A Question

[ChristIsSovereign]

I've been sharing my journey into Catholicism with my mother and she always tells me to 'check the Scriptures please' as in that I have to verify everything I believe with scripture.

How should I respond to that?

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

Ask her where in Sacred Scriptures does it say that everything needs to be checked with Scriptures, also ask her where did the Bible come from?

 

[thecolorsblend]

My usual tactic is to leave my family out of it. Like yours apparently was, they're rather anti-Catholic.

But I suppose you could try asking for the verse which says the scriptures are our sole authority. That often throws even experienced Protestants for a loop.

Be careful though. The idea isn't to win points or something. Your mother may become a legitimate mission field for you if you are welcomed into the Church.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

My usual tactic is to leave my family out of it. Like yours apparently was, they're rather anti-Catholic.

But I suppose you could try asking for the verse which says the scriptures are our sole authority. That often throws even experienced Protestants for a loop.

Be careful though. The idea isn't to win points or something. Your mother may become a legitimate mission field for you if you are welcomed into the Church.

I'll try to be a lot more quiet with my Mom. I definitely have differences with her now, and I wouldn't want us to get into an uncharitable debate where neither one of us would win a dime.

I just thought that she's my mother, that I'd share with her my personal journey, but I indeed have some hunches that she's strictly Protestant and wouldn't appreciate a future of me talking to her how I requested something from Mary and such, and she'd condemn me for not looking to the Bible, when I have, and I do, and I will do, but that the Bible isn't the only authority.

 

[akaDaScribe]

I've been sharing my journey into Catholicism with my mother and she always tells me to 'check the Scriptures please' as in that I have to verify everything I believe with scripture.

How should I respond to that?

I'm not Catholic, but assuming you are saying things that prompt her to say that, I'd ask her which scriptures she is referring to in relation to whatever the topic is.

 

[thecolorsblend]

I'll try to be a lot more quiet with my Mom. I definitely have differences with her now, and I wouldn't want us to get into an uncharitable debate where neither one of us would win a dime.

I just thought that she's my mother, that I'd share with her my personal journey, but I indeed have some hunches that she's strictly Protestant and wouldn't appreciate a future of me talking to her how I requested something from Mary and such, and she'd condemn me for not looking to the Bible, when I have, and I do, and I will do, but that the Bible isn't the only authority.

I understand, believe me.

But you're making a pretty big change. Others might not understand, especially at first.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I'm not Catholic, but assuming you are saying things that prompt her to say that, I'd ask her which scriptures she is referring to in relation to whatever the topic is.

It's always good to check statements with Scripture.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

It's always good to check statements with Scripture.

And from a historical article... I've had a bit of a change of heart.

I need to ask an Eastern Orthodox person about this. I'm crazy yes, but I need to ask.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I've been sharing my journey into Catholicism with my mother and she always tells me to 'check the Scriptures please' as in that I have to verify everything I believe with scripture.

How should I respond to that?

You can find Scriptural support for the important things in Catholicism. Sometimes it's not obvious though. On the surface it looks like Catholics are dead wrong in calling their priests 'father'. But it's way more interesting than that. Paul told people to consider him their father. Protestants from 150 years ago routinely called their ministers 'father' so they understood the verse better then than they do now. What it really is is not to form factions with men who act as leaders. Think 'Lutherans' and 'Calvinists' as fathers of their movements. Jesus was IMHO saying don't have splinter groups like that. That's what I think is the deeper Biblical meaning. The shallow meaning is the AntiCatholic one. The deeper meaning is much more challenging.

Being a Berean is a good thing. You should not become Catholic until you see that the Catholic Church is profoundly Biblical at its core. It is. I didn't see that right away. Not that everything needs to be from the Bible alone, but that nothing in actual teaching on faith or morals is opposed to the real meaning of the Bible. Just don't settle for the first apparent meaning that an antiCatholic tells you is the real meaning.

 

[JesusLovesOurLady]

I'll try to be a lot more quiet with my Mom. I definitely have differences with her now, and I wouldn't want us to get into an uncharitable debate where neither one of us would win a dime.

I just thought that she's my mother, that I'd share with her my personal journey, but I indeed have some hunches that she's strictly Protestant and wouldn't appreciate a future of me talking to her how I requested something from Mary and such, and she'd condemn me for not looking to the Bible, when I have, and I do, and I will do, but that the Bible isn't the only authority.

If you don't mind, I'll say my last mysteries of the Rosary for you and your mom.

 

[akaDaScribe]

You can find Scriptural support for the important things in Catholicism. Sometimes it's not obvious though. On the surface it looks like Catholics are dead wrong in calling their priests 'father'. But it's way more interesting than that. Paul told people to consider him their father. Protestants from 150 years ago routinely called their ministers 'father' so they understood the verse better then than they do now. What it really is is not to form factions with men who act as leaders. Think 'Lutherans' and 'Calvinists' as fathers of their movements. Jesus was IMHO saying don't have splinter groups like that. That's what I think is the deeper Biblical meaning. The shallow meaning is the AntiCatholic one. The deeper meaning is much more challenging.

Being a Berean is a good thing. You should not become Catholic until you see that the Catholic Church is profoundly Biblical at its core. It is. I didn't see that right away. Not that everything needs to be from the Bible alone, but that nothing in actual teaching on faith or morals is opposed to the real meaning of the Bible. Just don't settle for the first apparent meaning that an antiCatholic tells you is the real meaning.

Exactly. Don't want to hide from information because it might be true. Search out the matter and then you can be confident in what you believe.

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

Exactly. Don't want to hide from information because it might be true. Search out the matter and then you can be confident in what you believe.

Thank you!

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

If you don't mind, I'll say my last mysteries of the Rosary for you and your mom.

Why thank you. God bless.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Exactly. Don't want to hide from information because it might be true. Search out the matter and then you can be confident in what you believe.

It's always good to remember that 'Thy Word is truth' (John 17.17).

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

It's always good to remember that 'Thy Word is truth' (John 17.17).

Amen.

 

[ripple the car]

My husband and I get into it. We almost fight. My best openings have been to help him sleep at night by telling him stories from the lives of the Saints. He seems to deeply mistrust the Catholic Church, but loved the story of Saint Maria Goretti. We both cried. Pray for your Mom. Live out what you believe, learn as you go, and as questions arise, you can answer them, because you've had the same questions, and have had them answered, too.

Once I realized that the Catholic Church gave us the Bible, that actually freed me from having to interpret everything correctly on my own. Which is kind of tiring, and absurd. I'm a cashier. From 1984. And New Jersey. Am I really gonna do a better job interpreting Scripture than Saints Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, and Gregory the Great?

 

[ChristIsSovereign]

My husband and I get into it. We almost fight. My best openings have been to help him sleep at night by telling him stories from the lives of the Saints. He seems to deeply mistrust the Catholic Church, but loved the story of Saint Maria Goretti. We both cried. Pray for your Mom. Live out what you believe, learn as you go, and as questions arise, you can answer them, because you've had the same questions, and have had them answered, too.

Once I realized that the Catholic Church gave us the Bible, that actually freed me from having to interpret everything correctly on my own. Which is kind of tiring, and absurd. I'm a cashier. From 1984. And New Jersey. Am I really gonna do a better job interpreting Scripture than Saints Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, and Gregory the Great?

Informative. I have no room to speak. Going through a theological overlook of everything I know right now, honestly.

 

[Davidnic]

Well remember Scripture is not the only pillar of revealed truth there is also Sacred Tradition, which are not the traditions of men but the Teachings passed through the Apostles. In a very real way the Church did not come out of the Bible the Bible came out of the Church.

You likely do not want to get into a debate with family on it too deeply but think...where does the authority come from to establish a canon of Scripture. Where does the authority come from to decide whose decision on what books are Scripture and therefore are valid?

This in no way diminishes Scripture, which is an incomparable treasure, but we do need to look at that question.

So without a Church, with authority given by God, what prevents anyone from deciding any book or work should be Scripture and say the Holy Spirit guided them?

So any appeal to Scripture and the, real and powerful, authority of it must take into account how we know the Bible we have is correct. And that answer rests in the nature of the Church.

As far as consulting Scripture on Catholic beliefs this should help you narrow down where to look:

Catholic Faith - Scripture Catholic

So my advice is if your mother, and may God Bless her, is concerned...engage gently. Go to the link and pick some areas that address topics that might concern her. Find some verses to go over with her.

Any mother who encourages her child to read Scripture is a treasure, so engage gently. And the first part of my answer should not be presented to her in any gotcha manner (some would do that, I do not think you would from reading your posts). The first part of my answer (about the Bible coming from the Church) was for you to see the relationship between the Church and Scripture. I would not present that argument to her until some you time after you go over some of the verses from the link. If she begins to see that the Catholic faith is not against Scripture, then you might want to explain how establishing the Canon of Scripture is a duty entrusted to the Church to prevent the personal decisions and biases of men to determine it.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

I've been sharing my journey into Catholicism with my mother and she always tells me to 'check the Scriptures please' as in that I have to verify everything I believe with scripture.

How should I respond to that?

Positively. Most Catholic apologists will say the same thing.

 

[Gnarwhal]

Indeed search the Scriptures. The more I pour(ed) into Sacred Scripture, the more I saw the consistencies, continuity, and truth of the Church. When I was starting off in RCIA we dove deep into Scripture and never left.

Proper Catholic teaching would reflect that Sacred Scripture is a vital part of our faith, it's part of the 'three-legged stool' that upholds the Church: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium.

Protestants seem to think that we Catholics have zero contact with Scripture, and if we were to read any it would somehow support the lies they tell about the Church and convince us that their heretical protestant views are correct. The truth is reading more Scripture reveals the reality of the Church: that it's the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Christ and his Apostles.