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Mannyfit75
Guest
What was the final doctrinal issue that made you leave the variety of Protestant churches?
Catholic Converts: What was the last straw that made you left the Protestant Churches?
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Antwill
Guest
I guess it was when that darn feral cat came running out just as I walked out of my church. I tripped over it, hit my head, and then had an epiphany that the only True Church is the Catholic Church.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.
)
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kedera
Guest
I’m not a convert, yet any way (I start RCIA next week ), but it doesn’t have much to with Protestant doctrine. The best way I can explain it is that Protestant doctrine, is cut short in some ways and keeps changing most of the time never even considering history…now there are thousands of different sets of beliefs, and only one Jesus. Then Catholicism comes along with all the historical elements, and explainations that encompass the whole bible…and I can’t help but to consider the facts right?
), but it doesn’t have much to with Protestant doctrine. The best way I can explain it is that Protestant doctrine, is cut short in some ways and keeps changing most of the time never even considering history…now there are thousands of different sets of beliefs, and only one Jesus. Then Catholicism comes along with all the historical elements, and explainations that encompass the whole bible…and I can’t help but to consider the facts right?
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Rawb
Guest
I kept asking “What is the difference between these denominations? Why are they different?” and NOBODY could give me a good response.
And then one day a Catholic friend could…
And then one day a Catholic friend could…
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franksv
Guest
Recognizing the flaw in sola scriptura before I even knew there was a term for it.
Never really being satisfied with the n-C explanations of sola fide before I even knew there was term for it.
Finally givining in to the Holy Spirits direction, instead of my will.
Not sure if I am a convert as I was Baptised Catholic as an infant though. I grew up non practicing and ended up at the lutheran church for about 18 months before finding my way home in 05.
Never really being satisfied with the n-C explanations of sola fide before I even knew there was term for it.
Finally givining in to the Holy Spirits direction, instead of my will.
Not sure if I am a convert as I was Baptised Catholic as an infant though. I grew up non practicing and ended up at the lutheran church for about 18 months before finding my way home in 05.
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Della
Guest
What finally did it for me was the teaching in my denom that no one mainline, unless he had “accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior,” could be saved. I finally saw that 1) that was too limiting on the mercy of God, and 2) an assumption based on a faulty interpretation, man’s interpretation, of Scripture. C. S. Lewis helped me with those issues, God rest his soul.
What drew me into the Church was my awakening to the role of Mary in salvation history. That sounds terribly dry, I suppose, but if I were to gush about Mary I might put off some of our more sensitive Protestant brethren, blessings on them.
What drew me into the Church was my awakening to the role of Mary in salvation history. That sounds terribly dry, I suppose, but if I were to gush about Mary I might put off some of our more sensitive Protestant brethren, blessings on them.
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Ravyn_Guiliani
Guest
Matthew 28: 18-20: <18 Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. " >
History proves the Church He was talking to became known as the Catholic Church with the See of St. Peter in Rome - He did not say He would support schism or reform or protest , He said He would be with THIS Church until the End.
I do NOT believe in Bible Alone (Sola Scriptura), I DO believe in God’s Word alone.
2Thessalonians 2:15: <15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. >
Matthew 4:4: <4 He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” >
God’s Word is Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church as directed by the Holy Spirit.
I believe in Apostolic authority and succession; and the Real Presence in the Eucharist.
this is why I am Catholic and not Protestant. It started with scriptures that did not fit into the Protestant world-view and then when I started researching history there was just no doubt left. Every ‘issue’ that I could think of that Protestants have with Catholics I went to Catholic Apologetics and the Catechism and I was completely satisfied with the Catholic answers. Catholicism makes sense.
History proves the Church He was talking to became known as the Catholic Church with the See of St. Peter in Rome - He did not say He would support schism or reform or protest , He said He would be with THIS Church until the End.
I do NOT believe in Bible Alone (Sola Scriptura), I DO believe in God’s Word alone.
2Thessalonians 2:15: <15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. >
Matthew 4:4: <4 He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” >
God’s Word is Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church as directed by the Holy Spirit.
I believe in Apostolic authority and succession; and the Real Presence in the Eucharist.
this is why I am Catholic and not Protestant. It started with scriptures that did not fit into the Protestant world-view and then when I started researching history there was just no doubt left. Every ‘issue’ that I could think of that Protestants have with Catholics I went to Catholic Apologetics and the Catechism and I was completely satisfied with the Catholic answers. Catholicism makes sense.
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love4mary
Guest
Della, could you please tell me which C.S. Lewis book you are refering to?
I have just discovered his writtings and enjoy his style and insights.
I have just discovered his writtings and enjoy his style and insights.
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Della
Guest
Not to take hijack the topic, but Mere Christianity had a big influence on me. Lewis’ Anglicanism helped me a great deal, too, since I’d been brought up ECUSA before becoming a Pentecostalist in my teens.
I devoured nearly everything Lewis wrote back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I still appreciate him, but when I discovered G. K. Chesterton, I found the master of apologetics who even before he was a Catholic thought and understood the world as a Catholic. He simply thought his way towards the Church and found in it what he thought he had invented–authentic Christianity. Funny, huh?
Back more properly to the topic, when I read Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings I couldn’t stay in my Pentecostal denom. His world view was so spot on and so real (odd for a “fantasy” book, yes?) that I knew he was right in his understanding of human nature and God’s mercy and grace and my denom. simply wasn’t.
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Debra_C
Guest
It was totally the Eucahrist for me.
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christcnection1
Guest
For me it wasn’t a “last straw” issue. However, I do believe in order for the Bible and historical Christianity to make sense to me, I had to convert to the Catholic faith. The conversion was necessary in order to keep my faith. Fortunately, supernatural confirmations followed. Praise be to God! It’s great to be home
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MannaG
Guest
I totally agree with Kedera. For me it was not some doctrinal issue that really drove me away from my Baptist roots. It was more the fact that there was so much that they didn’t have an answer for. I started searching elsewhere for answers to my questions, and praise God, He led me to the Catholic Church!! 
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Athanasiy
Guest
The Protestant and Evangelical world has got a room for liberalism , because of the absence of dogmatical certainty and absence of the unified tradition , and also the Evangelical Churches have been conquerring by Calvinism too ( at least in my area ).
I look at the future of Protestantism with fear.
No way to escape liberalism.
Also insufficiency of the Bibliolatry to deal with the philosophy, socio-economics , politics , eschatology…
Catholic voice is definitely superior in these views .
Also the Evangelical world underestimate the preciousness and the highest form of spirituality - monastic life.
Also I have find out that Apostle John was a Catholic , just because Ireneus ( in Russian his name is Ireney ) was a Catholic.
I look at the future of Protestantism with fear.
No way to escape liberalism.
Also insufficiency of the Bibliolatry to deal with the philosophy, socio-economics , politics , eschatology…
Catholic voice is definitely superior in these views .
Also the Evangelical world underestimate the preciousness and the highest form of spirituality - monastic life.
Also I have find out that Apostle John was a Catholic , just because Ireneus ( in Russian his name is Ireney ) was a Catholic.
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centurion50
Guest
The last straw for me was the teaching of false doctrine like the rapture theory and the hypocrisy of always talking Bible and never teaching it. What won me to the Holy Catholic Church, in a word, “This IS my body”, the real presense of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
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Cat
Guest
Sola Scriptura.
We were kicked out of our Evangelical Free Church. A woman pastor made false accusations against us of a most heinous kind. We asked that those in the church who had reason to accuse us be brought to face us, as is described in Matthew 18.
Instead, the church got together a “tribunal” of pastors and deacons. One of them had never even met us. They “tried” us and condemned us and told us that we would be happier worshipping elsewhere.
They used the Bible to justify their accusations and their cruel, capricious “tribunal.” (Matthew 18 describes the proper method of conflict resolution between Christians.)
For a year after this, I refused to read the Bible because I was afraid I would use it to justify evil actions just as the leaders of that church used it.
Sola scriptura allows Christians to prove or dispprove almost anything. I have read very logical defenses from the Bible of Christian homosexual practice. I have also read very logical defenses from the Bible for hunting down and killing homosexuals. Anyone can twist and turn the Bible into anything they want. And yes, they can do so using correct “hermeneutics.” This is just a smoke-screen. It sounds fancy, but many advocates of hermeneutics believe in a certain interpretation of the Bible not because of careful study, but because “that’s what their church or pastor or denomination teaches.”
I’ve said it before on this forum and I’ll keep saying it. I believe that sola Scriptura is an evil doctrine straight from hell. If you think I’m being harsh, think about it. This doctrine challenges the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who clearly gave the authority for leading Christians to the Church and specifically, to Peter and his successors. The sola Scriptura advocate becomes his/her own authority.
I am very grateful to the Lord for snatching me and my husband out of the clutches of the sola Scriptura advocates, and I pray for those who are still mired in it.
We were kicked out of our Evangelical Free Church. A woman pastor made false accusations against us of a most heinous kind. We asked that those in the church who had reason to accuse us be brought to face us, as is described in Matthew 18.
Instead, the church got together a “tribunal” of pastors and deacons. One of them had never even met us. They “tried” us and condemned us and told us that we would be happier worshipping elsewhere.
They used the Bible to justify their accusations and their cruel, capricious “tribunal.” (Matthew 18 describes the proper method of conflict resolution between Christians.)
For a year after this, I refused to read the Bible because I was afraid I would use it to justify evil actions just as the leaders of that church used it.
Sola scriptura allows Christians to prove or dispprove almost anything. I have read very logical defenses from the Bible of Christian homosexual practice. I have also read very logical defenses from the Bible for hunting down and killing homosexuals. Anyone can twist and turn the Bible into anything they want. And yes, they can do so using correct “hermeneutics.” This is just a smoke-screen. It sounds fancy, but many advocates of hermeneutics believe in a certain interpretation of the Bible not because of careful study, but because “that’s what their church or pastor or denomination teaches.”
I’ve said it before on this forum and I’ll keep saying it. I believe that sola Scriptura is an evil doctrine straight from hell. If you think I’m being harsh, think about it. This doctrine challenges the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who clearly gave the authority for leading Christians to the Church and specifically, to Peter and his successors. The sola Scriptura advocate becomes his/her own authority.
I am very grateful to the Lord for snatching me and my husband out of the clutches of the sola Scriptura advocates, and I pray for those who are still mired in it.
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pmoo
Guest
Like others have said, there was no ‘final straw.’ However, I just never felt any peace or calm with my Protestant churches and I tried many. I just felt as if something was missing. Once I went through RCIA, it all became clear.
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Cavbiker
Guest
Never was a protestant, but I was baptised catholic, put in catholic school and had a falling out. When i was in the Army, i tried going to other churches but it never felt quite right. So before my son was born, i went to mass and never looked back. I felt i was at home again
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ladylinguist
Guest
As several other posts have said, it wasn’t exactly a single “last straw”. My conversion came at the end of the doconstruction of several core Protestant doctrines, especially sola scriptura. Also, the fragmentation of all the denominations. I just felt that if God were going to set up his church on this earth, He would also keep it from breaking up into little pieces. And, of course, there was the Eucharist. That was a huge draw.
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Bennie_P
Guest
Meditating on this words over a period of few weeks
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day.
then he repeated it
John 6:65 (6:66)- 6:69 (6:70) And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
Then everything made sense and that everything was within the teachings of the Catholic Church.
http://www.vatican.va/img_new_phome/phome_new_en_02.jpg
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him. And I will raise him up in the last day.
then he repeated it
John 6:65 (6:66)- 6:69 (6:70) And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.
After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.
Then everything made sense and that everything was within the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Still got a lot to learn, but Christ gave me a Shepherd in Rome to lead and teach me.
http://www.vatican.va/img_new_phome/phome_new_en_02.jpg
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Mike_Olson
Guest
Welcome home and welcome to the forums.
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