Replies

Dear prj12345:

Thank you for your kind reply.

I was actually brought up Presbyterian and eventually converted to the Catholic Church precisely for the opposite reason. I absolutely believe the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, and had done many, many Bible studies, but there were still many passages in Scripture which did not make any sense at all until I studied the Catechism of the Catholic Church and it all finally fell into place as a cohesive whole.

The reason I picked those Scripture verses is because I already know what Protestants, and particularly Presbyterians, think of them. They are never discussed, or if they are, they are explained away as meaning something different from the clear words as written. There are many other examples besides these.

I am very sorry that you did not have your questions answered satisfactorily. Perhaps you were not able to find a priest who was willing to find the time to help you. I have found Scott Hahn's books and programs to be very helpful. He is a former Presbyterian minister, now a Catholic professor, author, and speaker. He has had a continuing series of programs on EWTN which explain in detail the Biblical basis for Catholic doctines in general and Catholic Sacraments in particular. As a former Presbyterian minister, he had several degrees in Scripture and Theology, and uses that to very good advantage in explaining the Scriptural basis for Catholic doctrine. As a former Protestant he is able to explain for Protestants the Catholic faith. He "speaks their language."

Also very helpful is Marcus Grodi, also a former Presbyterian minister, who now has a live call-in show on EWTN called "The Journey Home," in which he has as his guests former Protestants and lapsed Catholics who explain why they came or returned to the Church. Callers can call in to ask the guests questions about their journey. You can find Scott Hahn's and Marcus Grodi's books at the EWTN Religious Catalogue website, as well as many other books about or by people who have converted or returned.

I guess what I am saying is that the answers are out there. I will be happy to help you find the resources to answer all your questions and help you make sense of it. You don't mention your age, but the tools today are very different from what was available 30-40 years ago. For one thing, there have been so many Protestants who have converted and who have written their conversion stories, as well as former Protestants who have written apologetics books, that there is a huge amount of information which would not have been available before the Internet age. I will pray that you will try again and that you will be successful this time.

nan c

If, as you say, you believe the Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God, then what is the need for all these extra-biblical texts? Isn't it better to let the Word speak directly to you? If you have questions as to the meaning of a particular passage, a search through the rest of the Scripture easily clarifies any doctrine, and puts everything in context.

For example, the "Peter is the rock" verse. Looking at the original Greek helps to understand that there are two different words used in this sentence that are translated to mean rock, (a) the word used to refer to Peter is better translated as "stone" or "pebble", and (b) the other word connotes a much larger rock, or even boulder. Essentially, Jesus is calling Peter (or better yet, Peter's statement) a chip off the old block.

Now I realize that you've probably heard this before, and already reject it. So let's look at Peter's place in the early Church. If the Lord meant him to be the first pope, then surely his leadership position would be apparent in his writings and in Acts.

If you study the Scripture thusly, you will see that Peter is certainly an important evangelist in the early Church, but he was NOT the de facto leader. In fact, you will find no centralized structure with a leadership of men. Quite the opposite, the writer of Hebrews explains clearly the there is no further need for an earthly priesthood. We have one High Priest in Heaven, Jesus Christ.

Please read Acts 15, about The Council at Jerusalem. You will see that it was James, not Peter, who offered the final verdict which the elders accepted. Given that the cradle of the Church was Jerusalem, if Peter were "pope" wouldn't he have issued a ruling?

In Galatians 2, you'll read Paul describing how the Gospel to the uncircumcised was entrusted to him, just as to the circumcised was to Peter.

Also in Galations2, you'll read that Paul rebuked Peter over a matter of doctrine. If Peter were a "pope", how could he have erred in doctrinal issues? Also, who would dare to withstand him.

There's more... but I have to go.

"For one thing, there have been so many Protestants who have converted and who have written their conversion stories, as well as former Protestants who have written apologetics books, that there is a huge amount of information which would not have been available before the Internet age. I will pray that you will try again and that you will be successful this time...".

Conversions go in many different directions, not simply Protestant to Catholic.

What do you have to say concerning the millions of Catholics who have converted to another religion?