Posted on 05/31/2014 3:30:55 PM PDT by boatbums
The Wizard of Oz has fascinated adults and children for many years. You know the story: a farm girl from Kansas finds herself in the middle of an unwelcomed adventure in an attempt to find the fanciful wizard, who, she hopes, will help her return home. After many trials and tribulations, she, along with her newfound friends, ultimately arrives at the Emerald City only to discover, much to her chagrin, that the "wizard" was really no wizard at all. He wasn't much of anything. In modern parlance, he was a wimp.
Believe it or not, many-a-Protestant claims to have experienced a disenchantment similar to that of Dorothy. And like the disenchanted Dorothy who just wanted to go home, so too these disenchanted Protestants want to go home. The home these Protestants long for, however, is not the home they left behind. These Protestants are Romeward bound.
True, the number of Protestant converts to Catholicism is less than the other way around. And there are less actual converts to Rome today than during previous points in the history of Catholicism. Nevertheless, there is something unique about this modern conversion phenomenon, since "the kind of converts appears to be quite different, with fewer obligatory conversions for such reasons as marriage. A significant number of Protestant evangelicals...are among those moving to Rome...."
Many evangelical Protestants are converting to "Roman obedience." Or, in the words of one such convert, they are "getting churched" or "poping." Jocularity aside, it is important for Protestants to come to grips with the reasons why these Neocatholics have set their compasses toward Rome, only then will Protestants be able to see some of the shortcomings of their espoused faith. Only then will they be able to meet the needs of those who are "taking the plunge."
(Excerpt) Read more at reformed.org ...
I would argue the correct word isn’t “huge” but rather “universal.” Whether there are 10 Catholics or 10 billion, whether they are in Africa, America, or Mars, the definitive, universal teachings remain the same.
Source does not link to the article.
I grew up in the Episcopal church, and even became the senior warden of a very old Tennessee church that had been established in 1832.
Unfortunately, the opulence of the Episcopal church attracted the homosexuals and other deviants, driving it to the dark side.
Since taking on an international life, I have attended only Catholic churches, first in Slovakia, and now in the Philippines, where there is really very little other choice.
My young son was baptized in our 300 year old local church.
Orthodox split from the Catholic Church. Your next step after that would be to become Catholic.
How does one define “universal”?
I agree.
It’s got too many topics to present a reasonable hope that any of them would be dealt with well.
And unfortunately both the original article and the response seem unable to resist taking gratuitous digs which shed no light but do raise the temperature.
Dear boatbums, tempted as I am (I would LOVE to go after the apostolic tradition question if only to see if we could do it without knives flying through the air,) I’m going to decline. People seem unable or unwilling to do the analysis necessary to have a productive disagreement.
It’s an interesting article, but it doesn’t raise any questions in my alleged mind.
I hope you are well.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3162059/posts?q=1&;page=121#121
“Show me a list of “notable Catholics” leaving to become Evangelicals? You will be hard pressed to come up with a list. But a list of notable Protestants converting to Catholicism is as long as your arm. People who think and research gravitate to the true Church. Americans don’t, by and large, think”
How many deathbed “protestant” conversions can you come up with?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_people_who_converted_to_Catholicism
Worth taking a look —
“The “notable” have their weaknesses. And what is notable to man is not the same thing as what is notable to God. “Not many noble . . . .””
That’s nothing but a deflection. The simple fact is that when a “notable” Catholic becomes a Protestant it often is for less than the best reasons. Recently a South American priest I knew married in the Episcopal Church. He was having an affair BEFORE he was ousted from his parish by his bishop. Few people knew about it or even suspected it (and those who did know called the bishop. That story is all too common. Now think of the Protestant ministers who become Catholics. They lose their jobs, risk their families, receive scorn from their former parishioners - and all because they have discovered the truth rather than wanting to break a vow. That’s quite a difference - and very telling.
Hey, Mister BoatBums, where does this article continue on the link? Thanks.
This is like pointing out all the stars who are Scientologists. So what?
Is it being saved by Grace that is the gift of God, or is it faith that is the gift of God?
sorry, I had the link in my Favorites list and it worked to bring me there. This is the link to the full article.
Many of our local evangelical churches are more than 50% former Catholics. And the vast majority of them are divorced and remarried. And a sizable minority are divorced and remarried and divorced and remarried.
Cheap grace. That ain’t ‘conversion,’ its convenience.
Brian, you surely must be aware of the fact that Protestant biblical interpretation allows for certain scriptural justifications for divorce. But I’ll agree that many churches are reluctant to try to assess cases, and just wave them all through. It is a pity. But please don’t imply that this is the only reason people leave Rome.
“This is like pointing out all the stars who are Scientologists. So what?”
No. The “so what” is that these Protestant ministers know their Protestant faiths (despite other Protestants claiming otherwise) and they risk everything to become Catholics while there are few “notable” Catholics who become Protestants and those who do are either breaking a vow or are lay people who seem terribly catechized in the Catholic faith.
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