My wife is Catholic and I am protestant and I have a problem kneeling?

Question

when i go with my wife to her church she gets mad if I don't generflex and kneel at the right time..of course I don't take communioin as this would be wrong..but can't I just sit there instead of all that kneeling and generflexing and I don't even know how to cross myself as we don't do that in the Lutheran Church.
I told my wife that i was not raised that way but i respect her faith.
well she does not have to do anything when she goes to my church not even confession..i told her she was being unfair..right?
any opinions?

Answer 1

Another one bites the dust...I was married to a catholic and got sucked into as well, we had to christin the kids catholic as well....they like to promote themselves...membership drive if you will...it's like the draft, you can't avoid it!!!!
If you can't kneel, don't, our protestant god doesn't mind, he just told me....

Answer 2

Catholics are not the only Christians who kneel at prayer, the Mormons do so, too - especially when praying as a family before retiring for the night. But this is beside the point.
You and your wife should have worked out these matters before getting married. It seems a bit late in the day for you to start complaining about it now. If you love this woman so much that you decided to spend the rest of your life with her, the matters that seem to disturb you now are really quite petty, don't you think?

Answer 3

She is being unfair. Her church is not your church. If kneeling or genuflecting is a problem for you, don't do it. When the rest of the congregation kneels, sit down. You are still being respectful of her beliefs by being there; she shouldn't get pushy about it. Just a question: Didn't all this come up before you got married?
Maybe you should consider deciding on a church you can agree on, and attend that one. I don't think your gods will really care.

Answer 4

Pastor Billy says: a child can kneel and make the sign of the cross why can't you? Pride is the answer here, lack of respect. If you take the time to go to her Church what is the problem?
Making the sign of the cross is a beautiful thing it reminds us of our baptismal promise, this is also why Catholics bless themselves with blessed water (holy water) upon entry. Both physical gestures are made to God. When Catholics pray we pray with our entire body. My question is why do non-catholics have to prove who they are by being anti-Catholic like Matt A.?

Matt A I've got your number now seen some of your statements and anti-Catholic questions so juvenile. Matt you dink Catholics worship the same God as you in fact the reason you profess the Trinity (if of course you aren't SDA or JW or Unitarian) is because of Catholicism. The doctrine of the Trinity is a Catholic belief and doctrine still held to by the majority of Protestants. As Trinity One God is a Catholic belief how is Mary given godly worship Matt? It is heresy in Catholicism to make Mary God or a god.
You've been reading too many Jack Chick comic books grow up and do some real historical study.

Answer 5

Peace!
I am a Catholic but I feel I should side with you. I agree with your wife about the communion part because that is the doctrine of the Church. You don't really have to kneel or make the sign of the cross if you are not comfortable with it. You are not a Catholic so it is not binding on you.
God bless

Answer 6

My mom's catholic and my dad is protestant. They've gone to a catholic church for nearly thirty years now (since they've been married). My dad also doensn't take communion. When mom goes up to give communion, he sits back and waits until his pew is filled up again before kneeling. I have never seen him genuflect (sp?). Mom understands that he wasn't raised religiously, in fact, the only time as a kid he had been in a church was for his mom's funeral. AS long as he goes once a week with her, she's happy.

Your wife should be happy too that are going to church. She shouldn't be hung up on the Church olympics and instead be thankful that you love her enough to attend. Not many husbands would do that.

Answer 7

I'd ask the Pastor to let the congregation know that parishioners are not expected to kneel if they have a medical problem. He could also have a note to that effect placed in the Sunday flyer that's printed each week. Then simply tell your wife that there's a higher authority than hers, and they are 1) God and 2) the Pastor in that order!

Answer 8

sounds to me like your wife might be embarrassed that you aren't a Catholic. My wife is Catholic and I am agnostic. I go through the rituals of kneeling and genuflecting because I don't see how it can hurt. I don't take communion out of respect for her beliefs. If genuflecting makes you uncomfortable, you should tell her that, and then ask why it makes her upset when you don't do it. My guess is that she doesn't like feel comfortable with other parishioners knowing you are going to hell. The hard thing about the Catholic belief system, is that you have to be a Catholic to get to heaven. My wife worries about me, because of this belief. Good luck with that one.

Answer 9

Poor you! I know many couples who have different faiths. The only way out for you is to have a serious talk with your wife - if she's so religeous she must know about the principle of FREE WILL, and you should tell her that even God never MAKES people do something, He asks or offeres. I'm an LDS (people call us Mormon), so I know how you feel being made to do something that your church doesn't teach you. Anyway, if you don't think my answer is good - pray! HE knows what to do.

Answer 10

Here is a good rule of thumb: If you are in her church, do it her way. If you are in your church, do it your way. God knows what you mean, and what you do not. No action without intent counts for anything.

A Catholic will genuflect and kneal towards the blessed sacrament...that is, the communion host (which we believe is the actual body of Christ).
A non-Catholic, if he does not believe this, may genuflect and kneal towards the rather large cross at the front of the chruch. After all, I know Lutherans believe in the crucifixion. The intent is to honor Christ's sacrifice.

As for the sign of the Cross:
"In the name of the Father" (touch your forehead with the fingers on your right hand)
"And of the Son" (touch your bellybutton with the same fingers)
"And of the Holy" (touch your left shoulder with the same fingers)
"Spirit" (touch your right shoulder with the same fingers)

Easy!

Answer 11

the fact you support each other by going to the 'others' place of worship is the important thing here! you dont need to kneel to pray - sitting quietly is just as good - the conversation and relationship is between you and God - thats all that matters.

reason with your wife - tell her if it is a medical reason you cant kneel or geniflect!