Considering converting to Catholicism

[Ave Maria]

I was going through my old subscribed threads, and I came across this. I wonder what ended up happening with our friend Barry? He hasn't signed back onto CF since his last post in this thread

Hmmm, who knows. I hope he comes back soon...

 

[Franze]

Hi,

Actually I was born and raised a Catholic but left the church at 18 then later at 32 got involved in Baptist fundamentalism. Presently I'm a member of a PCA Conservative Presbyterian church which is Calvinistic and reformed for the most part. My Belief in Sola Scriptura is weakening by the day. I've been reading some good cathoic books and I'm beginning to see that I may have return to Rome soon. I'm fairly well read, I have Bachelor Degree in Bible from Baptist school and I've read a ton of Reformed Literature including Calvins Institutes and several of his commentaries.

Presently I'm working my Way through the New Catholic Catechism, Crossing the Tiber by Stephen Ray, Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid and Carl Keating's Catholicism & Fundamentalism. Great stuff so far.

So Far I've been intrigued by the early Fathers Church Goverment and Eucharistic teaching, the Catholic view of Church & Doctrinal unity and the contraception debate. The Usual Objections about pergatory and Mary don't really bother me. As Sola Scriptura falls I see no problem following the teaching and tradition of the church. If Sola Scriptura was a true doctrine there wouldn't be 300 denominations claming the Bible to be their authority. Seems to me that most people are their own authority. I mean, Moses had no scritpure in his hand, and I'm surely no better than Him. All Moses had was church tradition. unless they Job at that time. Pray for me!!

Barry

Welcome back to the church, I will pray for you.

 

[Dream]

Ah, the domino effect. Sola Scriptura falls, then everything else starts to follow with it.

Welcome home, Barry.

 

[Jamza]

I'm honestly not relating this to any group; but does anyone else find conversion within Christianity a little depressing? I wish we could all be one.

 

[Caedmon]

I'm honestly not relating this to any group; but does anyone else find conversion within Christianity a little depressing? I wish we could all be one.

"Conversion" isn't the right word, but it's the one that people use the most often, because there really isn't a better one. From the largest perspective, all Christians are converting to the will of God over the course of a lifetime, and some Christians feel as though the church they're in isn't the one with the complete fullness of Christian truth, so they change. I think the main reason that Catholic "converts" use that term is because the change is very significant. Being Catholic doesn't just determine where you go to church, it defines your life. And no, being Catholic is not "more important" to us than being Christian. That's a strawman argument, because for Catholics, being Catholic is being Christian, and vice versa. In fact, technically speaking, the Catholic Church considers all baptized Christians to be "Catholic," just not in full communion with the Catholic Church.

 

[Filia Mariae]

I'm honestly not relating this to any group; but does anyone else find conversion within Christianity a little depressing? I wish we could all be one.

Jamza,

Our desire for all to be one is why we are so thrilled with conversions. True unity won't come until we are all united in the Eucharist.

Peace.

 

[Jamza]

"Conversion" isn't the right word, but it's the one that people use the most often, because there really isn't a better one. From the largest perspective, all Christians are converting to the will of God over the course of a lifetime, and some Christians feel as though the church they're in isn't the one with the complete fullness of Christian truth, so they change. I think the main reason that Catholic "converts" use that term is because the change is very significant. Being Catholic doesn't just determine where you go to church, it defines your life. And no, being Catholic is not "more important" to us than being Christian. That's a strawman argument, because for Catholics, being Catholic is being Christian, and vice versa. In fact, technically speaking, the Catholic Church considers all baptized Christians to be "Catholic," just not in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Thanks, good awnser Caedmon, glad to see your still here. I really wasn't criticising; its just that the other day I was looking at an Orthadox website and it had a list of contacts to talk to about it from Orthadox "from all backgrounds." Now, out of these fifty, 2 were unbelievers. The rest were from the whole range of Christian traditions.

Now one must of course follow where the Lord leads; but I feel I have to speak my mind here; I don't think they were reaching out to the general populace who need to know the gospel; I think it was more advertising a culture within Christianity. Does anyone know what I mean? I'd feel similar about a Catholic / Orthadox Christian abandoning their switching around their tradition.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Hi,

Actually I was born and raised a Catholic but left the church at 18 then later at 32 got involved in Baptist fundamentalism. Presently I'm a member of a PCA Conservative Presbyterian church which is Calvinistic and reformed for the most part. My Belief in Sola Scriptura is weakening by the day. I've been reading some good cathoic books and I'm beginning to see that I may have return to Rome soon. I'm fairly well read, I have Bachelor Degree in Bible from Baptist school and I've read a ton of Reformed Literature including Calvins Institutes and several of his commentaries.

Presently I'm working my Way through the New Catholic Catechism, Crossing the Tiber by Stephen Ray, Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid and Carl Keating's Catholicism & Fundamentalism. Great stuff so far.

So Far I've been intrigued by the early Fathers Church Goverment and Eucharistic teaching, the Catholic view of Church & Doctrinal unity and the contraception debate. The Usual Objections about pergatory and Mary don't really bother me. As Sola Scriptura falls I see no problem following the teaching and tradition of the church. If Sola Scriptura was a true doctrine there wouldn't be 300 denominations claming the Bible to be their authority. Seems to me that most people are their own authority. I mean, Moses had no scritpure in his hand, and I'm surely no better than Him. All Moses had was church tradition. unless they Job at that time. Pray for me!!

Barry

WELCOME BACK!!!

 

[WarriorAngel]

I'm honestly not relating this to any group; but does anyone else find conversion within Christianity a little depressing? I wish we could all be one.

Tricky....
Since we are divided by the many 'sola scriptura' beliefs.

One man thinks he is right, while another makes his own new church, and the divisions keep going.

However, within the walls of Catholicism nothing changes...the same Tradition has been repeated since the earliest Church fathers teaching.

Its documented, so we are not guessing what they meant.

I believe we should be united and all should receive Jesus as He said we should...the BREAD OF LIFE...THE EUCHARIST will in fact unite us all.

Feel free to step on over the Catholicism and see how it feels to receive the Eucharist who is in fact Christ.



Peace!

 

[New_Found_Faith]

I'm honestly not relating this to any group; but does anyone else find conversion within Christianity a little depressing? I wish we could all be one.

We were one. Now those who are blessed enough find the truth again and come back to the Church. I don't find that depressing at all.

 

[Jamza]

What depressing is the lack of unbelievers that were on the list.