How a Southern Baptist became Catholic at Deo Omnis Gloria

November 29, 2003

How a Southern Baptist became Catholic

I actually have a moderately interesting conversion story that I thought I would share. It begins way back in time when I was just a boy. My best friend from the time I was five was Joseph. I was a Southern Baptist, Joseph was a Catholic (he�s the same person writing with me on this blog).

To give you some idea of where we were at that time, I can remember two stories. The first occurred when we were very young, probably around 10 or so. Joseph came to church with me one day � maybe a Wednesday night? � since he was sleeping over. At church I introduced him to my pastor and noted �he�s Catholic.� My pastor promptly told the little boy, �Well, you need to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, or you�re going to hell.� Needless to say this scared him to death and I don�t recall him coming back to church with me. The second story occurred a year or two later. One day Joseph said to me, �Jesus founded our church, do you know who founded yours?� I responded confidently, �Sure, John the Baptist.� As Baptists, we virtually ignore history. As Southern Baptists (the church was founded when Baptists started allowing black members), we had to. �No,� Joseph replied, �Martin Luther started your church.�

Over the years, Joseph and I debated Christianity over and over. He constantly insisted that the Catholic Church was the Church founded by Christ and I constantly argued against it. We basically covered every conceivable subject related to Catholicism over a period of about ten to twelve years. We both were very sincere about our beliefs and actively studied the Bible. Later on during this time, we saw an opportunity to start a business together and did it. We founded a catalog selling religious items at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. During that time, I worked around some very holy monks and some very knowledgeable Catholics. In particular Don Asci, who now has a Doctorate degree in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University in Rome (and writes books for Ignatius Press).

Between Don and Joseph, I kept arguing my position faithfully. I studied the Bible and protestant scholarship more and more. I began realizing the errors many protestants made. Rather than face up to obvious issues, they would try and skate around verses that didn�t support their point. For example, Matthew 16:15-19. These verses clearly and effectively state the Catholic position. The more I searched for answers, the more I collected little ways to try and get around the Scripture that didn�t support the protestant position. Protestants, especially Baptists, have a tendency to take the Bible literally, unless the verse says something they don�t like. John 6:46-71 is also very clear. On this section of John, protestants take one thing Jesus said and try to use it to make everything else meaningless. But at the end of the passage, virtually all of Jesus� followers leave (except the 12) over what protestants would have you believe is a misunderstanding. And Jesus doesn�t correct them, because they didn�t misunderstand him. The more I read and talked, the more I realized it was I on sinking sand and those Catholics were on the solid ground.

It was about this time that I started hearing Scott Hahn tapes. To me, Hahn is very adept at understanding the protestants� mindset as the typical protestant approaches the Bible. Hahn clarified much of my doubts about the protestant church and introduced me to the nature of the �covenant family,� which was breathtaking. As Hahn is found of quoting, �that we shall be made children of God. And so we are.� Finally, I was convinced not only that sola scriptura wasn�t Biblical, but also that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ.

The realization was pretty scary. I was in my early twenties and about to get married. Both of our families were Southern Baptists (we couldn�t even dance at the reception!). My wife and I made a conscious decision to wait until after the marriage to inform our families that we were converting to Catholicism (she had studied alongside me). My wife stopped contraception and we had the opportunity to take our honeymoon in Rome, Italy. The majesty of the churches there only heighten our excitement at being able to accept the Eucharist for the first time.

Interestingly enough, my wife and I get pregnant pretty easily. So, we were pregnant within a month with our first child. Our parents went ballistic as we began classes to enter the Church. Because of when we started our classes in relation to the pregnancy, our first daughter actually entered the Church through baptism before we did! We did finally enter the Church during the Easter Vigil in 1999. Thanks be to God!

Jay

PS- The parents are no longer �ballistic,� although they still have trouble with the conversion. We�re constantly witnessing to them in the hopes that they one day will join us in the Church founded by God.

Posted by Jay at November 29, 2003 11:00 PM | TrackBack

Comments

From one convert to another, great story! I grew up in an evangelical (assemblies of god, church of nazarene) family, and then in early 90s converted to High Church Anglican as a "mid-way" to the Church. My family kindof freaked out as well, but more or less held on to there hats. When a couple of years ago I finally took the leap to the RC, I thought they�d take it pretty hard...but to my face, they tell me that they are pleased, because they�ve never seen me so close to God. Of course, behind my back they ask my AoG pastor brother if this is all "kosher," and bless his heart, he always says, yes, and that the entire family should be happy...in fact, my greatest desire is to have them someday make the leap...especially my little brother, who beside being an AoG pastor, has played for Pope John Paul in his band Fusebox, and with Rebecca St James. It�s interesting, but my Protestant brother always says, if there is a saint on this earth, it�s PJP. Anyway, just wanted to share with you...

Posted by: jesus gil at November 30, 2003 6:53 PM

Good story.

I came in to the Church on the same Easter Vigil, as did Dale Price.

Posted by: Jeff Miller at November 30, 2003 8:24 PM

Thank you all three for sharing your conversions on this blog. Jay, although I already knew your story, I commend you for sharing it here with the world!
I, too, was raised Southern Baptist and am now Proud to be Catholic! The mysteries of the Church excite me so and I pray they always will!

Jay, I hope that you don't mind but seeing your article makes me want to share my own conversion story. Especially since God used one similar tool in both of our lives-JOE! He is so stubborn and persistant and wonderfully faithful! :)
(Can I just write Thank God for Joe! ?)

To jesus qil, I will pray for your family and I think we'd all agree that being the first in your family to convert brings sadness even if they do accept your decison.

Krista

Posted by: Krista at November 30, 2003 11:34 PM

I actually attended a Southern Baptist university for my undergraduate and met my wife, who was obviously southern baptist (while I was the lone Catholic, or so I presume, at the school).

It took nearly a year, and we discussed it often. However I never pressured her beyond the much quoted "well, why don't you find out why you believe that." Eventually she decided to go to RCIA classes in the hopes of "getting dirt on us" so she could convert me!!! But not surprising to those of us who know the fullness of grace that the Church possesses, she began to question the foundations upon which her faith had been built.

She came into the church during Easter of 2001 and we were married the following fall. We now have two beautiful children. God truly does speak to the hearts of those who are willing to listen.

Thanks for your story. I believe many many more like these will be happening in the future.

Peace,
savrx

Posted by: savrx at December 2, 2003 2:01 PM

I am actually a revert. I spent highschool going to a baptist church with friends. Thanks for the witness.

Posted by: Fr. Jeffrey Keyes CPPS at December 3, 2003 5:38 PM

I am a Southern Baptist who is engaged to a Catholic. I have been learning more about the Catholic church and am becoming more and more interested in joining. It would be a very big leap, probably a shock to my family, but I want our children to grow up in a church family, and I can't see myself going back to the Baptist church. I love going to Catholic massses, they bring me peace. Thank you for your story, and I ask for your prayers as I continue to pray for guidance on this matter.

Posted by: janey16 at December 30, 2003 9:27 PM

Janey (I hope this is correct),

Though I have always been a Catholic, I understand the path you are on and want you to know that you are in my prayers. Jay and I have been best friends since we were 7 years old and his journey into the Catholic Church was a very spiritual and personal journey for both of us.

More recently my wife, Krista, who also had been a Southern Baptist, came into the Catholic Church as she stated above. This was even more meaningful to me, for she is my soulmate and I longed for us to be one in our Faith as well. She came into the Catholic Church a week before our wedding. It was also very important to us because we wanted our children to grow up in a family that was of one Faith. I am happy to say that Krista is pregnant with our first child and is due in August. We are both very excited and looking forward to all the crowns and crosses of raising children, especially in the Catholic Faith. Please keep Krista and our child in your prayers. As I said before, you will remain in our prayers.

May the Holy Spirit descend upon you and lead you into the fullness of truth.

God bless,
Joe

Posted by: Joe at December 31, 2003 12:20 AM

I was a southern baptist pastor for 6 years and trying to finish my MDiv degree when I converted. I like your story. We noticed lots of the same things during our respective journeys I believe. Praise God for the gift of enlightenment so we could find His Church, eh?

Posted by: andy at January 6, 2004 12:53 PM

I am a southern baptist and i have been studing the catholic faith, my father is also a southern baptist, i believe the catholic faith and like some of the people above i have realized that my faith is built on sinking sand and that the cathlolic faith is build on a solid rock. I have been wanting to join RCIA classes for about a year but every time i ask my dad he freaks out and says NO you are baptist and that is what you will always be. Well I see it otherwise. And he also makes sure that he works on sunday so that he does not have to go to church. I really wwant to be converted to a catholic but being i am only 15 and i have no freedom of religion, what should i do. I pray the rosary every day and i ask our blessed mother to show me the right way. But it is just not coming through. Please email me at Nelsoninalaqua@aol.com if you can give me any advise, Thank You

Posted by: David Nelson at March 1, 2004 11:28 AM

David,
This is a tough question with two conflicting realities: we should honor our parents and seek God continually. I would probably recommend speaking with a local priest, who can discuss the issues more indepth with you. I'll pray for you as well, and I recommend you ask God for help - He can do all things.

If anyone else has advice, please let David know.

God bless,
Jay

Posted by: Jay at March 3, 2004 1:27 PM

Thank you jay, I have been trying to get a way to talk to the priest at the parish in my town and I have a lady who has voluntered to be my sponsor for the RCIA classes if God will shine his light on my father and show him that I am trying to do the right thing. God bless you all and I hope to become a brother in the Holy Catholic church as soon as possible, God Bless

Posted by: David at March 3, 2004 5:57 PM

Joe! Are you "Joe *****" of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church?

Posted by: Jack at March 31, 2004 9:38 PM

Hello,
I hope I am in the right place to be writing this, but I got here by accident so I thought I would post. I am 35 and currently Baptist. I haven't been to church in over a year and have 'given my life to Christ' about 5 times without lasting result. I have been drawn to the Catholic faith by various means. One of them being the conversion story of the Hahn's. I feel alone in my calling to the Church and fear the backlash from my parents. I am moving to a new city about 30 miles from where I am now and intend fully to begin RCIA classes, hopefully my wife will follow. I do have these concerns. I have two children 5 and 13. My wife was sexually abused by her grandfather as a young child and she is very very protective of our children (as she should be), but the priest sex abuse scandal has caused her much alarm. She is afraid to bring our children in contact with men who could possibly abuse our children. I can understand her fears (I have them also in the back of my mind). I also have heard that many priests are short tempered and not willing to spend the time to help those who seek conversion. Anyway, thanks for your time.

Max

Posted by: Max at August 8, 2004 5:04 PM

Hi Max,
We'll be praying for you during this time! A couple of thoughts: First, it's important to note that despite the outcry there are still a lower proportion of priests who molest children than husbands, teachers, or protestant ministers. You would not know this by new coverage, but several studies have proven this out. Second, many priests now do confessions more in the open, where your wife could actually watch (but not hear) your daughters confession. I think if she shares this concern with the priest he will make arrangements that will suit her (e.g. visible confessions).

Also, in my experience most priests are very willing to help you in the conversion process. They will ask you to enter the RCIA classes, which enable more information (it's difficult for a priest to offer one-on-one counseling on a regular basis because of other duties). I think what you have heard refers more to a priest's willingness to argue for Catholicism - they are approached by lots of people wanting to argue, rather than to convert.

Let us know if we can help in any way. I've gone through the same process as you and had many of the same issues. I think what really helped me was reading through books written by converts and listening to Scott Hahn tapes, etc.

God bless,
Jay

Posted by: Jay at August 9, 2004 12:32 PM

Thanks all for reading my text. i speak french so don't mind my mistakes. I bless God for all of you. It's a favor to believe in Jesus-Christ and you all here believe in Jesus-Christ. I hav been in RC 4 years and after many research on the doctrin i retired because i found many things that are forbidden by the word of God. Sorry if could not be very precised i havn't much time to write coz i must leav. I think the place RC gives to Mary is wrong. Jesus, our God showned us her right place.

I pray God to bless u all and to light your path.

I love you all.

L�o a christian, disciple of Jesus Christ.

Posted by: Kab at September 25, 2004 2:26 PM

Reading your conversion stories gave me goosebumps!!! I am born and baptized as Catholic but allow me to say that I didn't grow up in a very practicing Catholic family. I never gave much fuss about the Pope's coming to our country thinking, "who is he that I should pitch my tent on the grounds where the Pope will have Mass?" But as soon as I started to meet some friends who are firm in their Catholic faith, and convinced me to finally make a good confession, I started my journey to being strong in my Catholic faith as well. I may not be a convert from one church to another, but I think you can also call my experience a "conversion" from a non-practicing Catholic to a firm believer. I now know why I should make a fuss about pitching tents where the Holy Father will celebrate Mass. Proud to be Catholic and to know my faith!!!

Deo omnis gloria indeed!

To Jesus through Mary with Peter,
Tricia

Posted by: Tricia at November 25, 2004 4:56 AM

Ward,

This is very good news. Not most of your story, but the ending. The first place to stop is your local RCIA program. RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. You and your fiancee must find a solid RCIA program and begin attending together. If, after investigating the Church through RCIA, you are willing to completely give yourself over to Christ and be united to His Church, your reception may take place as early as this Easter, though quite possibly next Easter.

A few words on Catholic services. First, when you go to your first mass, pick up a missal (the hymnal). At the front of the missal is the order of the mass including most of the liturgy (prayers, creeds, rites, etc.) That will help you know what to do at what time. Second, be sure to flip forward just a bit and you will find dates at the bottom of the pages. Go to the date of that Sunday and it will list the Scriptures for that mass along with some other specifics. Third, the mass and the buildings in which they are celebrated are jam packed with rich significance. Almost all of the words and symbols are taken directly from Scripture. Don't be afraid to look around during the mass and play "Where's Waldo" with trying to pick up on what everything means. Fourth, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist (communion), don't sit in the pew. Instead, go up with everyone else and place your arms across your chest in an "X" (actually meant to be a cross). You will receive a blessing, and we could all use as much blessing as possible. Finally, don't be concerned too much with blending in. Just follow along as best you can, take cues from the rest of the congregation, and know that there are plenty of other people in that parish or city who are in mass and have no idea what they're doing. It takes time. And there are so many wonderful and different prayers and rites that I don't have half of them committed to memory after one year in the Church--and I attend mass every day!!! One of the great joys is continuing to find new depths in the mass.

Please feel free to e-mail me and I can help you find a solid RCIA program and local parish. I can also let you know a few things you will want to bring up with your priest and/or catechist. Just click on my name and let me know what city and state you live in. God bless.

In Christ,
Dave

Posted by: Dave at November 26, 2004 11:24 AM

Hello everyone,
I and my husband are converting. Previously we were Southern Baptists. We have been attending our church since October 05 but will not start RCIA until August. WE LOVE IT! Wow what a difference it has made to us, in so many many ways. One of the things I feel God speaking to me since going to mass is that it really does matter what I do and how I do it. Works do matter but for much better reasons than I was ever taught. Yes, it is hard shaking some of the old protestant teachings, but slowly they are falling away. I have been reading the early church fathers like Polycarp. It totally blows me away, the Catholic teachings are seen so clearly, the beliefs and traditions were there, they weren't something added in here and there. There is so much I never knew, so much propaganda I swallowed because I knew no better and probably my teachers had no clues either. You learn only to read certain authors even certain publishers. I love my new Catholic faith and can't wait for my classes to begin!
God Bless!, Gwen in Indiana

Posted by: Gwen at March 14, 2005 12:16 AM

I am a deacon in a southern baptist church and have been seeking to understand more about the catholic church since the Pope's death on Saturday.

I have read your testimonies and I have learned alot. 2 things trouble me about all of the testimonies. 1 - an "Us versus Them" mindset. 2 - Most importantly, no testimony of your relationship with Jesus. All the discussion is about the church and about "their" Baptist propaganda.

You're exactly right when you say we (Baptists) take the Bible literally. You acknowlege from John 6 that Peter is the rock of the church, and I acknowlege that. I am thankful that Peter and the other disciples followed the Great Commission and reached out. You talk about those disciples who left because they misunderstood, I acknowlege that as well, but look at the context by which you quote the verse. We celebrate the Lord's supper also.

Please be careful to remember that a church won't save you (Catholic or Baptist). Only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will save you. You have to personally accept Him and through as your savior (see Romans 10:9-10) something that has to be done when you are older than a baby. That relationship is the bottom line, and really all that matters.

Posted by: David at April 5, 2005 4:26 PM

This story sounds SO much like me. I was very Anti-Catholic for 34 years of my life, after 34 years of Protestant teaching. My wife is a Catholic, and when I got fed up with what I felt was not Biblical Truth but more Southern Baptist opinion, I decided to go on my own journey.

RICA beginning in August. God does amazing things when you LET him...I just needed to be brought to a point in my life where I needed to find truth.

Posted by: David at April 7, 2005 11:47 AM

I agree with the first David. The Bible IS the foundation. When we start looking to the church, then we start to accept things that completely contradict Biblical commands. There are many ways the Church has contradicted itself throughout the years.

Martin Luther gets the credit for bringing many contradictions to light, but there were more theologians than Martin Luther that saw the issues the church was facing. Acts 17:11 says that the Bereans were examining the very words of the Apostle Paul to make sure what he said meshed with Scripture. The Bible calls the Bereans "fair-minded" or "noble" because they scrutinized even the Apostle Paul. Never does God's Word ever say that we should blindly follow a group of people. Always we should follow the Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16 Says it has all the doctrine and instruction we need).

Keep the main thing the main thing. The GOSPEL, or the good news of Jesus Christ dying on the cross and rising again so that if we have simple faith in Him and His payment for our sin, we will have eternal life. This is the main thing. It should be the focus of any look at the Catholic Church or any denomination. Ask yourself, "Do they have a clear gospel?" "Do they add works or things that we have to do in order to obtain salvation?" (Eph 2:8,9 makes it crystal clear that we cannot do ANYTHING for our salvation, it is a free gift so that we cannot take the credit).

God's love is free, although we love to complicate things, we need to keep what God says free from our additions or subtractions.

Posted by: Andrew at April 8, 2005 7:22 PM

Hi and greetings to all brothers & sisters in Christ,
I was born & raised Catholic. I pray the rosary, devoted on novenas, attended & serve in Holy Masses. Growing up, I was exposed to various churches outside the Catholic Church including protestants, methodists, born-agains, and finally the baptist religion, attending their fellowships, participating in service etc. I am now married to an ex-Baptist converted to Catholicism. During those times, I questioned why there are so many religions and how each claims they know the TRUTH. But how do they know the TRUTH when they cannot even agree in union with what the TRUTH is? The division made me question and at the same time affirm that the one true church who cradles & protects the TRUTH is the universal Catholic Church. Because of the doctrine of Sola scriptura, there are now thousands of Christian denominations outside the Catholic Church. Having a private interpretation of the Bible and not looking to the guidance of the Church is indeed dangerous. Ever since I married my then Baptist husband who was totally against the Catholic faith (due to the seemingly unbiblical practices we Catholics engage in), I've become more scriptural, read my Bible more and other theological writings. Basically I did my research due to that challenge to encourage and open my husband's mind to the beauty of Catholicism which he eventually was welcomed into. I read arguments posed by the various non-Catholic Churches. Writings on the Early Fathers and especially the great convert Scott Hahn has really brought me to a level so rich and now I appreciate being a Catholic and thank God that I was born & raised in such a household. The more I knew, the more I discovered contradictions in the teachings of others (eg Salvation by Faith alone)I thank those people both in & out of the Catholic faith who have become instrumental in leading me to a greater appreciation and knowledge of my faith. Now I have a stronger conviction about my faith. I also don't believe in religions that put down other religions.
May God be praised and may all know the TRUTH!
God speed
Dixie Morante-Moreno

Posted by: Dixie at April 26, 2005 11:07 PM

I'm Catholic. My ex girlfriend is a Southern Baptist. We were talking about getting married when we realized the huge gap between our beliefs, being the breaking point the fact of not agreeing in wich faith should we rise our children, provided we had them. Do you know of any marriages under these circumstances and how they dealt with this?
Thanks a lot, it's a great website you guys have here!
Praise be the Lord!

Posted by: RE at June 11, 2005 2:23 AM

RE,
I would talk to her about what she believes and why. In particular I have a problem with the Southern Baptist faith because of it's foundation - the Southern Baptist church was created when the Baptist church started allowing African-americans in as members. How can this be the will of Christ?

I guess my advice would be to start talking about faith, religion and why you both believe what you believe. This might test your love, but it's a worthy test and one that has to be done either now or later. It will also help you to learn your faith and defend it. But it's important to keep these talks open and honest - that means much, much prayer. Pray before, during and after each talk that God would lead you both closer to Him. And then talk through each issue - the sacraments, the church, history, etc.

I do know that it is very difficult for children who are raised with parents of different religious beliefs and they often wind up confused. If the parents fight about religion in the home, children may even wind up antagonistic toward any type of religious beliefs. So this is a serious issue that you should confront now, rather than later.

God bless,
Jay

Posted by: Jay at June 14, 2005 2:06 PM

Jay, I believe RE used the term "ex girlfriend".

RE, the Second Vatican Council speaks specifically to this issue in Motu Proprio. The Roman Catholic Church officially discourages mixed marriages because of the difficulties but respects the right of believers to make their own choices, acknowledges the good that can come from a mixed marriage, and offers support to people in this situation.

As you note, the faith in which to raise the children becomes quite a sticking point as the Roman Catholic Church demands that the child be raised in the Catholic faith (but stopped forbidding an upbringing in the non-Catholic faith as well some time in the 20th century) and that the non-Catholic not interfere with this upbringing.

As a general rule, a mixed marriage results either in marital strife, husband or wife neglecting their religion, husband and wife neglecting their religion (very common), or one person converting.

I left the Roman Catholic Church and married a Roman Catholic. The division caused strife, I started to neglect my Protestant religion in order to honor the promises I made in order to get married, and then I returned to the Roman Catholic Church. We are still happily married after six years. In retrospect, we probably should have waited till I returned but the Lord has been very good us despite our mistakes.

Posted by: Broken Record at June 14, 2005 2:56 PM

I'll try to keep it short.
I grew up Roman Catholic. For the past 14 years I've attended a Methodist Church. In terms of preaching, teaching, and belief, I've encountered nothing new. Why? Here's why:

All Protestant denominations emerged out of the Christian Church of Rome (a.k.a. Roman Catholic Church) beginning in the Reformation of the 16th century. The main cause of that schism was not "religious differences". If you'll read the 95 thesis of Martin Luther (1517), you'll clearly see that the polemic(argument)was with the corruption of church leadership (the papacy) in the late middle ages. The popes of that era became far too involved with the monarchs of the emerging European nation states. This excessive involvement in international politics corrupted the papacy. Most people in Christendom (Europe)became disenchanted with this situation. Many people separated from the RCC and started independant denominations (protestant). The first protestant denomination to form was the Lutheran church. It was formed in Germany in 1520. All the other denominations, including the Baptists, formed LATER.
Every single one of these "protestant" denominations brought most of Catholic teaching with them. The main thing they changed was to leave the central authority (papacy)and they de-centralized into separate denominations.
I once overheard an old Presbyterian fellow say
"Well, lets face it, us protestants are really just a bunch of disgruntled catholics."
How true.

Buddy Green
Catholic-Methodist (six of one, half a dozen of the other). I love 'em both!
May Christianity survive another two thousand years.

Posted by: Buddy Green at June 28, 2005 2:56 AM

Buddy,

Do Methodists believe in the doctrine of the Real Presence? And that God dispenses His grace through the sacrament? If they do, by whose authority do Methodist ministers celebrate the sacrament?

The differences between the two denominations are far greater than you realise. Many people are happy to worship in a way with which they are 'comfortable', that 'feels right'. If you are serious about your faith, you will want to worship as Christ intended. You owe it to God, and to yourself, to investigate the differences between the churches and the Church.

The only reason worth believing anything is because it is true.

Posted by: fidens at June 29, 2005 6:32 AM

My boyfriend and I have been dating for over 4 years. We want to get married. The only problem is that I was raised Catholic, and he was raised Baptist. Over the past 4 years I have been attending his church more than mine. I find that not many Catholics read and study the Bible, as opposed to Baptists. Why is this? Isn't the Bible the foundation of our faith? My parents are very strict Catholics. It almost seems as though they would "dis-own" me then see me leave the Catholic church. I think all these "battles" between demonination of the Christian faith have taken the focus off the only thing it should be on: Jesus.

Posted by: Brittany at July 13, 2005 11:55 AM

Brittany,

First some good news. Despite numerous important differences in the Christian faiths, Catholics and Protestants are now much closer than ever. Pope John XXIII said repeatedly that what unites us is greater than what divides us.

Pope John Paul II worked hard to achieve a common understanding of "justification by faith" that was acceptable to both Catholics and Lutherans. Did you know that the Roman Catholic Church (contrary to popular belief) believes in salvation by grace alone? Did you know that Pope John Paul II often echoed the words of St. Jerome "ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ"?

Our current Pope Benedict XVI continually preaches the motto of the first Benedict "Jesus Christ is first and foremost. Everything else is secondary".

Now for the difficult news. The Catholic Church teaches that grace is more than just "God's unmerited favor". Grace is also "food for the journey" which empowers us to do good works. On the flip side, it means that by sinning and doing bad works, believers can reject God's grace either partially or totally and thus damage or destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ (which as you notice should be our primary focus).

Because of this understanding of grace, the Roman Catholic Church offers many critical and essential components to a healthy relationship with our primary focus, Jesus Christ. I will name but three and point out that you would be hard pressed to find them even offered let alone not forbidden outside of the Roman Catholic Church.

1. The Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If our focus is on Jesus, what could possibly be more fulfilling to a believer on this earth than the opportunity to really and truly eat his flesh and drink his blood and receive more of God's saving grace (the only thing by which we may be saved)? Only the Catholic Church (and the Orthodox) offers this.

2. The Sacrament of Reconciliation. While Jesus forgives us as soon as we repent, our weaknesses remain and even after Our Lord lovingly forgives us, we remain unfocussed on him. The Catholic Church provides the sacrament of Reconciliation to help us focus once again on the only thing it should be on: Jesus. Only the Catholic Church (and perhaps the Orthodox) offers this.

3. The tools to plan a family without resorting to contraceptives. Our Lord loved us completely and asks us to love others completely as well. In raising a family, a couple will need to exercise prudence and wisdom. But, a couple also needs to give themselves completely to one another and respect the fertility that God has blessed them with. By using contraceptives, couples turn inwards on themselves, and fail to love one another, the gifts of the Lord, and ultimately the Lord himself, and once again lose focus on Jesus. Our Lord wishes to bless marriages and we hinder his efforts when we use contraceptives. Only the Catholic Church offers to help married couples plan their families without using contraceptives. Couples which use Naturaly Family Planning instead of contraceptives enjoy great blessings in the area of marital happiness - the most common of which is a growing and deepening respect of women from the man.

Brittany, the Roman Catholic Church offers many things which are foundational to a healthy relationship with Our Lord which are practically forbidden elsewhere. As for the many wonderful things that you can find in a Protestant Church (Bible Study, lively worship services, things for younger people to get involved in), these things are by no means forbidden or looked down upon and becoming much more common as time passes. Organizations such as World Youth Day, Couples for Christ, Catholic Christian Outreach, Regnum Christi, Opus Dei, Youth for Life, and many more are injecting a new life into the Roman Catholic Church. The times of doing without Bible Study, lively worship, and youth group because they were "not required" or "less important" have given way to the realization that these "optional extras" add much to the life of the Church.

P.S. I returned to the Roman Catholic Church after I got married to a devout Catholic. Since then I have received many blessings to our marriage that I would be hard pressed to receive outside of the Roman Catholic Church. I now appreciate the Roman Catholic faith in ways I had never done before.

Posted by: Richard at July 14, 2005 2:55 PM

I am a Baptist who has been dating a devout Catholic for almost 3 years. We have talked of getting married, but whenever we dicuss our religons, we find ourselves questioning our relationship with each other.

I was raised as the oldest of 3 girls in a strict Baptist home--no drinking, no dancing, no swearing, no dating or two-piece swimsuits until I was 18, etc. As a result of my strict upbringing, I fell away from my faith during the 4 years of my college career. I only attended services at Christmas and 1-2 other times a year.

My boyfriend, though he has his faults, is very strong in his faith. He goes to confession and mass weekly, and has encouraged me to renew my faith.

Though I have not done extensive study on either the Baptist or Catholic faiths, I deeply disagree with teaching from BOTH of them. As I am of age, I do drink and swear occasionally (I don't take the Lord's Name in vain or anything), dance, date, and wear two-piece swimsuits. I see nothing wrong with any of these things and find the strong objections against these practices to be both ridiculous and detrimental to children raised as Baptists.

However, I have a difficult time understanding why Catholics pray for intercession by Mary and the saints. I have read some literature on Mary's role within the church and, from what I've read, it does seem as though much attention and prayer is mistakenly (in my opinion) given to Mary, rather than Jesus. Also, I still view communion as a symbol, rather than the actual body and blood, and do not understand why "non-Catholics" who are Christians cannot partake in the eucharist.

I would like to learn more about both of these faiths so that I can make an informed decision about what church to develop my faith. Also, as I am Baptist, I have yet to be baptized (I have wanted to be Baptized for about a year, but have not found a church in which I feel comfortable sharing this event.)

As we have recently graduated from undergraduate and have moved >10 hours away from each other to pursue our goals (me - pursuing my PhD; boyfriend - pursuing the United States Marine Corps), the issue of our differing beliefs has yet again become a central topic in our relationship.

However, as my boyfriend is extremely stubborn and defensive about his faith, we have a difficult time openly discussing our beliefs. I had hoped that we could come to some type of compromise, as I was raised Baptist. However, my boyfriend spends a lot of time explaining why the Catholic faith is right and why "we" (Baptists) are so wrong. While I do agree with some of his points (it's hard to argue with history), the Baptist belief system is deeply ingrained in me, making me feel personally attacked when he presents his arguments.

At this point in time, I am wondering whether or not we should be together. Should we end our relationship and take time apart to learn more about our faiths and perhaps come together in the future to discuss these issues further? Or can we work through these issues together?

I know this is very long-winded, but it has been weighing in my heart for several weeks now. Any guidance about anything I have mentioned would be extremely helpful.

Thank you so much.

Posted by: Rachel at July 17, 2005 1:17 PM

Rachel,

Your story sounds familiar, many years ago I left the Roman Catholic Church for a Baptist Church. I started dating a Roman Catholic and we got married. In order to get married, I had to agree to allow any future children to be raised in the Roman Catholic faith. As I investigated the faith, my objections slowly dropped away. I returned to the Roman Catholic Church and have come to appreciate it as never before.

In exploring the Roman Catholic faith, I have stumbled across a few books which I found very helpful. "The Hidden Power of Kindness" by Father Lovasik, "Surprised by Truth" (an anthology of conversion stories), "Pardon and Peace" by Alfred Wilson. You and your boyfriend might enjoy reading these books and discussing them. For something more entertaining yet still with a bit of material for Catholic conversaion, you could try "The Father Brown Mysteries" by G.K. Chesterton.

To address your specific points about Mary and Communion:

You are right in saying that Mary occupies a prominent place in Catholic spirituality. You are also right to say that devotion to Mary should not in any way obscure our relationship with Jesus. What this means is that for Marian devotion to be valuable, it must enhance our relationship with Christ otherwise it should be discarded. At first glance one might think that the emphasis on Mary automatically distracts one from Christ. Catholics maintain that this is not so. We believe that in the Christian family, relationships are not competitive, that the love we have for one another enhances our love for God and that the love we have for God enhances our love for one another. Catholics value Marian devotion because it enhances our relationship with Our Lord. I encourage you to investigate Marian devotion always seeking to see how and if it enhances our relationship with God.

As for communion, the Roman Catholic Church offers believers the "Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ" under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine. Baptist Churches do not offer this nor do they wish to receive it. They wish to offer and receive a mere symbol. The Catholic church tells non-Catholics not to receive communion for two reasons: the first is because non-Catholics do not usually wish to receive the Body and Blood of Christ (otherwise they would probably convert), the second is that St. Paul says that those who eat of the body of Christ without discerning it eat and drink judgement upon themselves. It would be cruel and irresponsible for the Catholic Church to offer the body and blood of Christ to someone who was unwilling to recognize the body and blood of Christ.

I have recently stumbled across a principle that has helped me in learning about the Catholic faith: If one finds a Roman Catholic doctrine, teaching, or officially sanctioned practice is offensive or distasteful, then one's understanding of the Roman Catholic Church is flawed. In my own journey to understand the role of Mary, Confession, the ban on contraceptives, and other matters, I found that my understanding was often flawed. Over time, I came to appreciate these things as expressions of Our Lord's infinte kindness and patience.

I am beginning to believe that before discussing which points of Christian doctrine are true, we must first understand what they are. And in order to truly understand a point of Catholic teaching, it must be understood as an expression of God's love. Unfortunately, it is possible to receive legitimate instruction in the Catholic faith and practices without understanding how the rules and doctrines are a real blessing - thus reducing the Christian journey to a chore with no joy or abundant life.

Gotta go now, been writing all of this with a 5 year old on my lap.

Posted by: Richard at July 17, 2005 2:40 PM

Rachel,

I understand your anguish - my Baptist girlfriend broke up with me a year or so ago and I still feel the loss. Ironically, I was a nominal Catholic at the time and the incident has served to strengthen my faith a thousandfold. It was the catalyst for a long and ongoing inquiry to discover "What is truth?", a search I hoped would lead me into my beloved's Baptist faith. This was not to be.

For your boyfriend I strongly recommend "How Not to Share Your Faith" by Mark Brumley, for you "Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic" in which David Currie traces his journey from (self-described) fundamentalism, through evangelicalism to the Catholic faith. In it, he outlines his initial objections to Catholic doctrine and how he came to understand and ultimately accept them. It was originally written for his children and his evangelical friends and is not at all hostile or patronising to non-Catholic Christians.

The only other thing to recommend to you and your boyfriend is prayer. The both of you will be in mine.

Posted by: fidens at July 18, 2005 9:00 AM

Richard,

Thanks so much for your response. I've read over your thoughts several times and feel I have a better understanding of where you're coming from.

The book references were also helpful, as I have never heard of them before or really thought of them as a resource.

If you don't mind my asking, what did you find appealing (and then not so much so) within the Baptist church?

Also, would it be appropriate for me to pursue something like an RCIA class to learn more about the Catholic belief system? Or is that reserved for people who 100% want to become Catholic?

Also, how did your family view your jump from Catholicism to Baptist, and back again? Is there a way to honestly share my considerations with my family without making them feel as though I'm turning my back on what they've taught me and the way they raised me? I'm sure they will all think that I'm making these considerations because of my boyfriend. However, this really is the beginning of a faith journey for myself...one I need to take no matter if I'm dating someone or not. I've even considered ending our relationship to more actively pursue this avenue of my life.

again, thanks for your thoughts. I'm in the process of thoughtfully and prayerfully considering my faith and just want God to show me the truth--no matter where that leads me.

Posted by: Rachel at July 18, 2005 3:02 PM

Fidens,

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I will most certainly look into the books you mentioned.

It saddens me that belief in the same God can still eat away at relationships. I wish everyone would take the time to learn about each other's faiths before casting judgement.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I will continue to pray that God lead me to the truth--where ever that may be.

Posted by: Rachel at July 18, 2005 8:09 PM

Rachel, here are some quick answers to your questions. I'm in a rush so my apologies if they do not do justice to your questions.

As for what appealed to me in the Baptist Church: Justification by faith alone, Divine inspiration of Scripture alone, Assurance of Salvation, offering communion to all believers even if their convictions differed.

As time went by I eventually came to see these positions as unstable, unworkable, and undesirable. Interestingly enough, it was a Protestant who indirectly convinced me to return to the Roman Catholic faith. We had started to talk and were both seeing problems with the doctrines I mentioned above. I found he was well on his way to rejecting almost all essential Christian doctrines (like the divinity of Christ). We both seemed to think that as a philosophical worldview, Evangelical Protestantism was inherently unstable and inconsistent. I chose to re-investigate the Roman Catholic Church rather than follow in his footsteps. Slowly, my objections to the Roman Catholic Church began to drop away.

As for investigating the Catholic faith through the RCIA, that sounds like a great idea. The purpose of the RCIA is to introduce people to the Catholic faith and to allow people to decide for themselves whether they wish to accept what the Roman Catholic Church has to offer. You will of course eventually be invited to enter the Church but certainly no obligation on your part to join and you can take as long as you want to decide one way or another. You should experience no kind of pressure in the RCIA.

As for my parents, they did not say much when I left or when I returned. They figured it was none of their business and I was old enough to choose my own path. I know they did not approve of my leaving though.

My grandmother made it clear that I could and should go to confession and return to the Roman Catholic Church as soon as possible. What is funny is that she says she does not know how to speak English, but her English was pretty darn clear to me.

One issue you and your boyfriend will need to work out before you get married is whether you will use Natural Family Planning instead of contraceptives to plan your family. All I can say is that learning Natural Family Planning has been a great blessing to my marriage.

Peace be with you.

Posted by: Richard at July 20, 2005 7:47 PM

TOday is my first day of RCIA classes. I am 20 years old and in College at the University of Georgia. I was born Baptist. No one in my family knows I am doing this, I know that they would blow up if they found out. Thank you for your testimony. I found it reassuring.

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