The Scenario:
John and Marilyn are committed homeschooling Catholics, well acquainted with the apologetics of their faith. They’ve just moved to a sleepy little town in the Bible Belt. Marilyn has been an active member of a Catholic homeschoolers’ group for years and was looking forward to joining the local support group. But the only group in town requires that members sign a “Statement of Faith” that includes assent to “sufficiency of the Holy Bible as the only inspired word of God.”
Their new friends all know they’re Catholic and are encouraging John and Marilyn to go ahead and join anyway. They’re not sure what to do. What would you do?

This situation isn’t a “what if” for us; it happened to us recently. We’ve been homeschooling ever since our oldest, now a college sophomore, was in kindergarten. We’ve lived in several cities, and the situation with local Christian homeschooling groups in each area has varied.

One group, led primarily by Protestant evangelicals, affirmed its Christian identity and at the same time invited anyone interested to join. Faith wasn’t a requirement for membership; members of this group saw themselves as Christian servants to the local homeschooling community. We were probably the first Catholics to join them, and they welcomed us and even appointed us eventually to their governing board. We became good friends with the other leaders, and we’ve always deeply appreciated the way they modeled Christ’s own servant’s heart to the community.

Another homeschool group led mostly by Baptists welcomed us, and again we made good friends there and learned a great deal together. In this group, since gatherings for the kids included Bible studies, we sometimes had to prepare our children to hear things taught that were contrary to Catholic faith. But those occasions were rare, and we made good use of them as family “apologetic moments” for our kids to begin learning how some Protestant doctrines fall short.

Members of still another Christian homeschool group, when they discovered we were Catholic, were openly antagonistic to our kids, telling them they were “weird” and that they shouldn’t “worship the pope.” We had no choice but to keep our distance from that kind of misguided hostility.

We mention all these to make the point that it’s possible for Catholics to cooperate with Protestants in support of homeschooling families without compromising their faith. For some of our Protestant homeschooling friends, it was the first time they had ever developed a close friendship with Catholics who seemed serious about their faith, and it was a good experience all around.

On the other hand, in yet another city we also faced a situation similar to John and Marilyn’s. A Christian homeschool group we wanted to join required members to sign a sola scriptura statement of faith. We knew we couldn’t sign it with integrity, so we sadly declined to join.

The question arose, of course, about whether we should tell them why we weren’t joining. We decided that at this point if we did, the resulting discussion would probably cause more heat than light, so we didn’t. If we’d had an established friendship with the leaders of the group, we probably would have tried to talk out the issue; maybe they would have settled for a statement of faith we could all affirm, such as the Nicene Creed or Apostles’ Creed.

A final note: One good result of exclusion from a Protestant homeschool group can be the motivation to establish a Catholic group. We’ve taken part in the formation of two new Catholic groups in different areas, and though they aren’t as large or active as the local Protestant groups, we’ve certainly gained a great deal from our fellowship.
Via e-mail from Georgia

I would talk to the leader of the group, or someone who is pretty much in charge, and say that I really want to join the support group, but there is a little passage in the “Statement of Faith” that is giving me some trouble. I would then proceed to explain that as a Catholic, I believe that Scripture is inspired, and that it doesn’t contain any errors, but what I have a problem with is the claim that it is “the only inspired word of God.” I would go on to say that Tradition is taught in the Bible, and that in all honesty I can’t sign a paper that contradicts what I believe.

To prove my point, I would either have a Bible handy, or some verses written down, to show her where the Bible states that Sacred Tradition is also inspired, along with the Bible. Some of the texts might include 2 Thessalonians 2:14, where it says “hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle”; or again, 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also.”

Then, I would ask the leader to show me exactly where the Bible states that it is the only source for inspired truth. Not whether it is inspired — we agree with that — but where does it explicitly say that it is the only place where truth may be found? Finally, I would restate that I would like very much to join the group, but that I can’t go against my faith which teaches that Scripture, along with Sacred Tradition, is what guides us along the path to heaven.
Mary Clare Piecynski, via e-mail

I encountered almost the exact same situation a few years ago. Ask yourself, if someone asked you to deny your faith, would you do it? The faith statement contradicts some of the truths of the Catholic faith. Protestants and Catholics share some of the same beliefs, but not all of them. So to sign that faith statement would be saying, “I deny some of the truths of my Faith. I adhere to error.”

I would circle the section of the statement of faith that is in conflict with Catholic teaching, explain that you are not in agreement with it, then write a counter-statement that states your Catholic beliefs correctly. Such a statement might read like this: “We believe that the Bible is literally the Word of God. It teaches the truth because the Holy Spirit, who is Truth, is its author. The Sacred Scripture (the Bible), along with Sacred Tradition and the Sacred Magisterium, form the total deposit of the Faith. One cannot stand alone without the others.”

You might also just circle the part of the faith statement you disagree with, write above it, “cannot give full assent,” and explain to the support group leader that you are Catholic and can’t in good conscience agree to all that is in the statement.
Kathleen Woodman, via e-mail

Our local Protestant homeschool group was huge! Because of their size, they were able to put together wonderful-sounding music programs, plays, and discounted field trips. The moms also brought the kids together on Fridays for in-depth science labs, language classes, and other academic endeavors. We were very interested, but this “statement of faith” loomed over the decision to join.

In the end, we decided that we just couldn’t betray our beliefs — no matter how much fun the group was having. So, we went looking for other Catholic homeschoolers. We put a notice in the bulletins of the area churches, inviting other families to join us at our parish on First Fridays.

As a result, the First Friday of every month rapidly became a day when we looked forward to noon Mass, followed by an afternoon of picnicking with eight or so other families at the local playground. The moms would say a Rosary together and then talk about the challenges of motherhood, staying open to life, and deep theological issues that revolved through our spiritual lives.

We never grew to the size where we could offer the activities we’d seen in the other support group. But our interaction was a constant reminder that we were homeschooling, not to save our children’s grades, but to save their souls. Could you really ask for better support than that?
Via e-mail from Ohio

This would be my chance to prove that I am a strong Catholic and will not compromise my faith by signing that statement. I would explain that as a committed Catholic I could not in good conscience sign the form because it goes against the teaching of the Church. I would explain that the Catholic Church was founded before the Bible and it was the Catholic Church that gave the world the Bible as we now know it — that before the Bible, after Pentecost, the apostles spread the word of God by mouth because the New Testament wasn’t written yet. Therefore the Word was spread orally, and the Church calls this Sacred Tradition. So the Catholic Church teaches that Sacred Tradition and the Bible are the Word of God, not the Bible alone. If they press the issue, then I would go into apologetics mode and use Scripture references. If you show that you’re as committed to your faith as they are, they will respect you more, and as they get to know you they will change their attitude toward the Catholic Church.
Don Paternoster, Melbourne, FL

The Next Scenario:
Joe and Marian have recently noticed more and more unorthodox beliefs and practices creeping into their parish. Some people deny the Real Presence. Lay people are teaching that homosexual behavior is okay. And occasionally the deacon even muses that women should be allowed to become priests. When Joe and Marian approached their pastor about their concerns, they were rebuffed. Now they’re wondering what’s the best way to handle the situation. Do they take it up the chain of command? Or should they even stick around?
What would you do?

Email your two-hundred-word-or-less suggestion to caroline@envoymagazine.com, or send it to What Would You Do? P.O. Box 640, Granville, OH 43023.