For my Protestant friends

[icamay]

Why is it so offensive to Protestants when one of us decides to join the Church? I just received a private message from someone asking if I’m willing to study the RC with them before making my decision. Frankly, I find this highly offensive, considering I do not know this person and they do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up my life.

But it isn’t just this stranger. As I make my decision known, my fellow Protestant friends and family are overwhelming my email and text messages with little bits of scripture, or articles about walking with Jesus. When I decided to leave the fundamental life and was baptised Presbyterian, no one reacted with this much zealousness. Is this only happening to me, or is this common?

Frankly, I see it as more evidence that this is the right decision. I won’t go into the charismatic element of that statement, but many may understand what I mean.

 

[thequeen]

I know exactly what you mean I am a convert myself I grew up in a pentecostal denomination and when I converted to catholicismi had people telling me that i was condemning myself to hell and that now i was going to be left when the rapture took place thank goodness i don’t believe that false doctrine any more i even lost a whole group of friends but that is okay because what i have gained from being part of the one tri=ue church more than makes up for anything that i lost when i left the pentecostal church.

 

[meemsdeherrera]

Congratulations on your decision to start RCIA!! You are doing what is right for you and that is what matters! Stay strong and enjoy all that you are about to learn about this beautiful Church that Jesus started. The more you learn, the more you will recognize that your decision is the right one. The closer you get to your baptism, the more the obstacles will arise, it’s just Satan freaking out that he is about to lose another one!

Stay strong and light your fire!
God Bless you and your journey

 

[GessHrck]

Do you think Satan would make this easy for you? Of course he doesn’t want you to switch from Protestant to Catholic. He’s going to try to drag you back every way he can–friends, family, strangers, anything.

Stay strong! You’ll be in my prayers.

 

[GessHrck]

Congratulations on your decision to start RCIA!! You are doing what is right for you and that is what matters! Stay strong and enjoy all that you are about to learn about this beautiful Church that Jesus started. The more you learn, the more you will recognize that your decision is the right one. The closer you get to your baptism, the more the obstacles will arise, it’s just Satan freaking out that he is about to lose another one!

Stay strong and light your fire!
God Bless you and your journey

Your post is so similar to mine, it’s hilarious.

Yours was not here when I clicked the “reply” button, so I’m not being unoriginal. Great minds think alike.

 

[ConsciousCoward]

Most protestants thing there are some major fundamental flaws within the beliefs of the RCC. That’s why they react just as strongly in opposition as Catholics will in favor; each group things the other is doing it wrong, which is why the churches haven’t reunited.

 

[jesuspsr]

There will be many obstacle’s and you will lose friends and family members I say this not because it happened to me, (I was born a Catholic) but because I’ve been here on CAF for a little while now and I’ve read many post like yours. That’s the price one pays to become a Catholic. I love reading post like your’s. Your sacrifice’s you are going to go thru cements my faith even more. The Holy Spirit will always be with you. Every time I read a post like your’s I say the St. Michael prayer for you. He protects us from the evil one.
God bless you:thumbsup:
jesus g

 

[JonNC]

Why is it so offensive to Protestants when one of us decides to join the Church? I just received a private message from someone asking if I’m willing to study the RC with them before making my decision. Frankly, I find this highly offensive, considering I do not know this person and they do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up my life.

But it isn’t just this stranger. As I make my decision known, my fellow Protestant friends and family are overwhelming my email and text messages with little bits of scripture, or articles about walking with Jesus. When I decided to leave the fundamental life and was baptised Presbyterian, no one reacted with this much zealousness. Is this only happening to me, or is this common?

Frankly, I see it as more evidence that this is the right decision. I won’t go into the charismatic element of that statement, but many may understand what I mean.

First, I pray the Holy Spirit will guide you as you travel on your journey. If that leads you to the Catholic Church, then I pray you will be blessed in word and sacrament there.

From the opposite POV, do you think those who move in the opposite direction (Catholic to another communion) face simialr pressures from family and friends?

Jon

 

[JonNC]

Do you think Satan would make this easy for you? Of course he doesn’t want you to switch from Protestant to Catholic. He’s going to try to drag you back every way he can–friends, family, strangers, anything.

Stay strong! You’ll be in my prayers.

While I agree that Satan revels in our division, the implication here seems to be that being in a protestant is somehow in league with Satan. This, to me, is equally offensive as those who claim being Catholic is. I would contend, by what I’ve read in the Catholic Catechism, that the view, if that is what you are saying, is contrary to the statement that the Catholic Church accepts is as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jon

 

[Brywan]

Why is it so offensive to Protestants when one of us decides to join the Church? I just received a private message from someone asking if I’m willing to study the RC with them before making my decision. Frankly, I find this highly offensive, considering I do not know this person and they do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up my life.

But it isn’t just this stranger. As I make my decision known, my fellow Protestant friends and family are overwhelming my email and text messages with little bits of scripture, or articles about walking with Jesus. When I decided to leave the fundamental life and was baptised Presbyterian, no one reacted with this much zealousness. Is this only happening to me, or is this common?

Frankly, I see it as more evidence that this is the right decision. I won’t go into the charismatic element of that statement, but many may understand what I mean.

I used to get into a lot of defensive arguments with evangelicals about my “radical” decision to become Catholic–(believe me, I rocked the boat quite a bit in my circle of friends when I converted–I had been in full time Christian ministry and an evangelical for 27 years before converting to Catholicism at age 44). What I found was that most of them didn’t care a whole lot about my own experience, or my own story. They argued using a lot of cut and paste apologetics which they thought should win the debate. I found myself responding to them in kind, with my own cut and paste Catholicisms…never very effective, quite frankly. None of what they said kept me from converting, and thus far, no one has joined me in crossing the Tiber…( "The heart has its reasons, "etc etc)

Leaving evangelical Christianity for Catholicism can be an extremely difficult journey and its definitely not for wimps! It took me probably 12 years for God to dismantle my evangelical way of looking at things and to bring me into the fullness of faith which is the Catholic Church. It was extremely painful, and continues to be painful, with regard to the relationships it affected.

In light of my own experience, I suggest that you try to put a postitive spin on the negative reactions by considering that your friends and family care enough about you to keep you from making a decision which they consider to be detrimental to your spiritual health…after all, for many of them Catholicism is a form of idolatry–and certainly not “Christ-centered”–so of course they are concerned for you. Try to look at it in that way. Be thankful that you have people in your life who care about you that much. And trust that God is working in their lives also–even if that means that they are not going to become Catholic!! They still have an experience of God which should be respected, and their stories should be heard, not silenced…God bless you on your journey…

 

[PLeeD]

It’s not the least bit offensive to me. Doesn’t bother me the slightest. I think you are painting with a really broad brush here.

 

[stormy99]

**When I told a good friend I was converting and becoming a Catholic…I got a very rude…really why Catholic of all things?

My cousins were delighted and they range from Catholic to Evangelical…go figure.

stormy**

 

[kristilynne]

Hang in there. I was received into the Church at Easter Vigil in 2009. In my years as a Baptist, and when I attended a Messianic congregation, I met many ex-Catholics. It’s obvious to me now that none of them knew their faith very well. In contrast, most converts to the Catholic Church were actually active and knowledgeable in their previous ecclesial communities. I often correct cradle Catholics regarding their misconceptions about Baptists, but no former Catholic ever corrected misconceptions about the Catholic Church when I was a Baptist.

I guess what I’m saying is that people don’t decide to become Catholic lightly, but it tends to be a studied decision.

 

[Radical]

Why is it so offensive to Protestants when one of us decides to join the Church?

perhaps part of the answer lies in the way you framed this question…by saying you are now joining the “Church” you are also saying that your prevoius Protestant denomination wasn’t part of the one true Church…surely you can see how some (particularly the remaining members of that denomination) would find that offensive.

I just received a private message from someone asking if I’m willing to study the RC with them before making my decision. Frankly, I find this highly offensive, considering I do not know this person and they do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up my life.

why should you be offended…as you have said…“do not know this person”…you “do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up” that person’s life…perhaps it was an extremely charitable offer and perhaps not…

 

[icamay]

why should you be offended…as you have said…“do not know this person”…you “do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up” that person’s life…perhaps it was an extremely charitable offer and perhaps not…

Thank you, this is a perfect example of the reaction I am asking about. Why would you think this would have been an “extremely charitable offer” more so than not?

And you’ve got a little mixup here - I said that this person does not know MY experiences, studies, prayers, etc. That may help you understand why I was so offended. Someone who assumes I am blindly making a profession of faith without ever having met me is, in my opinion, more offensive than charitable. Any educated person would be offended by such an assumption.

 

[Alix1912]

First, I pray the Holy Spirit will guide you as you travel on your journey. If that leads you to the Catholic Church, then I pray you will be blessed in word and sacrament there.

From the opposite POV, do you think those who move in the opposite direction (Catholic to another communion) face simialr pressures from family and friends?

Jon

Agreed. I would never have a problem with someone studiying their faith more.

Do you think Satan would make this easy for you? Of course he doesn’t want you to switch from Protestant to Catholic. He’s going to try to drag you back every way he can–friends, family, strangers, anything.

Stay strong! You’ll be in my prayers.

Of course behavior like this towards protestants is exactly why some mught react badly to you becoming Catholic. This statement is HIGHLY offensive.

It’s not the least bit offensive to me. Doesn’t bother me the slightest. I think you are painting with a really broad brush here.

Again Agreed. One of the things that drives me nuts is how Catholics don’t like it when Protestants use false, or misunderstood arguements against them, yet they turn around and do the same to us. We are not all the same, there are a wide variety of doctrine and beliefs, and differences out there among protestants. If you want us to be educated when we debate you please offer us the same courtesy.

 

[ESMDHokie77]

Good Luck, we’re praying for you.
I wish it wasn’t the way that it seems to be, you certainly have been facing friction from your protestant friends and family, stay strong!

Can’t quite speak to it, since I’m a cradle Catholic, and finally an informed one (getting more so all the time).

 

[Radical]

Thank you, this is a perfect example of the reaction I am asking about. Why would you think this would have been an “extremely charitable offer” more so than not?

I didn’t…you will note that I said “perhaps charitable…perhaps not”…perhaps that is part of the problem?..you seem to be inclined to be offended…but w/o ever reading the PM, all I can do is speculate.

And you’ve got a little mixup here - I said that this person does not know MY experiences, studies, prayers, etc.

no I wasn’t mixed up…I assumed that if he (she) didn’t know you, then you didn’t know him/her…was I wrong?

That may help you understand why I was so offended.

no it doesn’t…if you don’t know where that person is “coming from” how can you know that his/her actions should be offensive to you?

Someone who assumes I am blindly making a profession of faith without ever having met me is, in my opinion, more offensive than charitable. Any educated person would be offended by such an assumption.

well, if the person accused you of making a “blind profession of faith”, then I can see how you might have been offended…(though that does seem the norm in these forums…often it takes the form of, “if you knew the history of the Church, then you would become Catholic”…I try not to be offended )

 

[Curious_Seed]

Why is it so offensive to Protestants when one of us decides to join the Church? I just received a private message from someone asking if I’m willing to study the RC with them before making my decision. Frankly, I find this highly offensive, considering I do not know this person and they do not know what experiences, studies, and prayers have made up my life.

But it isn’t just this stranger. As I make my decision known, my fellow Protestant friends and family are overwhelming my email and text messages with little bits of scripture, or articles about walking with Jesus. When I decided to leave the fundamental life and was baptised Presbyterian, no one reacted with this much zealousness. Is this only happening to me, or is this common?

Frankly, I see it as more evidence that this is the right decision. I won’t go into the charismatic element of that statement, but many may understand what I mean.

The heat of some Catholics against Protestants, and vice versa, would be better served directed elsewhere or better still stiffled; but, there seems to be little chance of that.

The vitriole that I have received from some Catholics is shameful.

The Catholic Answers Forum is a wonderful arena for the opportunity for honest discussion.

My experience of response from some Catholics, however, when espousing views of disagreement to theirs, is to abandon the debate and attack myself, instead: so sad, for them.

Of course, your obedience to the Holy Spirit promptings, and your own deducements, which are leading you to the Catholic Church is fodder, for your own Christian pathway; just as those for whom the Presbyterian Church is their sufficiency and reasoning, to leave the Catholic Church.

It would be attractive to see all Christians learn and grow, as able, and realize no part of the matter should include personal attacks substituting for reasoned arguments.

I have a small list of Catholics on the Forum, with whom I choose to filter out, as in Mark 6:11, given their hubric proclivity to personal diatribe.

Time and energy being a premium for us all, I have found great delight in fine conversation with others.

The educational depth of the Catholic Church is profound; I hope you, at least, find wisdom there.

 

[Hboggs]

It has been my observation that on a primarily Catholic website you will have postings from people of all religions or no religion what so ever. Unfortunately, you will also find the occasional extreme anti-Catholic postings. I do not believe that I have ever been on a non-Catholic religious website and found postings by Catholics berating the beliefs of that particular site. I may have inadvertently discovered a possible answer: I recently signed up on Baptistboard .com (having been raised SB) and completed the profile that was not duplication. I received the following email a few days later. Obviously, my “incompatible belief system” is just more than they can take!

*Dear Hboggs,

Unfortunately your registration at BaptistBoard.com did not meet our membership requirements. This may be because of an incomplete profile, incompatible belief system, or duplicate registration. Therefore your registration was deleted.

If you believe this was done in error please feel free to contact us.

Sorry,
BaptistBoard.com*

I’ve not had the opportunity to contact them back, but I intend to do so. This is just too good to let go of until I get a straight answer.