I'm Out of the Closet Now...

[ChadS]

Hi Mark. I’m assuming that you don’t have a wife or girlfriend, which is probably a good thing right now, because your conversion could have caused problems in your relationship. I know that it did between my ex girlfriend and I, since she was a Southern Baptist. Just study as much as you can, and try your best not to chicken out at the end of RCIA like I did back in 2009. You may want to study Lent before it arives, because if you’ve never observed it before, it can come as a culture shock if you’re not prepared for it. Abstaining from meat on Fridays was the hardest thing for me during Lent, so I recommend that if you think you’ll have a problem with it, consider practicing it on some Fridays before Lent actually starts.

I think you’re right about the meat thing. I knew that going in to Lent when I was in RCIA and I thought how hard could it really be? Afterall I’d gone other days of my own free will where I didn’t eat meat and it was no big deal, but it seemed that on those Fridays of Lent a hamburger or steak was all I could think about. But I persevered.

ChadS

 

[roelblomsma]

Now all my friends know that I am becoming Catholic.

Considering they are mostly conservative Baptist ministers, it has been met with mixed reviews. My best friend is somebody I rescued from the Catholic Church when I first became a Christian years ago. It seems I’m also responsible for rescuing his brother too, after several years of trying. So it was weird.

I got an awkward… “I see…” from one.

“Well… it’s better than nothing” from another.

“Man… if I come over and see statues of Mary and rosaries and things…” from another.

“So… you just want them to tell you what to believe?” from my Roommate Matt who knows of no Catholic who is actually Catholic.

My friend’s wife was actually excited. “Oh cool man, I’m half Catholic. Let’s go to Mass.”

Great, and really funny title. Some priest once commented:“Nowadays, it’s easer to come out of the closet as a gay than as a Catholic.”

 

[Jehoshua]

Welcome home

Im a cradle catholic so no conversion issues with me, but you could say i semi-converted after a period of generaly taking the Church and religion in general for granted (apathy).

The best advice i could give you is to study and study well on what the church actually teaches. Ignorance begets ignorance but truth is the light that banishes away all shadows.

 

[pablope]

Well…if they are still talking with you then that is a good start…maybe eventually you can teach them all the misconceptions they have about Catholics…

I’m struggling with the same sort of thing right now except one friend (I thought she was a good friend) won’t talk to me now that I’m Catholic…and neither will one of my brothers…

You will have many more friends and brothers after your official acceptance, I am assuming, the coming Easter vigil.

 

[cooterhein]

Bahahaha! Excellent mislead with the title.

 

[Captain_America]

My dad gave me a “You’re no longer my son!” and kicked me out of the house. But he’s over it now. Something about he was happy to see me being so happy, and all the other inlaws are contracepting so I have a grandkid monopoly!

. . . that’s hilarious!

 

[JonNC]

Now all my friends know that I am becoming Catholic.

Considering they are mostly conservative Baptist ministers, it has been met with mixed reviews. My best friend is somebody I rescued from the Catholic Church when I first became a Christian years ago. It seems I’m also responsible for rescuing his brother too, after several years of trying. So it was weird.

I got an awkward… “I see…” from one.

“Well… it’s better than nothing” from another.

“Man… if I come over and see statues of Mary and rosaries and things…” from another.

“So… you just want them to tell you what to believe?” from my Roommate Matt who knows of no Catholic who is actually Catholic.

My friend’s wife was actually excited. “Oh cool man, I’m half Catholic. Let’s go to Mass.”

God’s blessings on your journey.

Jon

 

[CatholicFireman]

Welcome home!!!

Some nice reactions, some so/so reactions. Doesn’t matter. You did it for you. Live the Gosple and you may have company someday.

Pax†

 

[Brywan]

Great, and really funny title. Some priest once commented:“Nowadays, it’s easer to come out of the closet as a gay than as a Catholic.”

Yeah, I’m convinced that being a devout, practicing Catholic is probably the most radical, counter-cultural thing you can be in today’s world…

 

[benidict]

all my former baptist friends either look at me like a traitor, or at best, part of the mission field. guess the once saved always saved only works if you stay with them…

 

[Angelic_Rose]

Welcome home!

I got these responses:

“So you’re no longer Christian?”

“…” pure silence, she never spoke to me again

“Good for you! I’ll pray for your spiritual walk!” (She truly meant this as a loving gesture— not one where she was judging this as a poor decision)

It seems that all my Christian Brothers were not phased about this at all. Only some of my Sisters.

 

[JonNC]

all my former baptist friends either look at me like a traitor, or at best, part of the mission field. guess the once saved always saved only works if you stay with them…

Don’t worry, bene. Jesus loves you, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

And so do we. :grouphug:

Jon

 

[pipper]

When I converted my “church of Christ” Campbellite family said I had left “Christ and his one true church”. I was disowned and disinherited.

I didn’t know this until the reading of the will after my Dad’s death. Since that I have been completely disassocatied from. The only way I knew of other family members deaths was reading the obits in the newspaper.

stroke patient, please forgive typoes and misspellings

 

[jesuspsr]

Welcome home:thumbsup:

May the Holy Spirit guide you.

jesus g

 

[ChristiRose8]

Welcome and Congratulations!!!

As the only Catholic on my side of the family, I got some weird looks but my folks generally are okay about it now.

I left and just recently came back to the Church and a friend from a non-denominational church that I attended while gone texted me earlier out of the blue and asked if I was going there this morning. I was polite and honest and told her that I had come back to the Catholic Church and she never texted back. Eh, small price to pay! Good luck and just let any weird reactions roll off your back!

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

You know society is deeply suffering when it is counter-culture to be old school. We must save society from this abyss of hyper-fundamentalism and militant atheism.

 

[BlueShadow123]

by reading the title, I assumed you were gay, but I’m sure you must have expected a response like mine when you say ‘you’re out of the closet’.

but I get what you mean.

 

[JohnnyReb]

I wish families would be more understanding or at least not show off their ignorance when their loved ones make a personal decision about their faith. They often say these things out of concern, so don’t forget that. In the case of my family, when I became Catholic they said all sorts of things that showed their ignorance about the Catholic faith. So I know how you feel. Good for you for being true to your convictions and faith.

The only thing that my family said that had any legitimacy is that Easter Vigil was loooong and for non-Catholics, boring. I am still paying the price for having them sit through it.

 

[BlueShadow123]

Hey my comment is gone. I must of deleted it.

I said that the title makes it seem like you were coming out of the closet, in the other way.

 

[yellowbird]

Welcome Home! I can so relate to the off the wall comments. When told my Evangelical friends that I was becoming Catholic because I truly felt this was where God was calling me, the vast majority responded with, “WOW… that is sooooo cool! God is going to use YOU to lead Catholics to Christ!”

Ehhh… not quite.