L
Little_Mary
Guest
Does anyone have any thoughts/comments on the head of the Christian Coalition converting to Catholicism in Montgomery, Alabama this past Easter?
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wet-rat
Guest
Perhaps it is consistent with Tocqueville’s prediction?
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ichabod
Guest
Claiming ignorance: what prediction, and who is Tocqueville? 
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chosunhoon
Guest
More ignorance: What’s Christian Coalition? 
K
Katholikos
Guest
Here’s the news release about Giles’ conversion. The Christian Coalition is Pat Robertson’s political organization – thoroughly Protestant.
**CNA = Catholic News Agency **
President of Alabama’s Christian Coalition converts to Catholicism
MONTGOMERY, USA, May. 25 (CNA) - It was a long journey. But after six years, the president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, John Giles, and his wife, Deborah, were confirmed and welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church at St. Peter’s Parish in Montgomery this past Easter.
In an interview, Giles told The Associated Press that when he first sat in on a Catholic mass six years ago, he couldn’t really follow it, but he was reduced to tears and he didn’t know why.
He pursued this new interest and became fascinated by the Catholic Church’s history and ritual. He continued to learn about the faith, visiting Israel and Rome, and learning always more, until finally realizing that many of his past beliefs about the Catholic Church and its teachings had been wrong.
Unlike most people, Giles conversion to Catholicism has not been a private affair, but he understands the public interest given his job as president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.
Most people seem to want to know why he converted, Giles told AP, and he has tried to answer all of these questions and explain his reasoning in an eight-page letter. Giles said he relates to their questioning since, as a Protestant he, too, had misperceptions about Catholicism.
He illustrated this point in recounting an experience that he had at a friend’s house one evening in Florida. There he met a lady, who was teaching a Sunday School class on cults. When describing her class, her list of cults included Catholicism.
Giles admits that his decision to convert from Protestantism to Catholicism is not a popular one in the majority Protestant state of Alabama, but he hopes that it will help in building bridges between Christian groups where there were none before. He hopes that his constituents will keep an open mind.
**CNA = Catholic News Agency **
President of Alabama’s Christian Coalition converts to Catholicism
MONTGOMERY, USA, May. 25 (CNA) - It was a long journey. But after six years, the president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, John Giles, and his wife, Deborah, were confirmed and welcomed into the Roman Catholic Church at St. Peter’s Parish in Montgomery this past Easter.
In an interview, Giles told The Associated Press that when he first sat in on a Catholic mass six years ago, he couldn’t really follow it, but he was reduced to tears and he didn’t know why.
He pursued this new interest and became fascinated by the Catholic Church’s history and ritual. He continued to learn about the faith, visiting Israel and Rome, and learning always more, until finally realizing that many of his past beliefs about the Catholic Church and its teachings had been wrong.
Unlike most people, Giles conversion to Catholicism has not been a private affair, but he understands the public interest given his job as president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.
Most people seem to want to know why he converted, Giles told AP, and he has tried to answer all of these questions and explain his reasoning in an eight-page letter. Giles said he relates to their questioning since, as a Protestant he, too, had misperceptions about Catholicism.
He illustrated this point in recounting an experience that he had at a friend’s house one evening in Florida. There he met a lady, who was teaching a Sunday School class on cults. When describing her class, her list of cults included Catholicism.
Giles admits that his decision to convert from Protestantism to Catholicism is not a popular one in the majority Protestant state of Alabama, but he hopes that it will help in building bridges between Christian groups where there were none before. He hopes that his constituents will keep an open mind.
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ichabod
Guest
Cool. I hope his former fellows will keep an openmind too. 
K
Katholikos
Guest
Little Mary, you asked if any of us had any thoughts about this Alabama conversion.
My thought is that it is throughly disgusting that a Protestant denomination would be teaching that the Catholic Church is a cult. Information about the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is readily available on the Internet, in books, on the telephone, in person at the nearest parish, yet many prefer fiction to fact. This Florida woman Mr. Giles speaks of (in the news release) swallowed the lies of someone else instead of checking it out for herself. And she was perfectly willing to teach this as “fact” to her entire Sunday School class. Shame on her! Shame on her denomination! Bearing false witness.
The Catholic Church was the first Church, the ORIGINAL Church, founded by Jesus Christ. And yet some (many) know-nothing Protestants teach that the Church is a cult!
I’ve been told many times, ‘You’re not Christian, you’re Catholic,’ Grrrrrrrrr.
Jay Damien
Ex-Southern Baptist (where I was taught the same trash), ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!
My thought is that it is throughly disgusting that a Protestant denomination would be teaching that the Catholic Church is a cult. Information about the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is readily available on the Internet, in books, on the telephone, in person at the nearest parish, yet many prefer fiction to fact. This Florida woman Mr. Giles speaks of (in the news release) swallowed the lies of someone else instead of checking it out for herself. And she was perfectly willing to teach this as “fact” to her entire Sunday School class. Shame on her! Shame on her denomination! Bearing false witness.
The Catholic Church was the first Church, the ORIGINAL Church, founded by Jesus Christ. And yet some (many) know-nothing Protestants teach that the Church is a cult!
I’ve been told many times, ‘You’re not Christian, you’re Catholic,’ Grrrrrrrrr.
Jay Damien
Ex-Southern Baptist (where I was taught the same trash), ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!
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A.Pelliccio
Guest
Thats excellent becuase I didnt know that. I fall in line Politicaly with the Christian coalition.
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Chris_in_Mich
Guest
My experience has been that it is a widespread Protestant belief that the Catholic Church is a cult. It seems that the word “cult” gets used by Catholics as well describing other religions, I even heard a Catholic priest imply that the pre-Vatican II mass lends itself to a cult mentality.
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Fidelis
Guest
There’s an old and lengthy thread on this already:
President of Alabama’s Christian Coalition converts to Catholicism
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=889&highlight=giles
President of Alabama’s Christian Coalition converts to Catholicism
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=889&highlight=giles
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Franze
Guest
It´s a beautiful news, one more has seen the truth, greetings
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