Is it Enough?

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Ginger_Feline

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I am in RCIA right now, on track to join at Easter vigil. I am 44 yrs old and have been a Protestant all my life. I first set foot in a Catholic Church last summer because I have a child with Down syndrome, and was looking for something better for her than the Protestant churches that don’t baptize or include in holy communion, people who can’t verbally defend their faith. I want a church community for her that is pro-life, and doesn’t view her as a mistake that should have been aborted.

I love attending mass, and yearn for the day when I can partake of the Eucharist. Some differences between Protestant and catholic teachings have been easy to accept, but some have not. It was stated in RCIA last Sunday, that we are not expected to be 100% in agreement or full understanding of every single catholic belief and teachings by Easter vigil, but as long as we are on the path and want to continue, we are welcome to join. Is that enough? I worry that it just isn’t possible for me, at my age, to undo a lifetime of Protestant indoctrination. I’m afraid I will become one of those dreaded “cafeteria Catholics” that so many people online say are unworthy of the catholic identity. If I don’t join the Catholic Church, I will be a Protestant-catholic hybrid that doesn’t fit anywhere, and my daughter won’t get to be in a church where there are other kids with Down syndrome.

Please tell me, do I belong in the Catholic Church?
 
Are you prepared to accept and abide by teachings you may not necessarily understand or agree with?

I think that’s the line. For me, mostly because I have commitment issues, I talked through and investigated all my concerns before starting RCIA (it took years), but I did find that at some point the line became acceptance as opposed to understanding or agreement. It’s like a child - they may not understand or agree with your instructions, but they’d best accept those instructions.

If I’m picking and choosing what I want to accept and practice - then it probably crosses the line into “cafeteria Catholicism”.

I think as you grow in your faith and in your love for God, you will find the teachings easier to understand. That’s how it was for me.

I hope that helps. It’s so wonderful to see so many of us who will be joining the Church this Easter coming cropping up on the forums as the time draws nearer.
 
Hi Ginger Feline,
Yes, you DO belong in the Catholic Church! Welcome!

I think I understand your personal reasons for wanting to join – besides those reasons, partaking in the Eucharist is truly the greatest blessing on earth! The Mass is heaven on earth, too.

I came back to the Church after 20 years away, mainly because I bought the “Bible Only” claim and even though I went to Catholic School, I couldn’t defend my faith. I literally craved receiving Holy Communion again, while in a state of grace (from confession.)

Yes, there are too many cafeteria Catholics who pick and choose what they believe and don’t believe, but they make a serious error in judgment – and pride – by thinking they know better than the Magesterium.

I encourage you to TRUST. Ask God for the grace to trust. If you can recognize that the Church is authorized to interpret both sacred scripture and sacred tradition, it will be easy to believe ALL the teachings of the Church.

God bless you and your wonderful family!
 
casslean said:
Are you prepared to accept and abide by teachings you may not necessarily understand or agree with?

I think that’s the line. For me, mostly because I have commitment issues, I talked through and investigated all my concerns before starting RCIA (it took years), but I did find that at some point the line became acceptance as opposed to understanding or agreement. It’s like a child - they may not understand or agree with your instructions, but they’d best accept those instructions.

If I’m picking and choosing what I want to accept and practice - then it probably crosses the line into “cafeteria Catholicism”.

I think as you grow in your faith and in your love for God, you will find the teachings easier to understand. That’s how it was for me.

I hope that helps. It’s so wonderful to see so many of us who will be joining the Church this Easter coming cropping up on the forums as the time draws nearer.
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Casslean, I think the **bolded **text is a good summation of what it takes.

Ginger, I too, was Protestant most of my life and did RCIA about 8 years ago. I’ve always struggled with Catholic’s beliefs and love for Mary; I just didn’t get it. I figured, I could at least go along with it even it didn’t make sense. I figured, in due time, I’d get it…somehow… Fast forward to today, I’m reading a Catholic novel by Bud MacFarlane, called “Conceived Without Sin”. It’s a book about four people whose lives intermingle and each of them have varying degrees of belief; some none, some 100% and others somewhere in the middle. Anyways, the book has a lot of Catholic discussion (as you can imagine), and while it isn’t about Mary, there is a discussion amongst the characters about Mary that made me finally “GET IT”. It was like the words on those two pages just put everything into perspective for me. It took eight years, but God finally sent me the answer.

I’ll pray for you that you find the answers you are looking for and that your understanding of the faith will grow.

God bless.

Joe
 
Even what you learned from a Protestant upbringing may not necessarily be in total disagreement with the Catholic Church, so that won’t need to be changed as an article of faith. That’s in your favor. But not doubt, there are other beliefs that you may find difficult to accept. I feel confident that with some study your understanding will be expanded so that you will agree. Trust God to lead the way, He brought you this far.
 
I converted to Catholicism over 10 years ago. I’ve served as a lector, eucharistic minister, been one of the most public faces of my Newman Center, and recently was a missionary to a college campus in the US for the purpose of evangelizing and building up students in the faith.

With all of that, plus 4 years of Catholic HS, three years at a Catholic university during undergrad, and now being in grad school at a different Catholic university, I’m still not in 100 percent perfect agreement with every single teaching of the faith.

The key, for me, is having the humility to defer to the Church. You’ll never here me say the Church is wrong. I’ll admit when I don’t understand something, but I’ll never say I’m right and the Church is wrong. Our Church’s teachings are rooted in the foundation of Christ and the Apostles, and have been formulated and defended by some of the greatest philosophers in history: Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Athanasius, Ambrose, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Jerome, just to name a few.

Rest assured, you do belong. The only belief you will find different that you absolutely must accept by Easter is the Real Presence. You may not fully understand it, but you must accept it.
 
Greetings Ginger!!

I was 50 when I converted - and had doubts and Satan tried to attack me on that journey. I learned to know Jesus as a Protestant, but now I receive Him in the Eucharist and in the Sacraments. Hang in there, pray!!

:signofcross: Heavenly Father, we pray for Ginger, surround her with Your love, Your grace, Your wisdom and strength; guide her, comfort her, give her discernment - and protect her from the enemy and give her deep peace!!!

Bruce
 
Ginger_Feline said:
I am in RCIA right now, on track to join at Easter vigil. I am 44 yrs old and have been a Protestant all my life. I first set foot in a Catholic Church last summer because I have a child with Down syndrome, and was looking for something better for her than the Protestant churches that don’t baptize or include in holy communion, people who can’t verbally defend their faith. I want a church community for her that is pro-life, and doesn’t view her as a mistake that should have been aborted.

I love attending mass, and yearn for the day when I can partake of the Eucharist. Some differences between Protestant and catholic teachings have been easy to accept, but some have not. It was stated in RCIA last Sunday, that we are not expected to be 100% in agreement or full understanding of every single catholic belief and teachings by Easter vigil, but as long as we are on the path and want to continue, we are welcome to join. Is that enough? I worry that it just isn’t possible for me, at my age, to undo a lifetime of Protestant indoctrination. I’m afraid I will become one of those dreaded “cafeteria Catholics” that so many people online say are unworthy of the catholic identity. If I don’t join the Catholic Church, I will be a Protestant-catholic hybrid that doesn’t fit anywhere, and my daughter won’t get to be in a church where there are other kids with Down syndrome.

Please tell me, do I belong in the Catholic Church?
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Welcome! Yes, you belong in the Catholic Church! I was a pagan (agnostic) for the first 47 years of my life, and the key is do you love Jesus? If you do and you can recite the Nicene Creed and mean it and except that the Catholic Church speaks with authority on Christian faith and morals (even if you don’t fully understand why on certain issues) then you are ready. The rest will come with the help of the Holy Spirit over time, you will understand why the Church teaches what it does.
 
Dear Ginger, I didn’t mention it before, but I’m convinced that God is pleased with your decision not to abort your child, but to love her and give her life. I can’t help but think “and a child will lead you closer to God!” I can assure you , you are making the right decision to join the Catholic Church, I wish that everyone would do the same in order to experience the love God in Jesus Christ really has for them!
 
You might want to read Scott Hahn’s book, Rome Sweet Home. It is about his conversion with took several years, which you might find helpful. He had some problems to solve as well.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.
 
Ginger_Feline said:
I am in RCIA right now, on track to join at Easter vigil. I am 44 yrs old and have been a Protestant all my life. I first set foot in a Catholic Church last summer because I have a child with Down syndrome, and was looking for something better for her than the Protestant churches that don’t baptize or include in holy communion, people who can’t verbally defend their faith. I want a church community for her that is pro-life, and doesn’t view her as a mistake that should have been aborted.

I love attending mass, and yearn for the day when I can partake of the Eucharist. Some differences between Protestant and catholic teachings have been easy to accept, but some have not. It was stated in RCIA last Sunday, that we are not expected to be 100% in agreement or full understanding of every single catholic belief and teachings by Easter vigil, but as long as we are on the path and want to continue, we are welcome to join. Is that enough? I worry that it just isn’t possible for me, at my age, to undo a lifetime of Protestant indoctrination. I’m afraid I will become one of those dreaded “cafeteria Catholics” that so many people online say are unworthy of the catholic identity. If I don’t join the Catholic Church, I will be a Protestant-catholic hybrid that doesn’t fit anywhere, and my daughter won’t get to be in a church where there are other kids with Down syndrome.

Please tell me, do I belong in the Catholic Church?
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Seriously!? That is absolutely disgusting, I had no idea the Protestants discriminated on that basis.
 
Ginger_Feline said:
I am in RCIA right now, on track to join at Easter vigil. I am 44 yrs old and have been a Protestant all my life. I first set foot in a Catholic Church last summer because I have a child with Down syndrome, and was looking for something better for her than the Protestant churches that don’t baptize or include in holy communion, people who can’t verbally defend their faith. I want a church community for her that is pro-life, and doesn’t view her as a mistake that should have been aborted.

I love attending mass, and yearn for the day when I can partake of the Eucharist. Some differences between Protestant and catholic teachings have been easy to accept, but some have not. It was stated in RCIA last Sunday, that we are not expected to be 100% in agreement or full understanding of every single catholic belief and teachings by Easter vigil, but as long as we are on the path and want to continue, we are welcome to join. Is that enough? I worry that it just isn’t possible for me, at my age, to undo a lifetime of Protestant indoctrination. I’m afraid I will become one of those dreaded “cafeteria Catholics” that so many people online say are unworthy of the catholic identity. If I don’t join the Catholic Church, I will be a Protestant-catholic hybrid that doesn’t fit anywhere, and my daughter won’t get to be in a church where there are other kids with Down syndrome.

Please tell me, do I belong in the Catholic Church?
Click to expand...
Hi Ginger. You DO belong. Welcome. 🙂

I am a revert that came back to the Catholic church seven years ago. I had been away and in the protestant churches for 12 years. When I left I did not know my Catholic faith and on returning to the Catholic church, I had 12 years of Protestantism to undo and I am near your age, also. There are still some things that come up that I realize, were things I learned as a protestant, some agree with Catholic church, some do not. It has been a learning process and as issues and questions come up, I check out Church teaching and go with that and if my ideas don’t line up, I know I need to learn more and trust the Church.

There is so much to learn, it would be very difficult to learn it all in RCIA

Again welcome. We are so glad you are here. You will love it.

Magdalena
 
the Catholic Church accepts all disablilites. even my mental disabilites:)
 
LoveMorrissey said:
Seriously!? That is absolutely disgusting, I had no idea the Protestants discriminated on that basis.
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In defense of most Protestants, though, their view of salvation and communion (they call it either communion or the Lord’s Supper) is different and therefore, they are not discriminating against someone with a mental disability. They simply don’t view either of those as efficacious of anything. In other words, baptism does not equal salvation and communion does not equal partaking of the Lord’s ACTUAL body and body. Both are simply symbols that are nice, but not required or even beneficial. They reject the doctrine of original sin and therefore, do not believe that those with mental disabilities are culpable of their actual sin. They believe that God’s extends them a special grace that bypasses their need for repentance and since many with mental disabilities are unable to reason properly and verbalize or communicate their faith, believer’s baptism cannot be performed nor is it even necessary. Since communion is typically only offered to “baptized believers”, this automatically excludes them, too. BUT, none of this is done to be malicious because they simply believe it’s not needed.

My dad’s only sister was born with severe cerebral palsy and had the mentality of a 6-month-old for her entire life. She could not talk and could not walk. She died around the age of 50 and her face still had the texture and smoothness of an infant. The pastor who performed her funeral service noted that she had indeed received a special grace as part of her disability in that she never knew a life of suffering, worry, or fear. She simply lived like an infant who depended on others for her existence and radiated joy and excitement when she saw someone she loved enter the room. I trust that God’s love and mercy is taking care of her now, and this is what 99% of Protestants believe about anyone with a mental disability.
 
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