What do you miss being a convert from Catholicism to Protestantism?

[benidict]

Hi folks,

as most of you know, I am a convert from Catholicms to Protestantism (to be accurate to Baptists).

I really like my new brothers and sisters in Christ. The community is just great. Everybody’s coming to you, talking to you (also if he doesn’t know you), asking you how you are etc.
This is one of the points, I really missed in Catholicism - the community.

But now to my question:
2 things I really liked and still do like from Catholicism is adoration in the real presence and praying the rosary - well simply just all meditative and a little bit mystic stuff…
You won’t find these two things in Protestantism (at least not at Pentecostals and Baptitsts!).
And actually I do miss that… I mean there is no meditation among evangelicals. It’s all about singing (worship - 'though I like that really very much!). - But I simply have the feeling that meditation is completely lacking among Evangelicals.

So, I’d like to start a sort of discussion here:
To the Evangelicals/Protestants, I’d like to adress the following question (First and for most Converts in this case. As I assume that “born Evangelicals” even don’t know Catholic practices):
What do you miss from Catholicism, which isn’t in your Church?

And to the Catholics the following:
What do you especially love in Catholicism? Without which pracitices “you couldn’t live”?

Hope my questions are clear!

I am looking foreword to an intersting discussion,

Esdra

i love the daily and sunday Mass. i love that i can go anyday of the week, and the door will be open. i love that Christ is truly present with us in the Eucharist. i could not live without the prayers of the rosary, first friday adoration, and a host of other litanies and prayers that get me out of myself, and into the throne room of God. Peace

 

[Esdra]

I do not miss anything, I do long for my friends to come to Church though.

If you are wanting community, Mass is not where it is at. It’s a place for the community or even one person to thank the Lord for his sacrifice on the cross.

However, there are plenty of places for community outside Mass. I’m part of the Knights of Columbus and there is opportunity every other day to meet up and do stuff that involves the Church. You can create a Bible study, I even created one that meets at a local pub.

If what you wanted was community you left the wrong Church, because you have one of the biggest communities in the world in the Church.

What I see now when I go to my old service, is an empty celebration. No Eucharist, no worship, not sacrifice, nothing. Just entertainment and asking, “what’s the preacher going to give me this Sunday.” All about a “personal relationship” with Jesus, always wondering what Jesus is going to give you. If you’re not dead, you’re ahead of the game so don’t worry about it, and go to confession.

Well, actually I (nearly) have left the CC because I haven’t found any “Christians” in the Catholics I know in my home country.
This means, most Catholics, especially the younger ones, are Cafeteria Catholics or more often Catholics on the paper only who life an Atheist life!

But, and I must admit that, I have found “real Christian Catholics” here in CAF and I am thankful for that and happy that the Catholic Church is not dead, as I always had the feeling.
God bless you all my brothers and sisters! :grouphug:

Among the Baptists (to be accurate it’s a “Freie Evangelikale Gemeinde” (Free Evangelical Church) (which I have been attending since summer 2009) which could be more classified as Anabaptists [without community of property]) I have found real Christians who love their Lord and who try to live according to His teachings! - Also the younger generation (in my age, 20+) - And I’d like to add, just as the people do, I’ve been speaking to here in CAF (Although it’s a completely other denomination!)

Esdra

 

[1234bun567]

As a convert to Catholicism I don’t miss all the confusion and shallowness that exists in a baptism or any protestant church. I don’t miss trying to explain away the church fathers to prove they don’t look like catholics when they do. I don’t miss trying to explain many verses of scripture as being a metaphor when the early christians took them to be real, such as baptism of water saves, the eucharist is real spiritual food and drink. I don’t miss trying to come up with a creative explanation as to why Paul says we are not justified by works and james says we are. I don’t miss everyone trying to establish his or her own interpretation as authoritative. I don’t miss only nibbling at crumbs.

Now I have the fullness of truth. I can read the early church fathers and learn from them, I can read scripture at face value and understand what it means. No protestant truly understands what scripture means. For if you did then you would not be protestant.

WOW Quite a bold statement there. **No protestant truly understands what scripture means. For if you did then you would not be protestant.
**

Would you be care to state which Part of the bible you believe they do not understand. I am a converted Catholic from HIllsong Church, but Its not that i Suddenly Seen the bible in a different Light. Its just I prefer the format of service, I liek confession and the mass in my local Chapel.

If you can list me 10 verses that “Protestants” Do not understand.

But then they states that the Our true Church Misquotes one example is the issue of the Pope and the his Authoirty

 

[JohnnyReb]

is there a better way to worship Jesus than in Eucharist adoration?:bowdown2::bowdown2::bowdown2:

How about in spirit and in truth?

 

[JohnnyReb]

As a convert to Catholicism I don’t miss all the confusion and shallowness that exists in a baptism or any protestant church. I don’t miss trying to explain away the church fathers to prove they don’t look like catholics when they do. I don’t miss trying to explain many verses of scripture as being a metaphor when the early christians took them to be real, such as baptism of water saves, the eucharist is real spiritual food and drink. I don’t miss trying to come up with a creative explanation as to why Paul says we are not justified by works and james says we are. I don’t miss everyone trying to establish his or her own interpretation as authoritative. I don’t miss only nibbling at crumbs.

Now I have the fullness of truth. I can read the early church fathers and learn from them, I can read scripture at face value and understand what it means. No protestant truly understands what scripture means. For if you did then you would not be protestant.

Wow, so there are no shallow people in the Catholic Church? All Protestants do not understand scripture? That’s like Protestants saying Catholics never read the Bible. Its false and slanderous.

Not all Protestants believe that baptism and the Eucharist are purely symbolic. Lutherans, Anglicans, some Methodists, some Calvinists do not. Its only Baptists, Pentecostals, and some Evangelicals that do. Yes, the church fathers do sound very Catholic/Orthodox. Of course they provide excellent insight into the early church. But they are not more important than the scriptures themselves.

 

[roelblomsma]

And to the Catholics the following:
What do you especially love in Catholicism? Without which pracitices “you couldn’t live”?

Eucarist
Praying to Mary and the Saints
Mass in general

 

[Esdra]

How about in spirit and in truth?

Excellent response!

Couldn’t have put it better. Thanks

Esdra

 

[benidict]

How about in spirit and in truth?

trust me, the Eucharistic adoration IS worshiping in Spirit and in Truth. to say otherwise, must mean you havent taken part. you might have some profound insights if you try it. Christ Truly is Present. Peace

 

[benidict]

WOW Quite a bold statement there. **No protestant truly understands what scripture means. For if you did then you would not be protestant.
**

Would you be care to state which Part of the bible you believe they do not understand. I am a converted Catholic from HIllsong Church, but Its not that i Suddenly Seen the bible in a different Light. Its just I prefer the format of service, I liek confession and the mass in my local Chapel.

If you can list me 10 verses that “Protestants” Do not understand.

But then they states that the Our true Church Misquotes one example is the issue of the Pope and the his Authoirty

i dont think he was trying to slight protestants my friend. i think he, like myself, discovered that there is a clear concise message in the scriptures, that rises above the sea of denominationalism. ( an ark if you will.) this, for him, was found in the Church that Christ set up. even secular authorities will tell you, that you cannot divorce the apostles from the founding of the Catholic Church. i think he was just happy for the clarity, as opposed to the confusion of protestantism. ya have to admit. hundered of different ideas about any given subject can be confusing, correct?

 

[MartinJordan]

i dont think he was trying to slight protestants my friend. i think he, like myself, discovered that there is a clear concise message in the scriptures, that rises above the sea of denominationalism. ( an ark if you will.) this, for him, was found in the Church that Christ set up. even secular authorities will tell you, that you cannot divorce the apostles from the founding of the Catholic Church. i think he was just happy for the clarity, as opposed to the confusion of protestantism. ya have to admit. hundered of different ideas about any given subject can be confusing, correct?

I think the trouble with some Protestants is that they refuse to accept and decide to reword actual translations of the original Bibles like in Acts where after the death of Judas the apostles choose Matthias via the Office or Bishopric. They typically keep saying Matthias was a “replacement” or change in “Leadership”. These words are not accurate especially the former. The latter is like trying to be smart.

MJ

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I grew up as a Baptist, then spent most of my adult life as an athiest, so I’ve had a good amount of time to learn how to look back at my Baptist upbringing and weigh both the good and the bad about it.

There are plenty of things I don’t miss about my old church and upbringing in the faith, which I won’t name here. However, there are a few aspects I do miss. I miss the constant drilling of familiarity with the Bible, in that we were taught and drilled on navigating the Bible and memorizing specific scriptures constantly. In Sunday School and regular school (I went to the private school run by my church), we would often have “Bible drills”, which was a competition to see who could locate a verse the fastest. I had to memorize the books of the Bible (the names and order according to the KJV, not all of the content!), and even to this day I can quickly navigate my way through a Bible with no problems, with a small exception being the deutero-canon. We were also constantly tasked with memorizing specific passages, and I still remember quite a few, such as most of the “Romans road” to salvation, the basic gospel statements of Jesus’ divinity and purpose, etc. What’s remarkable about this is that I went without having even picked up a Bible for well over a decade, yet I still remember a considerable amount of scripture.

Although I long ago rejected the doctrine of sola scriptura, the scriptures are still a very important part of Catholic teaching, and I’ve honestly met few Catholics who have the same level of familiarity with the scriptures as I do. I don’t say that to brag about myself in the least, but just that I think Catholics SHOULD be more familiar with them, and that my own level of familiarity is certainly a positive result of my upbringing as a Baptist.

The only other thing I really miss are many of the people I knew quite well from growing up in the Baptist church. For better or worse, there really is a very strong sense of community in most Baptist churches that I’ve attended, and there are also a good number of truly spiritual people in them.

 

[BriaMarie]

I grew up Oneness Pentecostal and was received into the Church about three years ago, and the only thing I miss is the more participatory nature of the singing. I also miss going to church with my family, although I look forward to the day when they too will see the fullness of the Catholic Church!

My favorite things about the Catholic Church are its history and coherency of doctrine. There is not a line in the bible or catechism which has not been gone over a hundred times, explained and reexamined. There is very little of that in pentecostalism, as it is very much “every man’s interpretation for himself”.

 

[mountaintop]

well, maybe not better, but at least of same value!

Jesus is IN us through His Holy Spirit! We need no outward vessels that He is with us…
And he is present when 1 or 2 have come together in His name!

Esdra

The High Priest of a New Covenant
1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a] 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said**:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”[c]

13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

I don’t think the holy spirit would lead people away from the new covenant with Christ in the Eucharist. **

 

[mountaintop]

How about in spirit and in truth?

that is the truth. Jesus is present in the Eucharist. It doesn’t matter what priest says the mass Jesus is doing the blessing during the consecration and serves the meal.before that it’s just bread.

 

[tonydavies]

well, maybe not better, but at least of same value!

Jesus is IN us through His Holy Spirit! We need no outward vessels that He is with us…
And he is present when 1 or 2 have come together in His name!

Esdra

Respectfully, it is not the same value. I haven’t worked out how it is not the same value but it clearly is not.

Remember that Jesus Life, Death and Resurrection purchased eternal life for us, He is the Way to the Father. It was in His Incarnate Body that He revealed God to us all.
Therefore it is through His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that we have life in full.

Without Jesus we do not have the Holy Spirit. If we do not follow Our Lord we do not have the Father. Therefore we need Jesus and it is in His Body he is fully present.

Jesus is in us through His Holy Spirit, but the key to His purchasing eternal life for us was that he redeemed us in His Incarnate Body. That is why His Body in His Eucharist is the supreme Way to the Father for us.

Sorry for going off topic.What I love about the CC most is the high point of the mass, the consecration of the bread and wine to become His Body and Blood. Oh and I love belting out a good hymn with gusto, I prefer the classic hymns but some of the Taize chants and such like are nice too. Favorites such as Come as you are and O Come Emmanuel are nice.

 

[Cinette]

*Hmmmmm…

What about the cookies with coffee after the service?
The parking.
The great preaching
The friends.
:whacky:
*

 

[Esdra]

*Hmmmmm…

What about the cookies with coffee after the service?
The parking.
The great preaching
The friends. (The spiritual Family I’ve found here)
:whacky:
*

Hi cinette,

nice to see you here in caf again.

I guess you’ve missed some nice threads I’ve started (as you’ve written in your last pm that I should write you if something interesting has been started). - Just have a look in my profile where I posted recently, maybe you want to join in somewhere?

Actually, I WOULD miss all these things above if I would revert to Catholicism…
Except probably parking as I’d live about 6 kilometres away from the next Catholic Church (and so I wouldn’t need to drive! )

I think I could continue your list to fill pages here in CAF!

in Christ,
Esdra

 

[TracyR]

Esd

It is wrong for the creation to feel that they need to be entertained and placated by the Creator. We are here to worship and thank HIM! He gave His life for us! So what if the music at Mass doesn’t make you feel all lovey dovey. You should be loving Christ not the music.

That is of course my personal opinion. God Bless you on your journey.

Wow! You couldn’t of hit the nail on the head anymore if you weren’t even trying. I’m pretty new to the board here and am actually getting bashed by someone about the fact that when I attended Protestant /Penecostal churches that I felt this aura of the Me, Myself and I. While being bashed by another member here I almost began to felt if maybe it was me. To my amazement tonight I find another post with this very same thing. So its not just me.
Okay, sorry off topic there but I just had to say something.

Anyways I am a Protestant who has attended, Baptist, Christian Missionary Alliance,Methodist, Faith Evengelical, Assemblies of God and some growing up as a child that I’m not even sure if it was a faith, some where scary teaching kids to speak in tongues. I did attend some Catholic churches growing up as a kid but it was few and far between. Bascially when I attended two Catholic schools for short times.

The thing I missed about the Catholic church was community. I’m sorry to see that your Catholic church did not have such a thing. Our little Catholic church in our town has such a wonderful community and it is nothing like the ‘communities’ that existed in the Protestant churches in our area. They are more about what can you do for me? Then I may or maynot do something for you. Most times they didn’t.
I know when my youngest daughter was born we attended the Methodist church and it was a good sized congregation. We were known and participated in many things. Anyways when my youngest was born she was born with health problems and it was a very stressful and lonely time in our life. Not one of them did not one thing for us. Though I was there to help do for others.
Not one person offered to make us a meal, or take my other children for a little while to play with their children so they could get a break. No one offered not even some company. Nothing. It wasn’t the first time that happened to us as when my husband and I were young and had my first two ( I have 4 girls) we rented a house from the Methodists in another area and they promised us up and down they would never sell the house. I spent many days at the church doing lots of things, cleaning , helping with Harvest dinners, run vacation bible school, my husband would plow out their driveway and cut their grass for no charge at all. If I was needed I was there. But when it came time for us no one stood up for us and they sold the house right under us and we had two small children and no where to go. Back to the present after my daughter was born that was the time that I learned that it was the me, myself and I.

The one thing I missed about the Catholic church was communion. The Eucharist. With the Protestant faith its something that is done once maybe twice a year and has no real meaning. Its the pastor reading from the Bible and eating small pieces of cut up bread and some grape juice. That’s all it ever was to me. Nothing more. But when I am in the Catholic church and I see the whole ceremony that surrounds it (sorry if I’m using the wrong words , I’m still learning… LOL) its just beautiful and so full of meaning.
I haven’t done confession yet, but man, confession surely is good for the soul. I find that when I talk to someone about what something I did wrong I feel so much better. So I know that Confession will be something I won’t mind doing. The saying goes, " Confession is good for the soul." Its so much than the bottled up feeling I have now.
Holy Orders is amazing to me. Any man that is willing to give up having a family and children just amazes me. I look at our priest and think " He would have been a good family man, he loves children so he would have been a great dad." But he gave all of that up so he could be closer with God. Just amazing.

But like the one poster said if the Baptist church is where you feel more focused on God ( assuming its not the moving sermons, or the music, or the congregation itself that your focused on) then who are we to judge? We can’t.
I found that when I was within the Protestant faith I focused on the Sermon, on the music, on what activity was going on. Then when my children began Catholic school this year ( our only little Christian school in our town) I began to go to Friday Mass ( Children’s Church). For the first time I was focused on Christ.

Oh yes, I love the fact that the Catholic church is everyday! Its not reserved for Wednesdays and Sunday’s only. With the Catholic church you can go to HIS home everyday and worship.

 

[Cinette]

Hi cinette,

nice to see you here in caf again.

I guess you’ve missed some nice threads I’ve started (as you’ve written in your last pm that I should write you if something interesting has been started). - Just have a look in my profile where I posted recently, maybe you want to join in somewhere?

Actually, I WOULD miss all these things above if I would revert to Catholicism…
Except probably parking as I’d live about 6 kilometres away from the next Catholic Church (and so I wouldn’t need to drive! )

I think I could continue your list to fill pages here in CAF!

in Christ,
Esdra

*Esdra Hi!

There is the Catholic Church that was founded by Jesus himself which has endured the past 2000 years fighting off heresy and all kinds of apostasies and enemies of all kinds. Remember Jesus said that he had come to help sinners and we have plenty in the CC - in fact we are ALL sinners.

Jesus gave us the Sacraments to help us in our purification process and salvation. The greatest of these is the Eucharist which is the “source and summit” of our Faith. The Church has so much art and beauty which has accumulated over the years which expresses our Faith and Eternal Life.

One of the greatest gifts we have are the converts who bring such a treasure to the Church - they appreciate the Church because they “discovered it for themselves” - they seldom take it for granted.

You cannot compare the Church Jesus founded with Churches founded by humans. :nope:Sorry.:nope:

There are many good and wonderful Christians in the Baptist Church I have no doubt but the Church is not about them it is about the people of God responding to His Church, His Sacraments… The Eucharist is the greatest gift from Jesus and when you turn your back on the Church you turn your back on the Body and Blood of Jesus. That is a fact.

Esdra you will be back when you come to your senses.:yup: *