I Hated the Idea of Becoming Catholic

Aleteia ^ | JUNE 20, 2014 | ANTHONY BARATTA

[NYer]

It was the day after Ash Wednesday in 2012 when I called my mom from my dorm room at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and told her I thought I was going to become Catholic.

“You’re not going to become Catholic, you just know you’re not Southern Baptist,” she said.

“No, I don’t think so.”

A pause. “Oh boy,” she sighed.

I started crying.

I cannot stress enough how much I hated the idea of becoming Catholic. I was bargaining to the last moment. I submitted a sermon for a competition days before withdrawing from school. I was memorizing Psalm 119 to convince myself of sola scriptura. I set up meetings with professors to hear the best arguments. I purposefully read Protestant books about Catholicism, rather than books by Catholic authors.

Further, I knew I would lose my housing money and have to pay a scholarship back if I withdrew from school, not to mention disappointing family, friends, and a dedicated church community.

But when I attempted to do my homework, I collapsed on my bed. All I wanted to do was scream at the textbook, “Who says?!”

I had experienced a huge paradigm shift in my thinking about the faith, and the question of apostolic authority loomed larger than ever.

But let’s rewind back a few years.

I grew up in an evangelical Protestant home. My father was a worship and preaching pastor from when I was in fourth grade onwards. Midway through college, I really fell in love with Jesus Christ and His precious Gospel and decided to become a pastor.

It was during that time that I was hardened in my assumption that the Roman Catholic Church didn’t adhere to the Bible. When I asked one pastor friend of mine during my junior year why Catholics thought Mary remained a virgin after Jesus’ birth when the Bible clearly said Jesus had “brothers,” he simply grimaced: “They don’t read the Bible.”

Though I had been in talks with Seattle’s Mars Hill Church about doing an internship with them, John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life clarified my call to missionary work specifically, and I spent the next summer evangelizing Catholics in Poland.

So I was surprised when I visited my parents and found a silly looking book titled Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic on my father’s desk. What was my dad doing reading something like this? I was curious and hadn’t brought anything home to read, so I gave it a look.

David Currie’s memoir of leaving behind his evangelical education and ministries was bothersome. His unapologetic defense of controversial doctrines regarding Mary and the papacy were most shocking, as I had never seriously considered that Catholics would have sensible, scriptural defenses to these beliefs.

The book’s presence on my father’s desk was explained more fully a few months later when he called me and said he was returning to the Catholicism of his youth. My response? “But, can’t you just be Lutheran or something?” I felt angry, betrayed, and indignant. For the next four months I served as a youth pastor at my local church and, in my free time, read up on why Catholicism was wrong.

During that time, I stumbled across a Christianity Today article that depicted an “evangelical identity crisis.” The author painted a picture of young evangelicals, growing up in a post-modern world, yearning to be firmly rooted in history and encouraged that others had stood strong for Christ in changing and troubled times. Yet, in my experience, most evangelical churches did not observe the liturgical calendar, the Apostles’ Creed was never mentioned, many of the songs were written after 1997, and if any anecdotal story was told about a hero from church history, it was certainly from after the Reformation. Most of Christian history was nowhere to be found.

For the first time, I panicked. I found a copy of the Catechism and started leafing through it, finding the most controversial doctrines and laughing at the silliness of the Catholic Church. Indulgences? Papal infallibility? These things, so obviously wrong, reassured me in my Protestantism. The Mass sounded beautiful and the idea of a visible, unified Church was appealing - but at the expense of the Gospel? It seemed obvious that Satan would build a large organization that would lead so many just short of heaven.

I shook off most of the doubts and enjoyed the remainder of my time at college, having fun with the youth group and sharing my faith with the students. Any lingering doubts, I assumed, would be dealt with in seminary.

I started my classes in January with the excitement of a die-hard football fan going to the Super Bowl. The classes were fantastic and I thought I had finally rid myself of any Catholic problems.

But just a few weeks later, I ran into more doubts. We were learning about spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting and I was struck by how often the professor would skip from St. Paul to Martin Luther or Jonathan Edwards when describing admirable lives of piety. Did nothing worthwhile happen in the first 1500 years? The skipping of history would continue in many other classes and assigned reading. The majority of pre-Reformation church history was ignored.

I soon discovered I had less in common with the early Church fathers than I thought. Unlike most Christians in history, communion had always been for me an occasional eating of bread and grape juice, and baptism was only important after someone had gotten “saved.” Not only did these views contradict much of Church history but, increasingly, they did not match with uncomfortable Bible passages I had always shrugged off (John 6, Romans 6, etc).

Other questions that I had buried began to reappear, no longer docile but ferocious, demanding an answer. Where did the Bible come from? Why didn’t the Bible claim to be “sufficient”? The Protestant answers that had held me over in the last year were no longer satisfying.

Jefferson Bethke’s viral YouTube video, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus,” was released during this time. The young man meant well, but to me he only validated what the Wall Street Journal called “the dangerous theological anarchy of young evangelicals,” attempting to remove Jesus from the confines of religion but losing so much in the process.

Ash Wednesday was the tipping point. A hip Southern Baptist church in Louisville held a morning Ash Wednesday service and many students showed up to classes with ashes on their forehead. At chapel that afternoon, a professor renowned for his apologetic efforts against Catholicism expounded upon the beauty of this thousand year old tradition.

Afterwards, I asked a seminary friend why most evangelicals had rejected this beautiful thing. He responded with something about Pharisees and “man-made traditions.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do this anymore.”

My resistance to Catholicism started to fade. I was feeling drawn to the sacraments, sacramentals, physical manifestations of God’s grace, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. No more borrowing, no more denying.

It was the next day that I called my mom and told her I thought I was going to become Catholic.

I didn’t go to classes on Friday. I went to the seminary library and checked out books I had previously forbidden myself to look at too closely, like the Catechism and Pope Benedict’s latest. I felt like I was checking out porn. Later, I drove to a 5pm Saturday Mass. The gorgeous crucifix at the front of the church reminded me of when I had mused that crucifixes demonstrated that Catholics didn’t really understand the resurrection.

But I saw the crucifix differently this time and began crying. “Jesus, my suffering savior, you’re here.”

A peace came over me until Tuesday, when it yielded to face-to-windshield reality. Should I stay or leave? I had several panicked phone calls: “I literally have no idea what I am going to do tomorrow morning.”

On Wednesday morning I woke up, opened my laptop, and typed out “77 Reasons I Am Leaving Evangelicalism.” The list included things like sola scriptura, justification, authority, the Eucharist, history, beauty, and continuity between the Old and New Testament. The headlines and the ensuing paragraphs flowed from my fingers like water bursting from a centuries-old dam. 

A few hours later on February 29, 2012 I slipped out of Louisville, Kentucky, eager to not confuse anyone else and hoping I wasn’t making a mistake.  

The next few months were painful. More than anything else I felt ashamed and defensive, uncertain of how so much of my identity and career path could be upended so quickly. Nonetheless, I joined the Church on Pentecost with the support of my family and started looking for work.

So much has changed since then. I met Jackie on CatholicMatch.com that June, got married a year later, and celebrated the birth of our daughter, Evelyn, on March 3rd, 2014. We’re now in Indiana and I’m happy at my job.

I’m still very new on this Catholic journey. To all inquirers out there, I can tell you that my relationship with God has deepened and strengthened. As I get involved in our parish, I’m so thankful for the love of evangelism and the Bible that I learned in Protestantism.

I have not so much left my former faith as I have filled in the gaps. I thank God for the fullness of the Catholic faith.

[NYer]

From sources based on error of interpretation.

Yes, of course. Cynical Bear's interpretations exceed two thousand years of eye witnesses accounts, martyrs who shed their blood, exegetes, and highly acclaimed theologians, who are all in error. How fortunate for us that you are here now to set the record straight.

[usconservative]

Interesting. I’m a Baptist converting to Catholicism. I have relatives that, when they find out, will not talk to me.

Interesting indeed. I was born Catholic, baptized, attended CCD, made my first communion, was confirmed and married to my wife in the Catholic Church.

Both of us left the Catholic church and became a born again evangelical Christian. I have Catholic family members who not only refuse to talk to me, some of their last words to me were "you're going to hell for leaving the church."

One of those people was my own mother. Rest her soul.

I was always the rebel in the family I suppose. When my youngest brother (also born, raised, married in the Catholic church as I was) left the church to also become an evangelical Christian -- guess who got the blame?

Yup. That would be me. He and I now attend the same church and we've never been closer.

[verga]

The Catholic "tradition" of designating Sunday as "the Lord's day" as some sort of obligation has no base in scripture.

And since we are the only Church that Jesus started and he told Peter that what ever he held bound would be bound in heaven as well.

[metmom]

I simply have never in my life known Catholics like some of the black flag crew here

I actually have. I worked with a bunch.

That tells me that you did not grow up in Western NY as I did, because they abounded there.

I've since moved and the Catholics in this area are not anywhere near so bad.

[af_vet_1981]

Cults?

This Index contains brief definitions, descriptions or cross references on over 1,200 religious organizations and beliefs, as well as world religions (including Christianity) and related doctrines. Watchman Fellowship is a Christian apologetics and discernment ministry; thus, many references ("Jesus," "Gospel," "Christianity," etc.) contain definitions that reflect the beliefs of Watchman's staff. While Watchman Fellowship does not hold to the beliefs of non-Christian religions and doctrines, we also attempt to describe these beliefs factually, fairly and accurately. Readers are asked to assist in this effort by suggesting corrections or improvements.

This is by no means a complete list of cults and religions. Watchman Fellowship maintains over 10,000 files and a research library of over 25,000 books and periodicals on religions, cults, new religious movements and related teachings. The absence of a religious movement from this index does not mean that Watchman Fellowship endorses the organization.

By its primary dictionary definition, the term cult just means a system of religious beliefs or rituals. It is based on a farming term in Latin meaning cultivation. Sociologists and anthropologists sometimes use the term cult to describe religious structure or belief patterns with meanings (usually non-pejorative) unique to their disciplines. In modern usage, the term cult is often used by the general public to describe any religious group they view as strange or dangerous. Thus, cult can describe religious leaders or organizations that employ abusive, manipulative, or illegal control over their followers' lives. In addition to these usages, Christians generally have a doctrinal component to their use of the word. Cult in this sense, is a counterfeit or serious deviation from the doctrines of classical Christianity. Watchman Fellowship usually uses the term cult with a Christian or doctrinal definition in mind. In most cases the group claims to be Christian, but because of their aberrant beliefs on central doctrines of the faith (God, Jesus, and salvation), the organization is not considered by Watchman Fellowship to be part of orthodox, biblical Christianity. Research material and Profile are available.

[wardaddy]

You consider non Catholics cults?

No need to cut and paste

Southern Baptist like me...we are a cult?

[Mark17]

But for a couple of points, US con, that is about the same experience I had. They almost had a funeral for me, but I took it in stride. At least they still talked to me. One of my sisters, who almost went ballistic, in opposition to my new found faith, later found faith as well, and is now one of the most Godly ladies I know. I don't mind taking the blame for that. But metmom, I grew up in North Dakota, not western New York, so it was a little different there, and maybe colder too. 😄

[BipolarBob]

"Let's take a look at scriptural facts " Sure why not?
"When is the Lord's Day? " Jesus, Himself, said it was the Sabbath. Mark 2:28 Care to call Him a liar?
"As a result, Sunday became known as the Lord's Day for Christians." Whoa lady. Care to support that with some facts??? You are sorely lacking in some to support that position.
" One would expect St. Paul to object to this practice, if it were rooted in paganism." He would have IF anyone put forth the idea Sunday was replacing the Sabbath. Nobody did.
"Already in the Old Testament, God expresses disappointment over the Hebrew Sabbath (Isa. 1:13)" Is it the Sabbath that He designated that He is disappointed in or is it the people? Skip down 2 verses and read "Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves and make yourself clean."
"Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food or drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. [Col. 2:16-17]" Do you know the difference between the ordinances/ceremonial laws and Gods Law (The Ten Commandments)? That's an honest question. Are you ignorant of the differences or are you being intentionally deceptive?
"This would be a strange request, if Christians assembled on Saturdays." Only to you and the RCC. Do you have any idea of the customs of that time dealing with money and the Sabbath? They took it a little more serious than you.
"Hebrews 4:8 speaks of "another day" Yes it does but you might try reading it in context. Go up two verses and you'll see it deals with the nation in the time of David. Because of their sin the nation did not have their day of rest in the land promised to them and spent it elsewhere under UNrest - because of their unbelief.
" If Saturday were truly "craved in stone", then it would be strange to speak of another day." Only because you want to read it that way - out of context.
"If his vision occurred on Saturday, St. John would have written "the Sabbath" instead of using a new phrase. " You don't know that. Are you a mind reader? John was given a powerful vision that blew him away. This was the Lords day to show him this wondrous revelation. He was so excited that the glory belonged to God that day.
" Even though these writings do not have the same authority as the Bible" Then let's not use them.
"It is clear that Christians already during the first century were observing the Lord's Day on Sunday." That doesn't make it right, now does it? Gods chosen people murdered Gods prophets and Jesus didn't praise them Matt. 23:31 Just because something is popular or a majority thinks it is okay doesn't mean God winks at it. One + God is always a majority.

[af_vet_1981]

You consider non Catholics cults? No need to cut and paste Southern Baptist like me...we are a cult?

Now you are using more than one word in a question so I can give you a more focused answer.
1. NonCatholics are not in cults per se. Did you bother to read the linked definition ? Did you comprehend it ?
2. The SBC is a large fellowship of like minded Baptist assemblies and are widely considered to be Protestant. Except there is an aberrant assembly, no, Southern Baptists are not in cults. They are in Protestant faith communities. Some may even object to being called Protestant although I would think they have already left the SBC.
3. I cannot imagine Southern Baptists teaching Gentiles to reject the Western calendar, keep Shabbat and other Hebrew ceremonial laws as part of their systematic theology.

[NYer]

My response to CynicalBear on #361 applies to you as well.

[BipolarBob]

My response to CynicalBear on #361 applies to you as well.

How sweet. If you get beat by Scripture hide behind . . . 2000 years of something. The arrogance of Catholics is astounding. "We are the One True Church" "Jesus will not let the Church err." Seems like this is all so familiar. Sort of like the Jews saying "We are Gods Chosen People". Read Luke 3:8 to see how that turned out. Or maybe 2 Thess. 2:11 is more applicable in your case. Or are you just tired of losing at Scripture and wish to read some nice comforting Catholic literature that is reassuring you that all will turn out well in the end?

[Heart-Rest]

"Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant (doulos) of Christ.

There we begin to see what he is talking about. Pleasing and looking for approval of people and being a servant to them instead of Christ alone. Look at the word "servant". The Greek word used there is "doulos". Follow that through and we find the word "dulia". Paul said "dulia" was due Christ and not to any other. We owe "dulia" to Christ alone and not to Mary. Think I"m off on that translation? Thomas Aquinas spoke of it when he said;

"Wherefore dulia, which pays due service to a human lord, is a distinct virtue from latria, which pays due service to the Lordship of God. [Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, A.D. 1270]"

=============================================================

Setting aside the Greek for the moment, one thing that is obviously missing in your assertions is an accurate evaluation of the English sentences.

For example, you claim that when Paul said, "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant (doulos) of Christ", it meant the same thing as "Paul said "dulia" was due Christ and not to any other."    That is patently false.    Those two sentences do not even in any remote fashion say anything close to the same thing.

"Trying to please people", does not mean the same thing as being their servant.

In fact, in the following passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus Christ Himself said that the human leaders of His human people should be their "servants", and that text (Matthew 20:27) uses that same Greek word, "δουλος" to say how human leaders should relate to their human flock.

✝============================================================✝

24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them."

26 "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;"

27 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant":

28 "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."   

Matthew 20:24-28

✝============================================================✝

(So, obviously it is good for Christian human beings to be "servants to one another" (Greek word "doulos") as well, just like Jesus Christ commanded them to do, which is completely different from being a servant of God, in the same way that honoring saints is completely different from worshiping God.)

(See also Mark 10.)

Then your next assertion is mistating the obvious when you try to say that "Thomas Aquinas spoke of it when he said; 'Wherefore dulia, which pays due service to a human lord, is a distinct virtue from latria, which pays due service to the Lordship of God.' [Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, A.D. 1270]" means the exact opposite of what it really means.

A "human lord" is using the word "lord" which means "someone having power, authority, or influence; a ruler", and Aquinas is clearly saying there that that type of honor shown to human rulers is distinct (different) from "latria, which pays due service to the Lordship of God".

What St. Thomas Aquinas is saying there is the opposite of what you are saying.

(For anyone seeking a better explanation of these terms, please see here or here.)

[metmom]

I was also told I was going to hell for believing the Bible and leaving the Catholic church by a guy I worked with who belonged to the Knights of Columbus. Other Catholics were not quite so blatant but sent the same message.

My family was OK with the fact that I was at least going to church somewhere. My dad, who had no interest at all in church or God, when he found out one of my co-workers *married* her girlfriend, told me *You just keep going to that church*.

I guess he considered it not so bad after all.

My sister came to Christ later and we became very close as well, something that did not exist before then.

[Heart-Rest]

"What is the Flesh of Christ, what is the blood of Christ...but that very word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Does not John declare that “in the beginning was the Word, and the word was God and the word was with God”? Does it not say (vs. 14) ...and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us? We take wine and wafer as a remembrance of Christ as commanded... but does not the Bible say...the entrance of thy Words giveth light(Psalm 119:130). A “consecrated” host can molder and “consecrated” wine can evaporate. But the God in Flesh who died and rose again has given us spiritual bread and spiritual drink...which is the very spoken word of God which regenerates us day by day by means of the Spirit."

=============================================================

So, you honestly think that all those disciples of Jesus Christ (who were obviously following Him because of His words), just up and left Him (John 6:66) when He told them they had to listen to His words?

And do you honestly think that when St. Paul said:

=============================================================

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.    Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.    For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29

=============================================================

that he was saying that if you don't understand the "words" "bread" and "cup", you are taking them unworthily, and heap judgment down upon yourself?

[af_vet_1981]

How sweet. If you get beat by Scripture hide behind . . . 2000 years of something. The arrogance of Catholics is astounding. "We are the One True Church" "Jesus will not let the Church err." Seems like this is all so familiar. Sort of like the Jews saying "We are Gods Chosen People". Read Luke 3:8 to see how that turned out. Or maybe 2 Thess. 2:11 is more applicable in your case. Or are you just tired of losing at Scripture and wish to read some nice comforting Catholic literature that is reassuring you that all will turn out well in the end?

You do err. God spoke through the Jewish prophets and declared He himself chose Israel. Jews saying "we are God's chosen people" is affirming the holy scriptures.

For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Catholics are simply affirming the holy catholic apostolic church that the Messiah founded upon Peter with the other Jewish apostles and prophets, and Messiah himself being the chief cornerstone, in an unbroken succession of faith from the First Century unto this day.

[BipolarBob]

"Catholics are simply affirming the holy catholic apostolic church that the Messiah founded upon Peter with the other Jewish apostles and prophets, and Messiah himself being the chief cornerstone, in an unbroken succession of faith from the First Century unto this day."

Indeed. That is a mouthful. Of course ONE of my sticking points with my RCC brethren is the idea of Apostolic Succession. There is nothing in Scripture to back it up. There is no need for apostolic succession (as portrayed by Catholics). If there were any today they'd be healing people right and left while preaching the Gospel and on the run from people trying to silence them.

[NYer]

The arrogance is all yours! It is you and Cynical Bear who have chosen to ignore the testimony of all who have come before you; to denigrate the witness of the Apostles and those martyrs who shed their blood so that YOU could besmirch their witness to the faith with the suggestion that they were ignorant and you are wiser than them. Sola Scriptura Is Not Taught in the Bible.

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."
2Thes:2:15

Please do not ping me to your comments on these threads.

[BipolarBob]

I think I hit a nerve.

[af_vet_1981]

The apostles chose and ordained bishops, who chose and ordained bishops, in an unbroken chain unto this day.

And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves : for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief : for that is unprofitable for you.

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

[BipolarBob]

The apostles chose and ordained bishops, who chose and ordained bishops, in an unbroken chain unto this day.

I'm not convinced of that unbroken part. There have been some trials, tribulations, persecutions, inquisitions and apostasy since the original Twelve walked the earth. But the rest looks good.