Questions

[UndecidedOne]

Hello. I’m new on these forums and had a few questions. First I will give a a little background of my upbringing and the such.

I was born into a Protestant family and my grandfather was a Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church. I was raised in the Church and in a school my grandfather founded, and grew up never really interested or aware of Catholicism. I thought they were weird people and I was raised with a bias against them. All of my years in pre-school to high school I have attended a private Protestant Christian school. And recently I have began studying Church History in my Bible class. This sparked my interest in Catholicism.

For the past few months I have been reading and looking into Catholicism, and after Christmas I plan on buying a few books that will help my curiousity out. I had never been or even thought about going to a Catholic Mass, but this year I went to one with a friend. I’ve gone to about four and really like it a lot.

Some questions I have are about Mary, Purgatory, Indulgences, Saints, Prayers to Saints, Transubstantiation, and the Apocrypha. I have bought a Catechism of the Catholic Church, but it is very difficult to read. Therefore I plan on buying a few books that will help me get a better understanding of the basics before I read something of that nature. Any recommendations of books would be appreciated. And if you would like to help me in this “quest” for the True Church I will give you my e-mail so I can ask you questions away from the forums.

Thanks,

God Bless and Peace be with you!

 

[setitstraight]

I have read through Catholicsm for Dummies and I didn’t notice anything out of place. Here is a link to take a look at. It’s easy to read and follow, it also covers a lot of territory.

catholiccompany.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=3837&AID=117&new=yes&gclid=CPGytbn4i4kCFSJYPgodODNLBg

Can you trust this book to be accurate? I just found out that it is:

" Nihil Obstat:

Rev. Daniel J. Mahan, STB, STL
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:
Rev. Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel
Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia
Indianapolis, Indiana - March 25, 2003
Feast of the Annunciation

The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error."

 

[Sabda]

May God bless you on your journey. While I haven’t read it personally I have heard many people recommend ‘Catholicism For Dummies’. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is the Catechism put into simple question and answer format. You would find that easier to read than the Catechism itself. There are many other books out there that you can put on your list. I’m sure you’ll get a really good list of books to read when this thread is done.

As for your questions. If you’ll post each question on an individual thread we’ll be happy to answer all your questions to the best of our ability. Welcome to the forums.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

“Rome sweet Home” - Scott and Kimberly Hahn awesome biography of one couples journey from Protestantism to Catholisim.

Patrick Madrid has some good books:

“Answer me this”
“Where is that in the Bible”
“Why is that in Tradition”
“Surprised by truth”

All of these aided me and answered my questions about the faith.
Good luck and God Bless

 

[sterryfamily]

Really, I think the best place to start is to read the many good tracts right here on CA. Go to catholic.com and look in the LIBRARY.

I also really like Stephen Ray’s books. He is very thorough. Start with Crossing the Tiber.

 

[JMJDevotee]

I would also try Why do Catholics Do That? It was very informative to me when I converted.

Pax Vobiscum

 

[AdvanceAlways]

Catholicism For Dummies is a great, great resource. Highly recommended!

 

[jmcrae]

I want to second the recommendation for the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - I just picked up my copy a few days ago, and I’m really enjoying it. Other books I’d recommend are Fundamentals of the Faith, by Peter Kreeft, and This is the Faith, by Canon Francis Ripley.

 

[AMH]

I also grew up in a strong Southern Baptist background, and my grandfather was a deacon of the church. My husband and I recently converted to Catholicism and it was the absolute best decision that we’ve ever made!

I also recommend Scott and Kimberly Hahn’s book Rome Sweet Home. It’s very easy to read, written in a conversational manner, and it covers almost all of the major parts of Catholic belief in an easy to understand format. The first book that I read on my quest was Surprised By Truth by Patrick Madrid. These are all short conversion stories. I think there are three books in the Surprised by Truth series now.

I listened to alot of Catholic radio and watched alot of EWTN. I loved the Journey Home series on EWTN, also all conversion stories. If you go to EWTN’s website, all of the episodes are there and you can pick out recordings that appeal to you. They will be labeled like “Southern Baptist becomes Dominic Priest” or “Former Aethiest Conversion”. It was helpful to me as I first started to sort through the language and beliefs of the Church to hear other people’s conversions. Sometimes it helped to know that I wasn’t alone in my feelings or that others had walked the path prior to me.

I’m new to the faith and I certainly don’t have all of the answers! However, I have found a deep and profound love of the Catholic Church and all that it teaches and represents, and if I have any knowledge that I can share to help you on your quest then I would be more than happy to do it.

Angela

 

[Atreyu]

Hello. I’m new on these forums and had a few questions. First I will give a a little background of my upbringing and the such.

I was born into a Protestant family and my grandfather was a Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church. I was raised in the Church and in a school my grandfather founded, and grew up never really interested or aware of Catholicism. I thought they were weird people and I was raised with a bias against them. All of my years in pre-school to high school I have attended a private Protestant Christian school. And recently I have began studying Church History in my Bible class. This sparked my interest in Catholicism.

For the past few months I have been reading and looking into Catholicism, and after Christmas I plan on buying a few books that will help my curiousity out. I had never been or even thought about going to a Catholic Mass, but this year I went to one with a friend. I’ve gone to about four and really like it a lot.

Some questions I have are about Mary, Purgatory, Indulgences, Saints, Prayers to Saints, Transubstantiation, and the Apocrypha. I have bought a Catechism of the Catholic Church, but it is very difficult to read. Therefore I plan on buying a few books that will help me get a better understanding of the basics before I read something of that nature. Any recommendations of books would be appreciated. And if you would like to help me in this “quest” for the True Church I will give you my e-mail so I can ask you questions away from the forums.

Thanks,

God Bless and Peace be with you!

I would second the library here at Catholic Answers. The writings there cover a range of topics, and importantly they are both brief and free. For me, this means it is a great starting point!

Feel free to send me a private message if you would like. Otherwise, if you read something in the library and have further questions about it, you could start a new thread on that topic.

 

[BlestOne]

Welcome Undecided One! We pray that your experience here is joyous and enlightening. If you don’t mind a piece of advice, I am going to suggest that after you start reading the information in the library, you will have questions no doubt. Try to keep your questions simple and one topic at a time. You will find it much easier to follow this way. Also remember that we (posters) are not the final authoritative say on any matter, but you will find many of us pretty knowledgable anyway. Be patient, you will have many questions, and we will help as our talents allow.

Welcome to CA!!!

 

[cherirose]

I came into the Church following almost the exact same path as you did. Here is a long list of books that I compiled some time ago, almost all of which I’ve read (a couple have been recommended to me). Since our experience is so similar, maybe I can help you out. Please do give me your email. You are welcome to bounce questions and struggles off of me. Here is the book list:

Most of these books are Catholic apologetics by actual Catholics, not by Protestants interpreting Catholic doctrine. I have included only one book by a Protestant that explains Catholic doctrine while yet defending Protestantism, and that is the one by Norman Geisler. His is the only decent one I have come across. Most books written by Protestants about Catholicism are either sensationalistic, like “The Woman Who Rides the Beast”, or are full of errors or poor explanations. They are not worth the paper they’re printed on. This list doesn’t include everything I’ve read, just everything I can remember. I also studied Orthodoxy, but I didn’t include those books.

List of Books About Catholicism (and anything else worth reading during such a study)

Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic, by David Currie
Catholicism and Fundamentalism, by Karl Keating (edgier than most in its criticism of Protestant doctrines but good apologetic explanations)
Pope Fiction, by Patrick Madrid (explains myths and misconceptions about the papacy)
Surprised by Truth (vol. 1, 2, 3), edited by Patrick Madrid (collection of testimonies)
A Biblical Defense of Catholicism, by Dave Armstrong
History of the Church, by Eusebius—the key for me in the whole study was this book
Didache (1st-century document)—HIGHLY recommended, no matter what your affiliation
Anything by early Christians, fathers, or doctors of the Church—I have “A Treasury of Early Christianity” that I got used at Loomes Theological Booksellers)—
My Life on the Rock, by Jeff Cavins—an internationally known author/Bible teacher
I’m Not Being Fed, by Jeff Cavins (on the Eucharist)
Any Bible study by Jeff Cavins
The Compact History of the Catholic Church—Alan Schreck
Anything else by Alan Schreck
The Rapture Trap, by Paul Thigpen (on Revelation)
Evangelical is Not Enough, by Thomas Howard
By What Authority: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition, by Mark Shea
Church History in Plain Language, by Bruce Shelley (a Protestant history but relatively unbiased, readable, and well-done)
The Catholic Verses: 95 Bible Passages That Confound Protestants, by Dave Armstrong
Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton
Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (one of the few truly respectful books on Catholicism and therefore one of the only ones worth reading by a Protestant that I’ve seen)
Anything by Scott Hahn, especially “Rome Sweet Home”
Anything by Christopher West (marriage and sexuality)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Can Protestants and Catholics Get Together?
Denominational Reunion
Any pamphlets by Knights of Columbus
Handbook of Christian Denominations
The Way/The Truth/The Life–Carlson (Orthodoxy)
Crossing the Tiber—author?

C

 

[RobedWithLight]

Crossing the Tiber ??

Actually, it was mentioned in an earlier post that the author of that book is Stephen Ray.

 

[rtconstant]

I was a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church and the son of Baptist Preacher. My connection to Catholicism began when I did some consultant work for a local priory. I became close with many of the people there and went to Mass a few times.

Anyway there was an attached school and the children there who had gotten used to me decided to light a candle for me on my last day and asked for the Blessed Virgin Mary to take care of me. It was very sweet.

Anyway, I went my way but never forgot about the church. I started to read the early church fathers, and my Bible. Eventually I picked up a Catechism. These things are what actually convinced me of the Truth of Catholicism. But you know what? When I think back to I always go back to those little children asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to look after me. I think she heard them and got some ideas of her own

It might sound silly but I really do think that’s where it started.

Anyway, the others here have all given you excellent advice and I’d listen to them. Most of those that post here help me on a daily basis. They clarify things for me and introduce me to books, authors, apologists and saints that I’m not aware of. They may not realize it but they do. This community can be excellent resource in and of itself.

So my advice to you is to keep posting here. Never be afraid to ask questions and seek clarification. Also make use of the Ask an Apologist forum, I’m happy for you and the journey you are about to start. While I might be jumping the gun a bit let say: “Welcome home.”

 

[ricko]

Congratulations. I commend you on your open mind and willingness to seek the Truth, which you will find in the Catholic Church.

God Bless

 

[MrStain]

“Rome sweet Home” - Scott and Kimberly Hahn awesome biography of one couples journey from Protestantism to Catholisim.

Patrick Madrid has some good books:

“Answer me this”
“Where is that in the Bible”
“Why is that in Tradition”
“Surprised by truth”

All of these aided me and answered my questions about the faith.
Good luck and God Bless

Rome Sweet Home is a great recommendation. Scott Hahn’s explanation of covenants as well as the usual Protestant hang-ups (Mary, Contraception, Saints, Authority, etc.) was very influential in helping me open my eyes to the truth of the Catholic Church. I like what he said about the Eucharist: *“They (Protestants) study the menu while we (Catholics) enjoy the Meal”. *Also, I never even noticed 1 Tim 3:15 until I read that book.

 

[MrStain]

I was a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church and the son of Baptist Preacher. My connection to Catholicism began when I did some consultant work for a local priory. I became close with many of the people there and went to Mass a few times.

God bless the Souther Baptist church! The morning after my very first deacon meeting I called my pastor to inform him that I had to leave the church. I did not tell him exactly why, but I was well on my journey home at this point and I could no longer ignore what I felt in my heart. God sure has strange timing!

Anyway there was an attached school and the children there who had gotten used to me decided to light a candle for me on my last day and asked for the Blessed Virgin Mary to take care of me. It was very sweet.

Anyway, I went my way but never forgot about the church. I started to read the early church fathers, and my Bible. Eventually I picked up a Catechism. These things are what actually convinced me of the Truth of Catholicism. But you know what? When I think back to I always go back to those little children asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to look after me. I think she heard them and got some ideas of her own

It might sound silly but I really do think that’s where it started.

It’s definitely not silly. If it wasn’t for this strange desire of mine to defend the Blessed Mother in our Baptist Bible studies I wouldn’t be the fairly new Catholic convert I am today. I can only believe that our Lord or His Mother gave me those feelings. Thanks be to God!

Anyway, the others here have all given you excellent advice and I’d listen to them. Most of those that post here help me on a daily basis. They clarify things for me and introduce me to books, authors, apologists and saints that I’m not aware of. They may not realize it but they do. This community can be excellent resource in and of itself.

So my advice to you is to keep posting here. Never be afraid to ask questions and seek clarification. Also make use of the Ask an Apologist forum, I’m happy for you and the journey you are about to start. While I might be jumping the gun a bit let say: “Welcome home.”

Great advice! This site helped me in many of the same ways. Plus, where else could I see many of my new beliefs put to the test, and pass with flying colors, day in and day out . I am in debt to the defenders of the faith here on this forum. God bless all my Christian brothers and sisters.

 

[AlegreFe]

Welcome UndecidedOne! I hope you enjoy your stay here at these forums. I will pray for you and may God bless you on your Journey into the New Jerusalem!

A good place you can start is to listen to Cathoic Radio one of which is Relevant Radio and another would be EWTN Cathoic Radio. You could also watch EWTN on cable or dish and on the internet.

There are so many conversion stories on CD and DVD!

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[AlegreFe]

Crossing the Tiber ??

Actually, it was mentioned in an earlier post that the author of that book is Stephen Ray.

:yup: Here is i70.photobucket.com/albums/i85/Alegre-Fe/Emoticons/Pray.gif"]his website! And here is the webpage with the books that he wrote. He didn’t write all of the books that are there but he has forwards in the ones that he did not write.

This is an excellent webpage from his site. It’s bit lengthy but well worth it to save this page on your “favorites” on your computer. It has all of his different writings about the faith.

 

[MrStain]

I also grew up in a strong Southern Baptist background, and my grandfather was a deacon of the church. My husband and I recently converted to Catholicism and it was the absolute best decision that we’ve ever made!

I also recommend Scott and Kimberly Hahn’s book Rome Sweet Home. It’s very easy to read, written in a conversational manner, and it covers almost all of the major parts of Catholic belief in an easy to understand format. The first book that I read on my quest was Surprised By Truth by Patrick Madrid. These are all short conversion stories. I think there are three books in the Surprised by Truth series now.

I listened to alot of Catholic radio and watched alot of EWTN. I loved the Journey Home series on EWTN, also all conversion stories. If you go to EWTN’s website, all of the episodes are there and you can pick out recordings that appeal to you. They will be labeled like “Southern Baptist becomes Dominic Priest” or “Former Aethiest Conversion”. It was helpful to me as I first started to sort through the language and beliefs of the Church to hear other people’s conversions. Sometimes it helped to know that I wasn’t alone in my feelings or that others had walked the path prior to me.

I’m new to the faith and I certainly don’t have all of the answers! However, I have found a deep and profound love of the Catholic Church and all that it teaches and represents, and if I have any knowledge that I can share to help you on your quest then I would be more than happy to do it.

Angela

I think many of us x-Southern Baptists have been blessed in recent years to have similar conversions. I am also fairly new to the Catholic Church (Confirmed Easter '06), and I can say that EWTN and The Journey Home played quite a role in my journey. I first stumbled across EWTN in the middle of the night one night when I was channel surfing and trying to fall back to sleep. This hard talking priest (Father Corapi) was on TV speaking with a very distinct voice and he was preaching with such conviction that it reminded me of a fire and brimstone Southern Baptist minister. I was so impressed with his message that I kept waking up in the middle of the night to try to catch this guy again. Well, before you know it I was watching Mother Angelica, Father Groeschel, etc. and it wasn’t long before there was another EWTN convert.

Thank God for EWTN!