My Conversion Story

To read my conversion story, I have posted it in .pdf format available for download.


Thursday, May 30, 2013

If Protestantism Were True

I just started reading “If Protestantism Were True” by Devon Rose. I am still in the first chapter and so far, this former atheist's conversion to Christianity, and then from Evangelical Southern Baptist to Catholic sounds just like almost every Protestant to Catholic conversion story I’ve ever read. Including my own. I was going to type up a big excerpt, but instead, I’m going for bullet points.

Here is why Evangelicals when looking at Catholicism honestly and openly, finally see the truth and convert:
  • They love Jesus with all their heart and wish to be as close to him as they possibly can, so that means finding a "denomination" that best serves that purpose.
  • They look at the various denominations and and realize that:
    • if the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that it, and it alone is the source and arbiter of faith (sola scriptura), then how can every denomination say they they are following the Holy Spirit’s leading and yet have varying beliefs?
    • Is not this disunity diametrically opposed to the unity that Jesus called for in John 17?
    • If the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and would not lead people into error, then it must mean that some Christians who THINK they are listening accurately to the Spirit’s promptings are in reality, not.
    • They look at their current church/denomination and wonder if it truly is the right one, to the exclusion of all others. Why or why not?
  • Evangelicals believe in “sola scriptura,” which means that they confidently must know which books of all ancient texts comprise the Bible.
  • Catholics and Orthodox believe their have more books in the Bible than Protestants do.
  • Historically, who decided which books were to be included in the Bible?
    • Either, the Holy Spirit tried to guide Christians to know which books belong in the Bible, but we still got some of the books wrong.
    • Or, The Holy Spirit succeeded in showing us the canon of Scripture and the Bible is comprised the exact books that he wanted included.
  • Tried to find Biblical support for belief in sola scriptura:
    • Checked all Bible verses in the church’s Statement of Faith on sola scriptura (Biblical Authority), and found that none of them teach or even shed any light on the subject.
  • If the Bible does not teach sola scriptura, do we believe it merely because we have been told to believe it by our faith Tradition?
  • Protestants, as a whole, do not claim that their Church holds the fullness of Truth. They don’t have an overseeing hierarchy that can make those decisions, and only some have any kind of hierarchy at all. Many wear this as a badge of honor. Many are only interested in Unity with others of “like” faith, which causes them to separate themselves from other denominations.
  • Catholics and Orthodox do claim that they have the fullness of Truth.
  • The pre-Reformation canon of Scripture DID contain all of the books that the Catholics and Orthodox claim that they did. Martin Luther removed the seven books based on an erroneous study of history (so-called “council” of Jamnia), and personal opinion, throwing out books that contained doctrine that he just did not like.
  • This means that Catholicism or Orthodoxy:
    • Has the full canon of Scripture
    • Has the authority to claim it as such
    • Has the fullness of Truth
  • Has a desire for Unity rather than “Separation.” 1 Cor.  1:10 “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and judgement of Christ.
  • Protestants and Orthodox removed themselves from the Church in violation of 1 Cor 1, and Matthew 18.
  • Catholics and Orthodox are still working toward reunification which is what Christ commanded for his people in John 17.
  • What was the early church like? REALLY like, not just what my faith Tradition tells me?
    • Investigate the Church Fathers. ALL of their teachings, not just cherry-picked by a Protestant Bible scholar.
  •  The early Church clearly believed in:
    • The Bishop of Rome is the head of the Church
    • Church hierarchy with apostles, then bishops with a succession of apostolic authority
    • Believe that the Eucharist is actually the Body and Blood of the Lord
    • That faith and works must be used in conjunction with one another in order to achieve salvation.
    • Baptism is necessary for salvation.
    • Purgatory is real, although that name was not attached to it for quite some time.
    • Before the Scriptures were compiled and completed (approx 200 years), Traditon and aural apostolic teaching is what led the church.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

My Favorite Authors

I am becoming increasingly convinced that besides the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the works of these men are the most beneficial ever written. This is from a standpoint of revelatory knowledge, not necessarily devotional or reflective. For those I would add Sts. Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Ávila, and Thérèse of Lisieux.

St. Augustine of Hippo
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Louis de Monfort
Blessed John Henry Newman
G. K. Chesterton
C. S. Lewis
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
Pope Benedict XVI/Joseph Ratzinger (Future Doctor of the Church, I hope)

I am sure there are more, but I only have less than half a lifetime left. Just Chesterton alone would take the rest of my life to read, reread, and fully appreciate his work.

C. S. Lewis is the only non-Catholic in this list. Lewis was very Catholic-like, and it has been said that if he could have gotten past his mental block regarding the primacy of the Pope, he very likely would have become Catholic. But then, if he had become Catholic, he would likely not be as popular with Protestants as he is. A Protestant may not realize it, but when he is reading Lewis, he is actually reading Catholic theology.