NON CATHOLICS - Have the these forums helped you convert or consider converting?

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JSmitty2005

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I was just curious as to whether or not these forums have caused any of you to convert to the Catholic Faith regardless of if you had previously intended to or not. Did they open your mind? Did they help you to overcome any prejudices or false beliefs you had about the Church? Did they clarify what Catholics *really * believe? Have these forums made you think, even just for a millisecond, that you might possibly want to become Catholic? Do you have more respect for and less disdain for the Catholic Church (if you ever had any to begin with) after being on these forums?

I’m just wonderin’ 😃
 
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JSmitty2005:
I was just curious as to whether or not these forums have caused any of you to convert to the Catholic Faith regardless of if you had previously intended to or not. Did they open your mind? Did they help you to overcome any prejudices or false beliefs you had about the Church? Did they clarify what Catholics *really * believe? Have these forums made you think, even just for a millisecond, that you might possibly want to become Catholic? Do you have more respect for and less disdain for the Catholic Church (if you ever had any to begin with) after being on these forums?

I’m just wonderin’ 😃
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This forum has been very helpful in correcting some misconceptions I had about Catholism and also educating me in Catholic beliefs I was previously unaware of. I did not join this board with any desire or inclination to convert to the Catholic church, but merely to gain a better understanding of the Catholic faith since my brother and sister are Catholic. Since joining I still have no desire or conviction to convert. While I have learned that many Catholics are very sincere in their beliefs that does not change my view that many Catholic beliefs contradict scripture and in some cases serve as impediments to growing in one’s relationship with God. I do however believe that Catholics can be Christians since they do have the fundamentals of faith.
 
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Vincent1560:
that does not change my view that many Catholic beliefs contradict scripture and in some cases serve as impediments to growing in one’s relationship with God.
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I’m kindly asking that no one jump on comments like this one^

I simply want to hear peoples’ stories, so all the zealous Catholics that would normally tear into something like that (myself included) can just let it slide. All the other threads are intended to address such things. Thanks!
 
Great thread. I am interested too in the responses to the OP question.

Post #2 states “Catholics can be Christians.” I have to reply that Catholics ARE Christians -

We believe (I believe) in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. (God of God) light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is to be adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We confess (I confess) one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for (I look for) the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen."
 
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JSmitty2005:
I’m kindly asking that no one jump on comments like this one^

I simply want to hear peoples’ stories, so all the zealous Catholics that would normally tear into something like that (myself included) can just let it slide. All the other threads are intended to address such things. Thanks!
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Forgive me. I posted my response to this before I saw your request.
 
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St.Eric:
Forgive me. I posted my response to this before I saw your request.
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That’s fine. I don’t think that yours will start a debate anyways.
 
Although I was already in RCIA when I stumbled upon this forum, I can say that it has helped me feel more confident about my decision to join the Catholic Church. Although I knew I was being led to Catholicism,( because I for sure was not looking for it, 😉 ) I have learned a lot about how to defend the doctrines from this site, and am convinced beyond measure that I have found my home. :dancing:
 
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Vincent1560:
While I have learned that many Catholics are very sincere in their beliefs that does not change my view that many Catholic beliefs contradict scripture and in some cases serve as impediments to growing in one’s relationship with God. I do however believe that Catholics can be Christians since they do have the fundamentals of faith.
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I would say that Catholics can be ‘saved’ as can Protestants. That entails that either can (or must) be Christian (i.e. a follower of Jesus Christ).

Blessings,
Richard
 
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Richard_Hurtz:
I would say that Catholics can be ‘saved’ as can Protestants. That entails that either can (or must) be Christian (i.e. a follower of Jesus Christ).

Blessings,
Richard
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That is what I meant to convey. Sorry if there was any confusion. To be more clear, a Catholic who actually believes the fundamentals of their faith is a Christian.
 
It was Mother Angelica and her eye patch that got me watching EWTN. After watching EWTN for a while, I started reading the books they recommended. After reading many of the books, I was on somebody-or-other’s site and must have had a link to Catholic Forum.

Many of my “problems” with the Catholic church were answered on EWTN, in the books, AND IN THE FORUM. And the other thing with the forum was the number of truly Jesus-loving people I found here. And there have been lots of little “tid-bits” that I’ve learned too. Almost every day some new thread pops up that answers more questions–ones I didn’t even know I had!!

I will be confirmed Holy Saturday. Thanks EWTN! Thanks Forum!

**THANK YOU JESUS!! **
 
Quick background: I’m Protestant (PCA), going to be doing RCIA this next year. The forums have really helped educate me on Catholicism. I came here knowing I was going to be converting, but reading all these threads has helped me immensely. One of the most helpful, eye-opening things has been all the talk of heterodoxy. I didn’t have a clue. Now I know what to look for as I go in search of a good, orthodox RCIA program…and I will search one out. I have no desire to go through some of the torment some of you have faced.

Thanks for being here!
 
Hi,

Well, I had not previously considered conversion prior to visiting the main site, www.catholic.com. After having read some of the very interesting and informative articles there, I am willing to think about conversion.

Before I can really do so, however, I still have a number of questions regarding Catholicism and objections to Catholicism. For example, what I believe to be a serious set of objections to Catholicism is the set of objections brought forth by Sir Isaac Newton, one of history’s premier intellectuals. I tend to laugh at many Protestant objections to Catholicism (some of their distortions of history make a superb comedy show 😃 ), but I don’t see the arguments of Newton as a laughing matter at all.

I have posted a question regarding one of the main objections Newton brought up to these very forums in hope of getting some Catholic perspectives and, as of this writing, there have been four responses (in only a few hours!). If you wish to see this thread, it is located at:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=101086

At least two responders state their belief that Newton’s arguments against Catholicism are historically flawed, and I will be reviewing their responses to Newton’s anti-Catholic arguments. I’m also hoping to post some of his other objections to Catholicism to this forum in order to have his arguments evaluated from a Catholic perspective, especially since there are many highly knowledgeable and informed Catholics here who can (and already have) provided some useful answers! Once I have received solid, well-informed Catholic perspectives on the Newtonian objections, I will have more information to use in considering both Catholicism and what I consider to be among the only truly serious objections to Catholicism, the objections of Isaac Newton.

Although some object that Newton was a physicist and not a theologian, it is well-known that he devoted at least as much of his immense intellectual energy toward both history and theology as he did toward physics. I therefore consider him to be a serious theologian indeed. The best Isaac Newton website I have found is:

newtonproject.ic.ac.uk/prism.php?id=1

A good web site containing one of Newton’s most crucial theological works, “Observations (1733)” (on which my aforementioned post is based), is

isaacnewton.ca/

Seeker-2006

P.S. As you must have guessed, I am also a very big Isaac Newton fan! Newton was not infalliable (as relativity and quantum mechanics have shown that his vision of physics certainly contained flaws, although it was still a brilliant and highly useful vision), but he was certainly brilliant! 🙂
 
I really like reading these forums because the posters here seem quite educated, sincere & fairly well behaved compared to some other forums 🙂

I like to think I’m a generic Christian, spent much time as a youth in various protestant Sunday schools & services and as I get older becoming more serious about religion, likely because my final exam is getting closer, altho certainly my life so far has been quite lucky in some aspects & not so lucky in others

as for converting to Catholicism via the RCIA at this point in my life I’m not sure that will happen, I’m hoping my faith will be enough

I still like the many paths to salvation approach (with a few glaring exceptions), I just have a difficult time beleiving that the Christian GOD is the only 1 out there, maybe GOD has been revealed to humanity in different ways, who am I to know ?
 
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JSmitty2005:
I was just curious as to whether or not these forums have caused any of you to convert to the Catholic Faith regardless of if you had previously intended to or not.
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I haven’t converted yet. One day, yes, I will. But not right now. I haven’t got my letters of passage yet. (see Nehemiah 2)
Did they open your mind? Did they help you to overcome any prejudices or false beliefs you had about the Church?
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By the time I came here I was already pretty open to Catholicism thanks to Little Therese and St. Bernadette, and Mother Angelica when she was on the radio. I used to get off work in time to catch the replay of her show at midnight. I have opened up more while here, and that’s due to figuring out that where I live I seem to be in a large concetration of lukewarm Catholics. (maybe I should say poorly catechised Catholics)
Did they clarify what Catholics *really *believe? Have these forums made you think, even just for a millisecond, that you might possibly want to become Catholic?
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Yes and yes. Sometimes since I’ve been here I really get homesick for the Catholic Church. In many people here I have found the faith I was taught as a little girl. That’s not to downplay the differences, they are still there, but I have seen many fine examples of (Catholic) Christians here.
Do you have more respect for and less disdain for the Catholic Church (if you ever had any to begin with) after being on these forums?
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Yes. I have found that I have many more things in common with the CC than I thought.

TinaK
 
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zingo227:
I still like the many paths to salvation approach (with a few glaring exceptions), I just have a difficult time beleiving that the Christian GOD is the only 1 out there, maybe GOD has been revealed to humanity in different ways, who am I to know ?
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What if the paths contradict each other? God cannot do the logically impossible. He can’t be all good and mostly good at the same time and in the same sense. Likewise, God cannot say one things to someone, say Mohammad, and say the exact opposite through Christ. If two points of view contradict either one is right or both are wrong.

Peace
 
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dennisknapp:
What if the paths contradict each other? God cannot do the logically impossible. He can’t be all good and mostly good at the same time and in the same sense. Likewise, God cannot say one things to someone, say Mohammad, and say the exact opposite through Christ. If two points of view contradict either one is right or both are wrong.

Peace
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Dennis, you don’t even know how MAD :mad: universalist comments like that make me… :eek: …BUT remember what I said in post #3. Thanks! 👍 Start up another thread about it or PM him. 😉
 
I can say my respect for the Catholic church has increased since interacting with others on this forum. I appreciate interacting with Christians who take their faith seriously, and aren’t afraid to open their beliefs to examination (and to be honest, I don’t get to experience this kind of debate and discussion in my own denomination :(). In general, the site has also cleared up some misconceptions I had about Catholicism. I can’t say it’s moved me closer to Rome, but it has helped me better understand the Catholic Church. God bless!
 
i came here very confused and lost. Raised Catholic but imbued with alot of anti-Catholic rhetoric after a profound conversion. By Gods grace through prayer and study I am comming to an ever greater faith in the Church. EWTN and CatholicAnswers have helped me immensley!

I dont knwo if anyone remembers when I used to post alot of the standard anti-Catholic arguments, thinking I knew some stuff. Now when I can it try to give a defense for the faith that I hold…
 
A message board was one of many factors in my conversoin but not this one. Turned out the CARM board was more important in a backwards sort of way.

See, I started going to RCIA with my wife. She was raised catholic and wanted to go back to the church. My preference would have been to go back to an evangelical church. I thought I would go to RCIA and hear what they had to say then research why Catholicism was wrong. Famous last words.

I was looking for a discussion board to debate the teachings and found CARM. Rather quickly I noticed the logical flaws of CARM’s arguments. Now I wasn’t against criticizing the catholic church, I just wanted to see it criticized for the right reasons. If you need to lie about your opponent, then you don’t have confidence in your own foundation.

I found myself pointing out CARM’s logical errors. Of course I was immediately criticized for being sympathetic to the church. According to them, I was planning on joing the church the whole time.

It got to the point that the evangelical view had too many logical flaws to ignore. I’m also a lover of history. Who goes back to the time of Christ and who started 1500 years later? About then, I found the CA library. That put many things into perspective. When that happened, there was no choice but to go with the catholic church.

I’ve heard it said that when you give the catholic church an honest consideration, that is the first step to an inevitable conversion. The tactics of CARM help give me that push.
 
Peace be with you!

What does CARM stand for? Sounds like you had a “Jimmy Swaggart Made Me Catholic” sort of conversion!

In Christ,
Rand
 
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