A Question for Converts to Catholicism from Secular Viewpoint

[The_GreyPilgrim]

I would chalk that unlikely moral absolutism up to the early infusion of the Holy Spirit through Baptism in the Church, and receiving the Gospel and the Catechism as a child because of my mother and grandmother, God bless their souls. I think it helped me hold on to some properly basic beliefs throughout my life even though I adopted a lot of really foolish ones in adolescence.

I also witnessed some examples of absolute moral evil in my life, and extreme moral righteousness, which made me realize that moral relativism was not at all useful as a tool to analyze human behavior or morality.

I fumbled around with the problem of the idea that “goodness” or “the good” can only be a property or value of a reasoning person, and can’t exist independently, as if it were some silver loving cup with the word “GOODNESS” engraved on the side in curly letters, that resides in some other metaphysical realm. I realized on some level that goodness as a moral precept, if it is an absolute, has to derive from an ultimate law-giver, and that would have to be a person, not an abstract value. I just preferred not to think about it too much. Because that would mean **I **was not the ultimate moral authority, and that I couldn’t do exactly as I wanted and still consider myself as “good”…

I don’t know if you’ve read C.S. Lewis but he has a essay called “Man or Rabbit”. When I read it it affirmed many things for me that I already implicitly knew but couldn’t quite articulate. Its from his book “God on the Dock”. I suggest you read it.

 

[CleverUserName]

I did

 

[mab23]

when I reverted from athiesm/agnosticism - I reverted because of the Faith I had as a child along with the intellectual arguments - I watched debates with John Lennox and William Lane Craig - then I looked at which religion had the most evidence

The Catholic Church by far wins in that Category

 

[Marc_Anthony]

I never became an atheist, but I came very close and remained Catholic because of purely philosophical arguments. I experienced no religious or mystical experience, unless you count me finding these arguments in the first place.

 

[gus]

I reverted back to The Church. It was the question of abortion plus the pious witness of my father that turned the tide.
After much reading and sole searching I came to the conclusion that the Catholic position on abortion was the correct one. What a revelation that the outdated church of your ancestors was right and I and the rest of my secular humanist were wrong.

 

[ivecomeback]

I was heavily questioning the Protestant church that I had been with for many years and was helping my mom walk up to receive communion. I had done so before, and had not received. I don’t know why or how it happened, but I found myself saying “amen” to the host in front of me and I consumed it. It felt as if my head was snapped back and I knew it was Jesus in the Eucharist.

Yes, I should not have received, I know that now, but it is the closest thing to a mystical experience I have ever had. I DO NOT seek these things out since reason appeals to me much more.

Yet, even now, when I go to the tabernacle to get a host to bring to a shut-in, my hands tremble. I can only approach Him because He invited me.