what made you decide?

[Curious]

Why did you start looking into it?
A frothy-mouthed, crazed anti-Catholic started absolutely slamming the Catholic church calling it a cult and slinging around words like “Romanist” and “papist” and all those other fun terms. He accused a very excellently devout friend, who is Catholic, of having no salvation. I was startled such statements, realized I knew next to nothing about the Catholic Church, and started my own study.

What was the deciding factor?
I actually came thiiiiiisss close to starting in RCIA but I got too scared and extremely busy all at the same time. My husband and I have been divided over church before and it nearly destroyed our marriage. Our marriage is stronger now and we’ve grown up a lot about such things, but I’m not sure I’m willing to risk that again. And doctrines? I still haven’t reconciled all Catholic doctrines but they are sure enjoyable to learn about. I’m still reading and thinking…and I’ll never say never.

 

[JustPray14]

I loved the Church’s uncompromising stand on issues such as abortion, marriage, homosexuality (love the sinner, hate the sin), artificial birth control (at one time every Christian religion believed it was evil - all but the Catholic Church changed with the “times.”)

I love that mass is never about us being entertained. It’s not about the “worship singers” - it’s not about the awesome sermon - it’s ONLY about Jesus and His sacrifice for us on the cross.

When I was a Protestant Christian it was like I held a little jewel in my hand. When I became Catholic, it’s like I now have an enormous treasure chest spilling over.

I don’t have the words to express how much I LOVE the Catholic Church.

AMEN!!! Yes, “love the sinner, hate the sin”! And, yes, I believe, too, that is why some Catholics leave the faith, because they want to be “entertained”, or they lack understanding of the Mass…that it’s all about Jesus! Learning my faith has made me feel proud to be Catholic! God is good!

 

[thomasf]

I’m a revert, not a convert, but in reverting I feel like I’ve finally believe fully in the church.

I went away from the church for 17 years. The last 7 or so years I spent investigating other religions and trying to figure out where I belonged. Particularly the evangelical ‘saved’ brands of religion. I have many in-laws and friends in these religions. It always seemed like I was missing something in the explanations of their religions. They kept telling me about ‘accepting’ Jesus and that was all you needed to do. I kept thinking there was more to it, something they weren’t telling me. Accepting Jesus was the start, I thought. Not the end. It was where you began in faith, not the magic pill. I never felt comfortable with those religions, so instead of doing something, I did nothing. And every so often I whined and wondered what to do about my relationship with God, and my faith. The whole time knowing I had to do something to bring God back into my life.

Then this past year, while doing my annual “I need to find a religion” examination of my life, something that someone said to me about the catholic faith finally clicked with me and I understood that I needed to back to the catholic church.

All along, the reason why I never understood those other faiths, wasn’t because I wasn’t getting them. It was because there was nothing else to get. I realized that these faiths were shallow, and offered nothing in the way of spiritual growth. It was a one time thing, then boom you’re done. What I had been looking for was a religion I could grow in, learn in, get closer to God as I understood Him more. Something MORE. And that something more was the catholic church.

Because the church has the fullness of faith. There’s more to it than just believing and reading the bible. The church itself is the lifeblood of catholics. It’s the body of Christ. We live and grow and learn IN the church, WITH the church. The sacraments, tradition, liturgy, etc all of that was given to us by Jesus. They are tools to help us get closer to God, get closer to His perfection.

To be blunt, I couldn’t find that anywhere else. It’s not available anywhere else. What I was looking for was right before my eyes. And once I realized that it was all over and I was convinced what my choice had to be.

The Catholic Church, of course!

 

[adventistnomore]

It’s amazing how the reasons beneath mine becoming Catholic have multiplied after I joined the Church. The spiritual healing of confession, the joy of partaking the Eucharist–these are experiences impossible to fathom outside the Church. Realize throughout your own journey that you cannot truly grasp the Church until you have finally embraced her. Allow yourself to be drawn, not only by what you do know of her, but also by what you do not know.

 

[Chancellare]

I’m a cradle Catholic, by definition.
But after reading all the wonderful posts of those who converted or reverted, I felt ashamed of myself for taking for granted the Bible-based Sacraments, the Doctrines, the Sacramentals and the Sacred Traditions that go way back to Christ’s sermons and Crucifixion to the Early Church Fathers -a panorama of our salvation that stretched from early history till today and continue to nourish our souls, per omnia saecula saecolorum.

Thank you all for reminding me of these things that have been with me all the while.

 

[Montalban]

Hi, I’m looking into the RCC right now and I’m interested in hearing about what made you decide to become Catholic. I’m also interested in hearing from people who have looked into the RCC, but decided not to become Catholic.

How did you make your decision? What influenced you? Why did you start looking into it? What was the deciding factor?

Thanks!

Karen

I’m one who decided against.

I was forced into Catholicism when my mum married a Catholic. But I stuck with it for the most part because I was always struck by the problem of which Protestant Church to follow - because they all claim that they’re irrelevant (in their differences - because there’s a single invisible church - which seems odd then why they indeed argue about their differences*)

I’d always wanted to get back to the church of the New Testament and felt that the Catholic church had ‘added-on’ too many things such as the Papacy, Immaculate Conception, Limbo, etc.

I kind of imagined that I’d have to explore Judaism and become a type of Messianic Jew

Then I discovered the Orthodox Church - which is the church of the New Testament. I cam to it thus through history. I was not drawn to it by any Orthodox person inviting me - which itself caused problems because people simply expected I had some kind of ‘patron’ who would explain things for me.

*-for instance some Protestant churches have communion, some have a ‘communal meal’, some have female priests, some gay priests, some even carry snakes in their service. All these things that seem to matter to them each are negated by the fact that they also claim that these things don’t matter. And there was also the problem that these churches sprung up centuries after the Bible.

 

[6YRSHOME]

It’s amazing how the reasons beneath mine becoming Catholic have multiplied after I joined the Church. The spiritual healing of confession, the joy of partaking the Eucharist–these are experiences impossible to fathom outside the Church. Realize throughout your own journey that you cannot truly grasp the Church until you have finally embraced her. Allow yourself to be drawn, not only by what you do know of her, but also by what you do not know.

I think this is a really good point. I came into the Church almost 8 years ago and just in the last 3 years have really started to realize how deep and rich the Catholic faith is.

As for why I made the decision, it was a combination of things really, but ultimately I think the Holy Spirit was the guiding force. After all, I entered on my own, against the objections of my mother, and MIL. Long story short, I did alot of reading, watched EWTN, and prayed. I actually prayed the Rosary, out of cuiosity mostly, and had such an amazing experience, that I knew I had to really find out everything about the Church.

Once I accepted the authority of the Church, I had no reason not to enter. There were still things I didn’t understand, and seemed to be contradictory to my understanding of Christian practice, but I gave it over to God in faith, knowing that He would give me understanding at some point. And He has. Any lingering doubts I had in the beginning have been resolved.

I suggest that you read, and watch EWTN, and talk to sources that you feel have a true understanding of the Catholic teachings, but most importantly, pray. Pray that the Holy Spirit guides you, and give yourself up to Him and His will.

My prayers are with you.

 

[JustPray14]

It’s amazing how the reasons beneath mine becoming Catholic have multiplied after I joined the Church. The spiritual healing of confession, the joy of partaking the Eucharist–these are experiences impossible to fathom outside the Church. Realize throughout your own journey that you cannot truly grasp the Church until you have finally embraced her. Allow yourself to be drawn, not only by what you do know of her, but also by what you do not know.

Well said! It just proves that we don’t know everything (and it is quite possible for a newcomer to the faith to know more about it than one baptized in it as a baby), and that’s what on-going conversion is all about…
It is great knowing that just by our prayers and being open to learn from The Holy Spirit (Who speaks within and through other people) He will lead us to The Truth! An open heart and mind is truly clay to the Potter!

 

[sadie2723]

Hi, I’m looking into the RCC right now and I’m interested in hearing about what made you decide to become Catholic. I’m also interested in hearing from people who have looked into the RCC, but decided not to become Catholic.

How did you make your decision? What influenced you? Why did you start looking into it? What was the deciding factor?

Thanks!

Karen

No problem. I am a Bible Christian, and I was brought up that way. My family was a part of the Bible Alone crowd, and I was brought up in a church where the preacher would shake the Bible in your face and say, “THIS is all you need. We interpret it literally and we follow its teaching.”

This made a lot of sense to me. I love scripture to this very day. But, as I studdied, I ran into a problem. The problem was that the church I went to did NOT take the Bible literally. Not even close. I read John 6 and asked preachers about it. They said that Jesus was not speaking literally…but don’t we take everything literally?

The more I looked, the more I found that we did not teach the literal truth of the Bible. So, I set out to find a church where they really did so. I went from denomination to denomination looking for someone that really took scripture seriously.

Ten years went by and quite a few churches. Finally, I discovered that there was only ONE church out there that could back up every single word it was teaching with scripture…the Catholic Church. So, I joined it. To date it has been a few years since that conversion, and I have yet to find any teaching that the church states that cannot be backed up with scripture. That is why I am a Catholic and why I will always be.

 

[MariaG]

When I was a Protestant Christian it was like I held a little jewel in my hand. When I became Catholic, it’s like I now have an enormous treasure chest spilling over.

I don’t have the words to express how much I LOVE the Catholic Church.

I’d say those ones are pretty good

 

[MariaG]

The Bible told me so.

As an evangelical Protestant (over 40 years), I knew the Bible backwards and forwards.

When I started learning about Catholicism, everything fell into place. I realized that the Catholic Church was in complete agreement with the Bible. Nothing had to be forced, nothing was explained away.

The Gospel ofJohn finally made sense. The Old Testament made sense. Even those boring expositions about the tabernacle and sacrifices and blood and priests and outfits for the priests–it finally made sense! The Queen mother thing made sense (in Kings). The Psalms made sense! The Major and Minor prophets made sense. Even the REVELATION made sense!

In fact, at one point, understanding all came flooding in, and I was overwhelmed by how much everything fit so perfectly, like a gigantic Rubic’s cube snapping into place. I actually begged the Holy Spirit to please, stop revealing so much all at once because my little mind wasn’t big enough to take it all in so fast!

There was a specific moment in my studies of Catholicism when I heard God saying, “This is it. You understand it all. Trust and obey me. If you do not, then you are deliberately walking away from Me, and you will not be in heaven after you die because of your rejection of Me.”

I recognized this as God’s voice. I had asked Jesus into my heart when I was seven and KNEW God’s voice. This was the same voice that I had listened to and obeyed all my life. Once again, I chose to obey God and join the Catholic Church. I’m so glad I trusted God. It’s great to be Catholic!

I think that the biggest issue for many Protestants is the issue of authority. Protestants are taught that their authority is the Bible, and that the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. They get used to be “in charge”–oh, with God, of course, in the driver’s seat, but they themselves are the co-pilot. It’s really hard to give this up and submit to another authority.

In my case, thought, this wasn’t difficult. I knew from the Bible that we are not in charge, that God established a Church, not a billion trillion individuals. I had been looking for that “Church” all my life, as do all Protestants. And I found it in the Catholic Church.

Powerful Testimony. Thank you for sharing.

 

[MariaG]

I’m a cradle Catholic, by definition.
But after reading all the wonderful posts of those who converted or reverted, I felt ashamed of myself for taking for granted the Bible-based Sacraments, the Doctrines, the Sacramentals and the Sacred Traditions that go way back to Christ’s sermons and Crucifixion to the Early Church Fathers -a panorama of our salvation that stretched from early history till today and continue to nourish our souls, per omnia saecula saecolorum.

Thank you all for reminding me of these things that have been with me all the while.

Thank you!

I tell you, all these posts have left me with needing a tissue:crying:

 

[MariaG]

For me, a technical revert but more of a convert, (parents left church when 4), it was about a 5 year process, sometimes slow, with amazing speed at the end.

It started with a catechism of the Catholic Church. When I would share my born again story and people heard I had been baptized as a Catholic as an infant, they would ask me questions about the Catholic Church. (Don’t they worship Mary? I don’t think so. Oh yes they do, you are very lucky God saved you from that etc.) I finally got tired of sounding like an idiot, and saw for $4.95 a catechism of the Catholic Church. (Talk about a miracle in itself. Never have I seen one at that price again, and never even seen a catechism at that store again)

I started to read. Everytime people would ask me questions or tell me things, I would look it up in the Catechism. Everytime what people told me was wrong.

Finally, one day at a communion service, I realized with tears running down my face, I couldn’t recieve communion with my brothers and sisters in Christ because they only believed it to be symbolic.

We had just got done with a bible study on John 6. Previously we had done Genesis. I too realized that while the majority of my church believed in the bible literally, including a young earth, they explained away John 6 as symbolic.

What brought me to the Catholic Church? God’s grace, the leading of the Holy Spirit, the catechism, the Bible and
the Real Presence of Christ

And I also now believe the prayers of my confirmation Saint. When I “picked” my Saint, it was more like finding a friend who had been with me and praying for me for a long time rather than just choosing someone I had admired.

God bless,
Maria

 

[water]

I consider myself to be among the chosen rather than a chooser.

It is such a blessing to be chosen.

 

[water]

Hi, I’m looking into the RCC right now and I’m interested in hearing about what made you decide to become Catholic. I’m also interested in hearing from people who have looked into the RCC, but decided not to become Catholic.

How did you make your decision? What influenced you? Why did you start looking into it? What was the deciding factor?

Thanks!

Karen

Karen,

Welcome to CAF!!!

I am a Catholic, but I could share you this link where there are converts who share their stories:
chnetwork.org/forums/

 

[rr1213]

And I also now believe the prayers of my confirmation Saint. When I “picked” my Saint, it was more like finding a friend who had been with me and praying for me for a long time rather than just choosing someone I had admired.

God bless,
Maria

How does the concept of a confirmation saint work? And now I’m curious… who is your saint? (Or is that private…don’t mean to offend).

 

[littlepaperstar]

How did you make your decision? What influenced you? Why did you start looking into it? What was the deciding factor?

I didn’t decide. My parents decided for me and baptized when I was a baby because they are catholic. I would of prefered to pick out my own beliefs but you really can’t voice your opinion when you are a baby, lol

I am just coming back to the church because it’s all I know, I haven’t been to church in years. I am too embarrassed to say how long.

I am not sure being catholic is the right choice for me and if I have children, I don’t know if I want to baptize them catholic.

 

[jmcrae]

I am not sure being catholic is the right choice for me and if I have children, I don’t know if I want to baptize them catholic.

It’s good that you’re waiting until you find out what the Church actually teaches, rather than just doing it because that’s just what your family does.

It’s important that we educate ourselves - it’s great that you are willing to learn.

 

[xmydreamsfadex]

as someone who was born baptist, then went to a penticostal church and later turned atheist what lead me to even think about Catholic teachings was the birth of my son almost three years ago. at that time i was against God and everything christian. after my son was born, however, something just hit me right up side the head and i knew that i was wrong. i started going back to church at my dads baptist church but felt like i was missing something. i remember at that time something, which i think was the Holy Spirit, was pulling at me to research the Catholic Church which i thought was strange due to the fact that i grew up anti-catholic. when i put all feelings aside though and really started to learn the beliefs it just made more sense to me than any pastor ever had. i didn’t go through the RCIA process then. it took me another two years. a week ago today i was brought into the Church and it has meant almost more to me than getting married to my beautiful wife or my sons birth. some points that got me though were:

1. the Rock being Peter and Jesus telling Peter to tend to his sheep.
2. All catholics worldwide believe the same thing and not 30,000 different things.
3. The only Church with 2000 years of traditions that can be traced to the early Christians.
4. The Church being able to trace it roots back to Jesus and Peter.
5. the Catholic Church given authority from Christ himself.
6. The promise of Christ given to the Catholic Church.

well i could go on, but i would jsut ask you to read, read, and read some more. there is beauty in the Catholic Church that is found nowhere else.

 

[jsenner]

Hi, I’m looking into the RCC right now and I’m interested in hearing about what made you decide to become Catholic. I’m also interested in hearing from people who have looked into the RCC, but decided not to become Catholic.

I was raised SDA and then after long exposure to the anti-SDA material online, I lost faith. After deciding eventually that I could actually believe in God and Christ and the Bible, I started trying to find out what was truth. I discovered the Early Christian Writings…

How did you make your decision?

I was learning about both Orthodoxy and Catholicism, first Orthodoxy and then I discovered Catholic apologetics and realized arguments for the Pope were starting to make way too much sense to ignore. I did the most humbling thing an SDA can ever do, and walked into the first night of RCIA at the local RCC not to attack, but to learn. I did not miss an RCIA meeting the whole winter!

What influenced you?

Too much study of history influenced me, as well as the desire to practice what I believed to be true.

Why did you start looking into it?

As stated above… a desire to know and follow truth.

What was the deciding factor?

During the middle of RCIA I was given a book by one of the people helping with the classes. “Papal Primacy” by Klaus Schatz. I read it, expecting to find strong arguments for the Papacy, and curious about the Eastern part of the church in history as well. I discovered that the Eastern Christians had never in their history believed like the current RCC believes about the Pope. I reasoned logically that if the East never changed it’s teaching about the Pope, then there was no reason to consider the Orthodox anything other than authentic true Christianity. I had never visited an Orthodox church up to this point. I became very very curious, and since I had already done the most evil thing an SDA could ever do by going to the RCC to learn, the ice was already broken and there were no longer any mental barriers towards my exploring Orthodoxy. I looked up the local Orthodox church, discovered they had a seekers class the next day, called them up and came to the class. I walked away later that night in shock at what I had seen… the depth of spiritual life I had been exposed to in just one seekers class blew me away! I thought “this is NOT right! The RCC is supposed to be the best example of Christianity we have and these Orthodox without even a Pope have them completely beat in terms of spiritual life!”

So I started attending every seekers class as well as every RCIA class. I decided I couldn’t become RC yet, that Easter, and then a year later, this past Great and Holy Saturday, (after moving out of state and regularly attending a different Orthodox church) I was baptized and chrismated into the Orthodox Church.

Jeremiah