In fact, may I point out that Scott Hahn did nothing to keep me in the Catholic Church in the long run? Sure, it was great to see/hear him speak, along with Steve Wood, and others. I appreciate their pro-life work, along with HLI. We still have a lot of stuff by Hahn and Wood. Finally.......someone who could preach something other than the love-everybody pap we were getting in our local Catholic Church. :(
In the end, however, regardless of how charming the speakers were, regardless of how they seemed to know the subject matter, I still grew to disbelieve. I just cannot believe dogmas created from obscure passages of scripure.
We practically had a Catholic library, attended Mass daily ("Is he following the rubrics? Is this mass valid?" sigh), said the rosary, loved my Mary statues ("Isn't "she" beautiful?"), homeschooled with Seton one year.........
I just don't believe that the Catholic Church is the one true church. If the Catholic Church is the one true church that never changes, Vatican II certainly changed it. According to VII, people of goodwill who do not know the Lord "may" be saved, but anyone who knows the truth, but rejects it (me?), may not be saved. This is certainly a change from previous councils. At one time, no one outside the church could be saved. Then, we had the "lifeboat" theory. I know. I know....."understanding" grew. Well, the councils were not silent while "understanding" grew. They made some pretty clear declarations on "who" was anathema and who wasn't. Frankly, there have been other "changes" in the unchanging church as well.....but hints of universalism was a biggie, in my book. And if the church post Vatican II isn't the one true church, where is it?
And no, that's not the reason we left. The universalism thing is only a minor blip on the screen. I simply couldn't figure out why any Jew would have wanted to change one system for another. Where was the "gospel", the "good news?" Frankly, I would have found it easier simply to remain a Jew, than to commit to what the "true church" had become. If one really believes in pergatory, and really believes in indulgences, one can certainly become entrapped in a system of getting time off for kissing one's bible, saying the rosary, etc., etc. And if that stuff really "works", one would be a fool not to avail oneself of every indulgence available. Of course, I never believed to that point. I know many who did, however.
I write with no anomosity. I hope you are not reading sarcasm into my message. There is none.