The Sci Fi Catholic Yak Module
Bravo! I loved this story. I found myself reading half of it to my wife while going over it because your thoughts were so poignant. I especially liked the sections on sexuality, justification and the Eucharist. Unlike you, I started with the Eucharist. It was one really quintessentially Catholic doctrine and when I came to believe it, I had to ask what else the Church had right. My last hurdles were Marian doctrines and accepting the Oral Tradition of the Church. These were overcome a couple of years after conversion by God's grace. Sola Scriptura died hard with me. For a long time my first reaction was to go to scripture, not the catechism or my priest, and I just felt more comfortable having a 'proof verse'. I guess this was to a certain extent so that if questioned by my Protestant family, I would be able to give a defense they would be willing to accept without deviating from scripture. I guess I realized recently that I don't need to remain on their level and that the Church is truth and doesn't need to have excuses made for her teachings. They are what they are.
Happy Catholic birthday. I turned 3 this year.
May God be with you now and forever, even unto the end of your journey.
In Christ the Risen Lord
Joel
Wow, what a great story. And frighteningly familiar in some parts. I originally joined the Church at age 12, only to jump ship a few years later to follow a girlfriend into the Church of the Nazarene. From there I wandered through various Protestant sects and watered-down American-style Buddhism before settling in with the comfortable "Who needs organized religion anyway?" crowd. Like yourself , once the path of reason was leading me back towards Catholicism, there were a number of doctrinal hurdles to face, not the least of which was the authority of the Church and submitting to it. That was hard. My family and I are now happy Catholics and the thought of leaving again is... well, there is no thought of ever leaving. I've been following your blog for awhile now, but wanted to say thanks in particular for sharing your conversion story.
Thank you, Joel and EegahInc.
Joel, let me be clear that there is nothing wrong with going to scripture; that is, after all, the written part of our Tradition and a great source of doctrine, good for teaching, rebuking, etc. Emphasizing the Oral Tradition or the teaching authority of the Magesterium should never be at the expense of Sacred Scripture. And when talking to Protestant friends or family, it is good to use the Bible, because both you and they recognize its authority.
Interesting, and also familiar in some parts. I too started out in a dispensationalist Baptist environment, though non-denominational. The rapture was also the first crack in the foundations. I just did what I was taught to do, which was to go straight to the Bible, and it wasn't there. Later on I studied medieval history, and well it all just went to the crapper then. Protestantism doesn't work without an evil medieval church. Although like you, the social conditioning worked for a long, long time, to keep me from reaching inevitable conclusions.
My "final straws" were different, but I'm convinced we don't really know why we finally convert, at least not for years.
BTW you may be interested in this blog series on Orthodoxy and contraception (the link goes to the first installment).
Thanks, Gina. I wouldn't accuse Protestants of any more social conditioning than any other philosophy/culture/way of life. We need social conditioning. Theirs just happens to be incorrect about a few things.
Thanks again, Gina. I'm reading the Ochlophobist's series. He certainly knows his stuff, but his hemming and hawing on the issue is once again making me happy to be Catholic. I think, however, that one could make an argument against any use of contraception from his concept of telos, so his smacks about "legalism" don't do it for me. What he's calling legalism looks to me like the disjunctive syllogism, and I don't see how anyone could quibble with deductive logic.
DGD, congratulations on your conversion! Mine is one year younger, and while I can't relate to every little detail, there are a lot — and I mean a LOT — that sounds very familiar.
Probably one of my first searches for the truth came about when I was attending a Presbyterian church, and they had a showing of the infamous film, "Catholicism: Crisis of Faith". Ironically, it left me with a desire to learn more, and praise God for Google, I began to learn the truth.
There were many other influences that were definitely stronger, but this was one of the first.
Did you ever encounter this film? (Just found your blog yesterday, and if you've touched on it already, my apologies.)
No, I never even heard of it, Tim. I might have to look it up.
I just found your blog and, boy,am I impressed.What a powerful witness!I wish you would consider publishing it in an unabridged addition; I think it would be a wonderful addition to Catholic apolegetics and the straight exposition of doctrine.I also think your story would be great on EWTN, such as Journey Home, but they don't give you much time to explain stuff in detail.You should be a priest or at least a deacon, but I suppose that's hard to contemplate now in your situation.You're wasted in Wyoming! Bill
Oh, I guess it's time to update some info in some places. I'm actually in Utah, now. Thanks for the encouragement, Bill.
You also remind me that I wanted to go back through my conversion story with a fine-toothed comb and both polish and expand it. I pounded it out pretty quickly over a couple of days to post it for the Catholic Converts site. Since the blog's one-year anniversary is coming up, I'll try to add that to the list of blog cleanup duties.
Great Story! I'm a craddle catholic married to a wife that left the church (when we got mixed up with a protestant Home school group)... and now HATES anything Catholic. Makes for an interesting home life with three kids who go to Catholic Schools.
She's a Baptist now and has a pastor who feeds his small congregation all the "Anti-Catholic" stuff. My wife has informed me that now that she knows the "Truth" about the Catholic church she couldn't possibly have anything to do with it and will never consider her kids to be "Catholic"...
Well it's all a little too weird for me. I know God writes straight with crooked lines. So in the words of Mother Theresa I just look at things and say... "OK God.. where are you going with this one?"
I did (and do) enjoy reading a conversion story. Fun to see why other people fall in love with Christs church. Great Job D.G.G... you should tell it on Journey's Home on EWTN!
God Bless and Good Luck!
Thanks, Andy, and though you probably don't need advice or encouragement from a batchelor who is (probably?) some years your junior, let me just encourage you in your home life Thanks from all of us for being such a loving husband and father even with difficulties. We'll pray for you and your family, and thanks for dropping by.
I know last year I said I was going to edit that conversion story. Maybe this year I actually will...
Lots to read, I had to scan it. I can relate to a few things you said. I hope you keep blogging. HMM, you're not on Twitter yet?
My own conversion was similar to yours in ways, dramatically different in others.
Something that was obvious to me from a very early age was that the Bible Alone really is not sufficient. It apparently contradicts itself all the time, and efforts to explain away those contradictions always fell short because those who claimed to use the Bible Alone COULD NOT AGREE WITH EACH OTHER on the proper way to interpret this, that, or the other apparent contradiction.
I saw, right away, that there was nothing called a "Bible" mentioned in the Bible. That nowhere did the Bible ever clearly actually SAY it was God's only, full, and complete Word in the only form we had or would need.
I suppose I was Catholic without even knowing it, as a major attraction for me was when I realized the Catholics all said "yep, of course, that's all obvious isn't it?"
"Huh?!? You recognize all this, and you're STILL CHRISTIAN? Please explain..."
It wasn't anywhere near that simple, believe me. But the fact that they could, rather than fly into denial and obfuscation or anger, and rather than condescendingly explain that I was just not understanding and if I'd just listen to their way of thinking I'd "finally get it" (just like every other Christian who claimed to have the answer but disagreed on what it was), the Catholics were the only ones who simply said, "You're right, that's because that's not what the Bible's for. Let us tell you why it was created, and what for."
Again, I'm oversimplifying. But that was dramatic. For me.
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