Has CAF heavily influenced your conversion?

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PuerCuriosus

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I love conversion stories. Mostly because I’m a cradle Catholic and it gives me a good idea of how and why my church is viewed to others. So I was wondering if CAF or just catholic.com in general played a role in converting anyone here? Maybe it has for someone you know?

Please share your experience since I’m sure there are many people here who would benefit for reading what you have to say. If possible, start with where you were at before you found your way to Rome and what made you interested enough to come here in the first place 🙂

I’m aware this could be very pianful for some people to talk about, so I ask others to be as respectful as possible. God works in mysterious ways, but He always knows exactly what you must experiebce to get to where you need to be.
 
I am a failed atheist! I tried to be a good atheist when I was in my late teens. I was at the time a gang member and drug addict but my mother kept saying the rosary for me. I used to mock her and tell her she was a fool for wasting her time praying for me. Now I am a police officer and a practicing Catholic! So I blame her and Jesus’s Mother for conspiring against me to bring me to the Lord’s attention! They just couldn’t leave it alone! Oh well I guess I’ll just have to settle for eternal life instead. I think I could have been a great atheist if I’d been given half a chance!
 
Polycarp1 said:
I am a failed atheist! I tried to be a good atheist when I was in my late teens. I was at the time a gang member and drug addict but my mother kept saying the rosary for me. I used to mock her and tell her she was a fool for wasting her time praying for me. Now I am a police officer and a practicing Catholic! So I blame her and Jesus’s Mother for conspiring against me to bring me to the Lord’s attention! They just couldn’t leave it alone! Oh well I guess I’ll just have to settle for eternal life instead. I think I could have been a great atheist if I’d been given half a chance!
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:rotfl:

That is a unique way to describe conversion. 👍

Peace
James
 
Can reverts pop in here?

I did not find CAF until after I had returned to the sacraments and so from that standpoint did not contribute. However I did find it shortly after and it has contributed greatly to my ongoing conversion.

As a cradle Catholic educated in the 1960’s environment of upheaval I, like so many others, simply did not have a good grasp of my faith. When I returned after 35 years I still didn’t have that good of an understanding…more heart than head you might say.
CAF has answered so many questions for me - and continues to do so.

Peace
James
 
CAF definitely influenced my deeper growing in the faith and learning about it. I only now realise how superficial my knowledge was before I discovered this site.
 
I found this website partway through the process for me. Looking back, I see the call to the Catholic Church nearly 10 years ago, but didn’t really recognize it until I was dating a Roman Catholic. About 6 months after we were married, I was ready to enter RCIA.

The website has been helpful, but not instrumental for m.
 
Polycarp1 said:
I am a failed atheist! I tried to be a good atheist when I was in my late teens. I was at the time a gang member and drug addict but my mother kept saying the rosary for me. I used to mock her and tell her she was a fool for wasting her time praying for me. Now I am a police officer and a practicing Catholic! So I blame her and Jesus’s Mother for conspiring against me to bring me to the Lord’s attention! They just couldn’t leave it alone! Oh well I guess I’ll just have to settle for eternal life instead. I think I could have been a great atheist if I’d been given half a chance!
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Grace . . . and a Rosary-praying mom . . . bro, resistance is futile! 😃
 
CAF didn’t have a role in my conversion. I discovered it after. What it has done is help my to understand my faith better, and also to help me to really think about things. To make sure what I write is consistent with what the Church teaches. It has helped me learn, and given me a place to share both what I have learned about the Church. but also a place to write suggestions about how to reach our Protestant brothers and sisters. Their prospectives, their language is so different that many cradle Catholics don’t…know, I guess…that certain words and phrases that are common to Catholics are…Latin to Protestants. For instance, you first have to explain concupisience before they know what you are talking about. Or Original Sin. Or a host of other things that are common knowledge to a Catholic. When I first came into the Church, I felt like I needed a Catholic to English dictionary. Sometimes I still do, but now I’m much more comfortable asking for a defination.😃
Kris
 
I don’t know. Sometimes I think we need a ‘religious-secular’ dictionary more than a Catholic-Protestant dictionary.

I, at least have a clue, what religious people are talking about, regardless if what brand of Christianity they are.

I have a harder time relating to people who don’t get religious references at all! In my circumstance, I know we are both speaking English and living in 2013 America, but their cultural references are more geared to Jay-Z or 50 Cent, not Jesus and the 10 commandments.

I’m under 40 and really embarrassed to admit that it took me the longest time to realize that 50 Cent was a performer, not people talking about money. :confused: Sometimes, I really am just that clueless.
 
I am to be confirmed at the Easter vigil.
CAF was a great and wonderful help in my conversion!
When I first felt led to the Catholic church it was months before RCIA and I needed answers.
For the most part I found them here or thru something recommended here.
I have recieved not only those anwers but also the prayers of people here.
I recomment it to others 🙂
 
To specifically answer the OP’s question - not really.

I was already in RCIA when I found the website. I was looking for other Catholics to connect with and learn from.

That said, I participate more here than I do in RCIA because some people are still struggling with issues that I’ve already resolved. When I have questions, this tends to be one of my ‘go-to’ places.

I’ve also learned how to articulate why I want to become Catholic to other people. It’s one thing to have your reasons and know that it ‘feels’ right, but it’s another to explain why you feel the way that you do. I’m also learning how to specifically defend the Catholic faith because there are just some ideas that don’t fly in Protestantism.
 
Short version

I left the catholic church when I was 18 because I was told confession was a one time thing (a priest that later left also my dad who was a drunk at the time) I had just committed my first moral sin so I figured I was going to hell so might as well do a lot more bad stuff.

At 30 I starting going to a non denominational church because my nieghbor who would later become my wife went there and I enjoyed spending time with her and they had fun music and lattes.

At 33 I had a number of traumatic things happen all at once that where all out of my control (an employee embessled money, friend fell of a cliff skiing and died, almost lost my house, wife had 2 miscarriages). So I started reading the bible daily and going to bible studies to releave stress. Well it didn’t it only got worse the constant arguing and the end times theology was so stressfull. Finally one day we where asked to tell a story about a holy person we knew. My story was about my catholic grandmother who lost her vision and regained it through prayer and was a daily mass attendee. A pastor jumped up and said Catholics aren’t christains. So I left and met with the lead pastor he told me the end of the world is coming in the next year and if I wasn’t baptized as an adult I was going to hell. I showed him (eph 4:5. One baptism). Well I was pretty broken up and very tramatized.

I googled “catholic answer infant baptism”. Along with the web site came a second page that Patrick coffin was coming to speak less an hour from my house the next week. I met him and he was very helpful with his answers in person.

now I’m 36
My wife and I got married in the catholic church last month (previous non-denom)
I accept all catholic teaching and understand them
My mom attends mass weekly for the first time in. 20 years
My dad doesn’t but he reads the bible daily
And so many more graces here and to come 🙂
 
Polycarp1 said:
I am a failed atheist! I tried to be a good atheist when I was in my late teens. I was at the time a gang member and drug addict but my mother kept saying the rosary for me. I used to mock her and tell her she was a fool for wasting her time praying for me. Now I am a police officer and a practicing Catholic! So I blame her and Jesus’s Mother for conspiring against me to bring me to the Lord’s attention! They just couldn’t leave it alone! Oh well I guess I’ll just have to settle for eternal life instead. I think I could have been a great atheist if I’d been given half a chance!
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The rosary is some serious stuff. Mother Mary is not someone to take lightly huh? Thank you for your sharing! Your mother is truly a saint for her devotion 🙂
 
Kal2012 said:
To specifically answer the OP’s question - not really.

I was already in RCIA when I found the website. I was looking for other Catholics to connect with and learn from.

That said, I participate more here than I do in RCIA because some people are still struggling with issues that I’ve already resolved. When I have questions, this tends to be one of my ‘go-to’ places.

I’ve also learned how to articulate why I want to become Catholic to other people. It’s one thing to have your reasons and know that it ‘feels’ right, but it’s another to explain why you feel the way that you do. I’m also learning how to specifically defend the Catholic faith because there are just some ideas that don’t fly in Protestantism.
Click to expand...
I love when I hear about people joining RCIA. For much of my life, before me and my family became evangelize Catholics (we were nrver the serious sort) I had belived and been told that my church was washed up and full of confused old people 😊

But when I hear how many people are in RCIA or see those welcomed into the Church on Easter Vigil, it helps me reassures me that my beloved Church won’t be going disappearing anytime soon.
 
IneedGod said:
I am to be confirmed at the Easter vigil.
CAF was a great and wonderful help in my conversion!
When I first felt led to the Catholic church it was months before RCIA and I needed answers.
For the most part I found them here or thru something recommended here.
I have recieved not only those anwers but also the prayers of people here.
I recomment it to others 🙂
Click to expand...
Welcome welcome welcome! CAF is a terrific medium for knowledge and Catholic community isn’t it. As far as answering questions goes, CAF was instrumental in KEEPING me Catholic 🙂 I will be clapping up a storm when Easter Vigil comes for you and all those who have come into the Church!
 
Adamski said:
Short version

I left the catholic church when I was 18 because I was told confession was a one time thing (a priest that later left also my dad who was a drunk at the time) I had just committed my first moral sin so I figured I was going to hell so might as well do a lot more bad stuff.

At 30 I starting going to a non denominational church because my nieghbor who would later become my wife went there and I enjoyed spending time with her and they had fun music and lattes.

At 33 I had a number of traumatic things happen all at once that where all out of my control (an employee embessled money, friend fell of a cliff skiing and died, almost lost my house, wife had 2 miscarriages). So I started reading the bible daily and going to bible studies to releave stress. Well it didn’t it only got worse the constant arguing and the end times theology was so stressfull. Finally one day we where asked to tell a story about a holy person we knew. My story was about my catholic grandmother who lost her vision and regained it through prayer and was a daily mass attendee. A pastor jumped up and said Catholics aren’t christains. So I left and met with the lead pastor he told me the end of the world is coming in the next year and if I wasn’t baptized as an adult I was going to hell. I showed him (eph 4:5. One baptism). Well I was pretty broken up and very tramatized.

I googled “catholic answer infant baptism”. Along with the web site came a second page that Patrick coffin was coming to speak less an hour from my house the next week. I met him and he was very helpful with his answers in person.

now I’m 36
My wife and I got married in the catholic church last month (previous non-denom)
I accept all catholic teaching and understand them
My mom attends mass weekly for the first time in. 20 years
My dad doesn’t but he reads the bible daily
And so many more graces here and to come 🙂
Click to expand...
Wow, that’s amazing. I have nothing but total respect for those who suffered through trials and confusion in order to follow Christ, even when not knowing where He would bring you. You and your wife are very inspirational:D
 
PuerCuriosus said:
Welcome welcome welcome! CAF is a terrific medium for knowledge and Catholic community isn’t it. As far as answering questions goes, CAF was instrumental in KEEPING me Catholic 🙂 I will be clapping up a storm when Easter Vigil comes for you and all those who have come into the Church!
Click to expand...
Thank you, we just had our Rite of signing-sending today, it was amazing, It was hard not to cry!
 
CAF has answered many of my questions, but it many ways it has made me far more distant from the Catholic Church and Catholics overall in many ways. In fact, it’s probably made me less religious overall.
 
Eastsideteacher said:
CAF has answered many of my questions, but it many ways it has made me far more distant from the Catholic Church and Catholics overall in many ways. In fact, it’s probably made me less religious

Is it possible that you have only given something 3 weeks that means eternity …

Personally the catholic church gives me so much joy
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I’ve “lurked” here for far longer than three weeks and hope for a change of heart and mind in myself.
 
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