How many non-Catholics have converted because of something said on these forums?

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jmcrae said:
It wasn’t this Forum, but a different one. I went from being interested in the Catholic faith and thinking that some day I might convert, to realizing that the Catholic Church is what Jesus established for us, and that I had to become a Catholic sooner, rather than later.

I was on that Forum for about three months or so when it all came together for me. I think the reason was that people were posting what they really believe in, rather than the kind of soft-pedaled PC stuff that I was hearing from Catholics in real life.

Yes, they were rude. Way more rude than is permitted on this Forum. But they were telling me the things I needed to know, painful though they were, to hear. The fact that I was getting all different viewpoints was also very helpful, because it became even more clear, what the teachings were, and where the boundaries of personal opinions were.

And actually, I already had the appointment with the priest, and it was far too late to back out, when I found out that the person who really made me want to convert was actually a Protestant - I had thought he was a Catholic, and the way he kept insisting, “You have to believe in and follow Jesus!” I thought he was agreeing with the rest of them and just emphasizing that the Church is Jesus - I didn’t realize until later that he was trying to contradict the rest of them - but by then, I’d made the connection that “the body of Christ” = “Christ” in the same way that “my body” = “me.” 😛
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Lovely — and you never looked back.
I admire you (all your posts) so much.
If I’d had to guess, I’d have said “cradle Catholic” for sure!
Yet, so very often, converts alert us to deeper truth.
 
Pamm said:
Sadly, there are probably more people who have left the faith because of comments made here than who have joined the faith. I say that because there is a small group of very conservative, judgmental posters who attack those who admit to struggle with issues of faith. Struggle is normal and human – and when people post, they are often seeking guidance, support, understanding or knowledge.
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I know in my case, I usually find these forums pretty discouraging. I understand that no one is perfect, and I’ve had plenty of lapses in charity over my lifetime. For me it’s more when harsh criticisms are coupled with points of view or “answers” that strike me as arbitrary articles of faith rather than truths anyone could discover through the light of reason. I feel closer to people who admit some fear and trembling.
 
Hey, if I judged a Faith by the people in it, I never would have left my old Episcopal Church. ;)Very sweet people, but they just weren’t teaching the truth. Only the Catholics can say that. :highprayer: (This smilie rocks. It’s great to be home!)

And you think some posters here can be uncharitable? They’re nothing compared to another Catholic forum I occasionally lurk about. Talk about blunt over that way. :knight2:
 
jmcrae said:
It life.

Yes, they were rude. Way more rude than is permitted on this Forum. But they were telling me the things I needed to know, painful though they were, to hear. " 😛
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what was the most painful thing about it?

change?

or was it the notion that you had been in the “wrong” church all those yrs? which church was that, by the way?

thanks…
 
Shiranui117 said:
You ask some good questions, and very good ones at that. 🙂

1: I had no trouble believing in Transubstantiation because, to me, it’s simply taking Christ at His Word. We take him at His Word on everything else, don’t we? “This IS my body…” “This IS my blood…” I can see how people would take it as symbolic, but it seemed he was being pretty plain about telling us what He meant. Plus the argument that when some of His disciples left Him over that particular teaching, He didn’t say “Hey, wait! I didn’t ACTUALLY mean this was my body and blood! What’s wrong witchoo?”

Though, truth be told, the last time I had been to a Lutheran service was when I was 3. I had been searching in seventh grade, then it kicked into high gear when I was around 15. I went to non-denominational church to learn the core tenets of Christianity, and then I planned go to Lutheran catechism classes once I hit college A bus-ride conversation with a very good Catholic friend of mine, which was actually a rather light conversation on Church history and some doctrines, prompted me to compare Catholic and Lutheran doctrines. One of the first hits I got was a discussion topic between several Lutherans and Catholics in the Non-Catholic Religions forums here; I have to admit, one of the Lutheran views on the Eucharist (consubstantiation) was quite weak in comparison to Scripture. So, in some regards, I was devout, but seeking to learn my faith better. Six months later, the first weekend after Easter last year, I began attending Mass.

2: When I say “learning the faith I had been called to from the very beginning” I mean I was already quite Catholic at heart; I had always maintained a great respect for the Church even as a child, and the occasional movie my family rented on a Catholic saint (St. Bernadette and St. Joan of Arc being fairly recent) led me to respect those people and their devotion to God. Heck, even though my family was quite prejudiced against Catholics, I actually didn’t know about the Protestant churches until 7th grade world history class! .
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thats odd that they were prejudiced against the Catholic faith but they rented movies like that… Hmmm… most of the protestants i know (knew) would not do that… :confused:
 
distracted said:
what was the most painful thing about it?
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The understanding that, since there is no means of Confession in Protestantism, I was going to Hell for stuff I did when I was young and stupid - even if I managed to live a perfect life from that point onward. :eek:

I was in the United Church of Canada.
 
HarmonyServant said:
I will say this. For every non-charitable response here, there were several very charitable responses to make up for it. People are human, sinners, and I’m not going to judge the Catholic Faith because of the sinners in it. I look at the core teachings of the Faith.
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That’s a great attitude. I have seen uncharitable comments here, but overall, I think there are lots of great people here. If I ever start to doubt that, I go lurk on some other forum and return with a renewed appreciation for the level of charity shown here at CAF! 😛
 
distracted said:
thats odd that they were prejudiced against the Catholic faith but they rented movies like that… Hmmm… most of the protestants i know (knew) would not do that… :confused:
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Lol, I suppose I should have said the Catholic Church as an institution; the holy people within the Church they generally have no qualms with (except for priests :eek: ) While they may not be churchgoers, they still appreciate a good, holy, Christian movie (save my older brother, who really doesn’t pay attention; It’s not that he’s anti-Christian, he just doesn’t have an interest in the Christian faith) These movies certainly aren’t in the majority, I should note.

It’s ongoing to dispel the stereotypes they have of Catholicism, but I’ll work on God’s time 👍

Originally posted by Joe 5859
That’s a great attitude. I have seen uncharitable comments here, but overall, I think there are lots of great people here. If I ever start to doubt that, I go lurk on some other forum and return with a renewed appreciation for the level of charity shown here at CAF!
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Oh, I know. I went back to the place I started debating religion on, I could only stay there for ten minutes before the comments by the abrasive people there drove me to close the tab; this place is a formal tea party by comparison.
 
jmcrae said:
The understanding that, since there is no means of Confession in Protestantism, I was going to Hell for stuff I did when I was young and stupid - even if I managed to live a perfect life from that point onward. :eek:

I was in the United Church of Canada.
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i’m sure the Church teaches that if you confess your sins to God directly and are truly sorry and dont do them again… you can still get to Heaven… you may have a longer time in Purg… but you CAN get to Heaven without being an official membef of the Church…

of course if you KNOW that the Catholic Church is the ORiginal Church and stay away… thats something totally different…
 
HarmonyServant said:
Me! :love:

I will say this. For every non-charitable response here, there were several very charitable responses to make up for it. People are human, sinners, and I’m not going to judge the Catholic Faith because of the sinners in it. I look at the core teachings of the Faith.
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Seek and you will find. That expression works both ways. Too often people judge a faith by it’s best features and others by it’s worst. It takes the Holy Spirit to discern the truth through it all. God bless you on your journey! 🙂
 
Well I guess the one thing we can say for sure is that the people who said no one were incorrect 🙂
 
crazzeto said:
Well I guess the one thing we can say for sure is that the people who said no one were incorrect 🙂
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Well, they were correct when they said that they KNEW OF no one. Knowing of isn’t necessarily saying that they said that no one has, simply that they didn’t know any cases off-hand.

Sorry for nitpicking, I tend to do it a lot 😊
 
To be honest, these forums have given me a less positive view of the Catholic Church overall, but I realize that forums such as this do not draw their majority from the rank and file but rather from the fringes and I try to real things with that in mind. That said, I’ve learned a lot.
 
Lutheranteach said:
To be honest, these forums have given me a less positive view of the Catholic Church overall, but I realize that forums such as this do not draw their majority from the rank and file but rather from the fringes and I try to real things with that in mind. That said, I’ve learned a lot.
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Yes indeed I have learned a great deal, and I go to Catholic Church. But it indeed has given me a less than positive attitude. I have never in real life met any Catholics like I have met here, and I realize that and also keep that in mind. God Bless all.
 
Many who post on these threads may “know” their faith. On the other hand their judgements of others, the absence of charity, their simplistic labeling will lead me away from CA. If I want answers I’ll talk to a priest…
 
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Lutheranteach said:
To be honest, these forums have given me a less positive view of the Catholic Church overall, but I realize that forums such as this do not draw their majority from the rank and file but rather from the fringes and I try to real things with that in mind. That said, I’ve learned a lot.
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interestingly i could say the same thing… I had had bad encounters w/ so called Catholics b4 coming onto the forums but AFTEr… yikes… :eek:i know that people think they have total anonymity on the forums… and maybe they do so they thhink they can say whatever they want … but God is always watching our every move and Catholics should know that… so dont get it …

but anyhow… I’ve said things i’ve regretted also… although i dont think i am 1/2 as rude as some on these forums Sometimes if i am in a bad mood i will say something and then the next day i will think “I said THAT?”

Even so it seems that some just cross a line…

oh well… we are called to clean up our own back yards and leave others to do the same w/ their own… I would help them clean up their back yr but dont think i am capable cuz a lot of people who are THAT rude just dont wnat help…for one thing… 🤷
 
tpw said:
Many who post on these threads may “know” their faith. On the other hand their judgements of others, the absence of charity, their simplistic labeling will lead me away from CA. If I want answers I’ll talk to a priest…
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yes but i also think that lack of charity is often called on certain posters… or comments when it is not deserved…

sometimes posters will call others uncharitable just cuz they dont like what they are saying… its a form of ad hominem… very tiresome… :rolleyes:
 
distracted said:
yes but i also think that lack of charity is often called on certain posters… or comments when it is not deserved…

sometimes posters will call others uncharitable just cuz they dont like what they are saying… its a form of ad hominem… very tiresome… :rolleyes:
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That’s true, too. I have seen some responses where someone will say something like, “How DARE you say that to me, you judgmental twit!” and I’m scratching my head wondering if they read the same post that I did.

Most of the time, it doesn’t bother me. I’m under no illusions that Catholics are ineffable or immune to the temptation to be snippy. The only person on this forum I have any control over is myself, so I just try to do my best and leave the rest in God’s hands.
 
Joe_5859 said:
That’s true, too. I have seen some responses where someone will say something like, “How DARE you say that to me, you judgmental twit!” and I’m scratching my head wondering if they read the same post that I did.

Most of the time, it doesn’t bother me. I’m under no illusions that Catholics are ineffable or immune to the temptation to be snippy. The only person on this forum I have any control over is myself, so I just try to do my best and leave the rest in God’s hands.
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i hear ya… good attitude…

🙂
 
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