Being a Protestant was killing me..

Comments · 241

• TH

  @thenateclineshow · 3 weeks ago (edited) · pinned

  Protestantism was KILLING me spiritually.. do you agree? Also, what the heck was up with that fly? Should it be hung at the stake? <br>LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

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• KA

  @katydidd6321 · 3 weeks ago

  A pastor once told me, &quot;It doesn&apos;t matter what you believe in, as long as you believe.&quot; &nbsp;It sounded to me like he took it right out of the late 90&apos;s movie, <i>Dogma,</i> when Salma Hayek says, &quot;It doesn&apos;t matter what you have faith in, just as long as you have faith.&quot;<br>And it struck me that if the height of your philosophical tradition is literally, <i>Hey, Whatever Man</i> then on some level you don&apos;t actually know what you&apos;re worshipping. &nbsp;Or maybe it doesn&apos;t really matter to you (and I&apos;m not sure which is worse).<br><br>idk, but I definitely got that from people who I thought should know better too, and it didn&apos;t sit right with me.

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• MI

  @michaelliles69 · 3 weeks ago

  My family and I converted to Catholicism on October 5 of last year and haven’t looked back. I wrestled with the same questions you faced and often heard the familiar advice to read the Bible or pray about it. That guidance can help, but Scripture may raise as many questions as it answers, and prayer does not always bring an immediate response. Sometimes God asks us to work through the answers ourselves. <br> <br>I value being able to turn to a deacon or priest at my parish for guidance grounded not only in Scripture and prayer but also in resources such as the Catechism, the Church Fathers, and Doctors of the Church like Saint Thomas Aquinas. I find comfort in knowing that I am not seeking answers alone; I can draw on the full wisdom and resources of the Catholic Church.

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• FI

  @Fiftynine414 · 3 weeks ago

  Catholicism is so beautiful. It links us directly back to Christ and his Apostles. God’s gift to us. Glory be!

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• SO

  @SongofRholand · 3 weeks ago

  It was the tradition, history and the Church Fathers that made me truly Catholic.

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• JU

  @juliejacobsen3506 · 3 weeks ago (edited)

  Absolutely, I felt the same way when I became Catholic that I finally got the tools that I needed to live the godly life that God had called me to live. Preach it!

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• KE

  @KermitForPrez · 3 weeks ago

  Hey Nate, cradle Catholic from Texas here - love the analogy of a man in the woods and the tools Catholicism gives you - well done.

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• JO

  @jonathanjenkins6727 · 2 weeks ago

  I&apos;ve started looking into Catholicism in August. Last Sunday, I attend a mass. Although I was not sure what to do next (LOL), I found the experience deeply moving and contemplative about the relationship between Christ and myself, without considering the rest of the world or anyone else - even those sitting on the same pew. I&apos;m going again this Sunday.

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• KA

  @KaramelCoffee · 3 weeks ago (edited)

  Going to an evangelical church was “killing me” because it was insufficient.<br><br>Now I know why. The evangelical experience I got (and the range of emotions and expressions) was truncated. The church services / songs / teachings were almost solely centered on the positive emotions of joy, love, and elation. There wasn’t much emphasis on pain, tears, the suffering of Christ on the cross, or tangible sense of sin (we are no longer sinners).<br>Sure, I could go to a service, experience the elation of the service, and see my state of mind change. I’d feel good for a little while, but that would not last.<br><br>There are good reasons why part of the Mass puts emphasis on the sacrifice and pain of Jesus on the Cross, and why traditional Catholic chants are solemn, deep, and full of language about the sacrifice and gift of Christ. Just like happens in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, sometimes it is only when you can identify and relate your pain to the pain of others that you can start to heal. To identify your pain with the pain of Christ is the most powerful of all. Then, healing can really begin. Going back to the Catholic Mass, I started to feel tears of joy. True joy. Deep and lasting Joy. The very true Joy that follows a season of pain.<br><br>In the past, I tried hard to get better (I was emotionally a mess) by going to evangelical services. The services were all about joy: &nbsp;“aren’t we happy,” “don’t worry, Jesus has overcome the world,” and “God loves you” (which is obviously true, but not offering the whole divine expression). I could not get better and win my battles because the core of my issues (my brokenness) was not being addressed. There was not really much space for it. Battling sin is often not a simple thing; it is more complicated than just saying “just have more faith” or “read your Bible.” It is like battling cancer: it requires a lot of treatment; that treatment being partaking in and joining oneself with the Passion of Christ, repenting, being honest, not hiding anything to others, having a contrite heart, and be ready to receive the love of God and the love of our brethren.<br><br>Healing must be deep. Conversely, from my experience in the evangelical church I could see the result of a certain superficiality. I would hear friends saying &quot;I got victory over alcoholism, or porn&quot;. Like it&apos;s that easy, and we can almost forget about it now. I had been to a recovery group/workshop. After completion of the program (i.e. graduating from the program), many would proclaim, &quot;I received victory, everything is good now&quot;. But inevitably many would just relapse after that (including myself). Our pain is deep, therefore we must go deep, with Christ, to be healed and be restored. &nbsp;Sins is always trying to get back in my life. I thus constantly need healing.<br><br>It&apos;s good and essential to offer praises to God in church and be joyful. Part of the Mass is exactly that (&quot;blessed he who comes in the name of the Lord&quot;). But, also, our worship experience must include the whole breath of human emotions. All the smiles and all the tears. Church should offer a place where honesty, deep contrition, and humility can manifest itself. Not pretend that everything is great (that&apos;s what the world is offering -&gt; let&apos;s wear masks). In the evangelical church, I&apos;d sometimes think: &quot;don&apos;t you see all the happy people around you having a good experience? &nbsp;There must be something wrong with me, clearly I don&apos;t have enough faith&quot;. There was an incongruence with what I was feeling inside, and the exuberance going on around me.<br><br>I am deeply grateful that I chose to go back to the Catholic Church (I am a cradle Catholic). I can say that the Catholic Church is restoring me daily; that it is efficacious, and sufficient: in it&apos;s constitution and the fullness of its expression.

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• KI

  @Kizaru208 · 3 weeks ago

  The Eucharist. The real one. <br><br>As well as the adoration chapel where you spend quiet time with Jesus as the blessed sacrament.<br><br>Even confession.<br><br>You have none of these if you stay protestant. Without the Eucharist you have no life in you.

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• JA

  @jaspersparents6947 · 3 weeks ago

  Praying for you brother. <br>Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

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• MY

  @MysticClock · 3 weeks ago

  Yes… that’s why Protestantism was killing me too. Church members and even leaders don’t read their bibles daily! Of US Protestant churchgoers only 30-31% read the Bible daily!!! At least the Catholic Church provides daily reading and the Mass ensures you are hearing scripture alongside the homily. It very hard to go to the church for wise counsel when they are not having quiet time with God on their own to even be “led” by the Holy Spirit! Thank you for sharing. I start OCIA Sept 16 because of a similar experience and I pivoted!!!

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