Wrong, though i wish it was not so. After being raised devout RC, and spending over 60 years in a heavenly RC area, and becoming born again while being a weekly RC, and remaining therein for 6 years as an active participant, and having talked to many hundreds of them about Christ, I must say very few RCs become born again, as i did at age 25,and realized its profound changes in heart and life, praise the Lord (not as if I am all what i should be in heart and deed, and do not know chastisement).
RC Professor and author Peter Kreeft stated,
Over the past twenty-five years I have asked hundreds of Catholic college students the question: If you should die tonight and God asks you why he should let you into heaven, what would you answer? The vast majority of them simply do not know the right answer to this, the most important of all questions, the very essence of Christianity. They usually do not even mention Jesus! http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0027.html
And as a poster on Catholic Answers sums up his faith, if not that of all RCs,
I feel when my numbers up I will appoach a large table and St.Peter will be there with an enormous scale of justice by his side. We will see our life in a movie...the things that we did for the benefit of others will be for the plus side of the scale..the other stuff,,not so good will..well, be on the negative side..and so its a very interesting job Pete has. I wonder if he pushes a button for the elevator down for the losers...and what .sideways for those heading for purgatory..the half way house....lets wait and see.... — http://forums.catholic.com/showpost.php?p=4098202&postcount=2
Another writes,.
My 13 year old son's friend (a baptist and Great kid) attends a church with incredible youth involvement and activities designed to keep the young people "ALIVE WITH THE FAITH" and IT WORKS!!!! Tons of pressure on my son because our parish is "flatlined" when it comes to youth. As a side note to this, I allowed him to attend one evening program at his friends church and when he came home, he was excited about what he read in the bible and what it meant in his life (he NEVER once had to bring a bible with him to religious ed. nor did they ever read from scripture) (http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=578988)
For instead of having a Biblical "day of salvation," when they cognitively come to Christ as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, and personally trust Him to save them on His blood and merit, RCs imagine being sprinkled an infant makes them a Christian, making them good enough ("infused charity") to enter Heaven. And thus (because they do not maintain that state) their salvation process ends with becoming good enough once again (and atoning for sin). Thus they have some confidence in ones own merit and that of the church for salvation, along with some kind of hope in an ambiguous idea of Divine mercy.
I had basically and prayerfully switched from going to my local RC church for an evangelical one because of lack of fellowship. Due to what happened to me I tried often to talk to people about the Lord and things of the Bible i was learning (i was naive, but not very bold), but rare was a person that was even interested, and most did not want to. I went to RC charismatic meetings which were better, but the hierarchy handicapped them.
And the sermons were quite dull, though i tried others churches (a charismatic priest was better), but it was evangelical radio that fed my very hungry soul, and preached of Biblical conversions that changed me. And then i would meet evangelicals with whom, as now, seeing that i am a Christian thru what i did (maybe a gospel tract) or did, we have a spontaneous instant basic bond, an opening and kinship of hearts, due to a shared conversion and relationship with the Lord. Who, and His life, is the basis for our fellowship of the Spirit. They may be Baptist, Calvary Chapel, or Pentecostal, but that is peripheral. Christ saved them and He is their direct focus.
With some this is deeper, and there are some who are just religious, and others are fringe, and some are a real trial(!), but i can go to anywhere that there are born again Christians and experience this unique kinship, due them having been drawn and convicted of God, and obeying the gospel of salvation, or repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, versus mere assent in a ritual.
And such are often found working together in many Christian ministries, and as stats show , these are far more unified in conservative basic values and core beliefs than Catholics. Certainly, as with RCs, there are things we can differ on quite quickly, though RCs are less likely to make these a topic, but the focus is on Christ, not a church, as they were manifestly born again by an encounter with Him, and who is their security.
But in stark contrast, a church is what RCs preach and promote and defend as if it is their salvation and security, and indeed, that is basically what they tell us. Their church that is, and some even hold an unbeliever is not rejecting Christ by rejecting a Protestant preaching such a message as Acts 10:36-43!
But as evangelicals have historically contended for core Truth we both concur with due to their Scriptural warrant, so they also contend against cults, and traditions of men, both of which many RCs have become like and hold to. Sadly.
RC Professor and author Peter Kreeft stated,+1 I used to be exactly like them.Over the past twenty-five years I have asked hundreds of Catholic college students the question: If you should die tonight and God asks you why he should let you into heaven, what would you answer? The vast majority of them simply do not know the right answer to this, the most important of all questions, the very essence of Christianity. They usually do not even mention Jesus! http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0027.html
Let us just say that your experience is vastly different from mine. I have known many good Catholics who have a deep love of Jesus Christ. Where you see mere religion I often see a true faith and love of God. Their lack of ability to express themselves in proper theological terms should not be taken for a lack of the love of God that is in their hearts.
And like you, I could name a number of Evangelicals whose faith and love of God are merely superficial. I would suggest that you read some of the lives and writings of the saints to learn how deep the faith of Catholics can be. It is a shame that there are some Protestants who, unable to dispute the truth of the Catholic faith, resort to personal attacks and belittling the commitment of their fellow Christians.