Converting from Catholic to Protestant

[Lotar]

ummm Bruce, could you please delete post #68? I can see that taking this thread off course real quick.

 

[finchuck]

That's what I have been doing. I have turned around and am making an extreme effort to not repeat my sins.

That is seperate from my faith though, I'm just doing that for myself and the people around me. I want to be a better person.

 

[ej]

That's what I have been doing. I have turned around and am making an extreme effort to not repeat my sins.

That is seperate from my faith though, I'm just doing that for myself and the people around me. I want to be a better person.

Sounds as though you have a healthy starting point

 

[Bruce S]

Bruce, all this is going to do is cause problems. That is not at all what I was saying, it would do us all good if you deleted this post.

Lothar buddy.

You don't have the SCARS that I do from the RCC upbringing. For you, this is mere friendships and fellowships.

I'm more like LUTHER, a man who was THERE, got out, and knew what they had done to him, he wanted nothing to do with fellowship after a little while. He wanted seperation.

If you haven't BEEN THERE, and mangled by that process [from the 50's and 60's] Latin this and that, and Nuns cruelly beating you [yes that too] you don't know what a man of my age, with the overhanging past and such had to deal with.

There ARE differences, that is what the Reformation was frankly, and that was messy indeed, and if the RCC's had their way, they would undo it all, gather up all the wayward heretics like me, and the rulebook would come back down hard again.

Charismatic Catholics without Pentacostalism, .... IMPOSSIBLE.

The longer I live, the more the RCC comes to look like Protestantism, in worship style, form, and such. Being from there, and now here, I'm acutely aware of these changes over the decades.

You, as a young puppy, are not.

 

[Lotar]

Lothar buddy.

You don't have the SCARS that I do from the RCC upbringing. For you, this is mere friendships and fellowships.

I'm more like LUTHER, a man who was THERE, got out, and knew what they had done to him, he wanted nothing to do with fellowship after a little while. He wanted seperation.

If you haven't BEEN THERE, and mangled by that process [from the 50's and 60's] Latin this and that, and Nuns cruelly beating you [yes that too] you don't know what a man of my age, with the overhanging past and such had to deal with.

There ARE differences, that is what the Reformation was frankly, and that was messy indeed, and if the RCC's had their way, they would undo it all, gather up all the wayward heretics like me, and the rulebook would come back down hard again.

The RCC hasn't changed because they wanted to, they changed because the Protestants made them change. Period. That was true then, and is true now.

Charismatic Catholics without Pentacostalism, .... IMPOSSIBLE.

The longer I live, the more the RCC comes to look like Protestantism, in worship style, form, and such. Being from there, and now here, I'm acutely aware of these changes over the decades.

You, as a young puppy, are not.

I know all of that Bruce. I'm Irish so my grandparents grew up in that, and it drove my grandfather to atheism. But that doesn't mean that they were all like that.

I know your bitter about it Bruce, but you aren't winning anyone over with those types of posts. Perhaps a new thread about your experiences could be a good idea, but here it only diverts attention from the real topic.

 

[Bruce S]

I know all of that Bruce. I'm Irish so my grandparents grew up in that, and it drove my grandfather to atheism. But that doesn't mean that they were all like that.

I know your bitter about it Bruce, but you aren't winning anyone over with those types of posts. Perhaps a new thread about your experiences could be a good idea, but here it only diverts attention from the real topic.

Agreed.

You guys take it from here. I need a beer...

Rats, forgot, I'm in AA, sheesh.

Howabout stealing some Halloween candy from the trick or treat stuff we have for tomorrow...rats...can't even do that, forgot, we FUNDIES don't "do Halloween"

Argh...

I guess I will go fight with the Atheists on the other board I visit. They like the abuse....

Over and out.

 

[Filia Mariae]

the Mary worship,

We DO NOT worship Mary. Please refrain from bearing false witness against your Catholic brothers and sisters.

 

[Dawn Marie]

Argh. Why did you post this here? This man came HERE to talk to US, not have Catholics come and tell him to get back INTO the RCC faith! This is exactly what we Protestants have been asking in this forum. Leave US alone to deal with OUR issues. You have your own forum, if this man wanted the opinions of Catholics, he would have posted there.

K?

Wow.

The reason for this website is to bring all Christians together... if you don't let people of other Christian denominations in the Protestant forum, you are defeating the entire purpose of this site.

 

[ukok]

OK, i said this:

Originally Posted by: ukok



Humour me Bruce, i can't imagine how you would possibly have known that the majority of a congregation numbering more than 1000 in total, were 'formerly' Catholic ? Did they perhaps have some secret handshake, wear a sticky label "Whooppee...I'm a convert from Catholicism! " ? How exactly did you know this before you even mentioned it to your pastor?



To which you replied:

"DUH, I asked how THEY got into this church, for me that is a standard opening question. Don't YOU ever socialize with others and ask these sorts of things..."How did YOU come to attend this church?" that sort of question.

I guess I talked with a few dozen in the first few months, after service, in prayer meetings, at events, ....

I'm not that shy a person, and I love to learn about how people got into this denomination...."

If you are telling me, seriously, that you introduced yourself to 400 + people and discovered that they were all converts from Catholicism, then who am i to disbelieve you, but you must have been in that church for an awfully long time to have got to know so very many people in such detail.

And in response to your question, yes i do try to be friendly, but i'm not on a fact finding mission when i interact with the men and women at my church. I dare say that it would take me a good few years to accumulate the "evidence" that you have amassed, and the congregation at the church i attend is significantly smaller, as it is does not have the capacity physically to hold quite that many people.

You then quote me as saying:

Quote:

" How exactly do you know that many of them were a. like you. b. only found God after leaving the RCC ? "



To which you responded:

"I said I found God only after leaving the RCC. Asked others, they too were basically unchurched and estranged till they came to this church. Funny how much you find out when YOU open up and tell others about YOUR experience. A common bond being formed with the Ex Catholics sharing, upon finding each other. [Not hard here, as I said, over 60% - per the pastor - are Ex's.]"

Now Bruce, forgive me but i am having trouble understanding how 400 or more people all claimed to be 'unchurched' and 'estranged' and had not 'found God'. I am baffled as to whether when they were in the Catholic Church, they ever spoke a prayer in sincerity, ever attended Church regularly, ever recieved the Sacraments, ... If they did those things without ever even knowing God, then why did they do them ? Or are you telling me that they were all 'cradle Catholics' and had not made the conscious decision to embrace Catholicism in their lifetime? (not that that would be the case either, of course).

'unchurched' - what exactly does this mean ? Usually Catholicism is accused of having too much instruction, so i assume that you mean something else by this expression. Feel free to enlighten me.

'estranged' - i had always thought that this inferred that there was a 'separation' involved. This then would imply that the separation began with the man/woman, as the Chruch stands true ?

You then quote me:

" I would have thought that if a person had not already 'found God' they would hardly be inclined to join yet another Church. Surely a percentage of those people already 'knew' God, or had a serious desire to know God more deeply, but failed to endeavour to do so while in the RCC? "





And respond with :

"? Just telling it like it was/is for me. Sorry that doesn't fit your idea of the way things should go."

The way that i figure things should go is irrelevant. The way that you figure things should go, is irrelevant. The way that God figures things should go, is the only important factor.

You quote me:



"And just so you know, i think that I am allowed to formulate and post an opinion here as i haven't converted to Catholicism, yet. so i'm looking at this as i see it, and i can't see how you presume to know so much about so many people, unless of course you have had very indepth conversations with the entirity of your church congregation ? "





And respond:

"The "entirety" no. But with about twenty to thirty men, over a few months, yes, frankly I did. I go to wednesday nights, saturday morning men's prayer breakfast [about 40 attend there off an on] a few picnics, and other events. So, yes, I did have the opportunity of deeper fellowship than most might have found possible, I MADE THE TIME, and TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY, to reach out, in my time of need and hurt, to as many men and also to a few women also, as I possibly could."

I'm pleased that you did reach out to so many people in your time of 'need and hurt'. Fellowship is very important. Even here, where we are just a bunch of words that represent all of our emotion and passionate beliefs.

You know what's bizzarre, we are the only ones that separate ourselves from God, He doesn't separate himself from us, perhaps that tells us how we distance ourselves from the things that we don't like to hear, how we become detached and cynical and choose to do things our way. When I first 'found God' i did not remain faithful to Him, and subsequently lost him for a very long time ~ i managed to do that without belonging to any church whatsoever.
When i found Him and accepted him as an adult, i did so despite belonging to one of Britains most fanatical religious cult phenomina, - I found God, despite my being there, in the depths of one of the most unholy and unscriptural movements that i have ever been aware of. My point is, anyone can find God, anywhere. No one has to leave a church to do so, and then blame God because they themselves were not receptive to Him at that time.

Also, Bruce, just so you know, I will read every word that you write, please don't 'shout' your words with capitals - you really don't need to do that.

 

[ej]

He has his elbow on the Caps Lock key

 

[Bruce S]

He has his elbow on the Caps Lock key

It is called emphasis, you can't do inflection with the written word as you do in the spoken word. A writing style that I have been using for ages now, online, and it seems, that others rapidly copy.

Now, I took the time to go visit the RCC parallel thread on the OBOB forum. I notice that the Protestants are not flooding in there, like the RCC's have done YET again here, as happens with most threads. In fact, I cannot recall ONE thread yet where there were only Protestants on anything of interest.

I did read, with amusement, the hoops that are being danced around on the Confession issue. No one wants to tell the poor man that he is going to Hell if he dies with a Mortal sin unconfessed, and without final rites. Just tell him that, it is the doctrine. Why sugarcoat that reality?

I'm NOT going to go there, be disrespectful of the RCC's right to have a forum of their own, promote thier beliefs [good, it is the right and proper place to do so] but I do note, yet again, that we are not accorded the same right as Protestants to talk with a seeker without interferrence.

 

[ej]

It is called emphasis, you can't do inflection with the written word as you do in the spoken word. A writing style that I have been using for ages now, online, and it seems, that others rapidly copy.

Funny... I've never read literature which uses capitals for several words in each sentence. Italics occasionally, but never capitals.

Bruce... is your bl;essings game a Protestant joke? You refute my offer publicly, yet you keep half the blessings I gave you... I can think of a pertinent analogy

 

[Preachers12]

Agreed.

You guys take it from here. I need a beer...

Rats, forgot, I'm in AA, sheesh.

Bruce S, Peace be with you.

The Catholic Church is sort of like AA. It works if you work it.

Sorry your education in the faith was so bad. I hope the Spirit might lead you to understanding and love out of ignorance and hate.

God Bless,
P12

 

[Miss Shelby]

I did read, with amusement, the hoops that are being danced around on the Confession issue. No one wants to tell the poor man that he is going to Hell if he dies with a Mortal sin unconfessed, and without final rites. Just tell him that, it is the doctrine. Why sugarcoat that reality?

Unconfessed and unrepented, actually Bruce. And it CAN send someone to hell. And no one is telling him that he's going to hell because we Catholics don't place that determination on the soul of anyone else. In the final analysis, it's up to God.

Michelle

 

[Metanoia02]

I'm NOT going to go there, be disrespectful of the RCC's right to have a forum of their own, promote thier beliefs [good, it is the right and proper place to do so] but I do note, yet again, that we are not accorded the same right as Protestants to talk with a seeker without interferrence.

Bruce,

He is not a seeker. He is Catholic who is struggling.

 

[nyj]

...

 

[Benedicta00]

I did read, with amusement, the hoops that are being danced around on the Confession issue. No one wants to tell the poor man that he is going to Hell if he dies with a Mortal sin unconfessed, and without final rites. Just tell him that, it is the doctrine. Why sugarcoat that reality?

Why would we tell the man an error about what Catholics believe????

 

[Lotar]

Bruce,

He is not a seeker. He is Catholic who is struggling.

By Protestant most standards, he is a seeker. I guess we just have different reasoning on this one.

 

[Bruce S]

Bruce,

He is not a seeker. He is Catholic who is struggling.

Hmm.

A guy comes HERE, asks of US what we think of certain things. Immediately, RCCs swarm all over the thread, telling him to go there, go there, get his questions answered there....

Even after he was asked to go there, and he did, on this thread, the RCC's continue to dominate this thread, as they do all the threads on the PRE forum threads.

God bless you all. I will definately have to pray on this one. It is SO MUCH like the way it used to be for me, before, there is one, your way, and even here, in a forum where we are not in agreement with the RCC way, we have to listen to this.

If I wanted Catholic doctrine and teachings, I would return to that faith. I don't. There are fellowship forums, there are interdenominational forums this is neither.

It is a forum for Protestants to talk to each other, with each other, and what happens here is just wrong. If the RCCs don't respect that, and they apparently won't, it just reinforces my decision. Thank God, yes, bless you God, for freeing me from the need to have people keep telling me what the official doctrine on this or that is Catholic style. I'm not interested, I'm not converting back, it took a lifetime to escape that, and it almost kept me out of God's grace forever, for I could not get over the some of these issues, they might be a generational thing, but for me, they were and are real.

I'm going to church tonight, and will pray over this one. It is frustrating indeed what happens in this forum, I really need to stay out of the PRE forum, it isn't what I want, fellowship ONLY with other PRE's, the IDD is where I would go if I wanted what is happening over and over here. There I would expect this sort of thing, here I didn't, and don't.

Me bad. I'm wrong. I will, honestly, pray hard on this one.

 

[Bruce S]

By Protestant most standards, he is a seeker. I guess we just have different reasoning on this one.

This one reminds me of the fellows who are trying to climb over the Berlin wall, the guards are chasing him and attempting to drag him back over to East Berlin, the dogs are yapping and the sirens are blaring...escape, escape....

Now they are even trying to define what SEEKER means to a Protestant. Argh.