Question for Former Protestants

[Stephen3970]

Question for any former protestants here

when you became a part of the Catholic Church had you fully accepted all of the teachings of the Church? Are there those of you who are still standing just inside the door, so to speak, and still ahve certain doctrines or practices which you still struggel with or have not fully adopted? For example do you still refrain from petitioning the saints for assistance or still feel oddly about confession?

This may be an odd question but I thought I’d ask.

 

[dzheremi]

Hello. I’m a former Presbyterian. I hope you don’t mind me addressing your questions, to the best of my ability. I personally do not have any problem with confession or the saints. It might help you to realize that there is, in some cases, a world of difference between what is popular Catholic practice and what is actually required of the individual believer. For instance, while you may at some times see prayer occuring before statuary, an individual Catholic is not require to own or embrace statuary as part of his own expression of faith. I myself own no statues, though I do own icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as of Sts. Cyril and Methodius (my confirmation saints). Likewise, a Catholic is not required to maintain a devotion to any one particular saint, although plenty do.

What is not acceptable for a Catholic is to reject the necessity of confession or the efficacy of intercession. To do so would be in direct violation of the Creed, and hence place oneself outside of the Apostolic faith.

May God bless you abundantly in your journey.

 

[workingman]

Question for any former protestants here

when you became a part of the Catholic Church had you fully accepted all of the teachings of the Church? Are there those of you who are still standing just inside the door, so to speak, and still ahve certain doctrines or practices which you still struggel with or have not fully adopted? For example do you still refrain from petitioning the saints for assistance or still feel oddly about confession?

This may be an odd question but I thought I’d ask.

Well for the most part I had already fully accepted the teachings of the CC. Being a former LCMS member confession was not a issue. Even the saints were not that big of a issue for me as I was outside of the majority LCMS belief standards that are typicaly held. For me it was I spent so much time trying to prove the CC false that I proved it true to myself. I think all struggle with some part of Church teachings at some point. This I believe is perfectly normal. I still struggle with how far the CC likes to stick its head into the privacy of the bedroom. I do not reject the CC teachings it is a area that is struggled with though. Confession is not a issue for me personaly as it is a practice of the LCMS. May God take all our struggles and ease them to bring us closer to him.

 

[katrntogo]

I had fully embraced Catholicism before converting as I had researched for quite some time, so no issues there, but must admit I had a bit of a problem when I saw a priest a couple of years ago on EWTN bow to a baby Jesus figurine in a Nativity crèche. While I still do not bow to statues, I have no problem using them to visualize (I never had any problem genuflecting & bowing before the tabernacle & altar & am pretty much on the floor when I come in before Jesus during Adoration). I am pondering purchasing a Mary statue at this time, in fact.

As I am living a chaste life with no partner, I did not think of this but as workingman brought it up, there is one sexual issue I have a problem accepting & I suppose that comes from working as an erectile dysfunction nurse a few years ago before converting. I do have an issue with the part that does not allow for a woman to orally satisfy a man that is unable to get an erection (& can’t use drugs to facilitate it or can not have an implant) if she so wishes as a giving/sharing & does not feel objectified. If it brings them unity & harms no one & finishing inside the vagina is not an option, I cannot see it being wrong. I think/hope that perhaps God might have mercy in that area but that I cannot know as I am not He.

 

[KarenElissa]

I converted from United Methodist almost two years ago. For me, it wasn’t really that I disagreed with anything, more so just not “getting.” It wasn’t that I was really opposed to asking the Saints or Mary for intercession, I just didn’t really “get” it.

The biggest thing I can say is just be patient. It is a big adjustment and takes some time to get used to all of this new “stuff.” Nearly two years later I’m MUCH more comfortable to talking to the Saints and do so on occasion, but I don’t have a huge devotion to them like some people do. But that is ok, there is a HUGE variety of devotions within the Church, one for every personality.

 

[RoryMcKenzie56]

Question for any former protestants here

when you became a part of the Catholic Church had you fully accepted all of the teachings of the Church? Are there those of you who are still standing just inside the door, so to speak, and still ahve certain doctrines or practices which you still struggel with or have not fully adopted? For example do you still refrain from petitioning the saints for assistance or still feel oddly about confession?

This may be an odd question but I thought I’d ask.

Thanks for asking. What a question! May I say with all my heart, Yes! No struggles. I give up. I don’t want to decide anymore. Easter Vigil, 1995. Thanks be to Him who is all, and a total of nothing to me who is nothing. 14 years and counting. Happier than ever. God may I persevere to the end by your grace. I am Catholic.

 

[1ke]

when you became a part of the Catholic Church had you fully accepted all of the teachings of the Church?

Yes.

Are there those of you who are still standing just inside the door, so to speak, and still ahve certain doctrines or practices which you still struggel with or have not fully adopted?

Nope.

For example do you still refrain from petitioning the saints for assistance or still feel oddly about confession?

I think when it comes to spirituality, you grow over time in your knowledge of them and you find an affinity for certain devotions.

 

[Stephen3970]

Thanks for your responses.

I am not a member of the Catholic church at this point in my journey.

Of the things that i find difficulty in accepting for me it is a matter of degrees. For example, I do beleive that the saints intercede for us but I yet have a hard time with the idea of taking my prayers to anyone but Christ. I do believe there is an intermediate state after death but hesitate to take as far as the idea of purgatory (oddly enough, I developed this belief in my teens from my own reading in the Scriptures - dared not breathe a word in the churches I grew up in). I absolutely do believe in the real presence though I stop short of any attempt to explain how that is - it just is. These are but examples and this is obstinate private interpretation, simply the scope of my understanding at this point in my life.

When I consider the historical record, there is compeling support for the Catholic church’s claims in regards to who and what the church is.

In a sense, maybe I am “catholic-lite” but I have to wonder if this enough to keep me seperated from the Catholic church. I might eventually come to accept certain things at some point in my life but maybe I never will.

Sorrry if I’m rambling just thinking outloud.

 

[jpk1313]

I’m still new to the catholic faith and have a hard time undertanding purgatory. But as the church is far wiser than I could ever hope to be I accept the dogma of purgatoy on faith, And that is good enough for me.

 

[Stephen3970]

These are but examples and this is obstinate private interpretation, .

Sorry that should have been “These are but exampes and this is not obstinate private interpretation…”

 

[sckcd]

I am currently in RCIA and may join the Catholic Church when I finish. Overall, I am accepting of nearly everything the Church stands for, but I also have an issue with praying to Mary and saints. It just feels weird praying to anyone but God. It’s also hard for me to use statues to visualize. Purgatory is something I am not sure of, but it’s making more sense the more I study about it. I have decided to go on with the class and wait until I finish and see what I think about those things then.

 

[chris_molter]

Coming from Episcopalianism, the last thing I wanted to be was a dissenter from the teachings of the Church once I was a member. I didn’t ask to be received into full communion until I was ready to BE in full communion (IE full assent to all teachings of the Church)

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

Question for any former protestants here

when you became a part of the Catholic Church had you fully accepted all of the teachings of the Church? Are there those of you who are still standing just inside the door, so to speak, and still ahve certain doctrines or practices which you still struggel with or have not fully adopted? For example do you still refrain from petitioning the saints for assistance or still feel oddly about confession?

This may be an odd question but I thought I’d ask.

I converted to Catholicism as part of a promise I made to my wife.

I was not truly convicted of the Truth at the time.

My full conversion was a process. I now am fully convinced that the fullness of Truth is found in the Catholic Church.

FYI: I now find confession to be a vital and important part of my faith and I petition the saints, mostly Mary, frequently.

Most of this conversion process was due to watching EWTN then following up with reading and prayer.

I had a lousy RCIA class!

 

[ServoFides]

Question for any former protestants here.
When you became a part of the Catholic Church had you fully accepted all of the teachings of the Church?

Yes, I took my profession of faith very seriously and wouldn’t have converted otherwise.

Are there those of you who are still standing just inside the door, so to speak, and still ahve certain doctrines or practices which you still struggel with or have not fully adopted? For example do you still refrain from petitioning the saints for assistance or still feel oddly about confession?

No, I studied Catholicism extensively before my conversion. I’ve been Catholic since the 2007 Easter Vigil and am more convinced that ever that everything the Catholic Church teaches and professes has been revealed by God.