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Connie
User on Probation
| Joined: | Fri Jun 1st, 2007 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Connie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic Convert from Presbyterian, then Episcopalian |
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Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2007 03:34 pm |
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Hello. I'm most new here. And I converted to Catholisicm (Praise God) from life-long Presbyterianism. Just wondering if there might be another person here coming from the same journey.
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~Connie~
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David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1805 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2007 03:45 pm |
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Hi, Connie. Saw your post in Fellowship Hall and was tempted to greet you there, but thought this would be more thematic.
I’m a former Methodist myself, but I do know that there are some current and former Presbyterians among the members. Stick around and you will probably find them, or they will find you. The panel on the left of people’s posts carries their faith history.
Meanwhile, have a look around and make yourself at home. Eventually you may want to add your own conversion story in this area of the forum. We all like to know how our friends and neighbors found the Catholic Church.
David
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Lee
Member
| Joined: | Fri May 18th, 2007 |
| Location: | Birmingham, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
| First Name: | Lee | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Charismatic-nondenom.-Presbyterian-Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2007 06:54 pm |
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Hi Connie, To condense an incredibly intricate story, I was raised agnostic, except for a brief season in the Lutheran Church (being confirmed but totally oblivious to what it meant), born-again at 19 an evangelical tent meeting in Pa., interdenominational/"Spirit-filled", then Presbyterian. I attended a Presbyterian PCA church uninthusiastically for 14 years, treading water for 5 years before making the plung (it was more like that than "swimming the Tiber") into the beautiful, one holy Catholic and apostolic Church! And I grow in love with the Church more and more every day and it makes me think about Jesus more than ever. I hope I love him more, too. I had great friends in my Presbyterian Church and immediate family in the Protestant world, who "really loved the Lord," as they say in Protestant land, and I love them to this day. But I just couldn't stay there. I never could embrace the Reformed (Calvinist) theology completely. And I wanted to just focus on the Lord in worship and not all these other distracting things going on, even in traditional Protestant Churches. And the church service got to be where I felt that I was going to a corporate business meeting! And it was mountains and valleys, confusing, joyful, scarey but beautiful journey into the Catholic Church. And worth it all!!!!!
Hope you have a good weekend!
Lee
Just a sheep, a happy little Catholic one!
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maryjean
Member
| Joined: | Sat Feb 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | York County, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 36 |
| First Name: | Jean | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Presbyterian to non-practicing to Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2007 08:54 pm |
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I was raised in the Presbyterian Church, but stayed in that church as long as I did only to keep my parents happy. I never quite 'got' predestination... as a bratty 7 year old I once asked the preacher "If we're predestined to either be saved or not, why do we have to behave?"
Funny thing was, he had no answer...
Psalm 4
jean
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Psalm 4
jean
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2007 09:32 pm |
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Well, you answered my question Jean. You are from the Presbyterians who are five point Calvinists. I attended a Reformed Baptist Church, hard line Calvinist theology, for over ten years. Never could quite accept the "L" in tulip, "Limited Atonement." And the idea of "T" total depravity seemed to be taken to the extremes. And the idea of "P" perseverance of the saints was only for those who were predestined in the first place. ??? huh??? And then the "U" for unconditional election...
Needless to say, Calvinist was for me, fatalistic and assumed that some very special "few" were privy to knowledge outside of eternity. As if they could peer in a looking glass and see everything already accomplished. Sort of makes living a holy life, offering up our sufferings to Christ, persevering till the end, loving sinners without a self-righteous attitude all pointless.
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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maryjean
Member
| Joined: | Sat Feb 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | York County, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 36 |
| First Name: | Jean | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Presbyterian to non-practicing to Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jun 1st, 2007 10:04 pm |
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I had never heard of the TULIP acronym before, but all points were believed by most in our church (or would have been if they'd thought about it...)
But to me, predestination seemed to paint God as a sort of 'cosmic grocery shopper' picking one can of tomatoes over another for no particular reason. And the smug attitude....well....!
Psalm 4
jean
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Psalm 4
jean
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Br_Carlo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 150 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 09:28 am |
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God's peace. My formative years as a Christian were spent in seriously Reformed Presbyterian churches, although the last one degenerated into a Gary North/David Chilton/Rousas Rushdoony theonomist sect. While I owe my Bible literacy to my training there, it has taken years to purge my understanding of the fatalistic leaven of Reformation thinking--and I'm not clear of it yet!
I bought into the entirety of Calvinist theology--hook, line, and sinker. For ten years, it was all I knew. It was only by a painful application of God's grace that I was delivered from its clutches.
Someday, I'll put together the story of how this poor sinner was rescued and brought to right Catholic faith. It's a rather long story, but that's what most readers on this site seem to prefer  . Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 11:59 am |
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Br_Carlo wrote: God's peace. My formative years as a Christian were spent in seriously Reformed Presbyterian churches, although the last one degenerated into a Gary North/David Chilton/Rousas Rushdoony theonomist sect. What in the world is that? Never heard of it before. While I owe my Bible literacy to my training there, it has taken years to purge my understanding of the fatalistic leaven of Reformation thinking--and I'm not clear of it yet!
I bought into the entirety of Calvinist theology--hook, line, and sinker. For ten years, it was all I knew. It was only by a painful application of God's grace that I was delivered from its clutches.
Someday, I'll put together the story of how this poor sinner was rescued and brought to right Catholic faith. It's a rather long story, but that's what most readers on this site seem to prefer . Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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Jackie
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 12th, 2007 |
| Location: | Jersey Shore, New Jersey USA |
| Posts: | 114 |
| First Name: | Jackie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 12:37 pm |
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Br_Carlo wrote: I bought into the entirety of Calvinist theology-- hook, line, and sinker. Darlene wrote:....five point Calvinists...Never could quite accept the "L" in tulip.
Guys, what does this mean? In short, what is Calvinist Theory?
And what is the "I" in TULIP mean? What does is all mean?
What denominations are from the Calvinist school of thinking?
What is the hardline differences between Calvinist or Luther?
Thanks....Jackie
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Br_Carlo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 150 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 04:08 pm |
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God's peace. John Calvin, one of the "great" Protestant Reformers, made his biggest mark with his work Institutes of the Christian Religion in which he set forth his doctrine of double predestination: the notion that free will does not exist, since we are utterly dead in sin, and that God from eternity past predestines some souls to heaven (the "elect") and some to hell (the "reprobate"). A French Catholic bishop named Jansen came up with this heretical idea independently and was severely censured for it.
Today, Calvinist sects exist within Baptist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian ecclesial communities and in some independent Bible fellowships. The theonomy cult (from the Greek for "Law of God") is an extreme Calvinist movement founded by the late Rousas J. Rushdoony, who wrote a 3-volume opus called The Institutes of Biblical Law (consciously aping Calvin's Institutes) to suppport it. His "disciples," notably Gary North and the late David Chilton and Greg Bahnssen (the last of whom was a dear friend), have all written followup books and tracts advancing theonomy--in short that the Old Testament nonceremonial law is normative for society today. It is fair to categorize theonomy as a resurgence of Puritanism.
TULIP is an acronym for the Calvinist doctrines of Total Depravity (all of man's nature and faculties are polluted with sin), Unconditional Election (God's predestination and election of men is not conditional upon his foresight of our repentance or anything else, but on his sovereign free choice), Limited Atonement (Christ's sacrifice on the cross paid for the sins of the elect alone), Irresistible Grace (Men cannot resist the saving grace of God), and Perseverance of the Saints (the truly elect will persevere in holiness to the end). While all of these doctrines have considerable truth in them, they have even more considerable error and have been roundly condemned by the Catholic Church. Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
Last edited on Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 04:14 pm by Br_Carlo
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Jo-Ann
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 24th, 2006 |
| Location: | Knoxville, Tennessee USA |
| Posts: | 14 |
| First Name: | Jo-Ann | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | RC, non-denom/PCA/other, now home sweet home (RCC) |
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Posted: Sun Jun 3rd, 2007 03:58 pm |
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Hi. I have too long a story to write, but I had gone to a PCA church, and listened to many Calvinist type preachers. I was "born again" at 16 and went to a variety of churches. I occasionally went to Mass and always got mad when told that the people in the RC Church were not "saved". I always read books on Saints, went to Catholic retreats, and such. But I didn't go officially back until I guess it's like a year and a half now. My husband didn't follow, but he's not ready to go back to any church now. He was so hurt by the church in general (and "Christian friends" who weren't very Christian when we needed help). So he's going through some stuff, and I pray he gets through it. He is fine with me going to Mass and other things on occasion. I want to delve into more, but don't want him to get too botherered.
I have to say, I did fell one thing strongly when I was in the PCA church and listened to all kinds of theological teachers....PRIDE. I felt I knew better than people that didn't agree with me, and I felt I knew the Bible so well. I almost feel like I'm starting over now, and have a Catholic Bible, and listen to people like Fr. Corapi, and a few others and read books by Scott Hahn and others. I am able to worship at Mass, and I can't say I really worshiped in other churches, I just wanted the serman so I could "grow" but I didnt' like the form of worship at all. IT was too inward, and about entertainment more than about God to me. I was more frustrated than anything, when I left. I now feel humbled, and I am taking things slowly and I don't have to know it all. But I still like learning. I am happy to say the faith I was born into is the faith I am now firmly planted into.
Jo-Ann
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"Feels good to be home again."
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Lee
Member
| Joined: | Fri May 18th, 2007 |
| Location: | Birmingham, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
| First Name: | Lee | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Charismatic-nondenom.-Presbyterian-Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jun 4th, 2007 10:38 am |
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Hi all,
To Br_Carlo, What a miracle! that God led you out of that extreme Calvinism! That's incredible.
To Darlene and Jo-Ann, I could not take the "limited atonement," that Jesus only died for the "elect"--that he didn't die for the whole world. It jus tsounds so stingy and small. I never could (I tried because I didn't know that there was any other theology accept armenianism) buy into the "T" either. I think my experience (and the feelings that go with it) is very much like yours. The tendency for pridefulness and the veneer of friendliness in the PCA were something I could not articulate and could not exactly identify. I just felt "I don't fit in here," even though my two best friends were (and still are) in that church. One of them stiffens up and tries to stuff her irritation if I say anything "Catholic." So I say "when I came homek from church" instead of "came home from mass," just to not unnecessarily raise red flags. I would love to discuss something substancial with them, but they just are totally turned off to Catholicism. I also feel like I am just a beginner! Especially in prayer!
I now look back on that church and feel that, although the Calvinists claim to believe you can do nothing good and it's all about God, they don't believe that God can cause someone to be born-again by baptism or that God can make bread and wine into the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. They say that those sacraments are something we do. Same with marriage.
I also noticed that, even though the pastor explained baptism every time, that it was a sign of the new covenant to convenant parents, etc., and at some future time the child would make a decision to accept Christ, it was such a vague doctrine that most everyone I knew really did not know exactly what baptism was for, since they knew tons of people who had accepted Christ and never had been a covenant child. Same with communion, it was very unclear as to exactly what was happening and seemed that we were doing a good work.
Oddly, on "Institutes of the Christian Religiion," I think it was about the fifth revision by Calvin (over a 20 year period) that he finally decided that we really cannot know if we are saved. We just have to persevere in good works and hope. And yet most Calvinists are convinced that they are "one of the elect."
Blessings to you all,
Lee
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CalvinistinCrisis
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jun 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Indiana USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Keith | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | non-denominational, reformed Presbyterian, Catholic (RCIA currently, class of 08) |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 12:39 am |
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| Hi Connie, I'm new here. My wife and I just moved back last fall from RTS Jackson. I was on my way to finish my degree at Covenant Seminary (PCA) in St. Louis. I was under care to be a PCA minister. We was just released from our membership two weeks ago. Welcome.
____________________
"It is one thing to see the Land of Peace from a wooded ridge and another to tread the path that leads to it" St. Augustines Confessions 7:21
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CalvinistinCrisis
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| Joined: | Thu Jun 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Indiana USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Keith | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | non-denominational, reformed Presbyterian, Catholic (RCIA currently, class of 08) |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 12:47 am |
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Br_Carlo wrote:
God's peace. My formative years as a Christian were spent in seriously Reformed Presbyterian churches, although the last one degenerated into a Gary North/David Chilton/Rousas Rushdoony theonomist sect. While I owe my Bible literacy to my training there, it has taken years to purge my understanding of the fatalistic leaven of Reformation thinking--and I'm not clear of it yet!
Theonomist, wow, that's hardcore. Went to seminary with alot of guys who was into Greg Bahnsen and Van Til. Those guys weren't playing around they took there theonomy very seriously. Alot of that stuff is coming under they umbrella of Doug Wilsons "federal vision" if you ever heard of that. God Bless you.
____________________
"It is one thing to see the Land of Peace from a wooded ridge and another to tread the path that leads to it" St. Augustines Confessions 7:21
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Br_Carlo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 150 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 09:47 am |
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God's peace. Calvinistincrisis wrote: "Theonomist, wow, that's hardcore. Went to seminary with alot of guys who was into Greg Bahnsen and Van Til. Those guys weren't playing around they took there theonomy very seriously. Alot of that stuff is coming under they umbrella of Doug Wilsons "federal vision" if you ever heard of that. God Bless you."
To me, one of the saddest things (as I mentioned in a prior posting) was that the late Greg Bahnsen was a personal friend. I still own a signed copy of his By This Standard, and I still get postmillenialist twinges whenever I read eschatological passages in the Bible. He did me and my family some favors during hard times that I will never forget. In a way, I am glad that he died before I became a Catholic, since now he has the perspective to properly appreciate my move (if he is allowed to know it through the mercy of God).
I've never heard of Doug Wilson or his "vision," and I doubt that I will ever work up the nerve to find out. I've put as many miles between myself and the theonomists as I can. Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
Last edited on Fri Jun 29th, 2007 09:57 am by Br_Carlo
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Lee
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| Joined: | Fri May 18th, 2007 |
| Location: | Birmingham, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
| First Name: | Lee | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Charismatic-nondenom.-Presbyterian-Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 11:46 am |
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Having read parts of Calvin's Institutes, having gone to a very nice PCA church for 12 years (my last stop in Protestantism before coming "home" [praise God!!]), having listened to and read R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and others, I have never heard of Gary North/David Chilton/Rousas Rushdoony or Greg Bahnsen and Van Til or theonomy for that matter. I am not a theologian and I could never get through much of the Institutes. I had a problem with particularly the T and the L of TULIP. I always had a problem with Presbyterian infant baptism. I dont' think I ever understood what it was for. Nor did most of the people I knew at that church, some of whom believed only in believer's baptism. I could never understand what the point of infant baptism was, even though it was explained at every baptism, "not born again," "becoming a covenant child," etc.
But after surfing the net to get the gist of theonomy, etc., and briefly skimming through the very high-minded, high-sounding muck, excuse me, explanations, it brought to mind my personal view that Calvin and most staunch Calvinist (and most are staunch) tried to take God and dissect him, explain him, qualify him, quantify him, and treat him like a specimen for their curiousity. They want to reduce God to understandable and put him in a box, i.e. these categorical absolutes, "He died only for the elect!" "We are utterly depraved!" "All our works are as filthy rags. We can't do anything pleasing to God." "God is sovereign!" "It's by faith alone!" . I know I'm exaggerating, but it's to make the point. They tend to not be content with the mystery and the fact that we are finite and he is infinite.
And it always seemed to me that Calvin was constructing, tearing down, and revising his man-made interpretations as he went along. There! I guess I needed to vent and didn't know it!
Now I feel that the Catholic Church focuses so much on love and humility, that Christianity is about knowing that you don't know things that only God can understand, and ultimately the big question is LOVE, which I am a failure at in major ways, and hope in God to transform me into the likeness of His son.
Lee - just a sheep (a happy little Catholic one!)
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CalvinistinCrisis
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jun 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Indiana USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Keith | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | non-denominational, reformed Presbyterian, Catholic (RCIA currently, class of 08) |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 12:52 pm |
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Br_Carlo wrote:
God's peace. Calvinistincrisis wrote: "Theonomist, wow, that's hardcore. Went to seminary with alot of guys who was into Greg Bahnsen and Van Til. Those guys weren't playing around they took there theonomy very seriously. Alot of that stuff is coming under they umbrella of Doug Wilsons "federal vision" if you ever heard of that. God Bless you."
To me, one of the saddest things (as I mentioned in a prior posting) was that the late Greg Bahnsen was a personal friend. I still own a signed copy of his By This Standard, and I still get postmillenialist twinges whenever I read eschatological passages in the Bible. He did me and my family some favors during hard times that I will never forget. In a way, I am glad that he died before I became a Catholic, since now he has the perspective to properly appreciate my move (if he is allowed to know it through the mercy of God).
I've never heard of Doug Wilson or his "vision," and I doubt that I will ever work up the nerve to find out. I've put as many miles between myself and the theonomists as I can. Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
I have never sat down and read any Bahnsen but I listened to "The Great Debate" It was probably the best debate I have ever heard. You could actually hear Bahnsens voice tremble as he debated the atheist about the existence of God and the Gospel. He seemed very sincere and kind. He ran circles around that guy. And it was all in love not like so many other debates I have heard.
____________________
"It is one thing to see the Land of Peace from a wooded ridge and another to tread the path that leads to it" St. Augustines Confessions 7:21
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CalvinistinCrisis
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jun 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Indiana USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Keith | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | non-denominational, reformed Presbyterian, Catholic (RCIA currently, class of 08) |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 12:55 pm |
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Lee wrote:
Having read parts of Calvin's Institutes, having gone to a very nice PCA church for 12 years (my last stop in Protestantism before coming "home" [praise God!!]), having listened to and read R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and others, I have never heard of Gary North/David Chilton/Rousas Rushdoony or Greg Bahnsen and Van Til or theonomy for that matter. I am not a theologian and I could never get through much of the Institutes. I had a problem with particularly the T and the L of TULIP. I always had a problem with Presbyterian infant baptism. I dont' think I ever understood what it was for. Nor did most of the people I knew at that church, some of whom believed only in believer's baptism. I could never understand what the point of infant baptism was, even though it was explained at every baptism, "not born again," "becoming a covenant child," etc.
But after surfing the net to get the gist of theonomy, etc., and briefly skimming through the very high-minded, high-sounding muck, excuse me, explanations, it brought to mind my personal view that Calvin and most staunch Calvinist (and most are staunch) tried to take God and dissect him, explain him, qualify him, quantify him, and treat him like a specimen for their curiousity. They want to reduce God to understandable and put him in a box, i.e. these categorical absolutes, "He died only for the elect!" "We are utterly depraved!" "All our works are as filthy rags. We can't do anything pleasing to God." "God is sovereign!" "It's by faith alone!" . I know I'm exaggerating, but it's to make the point. They tend to not be content with the mystery and the fact that we are finite and he is infinite.
And it always seemed to me that Calvin was constructing, tearing down, and revising his man-made interpretations as he went along. There! I guess I needed to vent and didn't know it!
Now I feel that the Catholic Church focuses so much on love and humility, that Christianity is about knowing that you don't know things that only God can understand, and ultimately the big question is LOVE, which I am a failure at in major ways, and hope in God to transform me into the likeness of His son.
Lee - just a sheep (a happy little Catholic one!)
Thank you so much for saying these words. I have never been able to explain it as well as this. I still like Sproul. Holiness of God was my favorite book and lecture of his. It's great to meet you all on here.
____________________
"It is one thing to see the Land of Peace from a wooded ridge and another to tread the path that leads to it" St. Augustines Confessions 7:21
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Lee
Member
| Joined: | Fri May 18th, 2007 |
| Location: | Birmingham, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
| First Name: | Lee | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Charismatic-nondenom.-Presbyterian-Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 01:54 pm |
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Hi CalvinistinCrisis! You know a great many PCA churches are altering their service to have a short homily and have communion every week. (Sounds vaguely Catholic!) A priest friend has told me that Calvinism is a hair's breath away from Catholicism. Maybe if Calvin had lived longer, he would have re-interpreted himself and categorically declared himself back into the Catholic Church! (That was a joke!!!)
We have a friend here who just became a lawyer who has a MS in Theology from RTS in Florida. He and his wife are new converts. He marks the beginning of his journey into the CHURCH as during his study of church history at RTS. Once he started into history, he couldn't stop and now they are so excited they can hardly contain themselves!!!!!
Blessings!
Lee
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Br_Carlo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 150 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Fri Jun 29th, 2007 02:20 pm |
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God's peace. Lee wrote: "A priest friend has told me that Calvinism is a hair's breath away from Catholicism."
My bishop also believes this. At the Mass where I was received into the Church, he praised the Presbyterians for building in me a profound love and understanding of the Scriptures. I have noticed that fanatical Calvinists consistently make among the best ("fanatical") converts to the Catholic Church. Just look at the Hahns! Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
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pamflute
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| Joined: | Thu Jan 18th, 2007 |
| Location: | Tampa, Florida USA |
| Posts: | 24 |
| First Name: | Pam | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist to Presbyterian to United Methodist to Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Jun 30th, 2007 09:36 am |
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Dear former Presbyterians:
I still work at a PCA church in Tampa which has gone quite "high church". I usually attend mass on Saturday nights or Sunday nights as I work on Sunday morning. I am part of the music ministry of this church. I must say that I love what has happend as part of the worship at this church - they got a new pastor several years ago who is quite liturgical in his approach and not all that anti-Catholic. When my husband and I spoke to him about becoming Catholic, he didn't seem to be surprised or shocked or anything like that. He even prayed that we would receive God's blessing! He told told us he is friends with an Orthodox guy who he has cofee with every week, so I guess he is quite ecumenical in his approach. I don't know if the rest of the congregation feels like he does, as the session has one former Catholic on it and I haven't talked to him about this - I don't have the nerve for those kind of confrontations.
My brother goes to a Reformed Baptist church and has little boy who he is teaching the Westminster Catechism to. He also has the boy say "TULIP" to anyone who is around. It is very funny, but I wish my brother wasn't such an ardent Reformed guy. My dad is sort of in the same camp, though Independent Baptist. We all know how much they love Catholics! Oh, well, my first duty is to love them whether they care for my faith or not!
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mchoquette
Member
| Joined: | Thu Apr 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Ooltewah, Tennessee USA |
| Posts: | 8 |
| First Name: | Michael | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Baptist / Presbyterian (PCA). |
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Posted: Sat Jun 30th, 2007 02:36 pm |
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Hi Connie,
Presbyterian here also (PCA). I am looking into the Catholic church and what it teaches, although I'm not sure at this point in time if I am ready to go any further than just studying about the church. I'm glad to see there are so many current and former Presbyterians here. God bless you all.
Michael
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Michael
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Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Sat Jun 30th, 2007 03:20 pm |
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Is the PCA a conservative branch of the Presbyterian Church? Isn't Dr. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge a PCA Presbyterian? The Reformed Baptist Church I attended was very similar to Presbyterian beliefs (5 point Calvinist), but did not teach or support pedo baptism. We had a baptismal in the front of the church behind the altar, so baptism was taken very seriously. Of course, only as an ordinance and not a sacrament. What exactly does the PCA teach regarding baby baptism? From my understanding, this branch of Presbyterianism believes in Covenant Theology. Could someone expound upon this teaching? Thanks.
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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CalvinistinCrisis
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jun 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Indiana USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Keith | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | non-denominati | | | |
