Young Converts

[brycelaliberte]

I wonder about these early conversions. I wonder where these kids will be when they enter college.

I expect to be doing the same. Studying, thinking, writing. And the more I study, the more I think, the more I find Catholicism is true. (Reading St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, it is wonderful and I haven’t found myself in disagreement yet about a thousand pages in.)

I think this whole young conversion thing might have something to do with the counter-generational that doesn’t seem to want to get swept up in ‘what’s happening now.’ Like a counter-counter-subculture, if you want to be accurate. Because we’ll admit that this generation by and large is missing a lot of things.

The more I talk with my friends who were my previous “Super-Christians” about my decision to become Catholic, and why I did so, the more I think they see the truth about it.

 

[holdencaulfield]

I expect to be doing the same. Studying, thinking, writing. And the more I study, the more I think, the more I find Catholicism is true. (Reading St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, it is wonderful and I haven’t found myself in disagreement yet about a thousand pages in.)

I think this whole young conversion thing might have something to do with the counter-generational that doesn’t seem to want to get swept up in ‘what’s happening now.’ Like a counter-counter-subculture, if you want to be accurate. Because we’ll admit that this generation by and large is missing a lot of things.

The more I talk with my friends who were my previous “Super-Christians” about my decision to become Catholic, and why I did so, the more I think they see the truth about it.

I agree. Counter-counter-subculture

 

[Exalt]

I expect to be doing the same. Studying, thinking, writing. And the more I study, the more I think, the more I find Catholicism is true. (Reading St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, it is wonderful and I haven’t found myself in disagreement yet about a thousand pages in.)

I think this whole young conversion thing might have something to do with the counter-generational that doesn’t seem to want to get swept up in ‘what’s happening now.’ Like a counter-counter-subculture, if you want to be accurate. Because we’ll admit that this generation by and large is missing a lot of things.

The more I talk with my friends who were my previous “Super-Christians” about my decision to become Catholic, and why I did so, the more I think they see the truth about it.

 

[bpp85]

Has anybody else noticed an increase of “I’m (teenager) and I want to convert to Catholicism!” on these boards?

I was 18 when I converted. I just read a post from a 15 year old Methodist who wants to convert, on a thread from a convert from 7th Day Adventists who still lived at home. There are others I’ve read lately but I can’t think of them.

Has this always been the way it is and I’m just noticing it? Are we just rebelling against our parents IYO?

Just wanted to get others opinions.

I’m also a new convert, i converted when i was 21 so i wasnt that young
But i didn’t do it to rebel, i was raised as a Jehovahs witness, then i was an agnostic, then protestant, now a Catholic

 

[Rawb]

I wonder about these early conversions. I wonder where these kids will be when they enter college.

Well, I’m in college now, and teaching CCD to 5th graders, and going to be getting involved in the startup of a Newman Center here in a few months.

I tried athiesm for a while, completely empty, illogical, and simplistic IMHO. Then I found Catholicism.

 

[Alexios]

I was raised Methodist and knew I wanted to convert when I was 14 or 15, and began RCIA when I was 16, being received at the 2004 Easter Vigil Mass when I was 17.

 

[adventistnomore]

It’s reassuring to find other people my age who have made the journey. I swam over from Adventism too… tough stuff.

 

[valient_Lucy]

I suppose it’s possible they’re converting to rebel against their parents.

Though it does strike me as a very odd way to rebel.

 

[valient_Lucy]

I wonder about these early conversions. I wonder where these kids will be when they enter college.

Hard to say. Then again, we could just as easily wonder about people who convert to Catholicism simply because their spouse is Catholic.

 

[Exalt]

Hard to say. Then again, we could just as easily wonder about people who convert to Catholicism simply because their spouse is Catholic.

Sure we could.

We could probably attribute that to a growing level of non-religiousity in this country.

However, the young convert issue is different - at least among the types of conservative christianity you find on these forums.

 

[brycelaliberte]

I agree. Counter-counter-subculture

Hmm, to add to that, I think it is a two-sided skepticism. Most people are skeptical of what would inconvenience them (i.e. global warming, responsibility for sins, et etc) and not as skeptical as what conveniences them (i.e. abortion, same sex ‘marriage’, et etc). To be truly questioning and skeptical would be to not only question religion with reason, but would also be to be skeptical of the world.

Maybe one could be ‘polemical’ of secularity?

 

[valient_Lucy]

Sure we could.

We could probably attribute that to a growing level of non-religiousity in this country.

However, the young convert issue is different - at least among the types of conservative christianity you find on these forums.

Well, of course the younger convert has issues that an older convert does not. My point is that a person who converts at a young age may be more likely to abandon the faith as they get older, but then again they may not be.

Sometimes it comes down to the individual.

 

[chris_molter]

I think the depth of history, thought, theology, philosophy, art, music, architecture, and liturgy in Catholicism is very attractive to some young folks. It IS very counter-cultural in a culture which no longer often prizes such things!

Also, living out the Catholic faith is not easy. It’s challenging and it doesn’t allow for spiritual laxity, which may also be an attraction, oddly enough.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

I think that if all us older people were to look back at ourself when we were young though we may have fought against it we wanted structure in our lives. we wanted to be told what was right and what was wrong ( we may have disagreed but we wanted it) I know I did. In the world today there is nothing stable a teen looks around for something he can hold onto and finds God and the Church. No matter what the rest of his or her life holds they will forever look at things within the Prism of the Catholic Church. God is working in there life and I am overjoyed to hear of so many young men and women coming to the Church in spite of the opposition they may face at home or from friends. Praise to God and the Lord Jesus Christ for the holy Sprite is moving on the hearts of the young. It gives me hope in the future.

To all of you young men and women that have recently or are in the process of coming to the Church May God bless you May the Blessed Virgin Mary hear your prayer along with the saints and choirs of angels to be sang before the throne of God, so that you may grow in love and faith all the days of your lives.
In Nomine Patris et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus.
Amen