What type of churches did you go to before your conversion to the Catholic Church?

[Jaypeeto4]

My father (and for a few years, my mother) believed fervently in the doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. My dad was very fanatical about it, my mom got tired of them rather quickly. I was raised on JW beliefs, good, bad, and paranoid, all of 'em.
I became a JW in 1981. Out in 1983, but believed in it for years more.

Mormon, briefly, late 1987- mid 1988, never fully convinced,
but I loved the Mormon people, absolutely wonderful people,
and still think the world of them, though I disagree with their teachings.

Baptized Presbyterian in 1990 (a really nice little congregation, building was sold in 2000, and sacrilegiously torn down to make way for an office building – UGH). Began reading Catholic literature in 1991 (first thing was Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, or LUMEN GENTIUM, from Vatican II documents. A beautiful document).

Confirmed Catholic Easter 1999, but was a pretty lousy Catholic until 2005/06,
started to become more devout in 2006, was very devout 2009 onward…

 

[CompSciGuy]

Even a socially liberal, politically libertarian charismatic. who likes Galatians a lot more than James?

I think then that we have a different understanding of what a “traditionalist” is… in terms of social liberalism, i.e. gay marriage, abortion, etc. these are matters of Catholic teaching on morality… A person who sides with the Church on matters of morality is not what I would refer to as a “traditionalist,” but rather a “faithful Catholic.” A traditionalist is what I would refer to as someone who gets ulcers over legalistic, insignificant things like “women should be required to wear head coverings to mass,” or “you should only receive communion while kneeling,” or “the mass should only be said in Latin,” or “communion should only be received under one species,” etc.

 

[White_Peony]

I was catholic my whole life but for a year I was still Catholic and went to Mass but on Saturdays I went to a Seventh-Day Adventist Church with my mom to keep her happy.

 

[Izdaari]

I think then that we have a different understanding of what a “traditionalist” is… in terms of social liberalism, i.e. gay marriage, abortion, etc. these are matters of Catholic teaching on morality… A person who sides with the Church on matters of morality is not what I would refer to as a “traditionalist,” but rather a “faithful Catholic.” A traditionalist is what I would refer to as someone who gets ulcers over legalistic, insignificant things like “women should be required to wear head coverings to mass,” or “you should only receive communion while kneeling,” or “the mass should only be said in Latin,” or “communion should only be received under one species,” etc.

Not exactly what I meant… but maybe sorta halfway.

I don’t have any major theological issues with the Vatican over gay marriage or abortion. I do have political differences, but I don’t expect agreement in the political realm. It is, after all, a religion, not a political movement.

The differences I have with the Vatican on moral issues are pretty much the same ones the vast majority of rank and file Catholics in America have. And in general, I think Vatican II would have been just right if Pope John XXIII had gotten all he wanted, instead of many of his wishes being frustrated by the traditionalist faction.

 

[CompSciGuy]

I don’t have any major theological issues with the Vatican over gay marriage or abortion. I do have political differences, but I don’t expect agreement in the political realm. It is, after all, a religion, not a political movement.

It depends on what you mean by political movement. The Catholic Church recognizes that life begins at conception, urges governments to recognize this, and urges the faithful to act upon this truth, both in the voting booth, as well as in everyday life. That’s why we have demonstrations, sidewalk counseling, pregnancy centers, etc. I’d say this issue is beyond politics and is well within the realm of human rights.

 

[Izdaari]

It depends on what you mean by political movement. The Catholic Church recognizes that life begins at conception, urges governments to recognize this, and urges the faithful to act upon this truth, both in the voting booth, as well as in everyday life. That’s why we have demonstrations, sidewalk counseling, pregnancy centers, etc. I’d say this issue is beyond politics and is well within the realm of human rights.

I believe in much more separation of church and state than the Vatican does, and in a very limited role for government, and I don’t support making anything illegal simply because it’s against my religion. I am also a very strict constitutionalist. Abortion and marriage are two issues where I don’t see that the US Constitution authorizes any role for the federal government, pro or con. Is abortion murder? Arguably it is… but murder is a crime handled by the states, not by the federal government. I think Roe v. Wade should be overturned, and the matter returned to the states. And that states should be allowed to make their own laws concerning marriage without federal interference.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

For me-my Dad was Catholic but non-praciting and my Mom Baptist-so I went to both until I was 20 or so… then I went to some Spanish charismatic churches for a while and then was non-religious while at the same time going to a mega-church lol…

But my conversion really started in 2002-2005 when I was in Mexico, but then I drifted away for about 4 years then came back Home to Mother Church in the Fall of 2009 and now I’m in RCIA-for Sacrament of Confirmation…

Presbyterian for about nine years, got married and attended Baptist churches with my Baptist wife, joined Wesleyan Methodists for a while (mainly because my “old pastor’s” sons had joined them - if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for me… they’d abandoned the Presbyterians due to the evil and insulting example of another pastor), back to Baptist attendance, then became Catholic.

I still attend my wife’s Baptist Church about once a month, and I might attend a Salvation Army chapel sooner or later mainly because I’ve got a friend who does, but that would be mainly out of curiousity. I’d only go there from time to time.

I’m Catholic, but as an ex-Protestant I don’t have a problem with attending Protestant services from time to time. I try to avoid communion services though, if I know when they’re on.

 

[llbill]

My parents (who didn’t attend with me, they just dropped me off) started out as Baptists. Then they went to Congretional Christian. That lasted until I was about 19 when they stopped going to church. Was baptized Congretional Christian/Baptist at 12 by my AUNT who was the minister there. Visited my first Catholic Church at 15. Got goosebumps. My grandpa was a baptist preacher, his dad was, his dad was… etc etc etc. SO I didn’t get a lot of support at first. Now I am in RCIA and very happy to have the support of my mother, husband (who is non baptized and wasn’t raised with any formal faith upbringing), and friends. My husband is more in love with the lord than ever. Unfortunately he isn’t ready to convert YET. There’s still hope for him, maybe some day he will be making a similar post as me.

 

[nickybr38]

Evangelical.
Baptist.
Pentecostal.
Non-Denominational (identified as such).
United.
Mormon.
Lutheran (once, never went again. It was creepy to me at the time - heh).
Salvation Army.

I never joined any of these churches. My mother was a church hopper so we moved quite a bit within the Pentecostal churches and Evangelical churches. I think I’ve gone to every church in my town at least once.

Eventually when I was old enough to get out from under my parents wings I stopped attending church for some time. Then I attended the United and I attended the United until the Holy Spirit said: You’re Catholic.

I used to say: I love the pastor - I hate the people. I"m not proud of it but Christians drove me crazy. Either they seemed perfect and were intimidating because of it or they went to church and then acted like any other secular person the rest of the week. Both behaviors drove me crazy. Perfect people are no fun to be around when you’re flawed… and cultural Christians are annoying to those seeking truth.

I thank the Lord for bringing me home. I would have never crossed the Tiber without the Spirit leading the way.

 

[pamnbam]

My mom was raised Catholic and my dad was raised Southern Baptist. Neither of them were “practicing” by the time I was born.

When I was six, my mom had an epiphany and decided to start going back to church. So she, me and my brother were baptized in a Southern Baptist church (I don’t know if my mom had been baptized before).

We stayed at that church for about a year, but didn’t like the culture, so we stopped going. Nothing for about five years, then when my dad went overseas for duty my mom started taking my brother and me to the base chapel for Protestant services. I liked the music and the emotion behind the sermon, but I always felt something wasn’t quite right. I never felt like I really “got it” or learned anything. I didn’t even know the religious difference between Christmas and Easter until I was much older…

So that only lasted another year or so until my dad came back. Then, nothing. When I was 18, I started going to church with friends on and off, mostly Baptist churches. Although the services were a little more conservative, I still felt like I was lost and wandering.

For a transitioning summer college program, my roommate was a Catholic from Argentina, and she and some of the other Catholic students went to Mass (which I had no idea what that was). I frequently passed the bright, clean Catholic Student Center on campus, but was too intimidated to go in.

I started “church-shopping,” hoping I’d find the one church that would make me feel at home: Assembly of God, generic Christian Centers, etc.

The year after I graduated college, I met a guy I really liked. We hit it off and dated for awhile, and he told me he and his family were Catholic. He invited me to a Mass with his family and said there was no pressure. I was really nervous that I would be out of place, but he assured me that not everyone in the church was Catholic (in the Protestant churches, it was always a big deal to be a “visitor,” and I hated being singled out).

The moment I stepped into that Catholic church, I knew something was different. Not only was the church clean and beautiful, but I felt a presence there. The atmosphere simply COMMANDED respect, unlike any other church I went to. It was our Lord in the tabernacle, and I felt drawn to being in His presence.

The Mass was beautiful. I had never seen any type of real liturgy before. The vestments of the priest and altar servers showed me that there was major stuff going on. I heard the bells of the consecration and knew something important was happening, but I couldn’t articulate it then. I sat in the pew after Mass, dumbfounded, thinking “I have to be a part of this.”

I was still intimidated, so I attended RCIA without wanting to make any commitments. That’s when everything simply fell into place: I learned who God is, our purpose for being here on this earth, the reason for suffering in the world, even the difference between Christmas and Easter! There was a Magesterium, the teaching authority that the other churches were lacking. The liturgical year, which mirrored the life of Christ. I am a skeptic, and will not follow anyone or anything unless I had a darn good reason; not just someone’s personal opinion of the bible, and I truly found Christ, who gave me the best reason of all.

It was like years of fog suddenly lifted and everything just made sense. So I made that commitment once I “understood” it all. I’m so glad I came home to Rome!!

 

[jesuspsr]

The moment I stepped into that Catholic church, I knew something was different. Not only was the church clean and beautiful, **but I felt a presence there. ** The atmosphere simply COMMANDED respect, unlike any other church I went to. It was our Lord in the tabernacle, and I felt drawn to being in His presence.

The Mass was beautiful. I had never seen any type of real liturgy before. The vestments of the priest and altar servers showed me that there was major stuff going on. I heard the bells of the consecration and knew something important was happening, but I couldn’t articulate it then. I sat in the pew after Mass, dumbfounded, thinking “I have to be a part of this.”

It was like years of fog suddenly lifted and everything just made sense. So I made that commitment once I “understood” it all. I’m so glad I came home to Rome!!

This is so cool. I just read on another post, where he/she stated, feeling the same presence you discribed. So, I’ll repeat what I said their also. I was born and raised a catholic and I still get that feeling everytime I walk into the church. It’s like the Holy spirit stirring inside me. So peacefull.

God bless

jesus g