From Pastor to Parishioner: My Love for Christ Led Me Home

catholic.com ^ | Drake McCalister

[Carpe Cerevisi]

The Pope is not infallible, the Sacraments are.

What does that supposed to mean? Infallibility applies to the Pope, not the sacraments. Perhaps you're confusing impeccability with infallibility.

[stuartcr]

How could being a certain religion make one’s stomach turn? I just don’t understand the apparent animosity that I see between people of different faiths.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

Just the other night my brother-in-law was telling me about how they knew when to stand or sit during Christmas mass based on the ringing of the bell, etc... It’s simply not biblical.

Zowee!! So if it ain't in the bible it ain't legitimate according to you - where is "altar call" in the bible? That's right, it's not there. Where's the "sinner's prayer"? Nope, not there. By your own logic your are being unbiblical.

[bronx2]

The problem with Eastern Orthodoxy (Greek,Russian OCA) is that they are nationalistic enclaves who cater to those of that nationality. This might be changing slightly but the roots of being a nationalistic church remain.

In addition, these Orthodox can't free themselves from the past and blame others for the Rape of Constantinople , 4th Crusade, the Great Schism of 1054 or some other historical catastrophe as if the perpetrators are still living and need to be punished. Their minds are trained to blame others and they feel comfortable as perpetual victims.

Perhaps it is better to worship God as a protestant than to experience this type of siege mentality.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

Ever notice? Converts to Catholicism never back-bitch about the groups they come from

You got that right. I rarely ever hear converts complain about their previous faith experience. I have great respect for my Protestant upbringing. It always seems to be a "former" Catholic who obviously never really knew their faith; and that can't always be attributed to them. Poor catechesis, most likely. But then again there are those who are peeved about a perceived slight they may have received from a priest, snotty people in the parish, etc., etc. years ago that just can't let go.

[Al Hitan]

Just the other night my brother-in-law was telling me about how they knew when to stand or sit during Christmas mass based on the ringing of the bell, etc...

Unfortunately, it sounds like your brother-in-law should actually go to Mass sometime. The only time there is ringing of the bell during Mass is when everyone is supposed to be kneeling.

There is always just enough wrong in these little " I know a Catholic..." anecdotes to know when they're bogus.

[RJR_fan]

There are some parts of Roman Catholic dogma, including the infallibility of the Bishop of Rome, which would keep me, in good conscience, from becoming a Roman Catholic. Frankly, in some respects I would be more at home in the Greek Orthodox Church. But I certainly consider Catholics to be my brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of them may not feel the same about Orthodox and Protestant Christians, and I believe “their way or the highway” is a tenet Rome still teaches, but so be it. I would rather see us all united against the real enemy, in all his many faces and forms.

Ditto.

The one strength that the Catholic side of the family has that is missing in the more experiential-focused Protestant communions is -- a focus on objective reality, and a conviction that the Christian faith applies to ALL of life, not just the "religious" part of life. The version of the dissertation I took before my committee had this conclusion:

Unless religious people today also address issues of corporate structure, objective ethics, public identity, and the transmission of their values to future generations, they will suffer the fate of the losers in Atatürk's culture wars. A transcendent navel view will never suffice as a substitute for a world view, no matter how much it is feagued, overclocked and turbocharged. If people are unable to provide their offspring with explanations for life that are at least as big and comprehensive as all of life, their more thoughtful children will jump ship and join forces with ideologies that do seem to offer answers.

Yes, I had to eliminate the vivid, precise, and charmingly obsolete verb feague from the version submitted for publication -- but the thought was retained.

Some protestants -- a faction that is, in God's great mercies inexorably losing its influence, its bearings, and its credibility (as well as its mind) -- has a brutally simple substitute for a world view. They simply write the whole world off, hysterically shriek that "All is lost! The End is upon us! Qui peut se sauvre!" We might call these the Prophecy pimps, the Rapturenauts, or, in one brother's elegant phrase, "Futurists who prefer Terror and Tarot rather than the Gospel to 'win souls'." It's the "sour grapes" approach. If you don't have a world view, just scream shrilly that the world that God so loved is not worth thinking about.

Sane, thoughtful, Christians find their way out of the hypnotic and addictive fun-house mirror world of experience-chasing, and start looking for other sane and thoughtful Christians to compare notes with. And frequently find such people on the wrong side of the Tiber.[1]

I was raised Catholic, and still process reality on deeply-embedded Catholic firmware. I still yearn to see things "according to the whole," and instinctively feel that a big-picture explanation makes sense of the immediate issues.

Providentially, the Catholics are not the only game in town. Reformed theology also addresses all of life, and challenges us to bring all we have to the game. Including our minds. My life, family, and vocation were transformed when a guy I'd evangelized ten years earlier turned me on to "Calvinism on steroids." There is a God, and I'm not Him. Neither, for that matter, are my religious experiences.

---

[1] When Norma Rae Covey, the "Roe" of Roe v. Wade was born again, she received baptism into the Catholic Church. So, too, did Bernard Nathansen, repentant abortionist. Chuck Colson, a Baptist, served as Bernard's sponsor. Roe v. Wade happened in the back yard of Dallas Theological Seminary, a leading "dispensational" school. They were so busy redrawing their pretty maps of imaginary futures that they were blinded to the significance of what was going on under their noses. An obsession with "prophecy" rendered them culpably incompetent to speak prophetically to the challenge right before them.

[kalee]

I would direct you to any discussion of the Anglican/Episcopalian Church where you will see that statement is not correct. There are former Episcopalians on FR who have converted to Rome who do bash the church they left.

[Reo]

"Drake is now pursuing his Masters in Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and writes daily reflections on the readings for Mass for www.catholiccall.com"

Updating this article based on last night's Journey Home program, I believe he now has his Masters, is teaching catechisis at Steubenville, and also heading up the RCIA program for the diocese. As converts who swam the Tiber to Rome from the ELCA 17 years ago, my wife and I try to catch Journey Home every week. Last night's program was wonderful.

[Cronos]

well, you can ask/email him. But since he was a Pentecostal, he would most likely be using the NIV or the KJV, I guess

[Cronos]

That's quite contradictory to the research done by people like Drake and Crystal McCalister or Scott Hahn or Steve Ray. You can of course, dispute with them if you like

The One Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church (Oriental, Assyrian, Catholic, Orthodox) is the continuation of the early Church.

Our teachings -- if you attend a mass, you can see these -- are hardly just ritual

[LearnsFromMistakes]

perceived slight they may have received from a priest

Mine was more like a small setting public humiliation, but I hear what you are saying. Even though it was a simple misunderstanding, it was a big deal when I was 9, but that was a long time ago. I wasn't a catholic, just visiting with a friend - so it was not like I am a "former" Catholic.

[Cronos]

Actually, many groups do do that — however do note that the Catholic Church consider Orthodox in particular to be our sister Church, to be a True Church, part of the One Apostolic Catholic Church.

[Cronos]

It means that the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, etc. are infallible, i.e. never wrong. The pope as a person is not "infallible". As an office it is infallible only when speaking on doctrinal issues 'ex-cathedra' i.e. specifically delineating some theology. Note that this is papal AND council infallibility -- like the councils of Nicea etc that defined the Creed and canon (the Bible). They were infallible

When the pope speaks as an individual believer, he's not infallible. The bishop is just a human being, sinful like us all, yet a tool of God.

[Cronos]

"Just the other night my brother-in-law was telling me about how they knew when to stand or sit during Christmas mass based on the ringing of the bell, etc... It’s simply not biblical."

huh? So, a pastor moving up and down a stage is "biblical"? Or a televangelist? Come on. The sacrifice, the readings of the OT, NT (Gospels, psalms, epistles, proverbs, apocalypse etc) is all pretty biblical thank you.

[TSgt]

He goes all the time.

To my point, what is biblical about standing or sitting for a bell?

[Al Hitan]

To my point, what is biblical about standing or sitting for a bell?

To my point, we don't stand or sit for a bell.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

This may help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NFuu6W392k

[Cronos]

Eastern Orthodoxy is part of the One Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church. They may have roots of being nationalistic Churches, but that is due to history and it doesn't affect their theology. Yes, some talk a lot about what happened in 1223, but they are NOT trained in the way you suggest -- I respectfully submit that you (just as I once did) extrapolate the behaviour and sayings of some (incidently mostly converts from Protestantism to EO who bring along anti-Catholic baggage) to the many Orthodox.

we can learn a lot from the EO and they from us and the EO are our brothers with whom we all (plus the Orientals and Assyrians) must get back in council with.

[OpusatFR]

“... Many of them may not feel the same about Orthodox and Protestant Christians..”

They are our brethren in Christ. I’m married to a Methodist btw for almost 50 years, who is more Catholic than I at this point and just about to jump the Tiber.

“I believe “their way or the highway” is a tenet Rome still teaches,...”

This is the Church. I would no more expect you to change your church’s belief for ours or the Orthodox to adapt to Calvin or some 4SquareGospel group.

“I would rather see us all united against the real enemy, in all his many faces and forms.”

Agreed. All Christians face the same persecutions. In the Muslim sphere, China, Africa and Europe, its face is legion. We will face it in America too soon.