Wishing to be Protestant again...

[mmsiciliana]

Finally, a few comments that I know will upset some of you, but I think it’s worth bringing up. I don’t know which variety of Protestants the OP was affiliated with. I came from the evangelical Protestant churches, where no one drank alcohol. For me, this was the most difficult thing about becoming Catholic–accepting that Christians drink alcohol.

It’s been six years now, and I still have a very hard time with this. I don’t like being around people who are drinking alcohol, and for this reason, I tend to avoid the “fellowships” offered at my parish. One of the posters above listed several parties and socials done at their parish–I’m guessing that many of them included beer. Yucko.

I totally do not fit in with the culture that drinks alcohol. I feel like a grape in bowl of marbles. It’s never been part of my life, ever, and I don’t understand why anyone, especially Christians, feels the need to drink. For 47 years, I had a rollicking great time and didn’t need alcohol to have that great time. THAT’S what I miss about Protestantism–socials where we all laughed and played and worked together and told jokes and stories and ate food and had a perfectly marvelous, memorable, loving, heartwarming time together drinking water, Kool Aid, soda pop, and occasionally, a punch with a fizzy drink and sherbet and a ring of colored ice floating in the bowl. I MISS that sooooo much!

Yes, I accept intellectually that there is no sin in the drinking of alcohol, but I don’t believe that I will ever accept it in my heart. Even as I typed that sentence, I didn’t believe it and I still don’t really believe it. I believe in my heart that drinking alcohol is a sin. I still find it shocking and upsetting to see Christians drinking alcohol.

You can try to dissuade me from my opinion, but I don’t want to see this topic de-railed, and believe me, many on CAF have tried over the years, and ALL have failed to change my mind. In fact, when I read what others post about the joys of alcohol on this forum, I find myself even more disgusted with the practice of drinking alcohol and even more turned off and I feel even more of a misfit in a strange, strange culture. It makes me sad. I wish that more non-drinking Protestants would become Catholic so that we could outnumber the drinking Catholics and I would feel more at home at socials. But it’s not all about me.

Perhaps the OP did not come from a Protestant church where the drinking of alcohol was forbidden. But for those of us who did, alcohol is a very big barrier to finding fellowship in the Catholic Church. I just thought I would bring that up, even though nothing will change and I accept that. I don’t like it, but I accept it. It’s not all about me. It’s all about Jesus, isn’t it? Yes, I know–Jesus drank alcohol. But back in his time, people didn’t drink and drive and kill people.

And yet in spite of this major stumbling block, I have found fellowship in my parish and in other parishes, as long as I stick with Bible studies and musical activities. I avoid the socials, parties, dances, etc. in which alcohol will be a factor. And I have discovered that there are a few Catholics who do not drink, usually for health reasons or because they are recovering alcoholics.

Our Lord Jesus was a man like us in all things except sin and he drank alcohol. And not every person who drinks alcohol drives and kills people. By the way, I don’t drink alcohol and haven’t for years…

 

[mmsiciliana]

Thank you for your post. It is exactly how I feel. I really miss the Sunday night services where everyone could share what God had done and answered prayers and just the goodness of the Lord.

I really enjoy the weekend or weekday Mass where everyone can share in what God has done for us by uniting a human nature to his divinity and dying on the cross to save us from our sins and by allowing us to participate in that exact same sacrifice on Calvary re-presented to us in an unbloody manner outside of space and time and how God has answered our prayers by giving himself to us Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity as the psalm says, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

 

[Anneymay]

I was born and raised Catholic and understand how your children feel about being so bored. I left the Catholic church because there is no “life” in it. There was no teaching of making Jesus a personal part of your life and along with that there was no teaching of God’s word. There was only being talked at. I have a sister that attends both catholic and protestant church’s. Personally, I want to be in a church were God is alive and the people of the church, especially the priest that is suppose to be the sheppard here on earth, to be alive with the teaching of Our Lord. I had to leave the Catholic church in order to learn God’s word and to learn how to make the Lord a part of my everyday life. You will have to follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. By the way, I never knew what the Holy Spirit was all about until I went to a protestant church to.
Boy was I ever missing out!!!

Hi, I chose that title to be somewhat provocative to hopefully garner people who could reply to this thread. I converted from Protestantism more than 10 years ago and I am happy to be Catholic. However, having said that I do miss much of the social aspects of a Protestant church. There were programs and bible studies for every age group; there were many ways of connecting to different people in your church–I had lots of friends in church and we would call each other up and do things together. There would be family picnics and other outings the church would sponsor.

In my 10 years of being Catholic my knowledge of truth has increased but at the cost of fellowship. I’ve been around 4 different Catholic churches in 10 years and all of them seem to be not much more than ‘Eucharist factories’ where you shuffle the people in, give them a boring homily, the Eucharist and shuffle them out until next week when you can do it again. The earliest youth group starts at high school.

I have brought some of my brothers and sisters in to the Church, but we all are beginning to pine for the days when going to church was enjoyable.

It does really appear to me that the Catholic Church, as an institution, does not foster fellowship anywhere near as much as the Protestant churches do. Am I wrong?

And before you say to me, “Well then, you get something started at your church!”, I’m trying to make the point that as an institution the Catholic church does not foster fellowship. I don’t want to be one person trying to roll a rock up hill, I want to be part of a Church that encourages fellowship.

As I mentioned before, I helped bring others to the Catholic Church, but now I’ve got a dilemma. My two kids, ages 12 and 13 are really complaining about going to our ‘boring church’ when their Protestant friends do all these really fun activities their churches sponsor. And I have an older son who may be considering becoming Catholic, but he has 4 children ages 1-6. I wince at the prospect of telling him he can’t put his children in Sunday School while he and his wife go to mass, but instead he has to keep four children under control for an hour while having to listen to a boring sermon. These are not show stoppers, but they really detract from giving incentives to joining the Church.

Any thought are welcome. But does anyone else see this lack of fellowship problem?

 

[mmsiciliana]

Start it w/o him. Tell him you need the Church on a certain night for Christian Fellowhip. Begin with Adoration … then go on from there.

OK…you can’t just “start” something in a Catholic parish without the pastor. The pastor is the leader of the parish according to Canon Law–we’re not congregationalists. And you certainly cannot have Adoration using a monstrance without the pastor’s permission, although anyone at anytime can pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, as long as the church building is open…

 

[Catholicnow]

Why do people think having the Eucharist negates the need for this kind of thing? Why are people so reluctant to deal with these questions by former Protestants, who obviously have willingly chosen the Catholic Church, in a substantial way? Do people really feel so threatened that seeing anything good in another Christian group is impossible?

Yes would be the answer to your last question. I remember a Little Rock Bible study were we studied the Bible and Fellowshipped we all had one thing in common we used to be Protestant, not one original Catholic showed up.

 

[Hiskid1973]

So Please stop trying to confront me like I don’t know what I’m talking about. If I were Muslim you wouldn’t even say anything because you’d automatically assume I was right if I had left Islam for Christianity.

You seem to be real testy in the way you come across, maybe I am misreading you…

 

[mmsiciliana]

I ALWAYS find it amusing that people miss the ‘fellowship’ / frienship / fun they had at other gatherings!

What happened that stopped that? Can you not CONTINUE to see your friends and arrange outings / picnics / socialising with them any longer because YOU feel they won’t accept you or is it because THEY have ostracised you for becoming Catholic?!? So your friendships / fellowships was conditional, FALSE??..and you MISS it!!!

There are multitudes of activities in EVERY Catholic parish that need to be arranged, organised and actioned, but it’s ‘work’ …not geared towards fun! Social activities can be arranged for the parish members from time to time…but this is a BREAK from ‘working’ for the life of the parish and the church.

Catholics do not arrange or provide fun activities to ATTRACT or RETAIN Catholics. That is why RCIA is not a same day service ‘sign here and you’re a Catholic’ format! We aren’t called to gather amongst ourselves and do feel good activities.

Our mission is to proclaim Christ to all. That doesn’t mean necessarily going on missionary work abroad, or sitting around proclaiming Christ within the Church members (which is basically proclaiming Him back to Himself) It is in how we conduct ourselves to all others we encounter during EVERY day! Christian and non-Christian.

Our fellowship, is to be with others that we encounter outside our parishes; in the community; workplace; anywhere! To examplify the faith within us! Exactly the same as when you were Protestant or whatever!..except the Light within you is NOW DIFFERENT!

We gather to strengthen each other, at Mass, The SOURCE of all that a Catholic is!

If you find Mass and the homilies boring, it is because you do not comprehend in Whose Presence you are in and inconsiderate that He may be addressing someone else of your brethren! This selfishness may be a residue of ‘where’s the fun activities and the thumping sermons?’ of a previous chapter in a life.

Seriously, if you want activity in your church life, BE ACTIVE in the life of your church!

We all know what the OP means and why s/he sees things this way. I’m sure Our Lord was a funny guy but the Scriptures do not detail He was a fun guy to be around! His ‘picnics’ were overcrowded and his ‘homilies’ were boring and ‘dangerous’ and at times, outright ludicrous! “…unless you eat my body and drink my blood…” ???

Where’s the fun in that for a Catholic to follow?

As Catholics we seek a different level of enjoyment. For our souls to soar with joy at hearing Our Master’s voice. Plenty of time for fun activities, eternally, if we make it!

I like how you put this. It reminds me of what John wrote in his first letter:

What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our own eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life–
for the life was made visible:
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us–
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have FELLOWSHIP with us;
for our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

We are called to bring the good news of the gospel to others. We need to let them know about the personal relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ and how we have looked upon Him, touched Him, and apprehended Him in our senses through the Blessed Sacrament–the Eucharist–the gift He Himself gave us the night before He died. In doing so, others will be brought to the Church Jesus Himself founded and they will have fellowship with us–they will have “communion” with us–they will be united with us and with the Father and the Son.

 

[tweetymom]

Your experience is not the same tradition and not the same experience. Most means those that I knew and know. Those converts from my same tradition agree with me entirely. They, like us, still contend with their very negative experiences with family and friends always treating them like lost souls. They appear to always, like Catholics, come up with intervention style schemes to convert their family or friends back to the truth. Most of us have had to place barriers between us and them. The irony is that usually all of the ones we know will say on the side without a witness that they don’t have a problem with this or that. But place them in the setting of the leaders and others and they’ll tote the line. I do believe that this is mostly unique with those from our cult. Many have even talked about it like it is a cult. So Please stop trying to confront me like I don’t know what I’m talking about. If I were Muslim you wouldn’t even say anything because you’d automatically assume I was right if I had left Islam for Christianity.

You really sound unhappy?

 

[mmsiciliana]

That is more to life than the Eucharist, strange as it is to find myself saying it.

Nope. “I am the way, the truth and the LIFE.”

 

[Cat]

Nope. “I am the way, the truth and the LIFE.”

Do you really have no friends? You spend all your time adoring the Lord Jesus? You attend Mass and that’s it–no other involvement with Catholic acquaintances and friends?

I’m curious about how this works. Do you recommend it to others–Jesus only and nothing else?

You may think I’m being sarcastic. I assure you I’m not. I know that there are people who truly have nothing except Jesus. My mother spent the last ten years of her life as an invalid, and she was alone with Jesus for many hours each day. But she did have family and friends who called and wrote her, and she also watched television and read books (until she couldn’t hold the books any longer). But there are other invalids who are completely along in this life except for nurses and Jesus. There are also prisoners who have nothing else except Jesus. I can’t imagine myself in these situations, so I appreciate knowing more from those who are content with Jesus alone.

 

[Bluegoat]

Nope. “I am the way, the truth and the LIFE.”

Would you honestly advocate nothing but attending communion services all day? I’m sure you know vvery well that even for someone with no need to work, there is more allowed - more required even - than that.

 

[Monica4316]

I hear you 100%. And I also still feel uncomfortable with Marian prayers on top of it. And I get the nagging in the back of my mind that though I believe there was Marian veneration in the early church but that the extent wasn’t as it is today. For instance every time we pray for someone at my parish we start with a Hail Mary and ask for her intersession. If the application of this type of thing was in the early church why no evidence of it in the NT or in the earliest of the ECF? I don’t see Clement asking the “blessed Virgin” to intercede for your church at Corinth. Nor do I see Ignatius requesting Mary’s intersession to help the smyrneans “see the light” with regard to the Eucharist. In fact the use of Marian prayers and intersessions are not evident in all these writings. So, I still have a problem with it. I also miss fellowship times where members would tell about how God was mightely working in their lives and the things he had done for them. My parish this type of discussion is limited. Mostly its about what people can do for themselves. I struggle with this every day.

Hi, that’s not true about the early Church. The early Church was VERY devoted to Mary. Please read some prayers by the ECFs and others to her here are some examples… as you can see they honoured her a lot, perhaps it is we who fall short there’s nothing to fear about Mary…her and Jesus are not in competition with one another Mary leads us closer to Jesus, when we are devoted to her. As St Therese said, we can’t love her enough.

campus.udayton.edu/mary/prayers/SaintsPrayers.htm

 

[Monica4316]

I feel very defeated trying to explain my position - like stopping the flood of water with a sieve. I have been attending one of the largest Catholic churches in my city since 2004 and pursued an annulment, recieved it, my 2nd marriage was then considered valid but not convalidated since we were baptized persons when married, was received into the church advent 2008 and am now divorced again. throughout those years i have attended with my family en masse at least 1/2 the extra-curricular activities that pertained to us, did CRHP the full year, did a Catholic Marriage Encounter, attend reconciliation as well as my kids do too, participated in various Bible studies, meetings, conferences in the area besides my church (all Catholic) and did not make one friend that i could call on during my difficulties with my husband over all that time. i went to the pastor and a deacon re: our marriage problems and they had no answers except pray the rosary. I have sat in mass and cried over the loneliness surrounded by people. no one said a word to me. I had to join a support group at a protestant church to get anyone that i could reach out to during the abusiveness of my marriage. I have been raised as a christian all my life, making a personal decision at the age of 13 and never walked away from it. Throughout the years i have taught Sunday school to all ages except adults. i was on track to become a small group leader at my church when my pastor died and that is the time i began to pursue interest in the Catholic faith. i have asked my RCIA leader, the religious education director about me using the gifts that i have for teaching and my extensive knowledge of the word and because i have no experience in the church (i am an unknown) i was turned down. i might as well be invisible. i am a faithful Catholic Christian but there is a wall around which i cannot penetrate and you can call it whatever you want to and blame me somehow but i have done all that i know to do and know no other answers. i have to reach out to protestants for any kind of fellowship, support, friendship during all this. i am welcome to go teach or pray or minister at their churches because i have a proven track record with them. i am sitting on the vine dying figuratively speaking and do not feel any hope for the situation so i will be faithful to the Church and the catechism and attend mass and i will get my needs met at protestant church and live with that. i do not take their communion and i do not hide the fact that i am Catholic. Don’t you understand how that all hurts?

I’m so sorry you’re in this situation :hug1: I’m sure it must be very difficult. I don’t really know why this happened because I’ve made some great Catholic friends, in fact when I became Catholic, many of my Protestant friends left me or stopped talking to me… I don’t know maybe it just depends on the people; people are all different. But I’m sorry you have to carry this burden.

 

[Monica4316]

I was born and raised Catholic and understand how your children feel about being so bored. I left the Catholic church because there is no “life” in it. There was no teaching of making Jesus a personal part of your life and along with that there was no teaching of God’s word. There was only being talked at. I have a sister that attends both catholic and protestant church’s. Personally, I want to be in a church were God is alive and the people of the church, especially the priest that is suppose to be the sheppard here on earth, to be alive with the teaching of Our Lord. I had to leave the Catholic church in order to learn God’s word and to learn how to make the Lord a part of my everyday life. You will have to follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. By the way, I never knew what the Holy Spirit was all about until I went to a protestant church to.
Boy was I ever missing out!!!

I don’t understand, - how can you think there is no life in the Catholic Church when Jesus is physically present there? I used to be Protestant and then I became Catholic cause I was looking for more, and I found a much closer and more intimate relationship with Jesus through the Sacraments than ever in the Protestant church… even though the Protestant church was very entertaining and there was a lot of good music and sermons and events going on, and prayer nights, etc, it was all great but spiritually the Catholic Church has so much more grace. I think that you never got to know the Catholic Church very well and that is really sad have you ever read writings by the Saints, or went to Adoration, or did any devotions like Divine Mercy or the Sacred Heart devotion? Just reading your post, it’s like you’re talking a completely different church than the one I belong to, - which makes me think you left the Church without really knowing it

I was baptized Eastern Orthodox as a child and then I left and became Protestant for exactly the SAME reason as you described, and my experience with Protestantism was much like what you said as well… I thought, finally I discovered Jesus and now I know and love Him and finally I know the Holy Spirit… but then God made me ready for the Sacraments again, and I saw I was just not ready before… I thought I was so ‘advanced’ and better than the Catholics or Orthodox, He showed me that I mistook consolations and emotions for real holiness. Then He brought me back to the Sacraments, and the Catholic Church, and it’s way beyond anything I had in the non denominational church I used to attend. I never thought it would be like this before; He had to prepare me. There are SO many graces, in the Eucharist, Confession, Mary, the Saints, all the devotions, etc… none of it is “dead”, the Holy Spirit is in the Church in a fuller way. When I receive the Eucharist, Jesus is really physically inside of me, that cant’ compare to anything I had as a Protestant…even though it was great before too…

 

[Nicea325]

I was born and raised Catholic and understand how your children feel about being so bored. I left the Catholic church because there is no “life” in it. There was no teaching of making Jesus a personal part of your life and along with that there was no teaching of God’s word. There was only being talked at. I have a sister that attends both catholic and protestant church’s. Personally, I want to be in a church were God is alive and the people of the church, especially the priest that is suppose to be the sheppard here on earth, to be alive with the teaching of Our Lord. I had to leave the Catholic church in order to learn God’s word and to learn how to make the Lord a part of my everyday life. You will have to follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. By the way, I never knew what the Holy Spirit was all about until I went to a protestant church to.
Boy was I ever missing out!!!

** I left the Catholic church because there is no “life” in it. There was no teaching of making Jesus a personal part of your life and along with that there was no teaching of God’s word**

Sorry,but that is not true at all and bearing false witness. No teaching of making Jesus a peronal part of your life? You apparently missed Mass a lot or received poor catechesis. No teachings of God’s word? Explain to me what part of the Liturgy of the Word (3 scriptural readings: 1 OT,2 NT and 1 responorial psalm) you fail to acknowledge the Word of God?

Personally, I want to be in a church were God is alive and the people of the church, especially the priest that is suppose to be the sheppard here on earth, to be alive with the teaching of Our Lord.

Alive? What is your definition of ALIVE? A lot of hoopla and fun? In today’s world of over-stimulation it is not uncommon to mix it with FAITH and WORSHIP.

I had to leave the Catholic church in order to learn God’s word and to learn how to make the Lord a part of my everyday life. You will have to follow what the Holy Spirit tells you. By the way, I never knew what the Holy Spirit was all about until I went to a protestant church to.Boy was I ever missing out!!!

I even question if you were Catholic at all. You simply seemed like a poor Catholic who never took the time to ASK or take some Bible or catechesis classes. Sorry,but the Holy Spirit did not tell you leave,that was your own lack of comprehension of the Catholic Church. You never knew what the Holy Spirit is all about until you went to a Protestant church? I did not know the Holy Spirit is responsible for thousands and thousands of different churches teaching different things?

No offense,but what is there to miss out with so many different churches?

 

[I_Fortuna]

An oak tree starts out its existence as a small seed. I know you don’t want to hear this … but why don’t you do something about it? Start your own fellowship group of Catholic converts and cradle Catholics that are interested in joining. There is a lot of complacency in many Catholic parishes. Be a catalyst in your own parish to end that complacency and you may inspire others to do the same.

God Bless,
Michael

Amen! I don’t know where your church is OP but we have CCD for children every Wed. and RCIA for adults, We have dinners and pot luck and festivals all the time. We just had a pot luck to honor our priest. We have a fall festival and we had a Greek dinner to honor Saint Paul.

Get with RCIA or your priest and tell them some of your ideas. I bet they will appreciate the help. Ask some of your church pals to offer themselves to education or bible study.

We follow Jeff Cavins Bible Timeline study dvds and it is great. I am on my second go round and intend a third. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish with very little inconvenience.

 

[BernadetteM]

My only comments are that people who don’t understand what worship really is and that being allowed to receive our Lord’s Body and Blood is the greatest gift we can have on this earth and still feel bored with the Mass, they should rethink whether they really want to spend all eternity in Heaven.

Read Revelations. It appears that all that has been shown in the Bible is the saints who are alive and in Heaven are constantly saying Holy Holy Holy and worshiping God.

If Mass is boring here how much more boring does it sound in Heaven?

There are many organizations outside of church to meet people, if for some reason a person can’t get involved within their parish.

As a former Episcopalian, there really was nothing in any of my parishes to be involved in. They had an altar guild for women. There were couples who got together, but it wasn’t through any church sponsored group. Single woman were ignored. Although I knew people in each parish, no one really attempted to be friends. When I left I never heard from anyone again.

Sometimes they had Sunday school, but no activities for my children. Although a couple did take an interest in the children and took some to a few fun events.

Yes not all protestant churches are alike, but as some have posted as long as you belong to their church your their friend, leave it and many times you will find that your relationship is over. This is true in most secular groups also.

It seems that many don’t really understand what worship means. I can listen to a preacher on TV and hear songs, but that is not worship. Neither is it just because your all sitting in a building together.

I attended my friend’s mega church and it was always just for entertainment. They brought in Christian acts to bring in the young. Once they had an actress who just followed the visiting preacher around on a stage. It was really strange. From what she tells me there are many many small groups and that is the only way you get to know anyone. You stay in that group and discuss different topics and the bible. She is related to the pastor and he is more centered on himself than the congregation from what she relates to me. Of course she doesn’t put it in those words, but from his actions the conclusion is that he is the ONE and no one better decide to move on and start their own church.

I am sure that not all mega churches are like this one. They have a Star Bucks type of area. The pastor makes a hugh salary. My friend has found several actions not to her liking but has been indoctrinated to such a degree, she can’t think for herself. I love her as she is a wonderful Christian, but I also feel sad for her.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette

 

[Amy1966]

my wife went to an evaneglical church - had loads of friends (or so she thought) had bible study groups, family groups, the whole 9 yards.

She left to become a catholic and was subtley but completely dropped bt her "friends’

If you are looking for a social life get one - it may or may NOT be in the church.

Is it possible that in the sight of her friends your wife betrayed them; in other words she wasn’t who she pretended to be? Would you continue with friends like that? Just a thought. The same thing would happen if it were the other way around; you can see this here when someone says they were Catholic and now Protestant; it seems they are an even lower form of Protestant.

 

[benidict]

Catholics are known for being almost a part of the world, Christians aren’t. We witness to them but fellowship with each other. I think catholics are frightened of it

Catholics are frightened of it?! really! then how come i cannot get on baptist board or the fighting fundamentalist board to defend Catholocism, hmmm? what are they scared of. the Truth.

 

[BernadetteM]

Is it possible that in the sight of her friends your wife betrayed them; in other words she wasn’t who she pretended to be? Would you continue with friends like that? Just a thought. The same thing would happen if it were the other way around; you can see this here when someone says they were Catholic and now Protestant; it seems they are an even lower form of Protestant.

In my view this is much more likely in an evangelical or fundamentalist setting. I find Catholics and the more mainline denominations don’t have this mindset.

I know my friends who are more fundamentlist are not close to me now that I am Catholic.

It is because of their belief that you are no longer a Christian if you are Catholic. Catholics feel that all Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ, whether Catholic or protestant. They might feel sad that one has left the Church, but I don’t see them disconnecting from the person.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette