Now that just such a high-profile conversion has taken place, prepare yourself for the flood of substance-less "Come Home to Rome" articles. Let me make a prediction: as is so often the case, the very act of conversion, not the reasons for so doing, will be the primary focus. "He's so brilliant, if he converts, he must have a brilliant reason!" There are very few "new" reasons for conversion that have not been fully addressed in the past, and Rome's modern apologists have learned that it is never to their advantage to give air to the replies offered by the most careful of their critics. As any review of the current body of Roman Catholic "conversion stories" will bear out, fair, balanced, insightful representation of the facts related to sola scriptura, Papal primacy, the Mass, the Marian dogmas, purgatory, etc., is utterly lacking. Emotional appeals to "the ancient church," mythical references to the "unity" of Rome (those actually inside the communion and familiar with its rancorous disputes cannot help but chuckle at those blissfully naive, breathless commentaries), and the warm feeling of "coming home" to the Church (almost never anything about conversion to Christ) are the keys to successful conversioneering.
those actually inside the communion and familiar with its rancorous disputes cannot help but chuckle at those blissfully naive, breathless commentaries
"Those actually inside the communion" doesn't include James White, so how would he know?
I'm still trying to find these "rancorous disputes" among Catholics who are actually loyal to the magisterium (as distinct from those who are loyal to what they think the magisterium ought to be), and I don't see it. And I've been "actually inside the communion" now for going on 47 years.
and the warm feeling of "coming home" to the Church (almost never anything about conversion to Christ)
Read your own sister's conversion story, James. You know her, she's "Mrs. Bonds" to you.
Does Mr. White not consider Evangelicals Christian, or does he think the Catholics do not consider Evangelicals Christian?
Is this gentleman reading the same literature I am?
A friend to whom I sent several books of apologetics by well-known converts (Mr. Currie, Mr. Ray, Dr. Hahn, etc.) had the opposite complaint! She said, "It's all about analyzing the details of Scriptural texts, historical understanding, ancient documents ... and nothing about their own spiritual and emotional experiences."
White is quite wrong in is claim that “ . As any review of the current body of Roman Catholic “conversion stories” will bear out, fair, balanced, insightful representation of the facts related to sola scriptura, Papal primacy, the Mass, the Marian dogmas, purgatory, etc., is utterly lacking. “
I have read numerous accounts of those who have become Catholic, without exception they all examined these doctrines very carefully. They entered into communion after much study and prayer. And most interesting of all is that they all are very grateful for the firm grounding in Scripture that they received in their Protestant churches.
Dr. White is not a charitable man and would not be the Protestant apologist I would hold up as an example.
There are Protestant apologists who I sometimes refer non Catholics to when they have a question about certain doctrine. Mostly when one Protestant has to defend the doctrines of Christ’s divinity and the Trinity against JWs. The Bible Answer Man Hank Hangraeff (sp) of the Christian Research Institute is one such gentleman.