Posted on 05/09/2013 7:09:40 AM PDT by mgist
A Southern Baptist Liberty University alumni becomes Catholic Every spiritual life is a journey. Mine began in Warner Robins, Georgia in 1971. I was born into a good Methodist family and had a strong Christian foundation laid for me in childhood. But unfortunately, as is all too common, during my teenage years I drifted away somewhat from this good foundation and was lukewarm at best towards Christianity. I still attended weekly church services and youth group activities, but my interests were mainly in having fun with my friends and having a spiritual life was far from my mind.
But at age 17, I had a profound conversion experience that impressed upon me the reality and urgency of Christianity. I gave my heart and life to Jesus and experienced a great sense of meaning and purpose in life. Around this time, my family and I became Southern Baptists, which matched well with my new fervency and devotion.
I ended up going off to college to Jerry Falwell’s well-known Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, which proved to be an ideal place for me at the time to deepen my devotion and learn more about the Faith. It was a great time of spiritual development for me, and by the time I graduated in 1995, I felt energized and excited about where Our Lord would lead me and what He would do through me.
However, with the external support and security of a self-contained Christian environment taken away from me, and being thrust out into “the real world,” I found myself depressed, lonely and struggling to find my place. I had moved back to Georgia, but I could not find a church where I truly felt at home. The usual format of singing a few praise and worship songs and listening to a preacher for 30 to 40 minutes no longer fulfilled my spiritual hunger as it had before. Even my own private devotions of Bible reading and prayer also left me feeling empty. Talking with God became more and more of a struggle and trying to maintain that prior tangible sense of fervent devotion became an oppressive burden. It was a crisis moment in my life.
I was not aware of it at the time, because it was not a teaching that I ever came across in my Protestant circles, but what I was going through is a common stage in spiritual development and growth: After an initial period of zeal and sensible delight in the spiritual life, a period of dryness and seeming darkness is passed through as Our Lord draws souls closer to Him and away from self-seeking in pleasurable spiritual consolations. He leads them through this to teach them to rely more on faith alone, and not on good feelings.
Con't reading. http://www.catholic-convert.com/wp-content/uploads/Story-Todd-Meade.pdf
For every Protestant Christian who becomes Catholic, there are 10 visa versa in the other direction.
I suspect the number is more than 100,000 - given what we see in South America.
Not to nitpick, but Liberty didn’t become affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention until about 4 years after this fellow graduated. Up until that time, Liberty’s affiliation was with the Independent Baptists. There is a difference. Still, I get his point; he was evangelical before he became Catholic. No harm, no foul.
... and Christianity is all about keeping score.
In a sense, yes.
And at the Last Day, the Lord will settle the score.
But really, who brought this issue up? Me, or the author of this piece (and the poster)?
Looking forward to reading the entire story.
“Alumni” is a plural noun. It takes a plural verb. The singular is “alumnus.”
I bet I can summarize it without reading it ...
"I read the early church fathers and ..."
Yes, and none of those stories are “news” either. This boasting is a bit tiresome.
For a male. "Alumna" for a female. "Alumnae" for all female plural.
I’m gonna slap a [[citation needed]].
Look at places like the United Kingdom, more than half of those who were Anglican have left their church altogether, while the Catholic church is still about the same.
“I knew that I needed more than what I was being offered in the typical Baptist service.”
I don’t think most Baptists believe the worship service is the end-all of following Christ. Skimming thru the pdf, I was struck by the emphasis on feeling - I felt this, I felt that. Just as there is more to being a baptist than the 1100 service, there is more to life than what you feel...
Feelings are but reactions to input. His input wasn’t what he wanted. There are 7 churches mentioned in Revelation. I for one, love theology and like to learn something new or needed when I go to church, but I still get more out of my own studies. Doing one on Vengeance right now that will take months. Jesus will be avenging soon.
We are called to be detached from things of this world, and love regardless of how we feel. That is what saints did and do. I personally think that Christianity is some form, is better that none at all, that said, one of Jesus most beautiful prayers to God was for His people to be One, Jesus clearly asked God that we be One, “so the world will believe”. The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic church is united with Billions of followers under the same doctrine everywhere, and anywhere in the world. The same mass and the same scripture is given daily, in every language known to man. God provided Jesus’ request for His people. John 17 20:26 Thank you God
FIFY
bkmk
I was born a Catholic but became a born again Christian who now attends a strong Bible preaching and believing non-denominational church.
Praise God! But you can't properly be "born Catholic" without first developing a volition.
**”I read the early church fathers and ...”**
They are the early church versions of our main stream media. Either they don’t have or want the whole story completely right, or they just don’t have or want the whole story.
Ahimaaz-type messengers (2Sam, 18:19-32): some experience at being messengers, but not called for the big job. Nevertheless they go forth, even getting to the hearer before the true messenger gets there.
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