I think it wise to read what non-Catholic sources have to say. If for no other reason, than to be better prepared to deal with the plethora of misinformation that is given as “fact” about the Catholic Church. It helps to know what non-Catholic Christians are being presented with as “truths” about the Catholic Church. I have on more than one occasion had people from various denominations tell me what we believe. One young lady once told me, that the reason Catholics have crucifixes instead of a plain cross is because we believe that Jesus is still on the cross. A co-worker who has a degree from a fairly well known Protestant university, recently told me how he confronted 2 Catholic priests with his question, “do Catholics still have to ‘pay’ their way into Heaven?” This was his understanding of the Catholic teaching on purgatory.

Thesee are just 2 examples of what some are taught, and even have tracts and booklets to “prove” their assertions.

It all began in Church:  A lost soul longing for a way to find some peace and understanding in God.  I was raised Catholic and grew up with many friends who were Protestant, Baptist, and Jewish, etc.  I feel blessed for my upbringing that taught me that we are one and the same to God, and there was never to be a comparison with one over another. But even after much reading, study, and prayer, I still continued to find myself in a whirlpool following other Christians?  I was reading daily scriptures and having the hardest time with my life that led me to search other teachings.  Even though on the inside, I was most comfortable with the teaching that gave references to Jesus.  So, I remained with an open heart and mind to what else that I can know because of my beloved mother’s strong words of council and ‘fairness’. 

I was very excited to hear about spirituality coming from all the media; not only from Church.  I felt as though it was a sure sign.  I was passionate talking openly about the word of God in daily conversations.  A great and wonderful change of oneness has come!  So, I thought. 

As my studying continued, it brought me to A Course in Miracles, (a study course for the foundation for inner peace) and an Emmet Fox book Sermon on the Mount, which led me to the full collection of his library.  I felt they were spreading the same messages as Jesus.  I could always pick up the Bible and see the same references that felt true to my heart and soul.  Some of my family and Catholic friends warned me to stay away from anything that wasn’t Catholic Doctrine!  I couldn’t understand this?  Couldn’t they see that I was healing!  So I continued with my search even further.  I didn’t understand that being saved through Jesus was the only way?!  My heart cried out for the children all over the world who didn’t have the opportunity, resources, church, books, or even the knowledge of reading to know God or the teachings of Jesus?!  This led me to short visits to another church that I didn’t feel comfortable with - that kept me even closer to the Bible and my own Catholic Church.

I was excited when I read the book The Secret and joined an online community because I felt for sure that everyone that reads the Bible would truly understand that the law of attraction has been written a long time ago for us through the Gospel.  We were only too young and immature to understand the meaning and cause of suffering, forgiveness, sin, repentance, and our complete dependence on God.  I continued to keep an open mind and not judge as I faithfully followed lessons and teachings that led me back to the Bible references and Jesus words, again.

As much as I gave every consideration, time, effort, resources, to every other religion - I continued to hear blame on the Catholic Church, which bothered me dearly!  That I am re- inspired with all my heart and soul even more with my Christian faith.  The willingness to stay open minded to all religious teachings only seemed to greet me back half way.  But the Catholic Church doors remained open.  As so did my heart with ‘only’ the mention of His name, Jesus.

The revolution is that I made a complete circle to where I never closed the door behind me in the first place.  As for the children that I have mentioned without resources or knowledge to read – they have been my greatest reason for soul searching that led me to stretch myself, read, and learn everything that I can about the perfect word of God.

We are the angels that God has placed before them, that we may keep open the windows of our soul in His house,  and lead the Way.

I am short on time, so this response is going to suffer for it but, in a nutshell, I believe that we need to be aware of the beliefs of other religions once we have learned enough about Catholicism to handle reading about those religions.  Also, one should NEVER stop reading up on Catholicism, no matter how knowledgeable you are, there are always doctors of the church and Church Fathers and encyclicals to read once you have read the Bible and the Catechism…..  Once you are thoroughly grounded, and request the Holy Spirit daily for assistance, NOTHING should sway you from your faith….

Just my two cents worth :)

I consider myself to be fairly smart, but I recently made a serious technical error in conflating the orthogonal distinctions between, on the one hand, matter and form and, on the other hand, substance and accidents.  My failure subtracted from my ability to appreciate the formulation of Eucharistic theology known as Transubstantiation.

Correction to my last sentence: “We are the angels that God has placed before them, that we may keep open the windows of our soul in His house,  for Him to lead us the Way.

As you mentioned, these days you can’t just rely on the “Catholic” label either (think of National Catholic Reporter, Catholic for Free Choice, dissident catechists, etc).  Besides encyclicals and Magisterial documents, how would you advise finding reliable Catholic resources?  Imprimatur?  Word of mouth?  Just feels right?

I am most saddened when I see so many Christians, whose families failed in teaching them the Truth, leaving the church. Before we embark of any reading we must be cemented in our own religion otherwise we will be swayed. As much as I love my Christianity, I was reading about another religion and I asked the Holy Spirit to open my eyes in I had misjudged this particular religion that claims peace. An amazing thing happened I started shaking and tears came down and I knew that although there is but One God, Jesus is the answer. Read, but pray the Holy Spirit before. If the material brings inner peace and does not conflict anything in the bible then it is OK.

I think there are some qualifications.

When I was a Catholic neophyte in faith (ashamedly at 26 yrs old)I was given a 7th Day Adventist bible course to do. Well, I studied it only too well!

I was a cradle Catholic who did NOT know her faith, and I was easy prey for the Protestant-heretical books.

It took me years to get over the nagging feeling that I was worshiping Mary!  I actually prayed my rosary, but to Jesus!

I called a Catholic Church to get some help on this, as I wanted to love Mary, but intellectually, I was drug down by what I learned earlier. The nun I was assigned to talk to knew less than I did about Marian apologetics, so I had to find my own answers.

Because God did not give up on me, I am now a somewhat-practiced apologist because of Bible reading, Catholic Answers, National Catholic Register, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and the Baltimore Catechism, along with the CCC.

I think people have to be careful.

I am now in another Bible study- Protestant in nature, that my Catholic friend asked me to join. Only after 20 yrs. of Catholic study can I now go in and disect what is true and not.

I say: neophytes beware!

Also, Stephen K. Ray’s website and his books helped undo much of the damage of my Protestant bible study. He’s a-one and top notch in apologetics- along with Jimmy Akin, of course!

Thank you, Jimmy, for another very well-balanced answer to an important question.  I have always seen the Catholic Church and her teachings as “both/and,” not “either/or.”  But like the use of our “conscience,” we must be well-formed in order for the Holy Spirit to help us discern truth.  I, too, grew up in a small town with several different Protestant denominations in addition to our small Catholic Church.  That early experience and the need to learn my faith in order to defend the Church were invaluable in my Spiritual formation, which will continue till the day I die.

With all due respect, I am troubled by the exaggerated sense of the knowledge of their Catholic faith that many seem to have.  There seems to be a priority for “understanding” and “tolerance” but not on truly knowing our own faith, given by Jesus and handed on by the Apostles and guarded by the Holy Spirit in the Church.  So often I see questionable materials left in our Adoration Chapel, for example.  The people leaving these items are no doubt very well-intentioned but there are some real problematic items left.  While you are absolutely correct that truth is found wherever it is, that doesn’t mean that just because something “feels” right or seems to be helpful, it automatically is.  Many of these items are blatantly contrary to Catholic teaching.  Yes, we must recognize that truth exists outside the visible Church, but we also must realize that in being tolerant, we must not do so simply based on what feels right. 

Pope Benedict XVI is a wonderful example of the “both/and” of what he calls, “Truth and Tolerance.”  It has been said, and rightly so, how very gracious he is to those outside of the Catholic Church.  But note also, how he never yields on the revealed truth either.  The most recent example of this was his talk in the U.K. in the very place where St. Thomas More was condemned to death for standing for truth.

A good way to find out about other religions from a Catholic perspective is to watch “The Journey Home” on EWTN - Mon eve at 7pm.  This show always provides a marvelous synthesis of protestant thinking corrected in Catholic teaching.  These are former protestants (mostly ministers) who searched long and hard for truth and found it in the Catholic Church.  There stories are amazing and informative.

I read dozens of books and countless Web sites in exploring whether to become Catholic.  The book that led me more than any other to convert was written by a Protestant: JND Kelly’s Early Christian Doctrines.

And don’t forget the spiritual wealth that can be gleaned from your Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters. We share much more in common than many people might think, having maintained (a sometimes strained) communion with each other for the first millenium of the Christian era. I think John Paul II was right on his assessment of the situation when he expressed his longing for the Church to breathe again with both lungs.

I am trying to recall a story, and while it might involve St. Ambrose, I suspect it is St. Jerome…

While sick, he had a dream in which Christ appeared to him and ordered him to burn all of his secular books.  When his fever broke, he lit a fire, and began to do as he was told, but he hesitated when he held his beloved Cicero before the flames. 

He realized he did not have to burn that rhetoric, because he was using his powers with eloquence to serve not the body politic, but the body and Church of Christ.  Many others did the same, and this was a contributing factor to the fall of the Roman empire.

I tell my students of rhetoric at the College of St. Benedict to do the same, as should we all.

I enjoy this website and newspaper, especially the work of Tim Drake!

It is worth noting that even if a source is Catholic and has the Imprimatur/Nihil obstat, that is no longer a guarantee that it is any good. Unfortunately there is a lot of garbage being published by Catholics.

I encourage our kids to watch the Phil Vischer’s “What’s in the Bible?” DVDs (www.whatsinthebible.com). Until some Catholic individual or group can put together something as professional in its presentation, humorous, and educational (and no, “The Roamin’ Catholic” does not count. Good effort, though) I don’t really have a choice. The thorough walk through the books of the bible told by puppets and animation, is worth the one or two odd “Who’s Billy Graham?” questions I might get.

In my years of (Catholic*) Bible study I started my extra references with a series called “Ancient Christian Commentaries, for the book we were studying.  I figured anything that old and comprehensive wasn’t going to lead too far astray.  In the last few years, especially as we tackled a couple OT books, Genesis and Exodus, I found Jewish commentaries helpful, especially for linguistic information, and stuff passed down in tradition.  I particularly appreciated it when we hit a puzzler of a passage, like the bit in Exodus where God may be attacking Moses, and turned to see what the Jewish commentaries had to say:  Boiled down it was ‘we aren’t sure what to make of it either.’  The Hebrew grammar and language was obscure even to Jewish scholars. “But tradition said…” and it provided a few suggestions. 

NT Wright has also been helpful when we were studying some epistles.  And Orthodox commentaries provide a different angle of view on things - just allow for their belief about St. Peter.  The Navarre Bible has excellent Catholic notes.  So does the Ignatius Study Bible, but it’s not complete yet.  I think they’ve only finished the New Testament.  The Navarre is complete.

The last category I’ve found helpful is cultural studies, like Kenneth Bailey’s, where he lives over there, has seen village dynamics, and read the ancient texts in their own languages.  He pulls from many texts not in English, and interprets according to his knowledge of the culture and village life.  He’s the first person to make sense of the parable of the dishonest steward for me.

*We started with the sole ‘diocesan approved’ Bible study which turned out to have some of its material written by non-Catholics.  And I kept arguing with the commentaries - one reason I looked for other reference materials.  We tried a few others and have settled with the much more satisfying Catholic Scripture Study, founded a few years back by Gail Buckley.

Here is my take, after being an evangelical Christian for 31 years:
The Catholic Church has the greatest riches and treasure and no other faiths on earth can compare. After 6 years of being a Catholic, I have only begun to scratch the surface of the treasure that is awaiting me. The writings of the saints alone could keep you occupied for the rest of one’s life. The writings of the Church fathers, the doctors of the Church, the saints and mystics, the papal encyclicals, letters and councils of the Church….and much, much more including blogs and books by our contemporary Catholic writers and apologists.
  My advice is, after you have dug deeply in all the Church has to offer and have time left over, then consider studying and learning from sources outside the Church.

The other reality is that those Christians at the Bible study you attend are no doubt looking to evangelize you and “get you saved.” Trust me on this, I was one of them.

God bless

Sure, but it’s all on “the Rapture”, end times prophecy…including the so-called Left Behind theory.  At least I know there at least one aspect (the second coming of Christ) that is true.

I do like to read about the Reformation because, after all it is part of my historical religious background.

There are certain Catholic religious, and non-canonized “saints” that I read about-if you want to count that.

I also visit JW’s website because—-sorry—-it’s somehow gratifying (I think that’s the word I want) to read about a “religion” that is SO distorted from the truth.

Another great article and just as great comments. I have always believed you can learn something valuable from Protestant materials as well as Catholic ones. For instance, while I don’t like John MacArthur’s anti Catholic bias, he does say a lot of wise and valuable things.

“Quidquid verum, a quolibet dictum, a Spiritu Sancto est.” St. Ambrose

I had purchased a commentary by John MacArthur several years ago since it was “highly regarded” by many protestants. I was amazed to read his interpretations of seemingly simple bible passages and how poor much of his analysis and commentary was. There were some comments that were very adept and well thought out, however I constantly found myself wondering how much of what he presented could actually be thought scholarly. His commentary on Bread of Life discourse in John’s gospel is comical. As one of the other poster’s mentioned, the anti-Catholic bias is not even veiled in his notes. I stopped using the commentary altogether, and ultimately discarded it. I found that there is so much excellent commentary that is Catholic that there is little reason to look at resources that are outside our faith. I love listening to the excellent analysis and apologetical questions on Catholic Answers Live, it provides a theologically sound environment to discern the beliefs and aspects of other faiths without mudding up the waters. Our Faith and Traditions are so rich and deep, I see little need to look outside for resources. It would be like living in the Louvre and yearning to go see the macaroni art on display at the mall. It may be art but it doesn’t exactly inspire.

It was thanks to non-Catholic books and materials that I inevitably began to take my Catholic faith seriously. Sadly it is also true that many anti-Catholic things or errors are subtly present, but sometimes there is no Catholic resource that does a better job explaining certain things or offering certain apologetics material, particularly when it comes to the Bible and a defense of Biblical Inerrancy and a defense of Genesis and Creationism versus Evolution. Or if there is the Protestants in particular do a better job of presenting the material… Hopefully we’ll get our act together and already there are a lot of improvements on the part of lay catholics to improve the situation.

Hey Elaine T, what DID Bailey say about the parable of the dishonest steward?  That one’s a head-scratcher.  I had a weird incident happen once when I was new to the faith.  One night, out of curiosity, I looked at a website about Edgar Cayce and the Cayce society which promotes gnosticism of some sort.  Just as I was about to delve into that murky world, the phone rang.  I picked it up.  Nothing.  No dial tone, just a really heavy silence.  I turned back to the website but had the distinct impression I was doing something “bad.”  I read it anyway.  It really upset my faith, just like gnosticism did to the newly baptized in St. Paul’s day (of course I didn’t know about that at the time).  I had quite a few mystic incidents early in my conversion.  A big spiritual battle must ensue when a heathen turns the corner, anyway, I agree with liseux that newbies or the spiritually wobbly should be extra careful about what they read.

It is important to educate yourself.  I read both the DiVinci Code and The Shack, and found them laughable.  Both went into the trash. It also made me ready to answer questions from non-catholic friends who questioned me about those books.  Additionally, I was exposed to THE PROMISE.  My Catholic Faith does not make me vulnerable to these writings. It makes me stronger to respond with clarity and confidence.

Two different couples who are friends of ours took the time and trouble to mail us the book, “The Shack” suggesting that we read it. As I began the book, I thought, this is a different way to describe the Trinity, and perhaps this would be helpful to people to think of God as the three persons. I also thought it was a description of God’s forgiveness of all sins.
However, after reading pages 178-182, and page 205, I think that the book is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I recommend that you read those particular pages very carefully.
Those pages are an attack on religion. I don’t think Jesus would ever say the words that the person named “Jesus” in “The Shack” did. It hurt my heart to read on page 179 the character “Jesus” say, in the seventh paragraph:
“I don’t create institutions; that’s an occupation for those who want to play God. So, no, I’m not too big on religion”, Jesus said a little sarcastically, “and not very fond of politics or economics either”. Jesus’ visage darkened noticeably. “And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?”

Would Jesus ever say these words? No. Calling religion one of the “trinity of terrors”? Stating that religion “deceives” and causes mental turmoil and anxiety? When Jesus says in the Bible so many times, “Do not be afraid”, and says, “I leave you peace, a peace the world cannot give.” I think this is blasphemous, and buried in this book about “love” and “forgiveness” and the “trinity”, could lead many people to false beliefs. I think this statement could actually be the statement that causes confusion, mental turmoil, and anxiety, as it is not true.
At Calvary, Jesus created the Church. Religion is our relationship between God and man.
On p. 181, “Jesus” continues in paragraph 7:
“But I can give you the freedom to overcome any system of power in which you find yourself, be it religious, economic, social, or political. You will grow in the freedom to be inside or outside all kinds of systems and to move freely between and among them. Together, you and I can be in it and not of it.”
The character Mack asks: “But so many of the people I care about seem to be both in it and of it!” Mack was thinking of his friends, church people who had expressed love to him and his family. He knew they loved Jesus, but were also sold out to religious activity and patriotism.
“Jesus” responds: “Mack, I love them. And you wrongly judge many of them. For those who are both in it and of it, we must find ways to love and serve them, don’t you think? Asked Jesus. “Remember, the people who know me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda.”

The other page which I think is also very dangerous and blasphemous is p. 205, where “Jesus” states to Mack:
“Religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive.”
Please read this entire page very carefully—I could type the entire page here, as it is all untrue and confusing, and misleading.
The dictionary states that religion is a belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshiped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe, or any specific system of belief and worship often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy (the Christian religion, the Buddhist religion). The entire book is about characters the author names Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, yet, the author wants to dismiss “religious systems”, which is the Christian “system” of churches which the author alludes has “an agenda”. Putting these words in the mouth of “Jesus”, I think, is very dangerous and heretical, and leads the reader to believe that he “knows more” than Christians who have not read this book, which the author seems to be asserting as “the truth”.
We would not even know who Jesus was if it were not for “organized religion”.
The author, in his website, http://theshackbook.com/willie.htm, states:
I am not connected, or a part, or a member of, or involved inside any sort of organization or movement anywhere. The truth is that I doubt anyone would want me.
This seems like a statement of pride, cloaked in false humility. I don’t know why he has an axe to grind with “organized religion”, but it clearly appears that he does. You might want to read his “story” there, which he admits is incomplete.
I have had so many Catholics tell me that they don’t go to church because they don’t like or don’t trust “organized religion”. I fear a book like The Shack is dangerous, in that it actually encourages such thinking, and would keep people away from the Church, and the graces one can receive from Mass and the sacraments. I think it is actually what “deceives” and causes confusion, mental turmoil and anxiety.
Who, for almost all time, has wanted to accomplish this goal? We know the answer.
Thank you for your time and consideration! 
Sincerely,
Clare DuMontier

Additionally, if a person is looking for a way to NOT have to follow religious teachings and diciplines, they will subscribe to anything that makes faith look unnecessary so they don’t actually have to try and think.  They are quick to want simplification of the complex, and most of the recent writers of books like the Shack, or The Promise, or the DiVinci Code know this, and are laughing all the way to the bank.

The index librorum prohibitorum is my favorite reading list.

I strongly suggest that no one, no matter how strong you are in the faith, read materials from other religions. One must realize that Jesus is a very jealous God and spending time away from His Holy Word may just provoke his wrath. This behavior can come very close to idolatry. You may say reading about other religions is not idolatry, but that is up to Jesus to decide. Every moment spent reading or thinking about other faiths, who have different gods, is a moment spent away from the love of Jesus. One of the worst and most painful times for Jesus is for Him to suffer the loneliness of your heart. Imagine Jesus looking down upon you, fully expecting to have your heart, soul and mind on Him and His Glorious ways-only to find you occupied by another false idol. Be careful my children for one must always be wary of those in sheeps clothing but whose heart is of evil.

Oh my.  To read other material is not sinful.  I studied religions of the world in college as one of my social classes for curriculum.  The best thing I did for myself.  It really does help us to be social and not haughty.
Jealous God?  Wow.  I find that there is compassion found in knowing other faiths.  And in turn we are displaying compassion and warmth.  It’s not tolerance per say.  It’s warmth.  I found this article by Jimmy Akin well written and articulated. 
Father Thomas Ryan, a world reknown eccumenical priest is not envoking jealousy in God by sharing about other faiths/religions.  Neither are we if we read material of other faiths.  It envokes compassion. 
We date and go through courtships so that when we marry we can appreciate our spouse whom we do choose.  We are also able to read to appreciate our faith even more.  I find that reading other material helps us to realize that life is not just about the catechism and being right with blinders on, it is about the catechism and doing right in the face of our brothers without a smug and cold holier than thou demeanor. Just because we read about other faiths does not mean that we are “trying them on for size”. I am not a liberal Catholic.  I am a true Catholic.  Roman Catholic to the core.  But I don’t have blinders on either.  The last writer that talked of NEVER reading other faiths material.  Wow, try telling that to a Catholic married to someone of another faith.  Sometimes reading about other faiths can be more of a distraction so it is a wonderful idea to not get carried away so as to practice it yourself.  But everyone is different in the road that they take in their reading. I love my faith.  I love the early church fathers and mystics and St. Faustina who is most current.  I also appreciate having a sense of fellowship with all those I meet with a level of comfort which is attained through knowledge and beattitudes.

I love reading good books. My favorite non-Catholic sources are Emmet Fox (“Sermon on the Mount”) and Dr. Carl Jung. Both of these men were the “godfathers” of 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12 steps. I credit both of these men as having the most impact on my conversion to the Catholic Church even though they were not Catholic. They helped me development a relationship with God that opened my mind. I agree with Mr. Akin that if you are already Catholic then caution should be taken before reading these materials to make sure that you are strong in your faith. The purpose of reading non-Catholic materials should be to make you stronger in your faith and not distract you from it.