Why does the same old anti-Catholic rhetoric come up?

[Memaw]

As I step closer to converting to catholicism, and turning my back on what I used to believe, I see more clearly how the propaganda works for the anti - catholic movement. Yes there are books, blogs, websites, along with word of mouth that lay out the warning that catholicism is not God’s true church and will leads souls to hell. Usually those sources all come from an outsider point of view and are based on false claims. But if you are raised in a protestant environment you don’t know any better so you just grow up accepting it as fact that it’s a church you need to avoid. I mean there are claims that the pope will be the false prophet in revelations that will stand by the anti-Christ. Some claim that the catholic church is the white horse in revelations. Some claim that the miracles the catholic church document are just satan tricking those poor souls into believing a false doctrine that will send them to hell. Of course there is the old stand by claim that the catholic church brought pagan influences into their faith in order to get Rome to accept them while the true Christians had to go into hiding. I mean there is crazy stuff out there and an unknowing person wanting to look into the church will run across those kinds of claims. It’s a scare tatic that keeps protestants in line so to speak. One of the strongest arguments against catholicism is when an ex-Catholic converts to protestantism and warns them of the wrongs that’s in the catholic faith. Over a year ago when I was researching catholicism, I was close to deciding to convert then I found a website ran by an ex catholic who pointed out all the wrongs in the church and how they take you away from a relationship with God etc…along with claims that Fatima was not the holy event that is claimed ( he hints demonic activity). Anyway at that time it was enough to scare me into changing my mind and sticking with protestant beliefs. Although a year later I reconsidered my decision and am close to converting to catholic now, other people may be in those same shoes and never reconsider. They may be scared away for good and there is enough anti catholic material out there to reassure them to stay away.

I once read that those who run others down, lie about them etc, do so to build themselves up because they know that what they do is not right. They have to feel superior to others. Prayers for all. God Bless, Memaw

 

[steve_b]

if you are raised in a protestant environment you don’t know any better so you just grow up accepting it as fact that it’s a church you need to avoid. I mean there are claims that the pope will be the false prophet in revelations that will stand by the anti-Christ. Some claim that the catholic church is the white horse in revelations. Some claim that the miracles the catholic church document are just satan tricking those poor souls into believing a false doctrine that will send them to hell. Of course there is the old stand by claim that the catholic church brought pagan influences into their faith in order to get Rome to accept them while the true Christians had to go into hiding. I mean there is crazy stuff out there and an unknowing person wanting to look into the church will run across those kinds of claims. It’s a scare tatic that keeps protestants in line so to speak. One of the strongest arguments against catholicism is when an ex-Catholic converts to protestantism and warns them of the wrongs that’s in the catholic faith. Over a year ago when I was researching catholicism, I was close to deciding to convert then I found a website ran by an ex catholic who pointed out all the wrongs in the church and how they take you away from a relationship with God etc…along with claims that Fatima was not the holy event that is claimed ( he hints demonic activity). Anyway at that time it was enough to scare me into changing my mind and sticking with protestant beliefs. Although a year later I reconsidered my decision and am close to converting to catholic now, other people may be in those same shoes and never reconsider. They may be scared away for good and there is enough anti catholic material out there to reassure them to stay away.

What got you to ultimately see through all that and continue to research?

 

[Jesse92]

What got you to ultimately see through all that and continue to research?

For me it was the same frustration of not being able to find a church I felt I could grow spiritually. Then I realized that there are disgruntled Christians in all denominations. There is the truth and then there is people’s opinion on what the truth is. I wanted to find the truth …I wanted to find the church Christ established. That is what opened the doors for me again to catholicism. I could choose to justify being comfortable with sticking to protestantism by listening to the anti catholic arguments or I could choose to find the truth.

 

[Patti_M]

For me it was the same frustration of not being able to find a church I felt I could grow spiritually. Then I realized that there are disgruntled Christians in all denominations. There is the truth and then there is people’s opinion on what the truth is. I wanted to find the truth …I wanted to find the church Christ established. That is what opened the doors for me again to catholicism. I could choose to justify being comfortable with sticking to protestantism by listening to the anti catholic arguments or I could choose to find the truth.

Jesse, if you want to know the truth about someone why listen to people that hate them? Same goes for religion.

 

[steve_b]

For me it was the same frustration of not being able to find a church I felt I could grow spiritually.

Okay,

but that’s still putting the judgement for that on one’s feelings. And feelings can be totally misleading…agreed?

What is it that kept you persuing Catholicism?

I’m asking some questions because I’m truly interested in what you’re specifically looking for to make a decision.
J:

Then I realized that there are disgruntled Christians in all denominations.

in Catholicism as well.

What’s ultimately leading you to persue Catholicism?
J:

There is the truth and then there is people’s opinion on what the truth is. I wanted to find the truth …I wanted to find the church Christ established. That is what opened the doors for me again to catholicism.

And what evidence exactly is it that got you to see the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus established?
J:

I could choose to justify being comfortable with sticking to protestantism by listening to the anti catholic arguments or I could choose to find the truth.

And what is that criteria you’re using to find the truth?

I ask these questions because I’m truly interested in the process you’re following. And do you have friends that are also going through the same discernment? Your answers might help me with a friend of mine,

 

[Peter_J]

Jesse, if you want to know the truth about someone why listen to people that hate them? Same goes for religion.

Thank you!! I have been noticing for years that haters get paid a huge amount of attention.

Sadly, nothing that I or anyone else says seems to make much of a difference.

 

[Jesse92]

Okay,

but that’s still putting the judgement for that on one’s feelings. And feelings can be totally misleading…agreed?

What is it that kept you persuing Catholicism?

I’m asking some questions because I’m truly interested in what you’re specifically looking for to make a decision.

in Catholicism as well.

What’s ultimately leading you to persue Catholicism?

And what evidence exactly is it that got you to see the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus established?

And what is that criteria you’re using to find the truth?

I ask these questions because I’m truly interested in the process you’re following. And do you have friends that are also going through the same discernment? Your answers might help me with a friend of mine,

I agree feelings can be misleading. I decided to start looking into the catholic church because my family on my dad’s side is catholic and my wife’s family is catholic. It was kind of a random decision to one day look up information on the catholic church. I wanted to see what half of my family was believing and to see if there was any truth to it. Like I stated on earlier posts, my parents were protestant and I grew up attending many different churches. My criteria in this process is to get information from catholics and catholic church sources. I wanted accurate information and getting information from outside sources would not be adequate. The main evidence that got me convinced that catholicism is the church Christ established is finding out the true meaning of key scriptures that showed Jesus handing the keys to Peter and charging him with leading his church. Then it all kind of all fit together including scriptural evidence of the true presence in the eurchrist and the establishment of traditions etc…Basically I had a protestant inturpretation of Scripture because I that’s all I knew. The more I learn the more I am finding myself believing the catholic faith.

 

[icamhif]

Thank you!! I have been noticing for years that haters get paid a huge amount of attention.

Sadly, nothing that I or anyone else says seems to make much of a difference.

I know, right? Many people tend to respond to people’s post, only if it pushes their buttons. If they agree with their posts, they usually don’t come up with something to say. Sure, there are many people who say “Good post!” “+1” or “I appreciate your thoughts and insights,” but for the most part, you’ll have lurkers who don’t bother to express their positive feedback. The bright side of this is that you may actually be pleasing more people than you think you are

 

[steve_b]

I agree feelings can be misleading. I decided to start looking into the catholic church because my family on my dad’s side is catholic and my wife’s family is catholic. It was kind of a random decision to one day look up information on the catholic church. I wanted to see what half of my family was believing and to see if there was any truth to it. Like I stated on earlier posts, my parents were protestant and I grew up attending many different churches. My criteria in this process is to get information from catholics and catholic church sources. I wanted accurate information and getting information from outside sources would not be adequate. The main evidence that got me convinced that catholicism is the church Christ established is finding out the true meaning of key scriptures that showed Jesus handing the keys to Peter and charging him with leading his church. Then it all kind of all fit together including scriptural evidence of the true presence in the eurchrist and the establishment of traditions etc…Basically I had a protestant inturpretation of Scripture because I that’s all I knew. The more I learn the more I am finding myself believing the catholic faith.

Thanks for the explanation.

if 1/2 your family was NOT Catholic, would you still have persued this interest in Catholicism?

 

[Jesse92]

Thanks for the explanation.

if 1/2 your family was NOT Catholic, would you still have persued this interest in Catholicism?

Yes I would have. I was always curious about catholicism and when you grow up being told over and over how bad something is, it makes you want to check it out even more. But I also believe God is pushing me this direction. I’ve been praying for his guidance throughout this process.

I wanted to eleborate further on your previous question regarding my thought process, criteria, and most influential information etc…I was responding to posts while I was on breaks at work so I didn’t have time to get too detailed. I will say that a big influence on me in this process is Tim Staples. I listened to his audio titled ‘Jimmy Swaggert made me catholic’. That hit me close to heart because my parents and some of my other family was really into Jimmy Swaggert. After I listened to that I asked myself why did a bible believing man who knew the bible better than me and was educated in theology, why did he see something in the catholic church. I then read more stories about protestants converting to catholicism. Some were former pastors, some were missionaries, some were educated in theology etc…All those stories blew me away. If those great Christians who had more biblical knowledge than me, who knew more about theology than me, could convert to catholicism then what basis do I have for not converting? Do I have some secret knowledge that they did not have? Am I better at resting temptation than those christians? I asked myself those questions and it got me motivated to find out the truth for myself.

 

[steve_b]

Yes I would have. I was always curious about catholicism and when you grow up being told over and over how bad something is, it makes you want to check it out even more. But I also believe God is pushing me this direction. I’ve been praying for his guidance throughout this process.

I think you hit the nail on the head. God who established His Church is leading you to it. Your prayers are being answered.
J:

I wanted to eleborate further on your previous question regarding my thought process, criteria, and most influential information etc…I was responding to posts while I was on breaks at work so I didn’t have time to get too detailed. I will say that a big influence on me in this process is Tim Staples.

The picture is becoming clearer
J:

I listened to his audio titled ‘Jimmy Swaggert made me catholic’. That hit me close to heart because my parents and some of my other family was really into Jimmy Swaggert. After I listened to that I asked myself why did a bible believing man who knew the bible better than me and was educated in theology, why did he see something in the catholic church.

I’m curious,

Given your dad’s side of the family is Catholic, do you think your dad might return to the Church some day?
J:

I then read more stories about protestants converting to catholicism. Some were former pastors, some were missionaries, some were educated in theology etc…All those stories blew me away. If those great Christians who had more biblical knowledge than me, who knew more about theology than me, could convert to catholicism then what basis do I have for not converting? Do I have some secret knowledge that they did not have? Am I better at resting temptation than those christians? I asked myself those questions and it got me motivated to find out the truth for myself.

I like hearing stories as well. I like hearing about the process. It’s always interesting to me.

 

[Peter_J]

when you grow up being told over and over how bad something is, it makes you want to check it out even more.

There are, most definitely, cases where that happens, but I wouldn’t want to generalize.