Reformed Conversion

HTacianas

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I see a lot of testimonies (on EWTN, Catholics Come Home) of people converting from Presbyterian to Catholicism.

Why is this a trend as opposed to Catholics converting to the Reformed faith (which I may be called to do)?

If I can, it's probably because EWTN is a Catholic network and they highlight those converting to Catholicism. I suppose a Presbyterian network might portray things differently.
 
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chevyontheriver

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If I can, it's probably because EWTN is a Catholic network and they highlight those converting to Catholicism. I suppose a Presbyterian network might portray things differently.
What is the Presbyterian network?

Seriously, most who walk away from the Catholic Church are young and not well formed. Most Presbyterians who become Catholic will have been well formed as Christians before becoming Catholic. Which highlights a strength of the Presbyterians that so many would want to become Catholic. And highlights a weakness of the Catholics that so few youth are well formed, so they walk away.
 
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FireDragon76

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I think its a two way street. I read some time ago about a guy that grew up in the OCA (Orthodox Church in America) but then became Presbyterian (PC-USA), just becaues he did not consider the Church infallible and he disagreed with their stance on sexuality, and he wanted to go to a church where he had the freedom to think for himself.

So mostly what I think you see are people that are moderates or liberals in Catholicism or Orthodoxy leaving those churches for Protestant churches, and generally they go to moderate or liberal Protestant churches as a result. And that's probably going to be fewer than the other way around, but it still does happen.
 
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anna ~ grace

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I agree that conservative, Reformed Christians tend to be intelligent, very well-read, well studied on pre-Reformation history and theology, and their own theologians.

This approach tends to make it easier for these guys to study, carefully, the full history of Christian thought, study the Fathers, compare and contrast, and based on what they've found, journey towards the Catholic Church.
 
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JM

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It may also be true that if you keep studying and reading past the apologetic resources offered by Orthodox and Catholic Christians you will return to Protestantism. Once you are able to discern where traditionalists dogmas and doctrines sprang up you soon realize it’s a matter of presuppositions.

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
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philadelphos

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I see a lot of testimonies (on EWTN, Catholics Come Home) of people converting from Presbyterian to Catholicism. Why is this a trend as opposed to Catholics converting to the Reformed faith (which I may be called to do)?

It's a two-way street because it's the same religion, in essence. Both are Western Christian groups that fall under the Gentile Church (you should be wondering, where are the Jews ? - Anti-semitism)... Same calendar, more or less. Both following in Babylonian and Pagan traditions + Greek Philosophy + Creedalism and politics (involvement with the state of Rome - Mother of Harlots). Hence, both are arguably impure and illegitimate in God's eyes.

Protestantism is Roman Catholicism 2.0 (minus Rome)

Roman Catholicism 1.0
- popery (tyrannical dictatorship, and anti-Christ by definition)
- rome (central government - pope speaks ex-cathedra and makes up laws)
- a cult by definition (purgatory, threats of heresy and excommunication, e.g. Spanish Inquisition - exclusive right to grant salvation)
- liturgical prayer in Latin, via Fathers, saints etc
- not grounded in Scripture (using Vatican forged manuscripts)
- extra books: Maccabees, Book of Enoch, etc
- Pagan calendar
- litany of blatant sins (murders, assassinations, wars, prostitution, etc)
- corruption
- abuse
- blatant idolatry
- unintelligible Latin chanting
- idolatrous costumes (Dagon, fertility symbols, fish heads, pine cones, etc)
- theatre and the occult (international politics, espionage, etc)
- factions: Jesuits, monks, various orders, crusaders, nuns, alter boys, etc

See Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, "The Two Babylons" : Rev. Alexander Hislop : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive.

Protestantism / Catholicism 2.0
- no pope
- no Rome (decentralised gov't, democratic, parliamentary system - church and state, kings and queens, elders, and politicians - monarchs and politicians make up laws)
- cult-ish (by dogma, 5 sola, creedalism, etc - no purgatory, less threatening, e.g. Calvin murdered dozens at most - non exclusive right grant to salvation etc)
- minor liturgical prayer in English, directly to God (no fathers, no saints) + impromptu prayer (sometimes verbal diarrhea - theologically wrong etc)
- grounded in Scripture (textually accurate, non-forged manuscripts)
- no extra books: Canon only
- Pagan calendar (the minimal - minus Saint days, food days, pasha, etc)
- litany of blatant sins (similar, Cromwell's militia etc, English Civil War etc, but no assassination)
- corruption
- abuse
- no blatant idolatry (no stained glass, no statues, no crucifixes, no relics, etc)
- English (or local dialect) psalm-singing
- costumes (little to none)
- theatre and occult (restricted to Protestant nations - Tarnished by secret societies, Freemasonry, etc)
- factions: almost none, but many informal social cliques, networks, connections, etc (arguably the same, but disorganised, non-violent, non-occultic, and mostly non-sexually illicit)

As you'll find, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

However, in saying that, I would most certainly leave the RCC, having been in Catholic and Greek Orthodox environments as a small child, even to a child they are vastly different in warmth and friendliness at almost any Protestant group, a less sense of strictness, hierarchy, religiousness, sterility and ominous sense of evil. Not all, but most. I know some Catholics who are very cheery and innocent, but we're talking about the institutions here.

Is Protestantism is the answer ? Unfortunately not. Even the most ardent Reformers hold to 'sempur reformanda' to always be reforming. Truer as a slogan than in practice.

Out of your 2 options, it's a matter choosing the devil you know, or agree with most. One is slightly better, purer, improved over the other, but neither is pure. Neither are the true religion, or the true church, IMO.
 
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