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Did you convert/revert because Catholic.com website or Catholic Answers Live?
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Jim
Guest
CA helped me convert from liberal heterodoxy. Mostly, it was the radio show. Before then, I was throwing my parent’s copies of This Rock and other such “right wing” publications into the fireplace when they weren’t looking, and trying to get them to read the National Catholic Reporter. The truth won out for me, though and I came to love CA.
I even went backpacking with Karl a couple of summers ago!
I even went backpacking with Karl a couple of summers ago!
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mrs_abbott
Guest
I actually started reading my bible more since I’ve been here because I came across many bible-quotin’ Protestants that I felt I couldn’t hold a candle to because I was very ignorant of scripture.
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rpp
Guest
You missed an important one. I converted from a non-Christian religion. I was an atheist. The priest where I attend daily Mass converted from Buddhism.
My conversion was the result of a supernatural experience. It was sudden, almost instaneous. It simultaneously took both two weeks and less than a second in a mysterious way that is difficult to explain and even more difficult to understand.
My conversion was the result of a supernatural experience. It was sudden, almost instaneous. It simultaneously took both two weeks and less than a second in a mysterious way that is difficult to explain and even more difficult to understand.
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Andruschak
Guest
No, my conversion started last year on the date of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel, when I read about her on a website. Somehow, someway, that was the start of my current RCIA Candidate journey
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JohnnyReb
Guest
Option number three for me. So far this website has been pretty helpful. At the very least it has complemented my personal study of Catholicism, which has been very enlightening.
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Jennifer_G
Guest
Mine started out in a similar way, except it was a video about Apparitions of Mary (about 10-12 years ago) that my mom had taken out of a library to give to a neighbor of ours. (we’re Lutheran, our neighbor - no longer lives around here - is Catholic). That made me curious why I never hear about major visions or apparitions (if not Mary, even of Jesus) with Protestants. Our Lady of Mount Carmel was one of the first few links I found (this was back in 1995 when the Internet was just getting started publically).
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LRThunder
Guest
I haven’t converted yet, although I’m in RCIA right now. I’ll enter the Church at Easter. 
Listening to a Catholic radio station near my old hometown subtlely got me started, but it was the death of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI’s election that really got me interested in learning more about the Church. And the rest will be history.
Listening to a Catholic radio station near my old hometown subtlely got me started, but it was the death of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI’s election that really got me interested in learning more about the Church. And the rest will be history.
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acadian
Guest
I reverted about 5 years ago. catholic-pages.com and frpat.com were sites that were helpful to me. I looked long and hard to see if email confessions had been approved while I was gone. But, alas, I had to show up in person. A turning point in my life.
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Melchior
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If there was an option for other I would have clicked it.
I thin Catholic.com is wonderful and I am essentially a revert (strange story that one), but I would have to say inspite of it. I may have reverted a while ago if not for well meaning internet apologists. I mean the amatuer ones, not the professionals at CA. They have been very helpful. But these forums can be wonderful, but also a cesspool of missinformation and a whole lot of majoring in the minors that must have turned countless searching protestants away.
I don’t mean that to be harsh. But on all the forums, save ask and apologist you have a thousand and one catholic opinions which often contradict each other meaning a thousand wrong answers at times. You also haver far too much “those stupid protestant and their sola scriptura/sola fide” gotcha! posts that help no one.
So Catholic.com is a great resource. The Forums, like most internet forums tend to do more harm than good. Of course being addicted to these forums myself I include myself as a part of the problem.
Mel
I thin Catholic.com is wonderful and I am essentially a revert (strange story that one), but I would have to say inspite of it. I may have reverted a while ago if not for well meaning internet apologists. I mean the amatuer ones, not the professionals at CA. They have been very helpful. But these forums can be wonderful, but also a cesspool of missinformation and a whole lot of majoring in the minors that must have turned countless searching protestants away.
I don’t mean that to be harsh. But on all the forums, save ask and apologist you have a thousand and one catholic opinions which often contradict each other meaning a thousand wrong answers at times. You also haver far too much “those stupid protestant and their sola scriptura/sola fide” gotcha! posts that help no one.
So Catholic.com is a great resource. The Forums, like most internet forums tend to do more harm than good. Of course being addicted to these forums myself I include myself as a part of the problem.
Mel
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katy
Guest
I reverted after watching JPII’s funeral and becoming inbearably homesick. The forums really helped, since my wandering off was partly due to the constant uncertainty of what Catholic teaching and practice were supposed to be. That and the constant irreverence. I can be that on my own.
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Andruschak
Guest
But I should add that these Catholic Answer Forums have been a tremendous help in my RCIA progress:thumbsup:
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Tonks40
Guest
A non-denominational church helped me revert back to the Catholic Church. That and watching JPII at the time of his death.
Catholic.com has helped me solidify my faith - I came here initially to get information about the Church - I was considering membership in the aforementioned non-denominational church - I wanted to know who was telling the Truth.
Catholic.com has helped me solidify my faith - I came here initially to get information about the Church - I was considering membership in the aforementioned non-denominational church - I wanted to know who was telling the Truth.
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lak611
Guest
I reverted, but it happened years before I knew about any websites. Actually, I was a cradle Catholic, went to CCD, Catholic high school and Catholic college; but after I was living on my own, I fell away from the Church because I never understood my faith. I didn’t practice any religion for a while and lived a sinful lifestyle. A friend of mine took me to a Christian music festival. There were people at the festival from various Churches: Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, etc. Somebody from the Baptist Church gave me a Bible (KJV, of course). I had never read the Bible before. For some reason, I actually decided to read it, and I read it all the way through. I had a “born-again experience”. I found that everything in the Bible made sense, in terms of what I had been taught in the Catholic Church. I prayed a lot, confessed my sins first to God and then to my priest, and came back to the Catholic Church. Since then, I have joined a Catholic Sunday school (adult Bible study) at my parish, volunteered at an ecumenical mission meal for the poor (Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans and Presbyterians all help out), and become an EMHC. So actually, I cannot credit a Catholic website; I credit the Baptists! This site has helped me out a lot, though, in terms of defending my faith, actually more with “cafeteria” Catholics, than with Protestants; I’ve actually experienced more hostility from “cafeteria” Catholics than from Protestants.
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marlo
Guest
i almost believe that there is no church that teaches the truth, this is after my friend and also a JW MS, could not answer my questions anymore. this went to years. Then one day, i thought “what does the catholic church teaches”. then i opened my browser then went to www.catholic.com" then that was it. I downloaded the radio shows and read many catholic sites about the faith. I went to confession and returned to the church. Thanks to God and our saviour Jesus, with the help of Karl Keating and the Internet.
God bless
God bless
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mrs_abbott
Guest
Your story sounds alot like mine. I started reading my old NAB and eventually I started feeling guilty for not going to church like I used to. I just started going back since this last Christmas. Not very long, I know, but better than not going at all.
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djrakowski
Guest
I’m a convert from an evangelical Protestant background, and these forums played a significant role in my conversion. Several forum members, including Cindy, netmil(name removed by moderator), Katholikos, Church Militant (you were too kind and patient, bro), awfulthings9 and Detroit Sue (who was my confirmation sponsor last September) helped me along the way. One of the members with connections at CA sent me a number of resources, including a signed copy of Jimmy Akin’s book “The Salvation Controversy” and a pre-release copy of Tim Staples’ conversion story on CD, “Jimmy Swaggart Made Me Catholic.” I even received a few helpful PMs from Jerry Usher!
I learned about the radio program after I joined the forums, and was instantly hooked. I downloaded tons of episodes in which the hosts addressed topics of concern, and learned a ton from them. I’m especially grateful to the Q&A programs hosted by Tim Staples and Jimmy Akin, as well as the scriptural apologetics programs hosted by John Martignoni.
But as Melchior mentioned in one of his posts, there were times when I was completely turned off by the attitude of some of the posters. Looking back, I was probably not ready for the truth, and would view those posters in quite a different light now than I did then. I also use those experiences with less-than-pleasant CAF members to remind me of how I should proceed when responding to questions from non-Catholics, and I know I don’t always live up to a standard that speaks well of the faith.
I learned about the radio program after I joined the forums, and was instantly hooked. I downloaded tons of episodes in which the hosts addressed topics of concern, and learned a ton from them. I’m especially grateful to the Q&A programs hosted by Tim Staples and Jimmy Akin, as well as the scriptural apologetics programs hosted by John Martignoni.
But as Melchior mentioned in one of his posts, there were times when I was completely turned off by the attitude of some of the posters. Looking back, I was probably not ready for the truth, and would view those posters in quite a different light now than I did then. I also use those experiences with less-than-pleasant CAF members to remind me of how I should proceed when responding to questions from non-Catholics, and I know I don’t always live up to a standard that speaks well of the faith.
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Saoirse
Guest
this forum has very little to do with my own conversion experience, to be truthful.
I blame a beautiful experience of blessing, a priest who has been more than patient with my many questions and fears, and essentially, God.
I am still in the process of converting, mind. I’m in RCIA right now.
I blame a beautiful experience of blessing, a priest who has been more than patient with my many questions and fears, and essentially, God.
I am still in the process of converting, mind. I’m in RCIA right now.
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StephanieC
Guest
CA Live was part of my reversion to the faith. Confirmed at age 29 in 2000! :dancing:
I had a job that required me to drive a great deal, and at the time, CA Live was on the air during most of my driving time.
Many times, I would get out of the car with goosebumps up my neck and tears in my eyes after having listened to the swift yet charitable demolition of what I thought were major roadblocks on my journey home.
Listening to other people’s questions was great, too, because it opened up more of the Church’s teaching to me than I might have ordinarily sought out on my own.
(Btw, I was thrilled to be able to tell Mr. Keating this in person, and thank him, after going to hear him speak once. )
I had a job that required me to drive a great deal, and at the time, CA Live was on the air during most of my driving time.
Many times, I would get out of the car with goosebumps up my neck and tears in my eyes after having listened to the swift yet charitable demolition of what I thought were major roadblocks on my journey home.
Listening to other people’s questions was great, too, because it opened up more of the Church’s teaching to me than I might have ordinarily sought out on my own.
(Btw, I was thrilled to be able to tell Mr. Keating this in person, and thank him, after going to hear him speak once.
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