Conversion Update
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I do not know if anyone remembers me, but I used to visit the site quite frequently. It has been a while - I needed some time away from the opinions of others so that I could develop my own. It seemed that any time I would post something, it would turn into a heated more... "There are water and tears; the water of baptism and the tears of repentance." -St. Ambrose“
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Member since 05/10/2002
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quote:
Originally posted by acumenCry
. . . But ever since discovering Catholicism, it seems like the whole world is against it (and my adherence to it), especially those "in the house of friends" ("Protestants"). Just when I feel as if the waters are calm, it becomes even harder for me to swim. I earnestly ask for your prayers. Peace be with you.
aC,
My prayers are with you as well, but I have a question. Are you still attending non-catholic services and spending a fair amount of time with Protestant friends? I'm not saying this is all bad, but it will greatly add to what you are already struggling with interiorly. Never underestimate the power of peer pressure - especially in religious systems. That transition period is the toughest, for sure.
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Thanks, everyone
I have only attended Mass (though not as often as I should) w/in the past 3 years. Other than that, the people closest to me are Catholic (aside from my family, of course). I have never really had any practicing Protestant friends - only those who are only Christian "in name". Even those who do not agree w/ the RCC do their best not to distract me.
"There are water and tears; the water of baptism and the tears of repentance." -St. Ambrose“
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Member since 05/11/2002
acumenCry,
I understand where you are coming from, but Christ pretty much promised us that we would have rough times. If the whole world is against it and your adherence to it, perhaps that's because there is something to it.
"You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." St. Augustine of Hippo
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Member since 11/08/2003
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It is amazing, though, how that happens. In my experience, some of it was in my head -- people didn't understand why I was converting, but they weren't as adamantly against it as I imagined them to be. Once I was confirmed, the same people who seemed to be trying to dissuade me were the most encouraging to me in my new Catholic faith. It turns out that most people just want you to be a good Christian -- all else is window dressing to them.
Of course, as Catholics we know there is much more to our practice than window dressing, but that's the perception of many non-Catholics out there.
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I agree with Diana for most people. But some people believe I ceased being Christian because I became Catholic.
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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I agree. Christ did promise us rough times. I always heard that Christians would be up against much adversity, but it was with the Catholic Church that I actually saw it. The opening of my eyes to all the anti-Catholic hype happened all at once. I was watching a talk show with my Catholic friend and noticed "inside jokes" targeted against the Church. She just smiled, like nothing offensive was even said. Shocked, I turned to her and asked, "Did you get that?" She told me that it wasn't anything new. American media has always antagonized the Church. I can easily see how anti-Catholic propoganda, which can be traced back to Thomas Nast's tasteless depiction of priests as alligators attacking children, has been twisted into something far more perverse. Regardless, this has never hindered my friend's faith, and I should follow her example.
I rarely meet people who do not claim to be Christian. It's the "socially acceptable" religion here, but it is not the same with Catholic Christians below the Bible belt. A guy I worked with told me that his girlfriend was "all into Catholicism" and that she was thinking about conversion. I got excited. Finally someone I could relate to! But before I could tell him to give her my encouragement, it became obvious to me that he was not too thrilled about it. In fact, he was disgusted. He exclaimed, "They pray to Mary and ****!"
I can't tell you how bad I wanted to defend the Faith at that very moment, but I fought the urge, knowing that my prepubescent knowledge would have only worsened the situation. It was not my time. Not long before this incident, I, too, was just a "good ol' country boy" with a simple Faith. The guy didn't mean any harm. His views were based on nothing other than ignorance. Seeing that the girl obviously held her personal journey in Christ above her long-term boyfriend, I knew that everything would work out for her in the long run. She was in God's hands. When the Spirit moves, the Spirit reallymoves, and there is nothing in this world that can prevent it from carrying us where we need to be (often whether we like it or not). I had to learn that the hard way, after a conflict similar to theirs. I made the mistake of putting the girl above the God, thus losing a relationship with both. But that's just how it works out. We lose the feeling of what we thought love was, and that that void can only be filled by a relationship with our Lord. I learned that we must put God first, and the rest will follow, and sometimes, he even "gives us the girl".
In the past, my relationships were not founded with Christ as the cornerstone. I am at the point where I see a potentially Christ centered relationship - a true love as an act of will. One that is founded on Paul's message of marriage. A message I discovered first in the Bible, further in the Catechism, and even more completely in the simplest of forms... the Nativity Scene.
Isn't Grace amazing? Without it, we are unable to perceive certain "secret truths". I have found that trying to show these secrets to others is not in our ability. Sure, we can help, but often we are like kids cluttered in our mother's kitchen. She tells us, "I can cook dinner and clean the dishes on my own. You are just getting in my way." Is it just me, or do Evangelists keep repeating the same thing over and over again? "Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and be baptized in His name!" ... Then what? Go around doing the same? It seems to me that certain denominations' failure to teach their followers how to "leave the huddle" is the very reason there are so many Christian orphans like myself.
"There are water and tears; the water of baptism and the tears of repentance." -St. Ambrose“
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I just started "The Lamb's Supper", but I was wondering if I should wait to finish. A few months ago, a friend (convert) gave me a copy of "Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism", but I only read about 1/4 of it. (The new "Dean Koontz" book came out... couldn't resist reading it instead) Concerning my conversion, would it be more beneficial for me to finish RSH before getting into "The Lamb's Supper"?
"There are water and tears; the water of baptism and the tears of repentance." -St. Ambrose“
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The Lamb's Supper is more of a look into theology when he was already Catholic, where his conclusion is unmistakably Catholic. RSH is his journey into Catholicism after he started to question Protestant theology. Part of what he questioned in Protestantism is the view of the Eucharist and that led to many more questions, which ended up with his conversion and then this treatise on the Mass.
I don't think it matters which one you read first, just whichever holds your interest.
I also end up reading fiction when I have a stack of non-fiction books I also want to read.
"Look on the bright side, if this is the best they've got around here, in six months we'll be running this planet." (Planet of the Apes)
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Member since 11/08/2003
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I've read The Lamb's Supper, and I have a copy of Rome Sweet Home but I have yet to read it. Conversion stories are inspiring; books like The Lamb's Supper give us insight which sticks.
I agree with Astralis - read them in whatever order you wish.
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Member since 01/14/2009
Location: South Africa
An excellent book to also read is David Currie's 'Born Fundamentalist. Born again Catholic'. All Catholics should read this book. David is also a convert & ex Protestant Evangelical thelogian, who couldn't tolerate the RCC!
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hmm... I didn't realize both were written by the same guy.
Thanks for the book recommendation, Nanavdm
"There are water and tears; the water of baptism and the tears of repentance." -St. Ambrose“
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New Member
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Member since 01/14/2009
Location: South Africa
Catholics & non-catholics are all part of this fallen world in which we live. There have been times in my live that I have seriously believed that 'organised church' is the cause of all our confusion regarding issues of faith. We complicate our faith. We must be childlike (not childish!) Mother Teresa is a shining example!
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