The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism: The Converts

Catholic Exchange ^ | July 2, 2007 | David Hartline

[NYer]

It started with Scott Hahn and it is still going strong.  The number of prominent Protestant clergy and theologians coming to the Catholic Church has been nothing short of remarkable.  Priests like Father Dwight Longenecker and Father Alvin Kimel are new to the Church and they bring a lot of enthusiasm, scholarship and wit and humor with them.  Father Longenecker might be the only priest who is a graduate of the admittedly anti-Catholic institute of higher learning, Bob Jones University.  Deacon Alex Jones, a former pastor in a prominent African-American Pentacostalist Church in Detroit left behind a vibrant, growing congregation.  However, the pull of Catholicism's 2,000 year-old history and her ability to weather many storms was too much for Deacon Jones.  He now travels around the country telling his conversion story.  In addition, there have been prominent theologians and university scholars like Dr Francis Beckwith, who very recently was the head of the Evangelical Theological Society.  He came home to the Church in April.  The aftershocks from his reversion to Catholicism (he was born into the faith but later left the Church for Evangelicalism during his teenage years in the heyday of the "Jesus Movement,") still are being felt.  He followed Joshua Hochschild who surprised many in the theological world when he recently converted to Catholicism.

In my book The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism, I note that while many in the media, even some Catholics, are focused on those who have left the Church, few have noticed the significance of so many prominent members of other faiths who have come home to Rome.  It should be noted that many who left the Catholic Faith, usually for a non-denominational mega church, often can't give a theological reason.  They can only say that they enjoy the liveliness and entertainment that a mega church often provides.  It is most encouraging that Catholicism is getting the crème of the crop from other churches.  Entry into the Church for these converts is usually made after a long, difficult journey to come to terms with something that they never thought possible.  For some, like Scott Hahn and Father Dwight Longenecker, the Faith they once mocked is the Faith they have changed their lives and alienated family and friends to join, a decision not taken lightly. 

Often, it is an attempt to better understand Catholicism in order to disprove it that leads to conversion, when they simply could not come up with anything to dispute the key tenets of Catholicism: Scripture and Tradition, the Sacraments, Apostolic Tradition and the role of Mary.  They found themselves falling into the trap that the eminent Pharisee Gamaliel warned about in Acts 5:33-39. They might be fighting against God.

Many of the former converts, some of whom were admitted anti-Catholics, have now become prominent defenders of the faith.  Dr. Scott Hahn is a mainstay at Franciscan University and is often seen on EWTN.  As a matter of fact there are so many converts and reverts coming home to the Church that one of the most popular shows on EWTN is The Journey Home, hosted by Marcus Grodi.  Besides clergy and scholars there are hundreds of thousands who have entered the Church in recent years. This past Easter, it was announced that over 100,000 people came into the Church, just in the United States.  While bloggers and Catholic apologists Mark Shea and Jimmy Akin came into the Church some time ago, Aimee Milburn and Gerald Augustinus along with twin brothers David Bennett and Jonathan Bennett have chronicled their recent journeys into the Church via their blogs.  It is a truly remarkable story that often gets little media attention.  If the converts keep coming, the Tiber is going to get mighty crowded.  Indeed, the tide is turning!

[lawdave]

Great, let’s take the John passages literally. I have taken Catholic communion. I’m saved then, right?

Nope. See my previous post.

"For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment upon himself."

I am not citing the passage to say you are going to Hell or anything. I am citing it to show that simply taking communion does not save you, particularly if you do not believe it is the Real Presence of Christ.

[lawdave]

Real.

[armydoc]

OK, you don’t take John 6 literally, either. Glad we’re on the same sheet of music here.

[lawdave]

OK, you don’t take John 6 literally, either. Glad we’re on the same sheet of music here.

Either I misunderstood you or you misunderstood me. I do take John 6 literally. I am a Eucharist adoring Catholic from way back. My study of the passage and commentators on it show me that Jesus was speaking literally when he said we should eat his flesh. It was not until the Last Supper that he made his entire meaning clear to the Apostles. Thereafter, the early Church always understood that they were eating and drinking Jesus' body and blood when they "did this in remembrance of him."

[nanetteclaret]

You said:
“You completely ignored the John passage in which Jesus says: “These words are spirit...”
He said those in reference to his statement that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood.”

I have asked you before and I will ask you again to prove, by Scripture verses, that this verse (63) means that Jesus was refering to the Heavenly Bread as “only Spiritual” and not literally His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, His true flesh and blood. I want to know why you think this verse is in reference to any of the other verses above it and how you know which one it is in reference to.

I will say this for you, xzins, you have a real flair for not reading people’s posts, twisting around what little you do read, and putting words into other people’s mouths.

[N3WBI3]

ran, I have had the opposite experience, when my ather who was catholic came up for fathers day (my first fathers day) I took him to a Mass and afterwards I wept.. What is this babies milk they are giving their flock I though all the pomp, all the burning incense, all the gowns and practice but so little spiritual meat put on the table.

A twenty minute, useless message for which people did not even bother to remove their coats. It was nearly bereft of scriptural reference or deep insight, It was like running at high altitude not enough air to survive on. The previous night when I went to my church this is what I heard. (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2005/212_Fathers_Bring_Them_Up_in_the_Discipline_and_Instruction_of_the_Lord/)

Im sorry you were going to a health, happiness, and prosperity church those give true Gospel based churches a bad name. I suggest desiringgod.org if you want to see what a gospel based church can be!

[nanetteclaret]

Actually, no. You have placed your soul in mortal danger, because you have eaten the Body of Christ and have not discerned Him.

I Corinthians 11:27-29:

“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, EATETH AND DRINKETH DAMNATION TO HIMSELF, NOT DISCERNING THE LORD’S BODY.”

Those who take Catholic Communion, while not being “in communion” (believing and agreeing with all that the Catholic Church teaches) have committed a very grave sin. The Church has taught this from the beginning, as St. Paul attests. Just because you do not think it is a sin, does not mean that it isn’t. There is an objective reality outside of us that is not dependent upon what we think of it.

I will pray for you, that you may receive the light of Christ.

[N3WBI3]

Well it is a narrow path so bragging about attendance is not exactly showing understanding of salvation....

[NYer]

I have been a Catholic for 75 years and prior to Vatican 2 one never heard of Catholics leaving the Church to enter an Evangelical Church or the Evangelical World.

In fact, I still recall the nuns telling us to never enter a non-Catholic Church. It was drilled into us from childhood.

[franky1]

<<<”Catholics must think that God is not real, since the bible says “God is Spirit,” and nothing serious is “only” spiritual.”>>>

Catholics believe God is real being made of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The first thing a Catholic does in entering a Church is to bless themselves with Holy Water. In actuality, repeating their Baptism

[franky1]

Yes, it reminds me of St Thomas Church one block from my house in Brooklyn. I knew everyone that went there. The Pastor’s son was in grammar school and high school with me.

The whole neighborhood played in their recreation hall and we ate ice cream, soda and cookies on their special occasions.

Yet we never entered the Church.

[franky1]

Just reviewed the marriage/divorce section on desiringgod.org. Impressive and quite in agreement with the Catholic Church.

The problem is that I find that very few denominations outside the Catholic Church adheres to these teachings.

There would be more unity if everyone one could get on the same page.

[verga]

That's funny. Every single person I know who left the Roman Catholic Church did so for theological reasons, and for the most part did NOT leave to go to a "mega church." Methinks this is a rather skewed view of reality. Speaking for every Ex-catholic I know they all left for sin. Most wanted to be their own Pope or magesterium, or wanted to remarry. Speaking for myself as a revert I came back for theological reasons

[Barnacle]

I swam the Tiber twice. You see, I started on this side, swam over to the other bank and then swam back.

It was a nice place to visit, but I didn't want to live there.

[AnAmericanMother]

LOL! Kind of like New York city.

[Barnacle]

LOL! Kind of like New York city.

10-4 on that. One difference is that if you swim back across the Hudson from NYC, you'll find yourself in Hoboken, NJ. I don't think I'd stop swimming there.

[Barnacle]

In fact, I still recall the nuns telling us to never enter a non-Catholic Church. It was drilled into us from childhood.

It may be that there was some wise justification for that.

This week I heard a guy on the radio talking about his church where a woman showed up and said that she was there, but she was a Catholic.

He said 15 minutes later, she was talking in tongues and she was "saved".

Or, maybe they got her babbling and she was duped

[Kathy Ann]

Thank you.

Even amongst the disagreeing I’m learning from this site.

[trisham]

In fact, I still recall the nuns telling us to never enter a non-Catholic Church. It was drilled into us from childhood.

**************

Same here.

[franky1]

Yes. And a big problem is that it is hard being a Catholic. As one person commented on another site,”So many restrictions” Well, Our Lord did say something about carrying our crosses. People have been known to take the easy way. We pray for them.