Adult son converts to Islam

  • Thread starter Thread starter JanetSwallow
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JanetSwallow

Guest
My son in 1999 converted to Islam after suffering a rather traumatic experience. He was was a member of a college International Student Club and his friends in the group, some who were Muslim, gave him the support he needed at that time. I, of course, continue to be devastated with his decision, and we have had discussions. Finally, I have just given this up to the Lord, trusting in Him. My son now has three children who are being raised Muslim and my daughter-in-law, I love very much. I continue to read what I can about Islam, but would so love to talk with other parents that are in the same situation - their child has left their Catholic faith and are now practicing a Non-Catholic Religion.
 
My son left the Catholic Church and began going to a non-denominational church when a friend invited him. He met a girl who was raised Catholic and joined the church a week after my son did. They have been married 3 years. This has been the most devastating thing that has happed to me besides the loss of parents and relatives who passed away. I am praying for their return to the Catholic Church. Many have told me as long as he follows Jesus, the religion doesn’t matter. I just can’t accept that. I want him to fully realize what a gift the Catholic Church is. He has to be open to the change, it is not in his heart to do that at this point, nor hers. My son was a mischievous little boy and I know that in his early years, he just didn’t catch on to Catholic teachings. I want them both to attend Mass, but they have to want to.
Every day I pray. I will pray for you and your son and family, too. God bless.
 
JanetSwallow said:
My son in 1999 converted to Islam after suffering a rather traumatic experience. He was was a member of a college International Student Club and his friends in the group, some who were Muslim, gave him the support he needed at that time. I, of course, continue to be devastated with his decision, and we have had discussions. Finally, I have just given this up to the Lord, trusting in Him. My son now has three children who are being raised Muslim and my daughter-in-law, I love very much. I continue to read what I can about Islam, but would so love to talk with other parents that are in the same situation - their child has left their Catholic faith and are now practicing a Non-Catholic Religion.
Click to expand...
I haven’t personally had such an experience regarding my own faith. However, there must be support groups either online or in person for people in your situation. In addition to prayer, perhaps you might talk to your priest or ask a Catholic Apologist on CAF for advice and links. You don’t have to face this alone.
 
acadiANNA said:
My son left the Catholic Church and began going to a non-denominational church when a friend invited him. He met a girl who was raised Catholic and joined the church a week after my son did. They have been married 3 years. This has been the most devastating thing that has happed to me besides the loss of parents and relatives who passed away. I am praying for their return to the Catholic Church. Many have told me as long as he follows Jesus, the religion doesn’t matter. I just can’t accept that. I want him to fully realize what a gift the Catholic Church is. He has to be open to the change, it is not in his heart to do that at this point, nor hers. My son was a mischievous little boy and I know that in his early years, he just didn’t catch on to Catholic teachings. I want them both to attend Mass, but they have to want to.
Every day I pray. I will pray for you and your son and family, too. God bless.
Click to expand...
I will pray for your situation. I was a former Evangelical my whole life, and went to several non denominational churches. I would recommend, not knowing your son of course, but generally for me especially it was helpful to read the church fathers. They right now are most likely getting a dynamic, worship and preaching service that is fun for lack of a better word, and so its hard to sell them on going to a liturgical service. These churches often though are very intellectual, and so if you can maybe do a book study with them or something on the Early Church Father’s, maybe sell it as a study of Christian History that you can do with them, and you can have some discussions and hopefully plant some seeds. It should be pretty evident to them that their church is very different from the Apostolic Church, after sitting and reading the ECF’s.

God Bless
 
Your son has to follow what he thinks best for him. You have to accept that and let him go.
I am sorry for you but we all have to live our lives for ourselves. My heart breaks for you. We can only control our own life. I hope he comes back.
 
mayogirl25 said:
Your son has to follow what he thinks best for him. You have to accept that and let him go.
I am sorry for you but we all have to live our lives for ourselves. My heart breaks for you. We can only control our own life. I hope he comes back.
Click to expand...
I disagree completely.
 
mayogirl25 said:
Your son has to follow what he thinks best for him. You have to accept that and let him go.
I am sorry for you but we all have to live our lives for ourselves. My heart breaks for you. We can only control our own life. I hope he comes back.
Click to expand...
He should be respectful, for sure. But he certainly does not have to accept it. Indeed, it is his duty to try and help his son return to the Christian faith.
 
This guy is already taken. Let it go and get on with it. It is sad but it is what it is. These muslims are fanatical. He’s lost. Face it. Pray all day if that rocks your boat but it is a done deal.
 
mayogirl25 said:
This guy is already taken. Let it go and get on with it. It is sad but it is what it is. These muslims are fanatical. He’s lost. Face it. Pray all day if that rocks your boat but it is a done deal.
Click to expand...
What a horribly insensitive thing to say to a hurting person. Perhaps you should read some of the many conversion stories easily found on the Internet.
 
JanetSwallow said:
My son in 1999 converted to Islam after suffering a rather traumatic experience. He was was a member of a college International Student Club and his friends in the group, some who were Muslim, gave him the support he needed at that time. I, of course, continue to be devastated with his decision, and we have had discussions. Finally, I have just given this up to the Lord, trusting in Him. My son now has three children who are being raised Muslim and my daughter-in-law, I love very much. I continue to read what I can about Islam, but would so love to talk with other parents that are in the same situation - their child has left their Catholic faith and are now practicing a Non-Catholic Religion.
Click to expand...
Yes. Continue to pray for him. Ask Mother Marys intercession with Rosaries. Btw did you ever speak with a priest in 1999?

Praying for your son and you. God bless.

MJ
 
******I hope you can talk with him. If anyone looks into the attitude of the “minorities” rioting for days on end in Sweden, with the police seeming complicit in not doing all they can to stop the action…showing the truth that, as the article published in Stockholm NOT an editorial but live-action coverage puts it but I don’t think CA will allow posting articles even though they are news, current, etc. - multiculturalism is proven “fiction.” Fiction is the word used by one of the policemen near the end of the article.

Unfortunately, Islam is bent on destruction, 100% not interested in mixing. In the Case of Sweden, they are helpless but are brought there by higher powers (government wants to destroy western culture - the same has happened in Britain and Europe) - accepting all the welfare, free access to education, health-care, etc. etc. - and yet don’t and can’t work, and are bent on destruction. Period. That’s destuction of Sweden in this case - …,the destruction is of the culture of anyone not Muslim - so the fate of women in Europe a few decades or years from now looks grim.

Islam will stop at nothing whatsoever, is my understanding.

Your son needs to be made to understand the uniqueness of Christianity - in the July 7, 2009 Good Fight program which you can find on EWTN (Barbara McGuigan) - you can find help with that.

Can you please try to make him understand that the belief is deviating from the truth? Show him the fruits of it: women subjected, extreme poverty and small areas of extreme wealth, no upward mobility, intense male dominated culture, beheadings, multiple single digit aged wives allowed because ‘it’s in the scripture.’ It is not only Robert Spencer who harps on this - I happened to find a different angle today, and met a new person who has been dealing with all this for about three decades now, in a very philosophical and subtle cultural analysis - with Rene Girard, a brilliant mentor for Mr. Baillies who I listened to on the above “Good Right” two hour episode.
ignatiusinsight.com/features2009/gbrailie_interview_feb09.asp******
 
Thank you, everyone, for your comments, and advice. I do hope for find a support group, but I also am and have been reading different commentaries one of them I recently found through CAF. When my son converted we had long talks, but I didn’t understand anything about Islam. Over the years we haven’t had much time together to really get into it but I am much more confident that an intellectual discussion is now appropriate. I feel I am better able to defend my faith. Only someone who has this experience can know the grief I have and no, I do NOT believe he is lost. Knowing his family and his friends I do not see all Muslims as fanatical. My daughter-in-law for example is a well-known business woman in Stockholm, who is currently working with the government of Sweden and Somalia assisting the immigrants from Somalia, as well as just basic human rights for those who are ‘down-trodden’. I am so proud of her. I do fear what is happening in Stockholm. My son lives just west of Husby. I myself have walked through Husby on my way to Kista. I never felt in danger. These immigrants have escaped from the atrocities for their home country, much like my own grandparents fled Hungary and Germany at the turn of the 20th century. There will always be people who will forget their own descendents’ struggles. But, going back to my son and his religion - I hope that with the help of people such as yourselves who have responded, I will have better knowledge, affirmation, and strength to help my son, who was raised Catholic; who kept his faith during his service in the Gulf War; who volunteered for Catholic Social Services in assisting a Bosnia family who escaped with literally nothing coming to a foreign country speaking no English; who knows more about the Catholic Church than I do; who teaches ESOL in a Muslim school; who is prayed for fervently by many. I do believe he is not in the place he could/should be, for reasons unknown to me, but known to God, and I will not give up on him. Never. I so much appreciate the prayers, as I will now include my new acquaintances at CAF in my own daily prayers. God bless you.
 
I’m glad that regardless of some faith differences, you can still love him as your child. Some wouldn’t be so kind.
 
VanSensei said:
I’m glad that regardless of some faith differences, you can still love him as your child. Some wouldn’t be so kind.
Click to expand...
Thank you. He is a child of God. Jesus says “Love one another as I have loved you.” How can a mother not love her child? Love has nothing to do with agreeing with another. But as a Christian mother I will never stop praying for his return to the Catholic faith. St. Monica never gave up on her son. Nor shall I.
 
My son wandered from our faith, and I asked for help from St. Monica. She must have prayed overtime because he is now a faithful practicing Catholic. Took about 10 years of praying and now everyday I continue to thank her for her intersession.
 
We’ll pray for your son’s reversion, as well as yourself and your husband!
 
Maybe you should have your son read this. catholic.com/magazine/articles/christians-in-islamic-lands-part-1

Btw, I am a girl who was born Catholic, made all my sacraments but then I met a Muslim man. I can’t tell you the pain this man caused me. He changed over night, as they all do. Him and his family were also seemingly normal and respected in their countries. Is your son’s wife Somalian? Being that he married a woman from that culture, she is obviously influencing him. Thank God, Jesus came to me. I did not know what to think of my dreams of him until I had a dream of St. Augustine that I couldn’t ignore on the date Saint Augustine is celebrated. I hope your son will have an awakening, as I did and return to the Church. The thing I just couldn’t understand about Islam is the exclusion in that religion and how they are deceptive and treat non Muslims differently from those in their own religion. This went against everything I grew up believing about equality and that Jesus’ blood was shed for all, not just for some.
 
Muslims also target vulnerable people and they try to paint their religion as being practical. Your son must not know that much about the faith if he left. I didn’t learn about what it truly meant to be Catholic until I had this reawakening and my ex betrayed me. All his family and friends betrayed me too and in his country, I only met people who hated, even the ones who acted nice were really fake.
 
I am going through the same thing you are but it was my daughter that converted and married a Muslim in college. She was born and raised Catholic and baptized in the Catholic faith. We come from a long line of Catholics (my Catholic grandparents came from Poland to Ellis Island as Catholics). We did not attend her wedding as we did not approve of it because she never dated him. This is a bright intelligent daughter who graduated with honors from college. I have a suspicion that our college campuses have Muslims who are looking out for the best and brightest to brainwash to join their clan. Today I have two wonderful grandsons under the age of 5. My daughter tells me they are moving across the country to enroll the older grandson into a radical islamic school in Virginia (ISA). I am praying to St. Jude that this does not happen. My daughter does not care about our feelings or our opinions and appears to have “drank the kool-aid.” Never in my wildest dreams while I was raising this brilliant girl did I ever think she would do something like this. I am becoming ill over the whole experience.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top