Posted on 05/29/2008 10:50:48 AM PDT by NYer
One of the most amazing works of the Holy Spirit over the past couple of decades or so has been the wave of Protestant converts coming into the Catholic Church. Notable among them have been the Protestant ministers — the tip of the iceberg of whom have been the names that have become well-known in apologetics circles. Though what they have been given by the Church surely dwarfs anything they have brought to her, it is also true that they have enlivened the faith of many a cradle Catholic with their enthusiasm and evident joy at discovering the truths of the faith.
Teaching Protestants who come into the Church is a challenge that any well-managed RCIA program should be able to meet. What has proved more difficult however has been finding ways to make use of the gifts and training that Protestant ministers bring with them and assisting them with their very special circumstance — that their conversion has met the end of their career. The Coming Home Network, founded by Marcus Grodi, has served a very valuable role in helping these men (they are mostly men) make the difficult double transition into a new faith community and career at the same time.
What Marcus Grodi has found, as those who watch his show, The Journey Home, may have noticed, is that sprinkled among the converts from Protestant denominations have been here and there, converts, not merely from among our separated brethren, but from religious groups that deny nearly everything that we and the Protestants have in common. At first it was rare and notable to see a former Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon being interviewed on his show. That has begun to change as converts from these groups become more common. Within recent weeks both a former Jehovah’s Witness and a deacon who was in The Way International appeared in separate episodes of The Journey Home.
These conversions from such high-control groups are often very dramatic and the choices these converts face may go well beyond the Protestant minister’s career upheavals to encompass cruel ostracism by close family members, shattering self-doubt, and difficult navigation through a socially alien terrain.
More and more, we are seeing converts whose backgrounds are much stranger, theologically and socially, than any former Baptist or Episcopalian. Have we noticed that they are coming in? Are we ready for them?
One way we can get ready is by understanding more about what life in cult does to a person, the wounds that may be left from years of spiritual and emotional abuse, from years of living in existential terror of violating dehumanizing and arbitrary — and constantly changing — rules. The people most equipped to convey this understanding to us are the people who have lived the experience of being in a cult, coming out, and coming into the Catholic Church. The richness of their experience cannot be overstated any more than can the depth of their gratitude. The one who has been forgiven much, loves much, and the one in whom the light itself has been darkness finds special joy in the true light.
So come and learn from these people whose amazing journey will inspire and educate you. Come to the Welcome Home! Catholic Conference in Weirton, WV from August 1-3. The conference is sponsored by the Fellowship of Catholic Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Speakers include our own Mark Shea, Tom Cabeen, a former overseer at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses and yours truly. I will be giving an extended talk on the subject of cults on Friday evening. It is called “Hijacked Lives” and will cover how people get recruited into cults, what happens to them while they are in the group and what kind of help they need when they get out.
I especially urge Catholic social workers, counselors, and other mental health providers to come and learn how to effectively help people with this history. Priests, DREs, and catechists will benefit from understanding how to
meet the unique needs of this population as they enter the Catholic Church in increasing numbers — because whether we are ready or not, God is bringing them to us.
This conference will also be invaluable for anyone with a family member in this group — or in any similar group that wrecks havoc with family life. Come meet others who understand the deep sense of loss, the holiday turmoil, the walking on eggshells.
Weirton, WV is about 20 minutes from the Pittsburgh International Airport and 30 minutes from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Special early-registration rates are available now through June 30th. To see the agenda and to register for the conference click here or follow the link on the website of The Catholic Fellowship of Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses, www.catholicxjw.com.
What motivates people? I’d say we want these good folk to know the truth about salvation and a host of other truths of the Bible. It’s not because we hate anyone!
Name them.
Please provide specifics when you make these statements. Thank you!
Catholic schools in Syracuse, NY, are closing and so have several churches. The non-denominational churches are growing by leaps and bounds.
Thanks for posting these statistics. The only thing they affirm is that there is a serious problem in catechizing Catholics .... period .... nothing more. But thanks for taking the time to post them.
Interesting. What is the name of the pastor? And into which church was he ordained?
Are you kidding? Not me! I try very hard **not** to start religious flame wars.
Personally, when I meet people of another religion, I seriously try to focus in our commonalities, not our differences.
When it comes to Catholicism ( which I **highly** respect) and my religion ( active member for 26 years) there is **far** more in common than not.
I believe that each person should sincerely and seriously pray about where God wants them to be. If they do that, God will lead them to the denomination in which he can best use them, and they will bloom.
One more thing,... I have little respect for the anti-Catholic and anti-Mormon bashers on FR. Honestly, given the level and intensity of their venom, I think they would burn members of these two religions at the stake, if they could get away with it.
Part of the hemorrhaging has been caused by the culture. In my day MOST people went to church. For many it was nothing more that a social, cultural thing. For the most part those who continue to attend a church do it out of a deep conviction because society no longer looks down on those who have no religious affiliation.
Good attitude I would say.. After all one sheep pen or another is just a sheep pen(John ch 10).. I agree..
Now how can all those stats be true, and the Catholic church be considered “growing” in this country at the same time?
Exactly! What do Catholics expect?
Far too many send their children into government schools whose entire curriculum is based on a god-less worldview!
Bruce Shortt has reported to the Southern Baptist Convention that the number of children remaining active in their faith after graduation is 20% or **less**! Why would it be any different for Catholic Christian youth? In contrast, greater than 90% of homeschool youth remain active and faithful.
The **MOST** important mission field of **ALL** Christians ( Catholic and Protestant) is their **own** children!!!! Their next most important mission field is the children of their congregation!
NO Christian child ( Catholic or Protestant) should ever step foot in a government school that is required by law to preach an atheistic Secular Humanistic worldview. If a Christian turns his children over to the Romans, they should **not** be surprised to get a Roman back.
All Christians should be looking for ways to get their children out of the government schools. They should be supporting inexpensive and parent run one room school houses, mini-schools, micro-schools, homeschool cooperatives, individual tutoring, etc. And...If the churches can not afford to run these parent organized schools, at the very minimum, they could open their doors to their buildings to help them.
No Christian child ( Catholic or Protestant) should be left behind. If the congregants **really** cared about their congregation's children they would find a way for every child to have **free** Christian ( Catholic or Protestant) education!
These children would then be able to defend their faith in the college classroom and workplace. They would **know** why they are Christian.
Catholic and Protestant teachers should also get out of the government schools. By teaching there they are upholding, supporting, and abetting an atheistic worldview that they **KNOW** is a lie. What on earth are they teaching the children by their example? Answer:
* Christians teach material that they **know** are lies.
* Christians will abandon their principles for a pay check.
* Christian are too weak and timid to find work outside the government school.
* Christians teachers who attempt to sneak a little salt and light into the schools are sneaky and sly.
Great lessons there! ( sarc) ( eyeroll!)
http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_we_are_loosing_our_children.htm
http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_20050404-salt-and-light.htm
http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200604/200604_036_BeyondBelief.cfm
please read post #71.
I agree to a point but can we close Pandora’s box? How many women can afford to stay home with their children and homeschool. The 60s, women’s lib, atheistic schools.
All 4 of my grandchildren are going to public school but for 2 of them their mother actually went to school with them. She corrected the teachers, she encouraged prayer, courtesy, she changed the landscape and I’m not joking or exaggerating.
She is now working in the school system, she just won awards for the most outstanding staff member and most outstanding substitute, even though she only subbed when they could not get a substitute. She has made a difference in the lives of teachers and students. I truly believe that God has given her a great gift and she is using it well.
My grandchildren pray at all mealtimes and if you are sitting at their table, they expect you to hold hands with them as they pray. They visibly pray (the sign of the Cross before and after the prayer) before competitions and even tests. They have other children who follow them. Granted, most of them are already from active Christian homes there are some who have convinced their parents to find a faith home.
I teach OCIA, it is for children who have no religious upbringing to speak of, sometimes they are there because their parents are coming back to the faith, but a surprising number of them are there because they choose to be. They are bringing their parents along.
So while I think homeschooling is wonderful, there are exceptions. Sometimes we are called to be in the world but not of the world.
I think that the statistics that you quoted show more that many people who homeschool are also living their faith and not just going to church one hour a week. It takes a lot of work and sacrifice to homeschool.
I have a lot more to say but I have to go to a Rosary service for a friend who died.
No problem.
.[ I grew up in Syracuse and can attest to what you posted.
It is fact.
Furthermore, here in NJ I meet many, many ex-Catholics who are Conservative and have chosen to join Evangelical churches.
These are usually younger families.
The older couples tend to remain Catholic, but they have great criticisms of the church and seem bitter.
These are only my personal observations, and are not "fact."
What increase are you talking about? Just because your parish has increased, overall Catholics have remained 25% of the population for the last 50 years. This all edged increase isn't.
Where do you get your figures? According to Adherents.com, the Pew Research Council reported 52% "Protestant", 24% "Catholic", ad 2% Mormon in 2002. For 2000, Harris reports 71.7% Christian, broke down as 49.5% "All Protestants", 19.9% "Catholic", and 1.4% Mormon.
Growth figures from 1990 to 2001 include:
Assemblies of God +68% Churches of Christ +47% Pentecostal/Charismatic +38% Episcopalian/Anglican +13% Presbyterian +12% "Catholic" +11%
I would suggest that if the Holy Spirit was moving anybody
toward either the Catholic or Protestant faith, he was moving them not for the properties of the each faith per se but rather moving them closer to Christ and his likeness. The Holy Spirit, aware of the deep spiritual constructions of each soul, will prompt those souls in directions that are best conducive to Godly character and development. If it means one sort of church or other...so be it as long as Christ likeness is the end fruit!
You're right. I think you will see a number of us Catholic FReepers agreeing with you that the state of catechesis within the Church is abysmal.
But it's more fundamental than that (at least IMHO). This is a phenomenon of liberal modernism, which was basically started with the Great Western Schism (or, as some call it, the Protestant Reformation). Liberalism basically states that I can do as I want to do. Reformation theology (through the 5 solas) essentially says the same thing, but on a theological basis. (Please note: I am talking about liberalism in the classic sense, not the socialism embraced by modern "liberals") -- with the invasion of that idea into the modern culture, in large part, through the mass media, there is no doubt on my part that there would be a huge number of nominal Catholics who received only a basic catechesis (if that) would find their modernistic, liberal ideals better captured in the various schismatic sects (i.e., Protestant, Restorationist, Evangelical, Charismatic denominatons).
But is it a movement of the Holy Spirit? Only if modernism and liberalism are movements of the Holy Spirit.
As a point of interest, you all may be interested in reading Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, by Leo XIII. It sort of speaks to this issue, particularly as it appears in this hemisphere.
Richard Bennett can’t be taken to seriously. I don’t even know if his “conversion” is genuine. Anti-Catholic ministries aren’t the best resources for learning about Catholicism and many of these “former priests” seem to be little more than anti-Catholic hustlers bitter against the Church because of priestly celibacy.
Bennett’s work has never impressed me. When he was taken to the woodshed by a kid named Jason Evert at a conference all he could do was mock Evert. He couldn’t actually debate him or even give a good response. Nope. Not much to impress me there.
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