posted by [identity profile] cookie107.livejournal.com at 03:07pm on 07/10/2008
1) No
2) Learned about, but didn't actually read any in high school. Although history was my least favorite subject and I dropped it for extra science classes Senior year of HS.

And as someone who was raised Catholic and is now an active Lutheran, I would not be at all shocked if none of your Catholic students knew how similar/different the two are. I grew up in an Irish Catholic family from Long Island, and can honestly say that I learned nothing about any other forms of Christianity until college. I didn't happen to have any active Protestant friends in high school (although I did learn a lot about Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism-New Jersey is an interesting mix) and there is no discussion about other faiths, even in a historical sense, in Sunday School/CCD. I was shocked when I went through my "conversion" classes, since there was one night dedicated to the history of the Lutheran Church, and one night dedicated to comparing and contrasting the Lutheran faith with other Christian denominations. If not for that class, I would have no idea of the differences in Christian beliefs.

And as a frame of reference, when my mom found out I was going to a Lutheran Church, instead of being happy that I was spiritually happy, she was concerned that I had joined a cult and they were trying to steal my money. A cult. Of Lutherans. Sigh.
 
posted by [identity profile] digitalemur.livejournal.com at 03:41pm on 07/10/2008
Wow. I... feel somewhat better about my own lacking understanding of the differences in Protestant denominations, because my parents were at least vaguely aware of the diffs and could help with it. Sorry your mom was that way-- my parents dearly loved their Lutheran friends and took us to programs at the local Presbyterian church along with all of our Catholic stuff.
 
posted by [identity profile] cookie107.livejournal.com at 03:51pm on 07/10/2008
Yeah, I had family members who almost didn't come to my wedding because it was in the Lutheran Church. My husband is a non-practicing Catholic (his parents we just thrilled we were getting married in a church, since none of his sibs did) so we compromised and did not have a full Eucharistic service--he was willing to take communion as a sign of our love, but leaving that part out made it "easier" for some of my family to accept coming. I found it ironic that most of my cousins who were married in the Catholic church don't go to church at all and it had no meaning for them--whereas I thought of my wedding as a spiritual gift and a blessing and had family who thought it was unacceptable. The up side is that my parents now understand more and will in fact go to church with me when they visit (although my mom really doesn't understand the differences since the service is "practically the same"--until I point out Pastor's wife and kids).
 
posted by [identity profile] orichalcum.livejournal.com at 08:01pm on 07/10/2008
Actually, it seems to be the non-religious types who are extra-confused; the question was "Did Catholics really think they needed a priest to mediate between them and God?"

My Congregationalist training sort of muddled my attempt at a strictly objective answer about the Catholic idea of priests' special relationship with God.

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