What are some reasons in your opinion to convert religions?

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Anna4

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As a cradle Catholic, I’m looking into possibly converting to Orthodoxy. I find their theology more logical and pure, and the first time I attended a Divine Liturgy I literally felt that was the true church. All I could think of was “holy! Holy! Holy!” I’m not sure if it was that particular church or is all orthodoxy so holy? Everything about Orthodoxy seems to have profound spiritual meaning and I’ve always been more of a mystical person.

But I don’t want to commit until I know for sure I will spend the rest of my life with it.

Have you ever converted religions and what made you make the move?
 
Before you leave, please try at least two things:
  1. Find the nearest Latin Mass (one in full communion with the Catholic Church) and attend at least 10 Latin Masses
  2. and/or if there is an Eastern Catholic Church near you, please attend there.
Basically everything you can experience in the Orthodox Churches you can experience in the Catholic Church.

God Bless
 
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Before I became a christian, I was a muslim (a sufi, to be exact). I followed Islam for 6 years. Sometimes I yearn to go back to Islam because I had so many good memories from when I followed it. Ramadan was basically a month long celebration and I enjoyed taking part in the Tarawih prayer; it’s a prayer in which you recite a big portion of the Qur’an every night, divided into 30 parts (known as Juz). So yeah, I do miss Islam kinda.

But, on the other hand, I have to follow truth wherever it takes me, even if it takes me to a place I don’t want to go. I know for a fact that Muhammad contradicted the Qur’an, therefore Islam cannot possibly be true. Besides, Christianity feeds my soul more than Islam ever did. We have the Bible, which could not have been written by anyone apart from God.

I have peace with God now, but Islam never leads to inner peace. In Islam, you have to rely on your performance to get you into Paradise. It leads to pride or despair because you’re either at a point where you say “I’ve done enough!” or you’re thinking “Oh no, I don’t think I’ve done enough”. Walking and talking with God is beyond what I ever thought was possible.
 
Anna4 said:
Have you ever converted religions and what made you make the move?
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I don’t want to nitpick, but if you should decide to become an Orthodox Christian, you wouldn’t change religions. You would still be a Christian 😉
Anna4 said:
But I don’t want to commit until I know for sure I will spend the rest of my life with it.
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I’m a Protestant on my way to Catholicism. It is a slow and long-winded road, and a road on which discernment and spiritual direction play a big role. Sometimes what seems like a good idea isn’t one ; and, conversely, something you are feeling less drawn to sometimes reveals itself as your right place in this world. I’d say don’t tackle this alone. Talk to your priest, or to a good spiritual director.
Anna4 said:
Everything about Orthodoxy seems to have profound spiritual meaning and I’ve always been more of a mystical person.
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Before you make the move, have you taken a good and serious look at the spiritual meaning of how faith is lived out in Catholicism ? This is one of the first thing I did, confronting my own tradition and asking myself : this thing I am yearning for, am I really sure I can’t find it in what I have now ?
Anna4 said:
Have you ever converted religions and what made you make the move?
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In my case, apostolic succession, the fulness of the truth, and the Eucharist.

I’d be wary of making such a decision based only on feelings or spiritual experiences. Sure, they are important, but I think as full an intellectual assent as you can achieve is necessary too.
 
Thank you, I’ve been looking up Eastern Catholicism. I will do these things. I really appreciate your response. God bless.
 
Thank you for your response. Haha yes I understand it’s still Christian it’s just an easier way to explain things to get people to explore their lives if they convert it outside of Christianity etc.

I don’t just convert or move based on spiritual experiences. If I did I would’ve become a shaman. I am currently exploring the Catholic faith and what we believe, and the Orthodox faith and what they believe. It seems the Orthodox faith to me seems more pure, I don’t understand why priests have to be single, I don’t understand why the Catholics believe a lot of things that seem to be a jump from tradition such as immaculate conception (I believe it, but don’t consider it dogma), the ultimate power of the pope, divorce, and I’ve never felt at home with a rosary but have been drawn to the healing power of prayer ropes. The western traditions seem to place much more understanding of what God is while the eastern rights focus on what God isn’t, which to me makes me understand got better. As well, the Western right spoke us on the good Friday Passover, while the eastern rights focus on the resurrection, which I believe is truly more powerful.

As far as talking to a priest, that’s the real problem. I don’t have a priest because I haven’t found the Catholic Church where I feel totally at home. I can’t trust my life and my soul with something that I don’t know it’s true. Not saying Christianity is not true. It is, but I’ve just never felt at church that I feel understands and connects to me spiritually, as well as connects me to who God truly is. I do most of the connecting alone but I long for a community & a connection to God that feels right. I felt that for the first time in an Orthodox church, and I have been looking up the theology and feels more logical to me. However I realize the similarities of all. Somethings about the Orthodox I do not like or how exclusive they are towards Catholics. Catholics are more inclusive toward the Orthodox which I feel is true love.
 
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I can understand the aesthetic and liturgical appeal of Eastern Christianity, but some of Eastern Christianity is also fully Catholic, and ultimately there is only one Christ. Orthodox to the east and Protestants to the west, but the Church is in the center and the heart.

I converted to Catholicism because I believe that is the Church that Jesus Christ founded with Peter and the apostles to withstand every trial in every age. I also believe that the Church is a Church for people of every race and tongue and nation, and Orthodox churches tend to be rigidly delineated on ethnic grounds and I don’t believe that is God’s will.

Peace.
 
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The only reason to convert to a religion is if you’re convinced of its Truth. The trappings can be pleasant in any religion, I’m personally fond of Zen / Buddhist aesthetics, but that doesn’t make the religion True.

You are responding to an emotional experience, which is not a solid basis for making a choice like this. You need to examine the evidence and see which religion is actually TRUE.

As another poster mentioned, seek out a Tradition Latin Parish. You’ll likely find it more than fulfills your needs for a “Holy, Holy, HOLY” liturgy.
Anna4 said:
As well, the Western right spoke us on the good Friday Passover, while the eastern rights focus on the resurrection, which I believe is truly more powerful.
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The Western Rite places and emphasis on both… You can’t have Easter Sunday without Good Friday and, honestly, Good Friday was the more important of the two. Easter Sunday may have confirmed Christ’s status as The Son, but it was Good Friday that actually accomplished the work of salvation…
 
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The Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ. Pray and ask Jesus to guide you.
Sorry for my opinion.
 
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I appreciate this and have been praying for truth. However historically speaking both churches were born out of Jesus Christ and just had a schism in history so technically both are from the same origin.
 
Thank you, I appreciate your response. I do agree that conversion should be a revelation of truth and not emotional. If that were the case I would have gone to shamanism. Obviously I’m thinking about this because I am investigating truth.
 
OddBird said:
I don’t want to nitpick, but if you should decide to become an Orthodox Christian, you wouldn’t change religions. You would still be a Christian 😉
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Back in the day (about a decade or so ago) a number of us changed our profiles to read
Religion: Christianity
Location: Catholicism [or Orthodoxy or Anglicanism or whatever the case my be]

However, this never became a major trend (and the name of this sub-forum continued to be “Non-Catholic Religions” so … )
 
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Anna4 said:
Have you ever converted religions and what made you make the move?
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I’ve not converted. I do understand the pull of Orthodoxy; their liturgy is beautiful. That said, you could do a Byzantine or Maronite mass and have the best of both worlds.

To me I suppose the question of conversion rests on one simple question:

Is it true?

If the religion you want to convert to is true, then you need to convert. If it is not, then you need to stay put.
 
A few minor changes but in my opinion Jesus only founded one Church. Jesus will guide you I am sure of that. Best of luck.
 
Hi Anna. While it can be beneficial to ask other posters for their thoughts, I think it is even more important to keep visiting your local Orthodox parish while you deliberate.
 
Thank you for your thoughts. I’m currently seeking the truth. As PJPll says they are both 2 lungs of the same church. Both are true but I question some of the Catholic customs. I suppose they are only cosmetic and don’t have a real impact on the big picture. I don’t understand why the churches are not united
 
Thanks so much Peter. I’m currently continuing to investigate Orthodox and Eastern Catholic parishes. That’s how I will essentially get my answer. It’s just helpful to see how others decided what to follow.
 
Anna4 said:
Thank you, I appreciate your response. I do agree that conversion should be a revelation of truth and not emotional. If that were the case I would have gone to shamanism. Obviously I’m thinking about this because I am investigating truth.
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Anna,

I highly recommend you read these following 2 books by Steve Ray
Plus this 32 page booklet: We Have a Pope: 2,000 Years of Preserving the Faith - Steve Ray's Store

Steve Ray is a Catholic convert from the Baptist tradition. However, he spent a lot of time investigating Eastern Orthodoxy before becoming Catholic.

Finally, I also recommend this website for Catholic vs Eastern Orthodox answers: http://2lungs.com/

God Bless
 
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Some politics. Some theology. Some bad blood.

The Politics and Bad Blood are fixable. It’s been a long time since the fourth crusade.

The theology is harder. Filioque is a thing (The Holy Spirit is breathed from the Father and the Son. The Orthodox had a serious issue with this).

Also, their is good history and theology behind the primacy of the Papacy. It would be hard for the Patriarchs to submit themselves.

Good Luck. I would check out some of the Eastern rite churches that are still in communion with Rome. As I said before, you get the best of both worlds. And Eastern style liturgy is just stunning. I love icons. I love romanesque churches. I love the incense. It’s awesome.

I’ll pray for you!
 
Anna4 said:
Both are true but I question some of the Catholic customs.
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do an in depth study over what concerns you. After much study I found the Catholic Church to be the most logical and biblical.
Anna4 said:
I suppose they are only cosmetic and don’t have a real impact on the big picture.
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Depends on which things are bothering you. You mentioned the issue of priests not being allowed to marry. The Orthodox believe this also. Once ordained a man can’t marry. The only difference is the Orthodox will ordain married men. The Latin Rite does not with a few exceptions such as Anglican’s who convert.
Anna4 said:
I don’t understand why the churches are not united
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it is a huge scandal for all of Christianity. When I was discerning which Church to join, Orthodox or Catholic, it all came down to St. Peter, and his role in the church. After reading the Old Testament and the New Testament and the meaning of the ‘Keys to the Kingdom’. I could only conclude that while the King is away his chief steward holds the keys to all of the King’s kingdom. There are many stewards in a kingdom, responsible for different things but only 1 chief steward.

Therefore, I concluded that the church which has Peter has authority.
 
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