To protestant converts:

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Layman_F

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What, intellectually, brought you to Catholicism? Was there something that you learned made you go, “huh…” and started the gradual movement towards the Catholic Church? (I ask those in any step of moving towards Catholicism, not just fully converted) Mine was the communion of Saints. John 3:16 = “Oh yeah… They aren’t dead… Duh…”

edit: I assume this is as appropriate of a sub forum as any. If not, please re-place it.
 
Layman_F said:
What, intellectually, brought you to Catholicism? Was there something that you learned made you go, “huh…” and started the gradual movement towards the Catholic Church? (I ask those in any step of moving towards Catholicism, not just fully converted) Mine was the communion of Saints. John 3:16 = “Oh yeah… They aren’t dead… Duh…”

edit: I assume this is as appropriate of a sub forum as any. If not, please re-place it.
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After 20 years or more in Fundamentalism I think I can say I’m similar to a Protestant convert. I was raised Catholic and went up till 6th grade in their schools.

I railed against the CC. I threw all the talking points out there. “Whore of Babylon”, “Peter not the Rock”, etc. for a long time. The purity of apostolic tradition and the clear realization that sacrad tradition has extreme relevance lead me home among other things.

For those who never had a prior Catholic exposure, I welcome you into the true church and can only say your conversion experience, from a human standpoint, seems greater than my return. I’m looking forward to hearing true Protestant conversion stories.
 
You said intellectually, but I have to preface by saying that I simply knew this is where God wanted me. I knew this for years, but it didn’t make much sense to me at the time. I even slept with a rosary of my Great Aunt’s for 15 years before coming to a final decision. There are other important factors, but they are personal.

Anyway, you’ve asked for intellectual ones.
Let’s see,
  • It never made sense to me why we didn’t have certain books of the Bible.
  • The services seemed to have too many football and fishing analogies which could have been omitted.
  • The Bible says to confess your sins to one another yet, no one seemed to do this. The only example I could think of was Catholics going to confession.
  • I saw our constitution being changed after hundreds of years only to suit the needs of four or five people. They went so far as to call an “emergency” deacon’s meeting regarding one issue and they made certain anyone who would have a disenting vote wasn’t available at the last minute to push it through and others out. (who were they to have the final word anyway?)
  • More changes. They called an open member meeting this time. The majority of people were against these changes and they had an open meeting of members to vote. Only one person stood to vote no - even though all these people disagreed with what was being done, knew it would not be a positive change, complained about, etc. None of them were willing to stand and fight for what they believed was right. (yeah, I was the lone vote)
  • I brought in new ways to engage the children with learning which had many positive results. I felt there were times when it was okay for children to be children, but I did not feel our sanctuary (chapel ) was an appropriate place or time for this. Some things should be left with the respect and reverence they deserve. This is not an area for children to play.
  • The Catholic Church allows for some change as times, but also leaves things sacred and very few changes. ( in comparison to what I’ve witnessed) I felt many Protestants were on a slippery slope with all the changes, but sadly many weren’t aware or vocal.
  • The devil is very real. Therefore - these saints and angels must play an important role.
  • (too many changes)I believe there is a need to adjust and relate to youth, but that is why we have youth departments. Changing the way we worship our Lord is sacred and should be treated as such.
  • A desire for something where people think more - if that makes sense?
  • A desire for stability and tradition.
I could list a dozen more, but won’t bore you. 🙂
 
Layman_F said:
What, intellectually, brought you to Catholicism? Was there something that you learned made you go, “huh…” and started the gradual movement towards the Catholic Church? (I ask those in any step of moving towards Catholicism, not just fully converted) Mine was the communion of Saints. John 3:16 = “Oh yeah… They aren’t dead… Duh…”

edit: I assume this is as appropriate of a sub forum as any. If not, please re-place it.
Click to expand...
In a word…history.

In more than a word…the origins of the Bible, the ECFs, the primacy of Peter, and the realization that God is not the author of confusion nor division (two character traits of Protestantism).
 
My journey was longer than I originally thought.

I grew up as a “low” Anglican – very protestant.

In university a couple of Anglican friends introduced me to a new idea of what ‘church’ means. I had always thought the church was simply the body of all believers. These Anglicans spoke of a church that was a divine institution and that it had an earthly organization involving Bishops, etc.

Jump ahead a couple of decades. I had been attending Catholic Mass with my wife and kids as well as the occasional Anglican service.
Here’s what eventually brought me home: A Catholic friend gave me a small book, “Confessions of a Roman Catholic”. At the same time I was becoming increasingly aware of a key intellectual difference between the Catholic Church and the Anglican community. I could not find any ‘official’ teaching from the Anglicans. The Church, however, had the Pope and the Magisterium, along with the Catechism. The booklet I referred to above helped me realize that the Church that Jesus established is a teaching Church, and one that teaches with authority. I could find no such thing in any protestant community.

It comes down to this. I knew I had to come to the Church:
  1. that Jesus established,
  2. the Church with clear teachings on faith and morals and
  3. the (only) Church that teaches with divine authority.
 
I’ve been a Christian for 30 years within the Evangelical spectrum. What brought me to Catholicism: I finally read the Bible for myself & felt like I couldn’t reconcile things like Calvin’s TULIP or Once Saved Always Saved. After sifting through tons of denominations, the closest expression I could see that mirrored what the Bible actually taught was Catholicism. That brought me to the writings of the early church fathers. When I compared the history & longevity of the Catholic church to the ill-effects of the Protestant Reformation & my own experience, I knew there was no other logical choice. It scared me, really, to be faced with Catholicism. It was the last place I ever thought I’d end up! I didn’t just jump on the bandwagon… I tried to gloss over it… took my time… but almost a decade later, I know this is where God has been leading me all along. I’ll be confirmed this Easter Vigil! 👍
 
I’ve been seriously thinking about becoming Catholic and while I still have a few issues with the Church there are many more things I like about it.

I’ve always felt that worship should have dignity about it and many Protestant churches do not. I like the idea of communion every Sunday as well as saying the creeds and such. It makes me feel like I’m actively participating in the service as opposed to filling a seat.

On another note, I like the Church’s teachings on many day to day things. Also, the Catholics I’ve met seem to be much better people than many Protestants. I’m not from a Christian family (though I am one) and it’s caused me some problems with other Christians (my high school, a Christian one, initially rejected me because of that and, once I got in, was essentially told that people with my background were undesirable and would likely cause problems). Whereas no Catholic I’ve talked to cares about where you came from or your family, they only care about you and where you are now.
 
faithtrekker said:
i’ve been a christian for 30 years within the evangelical spectrum. What brought me to catholicism: I finally read the bible for myself & felt like i couldn’t reconcile things like calvin’s tulip or once saved always saved. After sifting through tons of denominations, the closest expression i could see that mirrored what the bible actually taught was catholicism. That brought me to the writings of the early church fathers. When i compared the history & longevity of the catholic church to the ill-effects of the protestant reformation & my own experience, i knew there was no other logical choice. It scared me, really, to be faced with catholicism. It was the last place i ever thought i’d end up! I didn’t just jump on the bandwagon… I tried to gloss over it… Took my time… But almost a decade later, i know this is where god has been leading me all along. I’ll be confirmed this easter vigil! 👍
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:)Welcome Home!!🙂
 
I’m sure there a thousands of reasons why people convert or leave. For me, I felt called to do so. For 9 months friends, family, church folks have been asking the question why like there was something I needed to justify.

Layman, don’t look at conversion as an intellectual decision. Should be a spiritual one. I never thought I would be converting faith at 36. I have just 3 weeks till the big day 🙂 and feeling the holy spirit within me.
 
trinityleaders said:
I’m sure there a thousands of reasons why people convert or leave. For me, I felt called to do so. For 9 months friends, family, church folks have been asking the question why like there was something I needed to justify.

Layman, don’t look at conversion as an intellectual decision. Should be a spiritual one.** I never thought I would be converting faith at 36. I have just 3 weeks till the big day 🙂 and feeling the holy spirit within me.**
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You’re awful young to be converting doncha think? I waited until I was 38!😃
Welcome home trinityleaders.

I’ll offer this prayer up for you:

A Prayer for Catechumens

Father of love and power,
it is your will to establish everything in Christ
and to draw us into his all-embracing love.

Guide these chosen ones:
strengthen them in their vocation,
build them into the kingdom of your Son,
and seal them with the Spirit of your promise.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.​
 
trinityleaders said:
I’m sure there a thousands of reasons why people convert or leave. For me, I felt called to do so. For 9 months friends, family, church folks have been asking the question why like there was something I needed to justify.

Layman, don’t look at conversion as an intellectual decision. Should be a spiritual one. I never thought I would be converting faith at 36. I have just 3 weeks till the big day 🙂 and feeling the holy spirit within me.
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LOL~ Everyone asked me the same thing! Especially at the church and other Catholics. All the time! It was a little off putting as many asked this in such a scrutinizing manner. It was as if I was some anomaly or they wanted some secret word to be said. 🤷
 
For me it was finally understanding Mary’s place within the life of the Church. The second was discovering that the Bible was a product (so to speak) of the Church not vice versa. After that, it was the Church’s authority given to it by Christ. I suppose it should have been the 3rd reason first, but God works with us where we are (for which I will be eternally grateful). If he had waited for me to “get” authority ahead of my other concerns I may not have been reconciled to the Church. Still, who can say what other ways he would have drawn me to the truth? For first and foremost we must be open to hearing the truth before it can penetrate our biases, preconceptions, and misinformation.
 
I’ve been searching for MANY years but didn’t know what it was I was searching for. My faith never wavered through the years, although my prayer life left a lot to be desired. Oh, I would pray for this person or that situation, but nothing regular. I considered many churches (denominations, traditions, whatever you want to call them) and nothing, nothing drew me. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law (devout Catholics) graciously invited me to go to Spain with them in 2010, and while there we visited a number of cathedrals. Oh. My. Talk about being drawn in! I didn’t want to leave any of them. The presence of God in those beautiful places was palpable. Right after that trip to Spain I began chemotherapy to treat breast cancer and really began to examine my life. Yep, it was the 2x4 between the eyes LOL. Fast forward a year. One day I just had a thought to read the Catholic catechism, but I have to admit it was more to disprove than to prove anything. When I began to read I looked for something, anything, to disagree with. I haven’t found it yet. About halfway through the catechism at vatican.va I realized that this was what I had been search for all these years. Each morning I get up, fix my cuppa coffee, and go directly to my prayers, my Magnificat of the month, my Little Black Book for Lent, my beautiful rosary, and whatever else I have to read.

I have read “Rome Sweet Home” by Dr. Scott Hahn and his beautiful wife Kimberly Hahn. What a powerful testimony. If you haven’t read it, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Words cannot express how much I want to be received into the Catholic Church. I will begin RCIA in September–Hey, Reginator and trinityleaders – I have you both beat! I will be 63 when I’m received during the Easter Vigil in 2013.
 
Such beautiful stories of conversion…

Entering the church at 63!!! Hoo(name removed by moderator)mie, you give me hope for my parents and my Grandma (my only living Grandparent, who’s in her mid-late 70’s). As a 2009 convert myself I extend my welcome!

For me it started with understanding the Eucharist. This was back in 2007 - I had become a Christian (non-denominational) in 2003 after reading C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters). It gradually blossomed into the fullness of the faith as I sincerely sought God with what I’d yet been given. God revealed my need for the Eucharist by bringing my attention to John 6 on certain occasions of weakness - “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” I first resisted some of the other doctrines of Catholicism - especially that of Mary - but all in all, I realized the weight of the Eucharist and the weight of sound, rich, steeped-in-scripture teachings of the Catechism far outweighed any objections I might have. Since I became Catholic, my parents noticed a stability and a certainty about me that before I had lacked. I am grateful to God for the structure and the security of being in His Church. Literally starts my eyes welling up. I entered with my Niece (who was 9), and my older brother entered last year’s Easter Vigil!
 
For me it was: “Oops, they don’t believe in justification by works (without grace). Now why am I Lutheran?” It took a while for me to understand. After that everything kind of fell into place and it made sense to me why the Catholic Church is the True Church of Christ. 🙂
 
Layman_F said:
What, intellectually, brought you to Catholicism? Was there something that you learned made you go, “huh…” and started the gradual movement towards the Catholic Church? (I ask those in any step of moving towards Catholicism, not just fully converted) Mine was the communion of Saints. John 3:16 = “Oh yeah… They aren’t dead… Duh…”

edit: I assume this is as appropriate of a sub forum as any. If not, please re-place it.
Click to expand...
Real Presence. My parents taught us that, as Jesus says, the bread and the wine become/are the Body and Blood of Christ. The reverence, the respect for God…mostly walking into the church and knowing God is really there, just feeling it, I never had that feeling in a Protestant church.

Having the likely unique experience of never thinking my parents were wrong—ok, they’re human, they’re not perfect, I’m talking about that stage “everyone” supposedly goes through, I did not—when this was not what they said at church, I went with what my parents taught me, as a teenager I started looking, my parents actually somewhat encouraged attendence in the Catholic church. My sisters had become Catholic already and my mom had always gone to Mass during her lunch hour as the church was across the street from her work. I finally went through RCIA in college 🙂 I knew I couldn’t just keep visiting Jesus at the Catholic Church and going to the Protestant church just because that’s where I grew up, that’s not why you go to church.
 
I’m in the process of converting, mostly finding a suitable parish and attending Mass regularly.
What brought me to the Church is pretty simple: as far as I can tell, all the practices of the Church are entirely Biblical and can be supported by Scripture.
 
Kouyate42 said:
I’m in the process of converting, mostly finding a suitable parish and attending Mass regularly.
What brought me to the Church is pretty simple: as far as I can tell, all the practices of the Church are entirely Biblical and can be supported by Scripture.
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Welcome home, Kouyate! 👋 Your last statement was the clincher for me, as well. As a Pentecostalist I was taught that everything had to be explicitly taught in the Bible, and yet, we had practices and beliefs that weren’t stated anywhere in Scripture. It was when I understood that the Bible is the witness to the New Covenant in Christ and not a proof text that I was forever free of scouring verses to try to come up with ways to refute the Church–as pointless an exercise as anyone could undertake, as I now look back on it. 🙂
 
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