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sewnsew
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 913 |
| First Name: | Kim | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Anglican, Episcopal /Catholic-04/07/07 |
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Posted: Fri Mar 28th, 2008 04:51 pm |
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Anybody else find this? - Of the people that I know who have converted to the Catholic faith most of them did a lot of reading and of some fairly deep books too. Emotions do come into play but usually not without the research but the converts or new Christians that go into Protestant faiths do not seem to have done much reading except for the Bible- they seems to enter on an emotional level first and then may or may not attend Bible studies in the various churches that they attend. It is also their emotions that lead them in and out of different denominations.
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Kim M.
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| Joined: | Mon Feb 11th, 2008 |
| Location: | Georgia USA |
| Posts: | 415 |
| First Name: | Kim | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Assembly of God, Church of God, Assembly again, PCA, ... |
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Posted: Fri Mar 28th, 2008 06:30 pm |
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I think you're right, Kim. I'm doing a lot of reading, and I think it's because of the image I had of the Catholic Church and its claims of exclusivity. I need some proof of its claims, kwim? Protestant churches seemed obvious and safer doctrinally because of their simpler stances. I think the belief is that "real" Christian/Protestant churches (vs. cults) are doctrinally the same at the core (i. e. orthodox with a little "o"), and that the differences are on the lesser important doctrines like speaking in tongues (a real extreme difference, I'll add), how to perform communion and baptismal methods (not that baptism is minor to Catholics, just to most denominations because of it being seen as merely "symbolic" by most).
When I became a Christian in 1989 I just assumed all Protestant churches were true churches with solid doctrines. The Catholic Church wasn't even on my spiritual radar. Probably because of past comments I had heard that made me think it was corrupt, untrue, blah blah blah. I learned differently soon enough (about the Protestant differences in doctrine, I mean), but for a very long time I had no problem with the various doctrinal differences that were seen in the different denominations I had been a part of. So long as they had Jesus right I was content. That is one thing I've learned in my reading up on the Catholic Church. They have Jesus right. Now it's just a matter of coming to terms with the other stuff not so easily accepted by Bible-only Protestants. It is a true change in thinking to become Catholic. And it's a very scary thing!  But exciting, too. 
Last edited on Fri Mar 28th, 2008 06:40 pm by Kim M.
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"A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22
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MichaelStEdmund
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| Joined: | Fri Dec 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 95 |
| First Name: | Michael | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Convert from pentacostal/charismatic/holiness background |
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Posted: Fri Mar 28th, 2008 07:45 pm |
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When I came to Christ as a teen, I know I needed some convincing. While there was certainly some emotional release, that's not all that there was to it.
I felt a drawing to God when a visiting minister from South Africa explained the Gospel in a way that seemed fresh to me. He spoke about a God who seemed interested in me, and who wanted to be involved in my life. It dawns on me now that he simply took the pressure off of me. The Gospel I'd grown up with in my Protestant church unintentionally put most of the responsibility on me. Without knowing quite what it was, I finally understood "grace" as something more than a theological definition in a Sunday School class.
I didn't answer an "altar call," something that seemed too ... something. Mentally, I could see myself kneeling at the altar, trying to manufacture tears while five or six burly men patted me on the back and told me to "let go" or "hang on." I couldn't deal with that. I grasped my faith privately and went public with it slowly.
Within a few short months I'd stumbled upon the Early Church Fathers, and I was never the same after that. Nor was I truly any good as a Protestant after that, either. They ruined me. I'd found Jesus, and as soon as I did, I found traces that there was much more to come.
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"Faith seeking understanding" - St. Anselm of Canterbury.
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Mar 28th, 2008 08:47 pm |
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| Kim, I think what you have said is true. It is at least partly because there isn't much about most Protestant denominations that stands up to really hard scrutiny. This is because the Protestant denominations were all started because somebody didn't like something and threw it away. This results in a theology that is not internally consistent. It was the internally consistent (read complete) theology of the Catholic Church that was my ultimate indicator that I needed to be Catholic.
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Annie
Ora et labora
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abbycat
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| Joined: | Thu Jan 17th, 2008 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 189 |
| First Name: | abby | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Non-Denomational Charismatic, Lutheran |
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Posted: Fri Mar 28th, 2008 09:56 pm |
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I agree with Michael .... reading books about the Early Church Fathers is an eye-opener for a Protestant. I would strongly recommend that for anyone considering Catholicism.
abby
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Kayla
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| Joined: | Mon Jul 30th, 2007 |
| Location: | Emmitsburg, Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 369 |
| First Name: | Kayla | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Atheist, kind-of Mormon, Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Mar 30th, 2008 12:24 am |
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I struggle with a healthy relationship between "emotions" and "reason".
Emotion brought me to believe in God. Emotion brought me to believe in the Real Presence of the Holy Eucharist.
Reason obviously also played its role, after my initial encounter with God.
Now it's all faith. Emotion and reason play their roles, of course, but...
I don't know. The emotions are nice now, when and if they come, but I've had to learn not to rely on them, and they've slowly been going away. They're only here and there. And that's fine.
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I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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Sophie729
Member
| Joined: | Sun Mar 9th, 2008 |
| Location: | Chicago Suburbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 4 |
| First Name: | Carolyn | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Nothing. Exploring the Catholic faith. |
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Posted: Wed Apr 2nd, 2008 03:55 am |
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I have been doing a ton of reading as I begin to explore the Catholic faith. I am coming into this without any kind of religious upbringing in my background, and feel that I have so much to learn and to understand. Since the beginning of the year, reading about Catholicism and Christianity in general seems to be the main thing I do in my free time from school.
One reason is, since I am not coming from any other religion or denomination, I just have so much to learn and understand. I had pieced together a general idea of Christian beliefs throughout the years, but now I feel that I am really coming to understand things, which is really important to me in this process. I really feel that I must fully understand things, and that a good understanding of things will help me come to accept different beliefs - I can definitely say I have seen that to be true, even in only the past few months.
I would also say emotions come into play. There have been several times in the past months when things I have read or been thinking about seem to "click" or all of a sudden seem to make sense to me. I had one such moment just yesterday, and I found myself feeling very emotional about it - very happy.
Another thing I have been struggling with is how to balance everything I have been reading. Since I do not come from a Protestant background, I feel that I probably should read about both Protestant and Catholic beliefs, so that I can understand each and the differences between them better, even though I think I am definitely leaning towards one over the other. I guess I feel that having an understanding of both and their similarities and differences will help me to feel more strongly about what I am learning about and coming to believe. I guess I just find this difficult, though -so much to learn, read, reflect on, and there never seems to be enough time!
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Therese Z
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Chicagoland, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 70 |
| First Name: | Therese Z | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle, Cultural, Lapsed, Passionately Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Apr 2nd, 2008 10:19 pm |
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"There have been several times in the past months when things I have read or been thinking about seem to "click" or all of a sudden seem to make sense to me. I had one such moment just yesterday, and I found myself feeling very emotional about it - very happy."
As a revert, I was veeerrrrry suspicious of any happiness I felt hanging around the fringes of church or of holy people, I thought it was just kind of a collective trance. But later, when I was seeking HIm, it was when I was reading Scripture or apologetics and suddenly two loose ends clinked together, or some shadowy thought was lit up, that I felt a real joy. I felt safe, if that makes sense, that God was truly the source of Truth and Wisdom and when I could think my way to Him, I was on the right path.
In prayer, I also learned to trust emotion but not to rely on it (was it Catherine of Siena who said "Trust in the God of consolations, not the consolations of God?"). When I feel an upswell of "holy feeling" or true nearness to Jesus, I thank Him for it and certainly enjoy it but I won't TRY and make it happen. That's trying to boss God around, or hallucinating, one of the two.
Keep reading. Keep praying. As long you're doing both of those things, your journey will be a blessing. (but please come be Catholic, please come be Catholic, it's great, you'll love it, it's huge and intimate and holy and noble all at once....) (Okay, I was trying a little subliminal thing there  ...)
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Sophie729
Member
| Joined: | Sun Mar 9th, 2008 |
| Location: | Chicago Suburbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 4 |
| First Name: | Carolyn | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Nothing. Exploring the Catholic faith. |
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Posted: Thu Apr 3rd, 2008 10:56 pm |
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Thank you for the words of encouragement! I have loved everything I have been reading and have been coming to understand over the past few months! As for your advice to keep reading and keep praying, those are two things I definitely plan to continue doing. They certainly have helped me to come a long way thus far on my journey.
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MitchyMitch
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Snellville, Georgia USA |
| Posts: | 104 |
| First Name: | Mitch | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Independent Baptist and Southern Baptist...Now Catholic |
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Posted: Fri Apr 4th, 2008 12:24 am |
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| mine was both emotional and rational. But the way I had wrestled with God was a very emotional experience. I felt led, though, to rationally approach Catholic thought from the point of view of Catholics, and see if it melded with my knowledge of Scripture. And I found it completely Scriptural.
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Pax,
Mitch
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