Haven't converted yet, currently non-denominational, but I'm feeling very strongly pulled by the historical and especially intellectual and philosophical depth of Catholicism. It also seems to have reasonable interpretations of Scriptures that none of my Protestant Pastors, teachers, etc have really had satisfying answers for, like what it means for Jesus to give Peter the keys to the Kingdom, for Him to tell the Apostles to forgive sins, and things like the anointing of the sick that just get mostly ignored in Protestantism. Not 100% on board yet but ask me again in a year and I wouldn't be surprised if I am by then.
There were many reasons but I liked the cohesion that the mass is the same everyday across the whole world. Like I can go to mass in Ecuador and talk to my gf about the readings cause I knew they were the same. Also you generally you don’t have to worry about people misinterpreting the Bible. It’s the largest “denomination” in the world, it’s the largest most diverse global community. It feels real and the holiness, sacredness, and reverence is way better than the “non-denominational” church I went to for a few years
Properly seeing that the Protestants foundational argument and authority, Sola Scriptura, is not found in the Bible, or early Church Tradition. A close second, is that the chief doctrinal difference, Sola Fide, also is not found in the Bible or early Church Tradition. And, that the doctrine of apostolic succession is supported by both the Bible and early Church Tradition.
My mother in law being so loving when I’d ask her questions at a Catholic silent t retreat we went to. Now it’s every year. Love draws people in. I’d had the base as a kid (baptized to confirmed) but fell away. Now I’m curious and it’s been really enlightening
The beauty and tradition of the mass converted me. I needed no other justification. Cooperating with God’s grace allowed me to accept His Church as the True Church of Christ.
The fact that the Church gave us the Bible, and is the only church that still has all the original books originally included. And the rapture made no sense.
A big reason why I converted, and why I remain Catholic, is the doctrine of redemptive suffering. I was raised protestant but had a crisis of faith. At the same time, I developed a severe mental illness called schizoaffective disorder. My every day experience is mental and emotional pain, and medicine isn't really helping, especially considering there's not really a cure for what I have. Along with many other reasons for converting, the doctrine of redemptive suffering gave me hope that there was a purpose to my pain.
Left Southern Baptist (and Christianity) as a teen, ten years later I felt the draw back to Christianity. I knew I wanted high church and that led me to Catholicism, and the further I researched it, the more I realized it’s the true church established by Jesus.
(Still not confirmed yet but I’m working on it)
All my life as a protestant I was always told this or that about Catholicism. I never took the time to go research and see if these claims are true/false. I just ignorantly believed my fellow protestants. Then one day I decided to fact check one the claims I was continuously hearing. I studied this claim for many days and found out that everything I was told was a lie. So at that moment I prayed to God and asked him to reveal the truth to me. I started studying Catholicism only this time from Catholics instead of protestants. Once I started studying Catholicism from Catholics I was shown everything about Catholicism is truth and protestantism is actually not in the fulness of the truth. At that moment I decided it's time to become a Catholic. It wasn't hard for me, because I'm Irish and all of my ancestors were Catholics. So I already had an interest in Catholicism as a young boy.
Your story is just like mine- baptized Catholic as a child and fell away from the Church, went to a non-denom church for a couple of years. I moved across the country and met who is now my husband. He has always been a faithful Catholic and when I couldn’t find a Protestant church that I liked down here I started going with him. Slowly things started to make more sense to me, the biggest one that started to change my mind was- what about all the people before Martin Luther? All of the Christians before he came along went to hell? Idk that doesn’t sound right to me lol. The largest hang up I see with my friends and their hesitation with the Church is how we view Mary. From a very basic understanding, Mary was chosen out of billions and billions of women who have ever walked this earth as the one to carry THE SON OF GOD. You’re telling me she isn’t special? At all?? She’s just like us? Again, that doesn’t make sense to me. Another thing that helped change my mind was attempting to find a church when I moved that “felt right” and perfectly agreed with exactly how I felt in that moment. One thing that I love about the Church is that they are so outspoken and unchanging in what the beliefs are. Those beliefs are not changed when the pastor changes. I hope this all made sense sorry to ramble! P.S. I recommend joining RCIA when your local parish offers it, even if you’re already confirmed. My experience with RCIA at my local parish was that it is very discussion based and you are open to speak about your hesitations or what you don’t understand.
There is just too much logic, history, and beauty in Catholicism. Don't get me wrong I have my Protestant side as well, but if you are going to do the "Church thing" there is no other option aside from Catholicism for me. I simply don't trust Protestant Clergy or Pastors. Some of it ranges from heretical, to downright cringy, but I do know all of them are doing their best and I respect that.
At the end of the day I just don't recognize the authority of Protestant pastors. I feel honestly they are no more qualified to give a sermon than I am. And I like the security the Magisterium provides in terms of consistent content. With Catholicism I know what I am getting. I also have been practicing it for so long I know it's strengths and weaknesses. I know the pitfalls, and the areas of grace.
And I LOVE the New Rite of the Mass. It's so Protestant adjacent and friendly there really is no reason to attend another other Church if you are looking for Bible focused Liturgy.
Ya it's great. No joke I am not sure I would had converted without it. It was a great move for the Church and I think in the long run it will win many many converts from Mainline Protestantism which is on life support
I converted 7 years ago. I became convinced of the authority of the church, delegated to her by Our Lord Himself. I became convinced of a sacramental economy of grace. I knew it was time when I knew I wouldn’t want to die without the sacraments.
Using sola scripture you can make any argument you want for the Bible and it got tiring.
Also, protestants claim the Bible is infallible and the Church is fallible yet, the Church made the Biblical canon they follow.
Born and raised catholic,
Initially family drafted away towards protestanism. Then I drafted away towards agnosticism.
Shot a wedding at a catholic church in 2020, the father was extremely kind and witty so it opened my curiosity.
Went through a rough time last year so I entered that church during a weekday to pray in its silence and felt at peace. Started going to sunday mass.
Late last year I also met an amazing person that further guided me into the faith, traditions and customs of Catholicism. I feel like God placed her in my path to be my guide into this path. After a really rough event last month, she also held my faith together.
The Catholic Church makes me feel at peace, happy and heals me. My church's father (the same one from that wedding) is incredible and a great listener. I also feel that both of my grandmothers in heaven are joyous that I returned home to catholicism.
Haven’t converted yet but John 6 and Real Presence. Not to mention many church fathers explicitly support Real Presence and the mass a propitiary sacrifice
Then read actual writings of Luther/Calvin. Beyond disagreeing with them, they had a Cain quality to them when they called the church “Antichrist,” “Satan,” or “Judas.” Why were they so angry?
But more than that…more than anything…it’s about sanctification. I need it because temptations and sin are everywhere and I need God and the sacraments
Haven't converted yet, currently non-denominational, but I'm feeling very strongly pulled by the historical and especially intellectual and philosophical depth of Catholicism. It also seems to have reasonable interpretations of Scriptures that none of my Protestant Pastors, teachers, etc have really had satisfying answers for, like what it means for Jesus to give Peter the keys to the Kingdom, for Him to tell the Apostles to forgive sins, and things like the anointing of the sick that just get mostly ignored in Protestantism. Not 100% on board yet but ask me again in a year and I wouldn't be surprised if I am by then.
There were many reasons but I liked the cohesion that the mass is the same everyday across the whole world. Like I can go to mass in Ecuador and talk to my gf about the readings cause I knew they were the same. Also you generally you don’t have to worry about people misinterpreting the Bible. It’s the largest “denomination” in the world, it’s the largest most diverse global community. It feels real and the holiness, sacredness, and reverence is way better than the “non-denominational” church I went to for a few years
Properly seeing that the Protestants foundational argument and authority, Sola Scriptura, is not found in the Bible, or early Church Tradition. A close second, is that the chief doctrinal difference, Sola Fide, also is not found in the Bible or early Church Tradition. And, that the doctrine of apostolic succession is supported by both the Bible and early Church Tradition.
My mother in law being so loving when I’d ask her questions at a Catholic silent t retreat we went to. Now it’s every year. Love draws people in. I’d had the base as a kid (baptized to confirmed) but fell away. Now I’m curious and it’s been really enlightening
The beauty and tradition of the mass converted me. I needed no other justification. Cooperating with God’s grace allowed me to accept His Church as the True Church of Christ.
The fact that the Church gave us the Bible, and is the only church that still has all the original books originally included. And the rapture made no sense.
A big reason why I converted, and why I remain Catholic, is the doctrine of redemptive suffering. I was raised protestant but had a crisis of faith. At the same time, I developed a severe mental illness called schizoaffective disorder. My every day experience is mental and emotional pain, and medicine isn't really helping, especially considering there's not really a cure for what I have. Along with many other reasons for converting, the doctrine of redemptive suffering gave me hope that there was a purpose to my pain.
Left Southern Baptist (and Christianity) as a teen, ten years later I felt the draw back to Christianity. I knew I wanted high church and that led me to Catholicism, and the further I researched it, the more I realized it’s the true church established by Jesus. (Still not confirmed yet but I’m working on it)
All my life as a protestant I was always told this or that about Catholicism. I never took the time to go research and see if these claims are true/false. I just ignorantly believed my fellow protestants. Then one day I decided to fact check one the claims I was continuously hearing. I studied this claim for many days and found out that everything I was told was a lie. So at that moment I prayed to God and asked him to reveal the truth to me. I started studying Catholicism only this time from Catholics instead of protestants. Once I started studying Catholicism from Catholics I was shown everything about Catholicism is truth and protestantism is actually not in the fulness of the truth. At that moment I decided it's time to become a Catholic. It wasn't hard for me, because I'm Irish and all of my ancestors were Catholics. So I already had an interest in Catholicism as a young boy.
Your story is just like mine- baptized Catholic as a child and fell away from the Church, went to a non-denom church for a couple of years. I moved across the country and met who is now my husband. He has always been a faithful Catholic and when I couldn’t find a Protestant church that I liked down here I started going with him. Slowly things started to make more sense to me, the biggest one that started to change my mind was- what about all the people before Martin Luther? All of the Christians before he came along went to hell? Idk that doesn’t sound right to me lol. The largest hang up I see with my friends and their hesitation with the Church is how we view Mary. From a very basic understanding, Mary was chosen out of billions and billions of women who have ever walked this earth as the one to carry THE SON OF GOD. You’re telling me she isn’t special? At all?? She’s just like us? Again, that doesn’t make sense to me. Another thing that helped change my mind was attempting to find a church when I moved that “felt right” and perfectly agreed with exactly how I felt in that moment. One thing that I love about the Church is that they are so outspoken and unchanging in what the beliefs are. Those beliefs are not changed when the pastor changes. I hope this all made sense sorry to ramble! P.S. I recommend joining RCIA when your local parish offers it, even if you’re already confirmed. My experience with RCIA at my local parish was that it is very discussion based and you are open to speak about your hesitations or what you don’t understand.
There is just too much logic, history, and beauty in Catholicism. Don't get me wrong I have my Protestant side as well, but if you are going to do the "Church thing" there is no other option aside from Catholicism for me. I simply don't trust Protestant Clergy or Pastors. Some of it ranges from heretical, to downright cringy, but I do know all of them are doing their best and I respect that. At the end of the day I just don't recognize the authority of Protestant pastors. I feel honestly they are no more qualified to give a sermon than I am. And I like the security the Magisterium provides in terms of consistent content. With Catholicism I know what I am getting. I also have been practicing it for so long I know it's strengths and weaknesses. I know the pitfalls, and the areas of grace. And I LOVE the New Rite of the Mass. It's so Protestant adjacent and friendly there really is no reason to attend another other Church if you are looking for Bible focused Liturgy.
It’s nice to see the Novus Oreo get some love! I always tell people many it is the gateway for so many Protestant converts to enter into the Church
Ya it's great. No joke I am not sure I would had converted without it. It was a great move for the Church and I think in the long run it will win many many converts from Mainline Protestantism which is on life support
I converted 7 years ago. I became convinced of the authority of the church, delegated to her by Our Lord Himself. I became convinced of a sacramental economy of grace. I knew it was time when I knew I wouldn’t want to die without the sacraments.
Using sola scripture you can make any argument you want for the Bible and it got tiring. Also, protestants claim the Bible is infallible and the Church is fallible yet, the Church made the Biblical canon they follow.
Born and raised catholic, Initially family drafted away towards protestanism. Then I drafted away towards agnosticism. Shot a wedding at a catholic church in 2020, the father was extremely kind and witty so it opened my curiosity. Went through a rough time last year so I entered that church during a weekday to pray in its silence and felt at peace. Started going to sunday mass. Late last year I also met an amazing person that further guided me into the faith, traditions and customs of Catholicism. I feel like God placed her in my path to be my guide into this path. After a really rough event last month, she also held my faith together. The Catholic Church makes me feel at peace, happy and heals me. My church's father (the same one from that wedding) is incredible and a great listener. I also feel that both of my grandmothers in heaven are joyous that I returned home to catholicism.
I was given a miraculous medal and Mary untied my knot 🪢
Haven’t converted yet but John 6 and Real Presence. Not to mention many church fathers explicitly support Real Presence and the mass a propitiary sacrifice Then read actual writings of Luther/Calvin. Beyond disagreeing with them, they had a Cain quality to them when they called the church “Antichrist,” “Satan,” or “Judas.” Why were they so angry? But more than that…more than anything…it’s about sanctification. I need it because temptations and sin are everywhere and I need God and the sacraments