Ex-Catholic looking for help becoming protestant

Rebemk80 said:

I am not born again, that's my goal

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You can be born again right now.
It will be helpful to find a church fellowship where you feel comfortable, can make friends and have Christians to support, encourage and pray with, and for, you. All that may take time. But you can be born again today - if you believe that you have sinned against God, that none of your deeds are good enough to get you to heaven, and that Jesus, God's Son, died so that you could be reconciled to God and have eternal life. You can then ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit and make you his child.

If you are trying out different churches, maybe ask the Minister/Vicar/Pastor if he has any Bible classes for new Christians. That will tell you a) that the church is one that believes in evangelism and making new disciples, and b) there will be other people, like you, who have recently been born again and are asking questions about baptism, which version of the Bible to use, and so on.

I believe the KJV is the best translation of the Bible in English.

To follow Christ to eternal life you need to ruled by His Word. You have to study the Bible closely then that you might keep what it instructs and heed its warnings. Here is something to keep in mind which many miss and do not consider. Look at the examples of the righteous and the wicked in the Bible. The New Testament writers illustrated salvation by grace through faith using Old Testament examples (see Romans 4 and Hebrews 11 especially). The New Testament itself constantly affirms the Old Testament as being of God and commands us to heed the lessons of the Old Testament, whether they be warnings of forsaking God or encouragement to those who are seeking God. This is something which is a basic truth of Christianity, but much deception and error could be avoided simply by receiving and applying this basic truth. Since Jesus is the God of the Old Testament and He never changes, it makes sense that the devil would attack and slander Jesus through attacking the Old Testament, the very foundation God put in place for the New Testament so we would understand what He is doing in it correctly and interpret it properly. Remember that the Bible warns about false jesuses, false gospels, and false spirits (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). Apply the principle of Isaiah 8:20 and Matthew 4:4 and 2 Timothy 3:15-17 to discern these for what they are.

"20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)

"4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

A good place to start in seeking to be rightly related to the Lord is the Apostle Paul's prayer when he was confronted by Jesus Christ in Acts 9- not just the words of the prayer, but the attitude also since His claim on our own lives is just as valid and since we will stand before Him as our Judge who will hold us accountable also for our response to His Word.

"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." (Acts 9:3-6)

I hope you will find a church where you will feel at home.

My home has always been Anglicanism, a pretty big tent theologically. There are Anglo-Catholics who go to services that have a lot of similar traditions to those you would have experienced in a Catholic church. There are also more evangelical congregations that still use the liturgy, but have a more informal and less traditional approach to worship. I find the church as a whole somewhat less conservative towards theological and social issues than most other, especially Protestant, churches - which sits well with me, but not everyone will agree!

It all depends on what you are looking for. I have visited many churches throughout my lifetime, including Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Salvation Army, Pentecostal and have experienced real Christian fellowship wherever I have been.

Rebemk80 said:

Hi, I left the Catholic church about a year ago. I left because of bad experiences, mean and ignorant priests, no solutions to my questions or problems, and a never ending feeling of evil around me. I have a lot of backstory as to why I left but I'm not going to explain everything here right now. Maybe some other time. Anyway, after I stopped going to mass I was looking into the ideas and ways of evangelists and lutherans. I've been sticking to my bibles and i've been trying to find the best version to read. I own a king james, an english standard, and a Good News bible (catholic). I'm currently trying to get my hands on a copy of the Halleluyah Scriptures (sorry if i spelled that wrong) and I'm curious to know what you guys recommend I should read.

On to the church part- I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of church I should go to or if any at all. I'm a bit afraid because all i've ever known is Catholicism. I really want to do things right and become born again. For now all i've been doing is reading the word and finding people on youtube to listen to. I've been watching alot of Living Waters with Ray Comfort and other youtube channels like Derek Prince, Fred Tarsitano, Alan Horvath, etc. I used to watch videos from the priest from my (old) diocese "Ascension Presents" with Father Mike Schmitz but I stopped because obviously I don't want to be RC anymore (roman catholic) I don't know if I want to label myself as a certain type of christian or just call myself a christian. I want to surround myself with people who are christian and want to help and guide other to christ the right way and find supporters. I have no idea where to go and i'm young so i have time to figure this all out, but I'd rather start now than later because I could get into a car crash and die tomorrow for all i know. I really want to stay away from evil and stay away from sin. The Catholic church is full of stuff like that. (sorry catholics)

Any advice or recommendations is appreciated!

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Hello and Greetings in the Lord!
I'd advise you study your Bible .. I'd recommend the NIV84 or EHV...the NiV 1984 you would need to buy second hand b/c it has been superceded by the NIV 2011. which isn't very good due to the gender neutralizing of the text. The EHV is meant as a new gold standard and utilizes all the available manuscripts of the Bible. Read ab become proficient and then select a church that has a statement of faith you can agree with.
May God Bless your study and greatly increase your faith.

I have been Church shopping. There are only two stops to make, either the Catholic Church or Orthodoxy.

People say they want a church that follows the Bible - do you really? The idea that one is saved by "Faith Alone" is so not Biblical according to the book of James, that one has to eliminate the huge majority of church options.

My old Baptist church was "Bible Alone, Faith Alone" - oh wait, but to join the church you had to promise to drink no alcohol - that's not Biblical.

You'll find no perfect Church. Only Catholicism and most of Orthodoxy that I know of have not caved to all the world on contraception - hey did you know that before 1930 ALL churches rejected contraception???? Now they all have caved.

Something to think on. I'd love to join a fun and feel good church - but God has called us to be conformed to Himself. My conscience will not allow me to join a "Faith Alone" community.

I agree with the advice to go back to your Catholic faith, but look for a parish that is better - they are not all the same. Find one with good community, then find the Pro-Life group there. That's the best formula I have come up with. If you have an Orthodox parish near by surely check there as well.

Rebemk80 said:

I really want to stay away from evil and stay away from sin. The Catholic church is full of stuff like that. (sorry catholics)

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If you find a denomination that doesn't have any, please let me know. I suspect that you'll be looking for a very long time.

chilehed said:

If you find a denomination that doesn't have any, please let me know. I suspect that you'll be looking for a very long time.

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I agree.

Markie Boy said:

I have been Church shopping. There are only two stops to make, either the Catholic Church or Orthodoxy.

People say they want a church that follows the Bible - do you really? The idea that one is saved by "Faith Alone" is so not Biblical according to the book of James, that one has to eliminate the huge majority of church options.

My old Baptist church was "Bible Alone, Faith Alone" - oh wait, but to join the church you had to promise to drink no alcohol - that's not Biblical.

You'll find no perfect Church. Only Catholicism and most of Orthodoxy that I know of have not caved to all the world on contraception - hey did you know that before 1930 ALL churches rejected contraception???? Now they all have caved.

Something to think on. I'd love to join a fun and feel good church - but God has called us to be conformed to Himself. My conscience will not allow me to join a "Faith Alone" community.

I agree with the advice to go back to your Catholic faith, but look for a parish that is better - they are not all the same. Find one with good community, then find the Pro-Life group there. That's the best formula I have come up with. If you have an Orthodox parish near by surely check there as well.

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Nice post. Some good points

Pope Callistus and Saint Hippolytus were two important figures in the early church with two different theologies....

Hippolytus- the ideal of the church as a pure community and not tolerating sins, a church of the pure.
Callistus - the ideal of the church as a saving community representing the church as Noah’s Ark, taking in ‘all kinds,’ both clean and unclean. Being quick to lovingly encourage repentance and restoration. And also dealing with explosive church growth in his time.

I am Pentecostal Holiness and our church is 100 years old. I remember the old WW2 generation as pure. My generation is not. Callistus would lovingly encourage us on. Hippolytus I believe would be very quick to point out the lack of purity. I believe these challenges are just as real today as they were 1800 years ago. Which is why I am not recommending any certain denomination. I believe Pope Callistus was correct in referring to the church as Noah's Ark, taking in "all kinds." All denominations are this way.

Rebemk80 said:

Hi, I left the Catholic church about a year ago. I left because of bad experiences, mean and ignorant priests, no solutions to my questions or problems, and a never ending feeling of evil around me. I have a lot of backstory as to why I left but I'm not going to explain everything here right now. Maybe some other time. Anyway, after I stopped going to mass I was looking into the ideas and ways of evangelists and lutherans. I've been sticking to my bibles and i've been trying to find the best version to read. I own a king james, an english standard, and a Good News bible (catholic). I'm currently trying to get my hands on a copy of the Halleluyah Scriptures (sorry if i spelled that wrong) and I'm curious to know what you guys recommend I should read.

On to the church part- I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of church I should go to or if any at all. I'm a bit afraid because all i've ever known is Catholicism. I really want to do things right and become born again. For now all i've been doing is reading the word and finding people on youtube to listen to. I've been watching alot of Living Waters with Ray Comfort and other youtube channels like Derek Prince, Fred Tarsitano, Alan Horvath, etc. I used to watch videos from the priest from my (old) diocese "Ascension Presents" with Father Mike Schmitz but I stopped because obviously I don't want to be RC anymore (roman catholic) I don't know if I want to label myself as a certain type of christian or just call myself a christian. I want to surround myself with people who are christian and want to help and guide other to christ the right way and find supporters. I have no idea where to go and i'm young so i have time to figure this all out, but I'd rather start now than later because I could get into a car crash and die tomorrow for all i know. I really want to stay away from evil and stay away from sin. The Catholic church is full of stuff like that. (sorry catholics)

Any advice or recommendations is appreciated!

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I don't think that there is any method to "becoming a protestant".

From what I know, there are things that one would have to do to "become" a Catholic... even though it boggles my mind... BUT anyway.... To "Become" a protestant... just get in your car, on your bike, walk... whatever, take an Uber... to any of the reputable protestant churches, walk in, sit down and listen...

You can go to the extent of finding out the specific mandate and policies that these churches hold as their foundational values and pick one that you feel best... but, for the most part any church that preaches the death and resurrection and salvation through Christ...

Then, worship our Lord and savior.....

Rebemk80 said:

Hi, I left the Catholic church about a year ago. I left because of bad experiences, mean and ignorant priests, no solutions to my questions or problems, and a never ending feeling of evil around me. I have a lot of backstory as to why I left but I'm not going to explain everything here right now. Maybe some other time. Anyway, after I stopped going to mass I was looking into the ideas and ways of evangelists and lutherans. I've been sticking to my bibles and i've been trying to find the best version to read. I own a king james, an english standard, and a Good News bible (catholic). I'm currently trying to get my hands on a copy of the Halleluyah Scriptures (sorry if i spelled that wrong) and I'm curious to know what you guys recommend I should read.

On to the church part- I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of church I should go to or if any at all. I'm a bit afraid because all i've ever known is Catholicism. I really want to do things right and become born again. For now all i've been doing is reading the word and finding people on youtube to listen to. I've been watching alot of Living Waters with Ray Comfort and other youtube channels like Derek Prince, Fred Tarsitano, Alan Horvath, etc. I used to watch videos from the priest from my (old) diocese "Ascension Presents" with Father Mike Schmitz but I stopped because obviously I don't want to be RC anymore (roman catholic) I don't know if I want to label myself as a certain type of christian or just call myself a christian. I want to surround myself with people who are christian and want to help and guide other to christ the right way and find supporters. I have no idea where to go and i'm young so i have time to figure this all out, but I'd rather start now than later because I could get into a car crash and die tomorrow for all i know. I really want to stay away from evil and stay away from sin. The Catholic church is full of stuff like that. (sorry catholics)

Any advice or recommendations is appreciated!

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To give this another slant-maybe for future reference. As a young man I left the Catholic Church, honestly not knowing what I believed about Christianity but later becoming a believer aligned with Protestant positions and later yet entering a Protestant denomination. And while seeking to be holy is always a good thing I later realized that I had actually found myself in the midst of a "holier than thou" atmosphere, where sin still abounded underneath it all. It's hard to get away from.

Holiness comes as we want it, and allow God to do that work in us. And the more I realized and acknowledged my own failings, the less I looked around myself to notice the sin of others in the church. To my own surprise I would reenter the Catholic Church many years later. FWIW. A long story though.

Rebemk80 said:

I've been sticking to my bibles and i've been trying to find the best version to read.

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Hello. All Bibles have their pros and cons. So when you study a passage, use the online comparative sites and delve in deep. But you need to have guiding principle, so you don't get shipwrecked and bitten by a snake. That principle would be Jesus, Yahushua, 'God's salvation', which is the beginning and the end (spoiler alert!). So even the bits of scripture that appear to be about destruction are really all just stations on the way to salvation.

So you might also want to check out Bibles like the Eth Cepher, which has put the 'Eths' (the marks of Christ) back in the Bible (there's over 9,000 in the Tanakh and 2 in Gen 1:1 alone!). It includes a bunch of non-canonical books, and you'll find Jesus actually quotes or alludes to parts of some of them in the Gospels!

You want to be born again? Get stuck into it, get salted with fire, put aside what you think you know and launch in hot pursuit of Christ and him crucified. Cause it is the most awesome event of all time. And don't forget God is love and light - His salvation, and not damnation, has the last word.

Hello Rebemk80. Regarding bibles, I also use the ESV. It's my standard reading bible. I like that it maintains many of the original Hebrew idioms and that it's based on recent scholarship.

I also use the NET bible because I love it's footnotes. The footnotes are usually longer than the text itself and reveal additional context that I never would have known.

Aussie Pete said:

Baptism is not a prerequisite for being born again. Receiving Christ is. You can't have the Holy Spirit until you've received Christ. Christianity 101.

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Actually being baptized is being born again. Jesus said you must be born of water.

Just as a tip, the NASB Bible (New American Standard) is one of the most accurate translations you can read. Highly recommend it.

In the end, Christ is not concerned about whether you go to a Catholic or Protestant church...

The question is always... "Do you believe" in Christ's work on the cross and have you accepted Him as your savior, admitted you are a sinner and turned from those ways?

JacksBratt said:

In the end, Christ is not concerned about whether you go to a Catholic or Protestant church...

The question is always... "Do you believe" in Christ's work on the cross and have you accepted Him as your savior, admitted you are a sinner and turned from those ways?

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Christ is concerned with what Church you attend. The 7 Churches in Revelation are a testimony of this. Jesus said that his way is a narrow road. Proper theology, beliefs, and lifestyle do matter.

JacksBratt said:

In the end, Christ is not concerned about whether you go to a Catholic or Protestant church...

The question is always... "Do you believe" in Christ's work on the cross and have you accepted Him as your savior, admitted you are a sinner and turned from those ways?

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Also, Catholicism requires works and Protestantism is based on faith.

It does matter. There is a big difference in the belief systems.

Rebemk80 said:

Hi, I left the Catholic church about a year ago. I left because of bad experiences, mean and ignorant priests, no solutions to my questions or problems, and a never ending feeling of evil around me. I have a lot of backstory as to why I left but I'm not going to explain everything here right now. Maybe some other time. Anyway, after I stopped going to mass I was looking into the ideas and ways of evangelists and lutherans. I've been sticking to my bibles and i've been trying to find the best version to read. I own a king james, an english standard, and a Good News bible (catholic). I'm currently trying to get my hands on a copy of the Halleluyah Scriptures (sorry if i spelled that wrong) and I'm curious to know what you guys recommend I should read.

On to the church part- I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of church I should go to or if any at all. I'm a bit afraid because all i've ever known is Catholicism. I really want to do things right and become born again. For now all i've been doing is reading the word and finding people on youtube to listen to. I've been watching alot of Living Waters with Ray Comfort and other youtube channels like Derek Prince, Fred Tarsitano, Alan Horvath, etc. I used to watch videos from the priest from my (old) diocese "Ascension Presents" with Father Mike Schmitz but I stopped because obviously I don't want to be RC anymore (roman catholic) I don't know if I want to label myself as a certain type of christian or just call myself a christian. I want to surround myself with people who are christian and want to help and guide other to christ the right way and find supporters. I have no idea where to go and i'm young so i have time to figure this all out, but I'd rather start now than later because I could get into a car crash and die tomorrow for all i know. I really want to stay away from evil and stay away from sin. The Catholic church is full of stuff like that. (sorry catholics)

Any advice or recommendations is appreciated!

Click to expand...

It is good to hear that you are trashing the Catholic religion because that is what it is. But, to trade Catholicism or Protestantism is a grave mistake. Unless you seek with your whole heart you will not find what you need but you will find what you want.

Be careful! The Bible says for a reason that the Devil has deceived the WHOLE world and that "man" is a deceived race. Are you looking for truth or accommodation? Christianity is spread across the whole face of the earth yet we are told that very few will make the cut. There are certain characteristics of true Christians that will distinguish them from false Christians and they can be found inside the Book. Jesus makes a very revealing statement that is virtually ignored by "Christians," and it is this: "Will I even find faith on the earth when I return." Along with many other statements of His we should be fearful of whether or not we have the truth or just a feel-good regurgitated downloaded sermon of some institutional cleric. Remember that the truth is rare, like the pearl of great price that will cost you everything. Don't settle for a cheap reproduction.

JacksBratt said:

I don't think that there is any method to "becoming a protestant".

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Again you are wrong.

You can’t be a member of my Church until after you have been baptized.

We also have confirmation.