Catholic Converts

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Xenon-135

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Hello all, I am seeking some imput and/or council regarding my increasing suspicion of Mainline Protestant converts. There seems to be an ever increasing influx of Protestant ministers coming into the Church, and recently I have moved away from the marvel and joy, and started sensing what I found unnerving, and even disturbing.

I am wondering if I am wrong for being suspect of the true intentions of many of these Neo-Catholics. I truely am a cradle
Catholic, for it is these sensations that I can surely see the justification behind the inquisition. I do find though, that I bear guilt for thinking that these folks may have some alterior motive for coming into the Church.

I know its almost impossible, but is there by chance anyone else who has or is struggling with this issue?
 
Dear X,
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Xenon-135:
I am wondering if I am wrong for being suspect of the true intentions of many of these Neo-Catholics.
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As the above mentioned Neo-Catholic Convert (though not a minister). I’ll tell you my position. Before I joined the Catholic Church, I was spiritually dead. I was dead. I was given an all expence paid trip to Bethlehem and was there on Christmas eve. I walked the streets of Jersulem and climbed Galgatha. I walked though the garden of Gasheme and I felt NOTHING. I knew this feeling was wrong because my parents were good Christians and taucht me all about this place…I FELT NOTHING.

Through the Catholic Church, I found a personal relationship with CHRIST and am on fire and in love with the Church which brought him to me or me to him…

I LOVE THE CHURCH … though I have a hard time loving ALL Catholics. I have a hard time with individuals who clame to be Catholic but do not follow the teachings of the Pope. I have a hard time with “Craddel Catholics” who take this faith for granted and you know they do.

I CHOSE to be Catholic and I will/do fight for the Church

Xenon, you are RIGHT to question the intentions the intentions of new members. When some tells me they want to convert, my first question is, “WHY would you want to join a Church which is very consertative and has a whole book of rules (CCC) by which you have to agree to live by?”

Keep questioning and God Bless you,
Davis
 
I am waiting for RCIA classes to start myself. So I’m really neo.
Sometimes I wonder if I should post so much on this site. But participating these last few weeks has been helpful to me. I just hope I haven’t harmed anyone else.

I am a Baptist. I’ve been ordained (but not as a pastor). I’ve studied the Bible a lot (protestant Bibles with protestant footnotes). And did some unpaid evangelism work years ago.

I think Xenon-135 has a very good point. The first time I went with my family to the local Catholic Church it was a healing mass. I was somewhat worried that it almost seemed like there was some corruption from Kenneth Hagin type theology. Hope I was wrong.

I do not want to join the Catholic Church to make it more like the Baptist Church. I am leaving it because I need to leave it – it wasn’t working enough for me. I want the Roman Catholic Church to be Roman Catholic the way the Pope wants it to be. And let’s all pray for the Pope. And nothing else.

If the Roman Catholic Church became something else, I’d be sad.
 
I’ve been sitting here trying to think of possible alterior motives…do you think we’re going to steal the Eucharist or something? I’m a bit confused.

I joined the Church because I no longer felt spiritually fulfilled at the Methodist Church anymore. I had learned the truth about the Eucharist and totally fell in love with it.

When I joined RCIA I had a problem with “holier than thou” cradle Catholics who looked down upon me for being a Protestant. But what they did not understand was that while I was a Protestant I still learned the truth (some of it) about Jesus and God. I got a good solid background on Christianity and I learned the meaning of Christian Love within my Church family at home.

I still attend Methodist services with my mom when I go home. I am still close with my church family there and they have always given my undying love and support. They were the ones who were there for me when my parents got divorced. I only wish that Catholic churches had the same kind of spiritual family that I had in my Methodist church. But it just seems like a mad rush to the parking lot when Mass is overwith.

This whole Catholic vs. Protestant stuff literally makes my blood boil. It makes me incredibly angry when I see people on here say that Protestants arent Christians when I myself fullfilled faith AND good works when I was involved with my former parish. I continually saw members of my church feed the hungry, help the sick, and visit the elderly. My godmother organizes activities for the elderly every month, and she organizes blood drives every 2 months, she and my godfather take food to the hungry every week, and lead prayer groups. Can you look at them and tell them they are not Christians???

Wow, that turned into a rant. Sorry about that. But my point is, we shouldnt be against each other. We all share one common baptism and to me we are unified as Christians with that. I know that a lot of people are going to disagree with me, but that’s just how I feel about this subject. I did not join because I felt the Methodists were “wrong” it was because I did not feel a relationship with Jesus anymore. When we get to heaven I really dont think God is going to say, “Ok, lets have the Catholics over here, the Methodists over there, then the Baptists here…” and so on.
 
Hello again.

I think my concern regarding the intentions of converts is stemming from Dwight Longenecker’s book “Adventures in Orthodoxy”. I have just finished reading it, and I would recommend it to both Catholic or non-Catholic.

In this book, Dwight is illustrating the world view of the Roman Catholic Church and how there are contradicting objections regarding her. He challenges the readers who are not Catholic to “tell folks you are considering converting to Catholicism.” and not just your good buddies, but a wide variety of folks. He continues to explain that every class and group of persons will have tailored their objections to the Church to meet thier circumstances. The wealthy and elite of society will object that you are carousing with the disadvantaged and poor, and the poor will accuse you of desiring to rub shoulders with the aristrocracy. Those who are essentially spiritual minded will object that you are persuing the safety of structure and routine, and the fundamentally oriented will claim that you are trying to spiritualize God too much.

The examples go on and on with each one having a contradicting counterpart. This, Longenecker says, provides and intrinsic authenticity to the Church. Quite simply that she couldn’t possible be guilty of being both too rigid and too spiritualized; pandoring to the wealthy or catoring to the poor, etc. Thus, the problem of objection isn’t with the Church, but with her accusers.

He states that the Church wasn’t founded to serve man, but to serve God. This is why everyone can find some aspect about the Church with which they struggle in displeasure.

Throughout the book, Dwight encourages people to “stand on their head” in order to get a more correct perception of a circumstance or situation. This apparently is an adaptation of Chesterton, I think. Anyway, I decided to take the advice and “stand on my head” regarding the contradicting objections issue. I figure if folks brandish contradicting issues that prevent their consideration of the Church, then the flip side is folks comming into the Church with contradicting expectations. Some come to be near the rich, and others to serve the poor. Some because they want to be in a conservative congregation others like the liberal atmosphere. Some perfer to express themselves in a spiritually charasmatic fashion and others embrace the traditional liturgical structure of the Mass…etc.

If converts are entering with the expectation of any particular extreme, then I think they will become severely disappointed. Other than the preservation and propagation of our Catholic Faith, the only issue that I have known the Church to have historically battled for has been social justice, and even in defending that issue some have made severe compromises.
 
I’m going to join RCIA in the fall. My motives are to have a better, happier, more god-filled life. Nothing alterior. Though I can see where youd have suspicion. YOu probably think that these ministers are trying to put more protestantism into catholicism, but i don’t think it will happen.
 
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raphaela:
I’m going to join RCIA in the fall. My motives are to have a better, happier, more god-filled life. Nothing alterior. Though I can see where youd have suspicion. YOu probably think that these ministers are trying to put more protestantism into catholicism, but i don’t think it will happen.
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Yep, I agree with this, I think there are easire ways of developing Protestantism. In fact, I think Protestns have no problem with their own churches, being if they want something they just have to look in a different building.
 
StratusRose said:
I’ve been sitting here trying to think of possible alterior motives…do you think we’re going to steal the Eucharist or something? I’m a bit confused.

I joined the Church because I no longer felt spiritually fulfilled at the Methodist Church anymore. I had learned the truth about the Eucharist and totally fell in love with it.

When I joined RCIA I had a problem with “holier than thou” cradle Catholics who looked down upon me for being a Protestant. But what they did not understand was that while I was a Protestant I still learned the truth (some of it) about Jesus and God. I got a good solid background on Christianity and I learned the meaning of Christian Love within my Church family at home.

I still attend Methodist services with my mom when I go home. I am still close with my church family there and they have always given my undying love and support. They were the ones who were there for me when my parents got divorced. I only wish that Catholic churches had the same kind of spiritual family that I had in my Methodist church. But it just seems like a mad rush to the parking lot when Mass is overwith.

This whole Catholic vs. Protestant stuff literally makes my blood boil. It makes me incredibly angry when I see people on here say that Protestants arent Christians when I myself fullfilled faith AND good works when I was involved with my former parish. I continually saw members of my church feed the hungry, help the sick, and visit the elderly. My godmother organizes activities for the elderly every month, and she organizes blood drives every 2 months, she and my godfather take food to the hungry every week, and lead prayer groups. Can you look at them and tell them they are not Christians???

Wow, that turned into a rant. Sorry about that. But my point is, we shouldnt be against each other. We all share one common baptism and to me we are unified as Christians with that. I know that a lot of people are going to disagree with me, but that’s just how I feel about this subject. I did not join because I felt the Methodists were “wrong” it was because I did not feel a relationship with Jesus anymore. When we get to heaven I really dont think God is going to say, “Ok, lets have the Catholics over here, the Methodists over there, then the Baptists here…” and so on.
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Protestants are just great !!!👍 I know…half my family is pro. and the other half cath…and they all get along fine ! Incidentally our parishioners are all treated exactly the same in all respects ; i often have to laugh when i am told that ‘so and so’ is actually protestant but is contemplating converting…you would never have known otherwise !!! A friend at church recently explained to me that he could not become president of our Society of St. Vincent de Paul , as he is actually Anglican ! [his wife is catholic]. I have known and worked with him for 6 years , yet never knew he was not catholic. This got me thinking and i soon discovered that some of the most ‘energetic’ parishioners are either converts , potential converts or just wonderful souls who enjoy a good catholic mass.🙂 Please…lets all pray for church unity…those who maintain it’s impossible contradict the the very word of GOD.
 
The bottom line for me in becoming Catholic was that I found out that Jesus actually founded an organizational Church, and that its authorized successors are the Bishops of the Catholic Church.

The moment this information penetrated my inner understanding (which took a really long time, for various reasons) I was on the phone to my nearest priest to ask about RCIA.

Every objection I’d had to the Catholic Church up to that moment simply vanished like smoke in a strong wind - and believe me when I say that I had a lot of objections - all of the usual suspects (Mary, the Papacy, Confession to a priest, etc.), plus a few that I managed to invent all by myself. 😊
 
This influx of Protestant converts is what we should all be praying for (well one of the things :)): that others may come to the full understanding of the truth and experience the joy of the Eucharist, etc. I think a point could easily be argued that just as many - if not more - contradicting views can be found among Cradle Catholics. When a Protestant enters the Church, they have many misconcieved ideas about it, or disagreements with it that they are forced to confront (in my experience, many Protestants know quite clearly why they are not Catholic) before even entering RCIA. There are many theologians that I greatly respect that are Protestant converts. I have also found that many converts and reverts are the most ardent and diligent about learning the Churchs teachings, having a more indepth understanding of why they are what they are, and are more prone to speak of their faith to others. Let us first thank God that our brothers and sisters are coming home, then pray that we may be able to help them on their journey, and then come to imitate them in all ways that may lead us closer to God (by this I mean in their new hunger for their faith, etc. - not in anyway that may be seen as drawing the Church away from its Traditional roots). Let us meet them with open arms, not scepticism. Let’s show them true Christian charity and demonstrate what the Church holds - that we must all strive to be like Christ.
…incedently, perhaps the prayers of so many popes, other religious, and layity are coming to fruition.

God bless
 
Hi,
I am not a minister, but I am an adult convert. I would not say I have a Protestant background, although I attended many different churches once or twice. I was an agnostic, but always felt a call from God. I found Him when I found the Catholic Church. I immediately fell in love with the liturgy and the history. My husband and I consider it our duty as Catholics to continue to study throughout our lives (no one could ever finish examining and reading all that is availble). I don’t remember if I realized this during my RCIA class, or sometime later, but it is the fact that the Catholic Church has the fullness of the truth that keeps my faith alive. The other churches did not possess that and I could never accept the illogical claims they eventually made.

However, there were wonderful Christians in those other churches and they deserve our respect and admiration. Sometimes I think “How can they not see how illogical they are being? How can they not know the truth when it is as plain as the nose on their face? (ie John 6)” And the only answer I have is that the Holy Spirit has not opened their eyes and it is not for me to know why.

In addition, I have met some very wonderful Catholic Christians. I have also met many cradle Catholics who believe all they have to do is be born Catholic and they are automatically going to heaven(seems to be mainly people of a certain age). They also believe that converts are somehow beneath them, and are not likely to make it to heaven.

It is wonderful to be Catholic, but it does not automatically make us better followers of Christ. My experience is that converts, like me, have realized the beauty and the truth of Catholic teaching and they want to be in the church Christ founded. Beyond that, they are just as likely as cradle Catholics to wonder to the left or the right or to treat the church as a social club.
 
During the Middle Ages in Spain, many Muslims and Jews converted to Catholicism simply to gain political power. As for Protestants converting to Catholicism, I don’t see any desire by them to “subvert” the church (indeed, I think liberal cradle catholics who oppose church teaching on various issues are more of a threat). I read a number of conversion stories (such as Scott Hahn, Tom Howard and Marcus Grodi) and it seems to me is that in their quest for God, they were not getting fed spiritually as much as they should have- as the title Tom Howards’ book puts it, Evangelical is Not Enough. I felt the same way as a Baptist/non-denom- it just wasn’t enough, spiritually.
 
jmcrae said:
The bottom line for me in becoming Catholic was that I found out that Jesus actually founded an organizational Church, and that its authorized successors are the Bishops of the Catholic Church.

The moment this information penetrated my inner understanding (which took a really long time, for various reasons) I was on the phone to my nearest priest to ask about RCIA.

Every objection I’d had to the Catholic Church up to that moment simply vanished like smoke in a strong wind - and believe me when I say that I had a lot of objections - all of the usual suspects (Mary, the Papacy, Confession to a priest, etc.), plus a few that I managed to invent all by myself. 😊
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I’ll just ditto this, with the exception that I spent the last two years studying RCC doctrine because I kept talking to Catholics who would correct the gross misconceptions I’d been taught as a Baptist. When I heard John Martignoni’s One Church CD. That. Was. It. Jesus Christ founded One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Instead of phoning a nearby priest, my introvertive 😊 self enrolled at Catechism Class Online, now called 4 Marks.👍
 
I came for the Bread and the Wine, I was starving to death outside the Church.

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.

There is something “special” about it…

John 6:56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.

❤️
 
WOW! This whole dialog makes me very sad. Our priest ( in Humble) told us recently that the Catholic Church is considering allowing Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Presbyterians to share Catholic communion (Eucharist) because we all have such similar teachings. I think we should be looking for ways we are all Christians, not searching for ways our liturgy divides us. Believe me, as a relatively new Catholic I was “put off” by the attitude of some Catholics that they were just a little better than Protestants. I NEVER heard that stated when I was Presbyterian. In fact, our senior pastor was raised Catholic and “converted” as a college student…so the door opens both ways. Can’t we all just search for the most meaningful way to worship our Risen Lord and Savior without deciding who is the “most correct”?
 
Bennie_P said:
I came for the Bread and the Wine, I was starving to death outside the Church.

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.

There is something “special” about it…

John 6:56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.

❤️
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Same here. Even as a non-Catholic, I felt the Lord’s Supper was something special, yet I was dismayed because the churches I attended rarely celebrated it.
 
annweiss said:
WOW! This whole dialog makes me very sad. Our priest ( in Humble) told us recently that the Catholic Church is considering allowing Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Presbyterians to share Catholic communion (Eucharist) because we all have such similar teachings. I think we should be looking for ways we are all Christians, not searching for ways our liturgy divides us. Believe me, as a relatively new Catholic I was “put off” by the attitude of some Catholics that they were just a little better than Protestants. I NEVER heard that stated when I was Presbyterian. In fact, our senior pastor was raised Catholic and “converted” as a college student…so the door opens both ways. Can’t we all just search for the most meaningful way to worship our Risen Lord and Savior without deciding who is the “most correct”?
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Unity is something we should all strive for, but I believe allowing Protestants to share communion is wrong, mainly because they do not have the same view of the Lord’s Supper as we do. Catholics believe that the Host becomes the Body and Blood of our Lord, while keeping the taste and texture of bread and wine. The Lutherans and Episcopalians believe that Jesus is present in the Communion, but that it is still bread and wine. I’m not sure if the Presbyterians believe the same thing, or if they consider nothing more than crackers and grape juice, like other Protestant sects. Communion is also a sign of unity, how can other churches share communion with us when they do not believe as we do?
You are right that no Catholic should feel superior to other Christians simply because he is Catholic (to whom much is given, more is expected). But right doctrine is important. If it isn’t then we might as well chuck everything except for a vague belief in Jesus, hold hands and sing Kumbayah. Correct doctrine was important to Jesus and the apostles, and so it must be for us.
 
Agreed! Theologically Catholics and Protestants disagree about whether the bread and wine are actually the body and blood of Jesus Christ or symbols. However…as a believer I am going to receive God’s grace through that sacrament regardless of what I believe…don’t you agree? I do not believe God will withold his grace …or give his grace…based on anything I do or believe. Jesus said,“Do this in remembrance of me.” My God is not bound by legalism…looking for us humans to get the procedure wrong…that would be no more than the Pharisees did in Jesus’s day. Anyway, as a former Protestant and now Catholic, I joyfully celebrate communion and an assured of God’s grace to me…both previously and now. I could be wrong, but in the great scheme of things I believe God cares more that I worship him in all three forms, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, than whether I have complete theological understand of all things.

God bless.
 
My observations are that converts can be fierce catholics…Fierce…On fire…Excited. At a recent retreat, I had the pleasure of speaking with converts, some of which grew up in a “fire and brimstone, can I have a Hallelujah” bible christian church. Their stories of their conversion were moving and inspirational. One guy even did a Catholic version of a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Nothing lukewarm there!
 
annweiss said:
Agreed! Theologically Catholics and Protestants disagree about whether the bread and wine are actually the body and blood of Jesus Christ or symbols. However…as a believer I am going to receive God’s grace through that sacrament regardless of what I believe…don’t you agree?
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St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, in the 11th chapter, seems to disagree when he statest that it is essential to discern the Lord’s body and blood in the Sacrament, and that not to do so is to eat and drink damnation upon oneself.
I do not believe God will withold his grace …or give his grace…based on anything I do or believe. Jesus said,“Do this in remembrance of me.” My God is not bound by legalism…looking for us humans to get the procedure wrong…that would be no more than the Pharisees did in Jesus’s day. Anyway, as a former Protestant and now Catholic, I joyfully celebrate communion and an assured of God’s grace to me…both previously and now. I could be wrong, but in the great scheme of things I believe God cares more that I worship him in all three forms, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, than whether I have complete theological understand of all things.
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I agree that God is not legalistic. How is it legalistic to be required to believe what is true? (Or the inverse - how is it the freedom of the children of God, to believe things that are not true?)

Nobody, after all, says that mathematicians are “legalistic” to require people to believe things that are true about numbers. Imagine if someone were to accuse a Math teacher of “legalism” because he insists that 2+2 can be nothing other than 4.

Yet, we are accused of legalism when we make equally true statements about God and about how we are related to God.
 
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