J
James1982
Guest
This topic is interesting to me because I too am a convert- but not to Catholicism.
I spent most of my life in the UCC, and my wife grew up a WI Synod Lutheran. I didn’t know much about religious issues upon meeting her, and didn’t much care. When it became time for us to get engaged, I ended up converting because it was important for her family that I join their church, and she wanted to be married by the pastor who confirmed her. In the end, I view it as a positive experience; despite many on this board’s opinions about Protestantism, there is a real difference between churches like the UCC, and Lutheranism. Lutherans got me introduced to some of the basics that a lot of people here take for granted, and I’ll be grateful to them for that all of my life.
It can be difficult to shatter that. Heck, someone in my wife’s family is considering LCMS and worries about what some in the family will think (Lutherans in LCMS will laugh, because the difference between WELS and LCMS is minimal, at best). ELCA is looked down upon even more. Nobody even mentions Catholicism as a viable choice.
I have a lot of respect for someone who can stand up for what they believe in the face of all that peer pressure. Obviously, one wants to make their family happy, and going to church as a family is really important.
It’s a pity your wife doesn’t see what you see. I wonder if the real issue with your conversion isn’t theology, but her feeling like you are abandoning the family or abandoning the commitment to raising the children “right.”
IMO, this is also a good time to emphasize what your roles in the family are biblically supposed to be. Pardon me for pasting from a Lutheran website, but she is Lutheran anyway, so this analysis should hold some sway with her if she is at all serious about her faith:
I spent most of my life in the UCC, and my wife grew up a WI Synod Lutheran. I didn’t know much about religious issues upon meeting her, and didn’t much care. When it became time for us to get engaged, I ended up converting because it was important for her family that I join their church, and she wanted to be married by the pastor who confirmed her. In the end, I view it as a positive experience; despite many on this board’s opinions about Protestantism, there is a real difference between churches like the UCC, and Lutheranism. Lutherans got me introduced to some of the basics that a lot of people here take for granted, and I’ll be grateful to them for that all of my life.
It can be difficult to shatter that. Heck, someone in my wife’s family is considering LCMS and worries about what some in the family will think (Lutherans in LCMS will laugh, because the difference between WELS and LCMS is minimal, at best). ELCA is looked down upon even more. Nobody even mentions Catholicism as a viable choice.
I have a lot of respect for someone who can stand up for what they believe in the face of all that peer pressure. Obviously, one wants to make their family happy, and going to church as a family is really important.
It’s a pity your wife doesn’t see what you see. I wonder if the real issue with your conversion isn’t theology, but her feeling like you are abandoning the family or abandoning the commitment to raising the children “right.”
IMO, this is also a good time to emphasize what your roles in the family are biblically supposed to be. Pardon me for pasting from a Lutheran website, but she is Lutheran anyway, so this analysis should hold some sway with her if she is at all serious about her faith:
In addition to prayer, my suggestion would be to study what scriptures have to say about marriage. Being the husband, sometimes, also means taking the lead spiritually and leading the family into truth. Though, sometimes passivity and giving them space can be the best way to do that… Depends on the situation. Either way, God has things to say about how marriage and family issues should work, so it might be helpful to see what He thinks.
So, I don’t want them to feel too comfortable.
