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

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Brian C:

Welcome Home!!!

You know when I witnessed the whole thing last April…I wondered to myself if the death of my beloved Pope John Paul II has touched anyone to consider the claims of the CC. You’ve answered that. Thank you.

Right about the time you’re coming in the Church will be the one year anniversary of JP II and the election of B XVI. God has been generous to you. My nephew is coming into the Church at the same time. I will add you in my petitions when we pray for the incoming!

in XT.
 
Thank you! Thank you both! You’re making me blush!:o

JPII had been really the only pope I ever knew, even though I guess I was born under Paul VI. I remember being 4-5 yrs old and the attempts on his life and Reagan’s really shook me up.

Yes, I can remember exactly what I was doing when JP passed and Benedict was elected. When I heard those words “**Habemus Papum!” ** and the roar of the crowd in Vatican Square, tears came to my eyes. It was quite ironic all this happened as I was learning about Catholicism. I have always been afraid of looking “trendy” and at first I fretted, thinking “Great, people are going to think I’m some nut for being moved by JPII/BXVI!” But, I just said oh well and got to it! I may be overstepping my bounds here but I think secretly a lot of protestants LONG for such a shepard as the pope.

But it all started by me typing “catholic” into google and arriving here! 😃
 
Brian C,

First of all, let me say congradulations! I came into the Church a few years before you but I still remember my feelings of excitement were very similar.

I look back at my pre-Catholic faith as if I were a small child and God was bringing me along slowly because I wasn’t yet ready to accept the fullness of His truth. Like scripture speaks about those who are given “milk” because they are not ready for “solid food”. We learned ‘basic Christianity’ outside the Church and now it’s time to receive “solid food” in the Eucharist.

God has blessed you greatly Brian. Remain steadfast in your faith and always continue to grow in Christ. Thanks be to God. 🙂
 
Thanks and God Bless YOU as well! Yes, I don’t know how I could have ever appreciated the richness of Catholicism as a child.

Let me go back and heap more praise on the role these forums played for me. When I thought about Catholicism in the past, I thought of it much in the way many of us probably think of Judaism. A religion that’s pretty much hereditary in nature. I never personally experienced Catholics so zealous in their evangel before wandering into this site. I always assumed that was the domain of evangelicals. On this site I’ve witnessed so many wonderful Christians so alive in their faith and so willing to share it with others. This site is truly a gift and perhaps one of the most effective examples of evangelism I have encountered. God Bless Karl and the staff of CA as well as all of the wonderful volunteers and members of this community. I pray it’s impact multiplies exponentially!👍 Even 1 year ago, I’d never have DREAMED that today I’d be shaking hands w/ the Bishop and becoming one of the elect!
 
I was raised by my aunt in a protestant family after my mother (catholic) died when i was a baby. I was brought up with a lot of bigotry towards the faith. Ive always felt a longing to understand and clarify the catholic faith. iam definetly feeling something inside of me drawing me towards catholicism. I understand that i may be rejected by my adopted family but feel that this is something that is in my heart and iam being drawn towards. This situation is actually causing conflict inside of me. These forums are helping me understand what it means to be catholic and also the wider community and family in which you live. 🙂
 
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allischalmers:
Hi
What I meant by corporate worship is that we come together as a group to worship because "where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the mist of them. So there you go, we have the Lord Jesus Christ with us in Spirit or spiritual form when we worship, you have Him in the bread and wine.

Forever Baptist
allischalmers
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I’M SORRY, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE FUNNIEST POSTS I HAVE EVER READ!!! :rotfl: :bowdown2:
 
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jeannie05:
I was raised by my aunt in a protestant family after my mother (catholic) died when i was a baby. I was brought up with a lot of bigotry towards the faith. Ive always felt a longing to understand and clarify the catholic faith. iam definetly feeling something inside of me drawing me towards catholicism. I understand that i may be rejected by my adopted family but feel that this is something that is in my heart and iam being drawn towards. This situation is actually causing conflict inside of me. These forums are helping me understand what it means to be catholic and also the wider community and family in which you live. 🙂
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Welcome to the forum

Mark 10:
29 Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
30 who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.

May God grant you strength on your journey.
 
Yes, these forums have helped me a great deal - I am being baptised and confirmed at the Easter Vigil this year. I would like to thank Karl Keating, all the apologists and posters on these forums for their help with my journey… :bowdown2: God bless you all! :blessyou:
 
This site and forums have helped me SO MUCH! I was raised protestant (bapist and nazerene) and I married a catholic. I had NO idea what a hurdle we would be jumping over when we got married. So not only has it helped me to understand what catholics and my husband REALLY belive, it has helped me discuss issues with my husband and ultimltely bring us closer together. I don’t think im to the point where im going to RCIA classes yet but I know that time will come, because the more I learn the more I want to be a part of the church. I currently go to a catholic church, and I know that I want my children to be a part of it. But it will never be forsed on them. There are also a few issues I want to know more about. I still have a great respect for the protestant church and go to a protestant bible study, for the singing and fellowship becuse ive noticed that catholics dont do to much fellowship or at least what ive seen. But I feel that this forums have helped me with the issues that non cathilics tend to put down. Thank you to everyone that contribties and answers the questions. I read alot of these but dont really post,
Thanks again
 
Have these forums helped you convert or consider converting?
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Short answer, yep.

Longer answer 🙂 : Due to these forums, as well as books recommended here on the forums, I have learned a great deal about Catholicism. I have learned that many of the Protestant doctrines I had always assumed to be true did not stand up to detailed analysis. I have learned that the early Church looked much more Catholic than it does Protestant. I recognized and accepted the importance of Sacred Tradition, and while I still struggle a bit with the idea, I see that the doctrine of the Real Presence is definitely supported by history. Anyway, without getting into every single detail, I almost fully accepted Catholicism, began to attend Mass, and had every intention to enter RCIA in September.

Now, it seems that in the last week or so, I have hit a bit of a snag: Eastern Orthodoxy. Suddenly, life was not so simple as, “If Protestantism=false, then Catholicism=true.” I discovered that the Orthodox Church had an equal claim to age and apostolic succession and yet did not hold many Catholic doctrines. So, I have launched a more in depth study of this issue. I don’t want to hijack this thread, but feel free to visit my other topics on the subject.

God bless! 👍
 
The Iambic Pen:
Now, it seems that in the last week or so, I have hit a bit of a snag: Eastern Orthodoxy. Suddenly, life was not so simple as, “If Protestantism=false, then Catholicism=true.” I discovered that the Orthodox Church had an equal claim to age and apostolic succession and yet did not hold many Catholic doctrines. So, I have launched a more in depth study of this issue. I don’t want to hijack this thread, but feel free to visit my other topics on the subject.
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Don’t forget that the Catholic Church has both East (ie: Byzantine, Ukrainian, Maronite, etc) and West (Latin) all in communion with the See of Peter. Kinda sounds like what the Church might have looked like before the tragic schism, huh? 😉
 
These forums have aided GREATLY in my conversion from non-denomenational to Catholic Christianity.

My beloved sister in Christ is also coming to the Catholic Church. My conversion must have whispered something to her…Not to mention my fervent prayers for her return to the Mother Church.

The Lord is faithful. 🙂
 
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jeannie05:
…after my mother (catholic) died…Ive always felt a longing to understand and clarify the catholic faith. iam definetly feeling something inside of me drawing me towards catholicism.
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Surely your mom has been praying for you. 🙂
 
I am a Protestant who was raised in a very anit-Catholic community. It wasn’t until I moved to the Detroit area and began listening to Catholic Answers and then coming to this site that I began to put away the false things I was taught and began to understand what the Church really is and teaches. Unfortuantely, I have yet to meet a Catholic face to face who truely loves the Lord like my Protestant friends do, who knows their beliefs as I do and who lives out the teachings of the church. We have had many Catholics come to my church who are disallusioned with the CC. When they question me about their traditions and beliefs compared to Protestant I will explain the Catholic Church teaching from what I’ve learned from this site and the radio show. Most choose to stay in the Protestant church because they do not see people living out their faith in the CC as they do in the Protestant church. They almost 100% say there is a disconnect fromwhat people say the believe and how they live their lives in the CC. They may go to confession to be absolved of their sins, but they go out and do the same things they did before. Whereas in the PC’s I have been a member of, people acknowlege they struggle and sin, repent, and turn away from that sin and they lived a changed life. I think this is the biggest reason so many catholics leave for Evangelical churches - people being authentic. I know there are true and authentic catholics, I"ve read your posts, but again, I have yet to meet them in person.
 
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thogg85:
I know there are true and authentic catholics, I"ve read your posts, but again, I have yet to meet them in person.
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Come to my neck of the woods–most are authentic! 👍
 
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thogg85:
I am a Protestant who was raised in a very anit-Catholic community. It wasn’t until I moved to the Detroit area and began listening to Catholic Answers and then coming to this site that I began to put away the false things I was taught and began to understand what the Church really is and teaches. Unfortuantely, I have yet to meet a Catholic face to face who truely loves the Lord like my Protestant friends do, who knows their beliefs as I do and who lives out the teachings of the church. We have had many Catholics come to my church who are disallusioned with the CC. When they question me about their traditions and beliefs compared to Protestant I will explain the Catholic Church teaching from what I’ve learned from this site and the radio show. Most choose to stay in the Protestant church because they do not see people living out their faith in the CC as they do in the Protestant church. They almost 100% say there is a disconnect fromwhat people say the believe and how they live their lives in the CC. They may go to confession to be absolved of their sins, but they go out and do the same things they did before. Whereas in the PC’s I have been a member of, people acknowlege they struggle and sin, repent, and turn away from that sin and they lived a changed life. I think this is the biggest reason so many catholics leave for Evangelical churches - people being authentic. I know there are true and authentic catholics, I"ve read your posts, but again, I have yet to meet them in person.
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This is simply an absurd overgeneralization. Of course there are Catholics that simply go through the motions. On the other hand, there are Protestants that go to Church simply for the social aspect or for entertainment by the singing, dancing, and preaching. And I have to disagree with you when it comes to repenting. The Catholics I know have much better consciences than my OSAS Protestant friends that think they can get away with anything. Realistically, it goes both ways. There are genuine Catholics and Protestants as well as those who aren’t.
 
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thogg85:
I am a Protestant who was raised in a very anit-Catholic community. It wasn’t until I moved to the Detroit area and began listening to Catholic Answers and then coming to this site that I began to put away the false things I was taught and began to understand what the Church really is and teaches. Unfortuantely, I have yet to meet a Catholic face to face who truely loves the Lord like my Protestant friends do, who knows their beliefs as I do and who lives out the teachings of the church. We have had many Catholics come to my church who are disallusioned with the CC. When they question me about their traditions and beliefs compared to Protestant I will explain the Catholic Church teaching from what I’ve learned from this site and the radio show. Most choose to stay in the Protestant church because they do not see people living out their faith in the CC as they do in the Protestant church. They almost 100% say there is a disconnect fromwhat people say the believe and how they live their lives in the CC. They may go to confession to be absolved of their sins, but they go out and do the same things they did before. Whereas in the PC’s I have been a member of, people acknowlege they struggle and sin, repent, and turn away from that sin and they lived a changed life. I think this is the biggest reason so many catholics leave for Evangelical churches - people being authentic. I know there are true and authentic catholics, I"ve read your posts, but again, I have yet to meet them in person.
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Peace.

Personally, the Catholic Church may have done a poor job catechizing many of the members and some of us have done a poor job catechizing ourselves. I went through 8 years of parochial school and 4 years of Catholic high school, but after that I really allowed myself to lapse rather than further my education and knowledge of the faith on my own. I truly feel blessed to be Catholic and truly feel the fullness and presence of Christ, but I cheated myself in the following years by not building upon what I had learned.

The opinions that I have may come across as excuses and alibis, which is not my intention because I do not want to appear defensive, but perhaps many Catholic parents allowed the schools to teach and did not contribute much at home, outside the Sunday Mass and giving up something for Lent. Maybe the parishes are so large, and in combination with the shortages of priests, that it is difficult to continue to educate the parishioners on a regular, recurring, and intimate basis. Neighborhood parishes are disappearing with neighborhoods so the intimacy and fellowship that existed for years among church and neighbor are no longer the norm. With people and parishes spread out, maybe it is difficult to connect regularly rather than once a week.

As I said, these are just my opinions and are not meant to explain away concerns you have encountered.

Non-Catholic churches have done a much better job facilitating and enhancing faith through small groups and frequent meetings. We can learn from non-Catholics some of these tools designed to advance and augment faith and knowledge. I know that the RENEW programs in Catholic Churches are designed to increase the faith through fellowship. I would like dioceses to hire full-time apologetics staff to visit parishes within the diocese to conduct presentations on the faith. Church bulletins should endorse specific publications to read, in addition to the weekly scripture readings, for Catholics to learn more, such as books on the Early Church Fathers.

I am not the best example as a Catholic so I am embarrassed to hold myself up as a standard, but there are many MANY Catholics on this site from whom you, and I, can learn. If we rely on these people then maybe we can represent the best of the faith and be the very witnesses that we long to see others demonstrate.

Peace.
 
😃
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jim1130:
Peace.

.

The opinions that I have may come across as excuses and alibis, which is not my intention because I do not want to appear defensive, but perhaps many Catholic parents allowed the schools to teach and did not contribute much at home, outside the Sunday Mass and giving up something for Lent. Maybe the parishes are so large, and in combination with the shortages of priests, that it is difficult to continue to educate the parishioners on a regular, recurring, and intimate basis. Neighborhood parishes are disappearing with neighborhoods so the intimacy and fellowship that existed for years among church and neighbor are no longer the norm. With people and parishes spread out, maybe it is difficult to connect regularly rather than once a week.

.
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Thank you for your insight. You put very well how many of my ex-Catholic friends feel. I love what I’ve learned about the church and often have discussions with these friends about what I’ve learned from this site. I recognize that no one church is perfect and that we are sinners saved by grace. I have pointed these same friends to this site but honestly, they have been so hurt by the CC that and the lack of teaching they received and lack of intimacy that I have not had much luck convincing them they ought to seek it out.
 
Well, currently in RCIA and will be coming into the Church this Easter Vigil (after a few bumps along the way ). I wouldn’t say this site helped me convert - by the time I joined I knew I wanted to convert :D, but when I hit a rough patch and quit RCIA in the fall of 2004, this site helped me learn alot more and kept me from going agnostic. Well, this site and the local Catholic Radio station (which sadly is no more. 😦 ). Actually, it was listening to the Cathoic Radio station and the program Catholic Answers Live that opened my eyes to the CC. I had been drawn to the Orthodox faith, and due to CAL, I decided to read some of the books Jerry, Jimmy, Karl and whoever recommended. (Thanks guys! 😃 )

Luckily, things turned around and rejoined RCIA. Thanks to Cathoic Answers , alot of reading, prayers and DCF too. 😃
 
Thank you for your insight. You put very well how many of my ex-Catholic friends feel. I love what I’ve learned about the church and often have discussions with these friends about what I’ve learned from this site. I recognize that no one church is perfect and that we are sinners saved by grace. I have pointed these same friends to this site but honestly, they have been so hurt by the CC that and the lack of teaching they received and lack of intimacy that I have not had much luck convincing them they ought to seek it out.
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Peace.

Again, I can only speak from my personal experiences, but perhaps these occasions can improve understanding.

I went through a period of time when I was very angry and down on the Catholic Church, but slowly I began to realize that my anger and frustration was me-based and focused upon an individual, neither or which are the correct message of the Catholic Church. When I would hear non-Catholics speak of support through the fellowship of their fellow church goers I would grow jealous, but, again, I slowly began to realize that the Catholic Church was not about the immediacy of the fellowship or whether or not there was a coffee shop in the lobby.

So, what am I getting at?

I realized that the Catholic Church truly is not about “me” and what is God going to do for “me.” For me, the Catholic Church, and demonstrated in the wonders of the Mass and the Sacraments, is about God, about worshipping God, of giving thanks and praise to God, of recognizing God, of sacrificing for God, and all through the fellowship of Christ with the Holy Spirit. THAT is what the Catholic Church means to me. It is not about hanging out with people my age or getting buddy-buddy with the priest and clergy or worrying about gossip. Sure, the first two are nice elements to the religious community (we can all do without the last one 🙂 ), but are they absolutely necessary? I see many college students in the college town where I live flock to the non-denominational churches (interesting how the non-denominational churches compete among one another for the attention, loyalties, and support of the college kids) because they promote fellowship through fun music and great activities with God truly secondary (no matter how many ways they paint it, “fun” is first). Yes, there are positive aspects (fellowship and support network of people your own age, which is very good), but not the complete fullness that I find with the Catholic Church. Life is a marathon and I have learned that the Catholic Church is the best for racing in the marathon.

I truly am imperfect and a sinner so understand my opinions are solely those: My opinions. I work very VERY hard on my faith. There are many members on this forum who can provide for you the clearer answers about Catholicsm than me so please impose upon them to further your understanding.

My prayers are for you and your ex-Catholic friends to consider Catholicism and view it more as the whole (the whole worship of God) than the “me.”

If I have said anything that is interpreted as insensitive, judgmental, offensive, or demeaning than please accept my humblest and most sincere apologies.

Peace.
 
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