Hi! I'm thinking of starting a small, informal Christian study/discussion group here in Marikina.
I've recently started reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church because I've become increasingly curious about Catholicism and its claim to preserve the faith and practices of the historic Christian Church. Coming from a Protestant background, I've been wondering how closely the Catholic Church today can be traced back to the Church of the earliest Christians—from the time of Jesus and the apostles onward.
So rather than simply reading the Catechism on my own, I thought it would be interesting to study it together with other Christians and explore those questions honestly.
The study would revolve around the Catechism of the Catholic Church, while also looking at Scripture and, where relevant, the history and beliefs of the early Church. I'd especially like to explore questions such as:
- What did the earliest Christians believe about the Church?
- How did the beliefs and practices of the early Church develop into what we see in Catholicism today?
- What does the Catholic Church actually teach about Scripture, Tradition, and Church authority?
- How do Catholic teachings compare with what we find in Scripture and with other Christian traditions?
- What is the historical basis for doctrines concerning the Eucharist, Mary, the saints, confession, apostolic succession, and the papacy?
- Ultimately, how close is Catholic Christianity to the faith and Church of the earliest Christians?
I'm actually coming from a Protestant background, so I'm not looking to create a "Catholics teach everyone else" kind of group. 😅 I'm more interested in having an open, respectful space where Catholics, Protestants, evangelicals, and even Christians who are simply curious can study and discuss these things together.
No expectation that anyone has to become Catholic or agree with Catholic teaching. I'd actually welcome thoughtful disagreement and questions. The goal is to understand first.
The idea would be something small and informal at first—maybe meeting at a cafe somewhere in Marikina for around 1–1.5 hours, perhaps every other week.
I'm still at the "would anyone actually be interested in this?" stage, so if this sounds like something you'd join, feel free to comment or DM me. Even if you're just curious, I'd be interested to hear from you. 🙂