Born Again Catholic?

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Can someone who converts to Catholicism be “born again” and become catholic automatically or do they have to get baptized first? What are the Church’s views on being a “born again” Christian?
 
“Born again” refers to baptism. Those that read John 3:3-6 as referring to how someone feels are guilty of eisagesis, reading things into the text, instead of exagesis, reading things out of the text. Catholics are born again, some (like myself) as an adult, and others (most Catholics) as children. What people (mistakenly) refer to as “born again” is better called a “conversion experience”.
 
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Yes, but does the Catholic Church approve of an evangelical-type “conversion experience” in order for one to fully accept Jesus as one’s savior?
 
We wouldn’t call it being born-again – that’s reserved for baptism. We’d would instead call it a conversion experience.
 
Yes, that I know, but when does the Catholic Church accept the decision of one’s choice to become Christian and be saved in the moment: A conversion experience or a Catholic baptism?
 
Like how the evangelicals (and maybe some other Protestants) explain it: there is a clear-cut single moment when one is”born again” and is saved. I’m wondering if the Catholic Church accepts that kind of salvation through Christ, or if it is a different process or something.
 
We don’t believe in Once Saved Always Saved, to be sure. Accepting Christ is the first step towards salvation. We have been, are, and have confidence that we will be saved. By this we mean Christ’s sacrifice saved us, we can choose to accept it, and assuming we accept it and our crosses, then we can be confident, though not presumptuous, of our salvation. But taking up our cross involves doing what Christ said for us to do. And Christ commanded that all be baptized, and that only those born of water and the Holy Spirit can be saved. Thus we do need to be baptized to be saved.

In other words: There is no single moment that we point to as the moment that we were saved, since we can always lose that salvation. Salvation is a process, not a single moment.
 
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carson2 said:
Can someone who converts to Catholicism be “born again” and become catholic automatically or do they have to get baptized first?
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An adult would have to go through the RCIA program before entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church wants the convert to fully understand what they are asking for before they convert.
carson2 said:
What are the Church’s views on being a “born again” Christian?
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As long as you were Baptized using the proper form an matter the Catholic Church accepts that Baptism as being valid. If you were never Baptized and just had a “conversion experience” you would need to be Baptized when you convert.

Hope this helps,

God Bless
 
carson2 said:
Like how the evangelicals (and maybe some other Protestants) explain it: there is a clear-cut single moment when one is”born again” and is saved. I’m wondering if the Catholic Church accepts that kind of salvation through Christ, or if it is a different process or something.
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Yes, Catholic Christians saved the same way as the Evangelical Christians saved.

Righteousness and Merit by James Akin

Protestants who say this at least have a leg up on those who think Catholics believe we must do good works in order to become justified — a position which was explicitly condemned at Trent, which taught “nothing that precedes justification, whether faith or works, merits the grace of justification” ( Decree on Justification 8).

Catholic theology teaches we do not do good works in order to be justified, but that we are justified in order to do good works, as Paul says: “[W]e are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”(Ephesians 2:10).

Justification is the cause, not the consequence, of good works.

You don’t have to do a diddly-do-da thing after being justified by God in baptism in order to go to heaven.

There is no magic level of works one needs to achieve in order to go to heaven.

One is saved the moment one is initially justified. End quote

http://jimmyakin.com/righteousness-and-merit

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Might add, every elect/ predestined to heaven irrevocably saved at their baptism, Infallible Protected by God’s special grace The Gift of Final Perseverance, (DE FIDE).

In the above article Jimmy explains in fine details of the Catholics and Protestants misunderstanding on Justification, Sanctification, Righteousness and Merit.
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Our salvation is God’s UNMERITED FREE GIFT.

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Of course we should do as much supernatural works as we possible can out of love for the Glory of God and out of love for others.

God determines our glory and positions in heaven according to the outcome of the judgment of our supernatural works. - Our judgment described in 1 Cor.3:12-15.
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God bless
 
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