Evangelicals Becoming Catholic, why?

CatholicConvert.com ^ | May 10, 2011 | Steve Ray

[Salvation]

Evangelicals Becoming Catholic, why?

by Steve Ray on May 10, 2011

 

Below is an interesting YouTube video (really audio) of an Evangelical Radio show in which two Evangelicals discuss why so many Evangelical Protestants are leaving to join the Catholic Church.

The host and guest are trying to be honest in the show entitled  “Why Evangelicals are Returning to Rome.” Although towards the end of the video they are making some statements that are historically inaccurate (about Luther and the Popes); nevertheless, their questioning tries to be honest. It is interesting that they are taking note of a large exodus. I am one of those who Crossed the Tiber to Rome.

Furthermore, this was coming from a Protestant network that is decidedly anti-Catholic.  They are willing to discuss openly what has been happening for years now (the exodus of Evangelical ordained ministers to Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches).  They also mention briefly EWTN, the program Journey Home and the moderator Marcus Grodi, a convert from Evangelical Christianity. It is obvious this is all new to them since they didn’t even know how to pronounce Marcus Grodi’s name.

The moderator Ingrid Slater asked Pastor Bob DeWay; “Let’s talk about the problem; what do you think is the seed bed (this is sort of a rhetorical question; everybody knows what a mess Evangelicalism is as a whole today doctrinally speaking).  What is setting people up for this disenchantment and the willingness to look to Roman Catholicism?”

Here are some of the Problems that Bob Deway lists, though they really have no explanation since they are blind to the real problems within Protestantism, which are things that cannot be fixed. If they were fixed they would be Catholics.
(1) The Seeker Movement took the Bible out of churches.
(2) People are not steeped in solid Bible teaching (yeah, but according to whose interpretation?).
(3) Big churches that don’t preach the Bible (who decides what should be taught??).
(4) The influx of mystical practices, contemplative prayer, the labyrinths.
(5) Seminaries that are training therapeutic practitioners rather than theologians.
(6) The idea that we have to have to justify our practices and beliefs from Scripture – according to what Luther and the other reformers – which has now been overlooked.

The moderator then mentioned a book saying, “Coming Home by Fr Peter [Eastern Rite] (I am not even going to use the term father). . . He used to head up Campus Crusade here in the Midwest” Evidently he is now heading up an organization helping Evangelical ministers come into the Eastern rite Churches.  If you want to know why he made his move from Evangelical Protestantism you can listen to the video.

For years you’d hear Evangelicals boast of the fact that their churches were filled [with] ex-Catholics.  But in too many cases the Evangelical churches are just the exit ramp that eventually leaves them disillusioned and abandoning the faith altogether. Now the tide is changing.  Some Evangelicals seem to be oblivious to the fact of this large exodus of Evangelical ministers and lay people.

A year ago, Karl Keating of Catholic Answers Live said he believed there were now more Evangelicals or Fundamentalists leaving Protestantism to become Catholic than the other way around. Even Evangelicals admit that there are notable Protestants becoming Catholics but no notable Catholics becoming Protestants.

I could take exception to several of Pastor Bob’s statements and argue decisively against them, but that is not the point of my posting this video.

[ansel12]

Something is better than nothing, but it doesn’t change the basic facts of the Catholic vote in America.

Getting a 50/50 split of Catholics in 2012 will be wonderful, but not permanent, and immigration will send it right back to the historical role of ALWAYS being anti-Republican.

[Salvation]

Or the non-Catholic Christian vote either.

Or the Jewish vote.

Why pick on the Catholics?

The list contains a lot of other people.

Is your bias showing?

[ansel12]

Selective editing just doesn’t answer the question, what is the connection between being Catholic and being a pro-abortion voting liberal?

A sizable number of Catholics vote life and conservative, but they are the minority of that church.

[MarkBsnr]

I do not debate with those who tell lies about me on FR.

[MarkBsnr]

Been there. I think there are probably quite a few of us, and I know we are forgiven. Don’t hang onto your guilt, as it will eat at you. He knows what is in your heart.

True. But I own up to it, though. I have done this...

[MarkBsnr]

Actually, i do not think any of the Divinely inspired writing needed editing except for correcting manifest errors in transmission. If i was doing the writing, well, that would be a different story!

That is the thing. Infallible writings by fallible men. If fallible men can be limited to writing infallible Scripture by inspiration by the Holy Spirit, is it possible that the fallible steward of Christ may be able to write infallible limited declarations of Faith by inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

[AnneM62]

I love this prayer by Cardinal Newman, convert to the Faith.

Gratitude for the Faith

I adore Thee, O my Lord, the Third Person of the all-blessed Trinity,
that thou has set up in this world of sin a great light upon a hill.

Thou has founded the Church; Thou hast established and maintained it.
Thou fillest it continually with Thy gifts, that men may see,
and draw near, and take, and live.

Thou hast in this way brought down heaven upon earth.
For Thou hast set up a great company which angels visit by that ladder
which the patriarch saw in vision.

Thou hast by Thy presence restored the communion between God above
and man below.
Thou hast given him that light of grace which is one with and the commencement
of the light of glory.
I adore and praise Thee for Thy infinite mercy toward us, O my Lord and God.

I adore Thee, O almighty Lord, the Paraclete, because Thou in Thy infinite compassion
hast brought me into Thy Church, the work of Thy supernatural power.

I had no claim on Thee for so wonderful a favor over anyone else in the world.
Yet Thou, in Thy inscrutable love for me, hast chosen me and brought me into Thy fold.

Thou hast a reason for everything Thou dost. I know there must have been an all-wise reason,
as we speak in human language, for Thy choosing me and not another - but I know
that that reason was something external to myself. And thus I owe all to Thy grace.

Now, then, give me this further grace, Lord, to use all this grace well, and
to turn it to my salvation. Teach me to value as I ought, to prize as the inestimable pearl,
that pardon which again and again Thou givest me, and the great and heavenly gift of the presence
of Him whose Spirit Thou art upon the altar.

Without Thee I can do nothing, and Thou art where Thy Church is and Thy sacrament.
Give me grace to rest in them forever, till they are lost in the glory of Thy manifestation
in the world to come. Amen

[ansel12]

The bias showing is in that question.

Sure, along with Catholics the Jewish vote and the atheist vote are Democrat, and they come up on many threads, but not on this thread, which involves as a subject Catholics, and why some of the more conservative type Catholics, desiring a more Christian experience and fellowship might migrate to a different church.

The non-Catholic Christian vote goes pro-life conservative by a majority, if we could only get the rest of America to vote that way we would win elections, for instance McCain won that vote.

[Salvation]

Thanks for the prayer; I needed it.

[Natural Law]

"Or the Jewish vote. Why pick on the Catholics?"

Because criticism of Jews will get you zotted.

[ansel12]

Mentioning the Jewish vote will draw heat from people trying to justify it, explain it away, throwing out cuss words and name calling for bringing it up (you hate Jews because you know that they vote Democrat), but the mods don’t care about election data.

How can political people not know how the vote breaks down, or discuss why, or what affects it, or where it will lead us in the future.

That is why the left loves immigration from Mexico, they know how the majority of them will vote, they know all this stuff, and of course we do as well, or should.

[antceecee]

Wonderful post! All are welcome in the parish I attend. We all are in need of Christ’s gift... precisely because we are sinners.

[Iscool]

If this picture means cool what does your "is cool" mean?

Actually, it started about 14 years ago...My daughter had just turned 14 and I was getting into the internet...

The daughter and I 'at that time' had a great relationship and she would tell all her friends that, 'my dad is cool'...

And I was...And I still am...LOLOL...

[Iscool]

Iscool!! He is alive!!

Yep, so far today...Just got back from 2 great weeks in Hawaii...I left the laptop at home...

[Iscool]

I do not debate with those who tell lies about me on FR.

There's only one liar in this conversation and it isn't me...

[johngrace]

Lol! Well God Bless you and her!!

[johngrace]

My neighbor lived in Hawaii. I never been there. I was watching The original Hawaii five o in the day time. My neighbor is out of work right now. So he came to say hello. I said I would like to go there because of the scenery from the show. So he then tells me he knew Jack Lord on the Tv show. Small world.

[wardaddy]

Big bump

proof is in the pudding ain’t it?

contrary to all the canards

I grew up with Catholics in my extended family...about even tween Southern Baptists and Catholics...DNA lottery being what it is...I coulda well been Catholic myself

never saw such arrogance on display till these sorts of threads here

watching Rick Warren or Joel Osteen does not make a Catholic observer an expert of this wide blanket of Evangelicals...a fairly new term in such broad use...most of us are not like TV preachers except the Grahams...try to understand this...most of us suspect these folks same as you do....

I have no doubt in my own 54 years of experience that overall generally speaking that protestants of any race from my part of the country (Dixie) are more socially conservative than Catholics.

It’s not even debatable.

some of it is culture...some dogma

there is no point to bash one another..

I wish Catholics followed this pope and the one before him...strictly...but they do not and their track record of how they vote is established...regardless of how Catholic freepers think

Those Catholics here who bash other Christians as ..not really Saved basically or otherwise flawed would well serve to get their own house in order first before remonstrating us

come to think of it...that is the same advice I give South bashers here

coincidence?

and since we are firing off on Evangelicals and all...and some like the TV crowd who merit it

here’s my here and now beef with the Catholic Church...to this day the church with few exceptions will not admit is has an extreme homosexual problem...that whole can of worms ain’t dead or atoned and is a big enought wart that ought to dissuade breast beating and finger pointing from anyone but the most chutzpah enriched

my 2 cents

I get tired of this...it’s a circular firing squad here

[MarkBsnr]

I do not debate with those who tell lies about me on FR.

There's only one liar in this conversation and it isn't me...

I do not debate with those who tell lies about me on FR.

[Cronos]

Say, weren’t you the guy who said you were Catholic in a post that went on to make fun of BAptists? SAy Mark, remember posts that have folks who first say they do not believe in the reincarnation, then that they believe that God exists in modes and that they think the TRinity is a false belief, remember the guy?