Catholic Converts: What was the last straw that made you left the Protestant Churches?

[ChadS]

Thanks, Chad. I want it known that I am in NO way excusing or condoning the errors that the Catholic Church made in the past by covering up the sins of the priests in question. It’s a horrible, horrible thing no matter who is responsible for it. I just can’t stand the “Catholic priests are pedophiles” mentality, as if to say some Protestant pastors, school teachers, and Joe Bob down the street aren’t. Pedophilia is a HUMAN SIN NATURE problem, not exclusively a Catholic clergy problem.

Pixie,

I understood your intent well. I agree with what you’ve said too. It’s like an intentional blind eye has been turned to other examples of horrible behavior and the media coverage has very much been a case of “Look what those Catholics are doing now.” But that does seem to be changing slightly.

ChadS

 

[jmcrae]

So you’re looking unto the (very very small percentage) of sinful clergy, seeing their faults, and deciding to forsake the Eucharist? Or are you still attending Mass at another time? Are you in a parish that had a problem with this? Your son is not any safer from the pedophiles in a Protestant church. I can promise you that.

And the Protestant pedophiles are a lot less likely to be charged with anything, if they are caught. It’s also very hit-and-miss with any kind of “Safe Child” programming in Protestant churches - most Sunday Schools are staffed by volunteers, many of whom are not even known to the pastor.

I remember as a kid growing up in a Protestant church, they would often put recovering drug addicts in charge of the teen programs - I suppose it was thought that these people would inspire us with their conversion stories and teach us to avoid addictive behaviour.

As it turned out, I knew a lot of kids who first learned to roll a joint in Sunday School, but not much else. (They were starting to wise up by the time I got into that group, but it was still very focused on drug addiction, etc.)

 

[BrewMax]

Why do you not hold Protestant clergy to a similar standard?

Well, I actually do. The priest at my wife’s church is of high moral character. I couldn’t think of anyone I know that is more of a model Christian than him. He honestly practices what he preaches.

 

[goodcatholicman]

This one is easy…when my son started asking me questions about the Eucharist, about why some churches have women preachers and some don’t, why our preacher believes abortion was okay and on and on. I realized as an Episcopalian, there was never going to be a right or wrong answer. THAT is no way to raise a child. They and we need clear answers.

 

[DJgang]

This one is easy…when my son started asking me questions about the Eucharist, about why some churches have women preachers and some don’t, why our preacher believes abortion was okay and on and on. I realized as an Episcopalian, there was never going to be a right or wrong answer. THAT is no way to raise a child. They and we need clear answers.

 

[BrewMax]

This one is easy…when my son started asking me questions about the Eucharist, about why some churches have women preachers and some don’t, why our preacher believes abortion was okay and on and on. I realized as an Episcopalian, there was never going to be a right or wrong answer. THAT is no way to raise a child. They and we need clear answers.

We trust in God and the Bible.

 

[DJgang]

We trust in God and the Bible.

I think what he meant was, through the Episcopal church there was never an answer, diversity is embraced and you are not surrounded by like minded folks, actually you don’t know what’s in their mind…In the ECUSA, they don’t really care what you believe as long as you alll worship the same…that’s what he meant.

 

[OFlaherty]

I became Catholic in 1989 and lapsed about a year later. I’m just now seriously looking for a Catholic Church home and will remain faithful to the Church now.

My friend had me tagging along to her Baptist Church, then they had me playing guitar for them. Two weeks ago the Pastor actually referred to Catholics leaving the Catholic Church as “coming out of great darkness” and I stood up and walked out. Just like that.
The constant hatred of the Catholic Church by every Protestant Church I’d been in, the idolization of their pastors, and the constant sinning of them just made me realize why I went to the True Catholic Church in the first place. I am ashamed of myself for having left at all.
The Catholic church is not “darkness” and that just was the last straw for me and I told them as much.

Catholic for good.

 

[BrewMax]

I became Catholic in 1989 and lapsed about a year later. I’m just now seriously looking for a Catholic Church home and will remain faithful to the Church now.

My friend had me tagging along to her Baptist Church, then they had me playing guitar for them. Two weeks ago the Pastor actually referred to Catholics leaving the Catholic Church as “coming out of great darkness” and I stood up and walked out. Just like that.
The constant hatred of the Catholic Church by every Protestant Church I’d been in, the idolization of their pastors, and the constant sinning of them just made me realize why I went to the True Catholic Church in the first place. I am ashamed of myself for having left at all.
The Catholic church is not “darkness” and that just was the last straw for me and I told them as much.

Catholic for good.

Sounds kind of harsh. How would you feel if the priest consecrated the host and everyone got up and walked out. Just a thought.

 

[geezerbob]

Sounds kind of harsh. How would you feel if the priest consecrated the host and everyone got up and walked out. Just a thought.

I have also walked out in the middle of a Baptist sermon. Instead of preaching love of God and neighbor, he was preaching hatred for Catholics. If a priest preached heresy, I would probably walk out on that, too. Incidentally, the homily always comes well before the consecration, so what you described is unlikely to happen.

 

[OFlaherty]

Sounds kind of harsh. How would you feel if the priest consecrated the host and everyone got up and walked out. Just a thought.

I was sitting at the back and left quietly so only the person sitting with me noticed. Had I been sitting at the front I would have waited until we were dismissed. He just went on and on and it wasn’t just me that was upset. Several spouses of members are/were Catholic and there was heated discussion later.

No scene was made, I assure you.

 

[OFlaherty]

I have also walked out in the middle of a Baptist sermon. Instead of preaching love of God and neighbor, he was preaching hatred for Catholics. If a priest preached heresy, I would probably walk out on that, too. Incidentally, the homily always comes well before the consecration, so what you described is unlikely to happen.

Thanks. You put it better than I could!

 

[allofgrace]

Sounds kind of harsh. How would you feel if the priest consecrated the host and everyone got up and walked out. Just a thought.

Think again! Is there a similarity in your mind between a Protestant sermon and a priest consecrating the Eucharist. I’d sure be interested in hearing just what that could possibly be.

 

[allofgrace]

I was sitting at the back and left quietly so only the person sitting with me noticed. Had I been sitting at the front I would have waited until we were dismissed. He just went on and on and it wasn’t just me that was upset. Several spouses of members are/were Catholic and there was heated discussion later.

No scene was made, I assure you.

Sorry, but I’d have walked out if I was sitting in the front pew - no fuss, no muss but I’d have quietly exited.

 

[wanner47]

Well, I actually do. The priest at my wife’s church is of high moral character. I couldn’t think of anyone I know that is more of a model Christian than him. He honestly practices what he preaches.

So ONE Protestant clergyperson that you know is of high moral character, and you think they all must be; but since you’ve seen media coverage of some pedophile priests, you think all priests are pedophiles? I don’t get that, I’m sorry.

The current priest of our parish is one of the holiest men I know. That doesn’t mean there aren’t sinful and fallen priests out there. Conversely, the former pastor of the Lutheran parish I used to attend ended up leaving the church after he was arrested for a DUI, confessed to alcoholism, and came out of the closet as a gay man and started divorce proceedings from his wife of 20 years. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some fine and upstanding moral Protestant clergy out there.

I just don’t see how you can assume that all priests are awful sex addicts because you’ve heard of one, but because you know one good moral Protestant clergyman you assume ALL Protestant clergy are good and moral. It doesn’t work that way.

 

[Jeanette_L]

I just don’t see how you can assume that all priests are awful sex addicts because you’ve heard of one, but because you know one good moral Protestant clergyman you assume ALL Protestant clergy are good and moral. It doesn’t work that way.

I think the one line responses are intended to push our buttons, not really to justify leaving behind the Eucharist for pipe dreams of a church where all clergy/pastors can be trusted without ever failing. But that’s just my opinion.

 

[Jeanette_L]

It makes perfect sense Jeanette - in fact, I can relate to what you say. I have been told, as Job was, that my faith is weak because I don’t name it and claim it when suffering comes. I had had a “catastropic injury” (Social Security’s terminology) and was unable to work when I found Mother Angelica on tv talking about the Catholic theology of suffering. She got me through and started me on a two year study of the Catholic faith along with my Episcopal priest, his wife and my mother. Two years later (1993) I came into full communion with the Church. My priest had to wait for a rescript from Cardinal Ratzinger and when it came, I attended his ordination in 1996.

Before becoming Catholic, when I or someone I loved suffered, it was thought that the devil was trying to steal what was rightfully ours, which is health or prosperity…, or that I was dealing with some kind of curse that was passed onto me from my ancestors… There was a lot of devil rebuking and such, but the suffering never went away. So then we all just ignored it, as if not mentioning it was the best thing to do, so as not to make things worse or admit defeat. But what that did was lead everyone to believe that ultimately, “someone” was to blame because we did not have victory over the suffering through the alleviation of it.

Now that I’m Catholic, my sufferings are blamed on the fact that I have abandoned God and am being punished.

Thankfully, I now know better and have peace for once in my life, through the suffering, not having to question my relationship with God each time something negative comes along. There is a freedom to love and worship that I have never experienced before. I am so grateful to God for having blessed me with this understanding, which will save me a lot of emotional pain as I live my life unto Him.

 

[twosweetgirls]

Thankfully, I now know better and have peace for once in my life, through the suffering, not having to question my relationship with God each time something negative comes along.

Wow, isn’t that the truth? Prior to my becoming Catholic I would’ve said the same things you did. Now, I know that when I’m faced with a trial, rather than looking for a “reason” or whatever for it, I see it as a cross to bear with Jesus in His Passion. Puts it in a WHOLE new light.

 

[Jeanette_L]

Wow, isn’t that the truth? Prior to my becoming Catholic I would’ve said the same things you did. Now, I know that when I’m faced with a trial, rather than looking for a “reason” or whatever for it, I see it as a cross to bear with Jesus in His Passion. Puts it in a WHOLE new light.

This discussion came along at such a perfect time, as today I was able to speak of these truths to my parents, who are Evangelical. I didn’t present it as a Catholic idea, but as a Biblical one. They were speechless and unable to argue with the simplicity and obvious Scriptural and Christian truth of suffering as a means of becoming Christlike, of being made into His image, and being the road to changing us and those around us.

I said that instead of “rebuking” our sufferings or running away from them or pretending they don’t exist, we are to be proactive as Christ was, and pick up our crosses, embracing them, knowing that the end is glorious.

Whether the conversation will penetrate beyond today, I have no idea, but I was thrilled that the door was opened and I was able to articulate these beautiful Catholic understandings without hesitation, knowing that there it was, the Truth, and it couldn’t be argued with.

 

[ASimpleSinner]

Sounds kind of harsh. How would you feel if the priest consecrated the host and everyone got up and walked out. Just a thought.

In this case it wasn’t everyone walking out - it was the poster…

And if it should have happened to go down like that at a Mass I was participating in, that someone left…

I would pray for them (of course not knowing why they left) and commend them to return with haste.

Are you of the thinking it is better to politely sit there and abide by such strenuous attack on one’s beliefs than it is to follow what you know or understand to be true?