, along with the reading of books or Web sites, both pro and con, which are devoted to Catholicism.

Also note, the Catholic Church will want you to convert to Catholicism, as my mom did when she got married. It's not absolutely required, but it is encouraged. But what is required is for the children to be raised Catholic.

A lot more could be said on this subject, but I really don't time right now. But what you really need right now is knowledge, and there are plenty of materials available that will provide it.

See the following page of my site under "Catholicism" for pro-Catholic sites: Opposing Viewpoints Sites. Some of the sites listed on the following page have sections more detailed than mine on Catholicism. I'm also sure there are sites devoted exclusively to Catholicism, but I don't have a list on my site. Note also, I do NOT believe Catholicism is a "cult" per se, but some of these sites will, hence their location: Counter-Cult Ministries Sites.

And finally, it would also be helpful to consider carefully what you personally believe. This is always a good thing to do, but even more important for you right now. My mom was not that serious about her faith when she got married, but now that she has been studying the Bible for some years, she *knows* there are many areas of Catholicism that are Biblically incorrect. But she keeps it to herself and just quietly goes to church with my dad to "keep the peace." Could you do the same?

My site does provide plenty of material on what the Baptist/ Protestant faith teaches. And the book mentioned in my signature will help you to do your own Bible studies to decide for yourself what you believe:

God bless,
Gary F. Zeolla

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Scripture Workbook: For Personal Bible Study and Teaching the Bible
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Catholicism

Catholicism - Compared to Protestantism

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