Why wouldn't a true Protestant become Catholic?

[mtnmikeblue]

Ive been thinking. If a True protestant were really connected and communing with the One True God. If they were Truly in a relationship with Jesus Christ.Then wouldn’t it follow that they would convert to Catholicism when presented with the truth of the Catholic Church?

How could anybody who knows God reject the True Church of God (Catholic Church) when faced with its doctrines of truth?

I mean when really presented with the doctrines of truth, presented in love by someone they know, one who is reputable. And they still reject the Catholic Church? How can this be?

Wouldn’t it be like when Christ came to the Jews and they rejected Him and said “we have God as our Father.”

 

[the_7th_one]

Ive been thinking. If a True protestant were really connected and communing with the One True God. If they were Truly in a relationship with Jesus Christ.Then wouldn’t it follow that they would convert to Catholicism when presented with the truth of the Catholic Church?

How could anybody who knows God reject the True Church of God (Catholic Church) when faced with its doctrines of truth?

I mean when really presented with the doctrines of truth, presented in love by someone they know, one who is reputable. And they still reject the Catholic Church? How can this be?

Wouldn’t it be like when Christ came to the Jews and they rejected Him and said “we have God as our Father.”

A Southern Baptist growing up in the hills of Kentucky may not incounter the doctrines of truth in his life. But he would for sure incounter them before passing the gates of Heaven to see God face to face

 

[mtnmikeblue]

A Southern Baptist growing up in the hills of Kentucky may not incounter the doctrines of truth in his life. But he would for sure incounter them before passing the gates of Heaven to see God face to face

I like That

 

[spencer2]

Pride and their own interpretation of scripture is what stops the
from converting.

 

[timotheos]

Ive been thinking. If a True protestant were really connected and communing with the One True God. If they were Truly in a relationship with Jesus Christ.Then wouldn’t it follow that they would convert to Catholicism when presented with the truth of the Catholic Church?

How could anybody who knows God reject the True Church of God (Catholic Church) when faced with its doctrines of truth?

I mean when really presented with the doctrines of truth, presented in love by someone they know, one who is reputable. And they still reject the Catholic Church? How can this be?

Wouldn’t it be like when Christ came to the Jews and they rejected Him and said “we have God as our Father.”

Good question. Perhaps it is about more than the logos. Is it possible that some Protestants remain so because they cannot forgive, eg. the instances of corruption (eg. selling indulgences, or scandal)? Or, do they cling to a disagreement in doctrine, as a function of a particular hardness of heart toward, or lack of trust in, or a desire to remain separated from the Catholic Church? Or maybe they are just creatures of habit, and continue to attend the church of their youth and family, and don’t think about it too much. Come to think of it, I’ll bet a lot of Catholics fit into this category too.

But there are good examples of some who have converted in the manner you outline. Scott Hahn and Marcus Grodi come to mind.

 

[mtnmikeblue]

Pride and their own interpretation of scripture is what stops the
from converting.

Pride. That’s a biggie.

It seems what it really comes down to is not so much that they are unable to understand but rather that they REFUSE to understand.

 

[HeavenlyRoses]

Just because the truth is presented with love doesn’t mean someone will believe it. From a Protestant point of view, the Catholic Church asks converts to believe a lot of things that they’ve dismissed, even mocked, for all their lives (transubstantiation, intercession of saints, etc). It’s a tough sell, even if it’s the truth.

 

[The_Reginator]

My own mother has great faith in her Lord and Saviour.
At 84 she has decades of belief that she was saved forever when she accepted Jesus into her heart.
(She was born a Mennonite and spent her adult as a low church Anglican.)
Now that I am a Catholic she considers me to be a biggot, in that I follow Church teaching about the one, true Church and that I won’t participate in a protestant ‘communion’ service.
Her faith is great, but she has decades believing that Catholics are very, very wrong. That is hard to overcome.
I’m betting she becomes Catholic after death.

 

[mtnmikeblue]

Or, do they cling to a disagreement in doctrine, as a function of a particular hardness of heart toward, or lack of trust in, or a desire to remain separated from the Catholic Church?

But there are good examples of some who have converted in the manner you outline. Scott Hahn and Marcus Grodi come to mind.

I think it has to do a lot with what you said here;

“they cling to a disagreement in doctrine, as a function of a particular hardness of heart”

I myself have just recently returned to the Catholic Church. Was baptized a Catholic and ended up a convert in the protestant church for 26 years.

That’s why I now ask this question. I lovingly try to explain to my protestant family and friends that the Catholic Church really does fit the image of who we already know the Lord to be. I have found that the Catholic Church completes all that was lacking in my life as a protestant.

When I lovingly explain this to those who are close to me it seems as if they really do believe but for some reason just wont accept it for themselves.

This is very frustrating! I keep praying though.
I have witnessed so much of Gods providence right before their very eyes, and still they refuse to consider the Catholic Faith.

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I

I think it has to do a lot with what you said here;

“they cling to a disagreement in doctrine, as a function of a particular hardness of heart”

I myself have just recently returned to the Catholic Church. Was baptized a Catholic and ended up a convert in the protestant church for 26 years.

That’s why I now ask this question. I lovingly try to explain to my protestant family and friends that the Catholic Church really does fit the image of who we already know the Lord to be. I have found that the Catholic Church completes all that was lacking in my life as a protestant.

When I lovingly explain this to those who are close to me it seems as if they really do believe but for some reason just wont accept it for themselves.

This is very frustrating! I keep praying though.
I have witnessed so much of Gods providence right before their very eyes, and still they refuse to consider the Catholic Faith.

It takes an open mind to consider some of the Catholic faith. And quite honestly…many people don’t know the truth about it…they only know their misconceptions.

For a couple of years before I came back to the church…I would ask questions…simple questions like “why do you eat fish on Friday” When I couldn’t get an answer to that…I didn’t put much faith (pun intended) in their church. Even my own dad…"why does the guy at the back of the alter have an axe? … my dad…“I don’t know”…come to find out…it’s St. Boniface…the patron saint of their church…

But it takes a lot to overcome your thinking to appear with an open mind…and really listening. But of course…that is hard to do when your friends are telling you to be careful in the Catholic church…

Keep praying…I’m sure some of my extended family must have thought I was a lost cause.

 

[rebecca123]

I also think it’s mainly pride unfortunately. I know it was for me. But I wasn’t aware of it at first, you just think you’re “standing up for the truth” by defending protestant doctrines.

It’s easier just to say “it isn’t biblical” than to consider you might be wrong. That requires humility. Eventually I started wondering how I could be right while all the Catholics and the priests, etc could all be wrong. That was God’s grace for me.

Think about the main doctrines that cause problems, like Marion devotion, Mary was the ultimate example of humility by saying , “Be it done unto me according to Thy Word”. She helps us to be humble and we pray for her intercession in that regard in one of the Joyful Mysteries.

The eucharist and how Christ humbles himself to be truly present in the Blessed Sacrament for us. It’s overwhelming when you really think about it.

And then, confession, it takes true humility to confess your sins to a priest who is acting in the person of Christ. A lot easier to say “it isn’t biblical” and forget about it.

It’s kind of like you have to be humbled by God before you can even accept the humble grace that comes through the sacraments.

I don’t know, but I know for me it was a lot more about my pride and the “lack of scriptural evidence” was just something I could say to look smart.

 

[Stylites]

“There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church…” ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN

 

[Mark77]

The biggest problem is us Catholics!

Most of us just do not know our Catholic Faith.

Many pick & choose what we want to believe & what we ignore & quite frankly, we are unable to convince others of the Fullness of the Truth found only in the Catholic Church by our witness & our life!

mark

 

[ThyKingdomCome]

How could anybody who knows God reject the True Church of God (Catholic Church) when faced with its doctrines of truth?

I mean when really presented with the doctrines of truth, presented in love by someone they know, one who is reputable. And they still reject the Catholic Church? How can this be?

Wouldn’t it be like when Christ came to the Jews and they rejected Him and said “we have God as our Father.”

Because just because you say something is the truth, doesn’t make it so. My mother can come to me and tell me: “Hey honey, I know you love me and trust me. I’m here to tell you the truth. Black is white, dogs are cats, and the true religion is Wicca. Follow me.” Naturally I’m not going to follow her. In the first two instances, this is because telling me that black is white and dogs are cats goes against everything I’ve ever known. In the third case, my mom might be able to make some compelling cases about why Wicca is the true religion. And even if I were to believe them, I have been taught that the devil wants to confuse me, and that I need to be careful about being tempted away from my faith.

It is the same with honest protestants. Often, they are being presented with information that goes against everything they believe. And also from their perspective, they are being tempted away from their faith, which they have believed to be true for so long.

Three conditions have to be present, IMO, for a person to be willing to convert.
1-the truth needs to be presented from the right perspective. IOW, you can’t just start out quoting Catholic doctrine, you have to go back to the first point of divergence of the faiths, and argue from there.
2-the person needs to be willing to challenge their ideas.
3-the Grace of God disposes people to believe in him and what he teaches.

 

[mtnmikeblue]

I also think it’s mainly pride unfortunately. I know it was for me.

Think about the main doctrines that cause problems, like Marion devotion, Mary was the ultimate example of humility by saying , “Be it done unto me according to Thy Word”.

The eucharist and how Christ humbles himself to be truly present in the Blessed Sacrament for us. It’s overwhelming when you really think about it.

And then, confession, it takes true humility to confess your sins to a priest who is acting in the person of Christ. A lot easier to say “it isn’t biblical” and forget about it.

It’s kind of like you have to be humbled by God before you can even accept the humble grace that comes through the sacraments.

I don’t know, but I know for me it was a lot more about my pride and the “lack of scriptural evidence” was just something I could say to look smart.

Thanks so much for your insight here. I never associated humility with the Catholic doctrines in this way. You are absolutely right! This really helps me to better target my prayers.

 

[mtnmikeblue]

Naturally I’m not going to follow her. In the first two instances, this is because telling me that black is white and dogs are cats goes against everything I’ve ever known.
It is the same with honest protestants. Often, they are being presented with information that goes against everything they believe.

But that’s my point. Protestantism doesn’t go against everything we believe. Both are said to know and commune with God. There is only one God.
Now the dogmas on how we are to worship are sure different. But when we lovingly communicate the Catholic teaching on the TRUTHS they already know, you would think the response would be to embrace them whole heartedly.

For example, when I was a protestant the closest I could ever come to knowing and experiencing God was from meditation on the written Word. I loved to read Gods word! Why? Because this was the closest way I could draw near to Him whom I loved.

But now, praise God, I have the Eucharist! I not only have the Eucharist but I have the Holy Mass! Not only can I meditate on the truth of God in His word, but as a Catholic I can meditate on His word AND be in His Real Presence at Holy Mass. AND I can ingest His Real Presence in my mortal body Every Day of the week! Praise God!

You see protestants only get a taste of God. I got enough to know that it is God alone who could satisfy my soul. But sadly the doctrines of the protestant church could never consistency fulfill the thirst for the living water of which I already tasted and needed to drink more consistently. The Catholic Church provides all that I was lacking in the protestant church.

So, you would think, that those who thirst and have already tasted the living waters, would fully embrace the Catholic Church, the very spigot from which the waters flow.

I really like rebecca123 response. The comment about needing humility to embrace the Catholic Doctrines. Because of the humble nature of the doctrines themselves.

 

[AmataVeritas]

Pride…ignorance…failures on the part of Catholics to live out our faith… All this and other things can play a part. But I think there is also a greater mystery here - faith itself is a gift from God, a grace. The workings of the grace of God and the freewill of men is, indeed, a mystery.

I also think of the parable of the sower and the seed - some fell on hard ground, some among thorns, some in good soil… But in all cases, the seed needs proper care and time to take root and grow. If you are talking to someone who seems resistant to the truth about the Catholic Church, perhaps it’s because, in God’s wisdom and timing, you are merely a sower in the life of that person and the harvest will come later.

Keep praying, be faithful to proclaim the Gospel by word and deed, and God will work abundantly through you, whether He makes you aware of it during your time on earth or not.

 

[LollilopLicker]

This question is a very personal, and individualized situation.

A lot of people have jesus and their beleifs in other denominations.

 

[mtnmikeblue]

This question is a very personal, and individualized situation.

A lot of people have jesus and their beleifs in other denominations.

A lot of people do have “jesus” and their beliefs in other denominations.

But “Jesus” has given the Keys to His kingdom, to the Catholic Church

 

[mtnmikeblue]

I also think of the parable of the sower and the seed - some fell on hard ground, some among thorns, some in good soil… But in all cases, the seed needs proper care and time to take root and grow. If you are talking to someone who seems resistant to the truth about the Catholic Church, perhaps it’s because, in God’s wisdom and timing, you are merely a sower in the life of that person and the harvest will come later.

Keep praying, be faithful to proclaim the Gospel by word and deed, and God will work abundantly through you, whether He makes you aware of it during your time on earth or not.

More good insight here, thank you.