T
tundramom
Guest
I agree that spending time in adoration is required here. I spent almost 3 hours last night before the Monstrance. I am so encouraged! Thank you all for your support.
in Christ
Steph
in Christ
Steph
- Status
H
happygal
Guest
Hi Tundramom
First of all i believe your frez are upset about your converting becoz she really take it too personally, not knowing that you’re still a Christian after all. But i believe she get even more upset of you telling her off so direct that if she cannot accept you being a Catholic, she can simply leave your house. Probably your words used was alittle too strong on her, judging that she need time to adjust the fact that you became a Catholic, we all need time to accept the truth, but you sort of neglect her feeling by going forward with even more strong words. But don’t worry, when time passes by she will cool down and then you may apologise to her on using those hard words, but let alone you can always share with her your decision to become a Catholic.
Sometime i really don’t understand why American, take religion conversion from protestant to catholic or vice verse so personally. It is a Godly thing to have our conversion to be bless then to become an upsetting situation for our love ones.
J
Jlcastagna
Guest
Steph,
My wife had the reverse situation happen to her a couple of years ago. She was told to leave a friends house if she really believed that a cookie was really Jesus Christ. I kept telling my wife that this was a perfect opportunity to evangelize but she said she was to hurt to talk to her friend. For almost a year they did not speak, now they see each other infrequently and never bring up religion. I suggest you share the reasons why you became Catholic with your friend and let the chips fall where they may.
For happygal,
I guess we take it so personally because we disire that all have the fullness of faith that Christ desired for us when he prayed in John 17 that we all should be one as He and the Father are one. Not fragmented into thousands of different faiths which contain only partial truth.
May God bless and protect us,
JLC
My wife had the reverse situation happen to her a couple of years ago. She was told to leave a friends house if she really believed that a cookie was really Jesus Christ. I kept telling my wife that this was a perfect opportunity to evangelize but she said she was to hurt to talk to her friend. For almost a year they did not speak, now they see each other infrequently and never bring up religion. I suggest you share the reasons why you became Catholic with your friend and let the chips fall where they may.
For happygal,
I guess we take it so personally because we disire that all have the fullness of faith that Christ desired for us when he prayed in John 17 that we all should be one as He and the Father are one. Not fragmented into thousands of different faiths which contain only partial truth.
May God bless and protect us,
JLC
D
Daniel_Marsh
Guest
Hi Step, I am speaking as a protestant. To answer your question, you need to ask yourself a few other questions.
How mature are you in your new faith?
novice at understanding your faith
expert at understanding your faith
How mature is she at her faith?
Does she understand her faith very well?
Is this person a learner or know it all?
In the past, how has your life influnced her?
In the past, how has her life influnced you?
In short, if you are a novice and she is an expert, then you did the right thing.
If you are on equal footing, knowledgewise, then look at the questions of life and influnce.
If she is more likely to influnce you away form your christian life in the catholic church, then you did the right thing.
But, if you are more of an influnce to her life, then look at holiness in both lives.
If you both realise that you are sinners saved by God, you are more likely to influnce her, and you are an expert or becoming an expert at your new faith, then call her up and apologise, invite her over to discuss Jesus over coffee. And, only talk about Jesus. She needs to see that Jesus is in your life.
Also, you need to ask, is this a person who would likely seek out the pastor to set you straight? If so, you did the right thing.
How mature are you in your new faith?
novice at understanding your faith
expert at understanding your faith
How mature is she at her faith?
Does she understand her faith very well?
Is this person a learner or know it all?
In the past, how has your life influnced her?
In the past, how has her life influnced you?
In short, if you are a novice and she is an expert, then you did the right thing.
If you are on equal footing, knowledgewise, then look at the questions of life and influnce.
If she is more likely to influnce you away form your christian life in the catholic church, then you did the right thing.
But, if you are more of an influnce to her life, then look at holiness in both lives.
If you both realise that you are sinners saved by God, you are more likely to influnce her, and you are an expert or becoming an expert at your new faith, then call her up and apologise, invite her over to discuss Jesus over coffee. And, only talk about Jesus. She needs to see that Jesus is in your life.
Also, you need to ask, is this a person who would likely seek out the pastor to set you straight? If so, you did the right thing.
R
Ridgerunner
Guest
I’m kind of old-fashioned, and I admit it. But I was taught that you never, ever confront or insult a person in his/her own house. Never! Not under his/her own roof; in the place where his/her family lives. Never. Perhaps others do not feel that way now, but a person’s home is a sacrosanct place.
I am a cradle Catholic, but I was raised among Evangelicals, and learned a lot. The AG world headquarters is not fifty miles from here. When certain protestant sects maintain that you are not Christian, they are doing two things. First, they are telling you that you are damned. Second, they are telling you that they, on the other hand, are saved. You are going to spend eternity with Satan and deserve to do so. They deserve to be with God, and absolutely, positively will.
I hate to be unecumenical and all, but to me, that is virtually a manifestation of a personality disorder. Many people of that persuasion actually relish the thought that you will burn in hell and that they’ll watch you do it from heaven. And many of them don’t feel a bit sorry for you about it either. From people who believe that, I could take “S.O.B” off them a lot easier than “not Christian”, because that “not Christian” brand is their imposition on you of something worse than having cancer. They can brand me “not Christian” out on the street and I’ll argue with them all day if I feel like it. But not in my home. I don’t care how brainwashed the person is.
If this woman’s judgment of you was some slip of the tongue, that would be one thing. But if she meant it in the way so many of them mean it, I think you owed it to the respect you have (and ought to have) for the home in which your family lives, eats, sleeps, loves, cries, prays and, maybe someday, dies, to tell her to leave it. I really do think that. And I would have done the same.
I am a cradle Catholic, but I was raised among Evangelicals, and learned a lot. The AG world headquarters is not fifty miles from here. When certain protestant sects maintain that you are not Christian, they are doing two things. First, they are telling you that you are damned. Second, they are telling you that they, on the other hand, are saved. You are going to spend eternity with Satan and deserve to do so. They deserve to be with God, and absolutely, positively will.
I hate to be unecumenical and all, but to me, that is virtually a manifestation of a personality disorder. Many people of that persuasion actually relish the thought that you will burn in hell and that they’ll watch you do it from heaven. And many of them don’t feel a bit sorry for you about it either. From people who believe that, I could take “S.O.B” off them a lot easier than “not Christian”, because that “not Christian” brand is their imposition on you of something worse than having cancer. They can brand me “not Christian” out on the street and I’ll argue with them all day if I feel like it. But not in my home. I don’t care how brainwashed the person is.
If this woman’s judgment of you was some slip of the tongue, that would be one thing. But if she meant it in the way so many of them mean it, I think you owed it to the respect you have (and ought to have) for the home in which your family lives, eats, sleeps, loves, cries, prays and, maybe someday, dies, to tell her to leave it. I really do think that. And I would have done the same.
M
Mr.Ex_Nihilo
Guest
Based on the information you’ve provided here, I think you most certainly did the right thing by asking her to leave. If she cannot respect your faith, then she really has no right of coming into your house to discuss faith-based matters.A little bit more history on this situation now that I’ve cooled down a bit…
I have known this girl for about 7 years. We were going to the same AoG for most of that time. At one time she was really into dream analysis and looking for a “word” from God all over the place.
She came over on Saturday with a book for me. Apparently the church that I left is doing a “bible study” on this book. It’s called “The Bait of Satan” by John Belvedere. She told me that I was not in the will of God because in order to leave a congregation, I had to have permission from the Pastor. She told me that God had told her that I was out of His will and that I needed to repent and go back to the AoG until the Pastor released me with his blessing…
I picked up the book a while back when someone else from that congregation gave me another copy. In the first chapter Belvedere claims that “this book is the word of God made flesh”. I said, HUH???
She told me that I was an Idol worshipper because I have a painting of the Virgin Mary and Jesus in my home now.
I haven’t seen this girl for over a year and in that time she has not tried to contact me until now. ARGH.
Please pray for me that I do not get too upset over this whole thing. My entire family shunned me when I left Mormonism and now this. Don’t get me wrong, Jesus is worth it all. To be in His presence in the Eucharist is worth any relationship I lose, but I just wish it didn’t have to come to this.
in Christ
Steph
I can understand her concern from her own faith-based perspective. But, whether she’s honestly concerned or not, all she is really doing is planting seeds of doubt regarding your faith-- regardless of whether she means well or not.
B
bones_IV
Guest
Don’t worry about it. Your friends will come around.Hang in there! I am also a convert from the Pentecostal church and have been “shunned” by many of my old friends. I have since then made many new friends in my RCIA class. I pray The Lord will lead you to many new friends who will treat you with respect.
D
deborahssong
Guest
Greetings Steph!
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As I was reading all the posts I was moved to repsond.. My heart is heavy for you however at the same time I must say this. My history is as such.....I was born and raised catholic, then in 1984 I left the church and joinedsouthern baptist, after a real encounter with Jesus! and was there for over ten years. very active in ministry and serving! In 1984 received the baptism of the holy spirit, with evidence of tongues. Then left the baptist church. I have so loved the journey I have been on. Last year, after finishing some research on my "rich" pioneer, catholic heritage here in the state I live, actually direct descendants of founding catholic family, I started sensing deep in my heart to return to the catholic church. I am now a writer for the local charimsatic renewal and am slowly getting involved in serving and ministering. My take on your friend is .........lack of knowledge. I watch the show Journey Home on EWTN. The host is a convert to the church and he said it well. One reason there is so much fallacy about the catholic church is here say! and he said unfortunately some catholics have brought about the heresay, by the poor example they lived as witnesses. I have said for years, and actually said this to a priest who is a friend, I never understood condoning drunkeness, and gambling and such. I did a study about Paul and his words to the cretans! They sounded just like a group of catholics! He rebuked them for their behavior and the terrible witness they were to the Kingdom of God. We havent changed much have we? I can vouch for that. I have heard some God awful things myself, about the church, mostly from protestants, however I know that when we as humans do not understand something or have been taught something else, then we are sure we are right and everybody else is wrong. This scripture comes to mind...."Love your enemies, do good to those who persecute you"....Jesus said this Himself.
Love your friend, be there when she is ready to talk and by all means dont ignore this issue. Rather pray and ask God to give you the words for her and trust me He will! I have been where you are and it will all work out. Is she doesnt ever come back? Its still ok. In the absence God will work on her heart. Either way it will be ok. I also beleive that some friends are for a season. This may be the case.
I have been studying the doctrine of the catholic church and Im here to say, that before we start judging each other in doctrine, we better know what it is the other believes in their doctrine! This is most definitely where the falacies exist! I know ......I have learned so much about the church and the early church fathers said much about doctrine and scripture. Remember this is what happened basically at the time of the reformation. This division is in interpretation. Gods word is absolute truth and the catholic church backs that as well. The few differences that they have with the protestants is truly few in number, yes to them(protestants) they are huge differences, but I dont see that.. May I suggest you getting a book called Catholic and Christian, written by Alan Schreck. It is so good and I would give it to your friend when she comes back to see you and ask her to please read it. It will help a lot I believe! May God Bless your journey in every way..........- Status