Conversion Story - Matt Enloe (former Baptist) [prepare to be amazed!]

Enloeapologetics ^ | Matt Enloe

[NYer]

Why I am who I am


My earliest religious memory is that of a 6 year old, standing in the vestibule of the 2nd Baptist Church in Fairfield, Texas. My Aunt was discussing with me the merits of Jesus Christ, and my need for his Saving Grace. I vaguely knew who Jesus was but did know that I wanted to go to Heaven, so the generic sequence that followed, most Christians in the United States will recognize; "Dear Jesus, please come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen."

That particular Sunday was in its peak of wondrous splendor, as only those who have experienced Texas weather can attest to. Bright blue sky, completely cloudless of course, and it was in the Spring so it was actually cool natured. I vividly recall the sunlight as it streamed through the beautiful stained glass windows onto the bright red carpet.

Even at that young of an age, I preferred the simple and grand majesty of old Baptist traditions to those of my parents' 50 year old non-denominational Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Not that I could properly identify why at the time, I only knew that I loved my Grandparents deeply, and treasured every moment that I spent with them. It was not until many years later that I even discovered this preference, much less why I felt that way.

The only thing I knew, at that time, is that God was "old", and the 70 year old Baptist Preacher made him real in a way that my childhood church did not. I had to be reverent going to my Grandparent's church. God was all powerful and I would respect him, and obey what was said and what was in the Bible. In other words, I developed an awe and respect for God at a very young age.

At the early age of 7 I had my first confrontation with my very religious Grandmother. We were enjoying the infrequent quarterly observance of Communion, as the Pastor read the passages from the Gospels regarding the Lord's Supper.

Oddly enough, I observed the congregation around me behaving in a less reverential manner than that which I was raised to adhere myself to. They seemed almost bored, or annoyed that the service was taking longer than the traditional length of 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, and were most impatient to leave.

Afterwards, I asked my Grandmother why people had behaved that way. Being the protective yet wonderful woman that she was that recognized my early intelligence she gave it to me straight.

She confirmed what I had thought earlier about the service taking longer than they were accustomed to, and their reaction to it.


I then asked her the question that started the confrontation:


"But he said that it was Jesus' Body [and Blood]."

She gave me a hard look and said:

"Yes sweetheart, but what he meant was that it was done in 'memory of me'. Do you know what a symbol is?"

I was getting confused at this point and responded with something to the effect of:

"It's like a picture that means something, right?"

"Yes". She smiled deeply.


Nothing more was said, but I noticed the several sideways glances that she gave me and I became even more confused. Did I ask something wrong? I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

I was at odds with what she said and what Jesus said.

"This is my body..." ~Take and eat this in Memory of me.

Not ~"This is the memory of my Body, take and eat it for me."

Why even go through the motions of recreating a scene? According to my childhood church, tradition and memory meant nothing, only Faith.

Read the rest here (and do read the rest - long but riveting!)

[Titanites]

At age 7, I was an altar boy in training. Our class of 5 trainees was required to sit in the front pew during one Mass to observe the fine details of serving.

One of the altar boys serving was the star of our high school basketball team (in a town of 300). He was gangly and well over 6' tall. When he went to stand up after kneeling at the side of the altar, the back of his cassock caught on the heel of his shoe and he stumbled backwards across the sactuary with his arms flailing until he landed on the bench against the wall where Father and the servers sat.

When I looked up to see what our very ancient and stern priest was going to do, he was just standing there behind the altar looking straight ahead with his arms still raised, tears in his eyes, and his face screwed down as tight as he could get it to maintain his composure. And he stayed like that for a minute or two until he could continue.

You'd have to have been there to appreciate it, but that is still one of the funniest moments I can ever remember from Mass. It still makes me laugh when I think about it.

[Campion]

Jesus just instituted a bunch of new symbols to replace the old ones, huh? What a waste of his time! Guess the author of Hebrews didn't get the memo.

That's the (gnosticism alert!) "special knowledge" that's hidden from the "unsaved" who don't have the magic Protestant glasses to see that Jesus says one thing and means another.

Unfortunately for you, nobody else had those Protestant glasses for the first 800 years of Christian history, including men who learned their Christianity at the feet of the apostles. Was Ignatius of Antioch, who learned the Gospel from Peter and Paul, and who wrote, as he traveled to his martyrdom, that we ought not to even speak of heretics who deny that the Eucharist is the flesh of Christ which was crucified for us ... was he among the "unsaved"?

[ArrogantBustard]

That’s what happens when your cassock is too long. You kneel, and it drapes over your heels. You stand, and step on the thing ... then you’re in trouble. For a growing boy, consistently having a properly sized cassock can be a challenge.

[Campion]

According to Baptist belief, baptism is another one of those signs or symbols that Christ instituted that don't really do anything, objectively speaking. Someone is saved (according to Baptist belief) when they "ask Jesus into their heart" or "take him as their personal savior", not when they're baptized.

So what difference does it make?

I don't believe you ever answered me before when I asked you if a "once saved always saved" Christian who became a believing Catholic is still saved. Are they?

[NYer]

So this fella grew up and got saved in a Baptist church, had Baptist parents and Baptist Grandparents and never got baptized...

He said "No baptismal record was ever found." That doesn't mean he wasn't baptized.

[nina0113]

He said "No baptismal record was ever found." That doesn't mean he wasn't baptized.

There was no formal record of mine, though I remember it. I was 7, possibly 8, full immersion Southern Baptist. I had my Dad contact the church secretary from the time, who also remembered it, and as a non-relative, the letter she was kind enough to write was accepted at the parish where I was received.

The issue of nonexistence of my baptismal certificate was what brought out the disaster of my RCIA class - after 4 1/2 months of what I had thought was instruction (and I thought it was pretty lame - I remember writing at least one essay on my "faith journey") when we were preparing to be received at the Easter Vigil, I was told that my lack of a certificate didn't matter, because I wouldn't be received for another year anyway. The (thankfully former) director of RCIA there had decided that everyone had to go through a year of "seeking" before the real "instruction" started. I switched to another parish the next week, the pastor worked with me extra, and I was received that Easter after all, Easter of 2000. Deo Gratias.

[Charles07]

Nice polemic. ;)

[Charles07]

False. I am not a liar. :)

Matt Enloe

[Charles07]

Maybe if you had actually read my story and not taken things out of context, you would have actually had something interesting to comment on.

My parents were NOT Baptist.

Moreover, they disagreed with baptism; this is why I was not baptised.

Next time, please read the entire story, and resist the urge to yank things out of context.

-Matt Enloe

[Uncle Chip]

False. I am not a liar. :) Matt Enloe

Say those Hail Marys and a Rosary or two anyway --- just in case :) UC

[Charles07]

Sure. :)

For your return to the Church. ;)

[Uncle Chip]

Sure. :)For your return to the Church. ;)

In that case you better double or triple it ---- with a novena :)

[Running On Empty]

I’ll help him.

[SeaHawkFan]

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.

The Calvinists around her don't like this verse because it supports "free will", and they can have that. It would screw up the whole predestination/double predestination thing.

[tiki]

I don't remember going to church regularly but I'm sure we did cuz my mom was in the choir.

I remember the day I got baptized, I was 5. I don't remember the actual rite but I can tell you exactly what I was wearing.

[Zionist Conspirator]

::Sigh:: It is so boring to read of these Protestant converts coming into the "absolutely unchanged" church whose imprimatur is on innumerable volumes teaching limited inerrancy (if any at all), higher Biblical criticism, and evolution. I notice these people like to ignore these issues. Perhaps they've converted all the way and become higher critics and evolutionists themselves?

It's also quite maddening to read these Protestant converts boasting of the "unity" of the Catholic Church. Never mind that the spectrum of beliefs within the "one true unchanging church" is as great as that among Protestant denominations. As long as everyone belongs to the same organization and recites the same words (which each interprets differently) then everything is just hunky-dory.

The Catholic Church, if it is hated by the "world," is not hated nearly as much as Fundamentalist Protestants are. In fact, the intellectualism of the Catholic Church means it actually enjoys much respect from the world.

And finally, if you can't think of a better reason to believe in the "perpetual virginity" of Mary other than that sex is dirty, you'd do better not to engage in any apologetics at all.

[Zionist Conspirator]

So . . . do you believe in evolution now? That seems to be the dominant belief within the “unchanged since antiquity” church.

[suzyjaruki]

tiki, you must be female!

Gals seem to remember events more by what was worn than what was happening. :)

[Iscool]

I don't believe you ever answered me before when I asked you if a "once saved always saved" Christian who became a believing Catholic is still saved. Are they?

Gotta be a trick question since I can't imagine anyone getting saved and then joining the Catholic church...

But anyway, not even your church can take a child of God out of Jesus' hands...

[Charles07]

Might I recomend a book?

It clears up most confusion regarding that particular “issue”.

Isaiah. :)