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Kaley,
You aren't categorically forbidden, but I'd be extremely cautious about this if you are not well-formed in your Catholic faith and able to defend it, because it will be undermined and attacked in subtle and not-so-subtle ways at this church.
The biggest danger I see is getting involved in a network of relationships of trust with people who will draw you inexorably away from the Catholic faith. Evangelicals have a deep-seated suspicion of Catholicism, and if you do not join them, you will end up being treated as a second-class citizen. I speak from experience. I had a very similar experience to what you had; I found more attractive and vibrant Christianity among Evangelicals than in my own parish, and I was drawn, and misled about the authentic teachings of Christianity.
Eventually, though, I studied what the early Christians (what we call the Early Church Fathers) believed, saw that it was Catholic, and learned how to understand the Bible in the context of, and in harmony with, the Catholic faith.
If you opt to go, which I don't recommend for most people, you of course can't replace your Sunday Mass attendance with attendance at this church; you could go on Saturday night or early Sunday or something like that.
You will face a lot of questions about your faith doing this. The Catholic faith is biblical, is the faith founded by Jesus and taught by the Apostles and can be defended from Scripture. We are here to help, and I also recommend Catholic Answers <catholic.com> and the resources they have there.
Finally, I recommend you find a Catholic Charismatic prayer group or do a Cursillo retreat, to connect with some Catholics on a deeper level and find what you might be looking for in a Catholic context. Another program I just heard about is called Light of the World.
- What diocese do you live in?
Perhaps I can help you get into contact with some Catholic groups that you'll be able to better connect with.
Eric |
