I’m completely convinced that Catholicism is the church that Jesus founded. But these types of events are keeping me from converting. I’ve read stories about atheists who have experience about God telling them to convert, but sometimes they convert to protestantism. Sometimes they get signs to specifically convert to religions like mormonism, or anti-catholic fundamentalism. Sometimes they get signs that point them to Islam, sometimes Hinduism, you get the point.
I hate to throw the “it’s demons” argument out there, because I would think most Catholics would agree that people come closer to God by being a protestant, or Mormon, or even Muslim, than an atheist. I’d think demons/Satan would try to get people as far away as possible in acknowledging any kind of God.
While I was an atheist, I had the experience of my father turning up in my bedroom the night he died.
While I was a Protestant, I had three “double whammies” (like a breath going through you in waves from head to foot), each time used to highlight something somebody else was saying. For the record, the three messages were 1. “… a man after my own heart…” (when I was wondering if Christianity was true as a new convert, following some very negative experiences), 2. “… a little man of great insight and wisdom…” (a sermon which mentioned St. Paul), and 3. “… an intellectual ministry that went around the world…” (a sermon which mentioned CS Lewis).
There have been quite a number of other cases of various things, including some demonic experiences (heavy gripping pressures at night, usually around midnight or 3am - I had one just a couple of nights ago after I posted my opinion about the “anti Christ” on another forum - don’t know if it was related or not, but the experience was there.".
There’s a photograph of a 1930’s Hindu guru floating off the ground, and I think it’s real enough. What’s the difference between this and the alleged levitation of St. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross?
google.com.au/search?q=Photo+hindu+guru+levitating&biw=1440&bih=736&tbm=isch&imgil=3j_UwKe0gcItiM%253A%253BiuA_PHZDt6l1NM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.weirdasianews.com%25252F2008%25252F08%25252F31%25252Fsecret-behind-indian-guru-levitation-revealed%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=3j_UwKe0gcItiM%253A%252CiuA_PHZDt6l1NM%252C_&usg=__6I1nCKwFfE8ahpyC49P05n_l4dg%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiyxZmM7Y3NAhXJlZQKHfjFDigQyjcIKA&ei=qYNSV_LMM8mr0gT4i7vAAg#imgrc=3j_UwKe0gcItiM%3A
The most prophetic (if sometimes discouraging) and wisest man I’ve met was my old Presbyterian pastor, one Rev. Robert Missenden. I found that it he said he thought something would happen, then sooner or later it did.
There’s a book around written by a “former” witch (she’d be very old now if she’s still around) in which she claimed the power of invisibillity, and being able to kill birds at a distance simply by will power, and walking through flames unharmed. I say “former”, as i think I remember my old pastor saying they once had her as a guest speaker years ago. But she wasn’t just any old witch. She had been chief witch, and supposedly became a Christian.
But as he listened he told me later that he felt “… a very deep sense of unease…” Anyway that’s by the by.
The reality is that there’s a spiritual world out there, both holy and demonic, and to some extent, neutral eg. the old Aboriginal telegraph in Australia, where if Johnny broke his leg near Alice Springs, Uncle Jacky at Arnhem Land knew about it immediately afterwards.
To decide which one is the cause of the vision, manifestation, sign or whatever, look at the fruit. The trouble is it may take time to realise the fruit.
The cynical atheist directed to the Mormon Church may find his gift of cynical analysis rejecting some of their teachings, and in due course turn to the Catholic Church, with a better understanding of Mormon error than the average life long Catholic.
I had several supernatural experiences as a Protestant. But in the end, I was directed to the Catholic Church. But I think I’ve got a better idea of how Protestants think (and what is often their greater enthusiasm and sincerity) than most Catholics. Whether this two stage process from atheist to Protestant to Catholic will bear any fruit remains to be seen.
In short, I once asked my old Presbyterian pastor mentioned above “How do you know if a particular supernatural experience is from God or the devil, in the short term?”
He just shrugged and said “
You don’t.”
