From Atheist to Catholic?

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My sister, a cradle Catholic like me, has been asking me lots of questions about our faith as of late – most of them having to do with Theology of the Body type questions, but she has also had many questions about Catholicism and its relation to other faiths.

Now she is asking me point blank if I know of anyone who was a true atheist who converted to the fullness of Catholicism… and off-hand I can’t think of any good books or anything out there by someone like this, though I know that they must exist. (I’m guessing she’s been in contact with an atheist or something at work…)

Is there anyone here who was a committed atheist who is now Catholic who would be willing to share their story of how they came to believe? Or are there any books/articles/web sites out there that would have any of these types of stories?

Help! 🙂

+veritas+
 
I was one.

CS Lewis’ Surprised by Joy might be a book worth reading for somebody who wants to understand what a conversion experience can be like. He didn’t convert to Catholicism, but IMHO he gets across the essentials of an adult conversion experience that I could definitely relate to.
 
VERITAS

There are different kinds of atheism: hard atheists, soft atheists, atheists in the head, atheists in the heart, atheists in the head and heart.

Some Catholics have become atheists in the head but not in the heart. They deny the truth of God but live good and noble lives because their hearts are still in tune with the Sacred Heart. Most of them are soft atheists who will come back to God and the Church.

Other Catholics remain theists in their head but live without God in their hearts. These are the ones we tend to call hypocrites. They are in effect atheists who have not burned all their bridges behind them, leaving at least one to cross again if they choose to come home.

The worst case scenario is the Catholic-turned-atheist who denies God in his head and in his heart. Spiritually he is hanging and twisting in the wind. Some great calamity might bring him around to plead once again for justice and mercy … amazing grace.

Your question is a difficult one to answer. The ability to come up with the names you are looking for is hampered by the fact that we cannot know for sure what is in a man’s head or in his heart. Few men or women will publicly spill their guts in the way needed to answer your inquiry.

Yes, C.S. Lewis comes close to that, having declared he was once an atheist. Whether he was raised an atheist, I’m not sure. He might have swung back and forth before choosing Christ in the end.

No atheist can convince me that he is an atheist because *he has to be one. * Atheists want to be atheists. And if they are truthful with themselves, they would ask themselves why they want to be atheists and they would not stop asking until they got a truthful answer.

How will they know when they have got the truthful answer? When they feel right about no longer having to ask the question.
 
“A case for Christ”. When I was an Atheist, I was given this book, by all people, a Baptist Preacher. I still thank him for that. Anyway, it really helped me see and understand that God is very very real. Sorry I can’t remember the authors name, but great book.

BTW, in part, thanks to that preacher, I came home to the CATHOLIC CHURCH…He now tells me I’m headed to hell! :eek:
Talk about Christian Love. :rolleyes: .
 
mkw said:
“A case for Christ”…Sorry I can’t remember the authors name, but great book.
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Lee Strobel is his name. He is also the author of The Case for Faith and The Case for the Creator.

The best example of an athiest becoming a Catholic was St. Augustine. I know he writes about his conversion story in one of his books but I don’t know which.
 
I’m not sure this helps, but here is a very personal journey that I have posted elsewhere…

*A very personal journey into Catholicism

I have been asked a few times why I became a Catholic. So here is my faith journey. I hope you don’t mind that I will post this as a stand-alone post; I shan’t be responding to questions on this thread as my faith journey is a very pecious thing to me and I don’t intend to turn it into a debate.

I need to go back; 40 or so years. I was baptised in an Anglican Church by non-practising parents. As was often the case I was sent to Sunday school even though my parents at that time did not attend church. My first real memories of church are Sunday school at a Baptist church. I can only really remember hearing basic Bible stories there, and wishing I could go for a paddle in the nice pool.

Moving on I was sent to a Methodist Sunday school. Slowly I became more involved in that church with youth groups on Fridays, Sunday morning (before we attended the service) and Sunday evening. My faith grew – aided by the newly released Good News Bible which I could understand (I loved science at school; English was pretty low down my interests). At 15 I was confirmed and knew the loving presence of Christ.

My faith continued to grow, until I went to University where I studied science (B.Sc. then Ph.D.). Maintaining faith in a scientific community takes strength. I didn’t have it and made the huge mistake of not asking for it. Slowly my faith slipped away. I was still going to church just occasionally when I met my wife, who attended church every week as a Catholic. I asked the usual banal questions you ask Catholics (do you really worship Mary? What do you say in the confession box? Why does Christ’s body look like an ice-cream wafer?) and she patiently (well almost) explained. I started to join her for church (almost certainly for the wrong motives) but my heart was closed and cold; the pilot light of baptism was almost blown out. I was never anti-faith but my wife could tell my heart was not in it and suggested I stayed at home and did something useful instead (so I stayed at home and played my guitar). I toddled along to church (very occasionally a Methodist one) on very odd occasions. Inside myself I mocked their delusions (not from any objection, just pity).

And then, many years later, I met a Muslim. And he asked me “do you believe in God?”. I said “no” but just about managed to refrain from logically deconstructing his faith (perhaps a small part of me knew that I couldn’t). But I said I had a background in church and we got to comparing Islam and Christianity. He asked some questions that I couldn’t answer and so picked up a bible again and started to read.

Day by day I slowly read the bible more. And that pilot light grew a little. Very slowly at first but soon I knew something was happening. I didn’t know what was going to happen but told myself to just “go with the flow”. I then starting going down the local Anglican church to read the bible, and then I dared to pray. It’s a lovely church and I often find God quietly waiting for me in there if my mind has been elsewhere. The boiler of faith started to burn higher and higher and for the first time in many years I knew I was in the presence of God, and in the arms of Christ.

So having spent many years explaining to my wife exactly why there was almost certainly no God I told that I was a Christian again. She cried. I cried.

And then I said “so, I’d better go and introduce myself to the Methodist minister”. She said “why?” I said “because I’m a Methodist”. She said “you’re not: you’ve just spent years as an atheist”. “Oh” I said and expressed my displeasure at being told I wasn’t even up to being a Methodist (we knew we were bottom of the pack; no-one would let us share in their communion even when we asked them round for some bread and wine).

I was confused. I knew I was a Christian but I felt scared because I knew that my faith was fragile. Something inside told me I needed a new church; that it was unwise to try to replicate how I felt as a Methodist. So I attended a few Anglican services, and as much as I loved the Church (and will always love the Church) I just didn’t connect.

About that time my daughter was studying for her GCSE and left a “Catholicism Revision Guide”. I picked it up and read it, expecting it confirm my feelings that Catholicism could never be for me (me a Papist? No way!). After I read it I realised nothing seemed particularly strange or difficult to accept (except those strange saints’ blood relics). So I asked my wife if it was OK to come along to Mass (which of course it was).

And the Gospel was the prodigal son. Wallop. I went up for a blessing for the first time in my life (I was always above that before: if they didn’t want me having their communion I wouldn’t grace them with my presence for a blessing. That’d teach them). And the spirit was there again.

And so I read more about the church (“Catholicism for dummies”!) and then introduced myself to the priest. My catechesis was with the priest and we discussed all sorts (when I told him I was concerned that that I couldn’t believe that both left hands of John the Baptist could be real he laughed and told me lots of relic stories). There were some things I found difficult and we worked through them (I shan’t go into that here). Each time I launched into particular paragraphs of the catechism he gently explained but then said “you really should remember to keep it simple; always ask yourself “what would Jesus do?”. When, in my eagerness to get the children to learn the whole catechism, I aked should we read it together at prayer time he said “no – read the Bible”.

So I learned more about the Catholic Church through sessions with my priest (and from my wife who can recite the penny Catechism verbatum, and probably in Latin if you asked her; she likes to sing the Latin mass around the house). I was then very happy to be confirmed in the Church. It was (and is) very special to receive Holy Communion, as I had already experienced Christ in the Eucharist through the blessing and so was already “attached” to the Eucharist.

I may be different to others here, but my faith was not and is not a result of doctrine. God came to meet me where I was in my life, and he didn’t come to me bearing doctrine. To me doctrine is important for setting out the thoughts and beliefs of the Church over 2,000 years, but my faith is not dependent on it and I would much rather spend time studying the Bible than studying Catholic doctrine (though I expect my priest to do that and pass on what he feels I need to know at any particular point). My faith was restored by God and, for me, is nourished by the Bible and by the Eucharist. I now play an active role in the church and I love it. It’s home to me (though I still love to pray in the Anglican church for what I hope are obvious reasons).

My faith journey is based on an Anglican Baptism and a knowledge of Christ through Methodism. The trigger for rebirth of my faith was a Muslim who enthusiastically and generously talked to me about religion. It was in an Anglican church that my prayer was finally answered. I am sustained through the Eucharist, the Bible and in a very special family. I love the local parish to bits. I was lucky enough to come across a priest who was able to take me through all my questions, make it fun with all of his stories of studying in Rome, and clearly cared. I feel he has given me a very balanced perspective (for me anyway, I am sure others would need a different approach).

That’s my story. When I was confirmed the priest asked me “how do you feel now?” I said “it feels like coming home”. And it still feels that way.

With love to you all.

Michael *
 
_veritas said:
My sister, a cradle Catholic like me, has been asking me lots of questions about our faith as of late – most of them having to do with Theology of the Body type questions, but she has also had many questions about Catholicism and its relation to other faiths.

Now she is asking me point blank if I know of anyone who was a true atheist who converted to the fullness of Catholicism… and off-hand I can’t think of any good books or anything out there by someone like this, though I know that they must exist. (I’m guessing she’s been in contact with an atheist or something at work…)

Is there anyone here who was a committed atheist who is now Catholic who would be willing to share their story of how they came to believe? Or are there any books/articles/web sites out there that would have any of these types of stories?

Help! 🙂

+veritas+
Click to expand...
My father was an atheist, and by our standard can be called a satanic follower. He has some “supernatural” power so that he could not be wounded by sharp weapons. Voodoo magic teller could not harm him because of his “supernatural” power and “Mystical goodies” he owned. For sure his supernatural power could not come from God, because he has some certain sort of magic words that must be spelled. I did not understand the language nor the writing either. But, he converted to Catholicism and abandoned his “supernatural” power for goods.
 
Lorraine Murray is a former atheist turned catholic. She writes a touching article for the archdioceses newspaper here in Atl (and others I’m sure). She has a book outlining her entire story HERE

I could have been considered a soft atheist a few years ago, but I am a militant catholic now. Unfortunately my story would bore you to tears. 😛
 
My husband was an atheist who became a Catholic in 1987. He thought he’d check out what meant so much to me and to his surprise came to believe and went through the RCIA program.

God bless you and your sister, Trishie
 
Childhood: Atheist family. First just partying adults, bewilderd little ones. Later Communist adults, kids trying to please them, read to Mom fom Little Red Book to do self-crit, expecting revolution that never came. Arguments that relied on foregone conclusions and ignoring all opposing (name removed by moderator)ut. Circular reasoning. Arguments from authority.
Supernatural experiences. Getting scolded and mocked for telling about them. Seeking truth in snippets of magic references in kids’ lit, films. Meeting New Agers, getting books, mags from them, meditating, doing spells, praying to nature. bad things happened. Decided to try harder to maintain atheism, please adults, deny what I knew. It would not be denied. Fascinated by RPG’s and related culture. Pagan school friends in new school. Pagan adult friends they introduced me to, like small-time celebrities to us, felt privileged to hang out with them. Manipulated and confused.
Youth: Struggling to get on feet, survive. Atheist, agnostic, Eastern/New-Age religions, pagan beliefs, couldn’t decide.
Pressure to be New Age, to be high-status, respected. Hated the absolute lack of support for beliefs and arrogance of New Age friends, who saw logic as a lower function. Soul hurt all the time.
Adulthood: College, work, street, staying with family, off and on. Saw and heard and experienced events that led me and group deeper into paganism and then occultism. Had several bf’s, one a satanist. His friend let me read Satanic Bible (LaVey), exalting selfishness and instinct above morality. Attracted but sickened too – confused. Where was soul?
Tried to get away from bad evnts and changes by going atheist again. Dreams of ugly creatures attacking me.
One night dreamed monster getting me, I prayed a Hail Mary, it shrank, could no longer reach me.
Considered joining Catholic Church. Didn’t know how to start.
Brother became Christian (CCC or like group reached him), went Baptist bc that was easiest denom around here to find and they get you in quickly.
Reading New Age/semi-Christian book aout Jesus, fell in love with Jesus, said I wished I’d known him, voice said “Why not?” Called brother to talk.
Decided to give heart to Jesus. Didn’t know anything. Two years later started going to Quaker church but intutition said don’t officially join. Baptized in bro’s church bc mine didn’t baptize. Immediately began feeling I should switch out. But where? After 3 years helped through crisis by a Pentecostal family (complete strangers, now close friends), liked their church but once I was there it started to change. After a few years, shopped again, sad, scared bc so many pastors had so little background on what they were talking about. Wanted to be where truth is, where questions are answered and answers are backed by reasons. Ashamed of lackof reverence in church, sickened by prosperity preaching, crushed to realize paranoia so rampant and that I had gotten very paranoid too, pretty soon after getting into Pentecostal church. Hungry for more truth, more sense, more Life. More of lots of things.
Came to CA by accident. Found many questions answered. Clarity, reason, truth – what a relief. But I knew I had to be cautious. Interrogated priest, he held up.
Tried to interrogate old pastor, he wasn’t available, secondary pastor impatient, said I should just sign their statement of beliefs and join. I was shocked. Said I needed to know why deom believed what it did. Pastor said if I liked the Catholic Church I should just go there.
RCIA. Many chances to examine every point, yea or nay, lonely for old church but Mass so powerful, no comparison. Points all made sense when I examined them carefully, logical, ancient, consistent. Still scared of change (age?) but just prayed for wisdom and God gave me enough to know by January I would do it. Confirmed, joyful, no turning back.
 
I was an atheist, then an agnostic, then a Mormon, and now an unaffiliated Christian looking at Catholicism… hehe I doubt that helps much. 😉
 
Carl said:
No atheist can convince me that he is an atheist because *he has to be one. * Atheists want to be atheists.
Click to expand...
This is your opinion; I do not agree that this applies to every atheist. But, you said you can not be convinced, so I guess there’s no point in debating this with you.
 
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