Calling all Converts and Reverts!

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gracelife

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How has Catholic Answers played a part in your conversion or reversion? What other influences did you have?

Share your story! 🙂
 
Catholic Answers has had a tremendous impact on my return to the Church. I read Catholicism and Fundamentalism about 15 years ago and that changed my life. I also read as many editions of This Rock that I could get my hands on. Then came Catholic Answers Live. I listen to archived shows all the time (I’ve downloaded over 100 of them and listen to them regularly). They’ve really given me a much deeper understanding of our faith and how to share it with others. Of course, I’m a little biased since the host of the show is my brother Jerry 🙂 who has played a significant role in bringing me back into the Church in many ways. I think Catholic Answers is one of the BEST resources we have for sharing and especially defending our faith.

JU
 
Jerry Usher is your brother?!? Lucky you! Have you met the CA crew? Are they as kewl in person as they are on the air?

please excuse the brief dalliance into pius envy (if there is such a thing)

KK’s book also led me back to the faith, but for me it was about 2 years ago. After he taught me that the Bible was a Catholic book, written by Catholics and for Catholics, I was about half way. Scott Hahn brought me another quarter, and this forum brought me all the way home. It was through them that I came to understand who the Eucharist is, and what a gift we have in the faith.

Praise God,
RyanL
 
I’ll try not to be long-winded for once. If I ever manage to rein in my propensities, I’ll become the patron saint of the long-winded or mischievous or the patron saint of eyes.

Anyway, I digress, as is my style.

I was raised Catholic, and in college, I sort of "left"without ever really leaving. I could not make myself darken the door to another denomination.

In my time away I grew thirsty for the Word, and I found myself drawn towards anyone who faithfully practiced their religion or seemed very guided by their religion…more so Catholic.

I dabbled in the occult and this was “assisted” on the sidelines by “Catholic” feminists in their propagation of the faith of nature-based “religions”.

But since I continued to be thirsty, I went to Mass…and I prayed…and I never really stopped.

I would actually do web searches and typed in “catholic.com”, trying to find the answers to my questions. It didn’t exist at that time

I actually heard about this site on Relevant Radio, and checked it out. By then I had made my firm purpose of amendment, gave my fiat to God, and finally, I was able to talk to other Catholics candidly and through this site was able to go back to Confession after 2 years. (My prior confession had a 10 year lapse).

Now I am discerning a possible call to religious life (although the pendulum is still swinging…good idea…bad idea…).

I am a better and MUCH better informed Catholic because of CA on both the internet AND the radio!

( My story, like everyone else’s is MUCH longer) :o
 
I’m so thankful for Catholic Answers. Sometimes I may not completely understand a teaching of the Catholic Church, or I may not know enough about something to where a Protestant will upset me with their explanation of why Catholics do things. Then I visit Catholic Answers, I find out the whole truth, and then suddenly I can sleep better at night. I’m very thankful for this site, and it has helped me very much.
 
My spiritual awakening (I never actually left the faith) happened 15 years ago. I was raised Catholic in a good home, went through 12 years of Catholic school, knew what I was supposed to believe, but didn’t live a Christian life (went to church but that’s it, and that was because of the guilt trip my Mom laid on me).

Anway, when I was 21, I began working in a mechanic shop with about 9 other guys. There was a Baptist, a Lutheran (son of a minister) and another non-denomination Christian among them. At lunch one day these guys got on a “Why do Catholics do that?” kick. It annoyed me mostly, but left me feeling foolish for believing stuff I had no idea the reasons for.

Anyway a friend of my Mom gave me a book called “Catholicism and Fundamentalism”. I guess this was before Catholic Answers (about 1991)? Anway that book lit a fire in me that has not gone out. I vividly remember the smile on my face as I read, thinking “I can’t believe this…this is great! Oh, man those guys are in for it tomorrow!”

I’ve done much more study since then, but who would of thought I’d one day stand in front of my Parish after mass on Sunday and (having permission from the pastor) invite the parish “to join me for an hour and a half on the next 6 Sundays to learn about our Catholic Faith”? I would never have guessed that would be me.

Thanks Karl ! đź‘Ť
 
I started searching after being in other Churches and then hearing my brother who became very anti-catholic start saying some pretty extreme things.

I had not other real resource than the internet. I looked up Catholic and unfortunately came across an anti-catholic site, which really was confusing. I was poorly instructed in the Catholic faith as was most of my family and I spent several months confused searching for truth. I even spent some time in several different Christian forums.

I didn’t really believe in Sola Scriptura as once I was on the internet I kept seeing differnet conflicting interpretations and conflicting arguements against Catholicism.

I finally found Catholic Answers through another site that had a link to it. I wish I remember the name, I just remember it having a white background with links on the right and left, Catholic Answers was on the left.

I found consistancy and eventually made my way over to this forum. Several book orders later from, Catholic Answers and plenty of time on this site brought me home.
Thanks be to God for Catholic Answers, and all the other people who spend time trying to help answer questions and other people.
John Martignoni deserves a nod also,

God Bless
Scylla
 
I never really left the Catholic church, but I was definitely a cafeteria catholic and questioned such things as Mary being ever virgin, the need for confession, fasting and abstinence, holy days of obligation… In college, I went to Bible studies with protestants and they seems so knowledgable, I found myself buying into some of their beliefs/ideas.

On a parenting website I started visiting 1.5 years ago, many of the Fundamentalists (the website was predominently Fundamentalists), some started saying that Catholics weren’t Christian, Blah Blah Blah. A Catholic there suggested they go to www.Catholic.com to find out what Catholics really believe. Being Catholic, I decided to go and read up. Wow, the library at Catholic Answers really cleared up a lot of things for me. I also read “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” (2 times) and found myself going to confession (after at least 10 years without it!). I also bought the CCC and worked my way through it. I’ve listened to numerous CD’s on Catholicism and apologetics. I’ve since been discussing my religion with my neighbors (fallen away Catholics) and even my mom has been influenced by my new found beliefs.

I am so thankful that someone posted the link to Catholic Answers on that parenting website as it really changed my life.
 
I never really left the Church either, but I didn’t attend mass for about ten years. I was definately Catholic in name only. I considered the Church simply “another denomination” and actually believed in Faith Alone for a bit. I never went to church because I thought it was boring.

When JPII had taken ill, an agnostic former Catholic friend of mine asked if the church can actually trace the lineage of the Pope all the way back to Peter. I didn’t think so, but I figured I’d check. The research brought me here and I started reading about history. This was when I started to realize that the Catholic Church is more than just “another denomination” and that not only could it trace its lineage all the way to Peter, but that then entire religion was set up by the apostles and the early church fathers!

That Saturday, the Holy Father passed away. I was in my bedroom folding laundery and had Fox News on in the other room and heard them pronounce John Paul II second dead. I ran to the living room to watch the coverage and even though I’d never really concerned myself with him, I felt heart broken.

I said outloud, “Maybe his death can lead to my salvation.” Then I “heard” a voice say “No, but his death can remind you who really did die for your salvation.”
**
I put on some nice clothes and went to the Saturday night mass. Then I came home and read every post on the Ask an Apoligist section in this forum. A few weeks later I posted a request for some encouragement to make my first confession in 5-10 years. The responses were so warm, so caring, and so imformative… I’m back with the Church and never looking back.

Thank you so much.
 
I credit Catholic Radio in general and Catholic Answers in particular for helping me develop betters to communicate my faith. I had left the teachings of the Church behind for many years but, like others here, never stopped being a Catholic in my heart. I could not ever bring myself to attend other services. I always have known that the Truth and The Word were to be found in the arms of the Holy Mother Church.

When I got sober (13 years ago) I started creeping and crawling my way home. At 8 years sober I made another mess (did this one stone cold sober, too!) in my life and coming out of that forced me to really look at how I was worshiping God. One day, during commute traffic on the freeway, I saw a bumper sticker for Catholic Radio. I tuned in and listenned to Catholic Answers for the first time. I heard loving, firm conviction and I knew it was time to stop fooling around and make a committment.

I am now back in the Church, still sober, still active in my 12 step program and (are you all sitting down?) learning to be a Catechist!

I even put my name on the Ave Maria Singles Site but I have a feeling God has something else in mind for me…there have been no takers, and while I am not perfect I am not a bad looking woman…so, trust in Him and let Him lead me where I am supposed to go!
 
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Jabronie:
I never really left the Church either, but I didn’t attend mass for about ten years. I was definately Catholic in name only. I considered the Church simply “another denomination” and actually believed in Faith Alone for a bit. I never went to church because I thought it was boring.

When JPII had taken ill, an agnostic former Catholic friend of mine asked if the church can actually trace the lineage of the Pope all the way back to Peter. I didn’t think so, but I figured I’d check. The research brought me here and I started reading about history. This was when I started to realize that the Catholic Church is more than just “another denomination” and that not only could it trace its lineage all the way to Peter, but that then entire religion was set up by the apostles and the early church fathers!

That Saturday, the Holy Father passed away. I was in my bedroom folding laundery and had Fox News on in the other room and heard them pronounce John Paul II second dead. I ran to the living room to watch the coverage and even though I’d never really concerned myself with him, I felt heart broken.

I said outloud, “Maybe his death can lead to my salvation.” Then I “heard” a voice say “No, but his death can remind you who really did die for your salvation.”

I put on some nice clothes and went to the Saturday night mass. Then I came home and read every post on the Ask an Apoligist section in this forum. A few weeks later I posted a request for some encouragement to make my first confession in 5-10 years. The responses were so warm, so caring, and so imformative… I’m back with the Church and never looking back.

Thank you so much.
Click to expand...
AND I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE HOME
 
I thank God for CA.
I have been catholic since 1950, but began reading the Bible after haveing been in the hospital over 4 months and haveing my prayers for death answered.
I was on my way to hell (even though I was still going to church every week with my wife and child) and on the way my soul screemed oh my God I’m going the wrong way.
Wham I was back in my body a completely changed man. My Bible reading (now in th 80’s) went cover to cover with much prayer and study. The problem was that the only people I ever got detailed answers from were Protestants, and I began seeing God from their perspective.
In September 2005 our Parish priest began praying to Mary and my wife and I decided that it might be time to find a Bible believeing Church.
I found CA while doing a google search for forums, and I am sooo thankful to God that he led me there. I am now reading the Apologetics backward from your beginings and have put the breaks on what would have been a big mistake.
I consider myself a born again Christian first and foremost and then a Roman Catholic. I have much more reading and studying to do and hopefully I will come to a greater understanding of My God and His Church.
I am very thankful to you CA. My hats off and my hearts open. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
 
I have posted this in other theads, but why not do it again:

What opened me up to the Catholic faith was the death of John Paul II. At that time the media was pouring attention all over the Catholic Church and just showering JP2 with praise. He really did seem like a man of God, but how could he be? I mean, after all he was a Catholic and at the time I thought Catholics were a bunch of idol worshiping pagans going straight to the bad place. So, I thought that this was the time to brush up on my Protestant apologetics. With all this media focus on the Catholic Church, there was no better time lead all those heretics to the Truth.

I decided to go to my favorite Protestant apologetics website, Hank Hanegraaff’s www.equip.org, to pick up a couple books on Roman Catholicism and learn how to combat them. However, while searching equip.org’s website a book review for “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating caught my eye. The book reviewer said that even though Keating was wrong about everything at least he gave an A+ effort, probably the best the reviewer had seen.

On to Amazon.com I went with two titles to purchase, Keating’s book and “The Roman Catholic Controversy” by James White. At first I read Keating’s book angry because he was using the Bible to prove his heretical beliefs. But chapter by chapter I saw my arguments for being Protestant crumble because not only could Keating prove Catholics were right by using Scripture but he backed up his arguments with historical evidence of early Church beliefs. By the time I finished the book I was terrified that the Catholics could be right and I could be wrong. In desperation I grabbed for White’s book like a drowning man reaching for a life preserver. I have to admit that I was extremely disappointed, all of White’s arguments had already been handily destroyed by Keating in his book. All of White’s arguments were just Scriptural gymnastics, similar to the way liberals pull the Constitution out of its intended context to make the text read how they want. I thought, was this the best Protestantism had to offer? And so the journey began…

Keating was instrumental in my future conversion.
 
Catholic Answers help educat me on a bunch of issues as well as clearified a bunch in which made my conversion posible.
 
I am in RCIA because of three things:

God, Truth, and Catholic Answers!

Dxu
 
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gracelife:
How has Catholic Answers played a part in your conversion or reversion? What other influences did you have?

Share your story! 🙂
Click to expand...
I did not really find CA until solidly back in the Catholic Church.

Other influences?

All of those people who would ask about different aspects of Catholic teachings, and when I honestly told them, “I don’t know.”, they would proceed to tell me what Catholics believe.

The Holy Spirit rose up in protest of the lies and caused me question their statements. So began my search of what Catholics really believe. Exclusively through the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I would look up different topics. If any references cited were not Biblical, I would not consider them. But I looked up every Biblical reference for every belief. And at least for all the hot button items I found at least an implicit reference in Scripture.

God Bless,
Maria

But I have found
 
Greetings and peace unto you all,

I’ve learned so much in so little time through CA and EWTN. I came in a skeptic regarding the Catholic Faith and now stand a fully convinced Catholic!

CA is truly a Blessed website. We all need to do our part to keep it these Catholic source of precious information going.

God Bless You All,

Nelson
 
I’m a revert back to the faith. I spent about 25 years away from the faith beginning in my late teens. I would occasionally go to church for reasons other than belief in the truth of the Catholic faith. In the fall of summer of 1999 I was at the point where I was a hair’s breath away from atheism - at the time I was very interested in the science’s (and still am) and that shaped my belief system. I felt that the Bible and the story of Christianity had no basis in facts and was essentially a myth. For two months subsequent to that conviction, I felt contented in my decision to not believe or care about a Supreme Being. However, something started to nag me in the fall of '99 and the “voice” kept getting louder and louder. No, it wasn’t hallucinations but the Holy Spirit infusing me with enough grace to actively seek out once and for all whether a belief in God was plausible or not. I spent many months studying, reading and asking questions about all the relevant issues: whether God existed and if He did, then how did He manifest Himself in terms of a revealed belief system. Eventually I was led back to the the Truth of the Catholic church and despite that decision making me spiritually unyoked with my wife, I’ve never been happier because now I know the truth!
 
I, too, didn’t discover CA until well after my re-version. I married my wife a few years after I left the faith. She had no formal Christian upbringing. A friend of hers invited her to a non-denominational women’s bible study group called Penache. Most of the women were Catholic. She became interested in this faith I had left behind and decided to join RCIA just to learn more about the faith. I went with her as the cynical skeptic to make sure they were teaching the right thing (like I knew, huh?) It was a revelation. It took a few months, but when our instructor did such a moving presentation on the true meaning of Eucharist…I came home. (I still can’t tell that story without my eyes getting all misty.) St. Augustine describes recieving his faith in a twinkling of an eye. It was very much like that for me. All of a sudden it just all made sense.

What CA does for me is gives me a forum to learn from others and share my own faith journey.
 
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