Former Southern Baptist Pastor Now a Traveling Crusader for the Catholic Church

San Diego News Notes ^ | May, 2006 | ANNA KRESTYN

[Ann Archy]

Now I was raised so anti-Catholic -- we were told, don't you ever go inside a Catholic church. If you go into one, you can't get out. We laugh about it now, but we were deathly afraid of Catholicism. We thought it was from Satan and was deceiving millions of people, full of man-made rituals, because it was so different from our form of Christianity of preaching and singing and evangelizing.

Baptists...please tell me if this is true. Do you hate us? Why?

[Twinkie]

Then the Catholics have their own set of problems with the SCORES of petted pedophile priests, caught in an unnatural celibate situation, caught in the sin of pedophilia (a rampant problem over the years), ruining scores of young lives as well as their own, and yet the Catholic hierarchy covered up for these pampered elite little boys for decades. That is hypocrisy - and hypocrisy is present in ANY organization where the ambitions of man take control, be it catholic or protestant.

The priesthood of the believer is scriptural and something to stand upon.

[pegleg]

Then the Catholics have their own set of problems with the SCORES of petted pedophile priests

The problem was more homosexual rather than pedophile. It was also a small percentage of priests. I agree it’s scandalous and shatters the faith of those impacted. But don’t be so smug, this sin is also a problem in Protestant denominations.

Sexual Abuse

The priesthood of the believer is scriptural and something to stand upon.

Please tell me what is to be believed.

[TheDon]

Great post!

But also, as a Southern Baptist, we did not believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that they still operated today or were meant for today.

For any SB FReepers, is that right?

[LS]

Or, it could be that people have heard the calling of the Holy Spirit. Most of the former Catholics I know, it has nothing at all to do with divorce and a great deal to do with doctrine. The point is, of course people convert to Catholicism and of course Catholics leave the church for other churches. Which one is right depends on your theology, and is not an argument that is going to be resolved on a political bulletin board.

[pegleg]

Most of the former Catholics I know, it has nothing at all to do with divorce

Most? My point was it’s not uncommon. What is your Church's stance on Divorce and Re-Marriage?

and a great deal to do with doctrine.

That would be the main reason. Once a Catholic loses their belief in the Real Presence they typically become CINO’s or leave the Church altogether.

[Tax-chick]

I’m not a Southern Baptist, but I hang out with one on the North Carolina board :-). Charismatic gifts seem to be considered very “far out” by most Southern Baptists. There was a recent dispute (within the last couple of years) about whether a person who prayed in tongues could be a Southern Baptist missionary.

[Tax-chick]

And cool capes and hats.

Very cool.

[LS]

Or, I would argue, once a person has a personal experience with the Holy Spirit, they no longer need a priest or pope to tell them what the "Real Presence" is. They have experience Him personally. No more. I told you we disagree---my point was, despite the original article, this is absolutely not a one-way street and far more people are leaving the Catholic church than joining it if you exclude Latin Americans/immigrants.

[Twinkie]

Disallowing marriage is ABNORMAL and scripturally condemned, and disobeying clear scripture always causes problems. The HIDING of the rampant homosexual problem among Catholic priests by Catholic hierarchy for decades is disgusting.

I tell the truth, and I am labeled by you as SMUG. - I’m not defending any degree of pedophilia or homosexuality in the Protestant camp either. I am neither CATHOLIC nor PROTESTANT in the eyes of the Lord, so I have no bone to pick in not mentioning sexual immorality in the Protestant churches. It’s there; just not quite as rampant and hypocritical as in the Catholic hierarchy.

Which is worse? The rampant tendency among the Protestants to practice “musical divorces and remarriages” or the hypocritical practice among the Catholic hierarchy to declare marriages of long duration as “annulled” so the Kennedys and others can legally dump their wives and children in order to remarry their latest mistresses?

When I was attending a Protestant church, when I finally told myself the truth about the pastor (priest) and his wife using the little church as their own personal cash cow, I realized I was not a Protestant - and a lifetime of observation of organized “religion” and a lot of its rotten fruit - I’ve decided that I’m just a Christian - period - NOT Greek Orthodox, NOT Roman Catholic, NOT Protestant.

[Iscool]

Baptists...please tell me if this is true. Do you hate us? Why?

I don't know of anyone who hates Catholics because they are Catholic...

I have been to Baptist churches, Methodist, Pentecostal, Reformed and even a Catholic church...I have friends and relatives who are Catholic...

It's a matter of heaven and hell...If you believe in a real heaven and a real hell, it becomes a serious issue for you...You likely have friends and relatives that will end up in both places...

Weeping and wailing and knashing of teeth (for eternity) for a Mother or Father, or a sister or brother should shake a person into reality...

It should come as no surprise that although we have the same characters, we have different religions...We can not both be right...

I back everything I believe with scripture, the word of God...You back everything you believe with a little bit of scripture and a lot of religious tradition...

The plan of salvation your church teaches is not biblical...The scripture I posted shows that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ thru the grace of God...That's biblical...Your tradition teaches differently...

I am not against you...I am against your tradition...I will show people that much of your tradition is not biblical every chance I get...It's a matter of heaven or hell...

[Ann Archy]

LOL!!! I guess you WERE raised that way!!

[ex-snook]

"Baptists...please tell me if this is true. Do you hate us? Why?"

People hate what they don't understand.

“For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.”

[Ann Archy]

Good point. I really had never heard they think Catholics aren’t CHRISTIAN!!! It’s positively LAUGHABLE!! and sad.

[Salvation]

Gotta love these convert threads!

[Salvation]

**But please be sure to ping ETH, Eckelberg, and all the others as they seem to be slacking.**

I find this practice of some on the edge of very rude. It would be like talking to someone privately at a large gathering, and momrntarily stopping the private conversation to yell, “Hey, everyone! Listen in to this private conversation. You will get a kick out if.”

It’s all about manners in my opinion! But perhaps I should say — a lack of manners! Just a pet peeve of mine.

[1000 silverlings]

Really. If you are going to slam someone at least ping them. Or are you afraid of them? I have no idea who ETH is

[trisham]

So first the baptized must be taught their own faith, and then taught how to answer criticisms of that faith from non-Catholic Christians who are very misinformed about the faith just like I was. And a kind answer turns away wrath -- you've got to be filled with love and with charity, but you have to know the faith. When it comes to those who have no faith at all, you need to ask yourself, 'Do I know how to share the love of Christ with them? Can I convince them of their need for God and salvation?' Can you love them into the Kingdom? God does the converting, we don't convert anybody. Our job is to be the best Catholics we can be. My job is not to tell you what to believe but to explain the faith. Then you must decide what you believe."

*********************

So true.

[Salvation]

Oops — momrntarily

momentarily

[Salvation]

**kick out if.”**

Oops

kick out it. Typing too fast. Sorry!