What made you say "no?"

[Lutheranteach]

For those protestants who are converts from Catholicism, or if you are one who studied the Catholic faith and decided not to become Catholic, was there a specific moment, teaching, event, that brought about your decision?

 

[mark_a]

bump

 

[rdscheirer]

When I began RCIA and learned that Luther changed the Bible and took out several books it sealed my reversion to Catholic from Lutheran.

 

[ralphinal]

Not that I can add anything, but I want to ask my fellow Catholics on here to read these points and not turn this into a bash the non-Catholic thread.

 

[cheese_sdc]

Not that I can add anything, but I want to ask my fellow Catholics on here to read these points and not turn this into a bash the non-Catholic thread.

Thank you for that.

When I left Catholicism, there was a gradual series of events that led to my decision. It could be said to have begun as a child, when my mother, a rabid Catholic Charismatic told me that a demon was the cause of my bad handwriting. Or that a demon was the cause of me losing stuff. This was at the age of 10.

Other events include the youth group that I was a part of where we were told that if anything bad happened, it was because we weren’t praying hard enough. We were allowing the demons an opportunity to “get us”. I was told that God will take away a healing if you anger Him. I was told that demons lurked in every corner, and unless you prayed constantly, they’d “get you”.

Later, when I entered seminary, I got a good, long look at the slimy underbelly of the church. I got to watch other seminarians call one of the professors “that stupid [c-word] of a nun who doesn’t wear a habit” or skip mass if guitars were used.

I learned that scripture has been changed/added to over the centuries. I learned that not even priests could answer the question “What is Tradition? How do you know something is Tradition or just tradition?” I realized that we were all just making up as we went along (not that there’s anything wrong with that - Catholics, among others, just pretend harder than most that somehow they have “The Truth”).

Eventually though, I came to understand that the God I knew through Christianity was a judgmental, angry, divisive, vengeful, and fickle (what you learn at your parent’s knees carries a lifetime and trumps any book learning). I’d spent years trying to pick out the threads of hate that Christianity had taught me, to no avail.

I’d stayed in the Church because I believed in the Sacraments. I believed that Divinity can touch us through them. But when communion turned to ashes, I left.

 

[ralphinal]

Thank you for that.

When I left Catholicism, there was a gradual series of events that led to my decision. It could be said to have begun as a child, when my mother, a rabid Catholic Charismatic told me that a demon was the cause of my bad handwriting. Or that a demon was the cause of me losing stuff. This was at the age of 10.

Other events include the youth group that I was a part of where we were told that if anything bad happened, it was because we weren’t praying hard enough. We were allowing the demons an opportunity to “get us”. I was told that God will take away a healing if you anger Him. I was told that demons lurked in every corner, and unless you prayed constantly, they’d “get you”.

Later, when I entered seminary, I got a good, long look at the slimy underbelly of the church. I got to watch other seminarians call one of the professors “that stupid [c-word] of a nun who doesn’t wear a habit” or skip mass if guitars were used.

I learned that scripture has been changed/added to over the centuries. I learned that not even priests could answer the question “What is Tradition? How do you know something is Tradition or just tradition?” I realized that we were all just making up as we went along (not that there’s anything wrong with that - Catholics, among others, just pretend harder than most that somehow they have “The Truth”).

Eventually though, I came to understand that the God I knew through Christianity was a judgmental, angry, divisive, vengeful, and fickle (what you learn at your parent’s knees carries a lifetime and trumps any book learning). I’d spent years trying to pick out the threads of hate that Christianity had taught me, to no avail.

I’d stayed in the Church because I believed in the Sacraments. I believed that Divinity can touch us through them. But when communion turned to ashes, I left.

I wish I could say that the overall experience you had is unique. It is not. The specifics, of course, are, but not the general. You grew up with an almost superstitious understanding of the faith (demons making you have bad handwriting). Then, you run into the idea that the lack of prayer causes bad things (did they skip over Job?). Your view of God, as you so rightly point out, was permanently flawed as well. I know many people who have left the faith over less.

As far as the seminary goes, I really have nothing to say. The horror stories that I have heard from some priests have more to do with a lack of prayer and such, not the militant attitude that you saw.

Then, you come on here and are told that you are wrong, you are silly, you don’t know what you are talking about, or worse. I am sorry for that.

Instead, what we should do is see how others killed your ability to be Catholic and change how we approach teaching.

 

[AmericanJosiah]

For those protestants who are converts from Catholicism, or if you are one who studied the Catholic faith and decided not to become Catholic, was there a specific moment, teaching, event, that brought about your decision?

I’m a convert from Catholicism.

There were 2 closely related primary reasons for my swimming the river AWAY from Catholicism:

1. There is an attitude/heart/spirit in The Catholic Church of institutionalism - with an enormous emphasis there on individualism and unaccountability.
2. The two issues I found myself unable to reconcile were ecclesiology and epistemology. The emphasis of The Catholic Church on The Catholic Church and the claim of self alone for self alone of essentially being the church and the predictable chain of claims of self alone for self alone flowing from that - all to attempt to underpin the key one: being unaccountable. And that’s leads to the second (these 2 issues are very closely related in Catholicism): epistemology. The Catholic Church rejects accountability for one and and only one: itself. The Catholic Church demands that all just accept “with docility” whatever it says and claims. My study of the LDS and of the cults strengthened my “problems” with RCC ecclesiology and epistemology.

These two issues were my reasons for leaving. But there were other issues (not “deal breakers”). These are all dogmas that I don’t regard as dogmas: I don’t necessarily disagree with them or reject them - and I certainly don’t regard them as heresy (or even unbiblical) but I don’t regard them as dogmas. The Infallibility of the Papacy, Transubstantiation, Purgatory, and most of the Marian dogmas are examples.

The Catholic Church demands that all accept with docility whatever it says cuz it says it. I did not. Therefore, I had only ONE option: leave. Which is what I did. IMHO, this was simply the honest thing to do. I viewed it as a move of integrity. I would not live the lie of so very, very many of my Catholic friends. I told my priest that I probably agree with Catholicism 95% of the time. He laughed and replied (this is pretty much a verbatim quote), “That’s a lot better than most Catholics, probably than most Catholic priests!” He may be right, but I don’t accept with docility whatever the RCC says cuz the RCC says it - thus, I cannot be Catholic. And I acknowledged and respected that.

All that said, I have NO REGRETS of my years in Catholicism. I was richly, deeply blessed there. This is my position regarding The Catholic Church. I regard it as a valid and good denomination. I regard its ministers, ministries and sacraments as valid. I regard nothing that it officially teaches as “heresy” in the sense of being clearly unbiblical or untraditional. I regard all the believers there to be my full, unseparated, equal brothers and sisters in Christ - fully and completely and in every sense a part of the one, holy and catholic church, the communion of saints. I pray daily for God’s richest, fullest blessings to The Catholic Church, its ministers and ministries and its Holy Father. That’s my official position (and has been for years); Catholics regard it as “anti-Catholic” although VERY FEW Catholics will say that same about my denomination, thus, IMHO, the “anti” is much greater in the other direction.

I ended up in Lutheranism. There I found a fundamental, deep, rich sense of humility, community and accountability. There I found the Theology of the Cross rather than of Glory. I found a spirituality that was very familiar to me. I found traditions and customs all beloved (embrace of the liturgy, Sacraments, church year, etc., etc.). While most of the unique, new dogmas of The Catholic Church aren’t rejected, they aren’t dogmas either. Looking back, I’m pleased that my journey took me away from Catholicism (as painful as that was) and into Lutheranism.

Thank you.

Pax

• Josiah

.