What was your biggest obstacle to Catholicism?

[Bob_Crowley]

Hello all,
This is addressed mainly to former Protestants who decided to become Catholic.

I am seriously considering Catholicism but still have a few stumbling blocks. I was just curious if they are common obstacles or unique ones.

Well, I didn’t join because of a profound intellectual search of Catholic doctrine. For me it was a direct spiritual push - God wanted me to go there. And I had some dissatisfaction with the Protestant conundrum.

I resisted for a while, but push became shove when I had an argument with a Protestant pastor, and so I went - “All right, all right! I’m going!”

That said, my main two disagreements are with the ban on contraception, and I don’t think the doctrine of Papal Infallibility is necessary.

I don’t have a problem with Mary (I mean she’s been turning up all over the place, all down the centuries, with miracles to boot); I don’t have a problem with Papal and Apostolic AUTHORITY (as stated by Christ via Peter and the Apostles); I don’t have a problem with the Eucharist; I don’t have a problem with the seven sacraments (even if I’ve never bothered to study their origin in any depth); I don’t have a problem with Purgatory, which makes plain logical sense as much as anything else, but I do have a problem with the two items I mentioned.

But this is not the place to start a debate on those items. In a nutshell, I believe the Catholic church is the CLOSEST to the truth, and I’m not being particularly original in this case, as my old Protestant pastor turned up one night in a vision and he simply said, precisely, “The Catholic Church is CLOSEST to the truth”, and then disappeared. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.

Mind you we had discussed Catholic-Protestant differences before he died, and I still remember him saying to me at one point “I sometimes wonder if Protestants get to heaven” and, with some concern, that his belief about the Pope was a “heresy”. Since he was dying of cancer at the time, it worried him.

 

[Selah_KY]

This is addressed mainly to former Protestants who decided to become Catholic.

I am seriously considering Catholicism but still have a few stumbling blocks. I was just curious if they are common obstacles or unique ones.

The biggest obstacle for me was the probability of social problems for my homeschooled teenagers (we live in the rural south). In retrospect, I seriously underestimated the compassion and kindness of the local Catholic hsers!

I really have no clue why conversion was so easy for me.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this because the theological differences weren’t difficult for me, either. Sometimes I think it’s because I was raised in a Lutheran church that did a GREAT job of teaching the Lutheran Catechism and Church history - they just assumed I would end up disagreeing with the Catholic doctrine.

There have been cases where some converts have ‘read’ themselves into the Church, meaning that they overcame these self imposed obstacles without going through RCIA but that is rare.

This is probably me. I wasn’t specifically looking to become Catholic when my obsession with denominational theology started, but it’s very much where it ended. It took over a decade, but the journey has been amazing. I was also blessed with many Catholic friends who never tired of pointing me towards new resources!

 

[czarlazar]

Interesting! I made a significant post to this forum and was not only removed but received an infraction again!!! ha! What are the Catholic moderators so afraid of here. It seems that the site won’t be satisfied until all the Orthodox are off the site.

 

[Tommy999]

Well, I didn’t join because of a profound intellectual search of Catholic doctrine. For me it was a direct spiritual push - God wanted me to go there. And I had some dissatisfaction with the Protestant conundrum.

I resisted for a while, but push became shove when I had an argument with a Protestant pastor, and so I went - “All right, all right! I’m going!”

That said, my main two disagreements are with the ban on contraception, and I don’t think the doctrine of Papal Infallibility is necessary.

I don’t have a problem with Mary (I mean she’s been turning up all over the place, all down the centuries, with miracles to boot); I don’t have a problem with Papal and Apostolic AUTHORITY (as stated by Christ via Peter and the Apostles); I don’t have a problem with the Eucharist; I don’t have a problem with the seven sacraments (even if I’ve never bothered to study their origin in any depth); I don’t have a problem with Purgatory, which makes plain logical sense as much as anything else, but I do have a problem with the two items I mentioned.

But this is not the place to start a debate on those items. In a nutshell, I believe the Catholic church is the CLOSEST to the truth, and I’m not being particularly original in this case, as my old Protestant pastor turned up one night in a vision and he simply said, precisely, “The Catholic Church is CLOSEST to the truth”, and then disappeared. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.

Mind you we had discussed Catholic-Protestant differences before he died, and I still remember him saying to me at one point “I sometimes wonder if Protestants get to heaven” and, with some concern, that his belief about the Pope was a “heresy”. Since he was dying of cancer at the time, it worried him.

Thanks for weighing in with your personal and honest opinion, Bob.

 

[Tommy999]

The biggest obstacle for me was the probability of social problems for my homeschooled teenagers (we live in the rural south). In retrospect, I seriously underestimated the compassion and kindness of the local Catholic hsers!

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this because the theological differences weren’t difficult for me, either. Sometimes I think it’s because I was raised in a Lutheran church that did a GREAT job of teaching the Lutheran Catechism and Church history - they just assumed I would end up disagreeing with the Catholic doctrine.

This is probably me. I wasn’t specifically looking to become Catholic when my obsession with denominational theology started, but it’s very much where it ended. It took over a decade, but the journey has been amazing. I** was also blessed with many Catholic friends who never tired of pointing me towards new resources!/**QUOTE]

A lot of Catholics on CAF have been helpful and patient with me so far, too.

Thanks for sharing, Selah KY. I’m glad Catholicism has worked out well for you and your family. All the best t you.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

I agree. Sounds like solid advice. Much appreciated, SAVINGRACE.

You’re welcome and good luck on your faith journey.

I realised after reading my response that I didn’t put ONE thing as my main obstacle.

I suppose you could say the role of Mary, I struggled with.

A friend sent me the short video below and it just blew me away. I instantly felt a spiritual connection and understanding of Mary and her role after watching it. I actually used it in a presentation I gave at my Parish on Mary (with full acknowledgement of course).

youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA

 

[7_Sorrows]

You’re welcome and good luck on your faith journey.

I realised after reading my response that I didn’t put ONE thing as my main obstacle.

I suppose you could say the role of Mary, I struggled with.

A friend sent me the short video below and it just blew me away. I instantly felt a spiritual connection and understanding of Mary and her role after watching it. I actually used it in a presentation I gave at my Parish on Mary (with full acknowledgement of course).

youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA

Thanks for the link. That was good!

 

[Estevao]

Mass apostasy in the Church in the wake of Vatican II. I voted other even though this is historical because I don’t think that’s what you meant by historical.

 

[St_Pancake]

Hello all,
This is addressed mainly to former Protestants who decided to become Catholic.

I am seriously considering Catholicism but still have a few stumbling blocks. I was just curious if they are common obstacles or unique ones.

Former Protestants: What was your main obstacle to becoming Catholic?
I didn’t have any obstacles
Marian dogmas
Praying to saints
Papal infallibility
Family opposition (spouse, parents, etc)
Historical or political reasons (Reformation, etc)
Church abuses of past few decades
Other Catholic doctrine not already mentioned
All of the above
None of the above (please state obstacle not listed))

One night, I was in a Catholic Church quite by accident. My daughter’s choir was borrowing the sanctuary for a concert. From the moment I walked in, I could feel a presence that I had never felt before. The previous decade, I had been unhappy with the brands of protestantism that I practiced and felt compelled to give the Catholic Church a chance.

My life was never the same after the first mass. I could literally feel the Spirit of God envelope me during those masses. When I went to the adoration chapel, my clarity of thought noticeably increased. There was something absolutely there.

During this time, I was reading books and finding all the information on the internet that I could. My google queries would be, why are Catholics going to hell? Why the Catholic Church isn’t Christian, etc. Then I would work on finding information from a Catholic source that proved the accusations false.

I had issues with several Catholic teachings and to choose one would be deceptive as several of them caused me issue. Having said that, by the time I had been in the church 4 months, I wanted the Church to be right. There was something spiritual going on and I wanted these feelings mentally confirmed. I was prejudiced in favor of the Church and that might have made my acceptance easier.

Here is my list:

Marian dogmas - The Marian dogmas were difficult and I consider them a bit inconvenient. I can get behind the dogmas but as far as I can tell, salvation is obtainable regardless of how one feels about them. They are a stumbling block for many. As to the promotion of them by the Church, once the dogmas were developed, the Church had to proclaim the truth.
Praying to saints - I understand praying to saints but I don’t do it a lot. It is part of the liturgy of the Mass and theoretically, you address Mary in the Rosary. Once it was properly explained, I had no problem with it, I just don’t spend a lot of time in practice of it which may be just Catholic immaturity on my part.
Papal infallibility - Not an issue for me. Once I was over the Marian dogmas, the rest of the infallibility issue didn’t bother me.
Family opposition (spouse, parents, etc) - If my mother was still alive, I’m not sure I would be a Catholic now. I live in Georgia and Catholicism is rapidly growing here, it is still rather minor. I’ve had to explain many times, to people that aren’t listening beyond their own prejudice, why I made the change.
Historical or political reasons (Reformation, etc) - I’m not willing to blame a church for things that happened several hundreds of years ago.
Church abuses of past few decades - There is child abuse everywhere. Wherever people can make mistakes, there will be those in charge making the wrong decisions about how to handle it.
Other Catholic doctrine not already mentioned
Papacy - This is a problem for many but not a problem for me. I grew up in a Baptist church where each congregation is autonomous. Having a hierarchy that actually led to a single person was a huge plus for me. Democracy and doctrine leads to chaos.
Transubstantiation - This also wasn’t a problem for me. I always thought the Baptist had communion wrong.
Baptism - Many Baptists no longer believe baptism necessary. I’m still not sure how I feel about infant baptism because honestly, I haven’t been considered an infant for 50+ years. I believe in the cleansing provided by baptism and believe the Apostle Paul when he said, " one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." Once you’re baptised, there is no need to repeat. Once the children were baptized, no need to repeat.
All of the above
None of the above (please state obstacle not listed))

 

[Tommy999]

Thanks for your perspective, St Pancake. I smile every time I see your screen name and appreciate when you comment on one of my threads.

You deserve a lot of credit for converting to Catholicism in an area of the country where you may be ridiculed for it.

 

[TheSeeker2014]

I am considering Catholism…

My biggest problem to cover come is the Church and “rules” sin stuff.
Example of many
Missing Mass = sin but claim they do not have a Sabbeth… If it was not a sabbeth, then it would not be sin missing it? They claim to have no Sabbeth because we are not law bound by the OT. It was fulfilled. ok fine, but how would missing Mass = sin then?

I get the script bound on earth bound in heaven loose on earth loose in heaven…
I get the authority stuff…

But I also get we are not to add to God’s words and to do so is dangerous.

I am sure I’ll figure it out eventually. I do agree with almost all of Catholic Dotrine so I am not far.

It was what SDAs have said in the past too… but I found this site that compared what St. Paul said vs Ellen G White and proved her as a false prophet.
evangelicaloutreach.org/white.htm

 

[Tommy999]

I am considering Catholism…

My biggest problem to cover come is the Church and “rules” sin stuff.
Example of many
Missing Mass = sin but claim they do not have a Sabbeth… If it was not a sabbeth, then it would not be sin missing it? They claim to have no Sabbeth because we are not law bound by the OT. It was fulfilled. ok fine, but how would missing Mass = sin then?

I get the script bound on earth bound in heaven loose on earth loose in heaven…
I get the authority stuff…

But I also get we are not to add to God’s words and to do so is dangerous.

I am sure I’ll figure it out eventually. I do agree with almost all of Catholic Dotrine so I am not far.

It was what SDAs have said in the past too… but I found this site that compared what St. Paul said vs Ellen G White and proved her as a false prophet.
evangelicaloutreach.org/white.htm

Thanks for the reply, TheSeeker2014. I wish you to best on your spiritual journey. I also used to have an issue with the Sunday obligation rule of Catholicism because I thought it was coercion instead of attending out of love for God. However, the more I thought and prayed about it, it became a non-issue for me.

Why do I feel that way now?

• I attend weekly 95% of the time anyway so what is an extra 5%?
• The times I really don’t want to attend are usually the days when the Lord has something special for me and Satan was just trying very hard to prevent me from going.
• I feel weaker spiritually when I miss a week.

 

[TheSeeker2014]

Thanks for the reply, TheSeeker2014. I wish you to best on your spiritual journey. I also used to have an issue with the Sunday obligation rule of Catholicism because I thought it was coercion instead of attending out of love for God. However, the more I thought and prayed about it, it became a non-issue for me.

Why do I feel that way now?

• I attend weekly 95% of the time anyway so what is an extra 5%?
• The times I really don’t want to attend are usually the days when the Lord has something special for me and Satan was just trying very hard to prevent me from going.
• I feel weaker spiritually when I miss a week.

Oh I do not have a problem with going every week. I actually think Christians have the duty to do so,… my issue is claiming it is sin if they do not go.

 

[ptisme]

Hello all,
This is addressed mainly to former Protestants who decided to become Catholic.

I am seriously considering Catholicism but still have a few stumbling blocks. I was just curious if they are common obstacles or unique ones.

What is your biggest obstacle at this point Tommy?

 

[Tommy999]

What is your biggest obstacle at this point Tommy?

Hi ptisme,
Probably three main ones at this time.
– Marian dogmas
– Family opposition (spouse and siblings)
– Baby baptism versus believer’s baptism

I am not saying the Church is wrong. I am just saying I struggle with them.

– Marian dogmas:
For example: The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

To me, that sounds like it goes beyond honoring Mary and flirts with worship, but like I said, that’s just me. I always respect the Catholic position but I am an honest person and that is how I feel.
.
However, I actually caught myself saying the ‘Hail Mary’ a few weeks ago when there were tornadoes in my immediate area, and I felt comforted during the storm by that. Maybe I am progressing in that area.

– Family opposition:
My spouse is adamantly opposed to Catholicism. We come from Protestant families who have been Protestant for several centuries (probably since Reformation days). She has lots of misconceptions. I am working on them little by little. There may be a ray of hope, though.

For example, she likes Marco Rubio from Florida as a candidate for president. She asked me what religion he belonged to. I said he used to be Mormon but he is now a Catholic. She smiled and said, “I bet you like* that*, don’t you”.

– Baby Baptism:
I feel more comfortable with my faith tradition’s stance. It involves a Baby Dedication instead of baptism as a baby, which is mainly a ceremony in which the parents pledge to raise their child in the Christian faith. Then, when the child has reached the age of accountability and can reason for himself/herself, they can be baptized when they have a spiritual awakening that draws them to Christ in such a way that they desire to be baptized of their own free will like the people did with John the Baptist in the River Jordan.

Those are my biggest obstacles currently. Thanks for asking. I didn’t want to mention anything earlier because I didn’t want to potentially influence anyone’s vote in the poll.

 

[ptisme]

Hi SalusaSecondus,
Thanks for weighing in. That’s probably my biggest obstacle, too, along with family opposition.

However, there is a lot to like in Catholicism, as well, like the ties to the disciples and early Church fathers, along with the hierarchical and logical structure, Reconciliation, the reverence and beauty of the Mass, the beautiful cathedrals, and so on.

I’m on board with most of it but in order for me to become Catholic, I’ll need to be able to believe it all. I’m not going to pretend to believe all of it just to join. That would not be genuine. I couldn’t do that.

I would suggest that you are at the point where you could go through RCIA. That would give you answers to what you seek and then after completing RCIA you can decide if you still want to go through with joining. And if you decide not to join, at least you can say you gave it your due diligence. I’ll pray for you that you may receive the guidance you need from the Holy Spirit.

 

[TheSeeker2014]

However, there is a lot to like in Catholicism, as well, like the ties to the disciples and early Church fathers, along with the hierarchical and logical structure, Reconciliation, the reverence and beauty of the Mass, the beautiful cathedrals, and so on.

I’m on board with most of it but in order for me to become Catholic, I’ll need to be able to believe it all. I’m not going to pretend to believe all of it just to join. That would not be genuine. I couldn’t do that.

I feel the same… gotta believe it all.

 

[Denise1957]

Hi ptisme,
Probably three main ones at this time.
– Marian dogmas
– Family opposition (spouse and siblings)
– Baby baptism versus believer’s baptism

I am not saying the Church is wrong. I am just saying I struggle with them.

– Marian dogmas:
For example: The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

To me, that sounds like it goes beyond honoring Mary and flirts with worship, but like I said, that’s just me. I always respect the Catholic position but I am an honest person and that is how I feel.
.
However, I actually caught myself saying the ‘Hail Mary’ a few weeks ago when there were tornadoes in my immediate area, and I felt comforted during the storm by that. Maybe I am progressing in that area.

– Family opposition:
My spouse is adamantly opposed to Catholicism. We come from Protestant families who have been Protestant for several centuries (probably since Reformation days). She has lots of misconceptions. I am working on them little by little. There may be a ray of hope, though.

For example, she likes Marco Rubio from Florida as a candidate for president. She asked me what religion he belonged to. I said he used to be Mormon but he is now a Catholic. She smiled and said, “I bet you like* that*, don’t you”.

– Baby Baptism:
I feel more comfortable with my faith tradition’s stance. It involves a Baby Dedication instead of baptism as a baby, which is mainly a ceremony in which the parents pledge to raise their child in the Christian faith. Then, when the child has reached the age of accountability and can reason for himself/herself, they can be baptized when they have a spiritual awakening that draws them to Christ in such a way that they desire to be baptized of their own free will like the people did with John the Baptist in the River Jordan.

Those are my biggest obstacles currently. Thanks for asking. I didn’t want to mention anything earlier because I didn’t want to potentially influence anyone’s vote in the poll.

I appreciate that you’re always so charitable and honest.

The biggest obstacle for me was the idea that the Catholic Church is the true Church, and as such alone holds the fullness of the faith (or even that Christianity itself was the religion founded by God). I got over it eventually, though I can’t now remember how. I think I struggled with this for a few months. I struggled with other things, too, but this was probably the biggest thing.

I’d like to comment on the issues that you still have about Catholicism. Have you spoken with a priest on these subjects? You needn’t commit to Catholicism just by talking to a priest about them.

As far as the Hail, Holy Queen goes, I can see how you might interpret it the be flirting with worship. To me, it just shows how much we love and depend on the BVM to help us along the path. I rely on her a lot, and though her role is different from that of Jesus, who is our redeemer, we Catholics get help from anywhere we can, and the mother of our Lord is a good and kindly mother for us. I’m so glad that you felt comforted by praying the Hail Mary during the storms and tornados in your area!

It can indeed be really difficult to have a spouse who is adamantly opposed to Catholicism. all I can say is to keep doing what your doing in this area. When your understanding and faith grows deeper (and I think it will), your wife may also become more understanding. At least I hope so! But it may take a lot of time.

Regarding baptism, I don’t think that there’s anything in scripture that points to infant baptism, so maybe that’s why you have an issue with this, which is understandable. I don’t know how far back infant baptism goes in the Church, but this would be interesting to know about, perhaps. My understanding of infant baptism is that the child will receive through baptism, needed graces for helping with the struggles of life, even when young. At Confirmation, the child is expected to further understand the Catholic faith, and receive further graces which will help them. Apologies if this has already been explained before.

 

[TheSeeker2014]

Regarding baptism, I don’t think that there’s anything in scripture that points to infant baptism, so maybe that’s why you have an issue with this, which is understandable. I don’t know how far back infant baptism goes in the Church, but this would be interesting to know about, perhaps. My understanding of infant baptism is that the child will receive through baptism, needed graces for helping with the struggles of life, even when young. At Confirmation, the child is expected to further understand the Catholic faith, and receive further graces which will help them. Apologies if this has already been explained before.

There is scripture that talks about WHOLE HOUSEHOLDS BEING BAPTIZED so that may help those who struggle with infant baptism. Babys are part of a household.

 

[TheSeeker2014]

Acts 10, Acts 16, and 1 Corinthians 1 i think is all