we go to a community christian church but i went with a friend to her catholic church once and ever since then i like to just go once in a while, i know not to get the communion. there's a catholic church on my way home and sometimes i sit in there and pray, its peaceful, but my other friend at my regular church freaked when i told her i do this. how is it wrong? i've been trying to get up the nerve to ask this so please don't make fun of me, its a serious question.
2007-09-27 03:31:38 · 45 answers · asked by Jenni P 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Everyone is welcome in a Catholic Church.
Drop by anytime.
With love and prayers in Christ.
2007-09-27 17:28:42 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is completely okay. You didn't take communion, so you didn't do anything wrong. Some people don't understand the Catholic Church, that might be the reason your friend freaked out. I attended the Catholic Church almost 8 years before I got baptized. If you find peace praying there and enjoy the service, by all means go. At the end of the day, we all worship the same God. Life is too short for madness, do what makes you happy and brings you closer to our Lord. Take care and God bless you. Hope that helped !!
2007-09-27 03:49:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A fine question. I guess the answers matters who you ask? Some people are really down on the Catholic Church and if you ask them, they'll say it's wrong to go there. Since the friend who freaked goes to the same church you do, it might be the teaching of your denomination that it's wrong even to pray alone in a Catholic church. That would be sad but I don't know.
I worshiped daily (weekday noon Mass) with Catholics near my workplace for nearly a year once, years and years ago. I didn't receive communion. I was very welcome there and going there helped me get through some very tough times.
I'm now Eastern Orthodox. I feel quite comfortable visiting Catholic churches, though I may refrain from saying parts of the service and I don't receive communion. I think the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Pope Benedict XVI recently worshiped together in Italy.
You might ask your pastor about this, to get details and reasons. Recently we had a case in which a strongly Protestant mother was appalled that her son and his wife (they had been married in the mom's church, but the wife was from our parish) had their marriage blessed in our (Eastern Orthodox) church. The pastor of her church was consulted, he verified a couple of details, and then he said he had no problem at all with it. So there can be false alarms when somebody freaks.
If people give you some abrupt or critical answers here on Yahoo! Answers, we can both cheerfully pray for them.
2007-09-27 03:54:11 · answer #3 · answered by wilsonch0 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's perfectly fine to go to a Catholic church. There's no Catholic prohibition against it. And as you suggested, the only thing you can't do is take communion -- the Catholics treat that as a "members-only" kind of perk. :-)
Maybe she has some misconceptions about the Catholic church. Lots of people do who have either never gone to a service or never studied the church's teachings.
Speaking of misconceptions, I'd like to impress on some of the other people who have answered here: Catholics ARE Christians. Some of you are answering as though Catholics aren't Christians. I really don't know where that idea comes from.
2007-09-27 03:35:32 · answer #4 · answered by Cap'n Zeemboo 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
God bless you.
First, know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with visiting a Catholic Church. You are in God’s house, which is where He wants you to be. All people, no matter what race or religion, are welcome.
Second, it’s so good to hear that you enjoy praying and spending time with God there. You make His heart smile.
Don’t worry about your friend. A lot of people have a lot of misconceptions about the Church, even as far as thinking the Church is evil and you’ll get possessed or something if you go there :P. Forget about all of that. Just enjoy you’re time with God and rest in His peace. He loves you and loves it when you spend time with Him.
God bless.
2007-09-28 02:58:18 · answer #5 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that that is wrong, unless one of the officials of the church specifically told you to leave. I am a Protestant, but I still go to Catholic masses with my Boy Scout troop and my school is Catholic, so I go to the masses there. Most churches don't care if someone were to just come in and pray.
2007-09-28 12:25:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, by all means go ( without the Communion of course) but the reason it is so peaceful there is because Jesus is there. Try to even go on an Adoration day and just sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Like a dark piece of material left in the sun that the sun will gradually fade the darkness from, so will Jesus minister to your soul just by sitting there and letting him
2007-09-27 04:33:04 · answer #7 · answered by Midge 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You're not doing anything wrong! Aren't you still praying to God? Nobody has the right to tell you that you are choosing to worship God the "wrong" way. You gave a perfect example of how denominations are dividing Christians. This is how I gained revelation on denominations. A man went into a bank to cash a check and was asked what denominations would he like to receive his funds. He didn't understand the question and asked her to explain. Her reply was, "How do you want your money divided?" At that moment I realized how denominations only divide God's people. Christians are too caught up in proving their way of serving God is better than everybody else. How can we ever come together as a united body of Christ if we constantly attack the way our brothers and sisters choose to praise God?
2007-09-27 03:46:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think there is anything wrong with what you are doing. I am not religious, but I still pray and attend funerals, communions, baptisms, etc. I think it is perfectly fine. Some people who are overly religious may have a problem with it, but most of them are whack jobs anyways. Do what feels good to you, as long as you are respecting the church, the religion and the people you are doing nothing wrong.
2007-09-27 03:36:18 · answer #9 · answered by Ali 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a free country, and the Catholics aren't going to kick you out.
As long as you don't take communion, you are fine.
You don't even have to stress over not knowing the prayers...
Do what you want..and don't worry about what other people tell you to do.
I'm not religious, but I LOVE Catholic churches...they are quite peaceful and pretty.
2007-09-27 03:36:13 · answer #10 · answered by Heck if I know! 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is nothing wrong with it. I am a Christian, but I've gone to Midnight Mass at Catholic churches before. Their churches are among the most beautiful and you are there to worship so that is all that matters.. :-)
2007-09-27 03:35:36 · answer #11 · answered by ga.peach67 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋