Evangelicals like me who become Catholic tend to regard it as an advanced form of their previous Christian practice. Most conversion stories address this in some form - so now, I am Evangelical PLUS.
This is so consistent that there is now a whole internet body of literature by Evangelical converts saying, "OK, now I'm in the REAL Church - can we talk more about Jesus?"
I'm coming to the Catholic tradition late in life, from a basically Calvinist - Evangelical background.
I cannot imagine how a cradle Catholic with no religious education outside of CCD and the Mass can possibly have a proper Christian formation. I have 5 daughters, 4 of whom are in various levels of CCD, and the level of ignorance among their classmates on the most basic Christian doctrines is astonishing.
Catholicism makes sense to many Evangelicals, exactly as described in the article, as an "add-on" or upgrade to their already well-established faith.
But if my children didn't go to a Christian school and didn't get Bible study at home, despite receiving the sacraments, they wouldn't be Christians at all.
Hopefully this will get some discussion here.
I think that is a marvelous way of looking at it.
I cannot imagine how a cradle Catholic with no religious education outside of CCD and the Mass can possibly have a proper Christian formation. I have 5 daughters, 4 of whom are in various levels of CCD, and the level of ignorance among their classmates on the most basic Christian doctrines is astonishing.
I would doubt that there would be a Catholic on FR who would disagree with you. The level of catechesis both through CCD and in Catholic schools is appalling.
The trouble is that this is the second, and, in some cases, the third generation who never have been educated in their own faith. And so parents have a hard time taking on their responsibilities as the primary educators of their children because they don't know either.
(In fact, I have been prayerfully considering taking on a seventh grade CCD/pre-confirmation class for just that reason)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010Progression of a Convert
Some of you may remember that old poster from the 1970's of some guy on a drug trip (no, this was NOT in my room - it was in a friend's room), where it showed his progression from "normal" to "wasted". For some reason that popped in my head the other day.
Since my return to the Faith in 1998, I've gone through all of the stages shown here, and would guess many others have also. Things are better than they were 12 years ago, to be sure, but sometimes panel # 6 still applies.
