Something that prevented me from being a Protestant

Yeah concerning the OP, this is something that you come across quite a bit. There is a lot of non-Catholic Apologists out there when arguing against the Catholic Faith, don't do their research on the matter, and really look stupid arguing against what they think the Catholic Church teaches, but they don't. Then the two favorite responses back to you when you call them out is: 1) I used to be Catholic so I know! (this one is my favorite) or 2) that may not be what they "officially" teach, but that is what they really do.

One funny story was once I was correcting an apologist against the Catholic church accusing us of teaching reincarnation. I told him: Nope not true. Of course then he tells me he used to be Catholic so he knows he is right. I just told him: I think you are confusing the teaching of resurrection with reincarnation and left it at that.

Of course the ones I that used to get under my crawl is the ones once corrected and have evidence shown to them that disproved their point, they just keep going in the misconceived notions.

Daniel Peres said:

I know of no difference. She is the Queen Mother, the Theotokos (God bearer), the woman that willingly accepted the role that was asked of her by God, she was immaculately conceived, she was bodily assumed into Heaven. I know of no Catholics who would disagree with any of that. Do you? If they do disagree then they would be heretics. Nobody thinks she is divine.

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My family were CC and than left .

So , where is MARY immaculately conceived ?

And a verse that she was bodily ASSUMED INTO HEAVEN ?

Thank you >

dan p

Daniel Peres said:

Why is it false just because it’s not in the NT? What principle of logic are you using? I’ll bet you believe many things that aren’t in the NT. What about Sola Scriptura? That’s not in the NT. W

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The Bible texts you are refusing to look at - have it.

Acts 17:11 we see the NT saints using it.
Mark 7:6-12 we see Christ demonstrating how it is used to smash bad tradition
Is 8:20 "to the Law and to the Testimony - if they speak not according to this Word - they have no light"

Just avoiding the texts when they don't confirm a certain preference is not very compelling.

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Given that contrast to Purgatory that even your own references to Martin Luther - admit that he knows it is not in the Bible - is a huge difference

Daniel Peres said:

Lastly, Mary’s immaculate conception and assumption into heaven are ancient traditions that both the east and west believe...

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The Immaculate Conception is not part of Orthodox tradition since we do not teach Original Sin as developed in both the Catholic and Protestant west. It's strictly a Latin innovation and is unnecessary in eastern thought. Secondly, Orthodoxy still maintains the Feast of Dormition, that is the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos. In Eastern tradition, she died. There is an assumption, but it could differ somewhat from the dogma of the west.

As for the subject in your OP, I grew up evangelical/protestant and my 50+ years of study in the Scriptures and history of the Church took me away from that. Although, I must admit I did get the necessary foundation of a love for God and the Holy Scriptures there, for that I'm grateful. Some of the same issues you mentioned were a factor, but not in the same way. My search was in/around the develpment of the Scriptures at first (how can the 1611 KJV be the only authortative version if there were 1600~ years of Christianity prior?), then searching for the roots of issues like Calvin vs Arminius and Charismatic vs Cessationist etc.
I do find it fascinating the way some protestants go to such length to diminish, even denigrate the role of the Theotokos. "All generations will call me blessed, " is still true but only in the traditional faith groups. If many protestants actually thought through their own dogma concerning original sin, they'd be baptizing babies right out of the womb.