May 25, 2004
Alabama's Christian head converts to Catholicism
John Giles, the president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, and his wife just converted to Catholicism this Easter. I found this tidbit interesting:
Giles says he knew the questions would come because as a Protestant he, too, had mistaken notions about Catholics. And the most frequent question he gets from his friends is "why?"With that in mind he wrote an eight-page letter explaining his reasoning. In it, he explains that he had attended a variety of Protestant churches in Montgomery, including Christian Life Church and River of Life Church.
But once he visited the Roman Catholic church, he found himself in awe of its history and ritual, particularly its use of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch in each service.
Trips to Israel and Rome spurred his curiosity. And the deeper he looked into the faith — which is the largest in the United States but lags behind Southern Baptists and other Protestant denominations in the South — the more he says he realized that many of his beliefs about Catholicism had been wrong.
I was a Southern Baptist who converted, so I understand the position of being a lone Catholic surrounded by protestants - although it didn't affect my work, which is a real testament to his beliefs.
Thanks to Amy Welborn for the link.
God bless,
Jay
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Jay,
thanks be to God, I also converted from Southern Babdist. In fact, I played many a piano in many a Babdist church all around my medium-sized Southern town.
Welcome aboard! And all you other Babdists out there who are open to the Truth, come on in! The Tiber's fine!
Posted by: Jonathan at May 25, 2004 05:26 PMAnd I would sure like to have a look at that 8-page letter. I'm sure he's a better apologist than I am.
welcome home john giles! I too was raised in a strict southern baptist home. I love the Catholic Church and have found that the Sacraments have helped me so much on my own personal road to holiness (not that I'm holy yet). I feel so sorry for my Protestant friends who just don't understand how wonderful the Eucharist and the Communion of the Saints are!
Posted by: kim borom at September 8, 2004 09:07 AMWhere can I find a copy of John Giles' eight page letter???
Posted by: Rachel at August 11, 2005 10:06 PMDear brother in Christ,
I am a Free Will Baptist who is on the verge of converting to Catholicism. I was told a bunch of lies about the Catholic Church and something inside of me stood up against those lies.I decided to do some research on the Catholic Church and i found that Protestants never have came to the truth of the Catholic Church. As i had search ive found that Catholics dont worship the Blessed Virgin, they venerate her which means to honor her. I also found out that when Christ was hanging on the cross he gave his Mother to be the Mother of his disciples and followers. Well if we are follwers of Christ doesnt he give his Mother to be our Mother? I also thought that Catholics worshipped Saints they dont they ask them to pray for them . The Saints are prayer partners in heaven. Heaven is not a place of the dead it is a place of living a new life. Catholics dont worship idols they look at them to remember the love they had for God. But I would like for u to pray for me . Im having a little trouble on the Salvation part. I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and by his grace I am washed in the Blood of the Lamb. People have told me that Catholics believe that good works only get you into heaven and saying your Hail Marys and something inside of me is telling me thats not true. I also dont understand why Catholics go to confession cant they just ask Christ for forgiveness. But please, please keep me in your prayers that i will follow my heart and that Jesus will show me the truth of his Mother and that i do the right thing.
Posted by: Jordan Braswell at May 15, 2007 04:52 PMJordan, I have good news for you.
The people who have told you that Catholics believe that you can earn your way into heaven are sorely mistaken. This is one of the most common misconceptions about the Roman Catholic faith.
If you want to know what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about salvation by grace, you need look no further than Article 1996 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
I'll post more on confession later.
Posted by: Burnt Marshwiggle at May 16, 2007 12:36 AMJordan,
You are on the right track. Keep praying and keep yourself open to the urgings of the Holy Spirit. As far as the part that concerns you regarding confession to a priest is a common concern by many non-Catholics. Most say, "why should I confess to a man instead of straight to Christ--why the need for a middle man getting in the way." Well, first of all no Catholic I know of sees the priest being a barrier in any way to Christ. It is just the opposite. The priest, as confessor, acts in the person of Christ to forgive sins. You may say, well how can a man forgive my sins. The quick and easy answer is: by the authority and will of Christ himself. In John 20:21-23, after Jesus has risen from the tomb and visits the apostles for the first time what is the first thing He does? He breathes on them and says, "receive the Holy Spirit, who sins you forgive are forgiven, and who's sins you retain are retained." The only way that the apostles would have known to forgive or retain sins as they preached the Gospel would be by the person actually telling [confessing] their sins to them. From that point on as they went out to proclaim the Gospel this authority was passed on to men they deemed worthy by the laying on of hands. This gift has been handed down via the priesthood of the Catholic Church since the beginning and is alive and well today. Jordan, I cannot explain to you the feeling of competely, totally, and without reservations KNOWING that your sins are forgiven. There is great power in hearing the priest say, "by the power of Christ and His Church I absolve you of your sins..." In addition, the grace that accompanies confession will strengthen you to avoid those occassions and areas of sin in your life. I encourage you to not let this be a stumbling block but an occasion for great joy knowing that Christ provided a means that we can TRULY know our sins are forgiven. I also encourage you to see the Catechism regarding confession: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.htm#1449
Peace be with you my friend.
In Christ,
Matthew
Jordan, in some sense, Catholics go to confession not because they cannot "just ask Christ for forgiveness" but because going to confession provides enormous blessings to a believer.
Jay raises some excellent points and provides some helpful links in an earlier post.
When Doctor Dobson declares masturbation "not sinful" because believers will eventually despair from their repeated failures, he shows to us just how ineffective "just asking Christ for forgiveness" is. According to Dobson, despite reading numerous assurances from the inspired Bible, believers simply fail to see that God's mercy still extend to them after thousands of failed attempts to live a pure life.
What needs to happen is that the word of God (in the Bible) needs to be made flesh - we need to hear forgiveness from a person - it is not enough to read about it. Our Lord helps us by empowering the priest to speak the biblical words of forgiveness.
Without the confessional, one only has two responses to the problem of falling repeatedly into the same sin. The first response is to pretend that the sins are not really sins (as Dobson does with the masturbation issue). The second response is to abandon the penitent to despair in their own private little hell.
After all, what counsellor will spend hours upon hours dealing with someone committing the same sin again and again with almost no progress to show for all the effort?
A priest will do this for his flock.
Posted by: Burnt Marshwiggle at May 18, 2007 11:40 AM
