Convert, Revert, Cradle or growing Catholic?

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Thought I would jump in. This is only my third post, but I have been reading these forums for over a year.
I am coming into the Church this Easter, 2007! I was baptized Catholic as a baby, but was raised as a Seventh-Day Adventist, and was a very devout one. In my twenties, I grew into a more Evangelical (the Protestant version) mind-set, as my ecumenical nature struggled with the separatist legalism that I experienced in the Adventist faith. I always had Catholic people in my life, but NEVER would have conceded to “joining” the Catholic Church. My experience with Catholics was one of either the baggage-carriying-anti-Catholics that I now know did not usually understand their Church. And then I had all of the anti-Catholic theology that is entrenched in Adventism. Being an avid reader and lover of theology, I happened upon a book that explained the Sacrament of Baptism (it was by a Lutheran, incidentally!) in a way that opened my mind to the world of the Sacraments. As I began a quest to understand the meaning of sacrament (I had thought my protastant theology explained it, but realized quickly that it was poorly absent and misunderstood), this lead me to simultaneouly studying the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. The rest, as you might imagine, is self-explanitory. How can anyone study the Sacraments and NOT come into communion with the Catholic Church?!! I have read no less than one hundred books over the past two years: early Fathers of the Church, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the writings of the Popes, and, to be fair(!), an equal # of writers that try to validate the Protestant views. I have weighed it out and find Catholic teaching to tip the scales. This was frightening for me a first, but God’s faithfulness to me has kept me on this path even when I wanted to run off of it!
I have debunked the theory, at least amongst my Adventist and Protastant family and friends, that coming into the Catholic Church means turning one’s back on Bibical truth and knowledge (and, sadly, some believe, on Salvation!). For I am entering the Catholic Church more knowledgeable, more committed to Christ, and more Christ-like in my behavior/life than ever I have been. In a beautifully paradoxical way, the road has both become “narrow,” but God has become much bigger and more awesome. I am certain His Church is true and I hope to be a testimony to those who look to my life.
I come across many Catholics who want to shed the faith of their childhood as though somehow they have “outgrown” it’s antiquites; they feel burdened by the Mother that has hedged them in. But I have the glorious opportunity to “find” the Church in my adult life and feel it is not an antiquity, but a treasure; a jewel.
God bless us all in our journeys to know and love Him.
 
I was raised Methodist. I married a Catholic girl and converted 3 years later when our 2nd child was born. Our 1st daughter lived only a few days and the priest was so helpful and there for both of us that I started thinking of converting then, it took about a year for me to do it. I would love to find Fr. Diocetes from Albany N.Y. and thank him, if anyone here knows of his whereabouts.
 
Lance said:
I was raised Methodist. I married a Catholic girl and converted 3 years later when our 2nd child was born. Our 1st daughter lived only a few days and the priest was so helpful and there for both of us that I started thinking of converting then, it took about a year for me to do it. I would love to find Fr. Diocetes from Albany N.Y. and thank him, if anyone here knows of his whereabouts.
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Have you tried calling the parish and asking where he is? I bet they’ll know and be happy to tell you where he can be found and I know he will be happy to hear from you.
 
You asked,“From what?”

Raised Southern Baptist, spent five years as an Episcopalian.
 
I was Baptised and raised Protestant, also the United Church of Canada. Became convinced I had burned all my bridges with God in the teen years, completely dropped away from the Church and went on to a career of alcohol and drug abuse for the next 18 to 20 years. Had my life spared by the Grace of God, only He knows why, and was given sobriety through His Grace and the program of AA. I discovered first hand honest healing through the 4th and 5th steps of AA which is equivalent to the Catholic Scrutinys and the the act of face to face Confession. In my case it was with a Catholic Priest which lasted close to two and a half hours. Even though I could not receive formal Absolution I knew beyound any doubt that God and I stood with each other on good ground. I later shared this with this same Priest.

… it was through my experience of taking honest stock of my faults and strengths then openly sharing these with another human being that I began viewing the Catholic Church with curiousity. They knew this!! Other events laid themselves out over the years in such a manner where years later I found myself in a weekly Christian discussion group and was pleased to be there. With my work I couldn’t attend every week but went when I could … 1 1/2 years later I found out these weekly get togethers was an RCIA class??? They finally told me what that was.

… I was invited to follow through that second year formally and accepted, entered the Church that Easter Vigil.
 
GivenMuch said:
For I am entering the Catholic Church more knowledgeable, more committed to Christ, and more Christ-like in my behavior/life than ever I have been. In a beautifully paradoxical way, the road has both become “narrow,” but God has become much bigger and more awesome. I am certain His Church is true and I hope to be a testimony to those who look to my life.
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:amen: :blessyou:
 
Quick background:
My father was raised Baptist, but because of being a military brat is more of a “no one’s Jesus is better than anyone else’s” mindset.
He married my mother, and came into the Church 10 years after their wedding.
On to me:
I was rasied Catholic, got the big three at the appointed times, went to Catholic school 5-12, and then went to Franciscan U for a year. I got involved with a man 10 years my senior, got pregnant, left him around Thanksgiving of 04 and returned to live a thome with my parents.
While at Fran U, I got involved in Paganism and Witchcraft. At one point, I was the president of the Pagan group at Clarion University of PA (the college I attended when I moved back in with my parents).
After meeting my fiance (raised Baptist) I became more gung-ho about Catholicism. Admittedly, mylove f the Church never stopped, and I never really did believe the claims of the Pagans and Fem-Witches regarding the lack of feminine representation within the Faith.
So, I guess my Faith journey is a “There and Back Again” kind of story!
 
Convert from a non-institutional Church of Christ. I’ll be received into full Communion along with 1,173 others from my diocese Easter 2007
 
sarita said:
Convert from a non-institutional Church of Christ. I’ll be received into full Communion along with 1,173 others from my diocese Easter 2007
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1173 others? Wow… the most I have seen is about 25-30 or so…
 
I am a convert from a long line of protestants… mostly Methodist. Back in the day, I was one of those who would have never considered becoming Catholic! One interesting note, my beloved mother’s middle name was Aurelia and when I was researching the Saints for a patron I found Aurelian’s feast day was the same day as my mother’s birthday! I figure some “tradition” never died!! Needless to say, Aurelian is my patron saint. Even though I was very active in my former faith, I have never been so blessed on my journey to the Tiber. Crossing the river has only deepened my love for Christ and His Church…
God’s peace ~~
 
PatienceAndLove said:
I know. I meant in a 25-30 in a diocese
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Man, the Cathedral here in my town is always packed with people coming into the church, and that is only half of the diocese.

People who tell me that the church is failing and that we are losing people must live somewhere else.
 
I picked the “wanting the straight dope” option because that’s originally why I came to CA. But CM knows this…we’ve crossed paths here before. 😉

Briefly, some psycho rabid anti-Catholic started bashing a Catholic friend I really liked. I never discussed Catholicism with my friend because it never really occurred to me, but when Psycho slung around terms like “Cult” and “Romanism” and “Whore of Babylon”, I had to find out if there was any merit to what he was saying.

I’m actually in medical school right now, about to graduate (thank God) so my studies of Catholicism have been sporadic. I’ve read some of the Catechism, I’ve read Catholicism and Fundamentalism twice, listened to some tapes by Scott and Kimberly Hahn, am currently enrolled in the Bible Home Study Course that I started 2 years ago, neglected, and am now resuming. I’ve got 2 rosaries now, have attended mass several times and loved it, and have sort of vaguely noticed how my perceptions of things and Bible reading has changed. It’s all CA’s fault.

I suppose I’m a “non-denominational” Southern-fried fundamentalist. I love CA, I’m still trying to get all the “straight dope” about Catholicism, and who knows where I’ll end up? I’ve posted this before but I was on the brink of RCIA when my schedule turned insane and I just didn’t follow through. In my studies, and in my posts, you’ll find that I always try to be brutally honest…with myself, about myself, about fundamentalism, about everything.

I’ll hush now. Yay for CA! 😃

(CA=Catholic Answers)
 
I myself am a 19 year old Catholic that is learning and growing. In part because my girlfriend is a fallen away catholic and ive been teaching her the history and teachings of the bible that was thought by Jesus and the early church fathers.

I think if it wasnt for her i wouldnt be learning my faith but honestly since meeting her ive really gotten into my faith.

God works in creative ways thats for sure!

In Christ,
Matt
 
Cradle here!

Cathecized in the late 60s through the 70s. I was in second grade when the the jack hammers came in the church and moved the altar out to the middle of the sanctuary. I served as and altar boy when the communion rail was still in all the Churches.

A couple of protestant friends hit me up with Boettner’s list and since I knew it was all a bunch of rubbish, I read for the answers. Now I am a big fat Cardle Catholic problem for my non Catholic friends. It’s not a fair fight any more. 👍
 
I’m a convert too. Although my entire family is Catholic, my mother fell from her faith when she had me at a very very young age. I always had a very spiritual side about me and was always interested in God and why things are the way they are. It’s funny looking back and seeing all the Catholic customs that I grew up with. Crucifixes on the walls, rosary’s in my mothers room, and lots of religious pictures all over the place. I started to go to church with a neighbor of mine, and it stuck on me. I was baptized and confirmed in a Methodist church in my hometown. Not because I believed in the things they taught. I questioned everything. None of it made sense to me. I wasn’t allowed to talk about my sins in my pastor (no reason too when i can confess directly to God.), I didn’t understand the lack of the real presence in the communion supper, and I felt a very weak liturgy. What I did have there though was a love from a community that did care about me. There also isn’t a Catholic church that as a small child I could walk to, It’s 10 miles away.

When I went to College, I stopped going to church. Never stopped believing though. Fell into multiple relationships with woman, that were empty. Felt guilty, and one day i met my finance and she was Catholic, and I started to do research on the Church. On Easter weekend about four years ago, I e-mailed the campus parish and told the priest that I was very interested in joining the church, and he talked to me and gave me the book Home Sweet Rome, and I knew I couldn’t go back becoming a Methodist. I was confirmed in the church the following year, and it has been a journey ever since.
 
I am a convert. I was born and raised in the Lutheran tradition, then spent some time in charismatic, non-denominational churches.

Just prior to my conversion I met James White online. After my conversion I let it be known on a BBS that he and I frequented (this was pre-Internet days) that I had become a Catholic. I had some questions about my conversion and felt if I had made the wrong choice, God would use James to “get me back.” I found my questions were answered, and I was also able to answer every single challenge James presented.

Ironically, though my debates with James made my faith all the stronger - he used material from our debates to write his first two books on Catholicism (yes, I am at least partially to blame for that!).

Since that time, I have been committed to Catholic apologetics, and run several apologetics forums and email lists. My most recent project is the Locutus Webboard - which just went public last week. Check it out if you’re interested.

In JMJ,
Scott<<<
 
I’m not sure why people have to be both pugnacious and defensive.
If you are strong in your faith, then you don’t need to do some of these things…
for example, heaven forfend, you can even allow people to disagree:eek:
 
Church_Militant said:
You won’t find me uncharitable or disrespectful, but I don’t suffer propaganda and rhetoric that has no basis in fact or misrepresents Catholic teaching. I came home the hard way and having been Southern Baptist and Assembly of God while outside the Catholic faith, I know what I’m talking about when it comes to doctrines.

And I’ve heard it all. :rolleyes:

I have no control whatsoever over what others post on here and I really don’t care what they believe so long as they are respectful and charitable in their discussion. I go out of my way to post within the Forum Rules and Banned Topics Policy and I try to set an example of charity.

If you have an issue with the Catholic faith open a thread on it and PM me a link and I’ll come see what I can offer, but if you offer anti-Catholic propaganda or make any effort to proselytize my fellow Catholics away from our most holy faith you can rest assured that I will refute it without mercy. I don’t post on a-C boards because 1) Almost no one listens, and 2) all too often the moderation there is poor and penalizes a Catholic while allowing a-Cs to freely bash and insult my faith. As a result i figure that if someone wants to get the real facts from faithful and knowledgeable Catholics, they know where to find us. Here at CAF, Steve Ray’s DCF board, Catholic Central, CCF, and OBOB.👍

The mods here have displayed a willingness to allow all reasonable and charitable debate within the context of the rules and policies, and frankly I’ve seen as many misbehaving Catholics get popped as I have n-Cs, and the mods hand it out wherever it’s needed regardless of religion.:clapping:

Anyway, enough about all that stuff. :yawn:

This thread is all about finding out why people are here and maybe even how they got here and how we can share what we have learned.:kissme: :shamrock2:
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
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Ditto! My Protestant history is even more of worse case scenario.
 
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