dating a catholic

[awf1209]

My son is a christian but wants to date a catholic girl, is that ok? I really need help and don't know what to do, I always thought that Catholics had very similar beliefs to Chrisitans.

[Soldier4Christ]

Let's be totally honest here Andrew. Let me just say that you need to date those who are of the same beliefs that you are or you will have nothing but serious problems.

[airIam2worship]

hello AWF, first off I would like to welcome you to CU.

Brother I would like to answer you question using God's Word.

2Co 6:14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?

Catholics do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but they also have many unbiblical doctrines and beliefs. For instance they pray to idols and what they call saints such as Mary, Peter, Paul and others such as Jude, Michael, Francis, Anne, etc. the list is endless. According to their doctrines you must confess to the Priest and he in turn will tell you what prayers you need to say and give you penitence before you can be forgiven. 
The Bible teaches us that we are to approach God the Father and ask Him for forgiveness of sins in the Name of Jesus. Christians are not to pray to idols. We have one intercessor and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. These are only some of the differences.There are many many differences in between Catholics and Christian beliefs.
You don't mention how old your son is, but I assume you would like to be able to give your son some sound advice, it is all in the Bible, brother. I will be praying for you on this matter.

[Monte Cassino]

My son is a christian but wants to date a catholic girl, is that ok? I really need help and don't know what to do, I always thought that Catholics had very similar beliefs to Chrisitans.

Hi awf!

Catholics are dated just like everyone else--cut them in half and count the rings.    Seriously, et me give you the Catholic perspective here, it might help you out.  No doubt you are concerned with some of our "unbiblical" practices--devotions to Mary, the Sacrament of Confession, and the like.  However, let me suggest a different approach to the situation.

Consider what your son will have in common with the Catholic girl.  In fact, you can use the Nicene Creed as a starting point:

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Step back for a moment and ask yourself what is wrong with the above.  I would imagine that your son, very much like that Catholic girl, believes everything above. That alone makes both of them "Christian."

Or look at this way: I don't know what denomination (if any) you and your son belong to--it's really not important, either.  But would you feel perfectly okay if your son were to date a girl from another denomination that had a different theology than yours?  (For instance, if you had different views about homosexuality, baptism, or salvation?)  If so, what is it specifically about Catholicism that bothers you?  If not, ask yourself if you would be comfortable if your son dated only within the one denomination.

In my view--and I'm sure that there are others on these boards that will disagree with me, as is their right--the most important aspect of dating and/or courtship is that you share the basic beliefs as outlined above in the Nicene Creed.  Forget differences between Catholics and Protestants, Protestants and Orthodox, and Orthodox and Catholics--the differences within any one of these groups can be profound.  If your son has found somebody that loves him and that he similarly cares for, if they help each other grow in faith and love for Jesus Christ, I just can't see the problem.  (Then again, that's my view as a Catholic...)

God bless,
MC

[Shammu]

And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

And right there is the problem.

What most people don't know is the catholic church says that a catholic has to be married in the catholic church. That they have to be baptized in the catholic church. How do I know this, I once in my youth dated a catholic gal., and it got around to the subject of marriage. At that point I said bye, bye to her.

[airIam2worship]

And right there is the problem.

What most people don't know is the catholic church says that a catholic has to be married in the catholic church. That they have to be baptized in the catholic church. How do I know this, I once in my youth dated a catholic gal., and it got around to the subject of marriage. At that point I said bye, bye to her.

Amen DW

[Monte Cassino]

And right there is the problem.

What most people don't know is the catholic church says that a catholic has to be married in the catholic church. That they have to be baptized in the catholic church. How do I know this, I once in my youth dated a catholic gal., and it got around to the subject of marriage. At that point I said bye, bye to her.

God bless you, DreamWeaver!

Dear DreamWeaver,

I believe that you may either misunderstand the belief you have quoted, or the Catholic meaning thereof.  When we as Catholics ("Big C") recite the Nicene Creed and state, "I believe in one holy catholic [note: little "c"] and apostolic Church," we do assuredly do not mean that we believe that the Catholic Church is the only source of all knowledge of God, or even that the only path to God goes through the Catholic Church.  Rather we mean the original sense of the word "cathoic"--universal.  Therefore, we believe in one Church of those that believe in, well, basically everything else that we profess to believe in the Nicene Creed.   

As to your other point, please allow some fraternal correction.  Although the Catholic Church much prefers that its members be married by one of their own clergymen (as I'm sure all denominations would so prefer!), it is certainly possible to obtain a dispensation allowing clergy from another denomination to perform the ceremony.  Additionally, according to the Catholic Church, altohugh it is incumbent upon the Catholic spouse to raise the children according to the Catholic Church, the other spouse is under no such obligation!  Truly!  All that is necessary is for the non-Catholic spouse to be aware that the Catholic spouse should (it is by no means true that this always happens) attempt to raise his or her children in the faith.  Quite often, however, the spouses make the religion of their children a matter of conscience and find a middle ground that both are comfortable with.

God bless you all,
MC

[airIam2worship]

As to your other point, please allow some fraternal correction.  Although the Catholic Church much prefers that its members be married by one of their own clergymen (as I'm sure all denominations would so prefer!), it is certainly possible to obtain a dispensation allowing clergy from another denomination to perform the ceremony.  Additionally, according to the Catholic Church, altohugh it is incumbent upon the Catholic spouse to raise the children according to the Catholic Church, the other spouse is under no such obligation!  Truly!  All that is necessary is for the non-Catholic spouse to be aware that the Catholic spouse should (it is by no means true that this always happens) attempt to raise his or her children in the faith. 

Therein lies the problem in a home where there are 2 visions you could say there is di-vision.

Quite often, however, the spouses make the religion of their children a matter of conscience and find a middle ground that both are comfortable with.

So I wonder what God would think about that

[Soldier4Christ]

As has been said before in several different threads ....  we do not do denominations here. Monte Cassino since you have been here almost every post you have made has emphasized the fact that you are a Catholic. Enough is enough. Talk about Jesus or the Bible but leave denominations out of it.

Seeing as how the starter of this thread has not come back to post anymore and in order to remove the temptation to post more on this denominational discussion this thread is now locked.