Conversion Stories

I was raised in the Assemblies of God (pentecostal), and even though the minister was my dad's uncle my mom was always the more devout one. So we went to church regulary sometimes Sunday AM, eve and Wednesdays, but very little discussion at home. I don't want to say things were all bad, but the focus on end-times tribulation beliefs, heavy sermons and even the speaking in tongues which frightened me as a kid and disturbed me even as I got older was hard on me. They had a concept of grave sin, and an unconfessed grave sin could condemn you. Also if you 'backslid' and didn't live a Christian life you might go to hell. I never could figure out what a grave sin was beyond murder, suicide or adultery ... they really weren't clear on that. Actually some of it when I started really learning Catholic belief having that background helped me ... where I had never embraced a once-saved-always-saved (OSAS) concept. So didn't have that to overcome.

I have attended baptist, and finished my college degree at a Southern Baptist University. Really very occasional church attendence during college and time in the army. I still believed but didn't think of it. Though I like to think my belief influenced my behavior on some levels, on other levels I didn't really live a Christian life during that time. I looked around a bit, even attended a Lutheran service once and took communion - didn't realize at the time that I wasn't supposed to as I was not baptized and not Lutheran.

When the older 2 boys were young, I thought about converting to Catholicism because my husband had been raised Catholic. Thought he'd be more excited about church in a familiar environment. At the point I saw he wasn't more interested I dropped the idea - it was also about the same time Matt was diagnosed with autism. I am glad I didn't convert then as I didn't even know the right questions to ask.

A lady who worked with Matt in the spec. ed preschool program invited us to the Nazarene church. Was after my youngest was born and they were willing to watch Matt in the nursery with Jeff. Nazarene was very much like AoG-lite. Very similiar beliefs but less intense or 'harsh' ... didn't obsess over Revelation all the time. No speaking in tongues. So nice in that it was familiar and minus the things that had bothered me about AoG. But as Matt grew he was more difficult to handle, it was a fairly long drive too. My husband went a while but dropped out. Hard to handle kids by myself and hubby not thrilled to watch them during his time off on the weekend. So dropped out on that eventually.

At some point after this a group of Jehovah's Witnesses came by. I was trying hard to blow them off. An older gent said something that actually peeved me off (can't recall now) but the lady with them gave him a look and smoothed it over ... offered to come by and do a Bible study. So I did. It was nice to discuss things. Though I really wan't serious about joining I was interested and enjoyed reading their perspective. Gave me things to think about. I wasn't offended by the nonTrinitarian belief as I never felt the Trinity made sense, it seemed just a way to explain away a polytheistic belief ... though I still felt Jesus was somehow divine. After a while she didn't visit as often, probably because I wasn't ready to join. Things with Matt were getting more difficult, Jeff was diagnosed PDD/autistic as well. I slipped into a time where I was mad at God. I came to a conclusion that God wasn't personal in the way I had been raised to believe, because letting innocent people suffer didn't make sense to me. A real father would do anything to spare innocent suffering. -even if I deserved and 'earned' suffering, Matt hadn't as he was innocent. The fallen world as the only reason most prots give for people's suffering just added to that lack of a hands-on God image, like God just walked away and left us.

At some point, suppose I hit a real low and decided I had to make peace with God. So did some web surfing, and I was actively looking for nonTrinitarian groups besides the JW's (I knew their history enough with the prediction of 1914 coming of Christ then changed it to a secret coming since it didn't happen.) I found a protestant ran board that had areas dedicated to various beliefs, ran by a reformed OSAS fellow. Treated people of other beliefs badly, IMO. I was most interested in investigating the Christadelphians as they were very articulate. But they believed Jesus was only a man. That bothered me. I felt their arguments against the Trinity mopped the floor on the Trintarians. They knew scripture, history, greek. The thing that did eventually bother me was they had divisions within their little group that had started relatively late in Christian history and one fellow said it was within their belief to say Jesus was more than just a man. Someone in the Christadelphian section suggested a book called Concepts of Father, Son and Holy Spirit by Matthew Alfs which I saw the spectrum of beliefs on the Trinity and variations. I felt I could accept one of the looser Trinitarian views. It gave me some more history there too, looking at the creeds and how it developed over time.

For some reason I stopped in at the Catholic board on that board system, still searching. Mainly I went in and just defended Catholics as being Christian. It didn't take me long to start having the 'that makes sense' feeling on the Catholic arguments, and even more the wrenching out of context viewpoints used against Catholics on some things. I used my NIV Study Bible that I got for my Old/New Testament classes in college, and using that and some time I saw how Catholics really have a wholistic view of scripture. The ECF's was a surprising revelation too. Seeing how Christianity had strayed left and right and fragmented over time (like AoG began around beginning of 1900's, had women pastors, etc. where that wasn't historical Christianity). I had a sense of the need for authority, that truth and Christian unity wasn't going to be found where there were hundreds of different churches. That we were supposed to be one, not divided and scattered. Personally, I don't go by 30,000 denominations number for prots, unless you mean that many plus authorities... millions as each person in the end is their own authority in the Bible-only interpretation without a Magisterium.

Anyhow, some bumps in the road in accepting something Marian - strangely never had a problem with Mary as Mother of God even when I didn't believe in the Trinity ... and I was baptized, confirmed and first communion April 19, 2003. Strange I will always remember that date, but never really could pinpoint the many conversions/sinner prayers I went thru when I was young.

That is the sort of choppy and not too long version.

Marcia

okay here's my storyin more detail per request of kenny

i started in a Wesleyan church when i was little. did the altar call there at like age 6 i think. my parents were missionaries for a brief time when we went to south america for 3 months (way cool)then parents split up and mom remarried and stepdad started taking us to Church of the Bretheren. i was baptized there at age 15. then they switched to southern Baptist. that's when i kind of fell away, teenager with an attitude, moved out, didn't attend anywhere. about 4 or 5 years ago i got reaquainted with an old friend who was attending an Independant Baptist church and she got me to going again. i became a member and was baptized (again__sorry i didn't know ) now at this time i wasn't married but living with my now hubby and we had had a child together and that was eating me alive but my pastor refused to marry us or let us use his church becasue i had been married before which left a bad taste in hubby's mouth with that church. we ended up getting married in our backyard () by a different Baptist preacher. i started looking for a new home church in trying to get hubby to attend with me since he felt such resentment towards the old church. several months went by and couldn't find one i liked so i ended up going back to the original one. during this time i had joined CF and read posts here and there in this forum and saw so much animosity towards Catholics and just couldn't figure out why. i even recall hearing derogatory comments from the pulpit about Catholics which really bugged me.
so i started asking questions here around august or so of last year. started reading lots of books finding out what Catholics REALLY believe. i started having real issues attending that church during this time becaus eof what all i was reading adn learning. i elt my pastor know that i was studying Catholicism and i think he probably thought it was a phase or something but the more i learned the more i felt that tug at my heart.
i attended my first Mass on Christmas Eve night and was just blown away!!!!!!!!! so many people here on this forum helped me in telling their stories of conversion, explained away alot of the myths and i'm forever grateful to them well, i told my pastor in i think jan. maybe(?) that i was thinking of converting to which i got the speech of that "i'd condemend myself and my kids to hell" that i was "following a pagan religion" that there was "nothing wrong with Jack chick" basically he ran me through the ringer i guess to try to change my mind but that only solidified my decision that this was where God wanted me to be. i have read everything i can get my hands on about the Catholic faith, attended Mass usually twice a week since we don't have daily Mass because where i live Catholics are the minority and now by the grace of God will be starting RCIA classes in the fall, and will be confirmed next Easter, God willing that my annullment goes through okay


edited to add the link of where i told my old pastor my decision
http://www.christianforums.com/t88766

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SO, there is the cradle Catholic Thread, who all here is a convert or in the process (or wishes he or she was in the process, like me) Also state what you were before, ie: Lutheran, atheist, Baptist. I wish Iw as in the process but am not becuase of my mom. I "was formerly" Baptist.

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. ——Matthew 5:7

The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ——Romans 13:12

I was baptized Catholic as child but never practiced the faith in my daily life.

I toyed with the New Age stuff out of curiousity a little because my Mom had friends who did Tarot Cards, my Great Aunt was a palm reader and I just got a buzz from it all.

I had a conversion experience when I was 13 after an appendectomy. I probably would have stayed Catholic if my Protestant Charismatic Aunt hadn't drawn me away.

I joined a local United Methodist Church even though my doctrinal beliefs were Calvinist/Evangelical, a lot like John MacArthur (without pre-trib rapture) and R.C. Sproul.

I went to Confession my first time in at least three years either on or around the Feast of the Assumption last year. I started going back to Mass at my parish where I am now around the Feast of St. Augustine, which is this Saturday, the 28th of August.

I'm home!

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I am a convert from the LDS (Mormon) Church.


God Bless :crosself: and Pax et Bonum!
Simon

I was raised Lutheran (LCMS). Entered the Church 3 1/2 yrs ago on Epiphany Sunday.

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My husband, children and I are all in the beginning stages of converting. We have become convinced that the Catholic church is THE CHURCH and the more we learn, the more positive we are that converting to Catholicism is what we must do to be obedient to God.

I have never experienced a pull from the Lord like I have toward the Catholic Church. It is simply amazing and it feels like such a huge burden lifted now that I am on the road Home.

We come from various protestant denominations including Calvary Baptist and Presbyterian. Wonderful people at all of them, but "something" was always missing.

Firstly Welcome Home deniseh!!!

I remember not too long ago you asked for advise on how new converts join...Very well done on taking the step! CONGRATULATIONS!!!


My wife and I are recent converts, we got confirmed on July 10th. What an amazing day! We enrolled in the RCIA, and could not wait for our turn. We were Protestant before...sort of "denominationless, but if I'd have to say, I'd say Baptist-like.
It's such an amazing place to be, the Catholic Church. The history is so rich, the love for Our Lord Jesus and the focus on Him is so intense - something I did not experience on the protestant side.
My conversion story begins at Our Lady. Even before I knew about her, and was very protestant, she gently introduced me to small sections of Catholocism. Her touch was so gentle I did not realise that untill after my confirmation! Only then could I see how She led me to Jesus in the Catholic church.
And now I'm home!!!

Peace in Christ,

ArnoFlyBoy

I was born and raised Baptist, and im still kinda being raised Baptist bc my parents make me go, but if I could choose I'd be in the process of converting.

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I was raised Pentecostal, then attended a Calvary Chapel (Non-denom) from age 17 on. After I married a Catholic, I began studying Catholicism to help bring him out of the Church. In the process, I converted.