Are you doing anything special this weekend? Maybe we could do something fun. I was thinking we could go to the farmers' market.
Yeah, that sounds cool! Although I have to run some errands on Saturday morning, and I’m going to Mass with my family on Sunday, so maybe in the afternoon either day.
I think Saturday works best for me. You know, seeing as we’ve only been seeing each other for a month I guess we haven’t really had “the religion” talk. Do you mind if I ask you if you're a very devote Catholic?
I wouldn’t say so. I go to church with my parents once a month. Although, in the interest of full disclosure I was an altar boy when I was just a young lad, but that’s about as far as it went. Don’t tell my parents, but I’m a bit of an agnostic. And what about you, are you religious?
Yeah, I suppose so. Although, I kind of hate that word. I was raised Baptist. My parents were pretty involved in our church. My Dad was even a deacon and my mom was the choir leader.
I have to admit, I don’t know much about Protestants, so forgive my ignorance but aren’t Baptists the ones that are all, “Amen! Hallelujah! Praise Jesus!”
WOW! Holy stereotypes Batman! And no, I mean, firstly, you have to understand that there are sooo many different denominations of Baptist churches. My family are from a more German Baptist church, they're not charismatic in the least. They pretty much stay firmly planted in their seats through the entire service.
Fair enough. I’m actually genuinely curious because most everyone we associated with growing up was Catholic, so I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some questions.
No, that’s cool. How else are we going to get to know each other?
Okay, so what are the big differences between what Protestants, or well Baptists, believe and Catholics? Obviously I know that we are big on having celibate priests and you guys aren’t big fans of Mary, but what else?
First off, it’s probably easier to put my family, and Baptists in general, into the category of Evangelical Christianity, than just thinking of them as generic Protestants. Evangelicals don’t believe in intercessory prayer, so no praying to anyone but J.C., not even Mary. And following in that same vein we are iconoclast. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.”
And you guys like to memorize bible verses!
Hell’s yeah! I was teacher’s pet in Sunday school until I started to backslide, or as I now call it, hit puberty.
Oh were you a naughty girl? Details please.
Sorry to disappoint, but it was not girls gone wild. Pretty much I went to parties and kissed boys. But that’s okay because at least I had something to say when I gave my testimony at my baptism. So yeah, no baptizing babies. Oh, also we don’t believe in Transubstantiation.
Is that the whole thing about how the Eucharist literately becomes the body and blood of Christ as it flows down your esophagus? That used to freak me out when I was a kid.
Ohh, you poor boy. Don’t forget we call it communion and we don’t have to go and be absolved by a priest first. We get to just confess on our own in private. What else? Oh, yeah, it’s frowned upon to cross yourself. I don’t even know how you all remember to do it right every time.
Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch! I always wondered how that helped girls out.
If it’s any consolation, most girls know where testicles are.
You certainly do.
Catholic or Protestant
Католик или протестант
Католицизм и протестантство - самые распространенные религиозные направления в англоязычных странах. В этом уроке мы подобрали лексику и понятия, связанные с религиозной тематикой, чтобы вы всегда смогли поддержать разговор, даже о наиболее специфических ее аспектах.
