"I see my decision [to convert to RC] as a natural outgrowth of my Evangelical commitment."or Stephen K Ray, most
"read' my way back to the Catholic Church. When I started reading books about what the church actually taught, I was forced to give up many mischaracterizations of her teachings. Indeed, I was struck by the sheer depths of the historical, and biblical arguments in favor of the Catholic faith.Most converts from Evangelicalism, according to this book experience "a desire for transcendance"
describes Protestantism as "one long, continuous line of protesters protesting against their fellow protesters, generating thousands of denominations, para-churches, and 'free churches,' which are simply one-church denominations."Converts instead look to the unity of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Catholic church accepts an Evangelical convert's original Baptism.
I've commented on the youthful yearning for stability, order, structure in a post above.
These items are similar. And, as many converts to Mormonism and other cultish groups manifest--comprise a serious vulnerability that is well exploited by the Vatican.
1. CERTAINTY: Who has not felt the existential hurricanes in our era with the shredding of so many Biblical values in the market place and body politic?
2. It would be surprising indeed if a group that CLAIMED, with a shred of a convincing argument, did not have an attraction for many existentially adrift and uneasy souls. Certainty is a priceless comodity in a furiously UNCERTAIN world and era. It matters relatively little that the proffered Vatican "CERTAINTY" is largely sham and largely not even based on the CERTAINTY OF SCRIPTURE.
3. HISTORY too holds a similar attraction. Yet, here, the uninformed is most seduced by false testimony; rubbery history and disingenuous hogwash from the Vatican. However, fantasies are comforting for all of us. Sadly, this one can be spiritually deadly for millions.
4. PRETENDING TO BE IN EXISTENCE 300-400 YEARS BEFORE THE FACTS IS A PRETTY HUGE SCAM. However, the uninformed and undiscerning existentially desperate awash in a sea of chaotic modernity are ripe for the picking. Proffered tomes are easily convincing because the search for historical anchoring vs anchoring in the living Word of God is so shallow while the social cultural distress is so increasingly extreme.
5. The desire for UNITY IS ONE OF THE MOST SAD, PATHETIC AND ABSURDLY PARADOXICAL ITEMS ON THE LIST! The pretend unity under the Vatican umbrella is a HUGE SCAM, SHAM, FARCE. One can pretend and fantasize--but only by moving in, lock stock and barrel into Alice's rabbit hole.
6. Even the desire for AUTHORITY is a sadly grossly misplaced attraction and trust.
7. We've seen repeatedly how grandly the VATICAN AUTHORITY has protected millions of infants from the murderous actions of countless politicians the Pope has gone out of his way to meet with and prance about with in great pomp and circumstance . . . and certainly this vaunted and grand authority has rarely even withheld Communion from such murderous politicians.
8. "AUTHORITY?" RIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT . . . About as much Biblical and redemptive authority as last year's slug slime. The HOLY SPIRIT'S anointing--IF IT EVER RESIDED IN ANY HALLS OF THE VATICAN AT ALL--LEFT THE BUILDING LONG AGO.
9. Like all the other items on the list, PAPAL, MAGICSTERICAL AUTHORITY is a farce in terms of the BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL reality. However, the Vatican CERTAINLY exhibits GREAT PRODUCTIONS OF PRANCING PONTIFICAL POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE AUTHORITY just like the religious leaders in Jerusalem 2000 years ago who were so thankful they were not like the publicans, [Proddys] et al OVER !THERE!
10. In an insane culture awash in satanic chaos and farce . . . even a SEEMINGLY SLIGHTLY LESS FARCical structure and set of fantasies can be attractive to the existentially weary. The unsuspecting and shallow existentially adrift are even more vulnerable.
11. May God have mercy on such deluded souls now anchoring to a log floating in the hurricane of silly satanic seductions pouring out of and residing in ALICE'S WONDERLAND SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND REALITY MANGLING. There may be added temporary comforts afforded all the structure, ritual and sham. However, when God's realities become starkly more evident as the Vatican slips ever deeper into the satanic globalist constructions on 'reality,' such comforts will likely become thing indeed, if not out-right justifiably terrifying.