Are you a former Protestant now Catholic?

[javelin35]

Mamamull:

I .:banghead:

Nice visual aid! I like it.

 

[javelin35]

I think the main reasons non-Catholic Christians do not believe Catholicism are that they chose their church based upon how it made them feel. Or because they saw negative things in church history that outweighed any doctrinal truths. Others are so sold on sola scriptura. Or they really did not care to take the time to see what the Church really believes about certain things.
Sometimes all it takes is a Catholic who really has a clue, to show them the truth and this can be enough to impress them.

 

[peacelight]

I was a convert who left the Church for many years after a strong conversion experience. I felt I was saved, born again, and eternally secure. I believed the usual straw men–Catholics worship Mary, they try to work their way to Heaven, etc. I thought I would never return to Catholicism. I tried to pray my cradle Catholic husband into the Baptist church but he prayed for me. Within days of his lighting a candle for me I reverted. He showed me the prayer for me he’d written in the book where intentions were listed and it had been a few days prior.

We’re talking miracle here!

Never underestimate the power of prayer to get someone to the Church! If God got me back, He can get Jack Chick or James White Let’s not give up on anyone!

Gloria

I pray for my husband too accept I am Catholic and he is a Baptist. I pray for him to come home to the Catholic Church and indeed he did - again power of prayer. He was born and raised a Baptist. Trust me before conversion we used to argue in a good way of course about our faith and praise God he now see what I was talking about and now he is the one that keeps on reminding me about my Catholic faith whenever I stumble. Amazing. We support and remind each other so to speak. And I agree let’s not give up on anyone!

 

[Catholic_Kenpo]

I came to the Catholic Church from the Methodist Church. It wasn’t a direct conversion, though. I spent the better part of 10 years or so as an atheist/agnostic. Then, the Saturday before Easter 2005, the Holy Spirit insisted that I go to church the next day. I went to bed, but didn’t set my alarm. I woke up exactly on time anyway. I can’t say that I’ve done all kinds of theological research like some people. It just happened that everything in my life at the time pointed to Catholicism. That, and the inescapable logic that if God’s Word is Truth, then how can it be that Preacher Bob and Preacher Jim teach two different things? That part never made any sense. So, I went to Mass the next day and haven’t really looked back since.

Oh, and I noticed one other thing after my conversion. You know that “anger” that many agnostics/atheists feel towards Christianity? It’s not anger at all. It’s guilt. I realized that as soon as I began going to church again.

 

[peacelight]

I came to the Catholic Church from the Methodist Church. It wasn’t a direct conversion, though. I spent the better part of 10 years or so as an atheist/agnostic. Then, the Saturday before Easter 2005, the Holy Spirit insisted that I go to church the next day. I went to bed, but didn’t set my alarm. I woke up exactly on time anyway. I can’t say that I’ve done all kinds of theological research like some people. It just happened that everything in my life at the time pointed to Catholicism. That, and the inescapable logic that if God’s Word is Truth, then how can it be that Preacher Bob and Preacher Jim teach two different things? That part never made any sense. So, I went to Mass the next day and haven’t really looked back since.

Oh, and I noticed one other thing after my conversion. You know that “anger” that many agnostics/atheists feel towards Christianity? It’s not anger at all. It’s guilt. I realized that as soon as I began going to church again.

Welcome Home!

 

[Auntie_M]

Oh how wonderful all your stories are…I, too, am a convert. But I came in a very different way than you all did. A VERY CRAZY, weird way. I had gotten very sick and had to quit work in 1992. I was married to a “Baptist” (non practicing-but because his family was , we had to be) His family were devout masons and eastern stars. (if anyone knows what that is.)
After having to quit work, out of boredom, started reading everything I could get my hands on, (even the ENCYLOPEDIAS for heavens sake, talk about boredom), I had been a “Born again Christian” since I was 16 years old, then in my late 40’s. Grew up with a stern “Church of God” grandmother and a Baptist mother and father so I was a “Bab-God”. Anyone ever hear of that one…hehe:
I had gotten very interested in reading about the different religions quite some time before and had read some books, but never got around to a Catholic book. Catholism, as I had always heard were strange people and they did strange things…don’t go about them…
strange…weird…

I had read everything I could about all the other different religions and even visited a Mormon Church for a while, till I found out about God’s wife???I couldn’t take that one. didn’t know he was married.
I prayed for nearly 10years!!! NO ANSWER
My marriage was on rocky grounds and I eventually left, with my 16 year old daughter. (He was very verbally abusive, had real problems) We went to a shelter for abuse women and children, then to a little trailer a friend let us stay in. I had just about quit going to church, my daughter hadn’t though, she was very devout…we had joined the Church of God before leaving, but that was just not it…something was missing…I was bored stiff…couldn’t wait for that long winded preacher to get through…
I felt there had to be something very wrong with me. I did not even enjoy going to church, I felt there was something I was missing…but couldn’t put my finger on it. All this time I was still praying,…Lord show me what church is the true church, the one Jesus Christ built…no answer…(boy, did I learn patience!)
But one Sunday morning, sitting in the living room of that little trailer, and praying/or really just talking to the Lord while I had a tv preacher on. I didn’t feel like going to church that morning and I never even woke my daughter to see if she wanted to go. But as I was sitting there, she got up, came to the living room, sat down and ask…what are you doing??? She could see that I wasn’t “DOING” anything. She must have felt something too.
I told her I was just sitting and talking with God. About what??
About what is the true church. We sat a little while longer and I told her to get a pen and paper. What for? Don’t know just do it…
After a little while, I told her to write down all the different denominations, skipping a line between them. For what?? I don’t know…after a little while I told her to get a pair of scissors and a boiler. We are going to cut up the paper in little strips with each denomination, and some blank ones to keep it honest…put them in this boiler…join hands and pray for God to lead us to the Church He wants us to be in. There was such a quite, still peace in the room…I felt He was sitting there next to me. She drew out CATHOLIC>>>>>>>>>>>>>oh no that can’t be… I ranted and raved about 15 minutes that this can’t be right, I finally settled down and told her we would do this again, only this time on the states that we have been in during her lifetime, that maybe God didn’t want us to stay around here. (thinking about the threats my x had made). We did the same thing, she drew New Jersey…NEW JERSEY>>>>I would freeze to death in New Jersey…ranting another 15 minutes or so. Fine, get on the internet and find out what you can about New Jersey. (We had even narrowed it down to the county of Gloucester). When she pulled up the New Jersey Web page, it was like a blinking light (not really blinking, but that is all I saw)…50/60% CATHOLIC
…so you want us to be around Catholics, huh?
It was about 2 months later when I got enough nerve to stop at a Catholic Church. I needed/wanted to know what to do. Didn’t know anything about what was acceptable…(I really think I was just stalling, my daughter kept asking when we were going to visit the Catholic church)…
When I got out of my car that day, my feet touched the ground,
the thought ran through my mind…TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, YOU’RE WALKING ON HOLY GROUND and I started to shake, and just blurted out to the guy there (RCIA director)…I DON’T KNOW WHY I GOTTA BE HERE, BUT I GOTTA BE HERE. He just sat there kinda with his mouth open till I spoke up and said, ur well do you get people just walk off the streets like that…Weeeelllll, NOT very often, but we do.
We went to that Saturday evening mass and I got the most peaceful feeling I had ever had in my life…I said to myself, I don’t know What they believe in…but I KNOW ITS TRUE. I knew I was home…
There is alot more to this story but I don’t want to bore you. There were so many “coincidences” happen after that verifying that we were home.
I love the Church, and will NEVER leave it. So does my daughter.
Who is now graduating at a Catholic College in NC
I

 

[peacelight]

Oh how wonderful all your stories are…I, too, am a convert. But I came in a very different way than you all did. A VERY CRAZY, weird way. I had gotten very sick and had to quit work in 1992. I was married to a “Baptist” (non practicing-but because his family was , we had to be) His family were devout masons and eastern stars. (if anyone knows what that is.)
After having to quit work, out of boredom, started reading everything I could get my hands on, (even the ENCYLOPEDIAS for heavens sake, talk about boredom), I had been a “Born again Christian” since I was 16 years old, then in my late 40’s. Grew up with a stern “Church of God” grandmother and a Baptist mother and father so I was a “Bab-God”. Anyone ever hear of that one…hehe:
I had gotten very interested in reading about the different religions quite some time before and had read some books, but never got around to a Catholic book. Catholism, as I had always heard were strange people and they did strange things…don’t go about them…
strange…weird…

I had read everything I could about all the other different religions and even visited a Mormon Church for a while, till I found out about God’s wife???I couldn’t take that one. didn’t know he was married.
I prayed for nearly 10years!!! NO ANSWER
My marriage was on rocky grounds and I eventually left, with my 16 year old daughter. (He was very verbally abusive, had real problems) We went to a shelter for abuse women and children, then to a little trailer a friend let us stay in. I had just about quit going to church, my daughter hadn’t though, she was very devout…we had joined the Church of God before leaving, but that was just not it…something was missing…I was bored stiff…couldn’t wait for that long winded preacher to get through…
I felt there had to be something very wrong with me. I did not even enjoy going to church, I felt there was something I was missing…but couldn’t put my finger on it. All this time I was still praying,…Lord show me what church is the true church, the one Jesus Christ built…no answer…(boy, did I learn patience!)
But one Sunday morning, sitting in the living room of that little trailer, and praying/or really just talking to the Lord while I had a tv preacher on. I didn’t feel like going to church that morning and I never even woke my daughter to see if she wanted to go. But as I was sitting there, she got up, came to the living room, sat down and ask…what are you doing??? She could see that I wasn’t “DOING” anything. She must have felt something too.
I told her I was just sitting and talking with God. About what??
About what is the true church. We sat a little while longer and I told her to get a pen and paper. What for? Don’t know just do it…
After a little while, I told her to write down all the different denominations, skipping a line between them. For what?? I don’t know…after a little while I told her to get a pair of scissors and a boiler. We are going to cut up the paper in little strips with each denomination, and some blank ones to keep it honest…put them in this boiler…join hands and pray for God to lead us to the Church He wants us to be in. There was such a quite, still peace in the room…I felt He was sitting there next to me. She drew out CATHOLIC>>>>>>>>>>>>>oh no that can’t be… I ranted and raved about 15 minutes that this can’t be right, I finally settled down and told her we would do this again, only this time on the states that we have been in during her lifetime, that maybe God didn’t want us to stay around here. (thinking about the threats my x had made). We did the same thing, she drew New Jersey…NEW JERSEY>>>>I would freeze to death in New Jersey…ranting another 15 minutes or so. Fine, get on the internet and find out what you can about New Jersey. (We had even narrowed it down to the county of Gloucester). When she pulled up the New Jersey Web page, it was like a blinking light (not really blinking, but that is all I saw)…50/60% CATHOLIC
…so you want us to be around Catholics, huh?
It was about 2 months later when I got enough nerve to stop at a Catholic Church. I needed/wanted to know what to do. Didn’t know anything about what was acceptable…(I really think I was just stalling, my daughter kept asking when we were going to visit the Catholic church)…
When I got out of my car that day, my feet touched the ground,
the thought ran through my mind…TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, YOU’RE WALKING ON HOLY GROUND and I started to shake, and just blurted out to the guy there (RCIA director)…I DON’T KNOW WHY I GOTTA BE HERE, BUT I GOTTA BE HERE. He just sat there kinda with his mouth open till I spoke up and said, ur well do you get people just walk off the streets like that…Weeeelllll, NOT very often, but we do.
We went to that Saturday evening mass and I got the most peaceful feeling I had ever had in my life…I said to myself, I don’t know What they believe in…but I KNOW ITS TRUE. I knew I was home…
There is alot more to this story but I don’t want to bore you. There were so many “coincidences” happen after that verifying that we were home.
I love the Church, and will NEVER leave it. So does my daughter.
Who is now graduating at a Catholic College in NC
I

Beautiful beautiful testimony. If I were you I probably would do the same. Ask God which one is the true Church. Welcome Home! I can relate to what you and your daughter went through in term of your struggling to find which Church is his true Church. If you ask it sure will be given to you that is I believe happen to you and your daughter. You both open up your heart in sincerity want to know the truth and the truth God gave you both. Once again welcome home!

God bless and guide you both always.

 

[JohnnyReb]

Raised Southern Baptist and as a child I wanted to be a Baptist minister. My family was not involved with church when I was a teen and I briefly become involved with Buddhism before having a “Born again” experience at a Pentecostal youth camp that I was dragged to. I studied for the ministry and during that time I discovered the Catholic church. It lined up with my views and made the most sense to me, especially after I really began to doubt Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. Enrolled in RCIA in fall 2007 and received into the church at Easter.

 

[peacelight]

Raised Southern Baptist and as a child I wanted to be a Baptist minister. My family was not involved with church when I was a teen and I briefly become involved with Buddhism before having a “Born again” experience at a Pentecostal youth camp that I was dragged to. I studied for the ministry and during that time I discovered the Catholic church. It lined up with my views and made the most sense to me, especially after I really began to doubt Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide. Enrolled in RCIA in fall 2007 and received into the church at Easter.

Welcome Home Johnny!

God bless you and continue to guide you.

 

[Trinitarian]

Hi all.

This is my first post. I’m sure I will be posting a lot.

I was raised in an Assembly of God church and wanted to be a preacher for as long as I can remember. I found early on however that the evangelical theology that I grew up with not only could not answer my deepest questions of faith but the church did not even attempt to pose them.
What is more, I found that as I really began to question the scriptural basis for some of the AG doctrine it could not hold up to contextual scrutiny. It was a worship based on spiritual experience and emotion and not on knowledge and reason. To that point, I found that when I joined Holy Mother Church some of the members of my RCIA class stated that the emotional worship of the mass is what drew them in. I expressed that the timelessness, formalness and logic is what made it attractive for me.
Anyway, before “trying out” a mass I studied Catholic apologetics for some time because I had a lot of prejudices to overcome. I was very anti-Catholic growing up to the extent of passing out Chick tracks. I did not want to become Catholic but the AG was not acceptable anymore. I learned some of the basic beliefs from a co-worker who had converted to the church and this pushed me to check out some early church history.
The most protestant history I found simply laughed off the naive members and martyrs of the early church for their belief in the power of the sacraments to actually dispense grace. It struck me that modern protestants think they understand Christ message better from 2000 years and a continent away then the first century Christians did.
That realization gave me no greater joy then when I studied the Last Supper in light of the truth of Catholic doctrine. Those prayers before communion that I had always prayed without understanding why Christ and Paul insisted on such introspection over this symbolic meal finally became clear. They were speaking of a true meal. A true sacrifice. God truly present!

 

[Cat]

Hi all.

This is my first post. I’m sure I will be posting a lot.

I was raised in an Assembly of God church and wanted to be a preacher for as long as I can remember. I found early on however that the evangelical theology that I grew up with not only could not answer my deepest questions of faith but the church did not even attempt to pose them.
What is more, I found that as I really began to question the scriptural basis for some of the AG doctrine it could not hold up to contextual scrutiny. It was a worship based on spiritual experience and emotion and not on knowledge and reason. To that point, I found that when I joined Holy Mother Church some of the members of my RCIA class stated that the emotional worship of the mass is what drew them in. I expressed that the timelessness, formalness and logic is what made it attractive for me.
Anyway, before “trying out” a mass I studied Catholic apologetics for some time because I had a lot of prejudices to overcome. I was very anti-Catholic growing up to the extent of passing out Chick tracks. I did not want to become Catholic but the AG was not acceptable anymore. I learned some of the basic beliefs from a co-worker who had converted to the church and this pushed me to check out some early church history.
The most protestant history I found simply laughed off the naive members and martyrs of the early church for their belief in the power of the sacraments to actually dispense grace. It struck me that modern protestants think they understand Christ message better from 2000 years and a continent away then the first century Christians did.
That realization gave me no greater joy then when I studied the Last Supper in light of the truth of Catholic doctrine. Those prayers before communion that I had always prayed without understanding why Christ and Paul insisted on such introspection over this symbolic meal finally became clear. They were speaking of a true meal. A true sacrifice. God truly present!

What an uplifting testimony!

My husband was raised Assemblies of God, and is now Catholic. (We both converted in 2004.) He believes that Pentecostal Christians have an easier time with Catholicism because they are used to witnessing miracles. Bread into Body–easy for God!

 

[donmaximuso27]

I was a Lutheran in the ELCA for the first 19 years of my life. It was during high school, after being confirmed, that I began thoroughly researching theology. At one point in time, I knew for certain that I would become a Lutheran minister. However, all throughout my committment and involvment in my church I could not ignore the contradictions I had with Luther’s theology. The ideas of cosubstantiation, ignoring of Christ’s call to his Apostles to forgive the sins of his people, the ignoring of holy orders, and finally his denial of Peter’s call to be the rock of Christ’s Church, helped me to decide to become Catholic. So, in my freshman year at college, I was recieved into the Catholic Church.

Overall, my research into Lutheran theology, Catholic theology, comparing the two with Scripture and tradition, especially with the help of the early church fathers, led to my conversion. Since that time, I find the sacrament of confession to be an amazing gift, always wondering how I never realized its significance as a Lutheran. The greatest gift is recieving the true Eucharist and being able to share this gift with all at mass.
Currently, I am deeply interested in Carmelite spirituality, Fraciscan spirituality, the Tridentine Mass, and the history of the Church.

 

[Mijoy2]

The poll shows some impressive numbers. I’m a revert myself.

I’d be interested to know what the numbers in the other direction might look like.

Although, I’d venture a guess that the majority of Catholics who leave the faith never deeply understood it.