A question for ex-protestants

[servus]

Dear Ex-Protestants, i.e. Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denom, etc. What made you leave those Churches to join the Roman Catholic Church? Thank you for your responses,

God Bless,
-Servus

 

[jschwehm]

Hi:

I converted to the Catholic Church from the Jehovah’s Witnesses via the Missouri Synod Lutherans. In short, I became Catholic so that I could be a more fulfilled Lutheran. I wanted to receive everything the Lord wished to give me and one receives all that the Lord wishes to give in the Catholic Church.

Jeff Schwehm
www.catholicxjw.com

 

[Brian_C]

I actually learned what the Church had to say. I also studied the reformation a bit and realized it wasn’t the glorious revolt by righteous people I had always been taught it was. After moving to a larger city with multiple protestant denominations, I realized the absurdity of it all. Seems to me that Catholics were the real “fundamentalists” or rather…most orthodox and faithful to Christ and the apostles teachings.

 

[a_priori]

Dear Ex-Protestants, i.e. Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denom, etc. What made you leave those Churches to join the Roman Catholic Church? Thank you for your responses,

God Bless,
-Servus

We left evangelicalism because the whole Protestant experience is ultimately fraught with mutually-exclusive dogmas that cannot be reconciled. It is not likely that true Christianity should be so fragmented. This is a sort of Christian postmodernism where all “truths” are valid. Liberals (many old mainlines), Calvinists, Arminians, dispensationalists and charismatics are competing with each other in an endless competitition to articulate the most compelling intellectual argument to support their point of view.

Historically, the only safe arbiter of the meaning of a certain scripture or a given dogma was the Church. This is where there is safety. The options are the wind-tossed maelstrom of Sola Scriptura or the calm, safe harbor of the historical Church.

We have many friends and relatives in the evangelical world and will always appreciate their zeal and commitment to others. We just chose a different path.

 

[Rawb]

In high school I kept getting swayed on arguments about moral issues and I finally got really ticked off. I was non-denom so I was told that God’s will would guide me to the Truth.

Well how the heck do I recognize God’s will?

I got out a Bible, read passages and decided, based on a LOT of prayer and studying of the Bible, my views on all the controversial issues. Later, when I was talking about them, a Catholic friend told me I sounded Catholic. I looked into it and realized that the Truth was still with us.

So I guess I left because it seemed like trying to discern God’s will with just you and the Bible is to difficult to distinguish from ‘what I really want to do and can find a passage to confirm it’.

 

[calchiquita]

Well, I had a Catholic friend and was impressed by his spirituality. He was definitely not a saint, but a humble and searching spirit. I didn’t know what the Church taught, so I googled “Catholic conversion” to see what one would need to believe to be a Catholic. Well, ran into Scott Hahn’s conversion story, also saw references to Surprised by Truth books (which I read parts of at the bookstore, never bought them, sorry Patrick).
Somewhere I must have seen a reference to John 6, and while reading this in my bible I became convicted. I saw that the communion I had shared in other churches was just a shadow of the Eucharist. It was at that point that in my heart I became Catholic, although it was over a year and a half before I was brought into full communion.
By the way, it was also while reading John 6 that day that I was released from an addiction I had been struggling with.
So, long story short, the Eucharist.

 

[Vigis]

Dear Ex-Protestants, i.e. Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denom, etc. What made you leave those Churches to join the Roman Catholic Church? Thank you for your responses,

God Bless,
-Servus

Well I am not a Catholic yet, but in two years I will be able to convert (house rules ); which I will. I was formally a Catholic and converted to Methodism. I found many contradictions in Methodism and I was very influenced by my past years of being a Catholic. I took another look a Catholicism and tried to fully understand it. It makes perfect sense. That is why I will soon be an ex-protestant. God speed.

 

[jmcrae]

Dear Ex-Protestants, i.e. Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denom, etc. What made you leave those Churches to join the Roman Catholic Church? Thank you for your responses,

God Bless,
-Servus

Four little words: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

 

[Mr.Ex_Nihilo]

I’ve gone into detail about my thoughts on Sola Scriptura here…but ultimately it seemed to be Catholicism’s understanding of Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant that really knocked me off my feet.

No. I’m not joking. Once that was pointed out to me, I could never turn back from the Catholic Church. Everything else just fit into place by the Holy Spirit.

 

[reneeville]

Raised a protestant, I was for most of the years a Methodist; however, as a rebellious teen, I lay prostrate before the Lord in an AoG, daughter was raised in a non-denom, I spent time as an Episcopal (sans confirmation), and went back to Methodism. Very active in many areas but when I was a “communion steward” offering the symbolic body and blood…while stating “this is the body” or “this is the blood” I began to FEEL the contradiction. Conflict never resolved, in August 2004 I entered into an eight month period of meditative and contemplative prayer. The answer came to me when the question came to me “Why are you a protestant?” After receiving communion on Easter Sunday, the question burned in my heart…I could not give my Father an answer and the Holy Spirit encouraged me to visit the Church that Jesus began. Wow… I had been totally indoctrinated against Catholicism, and now was being led to the Catholic Church. Well, I’m not one to argue with the Holy Spirit so I began attending Mass the first Sunday after Easter…and after a couple of months, I met with the priest…told him my story, he was so kind and understanding. I knew I was home. RCIA was a great blessing, I learned that I was Catholic in many ways…just didn’t know it! I spent one year not receiving communion (it was very important to me as a protestant)…and oh my goodness; receiving the Lord in my first Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil is indelibly imprinted in my heart. I could go on and on…but I hope you get the gist. I have never felt so blessed and my desire to serve Him grows and grows.
Shalom~
Renee

 

[Paleolutheran]

I’m a Missouri Synod Lutheran…but I consider myself an Evangelical Catholic…I recovered from Protestantism when I began actually reading Luther’s works (as opposed to some of the nonsense being propogated currently and possibly in the future by our Synod as the schism continues) as well as appreciating the Liturgy and High Church elements.

Pax,

Paleolutheran

 

[rr1213]

I’ve gone into detail about my thoughts on Sola Scriptura here…but ultimately it seemed to be Catholicism’s understanding of Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant that really knocked me off my feet.

No. I’m not joking. Once that was pointed out to me, I could never turn back from the Catholic Church. Everything else just fit into place by the Holy Spirit.

Really? That always seems to me to be one of the biggests Catholic “stretches”. Different perspective I suppose.

 

[Scottgun]

Lots of reasons of course, but I’ll relate one item. I was ELCA Lutheran and was even contemplating being a pastor. Strolling through the Church library I happened upon a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I had always thought the Church taught that suicide meant automatic Hell, no exceptions. I looked it up and found out that was not true. This led me to ask what else had I been misinformed about. And that helped get the ball rolling as it were.

Scott

 

[Trelow]

I was a Methodist, growing more and more fundamentalist every day. A fundamentalist with respect for "t"raditions.

My wife and I were married in the Catholic Church, she had converted in college. Then I succeeded in getting her to leave. A few years passed and she wanted to get back in the Catholic swing of things, and so I redoubled my efforts.

By this time I had matured quite a bit, and so I started my research so I could prove without a doubt that the Catholic Church was the harlot of Revelations.

Bad mistake.

Pro Tip: If you want to stay protestant, don’t honestly research the Church.

 

[cecilia97]

Dear Ex-Protestants, i.e. Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denom, etc. What made you leave those Churches to join the Roman Catholic Church? Thank you for your responses,

God Bless,
-Servus

Wow, as a cradle Catholic, I just wanted to stop by and say I’m completely humbled by the responses here. You all put real work into understanding the faith and you have such zeal. The Church is blessed to have you!

c

 

[BlestOne]

Wow, as a cradle Catholic, I just wanted to stop by and say I’m completely humbled by the responses here. You all put real work into understanding the faith and you have such zeal. The Church is blessed to have you!

c

Cecelia,
I totally agree!! About 8 years ago I ran into some folks that made me defend my faith and it totally awakened a passion to learn more about my faith. It still humbles me to realize that we are so blest to belong to the fullness of the Catholic faith.

 

[tundramom]

I am an ex-mormon, Catholic by way of Assembly of God…

The final single moment, although I had been going more and more towards the Catholic church was when my Pastor held up the grape juice and bread and said, “We could be doing this with a snickers bar and a coke and it would be the same thing.”

First I thought that was blasphemous and then I thought, “He’s right!”

I was taught in the AoG to read the Bible literally. Then you come to John 6 and you suddenly don’t take the words of Jesus literally?

After much heart wrenching and study, I was convinced that if I truly wanted to be in God’s will, I would be Catholic.

“Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of everlasting life”!

In short, it’s all the Eucharist.

in Christ
Steph

 

[mercygate]

As a High Church Anglican my theology was entirely Catholic. The form of my devotional and sacramental life was “more” catholic than that of most in-the-pew Catholics. I was actually rather arrogant about that.

I walked, talked, thought, and prayed like a Catholic. One day in prayer the words came into my head: “If you have Apostolic Succession, and Peter is not in your house of bishops, what are you thinking?” I realized that it was dishonest of me to remain outside the Church, and I came crawling to the gate: whining and puling all the way.

The Episcopal Church brought me into a full catholic comprehension and appreciation of the faith of Jesus Christ. Anglican worship is often “more” Catholic than anything found in Catholic churches in the US with the exception of a few “boutique” parishes. I miss that. But the authenticity, the sense of Apostolic unity – “that they all may be one” – are unbeatable. And the PEACE! The peace is indescribable.

Thank you, Jesus!

 

[jemfinch]

Dear Ex-Protestants, i.e. Baptists, Methodists, Non-Denom, etc. What made you leave those Churches to join the Roman Catholic Church? Thank you for your responses,

God Bless,
-Servus

1. The Bible (and the correct interpretation thereof)
2. The Eucharist (and the lack thereof in the Vineyard I attended)
3. The Mass (and the lack of reverence or God-focus in standard evangelical services)

There are many other reasons, but those are some of the biggest ones.

Jeremy

 

[Trelow]

1. The Bible (and the correct interpretation thereof)

Yea that always drove me crazy how we would only pick which verses we wanted, and ignore any contrary. That was my big selling point on the Catholic Church, nobody else uses the whole bible!