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The Day I Realized My Religion Got It Wrong

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So excited for this new series on Catholic and Protestant beliefs! So interesting!

 

This post is the first in a series entitled: Letting God Lead: My Journey Through Protestant and Catholic Belief. Click here to find out more about this series and to find a list of all of the posts. *This post contains affiliate links.

 

It started out innocently enough. My mother-in-law (a devoted Catholic) gave me the book Surprised by Truth, which is a compilation of 11 very different peoples’ Catholic conversion stories. At first, I didn’t really understand why she was (albeit very politely) trying to “convert me.” Didn’t she realize we were the same religion? I mean, we were both Christian and we both believed what I thought were the “essentials” (The trinity, Jesus died for our sins, Heaven, etc). So why did it matter if I was Catholic? Did she think I wasn’t Christian?

 

(My mother-in-law is wonderful. I wasn’t upset. Just confused. I didn’t understand what all the “fuss” was about.)

 

You see, faith has always been a very important part of my life. My mother was a preacher’s daughter and a lot of that commitment to church and to the faith was passed right on down to me. Growing up, my mom and I were at church pretty much every time the doors were opened it seemed–at least three times a week. And we usually showed up early and stayed late as well.

 

And we weren’t just “Sunday Christians” either. My mom and I both read our Bibles, read other Christian Living books, listened to Christian radio, prayed, helped others, etc etc very regularly. We both sang in the church choir and praise band and even attended the same Bible college (though not at the same time). I was helping out at church multiple times a week, was helping out in the community, and had just started a Christian blog. Not that any of these things MAKE you a Christian–they don’t. But if she needed to worry about “converting” anyone, it wasn’t me.

 

But hey, I enjoy reading about Christianity and Christian beliefs and I wasn’t really that busy at the time, so I figured, “Hey, why not?”

 

Love Catholic conversion stories? Find it on Amazon!

 

As I sat down to read Surprised by Truth, honestly, I struggled to make it through the first chapter. I seriously wanted to chuck the book at the wall. I’m a very logical type thinker. I’m not going to believe something “because someone says so.” I want proof. I want facts. I want Scriptural support. Not that faith isn’t important–it is–but first the person better prove to me that they’re worth listening to. And here, the first chapter was full of “I believed because it just felt right, and I came into the Catholic church rejoicing and shouting “Hallelujah” to saint whoever!” Please. Spare me.

 

I mean, if you enjoy reading conversion stories (like this one you’re reading now 🙂 ), then it’s a really good book. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be or what I was looking for. But I kept reading. Because “hey, why not?”

 

And as I kept reading and wading through all the fluff, it wasn’t long before certain sentences began to jump out at me (both good and bad), and I started learning new pieces of information that no one had ever told me before, although in snippets.

 

Sentences like: “To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.” Now I’ll be the first to admit, I knew VERY little about church history. If I knew more, would that change the way I saw things?

 

And then, three-quarters of the way through the book, I finally found an author with a similar background as mine (Baptist), who gave an account that wasn’t fluffy, but that was actually full of facts and support and that made a lot of sense. Suddenly, things I was once so sure of… I wasn’t so sure of anymore.

 

The real turning point happened, though, during a conversation with my husband. I’m not sure what we were talking about specifically, but suddenly it clicked that “Protestant” was derived from Martin Luther’s protest. Now, yes, I did know this before, but I had never really thought about it much. Except, this time, I did.

 

How–in the 16th century–could some guy suddenly decide he didn’t like the church so he was going to make a new one of his own? Now, I’m not arguing that the Catholic church was in the right. From what I’ve read since then, there was definitely some awful, sinful behavior going on that needed to be addressed. (No one’s perfect, not even the church.) BUT, what gave Martin Luther the right to pick the beliefs he wanted to pick and to abandon the rest? Who was he to get to say what was Scriptural or not?

 

It was at that moment I realized I couldn’t be Protestant anymore. I couldn’t support a man who left the church, took things into his own hands and decided for himself what truth should be. It just wasn’t Biblical. We’re called to repair, not divide.

 

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Ceasing to be a Protestant wasn’t a problem for me. We did a lot of church-hopping when I was younger, and I can count NINE churches I’ve regularly attended in my life so far. I’ve never taken a denominational label–just called myself “Christian”–and I was still a Christian, so that was fine.

 

But investigating the Catholic Church’s beliefs was a much longer and more tumultuous journey. A journey which involved a lot of questioning, a lot of struggling and a lot of tears. A journey which I hope to cover throughout this series.

 

So whether you are Protestant or Catholic or something else all together, I hope and pray you will join me with an open heart and an inquisitive mind. I’m not seeking to convert you or to say that one side is right and the other is wrong. At the time of this writing, I’m neither Catholic or Protestant, and I’m still unsure as to how this journey will end.

 

But what I DO know is it’s been quite an enlightening year and I’ve learned a lot. And I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you. Because honestly, wouldn’t you like to know if what you believe is true? I hope so. And I hope you’ll continue to join me every Wednesday throughout this series to find out more.

 

 

As we start this series, I’d like to know: Are you a Protestant or Catholic? Did you grow up that way or did you switch?

 

 

Letting God Lead: My Journey Through Protestant and Catholic Beliefs: Great Series! Must read for any Christian!

 

Ready to read more? Don’t miss the rest of the posts in the series!

 

The Day I Realized My Religion Got it Wrong

10 Common Catholic Church Myths that Critics Believe

Is the Eucharist Really Just a Symbol?

Is Faith Alone Enough?

Who has the Ultimate Authority? A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura

A Brief Look at the History of Christianity

What All Christians Should Know About Priests, the Pope and Confession

What Do Catholics Really Believe About Mary, Saints and Statues?

Infant Baptism or Believer’s Baptism? Which is Correct?

What is Purgatory? What are Indulgences?

Why Do Catholics….? Honest Answers to Your Burning Questions

Protestant and Catholic Beliefs Series Conclusion

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Brittany

Owner at Equipping Godly Women
A devoted Christian, wife and mother, Brittany loves helping other women grow in these roles as well. When she isn’t busy taking care of her growing family, you can find her at Equipping Godly Women, where she regularly shares tips, tricks and encouragement to help you be the amazing woman God created you to be.
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Ignite Your Faith!

Comments

  1. I am Baptist. While I grew up attending various churches with family & friends off & on, I wasn’t saved until 2 years ago. Being an inquisitive person who questions everything, I have done a lot of research, including some on Catholocism. While I do not agree, I’m interested to see what you have to say. 🙂

    • I grew up in a Baptist church! So I think that this series will be especially interesting for you, since we come from similar backgrounds. (I find that the issues people have vary based on what they were taught. Mennonites would have different issues with Catholicism than Baptists would, etc). Thanks for joining us! It’s going to be great!

  2. If a label is needed I’m a Pentecostal. More so, I believe that God is manifest in 3 -Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I believe that when the veil was torn in the temple the moment Jesus died (after all, he died for us) that we have direct access to God. We need not rely on a priest, saint, father, mother, pastor or preacher to reach God. He seeks a personal relationship with us, one that is two-sided….like a good conversation with friends.

    I understand what you saying about a religion started by a man, but it is a slippery slope as well. Catholicism, the more I learn, has many hands in it’s pot per se.

    • I was taught we have direct access to God, and I still believe we do. (I’m not sure that Catholics would say we don’t… just that that’s not the way they usually do things. I know they don’t JUST pray to saints, for example. They pray to God, but they CAN pray to saints too, if they want to. We’ll get into confession in a future post–still researching 🙂 ).

      And what do you mean by “many hands in it’s pot?”

      • As a minor clarification: we don’t pray TO saints, we ask the intercession of Saints. Just as we ask holy men and women in our lives here on earth to pray for us, we also ask holy men and women who are in heaven (and therefore closer to God) to pray for us. This is part of recognizing that there is one Body of Christ, just one, not one on earth and one in heaven. (Communion of Saints) 🙂

        • Ooops, yep. That’s what I meant, but totally not what I said. Thanks for clarifying!

          I think of it as Catholics pray “Through” saints. The saints are the vehicle that takes the prayers to God, not the ones actually making anything happen themselves.

        • @Beth anne- Let me ask you? What is prayer? What is intercession? What is to have faith in someone or something? First prayer is worship- its a form of worship, the same as singing, bowing, etc. So when praying to someone or for intercession IT IS WORSHIP. Second you can’t say you just pray for intercession. It’s sill praying to saints. You can’t get around it. I seen it with my own eyes. someone loses something, they pray to saint Anthony for intercession. You lose something, you pray to a certain saint/once a man/ a person to help you find it. Jesus said he is the only mediator between man and God, there is no other way. No other person, no other saint. And by the way those saints are sleeping- waiting for the return of our Lord. They can’t hear you. God said the dead know NOTHING. They are just sleeping. When Jesus returns the dead in Christ will rise first and then the living. So to think God has or needs a bunch of saints, saint for lost, saint for pregnancy, saint for rain, saint for growing, saint for hunting, etc is crazy. what happened is these saint took the place of all the roman Gods. The Romans had to have a God for everything to pray to. Stop trusting in Saints and turn to the one true God of Heaven. He alone you can go to. He is our mediator, our Savior, our hope, our life!

          • Hello Tara,
            Yes I have often heard your point of view and every time in makes me wonder.
            I wonder how did I find God and know that it was through my parents. I also wonder how others have. Did Jesus simply appear to me or any of the other believers?
            I suspect that most found Him through others by perhaps word or example.
            Wouldn’t that then make them a go between or a mediator between that person and God?
            I’ve also thought that God became man to that man could have a hand is in own salvation. And better yet what of those that have, let’s say, drifted from Him only to be brought back to the saving grace of God by another. Is that not mediation, is that not some form of intersession by someone other than Christ Himself.
            I ask the saints to join me in petitioning the Lord in prayer and I ask others to do the same. Would not my prayer for you now be a prayer of intercession?
            The Bible tells us that the saints do exist and that they do carry prayers.
            Did not the departed rich man intercede for his brothers?
            Rom 15;30 Join me by your prayers to God on my behalf
            2Th 1;11 we always pray for you
            Eph 6;18 making supplication for all the saints and for me

            Did not Jesus converse with Elijah and Moses, saints long gone by that time?
            Romans says that, death cannot separate us from Christ, so yes the saints are dead but not separated from Him and of course they are not Him but they can intercede on our behalf

            Thank you,
            Eric

          • Actually, to “pray” means to ask, not to worship. Think of how in Shakespeare’s time they would say, “…I pray you…” and make a request.

          • I don’t agree they are sleeping in the sense that they can’t be aware of us. Scripture says we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, it would be strange to say that if they were asleep. And what about when Moses and Elias joined Jesus at His transfiguration, were they asleep? Revelation 5:8, John writes that the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God as “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” If the saints in heaven are offering prayers to God, then wouldn’t you agree they must be awake? And what are they praying for, if not us? Those in heaven don’t need our prayers, those in hell can’t use prayers either. To pray means to ask, what are they asking for?

  3. First, I just have to express how much I am in awe of your courage to seek the truth. It can be challenging to sift through the information, the emotions, and process everything.

    I have read half of the book, Surprised by Truth. I also have the 2nd book, but haven’t read it yet. Sometimes I listen to the Journey Home radio program (also available on EWTN), and I’m always struck by how amazing God is, by the ways He works in our lives. Completely unique to the individual.

    I grew up Catholic, but didn’t completely understand the richness of the faith, and fell away in my teens. During my early twenties, I had a longing for God, and went out to seek Him. I’m forever grateful that He led me right back to my roots. Yet, this time, I researched everything I could about the faith. I had a lot of reconciling to do with what the Church believes, and what I believed. I delved into the WHY, behind (what I thought) was a restrictive religion. I was surprised to find true freedom and true faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paired with my Bible, was what helped me to understand all the tenets I had wrestled with.

    Then came my day of reckoning. My heart surrendered, and the change began. I professed my faith, had a good Confession, and amended my life. Because of Jesus in the Eucharist, I am home. There are no words that adequately express everything, yet God knows. And I know, because of the mercy I have received, that He calls all of His beloved.

    I’m looking forward to reading more posts about your journey (wherever it leads). Thank you, for sharing something so personal. You remain in my ardent prayers.

    • Thanks, Melanie. I’m a little nervous about how this is going to go with the more “preachy/teachy” ones coming up… Since I’m still researching all of this, I’m hardly the expert. But the more I research into the things, the more I’m learning. And I want to share that knowledge with all of you! Both to the Catholics and the Protestants. Both will benefit from this, I think.

      Love your story, by the way, and thanks for the prayers. 🙂

  4. Martin Luther was one of the greatest Christian people in history. He stood up against a giant who was perverting the bible. I’m not saying that is the case now in Catholicism. The best thing to do if you are questioning, is not read or rely on church history, but read and study your Bible over and over. Then you will be a Christian. Not Protestant, Catholic, Lutheran, etc. And you can be Christian and sit in worship in any of those churches. Worship God. Know God. Be you. I would love to hear about your journey but not if it is conversion to a “church”. You are Christian! Know the Bible…know your beliefs! Excited for you to be seeking deeper faith!

    • Yes, someone definitely did need to stand up against what was going on in the Catholic church, that’s for sure. But I’m not sure if I agree with the way he did things. I am reading, reading, reading as much as I can, let me assure you! And yes, I do consider myself a Christian, not really a member of any denomination. But I want to make sure that what I believe is based on the truth, not just what I was always taught–which I’ve learned a lot of which is incorrect. Hope you’ll join me through the whole series!!

      • Hi Brittany,

        I admire your courage to walk your spiritual journey with the blog world. I will keep you in our prayers as you seek truth. As a “cradle Catholic” who knows that the Catholic Church is the fullness of the faith, I always enjoy hearing how the Holy Spirit works in others lives to bring them to the fullness of the faith. The Church was established BEFORE the Bible was written and if you look back in history the first Christians were Catholic with mass celebrations and liturgy. A great book about where the Bible came from is this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895557967?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0895557967&linkCode=xm2&tag=aslofsmli04-20

        Also have you heard of Scott Hahn? Protestant preacher who was out to save all the Catholics from hell who had a conversion to Catholicism. His book Rome Sweet Home is amazing too: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0898704782?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0898704782&linkCode=xm2&tag=aslofsmli04-20

        I look forward to following your story and will pray for your journey!

          • I am looking forward to reading your journey. Am I the only guy here?
            Anyway, if I may suggest, there is one book that is really good which you may connect well, because of your faith foundation.

            “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” by David Currie.

            The one thing that I hope you have noticed, which will help you sift between the ‘official’ and non-official authoritative voice of the Catholic Church, is that there are many Catholics that are not faithful to the Church, so I hope and pray that the Lord will grant many graces to discern the truth from opinions.

            The books you are reading now, I went through them 16 years ago, and many, many more. I will keep you in my prayers. Without struggles and pain there is no Easter/Resurrection. If there is anything I can do to help, just ring.

        • Thank you Tracy and Antonio,
          I grew up Evangelical (the daughter of a pastor, no less) and became Catholic on my own at the age of 19, to the horror and disappointment of my family. People have to understand the history of the Church and the Bible. Any scripture Jesus referenced was the old testament. The new testament wasn’t even around. Jesus left us men, human beings, to spread His teachings. That is where the Church began. (Well with Peter to be exact). Those men taught others, and those others taught others. And eventually a new testament was put together by the Church (Catholic). Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it (the Church). Yes, there were some bad things going on in the Church, but that’s no reason to start a new one. Protestantism was a protest to something. What? THE Church that Christ started. I mean, Peter himself denied Jesus! But Christ still chose him to lead His Church. It’s SO hard to understand this when you are brought up Protestant. The Bible is NOT the only way to know God. It was never intended to be. I’m not trying to ruffle any feathers here–I cherish the Bible! I feel like Protestantism is not complete, which is why they say that Catholicism is the “fullness of faith.” Scott Hahn, Steve Ray are good sources to name a couple. I agree that Born Fundamental, Born again Catholic is a good book. God bless you on your journey.

          • Well, I don’t think Martin Luther was TRYING to protest the entire church–just some very bad things that were going on at the time. It’s crazy what a little much-needed reform turned into!

      • You might consider doing a little more research on Martin Luther. He NEVER wanted to start his own church. He only wanted to open a dialog and try to change some of the church practices that he felt (through intense Bible study) were unbiblical. He wanted reform – not division.

  5. Excellent post! I love that you challenge to know what we believe and why we believe it. I attend a Protestant church, and have done quite a bit of study for the reasons you mention. So when asked, I call myself a Follower of Jesus. I look forward to following your series. So glad I found you through Jenny and Women With Intention.

    • I’m glad you found us! I’d love for you to continue to follow along and share some of the things you’ve found through your studies as well. The more knowledge, the better!

  6. I have to agree with Jill that reading the Bible is the only way to truly know God. I grew up Southern Baptist and accepted Jesus Christ at age 12. My only concern about reading these types of reports is the same as I feel happened in Martin Luthers time. ONE person has an opinion and it can sway the course of history. Books have been left out of the Bible as we know it today -because a man King James -didn’t think they should be there. I’m going to read your story and pray that the Holy Spirit enlightens us all.

    • Absolutely. Don’t just take MY word for it. I’m just one person. But my hope throughout this series is to bring you a wealth of Scripture verses and other important information that I’ve learned along the way too. To encourage people to really think about what they believe and make sure it IS Scripture, instead of just to blindly believe what they’ve always been taught because they’ve never really thought about it.

  7. I’m not really going to give an opinion either way (I know I love and worship Jesus and that is all that matters to me) but I just want to say that I admire your courage in posting this. People can be very specific and heated in their opinions and more power to you for being true to yourself and your unique faith.

    • Thanks, Jessy. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous how people are going to respond once we really dive into things, but I definitely think it’s a subject worth diving into! I really hope you’ll continue to follow along. 🙂

  8. Brittany, I grew up Catholic, but I did not exactly “grow up in the church.” I was baptized and confirmed. I went to private school, but only because my parents didn’t like the public school. We went to church on Easter and Christmas, but that was pretty much it. I felt that I couldn’t relate to anything at all when I went to mass. From what I can recall, it was always about duty. If you do this, then you get to heaven. If you follow these rules, then God will love you. That didn’t sit well with me. I became a non-denominational Christian when I moved away to Seattle for school. It opened up a whole new world for me. I have always believed in God, but now I actually know Him. Good luck on your journey.

    • I’m sorry that you had a poor experience with the church. I have a difficult time relating to mass too, especially since I don’t yet understand so many parts of it and why they do all the things they do. And I’ve spent the last few years in a great non-denominational church too. It was definitely my favorite church I’ve ever attended.

      I do know that it is not supposed to just be about duty though, even if it comes off that way sometimes. I’m addressing faith vs. works in two weeks. I hope you’ll check back!

      • I was born into a Catholic family, and raised a Catholic, and never left the Church. It is true that some things can seem legalistic and routine, just like in any other church. The kids go on Sunday to the Baptist or Lutheran churches/worship because the parents believe to be important; same with Catholics.
        Having been a full active member for almost six decades, from my experience it has always been about being holy. Sure there are things we do and NEED to do, specifically because Jesus makes it very clear that those who love Him and will be saved are the ones that DO the Will of the Father.
        Regarding the Mass, all I can tell you is that once you understand what REALLY is going on, it will blow your socks off. There are many things I could recommend on this, but a couple stand out:
        Scott Hahn’s “The 4th Cup”
        and Dr. Brant Pitre’s talks and works. You will find a generous amount in “Association of Hebrew Catholics”.
        Roy Schoeman, an former Jewish/atheist Harvard professor also has great resources under “Salvation is from the Jews”
        Enjoy a whole new world that you never imagined existed; the seamless between … Well, I will let you find it in due time.

      • If you want more information about the Mass and the parts of it, a great book to check out is The How To Book of the Mass. It tells what all the parts mean, their origin, and the Scripture that backs them up. 🙂

  9. This is a really interesting topic! I grew up in a Pentecostal church but I have never considered myself to be a part of any denomination and to be honest I don’t know to much about any denomination except for the one I grew up in (Pentecostal), so I am really interested in hearing more about what you are learning!

    • Honestly, I don’t know a ton about the different denominations either. We attended several different churches growing up, but of course they don’t get into all their core beliefs during a Sunday morning sermon. So glad you found this series! Hope you learn a lot! (Follow along and I know you will 🙂 )

  10. What a wonderful series you are starting. I can not wait to go on this journey with you. I am Church of Christ. Last year while living in Louisiana we attended a Baptist church. Now we are back at the C of C and I’ve been thinking a lot. What if I had grown up a different religion? Would I think that it was the only truth? Sure. So is that why I go to the C of C? Is that what I believe? As life evolves and we grow in the faith I think it is good to ask questions. We need solid food instead of milk like a baby as we grow. Like I said, I am excited to learn with you!

    • Thanks Heather 🙂 And yes, I KNOW what you mean! I’ve spent the last year questioning everything I believe to see if it actually has any basis in Scripture or if I just believe it because it’s what I’ve always been taught, and I found quite a few things were off! So glad you’re coming along for this journey! We’re going to learn a TON!

      • You will find that some things in Scripture can be interpreted one way or another; Baptist, Lutheran, Calvinist, Catholic, etc. In the end every one is faced with the question: Which one is the true interpretation? Which one did the apostles adhere to, or the earliest Christians were taught and practiced and believed? The beliefs that they died for, martyrs such as Ignatius of Antioch, or Polycarp.
        You are in for a very rich journey, and it seems that many people will be following. Have fun enjoying the blessings the good Lord is pouring into your family.

        • That’s a big part of what I’m trying to figure out now. What did the apostles believe? I imagine if anyone had a chance of getting things right, it would be them!

        • Thanks again Antonio, you are so loving in your responses. I think it’s a great route to go–reading the teachings of apostles and the early christians. Seeing what they wrote, what they taught, what they believed.

  11. I have recently been learning about how some holidays are really traditions of man and where merged with pagan holidays. Also, the Catholic church has alot of idol worship. I am focusing on the Bible and traditions of God (found only in the Bible). Listening to rules that men made up is not what we are called to do. As Christians, we are to follow the God of the Bible and His word only. God bless.

    • Actually, Angel, the Catholic church doesn’t worship idols at all. (whew!) I’m actually addressing that very thing in next week’s post about misconceptions on the Catholic church–I really hope you’ll check back! There’s no pressure to become Catholic by any means (I’M not catholic). My purpose is only to share some new learning that you can do with what you will. And who can argue with a little more learning, right? 🙂

    • May I know what idols your are talking about? Maybe I could shed some light on your misconception.

    • Where in the Bible does it say to only follow the Bible?

      I think when people come to recognize that Sacred Scripture was recorded and preserved by the early Church and the canon chosen by the Fathers of the Catholic Church, it throws people off. It’s hard to lay down personal preferences and consider the fact that for over 1,400 years, we all had the same Scriptures and same practices of worship – as was decided upon by the Catholic Church. As Brittany said, it wasn’t until Luther, Calvin and others came around that Scripture was changed to fit the beliefs of those men and still it does not say to follow Scripture only. Even those from Sola Scriptura based confessions don’t really believe Scripture only as the founders and leaders of those groups developed their own guidebooks, prayer books, and books of interpretation to supplement the Bible and their practices.

      Idol worship? That’s strictly prohibited by the Ten Commandments which all Catholics follow as all Christians are obligated to as well. There is not idol worship in Catholicism. There was a wise man named Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said, “There are probably only 5 people in the world who hate the Catholic Church for what She actually stands for, but millions of people who hate her for what they think She is.” I would hate a church offering idol worship too but it’s a mistake to blindly believe such misconceptions and pass them on without having taken time to learn the Truth.

      God be with you on your journey, Brittany. I will keep you in my prayers and pray for the Holy Spirit to enlighten you with wisdom and knowledge.

  12. Hi, Brittany! Kudos to you for digging deep in your Christian faith!

    In your post you ask, “BUT, what gave Martin Luther the right to pick the beliefs he wanted to pick and to abandon the rest? Who was he to get to say what was Scriptural or not?” To answer your question, I would gently suggest that GOD gave him the right (Acts 17:11, John 5:39). Christ-followers are supposed to examine the Scriptures and determine by the leading of the Holy Spirit what measures up and what does not. How are you so certain this is not precisely what Martin Luther did? Unless perhaps you can point to one or more of his theses which are clearly against the teachings of the Bible?

    I’m in agreement that you shouldn’t base your faith on the teachings of a man. I’m confident that Martin Luther would agree with you, as well. As he would with your assertion that “we’re called to repair, not divide.” His goal was for reformation in the Catholic church. He wasn’t seeking a following. In fact, the introduction to the theses states that they were written “out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light.” Thesis #92 states: “Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, ‘Peace, peace,’ and there is no peace!” He wasn’t urging church members to leave the church; he was bringing sin to light, and urging the laity to get rid of the wicked church leadership. Sounds like reparation to me! 🙂

    • Agreed! At least initially. I still have more research to do on Martin Luther, but from what I’ve heard and read so far, he wasn’t *trying* to start a new religion, but to fix where the Catholic church had gone astray. That is great!

      BUT… the problem was that, while he did address some serious problems in the Catholic church at that time, he also created just as many new ones of his own… And for more on that, you’ll definitely want to check back over the next couple of weeks when I dive further into that! I’d love to hear what you have to say 🙂

      • I wouldn’t say that Martin Luther created as many problems as he addressed, have problems grown out of his movement? Yes, absolutely. Any institution in which man is involved is going to at times get it wrong. Over time those mistakes pile up. The Catholic Church at that time was incredibly currupt, going as far as restrictions on the commoner from making scriptural interpretation and therefore dictating doctrine from the pulpit to control the masses, and selling salvation as if it could be sold. Was this all through the church? No. But it was prevalent enough to be frightening.

        • Someone definitely needed to stand up to what was going on–I’ll give you that! But now I’m wondering if Protestants have gone so far in the other direction that they are just as much off the mark? (Rhetorical question bc there really isn’t an answer to that lol)

    • Actually, Jennifer, if you would read his 95 thesis, you would find that they were about as Catholic as one could be. In his day there were many really great holy men and women, and also many priests and monks that lived the good life. Doesn’t is sound somewhat like what we see every where today.
      The question we must ask is this:
      Was the Catholic Church teaching things that were erroneous, or was it that many of the people were not living up to her teaching? There is an enormous difference here.

        • I think in those days it was a bit more than just a few; corruption and sexual sinfulness was a way of life for more than should be in some areas. They had made vows and were breaking them. They were not living what they taught.
          One event, which took place some 350 years before, was with St Francis of Assisi. This had a profound impact on me.

          After his conversion and drastic change of life, people thought Francis had gone nuts, but as time passed they were touched by him and began to hold him as a saintly man. A priest at a local village was living with a woman; broken vows, fornication, etc. The villagers harassed Francis to go and chastise the priest. Finally one day, Francis caved in to the requests and went.

          Knocked on the door and the priest opens. Francis dropped to his knees and grabbing the hands of the priest kisses them and says: “These are the hands that bring me Jesus.”

          Without the priest there is not Mass, and without Mass there is no Eucharist. This was a humbling moment for me where I learned to differentiate the sinner from the office of priesthood.

  13. I am so glad you are sharing this soul searching and fact finding adventure. I grew up with many church influences from Methodist to Presbyterian. I have seen an influx of people starting full gospel and non denominational churches that have become more like country clubs. Members often don’t understand the basis of their faith and won’t question what they are being taught. Where I live in MS, we have churches and gas stations every 3 miles. The gas stations are full and the churches are empty. It looks like religion and not faith is being heavily pushed everywhere I look. Your post comes at a time when I too am questioning my beliefs and digging into the church’s past. I’m very excited 🙂

    • I’m glad that this series will be so timely for you! I definitely have a TON of information to share, and hopefully it will inspire you and encourage you as you head on a journey of your own. 🙂

    • Have you had a chance to follow along with the series? I just posted the conclusion (with a giveaway!) this week, and there’s been a ton of information in between! I’d love to answer any further questions you may have!

  14. I am a cradle Catholic. I did fall away a bit, never to another religion, but just plain away. I married a man with no denomination and a few years and a few kids later he wanted to become Catholic. At the time his reason was to be the same as his children, since I was baptizing them Catholic. One or so years later, he met a group of faithful traditional Catholic men. He began to spiritual grouping and learning more than I even knew. Since then, we have become very much involved in our faith. We have 9 children. I do go to confession. I even joked with my husbands non-Catholic cousin that it’s harder for me to sin because if I am making the decision to sin or not, I tell myself “do I really want to confess this out loud”. Lol. Deters me, most of the time. Haha anyway, good luck and many prayers in your journey to find the One True Church. J. M. J.

  15. I too, and non-denominational(I’ll explain why later) grew up in the Catholic Church and Parochial School, and drifted away after I graduated high school. At the age of 20, a young man approached me for a date. Our first date was a state fair in September. Our second was a Bible Study. By November I had recognized my need for a Saviour, and dove headfirst into the Word of God…not man. The more I studied, the more the Holy Spirit showed me that much of what I had been engrained with all my life did not line up with what God actually says in His Word.
    Scriptures that state that
    “forbidding to marry and abstaining from meat are doctrines of devils”,
    Another that clearly states that talking to the dead(praying to/through already dead people) is called necromancy and is forbidden by God.
    Canonizing of saints when scripture calls ALL true believers saints.
    Calling priests “Father” so & so when God says you shall call no one Father but your Father in Heaven.
    That there is a gulf between heaven and hell that no man may pass, therefore there can be no “purgatory”.
    Worshipping Mary(which btw is a doctrine Martin Luther still held onto) as a sinless and perpetual virgin when she herself declared her need for a Saviour and Joseph clearly had other children.
    Worshipping Mary as Queen of Heaven ( again she would need to be sinless), yet when John on Patmos describes the Throne room of Heaven, she is no where to be found.
    There are so many more…but the one verse that really set my back to the Catholic Church, was a verse I had heard about. 2 Peter 1:19. I wanted to see for myself, and I didn’t have a computer yet(20 years ago) so I asked my husband’s cousin to search it out for me. It took her weeks to get back to me, as she said her dial up had been so slow and it took forever too find that verse in the Roman Latin Vulgate( the Bible of the Vatican). When she brought me the print out, I nodded my head and said, “Thank you Father for showing me Truth.” The verse in the “protestant” Bible states, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy: whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your heart.” – 2 Peter 1:19. We, as Christians, understand the daystar to be Jesus.
    I don’t know much Latin, but the word for daystar in the Roman Latin Vulgate was unmistakable….it is “en Lucifer oriator cordibus”… and Lucifer arise in your heart.
    That my friends, is either a gross misinterpretation of scripture, or they knew exactly what they were writing.
    After that I went to prayer. Deep prayer. Asking Father to show me how to spread the Truth to the Catholic Church, many of which were my family. Suddenly, out of no where, people were giving me bags of books they were gong to throw away, from which i found several expose’s of the history of the Catholic Church. One very interesting and eye opening book by an ex Vatican priest and another called “50 Years in the Church of Rome” by Father Chiniquy. Also, right at that time, a gentleman was on the radio(never heard him since) who totally exposed the wicked organization within the Catholic Church, called The Jesuits, who have even murdered popes.
    I had relatives who were a priest and two nuns. The priest is no longer a priest, he couldn’t live under the forbidding to marry or as god calls it, “doctrine of devils”. The nuns of course would not listen as they had been so engrained with the lie that only ordained priests can understand the scriptures and told me I shouldn’t be reading the scriptures without “their” interpretations.
    I am NOT trying to be critical or cause bad feelings to Catholics. After all, if there is one thing that I realized is that 99.9% of Catholics do not know their history, and I was one of them, so i speak with compassion and absolutely NO malice.
    Now that you are searching, I would ask you to earnestly pray and ask ONLY Father to show you the Truth, as I did.
    I leave you with what I believe to be the most important and life changing verse in scripture, Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you have never known before.” Who does God say to go to???? HIM! and He will show you great and mighty things which you HAVE NEVER KNOWN BEFORE!!! This means He wants to take you by the hand and teach you things no man has ever or could ever!!!!
    But! You MUST have ears to hear and a heart that is willing. Just be ready for the most amazing journey you have ever had and it will last the rest of your life!
    Shalom(God’s fullest Peace)! and know that I am praying for you! 🙂

    • Thank you so much for taking the time to write out such a lengthy response! (and to do it in such a polite fashion). It will take me a while to address every one of these concerns (especially the couple I still need to research more) but I WILL look into each of them! I sincerely hope you will not just automatically write off the Catholic church, but will stick around for the series. I’ve been doing a TON of research and I’m going to be addressing many of these things in depth! (and yes, from the Bible!) I think you’ll really enjoy it. And anything that doesn’t make it into the series, I will email you about. Sound good? 🙂

    • So, I found excommunicated (ex-priest) Charles Chiniquy born in 1809 in Kamouraska, Quebec.

      Quoted from site: “By all accounts, he was then very devout in his faith… He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1833. In the following years, Chiniquy was an assistant priest and later a pastor at various parishes in Canada and in the United States. During the 1840s, he led a very successful campaign throughout Quebec against the evils of alcohol and drunkenness. This was unquestionably the high point of his career as a priest.

      In 1851, a Baptist minister named Louis Roussy agreed to participate in a public debate against Chiniquy on the subject the Catholic Church and the Bible. At the time of this debate, Chiniquy was still a Catholic priest, and, in the words of the late Rev. Sydney Smith, “he talks just as a Catholic priest would talk, except for the repulsive egotism and browbeating which is all his own.”

      Roussy was a Swiss immigrant and a leader of a Protestant missionary society. According to the records of this society, “a decisive motivation” of the organization was the conversion of Catholics to Protestantism. Chiniquy, later the same year, published a transcript of the debate. It was distributed widely in Canada in the 1850s.

      The text of this document … is a clever piece of work, and although not very deep, it is nonetheless remarkable for the clearness in which Catholic principles are set forth and defended. Sadly, a few years later, Chiniquy committed a series of acts of immorality and other unfortunate wrongdoing, which ultimately led to his excommunication from the Catholic Church in 1858. The reasons for this excommunication are discussed, in detail, in the essay Pastor Chiniquy (by the same Rev. Sydney Smith, quoted above).

      Not long afterwards, Chiniquy became a member of the Presbyterian church. He was ordained as a minister in 1860. Chiniquy spent the remainder of his life making inflammatory speeches and publishing derogatory books and pamphlets assailing the Catholic Church. He died in 1899.

      Today, very few readers are aware that Chiniquy once debunked the very same allegations which he later made against the Church. In this context, it is worth mentioning that Chiniquy, after he became a Protestant, never, either in English or in French, in lecture or brochure, in any way whatsoever, attempted to refute his own powerful arguments in favor of the Catholic Church.

      Unfortunately, the anti-Catholic books and pamphlets of Charles Chiniquy are still being sold and circulated. Many are available, in full, on the Internet. It is somewhat astonishing that his tirades were not laid to rest with his bones.

      ………………………. (being sued for defamation) We may, too, on the same ground of Chiniquy’s proved untrustworthiness reject all that is to his purpose in what he has to say about the Spink trial in chapters lvi and lviii … the authentic report of this case in the hearing at Urbana, on October 20, 1856 … only the barest entries were made in those days, and the sole record of this particular hearing is “Spink plaintiff, Chiniquy defendant, cause slander.” ”
      ======================
      I guess as a priest he had already gained fame as a slanderer and was being sued. Didn’t learn his lesson, after the Church tried to work with him, and was later excommunicated.

      Once a slanderer always a slanderer? Some people just can’t help that Habitual Sin. As Jesus says, their later state is much worse that before.

      Anyway, here is the site with all the documents.
      http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/apologetics/Charles-Chiniquy-Anti-Catholic.htm

    • Regarding Lucifer.
      There is a misunderstanding here. Here is the whole verse:
      “…dies inlucescat et lucifer oriatur in cordibus vestris…”
      As it can be seen, it is lucifer, NOT Lucifer. Additionally, it is a Latin word that means light-bearer.

      The biblical origin of Lucifer begins in Isaiah 14:12, “How you are fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning!” This quote is from the King James, but the Hebrew text says “How you have fallen from heaven O morning star, son of the dawn!” Note that the Hebrew text does not contain the proper name of any god. This means that the King James is using the Latin word in English, as a name (improper translation). While in Heaven, before the rejection, this august angel was the ‘light-bearer’ of God. After the heavenly rebellion, he became the opposite, darkness, and his new name is Satan, devil, demon, etc, but NO LONGER Lucifer.

      When Jesus comes, He becomes the Light of the world; both in message and in person. HE is bringing the light of God into the world; the Real ‘light-bearer’. Anyway, the context is critical for a proper understanding.

      Hope this helps.

    • Hi, Robin! Were you able to follow along with the rest of the series? Did it answer your questions about Catholicism, or are there any other questions I can address? I just posted the conclusion (with a giveaway!) this last week, and there’s been a TON of information in between!

  16. Wow, thanks for sharing. Very interesting blog post! I became a Christian when I was 16–I have been a part of several denominations in different cities I have lived in (not Catholic though, I honestly don’t know much about the intricacies of Catholic beliefs). There is certainly no perfect church this side of heaven, yet God calls us to be a part of the body and I do believe we grow through being involved with other believers. Looking forward to reading more about your journey! 🙂

    • Thanks Summer! I’ve church hopped a lot too, though–like you–never knew anything about the Catholic church until very recently. (That kind of happens when you marry into a Catholic family, I guess!) I can’t wait to dive into this series and learn more together!

    • Hi, Summer! Were you able to follow along with the Protestant/Catholic belief series? Did it answer your questions or are they any more questions I could answer for you? I just posted the conclusion post (with a giveaway!) this week, and there’s just been a TON of information in the weeks before that. Would love to hear any thoughts/questions you may have!

  17. Brittany, thank you for being open and sharing your journey with us. Although I am very confident and firm in my faith (as a non-denominational Christian), it will be interesting to follow along in your journey as you share what you are learning. I will be praying that God leads you to His truth and righteousness.

    • I’ve always been REALLY confident in my beliefs as well. That’s why I was so surprised when I really started studying and reading and found so many things that I’d always believed weren’t actually Scriptural at all! I promise I won’t try to convert you one way or the other–just to share what I’ve learned so you can do with what you will 🙂

  18. I am interested to see where you will take this. Definitely a hot button topic! It sounds like there will be a lot of twists and turns down the road. I won’t add to this conversation either way because it seems like both sides have been covered pretty well. I just want to wish you luck on the journey, the research and writing aspect of it. It all sounds very exciting!

    • It sure is! Feel free to jump in any time though, even if your point of view has already been stated. It helps me see which topics people are concerned about so I can make sure that I cover them. and it helps me see if it deserves it’s own post or if it’s something I should just email the person about individually 🙂 And yes, I am beyond excited too!

  19. Brittany,
    This is such a big topic to tackle and I am so impressed that you are tackling it! I was raised protestant and attend a non-denominational church. I am one who believes that your faith, and relationship with God is the most important part of life. What type of church you attend does not matter, only that you love God, seek to serve Him, and believe that through faith, and faith alone, we are saved.
    I look forward to reading more of your post!
    Haley Lillibridge
    Grace, Purpose & Pearls

      • Awww… thanks for the vote of confidence 🙂 I must say, I’m feeling a little (okay, a LOT) underqualified as I continue to research, research, research and read all of the comments on here, but I know it’s not about me, it’s about God, and so I’m just praying that it will go well, and be very enlightening, friendly and accurate. So if you try to talk to God and get a busy signal… that’s definitely probably me holding up the line 🙂

    • I was surprised when I did my research 16+ years ago and learned that the Catholic Church had burnt a bunch of Italian bibles in the 15th(?) century (too long ago to know where I learned it) because the editor had added the word ‘alone’ to Romans, which had never been there. This was the same mentality that Luther used in his German translation of Romans (“for clarity” I believe was his stance). Many Catholic scholars believe that one of the reasons that James wrote his epistle was to correct that interpretation of St Paul’s letter.

  20. Hi Brittany! I don’t claim a denomination either. In fact, the church I belong to is “interdenominational” and we claim the Bible. We are taught by scripture…not traditions. I would encourage you not to be swayed by what religion seems “more appropriate,” but to find a church home where the focus is on God’s word alone. Only the Bible is God-breathed.

    During your search, I hope you’ll check out the series “Know Your Enemy.” It is a very powerful picture of how Satan corrupts and leads us astray. If only just to get your wheels in motion.
    -Alli

    http://youtu.be/HDDGl79x4Pc?list=PLCED9C361662866BD

    If you’re interested, I can send you a podcast link for my pastor’s sermons. We’re very blessed to have found such a wonderful teacher.

  21. I am excited to read this. My parents were Catholic growing up and converted to a non-denominational church when I was 4. I grew up protestant. Recently, my parents converted back. I am very interested in hearing your story. Thanks for sharing.
    Stephanie @ managingahome.com

  22. It would be so much easier for a discussion about these things to be a conversation rather than a comment! You’ve tackled a huge topic, but it is one we all ought to be doing daily – examining the Scripture to see if what we are being taught is true (Acts 17:10-11). I understand that the focus of the series comes from your current frame of reference. In the end, the question is not really one of Catholicism vs. Protestantism (or any other major religious system) but one of truth vs. error.

    We must follow Jesus, not any man. Identifying with mainly Protestant beliefs does not necessarily mean one is following Martin Luther or that one agrees with everything anyone associated with that system claims. Luther was not the only one who disagreed with the Catholic church, and many different men have contributed to the development of Protestantism over time. Our ideas about doctrine must be based on the Bible and what the Bible says about the Bible.

    Truth does not always repair; it often divides. Jesus himself stated that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Mat. 10:34), and His presence challenged the major religious system of the day. To many, Jesus is a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (Rom. 9 and 1 Pet. 2 quoting Is. 8). We ought to strive for a manner that does not give offense but understand that the truth may offend.

    Repair is not always the best option for a broken system; sometimes a replacement is necessary. Simply adding truth does not adequately deal with major error; it is often necessary to completely rebuild on a foundation of truth (Mat. 9:14-17, Mk. 2:18-22).

    May the Holy Spirit give you great grace and understanding as you continue to navigate your search and this series.

    Blessings, Abi

    • Right, I’ve never been one to take a label, so I don’t really care who says something (whether Protestant or Catholic), but speaking about the Catholic church provides a good frame of reference. I am definitely diving hardcore into the Bible to see what it ACTUALLY says instead of just following what religious leaders have told me all of my life, which is how I became a Protestant in the first place. As a result, I’ve found that quite a few of the things I was taught aren’t actually based on Scripture! I really hope you’ll stick around and see what 🙂 Not that you have to convinced or converted (I’m not), only that you’ll have more information at your disposal 🙂

    • Love the TRUTH part, because in the end that is what we should all seek; Jesus = The Truth.

      It is true that “Luther was not the only one who disagreed with the Catholic church”. There were others in his own day, that disagreed with both the Catholic Church and him, in extremely important issues, and between Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli, things got pretty ugly. The three pillars of the Reformation could not agree on what was essentials and began THREE different churches. Can we expect things to have gotten better?

      Actually the landscape is a bit worse, and more diversified yet. The Oxford Encyclopedia puts it at about 35,000 variations/denominations (but uses erroneous math). To be factual it is more like hundreds (maybe thousands). So, in 450 years it went from 3 into hundreds.

  23. Hi Brittany!
    Thank you for sharing at Women With Intention Wednesdays- you will be the feature tomorrow 🙂 I grew up Catholic but consider myself a non-denominational Christian. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!

  24. Brittany,
    I am looking forward to reading about your process of delving deep into Scripture and the history of Christianity. I am a convert to Catholicism. I was raised Evangelical and took a detour through agnosticism before God used my love for a friend to call me not only home to Him, but home to the Catholic Church. I love to go deep into the study of theology, and I the more I study, the more rational and beautiful the Faith becomes to me. Beyond all the history and theology, however, there is the reality of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist that makes me fall to my knees in awe of the love Our Lord has for us. He wants us to be united to Him and each other BOTH physically and spiritually, and there is nothing that compares to receiving Him. He truly is with us as the Incarnate Son until the end of the age. May God bless you as you continue your journey.
    In Christ,
    Megan

    • Aww, what a sweet story! I get a lot out of the knowledge and facts based side of things too. Not that I don’t have faith, but seeing all the facts line up really strengthens my faith. Sounds like we’re similar in that! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series!

  25. Hi Brittany,

    I grew up Catholic and then became a saved Christian at the age of 15. I think it takes courage to reevaluate your faith, and I believe that God welcomes our questions and longs to fill us with knowledge of who He is. Currently we attend a non-denominational church and love that emphasis is placed on Scriptures, not on a label. In the end, instead of splitting hairs on a label or a certain doctrine that’s more correct than the other, what need is God’s Word and believing salvation through Christ. May we all not judge according to a denomination, but use the Word of guide as the light to our path that it should be. I’ll be praying for you on your journey of faith and look forward to the other posts. BTW- you’re featured this week at the Sat. Soiree & Social Media Share. Many blessings to you!

    • Yay!! I’m so excited to be featured again! Thanks! And yes, I don’t really care about claiming a label (which is why I don’t currently have one–other than just Christian), but I do think that it’s important that we all-regardless of our label or lack thereof–know what we believe and why! Hopefully this series will inspire everyone to really look hard at the truth and see what they can find. 🙂

  26. I wouldn’t say Martin Luther created more problems than he addressed. Time itself did that for him. Man will generally get things wrong because we are, after all, flawed. Over time the things that have been gotten wrong can pile up. I do believe the Catholic church has made course corrections over time within itself, and outside of the Catholic church course corrections have happened in the form of denominational splits, sometimes those splits led to better doctrine, sometimes worse. It’s one of the reasons I count myself as non-denominational. I’ve come to the point of thinking that every denomination probably has a few things wrong and we’ll probably only find out the complete truth when we reach Heaven. Meanwhile here on earth we should still do our best to find the truth, not saying we shouldn’t, but we do need to have grace for when we get things wrong.

    I find it interesting that Church history is so crucial to your story. I personally find it horrible that Church history is so little understood and am rather grateful for the education I received in it growing up. There is so much that even people raised in church are never taught! I really wish teaching of Church History was more common place.

    • Re: “every denomination probably has a few things wrong and we’ll probably only find out the complete truth when we reach Heaven” — I agree completely! And my purpose in this journey is just to try to discover the truth as best as I can with the information and resources I have available to me. And to inspire others to do the same! If I end up claiming a denomination, fine. If not, that’s fine too.

      I’ve never been a history person AT ALL. But that quote “To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.” was one of the first things I read on this journey and it really stuck with me. And the more I’m researching, the more I’m finding out that I never knew before!

  27. Brittany —

    I am a cradle Catholic. One of the most beautiful blessings of Catholicism is the gift of Christ in the Eucharist and I am so excited that you will be covering this topic. It will be interesting to see the Eucharist from your perspective.

    I am looking forward to seeing the Catholic Church through your eyes; sometimes another perspective can help enliven and deepen a Faith that I might otherwise be tempted to take for granted.

    I am so impressed by this journey you are taking. The process of reviewing what you believe and making sure that you are pursuing Truth is so important. I will definitely be keeping you in my prayers as you are making this amazing journey.

    God Bless,

    Tahlia

    • Thanks, Tahlia! Having a new perspective really does help. I’ve loved hearing some of the things my husband has had to say about the Protestant church we visited–things I never would have thought of!

      For me, it’s knowledge that deepens my faith, and that’s what I hope to uncover here. And to inspire others to do the same! Thanks for joining me for the journey! and for the prayers! I’m going to need them!

  28. Brittany,
    I am so excited that I found your blog. I too have been struggling with the religion from my childhood. I have grown up Methodist, but my maternal grandmother was an Episcopalian and I went to church with her a lot. I have been on my journey for a year now. The first book I read was “Surprised by Truth” and I have read a few more since then and my Amazon wish list is filled with 100s more:). I feel like I am reading my thoughts. The first time I went to mass I had this awesome feeling come over me, I felt at home. I have been back to the Methodist church once since I started this journey and it just didn’t seem the same. I consider myself a Catholic but I look forward to going through RCIA so I can make it official. Good luck on your journey.~Tina

    • Do you have plans to start RCIA soon? I’ve found it very interesting. Honestly, I’ve learned just as much or more by researching on my own, but it’s really great to get an “insider opinion” and real person clarification that you can’t get from books.

      • I want to go through RCIA but the time they have it is during the middle of my daughters dance class. After researching for a year and finally coming to the conclusion that this is where I belong I hate that my schedule does not permit. I think I am going to try and go this coming week and see what the time commitment will be to be able to take my first communion. I feel I need to do this sooner then later because I have an 11 year old and 7 year old that I will also have to bring into the church. I am so excited to read your blog and follow your journey.

  30. Well it took me a while to get here, but I’M HERE! (lol)

    Brittany, good for YOU for seeking truth and exploring your faith deeper!! I have so many questions and concerns about the Catholic faith and the relentless rules and doctrine that they carry within the church. I grew up Methodist- no idea the difference between that and Protestant. I am a BIBLICAL Christian. That’s all I say I am.

    I loved reading the comments here. LOTS of good stuff for you to pray about and consider and research while you are in your journey for God’s truth.

    Religion is a messy thing. Faith isn’t. Just remember that it’s all about FAITH.

    God will honor your pursuit and your questions… He loves it when we seek Him further with hopes to deepen our FAITH!!

    I will be anxious to read the rest of your series, my friend!

    • Hi! Don’t worry, comments are still rolling in! (Almost faster than I can keep up. It’s 1 am and I’m still replying!!)

      I think Methodist is a form of Protestant, but I don’t know a lot about what they believe, so I can’t say for sure.

      Thanks for joining in! 🙂

    • My dad (a cradle Catholic) calls Methodists (my mom’s denomination) “Catholic light,” and I think it’s a pretty accurate assessment. Methodists observe Lent and Advent, but pastors can marry, or be women. Also, the communion sounds much the same (in words) as Catholic, but it is believed to be a symbol, not an actual living form of God, if that makes sense to you. There is also no confessing to the pastor. There are some other things, but that’s a good basis.

      and yes, Methodist is a form of Protestant

    • In terms of Christianity, the mainline division is Catholic and Protestant. The Protestant confessions are all those that protested and broke off from Catholicism either directly (like Lutherans and Calvinists) or indirectly (like Baptists, Anti-Baptists, and Methodists). Today’s non-denominational communities, evangelical free churches and large mega-churches (like Willow Creek) are all Protestant as they tend to be breakoffs of breakoffs. Someone posted earlier that there are well over 40,000 Protestant denominations today but still only one Catholic Church.

      If you are interested in doing some really scholarly reading and exploring, I recommend Dave Armstrong. He was a Protestant apologist – someone who defends the Faith – for many years before reading and being surprised by the Truth. So many things he had been told as a child were simply falsehoods – much like the false notions Robin posted above. His blog is at http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2006/07/books-by-dave-armstrong-one-minute.html

      Many blessings to you

  31. First off, I just want to say how refreshing it is to see an open-hearted conversation about faith. I will keep you in my prayers as you go through this journey. I was raised Catholic, and never really had a problem with the faith. But in my teens I started exploring other Christian faiths. In the end I found that I was most comfortable with the Catholic faith, but didn’t really live it. When my Husband and I were engaged, we met two very holy priests who helped explain some of the reasons we do or believe certain things. It was then that I started doing more research and since fell in love with the faith. Our family does its best to live faithful lives, but it’s a constant struggle. (Confession was always one of my favorite sacraments – probably because I need it so frequently!) I look forward to reading more of this series. Thank you for sharing it with us!

  32. What a great journey! Thank you for sharing it, and I look forward to upcoming posts. I too was raised Protestant (Methodist, then Presbyterian) and that in and of itself is one of the things that strikes me. Many Protestants “church hop” like my family did, based on the particular pastor or congregation that “suits” them. I converted to Catholicism at age 30 after a long, winding journey through agnosticism and even exploration of Judaism and Eastern religions. I just couldn’t ever “give up” on Jesus (as He never gave up on me, praise God.) I was surprised to find all of the truth I was seeking in Catholicism. I love how it is rooted in history, and how it is ONE – all over the world. No more church hopping based on what I “like” at the moment. I love how it appeals to the mind (I’ll never plumb the depths of all of the great writings and teachings on Scripture), the spirit (it admits and even teaches that some things are just a mystery) and the body (the holy water, standing and kneeling, going to confession, and especially the Eucharist get my whole body involved in my faith, even when my mind “isn’t there” on any given day). I was floored to realize the Church, its traditions and practices, existed BEFORE the Bible was written, and that having the wealth of knowledge of theologians and priests throughout the centuries could help me understand Holy Scripture better than I ever could on my own. I know the Catholic Church isn’t perfect, but I do believe it is Holy. I could go on and on, but I’m not trying to convert anyone. I just came to the very unavoidable realization that it was the one, true Church for ME.

  33. I look forward to reading your posts, Brittany. You mentioned wanting facts, not fluffy personal stories—the book that helped me most when I was trying to understand the Catholic Church is “Catholicism vs. Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating. He doesn’t bash protestantism but calmly answers their objections with well-reasoned arguments for the Catholic position. Also, you mentioned having a hard time connecting with the Mass. I highly recommend “The Supper of the Lamb” by Scott Hahn, a former Presbyterian minister who converted to Catholicism (and now teaches theology) and has very deep insights into the Mass as the fulfillment of the book of Revelation. It’s fascinating and might help you!

    God bless!

      • Both are excellent books. Remember to add also from Dr. Scott Hahn “The 4th Cup” to understand the the Last Supper, Passion, and Mass better. And Dr. Brant Pitre also digs into the Mass and why Catholics do the things they do; the roots. It will open doors of understanding that are really hidden in what we do. Since you are dealing with lots of subjects, David Currie’s journey, “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic”, is one of the finest, much more meat that Surprised by Truth.

  34. Hi! I just wanted to let you know I went through a similar experience. I converted in 2010 to Catholicism, having been raised in an independent, fundamental Baptist church my entire life. My biggest problem was reconciling science with my faith, I just was NOT buying that the Earth was 6000 years old–when I discovered that the Big Bang Theory was formulated by a Catholic priest, my journey started. It seemed like I opened a new can of worms every day, the more I read about Catholicism. I couldn’t turn back to my old faith since all of my illusions were stripped away. Becoming a Catholic actually felt like coming HOME. I am a new blogger, so I will probably post my own conversion story soon 🙂 If you haven’t read it yet, David B. Currie’s “Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic” was really good. It hit home time and time again. I look forward to your series! God bless!

    • Hi, Janie! Thanks for sharing your story! We have a lot in common. Please share the link to your story when you write it–I’d love to read it! Hope you enjoy reading mine as well.

  35. See the following:
    biblechristiansociety.com
    Free downloads and free CD’s by John Martignoni.

  36. God bless your journey, Brittany. I grew up a Pentecostal Protestant, and had varying questions that no one seemed to be able to answer. A scandal occurred at my church and I fell out of the loop of any church for a few years. When I became engaged, I began RCIA because my husband was Catholic and the priest asked me to do this prior to marrying. I was ok with that and never intended to actually join the Catholic Church, but guess what? My questions were answered! And continue to be answered. Learning the history of the Church was a huge help in my conversion. And though scandals occur in the Church (as anywhere) and I struggle to find a place in my current parish, I know I am in the right place as a member of the Catholic Church.

    I look forward to your series!

    • Thanks for sharing your story, Nicole! I’m in RCIA too currently and not sure if I will convert or not. It’s still very up in the air, but I have learned a LOT through the process!

  37. Thank you so much for being openly honest about your faith. This is beautiful! I read Surprised by Truth last summer and as a cradle Catholic was blown away by the journey of each person as they came to share in the fullness of our Christian beliefs in the Catholic Church. I will keep you in my prayers and look forward to following this series!

  38. I was actually Mennonite but have left them.. Now I am a simple believer- no denomination, just seeking God.

    • Well “seeking God” sounds like the perfect place to be to me! Hopefully reading my journey will help encourage you and equip you on your own. 🙂

    • Hi, Nancy! Just going back through old comments to make sure everyone was addressed. Were you able to follow the series? Do you have any questions? Last week was the conclusion post (with a giveaway!) and we’ve covered a LOT of information in between! I’d love to answer any questions you may have. (if I can!)

  39. I have had this same conversation many times throughout the years. I was raised fundamentalist baptist, attended a conservative baptist bible college, read many different books about church history, anti-catholic, evangelical apologetics, etc. I am in my 50s now, having raised my kids in the mostly non-denominational evangelical church(es). We were the home-schooling, conservative, evangelical christian family. I was always very (outwardly) sure and firm in my evangelical protestant beliefs. inwardly I had doubts. Mostly I had observations that the majority of “evangelical non-denominational christians” were shallow, weak, and luke-warm. I also observed that the vast majority of “catholics” that I knew were not interested in their church, spiritual life, or relationship with God. I had been raised to believe that catholics were not true born-again christians, but my personal observation and experience was leading me to believe that there were very few REAL christians in any denominations. The few REAL christians that I felt I had like-minded spiritual communion with tended to be CATHOLICS. Not to say exclusively, of course. I believe there are true believers, that are true born-again christians that are catholic, protestant, and “unchurched”. The older I get and the more I see, the more disappointed I am in the modern evangelical non-denominational churches, and the more I am drawn toward “Reformed Presbyterian” and old-school Catholic. I have read all the comments with interest and look forward to joining you in your journey.

    • You are always going to be able to find good and bad examples in every single denomination. I encourage you not to try to make a decision based on people and their behaviors. We’re all sinners and prone to mistakes (sometimes lots of them!). Instead, I encourage you to look at the teachings themselves. Hopefully this series will be a good way to do that 🙂

    • Dina, things sometimes look really bleak. When those around us fail to be the basic minimum we expect from Christians we can truly feel at a loss, and disillusion can set in.
      I can honestly say that every Catholic is called to a high degree of holiness. This is the continuous call that we hear from the Catholic Church (CC). Through the centuries, some have reached such a level of holiness and intimate union with the Lord here on earth that the Lord, through Grace, transformed their physical bodies to a point such that they have not decayed. We call them the Incorruptibles. Sadly, I have also seen just about all on the opposite end, and done my own share of sinning. In the end it does not matter because when I die it will be Jesus and I on that Judgement Hour.

      With this thought in mind, it is always my goal to keep the eye on the champion and winner of the race; Jesus (Heb 12). The way I see it, there never has been a time when things got as bad as when Jesus underwent His Passion. Just a few hours before the Passover, He feeds thousands and then tells them that ‘unless’ they chew His Body and drink His Blood, they will not have life and will not abide in Him. At these challenging words, roughly 10,000 walk away in disbelief of what they were hearing; cannibalism.

      It is also at this hour Satan enters the heart of Judas. Poor Peter is a bit dumbfound by what he was hearing. So we see that in no time at all, a crowd of 10,000 that had been fed miraculously vanishes. One of his disciples betrays Him and sells Him for silver, another 9+ run and hide, one denies Him three time, and only ONE stays with Him till the end.

      My question is this. Have you seen it this bad anywhere? I haven’t, but it has been depressing nonetheless at times. So we must seek the TRUTH and follow that Truth wherever He may lead us. And our desire to be faithful to the Lord should be what drives and sustains us every day, even when things and people are a real let down.

      It is important to understand that our love for the Lord and humble faithfulness and obedience bring spiritual healing into the Body of Christ, and graces pour out for the good of mankind. So, when we see those around us that have forgotten their first love (Rev 2:4), it is our responsibility as Christians to pray for them (1 John 3:16). By practicing this we are growing in charity and mercy, becoming Christ-like.

  40. What a journey you are on. I was raised non denominational protestant. On staff at my mega church, then full time missionary.
    Now I am passionate Catholic. It has been a beautiful journey. I love my faith and I am so thankful for the strong foundation I walked into the church with. I am quite open to discussing my story, if you come across the need to chat. May Christ be with you.

      • Always! Your 10 myths about the Catholic faith caught my eye because by 20 year-old son’s (make up your own church) friends were questioning him about why Catholics “added books to the bible.” He tried to explain to them that Catholics have not added but others have removed books from the bible because they didn’t like what they said. I’m not sure they believed him but at least he put the idea in their head!!

        • That’s something. Hopefully they’ll begin researching it for themselves (or he’ll show them some sources) that will let them know the way it really happened.

  42. Cradle Catholic here. I have enjoyed reading your post today and am looking forward to further reading about your journey. Though I never left the Faith, I was not always aware of the fullness and beauty of the Faith I grew up in until later on as a young adult. During the pregnancy of my first child, I felt myself slowing being drawn in further, all of a sudden, it meant more to me because there was someone else to think about. As the years have gone by and I have read and studied more, I am absolutely where I am meant to be. I LOVE hearing about people’s different Faith Journey’s, as we are all on our own unique path to find the Truth that God wants us to know. Over the years, I, at times, have discovered more of the beauty and richness of the Faith I grew up in through the eyes and Journeys of my convert friends. Best of luck as you follow your unique path and I look forward to reading what you are learning! Trust in God and enjoy the Journey Brittany! God Bless!!!

  43. Like Yvonne, I was raised Catholic and slowly slipped away in my late teens/young adulthood. My father was Catholic and my mother was Methodist. We were raised Catholic with a Protestant viewpoint on many Catholic tenets when my father wasn’t around. I grew up realizing there are many people with strong faith that are not Catholic. I married a United Methodist man and he started to go to his church, so I went with him. I found that I appreciated his faith and loved the people in the small church (25-30 attendees every Sunday), but it was not my ‘home’. I also found that some of them hated Catholics with a passion. My husband slowly started to skip church and I found myself going there alone, so I decided to return to my Catholic church and my ‘home’. That brought around a new search for the differences between Protestant and Catholic since I was always looking for the common ground. Consequently I have discovered a deep, rich faith that is based on the apostles who followed Christ while he was on earth instead of those who have made the ceremonies murky. With that logical reasoning, I have come to better understand the Catholic faith and especially the mass. My mom has a deep faith in God, but hasn’t been to a Sunday service for probably 40 years. I tease her about it and she calmly asserts that her faith in God is strong and within her. I can see that by her life, but I think she is missing out on some great sermons by staying home on Sundays. Glad to see others have been interested in delving into the rich history and theology behind Catholacism. Check out Matthew Kelly – I love his simple explanations of the faith. I am also looking forward to this series Brittany, and I thank you for your research. It is always great to get to the bottom of things – the real truth – through a thorough research.

    • Hi, Maureen! Thanks for sharing your story! I love how you talk about getting to the “bottom of things” and finding the similarities. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do here. Identify our beliefs, and then find out which ones are actually biblical and not. Hopefully this series will inspire others to do the same 🙂

  44. I was born and raised Catholic. I work at a Catholic Church and attended Catholic schools my entire life (even college). I attended youth group, went on mission trips, and regularly attended Mass. Once I started working for the church, my thoughts on being Catholic for the second time (first time was college where I studied Theology) were thrown for a loop. My boyfriend is Lutheran. I have been attending services with him for the past 3(ish) months. It is my understanding that Martin Luther didn’t mean to start his own religion, only to stand up to what the Catholic Church was not doing right. He felt that certain teachings were wrong, and people agreed. I don’t know whose say it is other than God’s, so it’s important to turn to scripture. I’m currently on the same journey as you only going the other way. I just want to do what is right, but for now, I consider myself a Christian and continue having these types of conversations with my boyfriend and others about the difference between Catholics and Protestants. I look forward to the rest of the series!

    • I’m happy to hear you’re on a journey as well! I really hope you will join me throughout this series and that you will share the things you’ve learned as well. I’m not trying to say one denomination is right or wrong (though that inevitably will happen on several points), just to discuss Scriptures and issues to find out where the truth lies. Thanks for joining us!

    • Hi, Marti! Just going back through old comments and making sure I replied to everyone! Were you able to follow along with the series? Last week was the conclusion post (with giveaway!) and we have covered a LOT of ground in between! I’d love to answer any questions/concerns you may still have. You said you enjoy discussing Catholic/Protestant belief, and there’s a LOT to discuss! 🙂

  45. I LOVED you piece on the 10 Misconceptions. I was raised nominally Catholic. I tried some other churches as a teen. As an adult, I found myself very attracted to the faith of some of my neighbors who attended Calvary Chapel and was wondering what they had that I was missing. I prayed for guidance and heard God say loud and clear that I needed to learn my Catholic faith. My first thought was that I would learn it and I would be able to wipe my hands of it after all I knew what everyone from Calvary Chapel was saying about the Catholic Church. In my search for answers I too read Surprised By Truth and then Rome Sweet Home by Dr. Scott Hahn. Not only did I fall deeply in love with Jesus in a different way than ever before, I saw the fullness of Christianity through the Church. I have learned that most Catholics don’t know why the believe in certain things, they just believe. I have also learned that a Catholic who knows their faith is someone to be reckoned with.

    • lol. My mother-in-law keeps telling me that Protestant converts make the best Catholics because they KNOW their stuff 🙂 If I do ultimately become Catholic, I’ll be bringing a whole boatload of knowledge with me! Hopefully this series will inspire everyone–Catholic and Protestant alike–to learn more about the what and why of whatever faith they choose.

  46. Thank you for all you’re doing! I am a cradle catholic. Like almost catholic royalty in my neck of the woods as my great, great uncle was Abbot of the local Abbey. That’s justa joke between me and my primitive baptist preacher husband, who says the same thing about himself. He comes from a line of preachers. During college, I began to doubt my faith. I continued to go to church as always, but knew I would keep an open mind. And that is exactly how it went when husband came along. Sadly for me, I realized “too late” how much I am happy to be part of the Catholic faith. While engaged I decided to not have our children baptized catholic. It breaks my heart now, but I know God will take care of them. Anyway, I’m happy you’re finding your path and I hope more Catholics who have strayed can find their way back.

    • It’s not too late to have them baptized! I will be doing a post on infant baptism on March 11th. You should invite your husband to read along in this series with you. I’d actually LOVE to hear his thoughts on a lot of these things. I was raised Baptist 🙂

      Oh, and also–just some food for thought–when our boys were first born, my husband was Catholic and I was not (and am still not) so I wasn’t comfortable baptizing them in the Catholic church. We went to a meeting to learn all about it and I researched, but I just didn’t agree. So, my husband baptized them himself on our living room floor (with me there, of course. I was in full agreement). Of course, now I think they both have to be re-baptized just to “make sure” but it worked for us! lol

      • Just a thought. It may not be too late physically to have your children baptized, but as she mentioned her husband is a Baptist preacher. I can’t speak for this particular couple as I don’t know them, but I don’t know any Baptist preacher that would allow his children to be baptized Catholic. I’m not in that same situation, but another where I just need to trust it all to God to work out.

  47. A very exciting journey as it can only lead you home! I am a cradle Catholic, We went to Church every Sunday and had to dressed in our Sunday best! I went through a number of years during my teens that I hated the parental mandate of going to Church “while you live under my roof.” After I moved out, I had an unfortunate incident with the parish priest. It took a long time before I stepped foot in any church! Later, I was tired of the emptiness inside. Something was wrong with me, I just knew it. I needed something. Without a lot of searching for answers, two things brought me back to the Catholic Church. One was the realization that my parents really believed what they taught us. Despite all the fighting and tears and anger that I caused, they continued to go to Church, even though they no longer “had to” for the kids. They really believed it, and they would come out of Church happy and still holding hands almost 60 years later. That meant a lot to me. The other thing that brought me back was that the Catholic stood firm. What it taught at the beginning is what it teaches now. I came back. There are teachings that I don’t always understand, don’t know how to explain, but I take it on faith. I believe in the Catholic Church and what it teaches. In the past 25 years, I have learned more and more. I don’t know everything and some things will always be taken on faith. That is what faith in God really is: trusting in Him, even when you don’t feel Him or understand Him.
    God bless you on your journey and thank you for your inspiration to others!

  48. Hey- I just wanted to say Inshare a similar journey, in that I married a Catholic girl and converted from Protestantism. Just one minor quibble, in discussing Luther, you say “No one’s perfect, even the Church.” The best explanation I have heard is that. “The Chirch is a perfect and godly institution run by imperfect humans.”

  49. Brittany,

    In your research, you will want to explore baptism (including who can baptize) and how “re-baptism” is understood in the Catholic church. You might find some interesting truth there as well.

    I look forward to what you will bring to this conversation. I am a cradle Catholic married to a non-Catholic.

    Mary

  50. This is great Brittany! It’s is 1:09 am here and I should have been in bed a while ago. However, I just had to start at the beginning of this series and read all the comments.

    I am excited for you and your journey; and thrilled that you are sharing it with all of us. It takes tremendous courage – and a huge leap of faith – to put yourself ‘out there’ for all to see and examine.

    I’m not sure what else I can add to the conversation, other than to suggest reading Jeff Cavins, and listening to his Scripture studies. It was his Great Adventure, Bible Timeline, that taught me a lot of the Church history that I now know. Oh, and if feasible, go to Rome and Assisi. Amazing, beautiful, historical, and faith-filled!

    I actually had chills when reading two of the comments: the one lady who was able to work out getting to RCIA; and your last comment about the Baptism scheduled for March 11th. My question is, is that baptism for your children or yourself?

    I look forward to reading this entire series! I am a cradle Catholic who has probably learned more about her faith in the last 10 years than in my entire life before that. It took going to Rome and then teaching the faith to my children that got me here. And my journey is far from over…

    • Hi, Heather! Up so late! To clarify–March 11th is the day I am posting about Baptism. I was already baptized when I was in elementary school. It wasn’t in the Catholic church, but the church still considers it valid. Both of my children were baptized by my husband, but I think they have to be re-baptized “just in case.” I’m confident he did it right, but the church just wants to make sure. And it’s not like it will hurt anything… Not sure when this will happen. They said there’s no rush. They just need the paperwork eventually.

      Good luck on your journey as well! Hope you enjoy the rest of the series 🙂

  51. I was Catholic,and protestant and Catholic again but today I am Christian only,following JESUS TEACHING, and the apostles, after seing the monuments in the vatican and the story of Nimrod and Baal and Semiramis, written on the history of humanity and Babilonia.no more religions or churches made by man,i was healed and restaured by the name of Jesús.

  52. I am so proud of you for doing this! I was born and raised Catholic. I have also lived smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt my entire life, so I get asked many questions about my religion frequently. I am still a devoted and practicing Catholic, and I love my religion! My husband and I were married in The Church even though he is Methodist. He is prayerfully considering conversion but I don’t want to push him. It must be of his own desire to convert, not my desire for him. We attend Catholic Church every week and practice Catholic life practices (such as the sign of the cross, Catholic prayers, Lenten rules, etc.). He is very smart and knows the history but he says he’s waiting for something to really move him to conversion and this series of posts may be it. I know that the Catholic Church has made mistakes in the past and Martin Luther was brave. I don’t know that he even intended for the split that followed. His original intentions (if my studies are correct) were to merely correct the Church, not create new churches that were so divided. I so look forward to seeing your journey studying all about The Catholic Church.

  53. Thanks for the post, I was born and raised Catholic, but it wasn’t until college that I started to really embrace my faith. I always told all my friends that it was a horrible idea to date a protestant (no offence), simply because I didn’t think it was fair for the children to have two parents who were both strong in their faith arguing all the time. I also saw how hard it was on my own mother to have a strong faith, but not be able to turn to my dad to share some of the deep moments of encountering God through the Catholic Church because he wouldn’t understand. Well God had a different plan for me and I ended up dating a protestant my senior year in college. We both thought it was crazy we were going to date because of the religious differences, but felt a strong call from God to pursue our relationship. We went into it saying we would seek God’s truth and pray that if we were meant to get married God would unite our beliefs (which was tricky because I fully believed that the Catholic Church was the truth and had no room for doubt in my heart, where as he believed protestantism was the truth, but as a protestant they are taught to follow where the Bible leads them so he was more open to exploring to the truth of the Bible, and of course he assumed that may mean a different branch of protestantism, but for sure not the Catholic Church). We went to each others’ churches and he would come to adoration with me. Going to his church was a big eye opener. It helped me to see how protestants could believe certain things and the ways that they were taught to read certain text and how that could seem to logically disprove the Catholic Church. For a while the relationship could be painful, what we both loved the most, God, seemed to be what also separated us the most. I remember nights sitting on the stairs crying as he told me I worshiped Mary and that lead me away from Christ and how it was so painful that I couldn’t express how Mary only drew me closer to Christ. .. Sorry this is way longer than expected. Anyways, at times our relationship seemed hopeless, I deeply loved him because he was such a man of God, but we didn’t know what to do. Eventually he started going to RCIA classes because he figured that either way he would get to know what the Catholic Church really taught, and that would either lead him to believe the Catholic Church was the truth, or at least he would know how to better argue against Catholics because he knew their real beliefs and not myths. Through those classes and talking to a missionary who knows Greek and was able to sit down with him and open up the Bible and show him scriptural support through the Greek and a closer study of Jesus’ actual words, he has fallen in love with the Catholic Church. It is still a shock to me, and very hard on him because so many people doubt him and think he is only doing it to marry me. When in fact I am proud to say, I think he is more in love with the Catholic Church than I am and can quote half the Bible to prove his beliefs. It is such a lesson to both of us that we have to follow Christ no matter who disagrees with us or turns away from us. I wish you well on your journey, and know that God will lead you to His truth which will only produce a more fruitful and deep relationship with Him! God Bless!

    • lol. No offense taken. Being non-denominational Protestant and Catholic was never a real issue for us. People would ask how we could be married when we didn’t believe the same thing, but honestly, all of the day-to-day things ARE the same. Whether or not the Eucharist is real, confessing to a Pope is necessary or praying to Mary is right… none of that really impacted our lives Monday through Saturday. (Is that bad?) Those were all just details to me. And I was fine raising our boys Catholic. I never was anti-Catholic, just saw all the denominations as variations of the same thing. We both believed in the trinity, Jesus’s birth, death and resurrection, Heaven someday, helping others, etc etc… and that was enough for me.

      Love your story! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

  54. Hi Brittnay,

    I am actually very excited to read about your journey, especially that I feel like I am questioning those same things. I was adopted at 9 into a very loving christian family and have been a nondenominational Christina ever since. My parents put me into a private school that “prepared” us to go out into the world and be able to defend our faith…kind of. Unfortunately, that teaching crumbled my first semester in college when I took a philosophy course and ever since I have not been able to get to the way things used to be. Somehow I still have not lost my faith and belief in God despite being persuaded by atheist friends and professors towards other beliefs. I will admit that my beliefs have definitely changed and I am actually glad that I went through all the trials that I did, unfortunately, now I feel like I am in limbo. I still call myself a Christian but I never feel at home. To add to this my boyfriend of almost 3 years is Catholic and we are pretty serious about our futures together but my family does not approve of him being Catholic. He has been teaching me more about the catholic way and I am very open to learning. Honestly, I have no problem attending mass with him and I’ve actually realized that we aren’t as different as I used to think in a lot of the beliefs we have been taught, major ones at least. (I can go into detail about a lot of things that I still don’t understand too and that still bother me from time to time but I won’t. Although, it does make me sad sometimes when I can’t participate in communion when I have done it so many times at my own church – I understand why but still.) I have also realized that I’ve started to really dislike the teachings of my previous church (one I grew up in and the one my parents have been active in for the last 20 years and still are – nondenominational church) that has also added to my questioning of everything that I have been taught so far. It also doesn’t help that for some unknown reason my parents dislike the Catholicism so much. Please don’t get me wrong, they are good and loving people and I love them with all of my heart, but it has been hard to see their reactions whenever I say that I’m going to mass with my boyfriend instead of their church, which I left as soon as I came back from college. It has not been easy dealing with any of it and I still haven’t really decided on anything, I’m trying to figure it out like you. I’m just glad to hear that I’m not the only one searching for truth though, so thank you for starting this. I can’t wait to see what happens to you on your journey as I try to figure out mine lol. Sorry for the length of this comment btw.

    Julia

    • It’s okay, I completely understand! My parents haven’t expressed disapproval… they just haven’t really said much of anything at all. Hopefully we’ll both learn a lot through this series and find some sort of peace at the other side. But hey, at least we’re in it together, right? 🙂

    • Hello, Julia.
      It is always wonderful to hear what the Lord is doing in our lives.
      I am going to provide a link for various Catholic videos that are easy to follow and are filled with precious information. There are different topics, such as Deep in History, Deep in Scripture, and then general conversion stories that cover a multitude of backgrounds and topics.

      Also beware that, since this is YouTube, there may be some links provided that are NOT 100% faithful to the Catholic Church, although they may seem that way. Anyway, anything from http://www.EWTN.com and The Coming Home Network is solid stuff. There are plenty of others, such as http://www.Catholic.com and also http://www.SalvationHistory.com
      I hope this, along with what Brittany will be sharing for the next weeks will be very helpful to you in your journey.

      http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIDebJFlV5aIsFs2jzxASrQ

    • Hi, Julia! I’m just going through some old comments on this series to make sure that everyone’s questions and concerns were address. Were you able to follow along with this series? Did it answer your questions or do you still have any other questions or concerns we could discuss?

      I just posted the conclusion post this last week, and there’s a 3-book giveaway set I thought you might be interested in if you are wanting to learn more!

  55. I am anxious to follow your journey. I think its very exciting. To those of you who say all you have to do is read your bible, well, the bible wasn’t put together until 400 yrs after Jesus rose from the dead. It didn’t just fall from the sky. Besides, if you only have to read the bible, then why are there so many different churches all teaching different things. They can’t all be true. They can have some truth, but only one can contain all truth. Jesus came and vhose 12 to start His church, as He said. We need to find which one that is. Jesus came with authority from the Father, who did He give His authority to? It even says in scripture, that some parts are hard to understand unless you have an interprter. I don’t think its as easy as just reading the bible, because, we don’t understand all the background. Yes, this will be very interesting.

  56. I was raised Freewill Baptist and came home to the Catholic Church when I was in my late 20’s. I think my mother’s utter disdain toward Catholic’s prompted me to find out more….little did I know, the truth would reveal itself slowly through my investigations.

    Things I had been told as a child about Catholics were twisted and untrue, easily done when someone doesn’t fully understand the faith (for example, Laura’s post above, “From what I can recall, it was always about duty. If you do this, then you get to heaven. If you follow these rules, then God will love you.”)

    I’ve come to learn that the Catholic church has worked diligently to preserve the teachings of Christ for thousands of years, vastly different from Protestantism. Just “reading the Bible” as Jill Levenhagen claims you should do, doesn’t give you the fullness of Christ’s teachings which include the beautiful traditions, the Holy Eucharist, and the Holy Family and saints that Jesus has given us as role models to live our lives like (and for those Protestants who are about to fall off their rocker because I used the word “traditions”, please know how to decipher between man-made traditions and traditions that have been carried on from the days of Christ). I Corinthians 11:2 says, “I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you.” and 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.”

    I’m so excited for you as you make this journey, there’s so much to learn and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

    • There IS a lot to learn. And completely not the things I thought it would be either. I thought the Eucharist and Mary were the big stumbling points. Turns out you guys have a WHOLE culture and lingo that I am NOT familiar with! lol. I’m learning, though, slowly but surely. And thanks, I’m excited to continue learning too 🙂

  57. Hey. Just wanted to comment and say thanks for putting this up. I’m in a similar weird place right now; was raised Baptist but been to RCIA about a time and a half now and I’m really questioning some things. Looking forward to your journey. I pray that you find the Truth, whatever that is.

  58. I have read that book too. When I re-discovered the Catholic faith I started with a lot of conversion type stories; reading them helped me re-appreciate what I always had but some stopped caring about/lost interest in my teen years.

    I would love to hear you talk about the Church’s teaching on birth control because I know that is SUCH a misunderstood teaching for even Catholics. Also I’m excited to hear you talk about the Mass and the Eucharist…Eucharistic adoration is what brought me to my knee’s and really draw me back in.

    • I would actually love to talk about birth control. I just listened to a CD on it lately that I found absolutely fascinating. I doubt it will make it into this series though 🙂

  59. In reading glasses this post, I believe that you are coming to an opinion that the changes begun by Martin Luther were not his to make despite the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church of the 16th century. I would encourage you to dig deeper into history and explore the original, living church, Eastern Orthodoxy. In the view of EO, the RC have also drifted away from the true church.

    Good luck on your journey and may Christmas make clear your path.

    • Thanks, Jennifer. I definitely plan on diving into these matters further! In fact, I have a post on church history scheduled for next Wednesday.

  60. I find it interesting that you could not allow yourself to support a man who decided for himself what the truth should be. Here is the true divide between Catholics and Protestants. While both value TRUTH and UNITY; Catholics value UNITY most, and on the flip side Protestants value TRUTH.
    I could never follow a group of men calling themselves “The Church” who create a environment that allows for the worship of Mary & the Saints or the selling of indulgences.
    Martin Luther read fluently in Latin – he was trained to interpret the Bible by The Church. The real issues that lead him to severe ties with the RCC were not flippantly made. Common people were not able to read scripture and couldn’t understand what was being read to them in Mass. People didn’t believe in Jesus, they worshiped Mary’s statue, believed THE CHURCH and memorized the Hail Mary. Luther and others gave the Western World much more than a new Denomination. If it wasn’t for Luther – there may have never been a ‘reformation’ in the RCC – and you might not read the Bible in English probably wouldn’t even Catechize your children.
    I am a Southern Baptist rich in history, who begs to differ with your opinion (only since I didn’t see many on the last comments section I read from your second post). Well written and very interesting. Just make sure that if you are trying to write from an unbiased point of view – you read unbiased. I praise you for wanting to learn and know more – and especially for listening to your elder (mother in law) and husband. However, in your next post you mention that now I (a protestant) ‘know’ the TRUTH I will be held accountable in eternity.

    You haven’t cleared up the main issue with the RCC for me. Jesus came to fulfill the old – he is our new HIGH PRIEST. Why then does the RCC set up a new system? Instead of sacrificing at the temple, we now pray to Mary and repent to a Priest? Traditions can be beautiful, but if a Tradition makes it difficult for people to really hear the GOSPEL, then a Tradition is misplaced. The Gospel wins – it has to win – or what is the point? Jesus’ death and resurrection is the POINT, not Traditions – not my right to hold my hands up in worship – etc. If the GOSPEL doesn’t trump all of this – then non of it matters.

    • I think both sides seek and value truth–they just go about finding it in different ways. For instance: Protestants only believe the Bible and completely disregard official church teaching, while the RCC places heavy emphasis on both. In other words, Catholics follow the Bible, but not every teaching is included in the Bible (and the church didn’t even HAVE a Bible for hundreds of years) so they listen to the teachings of the apostles which they have handed down as well. See this post on why the Bible is awesome, but not the ONLY source of authority: https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/who-has-the-ultimate-authority-a-biblical-look-at-sola-scriptura/.

      And yes, the church has made some huge mistakes (on both sides), but there is a big difference between what Christianity (in any denomination) actually teaches and what it’s followers actually choose to do. My interest in this series isn’t to condemn the entire set of beliefs because a few people messed up and didn’t follow them, but to examine the Bible and beliefs on both sides to see where real truth lies.

      • Ouch! “The Bible is awesome, but not the ONLY source of authority”?! Oh. My. Goodness! Please tell me you did NOT just say that! I don’t understand this. I seriously don’t know how someone who claims to be a Christians believes that God’s Word (the Bible) is not enough. How is this even possible? I’m so sorry that you feel this way. WHY?

        • I would love to discuss this with you, but PLEASE read my post Who is the Ultimate Authority? A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura. It is based on Scripture, and it should explain a lot! Trust me, I love the Bible as much as the next person and I definitely believe it to be the flawless, inspired and authoritative Word of God. It is always going to be the #1 source for me. BUT you have to love it for what it IS, not for what we’ve all grown up thinking it is. This post should really shed some light!

      • If you truly believe that God’s Word is not enough, then I cannot continue to discuss any of this (below) with you as it will be a futile waste of time. 🙁

  61. Hey! I’m neither Protestant or Catholic, because you don’t have to be. I’m just simply Christian and I go to a Christian church (Toronto Christ’s Congregation, I think), and we are simply Christian. We follow the Bible, nothing else, and I guess that makes us not Catholics, but we’re not really Protestant either. At Church, first we sing hymns (anyone can choose one), then the adults have a person who goes up and talks and the kids have Sunday School, where they learn about the Bible and things like that. Every week the person who goes up to talk is different, and in Sunday School they have many different teachers. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that we can go to there for help and guidance, but I don’t know whether or not we believe that the Bible is all there is. At Church we learn to pray and to talk to God and read the Bible and to do as He has commanded. The thing is we don’t have just one leader or anything. There are people who are generally respected and known to be good “leaders”, but really mostly it’s just all of us working under God. He is the ultimate authority. I guess we’re sort of a mix of everything. What do you think?

    • Interesting! I think the technical term is “nondenominational.” (Nondenominational encompasses a lot of things!) There are things I like about the concept, and things I don’t. For example, what happens when someone gets things wrong? If there is no ultimate authority on disagreements? Then it ends up being each person’s interpretation for themselves…

      • Sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean about “gets things wrong”. Has the wrong idea? Makes some bad mistake? Can you clarify that please? And for there being no ultimate authority on disagreements, well, we don’t really disagree that much anyways, and we often have times where everyone sits done together and talks and prays. I guess it’s sort of a group effort to work things out. It’s interesting. 🙂

  62. In all honesty, to be a Protestant is to be closer/the closest to what God wants of us as Christians, because it’s sole basis is on the Word of God, the Bible.

    Martin Luther didn’t suddenly decide one day, “Hey, I don’t really care for this one Catholic thing, so I think I’m gonna just pick and choose what I do like and start a new church!” Uhh, no. He was divinely inspired by God! He was convicted to see the truth and the Holy Spirit led him to where he ended-up going and thus he became a wonderful Christian leader. Luther didn’t merely “pick and choose”, he realized, through divine intervention/inspiration and prayer, that what the Catholic Church was teaching and preaching, what it was doing, what it was believing, were not of the Bible (indulgences, idol worship, salvation through works, praying for the dead, etc).

    Luther’s eyes were opened to the atrocity of the Catholic Church and God led him down a path to righteousness. The Lutheran religion (which is the original Protestant religion) is a result of choosing to focus MORE on the Bible and it’s Holy teachings. It’s a result of choosing the infallible Word of God over the flawed word of man. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church was built upon and continues to grow on man’s word and not God’s (they still sell indulgences, they still teach salvation comes through works and not Jesus’ sacrifice alone, and possibly worse of all, they bend and change their beliefs and practices based on what’s popular in the world, even if it goes against Biblical teachings, i.e.: homosexuality, female priests, following other religions, etc.).

    I urge you to prayerfully take a deep hard look at what the Catholic Church teaches and condones vs what the Bible leads us to do and believe. You will probably notice soon enough that the Catholic religion isn’t a Christian one at all! I pray that you will someday see the truth and perhaps make a new blog entry then. 🙂

    • I don’t disagree at all that the Catholic Church really needed some stern correction–they definitely did! Yet, I’m not convinced that it was their doctrines that had gotten far out of whack as much as the way they were living/carrying out their doctrines.

      I hope you will continue to read through the rest of the posts in this series, as I have done a TON of research on many of the areas you have mentioned. For example, the Catholic church does NOT teach salvation through works. I explain the official Catholic view and givea very Biblical case against faith alone here: Is Faith Alone Enough?

      Also, they don’t simply make up their teachings based on what some random person decided–they do their best to hold to ALL of the apostles’ teachings, both those that were written down (Bible) and those that were passed down orally. I have a very in-depth (and Bible based!) explanation of this here: Who Has the Ultimate Authority? A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura

      And thirdly, from everything I’ve read, the Catholic church does not change their beliefs willy nilly based on what is popular. All of the main Catholic teachings today are the same ones that were taught by the early church fathers. Especially the examples you gave: the church still does and always has been opposed to homosexuality and female priests. Not sure what you mean by following other religions. I go into the history of the church here: A Brief Look at the History of Christianity

      Please know that I am 100% a Bible believing Christian. I love the Bible and value it very highly. I have no agenda here other than to find the truth to prayer and study. I really, really hope you will continue to read along through the rest of the series! There is a TON of really good information. Read it not to convert, but simply to be informed and to clear up any misconceptions you may have.

      • Okey-dokey, here’s a quick response to what you commented with ….

        1.) The Catholic Church really needed some stern correction – both then AND still even now today. They still need correction in today’s world for the reasons I stated earlier (and will now validate since you don’t want to believe me about them).
        2.) I do not doubt that you have spent your fair share of time doing Bible studies and the such, but are you formally trained in Theology? Do you have a degree in Religions of the World? Anything of the such? My father, an ordained minister does, and I learn both through his guidance and as I study the Word of God. I have access to 24/7 theology answers. It’s great! And I’m not just spewing random things I find online, I’ve done my fair share of studying, too. So, please trust me when I say that Catholics do indeed still teach and practice salvation through works/good deeds. Here’s a resource to back that up, which is actually written by a Catholic: http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/a-clarification-of-good-works/
        3.) I never said that Catholics “simply make up their teachings based on what some random person decided”. I was countering YOUR CLAIM that that was what Luther did. I was correcting you by stating that Luther DID NOT do that, like you originally claimed. Please don’t read into what I write or try to put words into my mouth.
        4.) And last – but certainly certainly NOT least – the Catholic Church DOES INDEED change their teachings and practices based on what is popular! Oh boy, do they! They always have – and probably always will … this is what happens when a religion is built on a man (the Pope) and not solely the Word of God! Below are several examples of how and the resources to back them up (I can find many more, if needed) …

        a.) Homosexuality Is Okay and We Should Not Judge That Sin: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/the-pope/10208802/Pope-Francis-reaches-out-to-gays.html
        b.) Female Priests Are Ordained and Practice in the Catholic Faith: http://www.arcwp.org

        Erika

        • I do have some formal training in Theology, as I went to a Christian Bible college and received some formal education there. Admittedly not enough, but then again, who can say they really have ever learned “enough?” But really, there are very smart, educated Catholics and very smart, educated Protestants, so it isn’t a matter of simply learning enough.

          As to the article on Catholics preaching salvation through good deeds–I read the article and that’s not what it says. Again, PLEASE read my article Is Faith Alone Enough?

          I am not trying to say either side makes things up willy nilly. Sorry if it came across that way. I do not believe Martin Luther was inspired, however.

          a. Homosexuality article: The pope was not saying homosexuality is okay. He said he wasn’t going to be judgmental of someone who is inclined to sin differently than him. I think most Christians can agree that there is a difference between having a sinful nature bent toward homosexuality, or lying, or alcoholism or what have you and actually acting on those behaviors. That’s why he said “You already know the Catholic Church’s stance.” — he wasn’t changing anything. Just saying that while the behavior is wrong, it is also wrong to treat people the way most gays have been treated.

          b. Hmm… That is news to me. Everything I researched said women can’t be priests. I’d be inclined to think that that is still NOT the official teaching of the church, but a subset with a different belief.

          c. I have to admit, I know very, VERY little about the Muslim faith (too much time researching Christianity, I guess!) so I can’t comment intelligently here.

      • Also, I want to applaud you for dedicating so much time and effort to reaching out to women and trying to equip them in godly ways! My problem is that I’m just concerned about some misinformation that you are providing to people. I fear that a person who is seeking information about Christianity and/or who are new to Christianity will be influenced in the wrong way. I am not trying to take away from your desire to do the right thing, however. 🙂

        • 🙂 I appreciate that. I don’t expect everyone to agree 100%. I’m just doing my best to research as much as possible and to be unbiased as possible and to present as much information as possible so that people can make an informed and intelligent decision for themselves, instead of just automatically accepting whatever information they were handed down.

      • As I stated above:

        If you truly believe that God’s Word is not enough, then I cannot continue to discuss any of this with you as it will be a futile waste of time. 🙁

        I am sorry and will pray about all of this.

        • Erika,

          It is obvious that your faith is very strong and I think it is wonderful that you have your father as a spiritual advisor. But it is hard for me to understand how/why you are so determined to judge Brittany and indicAte that good, well- meaning debate of ideas/faith/doctrine is a “futile waste of time.” To me, regardless of my faith/denomination, it just doesn’t seem to jive with Jesus and His teachings. I believe your faith is Bible-based. So, If there are any instances of Him walking away from a Jew or sinner of any sort because they were a “futile waste of time,” please share those instances. I believe that we are all called to be Holy and Christ-like. That means being accepting (ie. “Hate the sin, LoVE the sinner”– homosexuals). And, I certainly try every day to NOT judge others, that is certainly NOT my place. But, I can always try to love others and constantly strive to live the Gospel. Maybe you feel that you already completely live Christ’s words. I know that I don’t yet, even though I try each and every day!!

          May God bless you.

  63. I’m going to simply answer your questions: I am a Spirit-filled believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is my mediator and he’s the one and only mediator between God and man—His words. I look to scripture, not any particular leader, church dogma or tradition. And yes, I know that I know that I know that what I believe is true. 🙂
    May we all follow Christ alone.

    • Hi Cam, Everything I know about God is what he’s walloped me over the head with. Ten years ago I had a full-blown Road to Damascus experience. Thirty years before that, I had a huge experience of eternity, infinity, timelessness, perfect love, bliss, safety. We are always in eternity. I was brought up Catholic and hated every minute of it. I have tried going back to the church, but I am heterosexual and not a communist. I love St. Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis of Assisi, etc. I don’t know if I’ve ever met a priest, monk or nun who has the first idea about these saints or about God.

        • Hi Brittany, If you read an old book called “Mysticism” by Evelyn Underhill (free online), that would cast some light on this subject for you. There’s a shorter version of that book, which I haven’t read. It’s call “Practical Mysticism.” (I think.) I am pretty sure it was the 20th monk Thomas Merton who said (something like), ‘Anybody who thinks he can tell you in words what contemplation is, doesn’t know what contemplation is.” You said, “How can you be sure what you think about God is correct…? Oh, dear….words can’t express these things. If I have understood him correctly, St John of the Cross says that when we experience the absolute truth of God, that doesn’t mean we are experiencing the whole truth. If I am right about this, he also says that as soon as we start talking about these high experiences, we are no longer in the truth. I believe he means that the experience, the event, is one thing, but the moment we start talking about that we are back in our everyday mind. We can’t express these things in words. We can’t even really properly remember or recapture these things in our minds, until something happens again. St. John talks about The Dark Night, and the darkness is all about our lack of certainty, an absence of being “sure.” It is not about thinking. It isn’t that reason plays no part. But I think it’s Richard of St. Victor who talks about going “above reason” and “beyond reason.” This path–what people call contemplation or mysticiam is, I AM SURE, the best possible road a person can take through life. It’s a very bumpy road. I wouldn’t give up this journey for a thousand worlds. There’s nothing like it. Nothing on earth comes near to the rewards you receive even in this life. If I can do this, so can anybody. But most people don’t know it’s there to be done. no one tells them. You don’t have to to be anybody special to “succeed” in this work. That’s the Good News. At the back of the big Underhill book, there’s a list of lots of spiritual superstars. You can get lots of their books free online. Another interesting person is Lilian Stavely, a posh English woman who got stuff all the time, just like St Teresa did. She published her books around 1920. Stavely’s books are free to download online. So are most of St. Teresa’s, etc. Sorry for typos, I can’t scroll up to check for mistakes.

          • That doesn’t answer my question, though… If your thoughts are based on your experiences… how do you know your experiences are correct? Lots of people have experiences every day, and most of them are different. Saul/Paul in the Bible had an experience. Jonah had an experience. Atheists have experiences… If we all have experiences and come to different conclusions–then doesn’t that lead one to believe that simply having an experience is not a reliable indicator of truth?

  64. I am a Pentecostal raised young women; I put my faith on the back burner in my late teens and when I started coming back to God I want to a non-denominational Church. I am was drawn to this post and I pray God speaks to us all!

    • I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Make sure you check out the rest of the posts in the series as well–there’s a LOT of really good stuff in them that will really make you think and improve your relationship with God and you dig in and go deeper! 🙂 Link: My Journey Series

  65. I, too, am on a journey – to find God. I always knew Jesus since I was a toddler – really knew Him. I was raised Missouri Synod Lutheran (baptized and confirmed). I grew up with either Lutheran or Roman Catholic family members – so I was very comfortable in either place. I became a Benedictine Oblate 37 years ago (we are an ecumenical group!) at a local women’s monastery. I was firm in my faith and theology but I was looking for something deeper – who was Jesus “really” and how did the church worship “really” and what did the early church “really” believe and how has it changed – and should it have changed? Everything shattered when our only son died at 28; the victim of suicide. I could not find him nor could I find God. For the past five years since his death I have been searching and I am finding answers in the ancient church – Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Answers to questions I have always asked… and I am finding comfort finally. I have a long way to go and converting to orthodoxy is scary in a way, but I keep hearing come and see and you will find ME. It will be a big step if I do convert, but the alternative feels so empty. Blessings on your website and your journey as well.

    • Yes, converting is very scary! One thing I noticed, though, is that you wrote “the alternative feels so empty.” I would encourage you that–whatever you decide–you base it on fact, not just on feeling. Seek truth, not just what “feels right.”

  66. I was reared Catholic. I got saved and left the Catholic Church. It concerns me to read stories like yours when I experienced what is taught in the church. The bible has to be the ultimate authority and there is a lot of Catholic doctrine that is not backed by scripture. I’m not saying you can’t be a true Christian and be Catholic. I’m saying there is a lot of extra teachings that aren’t supported in the Bible.

    • (Just for the record, I ended up not converting). But I think the important thing to understand is the distinction between official Catholic church doctrine and what each individual church teaches. While they *should* be the same, they aren’t always–which is true of any denomination. For this series, I did my best to look JUST at official teaching (which may have been a little easier for me, since I didn’t grow up in the Catholic church, so I didn’t have a lot of the preconceptions).

      Also, even as a non-Catholic, I have to admit, there are really good reasons why not everything Catholics believe is in the Bible. Not to say all of it is true/untrue, but I really encourage you to check out the series post I wrote about why that it is here: Who Has the Ultimate Authority? (A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura). I really had to adjust my thinking after I learned the things I shared in this post, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it as well!

    • Bible didn’t even exist until the Catholic Church decided which scriptures go and which ones stay. So the Bible everyone reads now was actually “put together” by the Catholic Church.
      I’ve read in one of the comments on this post how the dead are sleeping and know nothing until the Judgement day. And sure, there are verses which support this (like Ecclesiastes 9:5,6). However, what about Luke 23:42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

      It’s contradictory! Surely Jesus wasn’t lying. So how do we decide what to believe? If the Bible is the ultimate authority we can argue about matter like this forever because two opposite things are supported in the Bible.
      And there are so many examples like this one.

  67. From my understanding, Martin Luther never intended to “start a church”, just to fix some of the terrible things happening like the selling of “indulgences”. And I think most of us can agree that those are not Scriptural.

    What am I? I’m a Christian. That is all.

    • I’m just Christian too 🙂

      Yes, I completely agree that that was not his intention (though that is pretty much exactly what he did!) I researched into Martin Luther and that whole controversy for a post later in the series. You can find all the details on that here: A Brief Look at the History of Christianity.

      I also looked into the doctrines behind indulgences–which I’m still not sure about, but what I found was really interesting! That series post is here: What is Purgatory? What are Indulgences if you’re interested. It’s a good read!

  68. Could you share how your family feels about your spiritual journey?
    Have you shared what you’ve learned about some Protestant beliefs you had never questioned before with your mom and what does she say to all of it?

    • Absolutely. Before I started this series, my husband made it clear that he would not pressure me into becoming Catholic. Of course, he would like me to be, but even with him Catholic and me not-Catholic 95% of what we believe was the same anyways, and all of the things we disagreed with weren’t things that would affect our day-to-day lives in any way. It wasn’t that I thought Catholics were wrong/sinful/immoral–just that I didn’t agree with all of their conclusions and wasn’t sure that all of their practices were really “necessary.”

      I think after reading through all the things I wrote throughout this series, he really got his hopes up, especially after how pro-Catholic the beginning posts were (like the Eucharist one and the Authority of the Church one for example). So when I told him *spoiler alert* I decided not to become Catholic, he was saddened, but we talked about why, and he understands. Many of the things I question are things he also doesn’t really have a good answer to–he just takes them on faith in the church while I do not.

      We still go to Catholic church together, send our kids to private Catholic school, pray together, and agree on the way we want to raise our children. Our son’s bedtime prayers just look a little different depending on which one of us is saying them with him, lol, so he gets both. It really isn’t a source of conflict at all, currently. My husband is always so appreciative when I teach our sons spiritual things, to which I reply…. well… I’m Christian too… lol. The label is really the biggest difference, not the beliefs or practices.

      I’ve talked to my mom about it and I’m sure she’s read through this series, but she hasn’t said much either way. I doubt she agrees with all of the conclusions I’ve come too, but she hasn’t seemed to have any problems with me changing my mind on a few things. If the situation were reversed, and she had changed her mind on equivalent matters, I wouldn’t be too concerned, as long as she still believed the essentials. I’m guessing she would feel the same. There is no tension or conflict or anything.

      • Hi! can I ask you how you dealt with the sacrament of marriage? Did you marry in the Catholic church?

        • We married outside of the Catholic church because neither of us knew it had to be in a church to “count.” We later had our marriage confirmed, or whatever it’s called. They didn’t care that I’m not Catholic as long as I agreed to raise our kids Catholic, which is fine with me.

            • Yep. He couldn’t for a while when we found out that our marriage didn’t “count.” But now that we made everything official in the church, he’s back in the clear.

  69. Hi Brittany, I grew up in various churchs as my family moved a lot. I’m now a devoted Anglican. I’ve been dating my boyfriend (and best friend) for almost six months. He’s a devoted catholic, currently studying theology. The closer we’ve become, the more naive I’ve realised I am about Christianity and how often I’ll say things like “I remember when my youth leader explained it as such”. My faith was not my own. He said at one point that he was worried I was only being so accepting of Catholism because of him. That’s not true. He’s deep faith has made me realise that I don’t know nearly enough about the faith I have, and sparked an interest to study the Bible deeper. The more I research, the more I realise that the Catholic faith is grounded in the very beginning of Christianity, unlike the reformation as you said in the post above. I discovered your blog from your post on transubstantiation, something I have struggled understanding. I want to thank you for your staight forward and logical thinking, being of a scientific mind myself. I will probably finish reading all your post this evening as I can see there is a wealth of information within. God Bless xx

    • I know the feeling of your faith not being your own! Been there! Hope you have a chance to look through this series and that you really learn a lot! (p.s. I just started a new series too, if you are interested. It’s going to be just as good!)

  70. I’m Roman Catholic. I grew up Baptist (Product of a bus ministry), saved at the ripe age of 9 at VBS, attended the Church of God with my grandmother and the Methodist church with my grandfather. Broke away at age 21 to explore a myriad of denominations, but mainly non-denominational. Explored being agnostic in the desert years. Later, after coming out of the desert, joined the Methodist church with my teen son (he wanted to go because of a girl… He broke up with the girl…). But now, I am happy to say, I have come home to the Catholic Church.

    I just found your blog, Brittany, and I am intrigued by your story thus far. Let’s continue this journey…

  71. Roman Catholic,
    Cradle Catholic at that.
    My husband converted after we married.
    St. John Henry Neumann pray for us!
    God Bless You.

  72. hi Brittany-

    I stumbled across your page tonight and am very interested to catch up on your posts and thoughts. I’m a “cradle catholic” (didn’t know that was a term until tonight) as is my husband. Through the years I’ve gone through periods of hot and cold, though have never left the church. While believing has never been an issue, sometimes it has been troublesome to understand what it means to be a part of the larger institution of Catholicism. Looking around, many parishes are literally growing old and dying out. It isn’t trendy or easy to be catholic- as can be seen at mass. I’ve always had the faith thing down- I’d like to be knowledgeable and educated as well! I look forward to reading some of the literature recommended by other commenters. Good luck on your journey!

  73. Hi! I was browsing through Pinterest and noticed a Pin that brought me to your website. I was born a Catholic, and like you, I use a lot of logic to explain certain things… My fiance was born Catholic and as a young adult converted to an Evangelist, and then left that, and last year he went back to being an Evangelist. I have been struggling with him being indecisive, and I wanted to understand your journey so thay maybe I can understand where he’s coming from. I read Scott Hahns book Rome Sweet Home, and it was so enlightening, I’m a Catholic (like I previously stated) but it’s also been a learning experience for me and one that confirms why I love being a Catholic. Thank you for sharing your experience, you are God sent!

    • Thanks, Claudia. I don’t think indecisiveness has to be a bad thing. Maybe it just means that he really cares about getting it right and wants to know for sure–instead of just accepting what others say without questioning–which is exactly what many, many Christians do.

      • I’m sorry I think I didn’t quite explain myself, he’s was indecisive as to say he was Christian and then say he doesn’t practice any religion, he “just believes in God”. And now he’s back to deciding to be a Christian. The thing is, he doesn’t want to base his decision on knowledge, he just says its more “fun” and I agree, if you don’t know the reason behind every single thing in mass, then it’s harder to appreciate… (I’m from Guaetmala, and I’m pretty sure that Catholicism is pretty much the same everywhere, but I can’t say that about protestants, as each pastor leads his church differently, the thing is many Protestant churches here (envangelists to be precise) are very anti-Catholics, and he used to be a part of one, my struggle is with that point of view he has due to his old pastor) I’m very grateful for your reply! and I look forward to reading more of your experiences! xoxo

  75. I have recent realized how much Protestant ‘Christianity’ is similar to Catholic ‘Christianity.’
    Most of the protestant leaders came out of the Catholic church, and while they ‘may’ have straightened out some doctrinal problems, the cultural ones remained and still effect most of european/american Christianity today.
    The church culture today looks little like the church in presented in the New Testament… One led by the Spirit of God, not by an intellectual understanding of scripture. I have flopped on different issues, and I can still argue either side from scripture today (for the most part). What changed is my knowing of God. Not a God of my parents or of anyone else, but a God who is personal to me… who reveals Himself to me.

  76. I know I’m months late posting this. I’m really interested in Catholicism now. I’ve done more than my fair share of faith hopping. I even identified as an atheist for a while. I went to the Salvation Army with my family when I was a child but we stopped going when I was about 10. Ever since then I’ve ready about so many religions, but I stayed away from Christianity. I grew up in a conservative town and I always felt the Christians to be very judgmental and close-minded and I wanted nothing to do with it. (Now I don’t think Christians are as judgmental as much. I realize now that any misunderstandings probably occurred because everyone involved was a little immature.) I’ve recently started looking into religions again. I’m trying to keep it a bit of a secret. Even I’m tired of how many times I’ve switched religions. I finally gave Christianity a try I like what I see with the Catholic Church. I agree with what you said about Protestantism. I find it dubious that someone could create a church to suit his own personal beliefs and the Protestant movement has so many factions it can’t possibly be coherent.

    I really hope this works out for me. I’m just a little scared because it seems like such a huge commitment.

    • Christianity CAN be a huge commitment. I’d say I’m pretty committed to it! Don’t let that scare you though. It’s not an upfront commitment like you have to make a decision right this very second and hope for the best. Instead, I encourage you to look into it with an open mind and see what happens.

      I actually wrote a blog series after this one that you might find very helpful. It’s called “Christianity: Fact or Fiction? Examining the Evidence You Need to Know” and it will take you through a lot of the big tenants of Christianity and why Christians believe what they do in a very logical fashion. Here’s the link if you want to check it out: Christianity: Fact or Fiction? I can promise you’ll learn a lot! 🙂

  77. I am a devout Catholic. Best decision of my life.

    Was raised Catholic but there was a couple years where I didn’t want to be Catholic. I researched and prayed. What got me to be confirmed in the Catholic Church was the Eucharist. Jesus fully present in Communion brings me so much joy and peace that no other could fulfill. There is NOTHING like having the Eucharist.

    • I think we all go through periods like that–where we aren’t sure what we believe or don’t want to. At least I know I did.

  78. I was raised Baptist and converted into Catholicism in 2001, partly due to Patrick Madrid’s book entitled Surprised by Truth. I struggled a lot in the Baptist faith, regarding ideologies and specific beliefs. His particular book probably reiterated what I believed to be true regarding the Catholic Church.

  79. Hi Brittany,

    I want to thank you for the way you have presented your spiritual journey in a very reader-friendly format that is easy to follow, especially the way you summarized what would have taken me months to read in books on apologetics etcetc…I hope you dont mind that I have shared your work on my fb page and with my parish – Fatuoiaga Holy Family Parish in American Samoa. Just sorry that you chose not to convert but at least I am sure you have impacted a lot of people to convert…to the one true holy catholic and apostolic church!!!!

  80. The point to be taken from this post is many many many people have gone through this before you and many many many people will go through this after you.

    At my age, oh the stories I could tell of both my own realizations gained from my own questions as well as being privy to other’s ‘encounters’ with their faith. This is not a new story and I believe it’s one God wants us all to go through at some point in our life. Why? Because it is through a personal ‘encounter’ often brought about with many questions, that we often get to a point where we have a one-on-one relationship with Him.

    I have one story to relate: Many years ago as a Christian education director of a large Lutheran church, I was sitting in on the music portion of Sunday school one day. (BTW, before I was hired, they knew I had grown up in the Lutheran church but no longer considered myself Lutheran.) The kids were going to sing the little song “I Am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N.” The song leader asked the kids “…and what does that spell?” They responded by saying “Christian” of course 🙂 One little 4th grader in front of me leans over and says to his teacher “I thought we were Lutherans?” Her reply was one that made me wonder about her own faith. She said “Well, we’re kinda both.” Say what?!?!?! Hahahha!

    There are many ways to find your way to God, be it through an organized religion (Catholic, Lutheran, other protestant ones, etc.) God cares not about the little roads you take but rather that you get to His destination.

    • Well, I imagine the road does matter somewhat, but praise God that He can and will draw us to Him no matter what road we’re currently on! 😉

  81. I am Roman Catholic. I was born and raised into the Catholic faith. I still am involved in the Catholic Church just not as much as I used to be. Mostly truthfully because of being lazy. I believe in one God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I believe in he Holy Spirit. I do not believe that all the “tradition” or “rules ” of the Catholic faith or biblical or come directly from God. I do feel there is always room for learning. I just feel comfortable worshipping in the way I grew up with.

    • I think we all are most comfortable around the things we grew up with. I know there are plenty of Baptist practices I no longer find necessary but still continue to do…

  82. This post and the comments have been very interesting to read. Questions in religion should always be welcomed. It gives us the ability to increase our faith and strengthen our beliefs. I also love to learn about the faith and religion of others. I taught my children about Martin Luther this year for home school. I believe he had valid concerns and objections. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. I had my own period of time, where I questioned. I have never stopped believing, but just searching out truth. I believe in all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and all that He will yet reveal. I believe we know so very little compared to our Lord. I also know He loves us all and wants us to be happy and have joy and purpose and His laws. I feel He restored His ancient church back to the earth through Joseph Smith the prophet. I believe we again have prophets and apostles on the earth. I believe we have temples restored to the earth to bind families together. There is so much light and truth. If anyone would like more information, http://www.mormon.org. I do not want to get into arguments. I do not do well with confrontation, but my heart led me to share my brief testimony with you and give you maybe a little more information to research. I know, for me, that I could not be a happier Christian. Good luck in your journey. And I am grateful to all the other wonderful people who have shared their experiences here as well. It strengthens me to see others strengthened through our Savior, Jesus Christ. May God bless you and your family.

    • Yes, I’m a huge fan of polite but in-depth religious conversation too (and it’s a good thing, because we have TONS of it here!). I do need to look into the Mormon beliefs more–not necessarily to convert, but just because I don’t know a great deal about how your beliefs differ and why. I think that would be interesting to learn.

  83. Hello Brittany,

    I found your article very interesting because the same happened to me but in the opposite way. I was Catholic before, I grew up in a catholic school and my parents serve in a catholic church. Being catholic was strongly part of my life until one day I realized I didn’t have the relationship with God that I wanted. I found myself hungry of God, craving for this presence and I couldn’t find it in any catholic church, I used to pray all the prayers they teach us in the catechism and still couldn’t find it. Until one day I really met Him, I felt His presence and His glory for the first time in a Pentecostal church. After that day, I have no doubt of Him.

    What I wanted to say is that I think there is a religion for each person, I can’t say Catholics are wrong because I didn’t find God in that religion. I respect every belief and I do believe my mom have a great relationship with God in the Catholicism, but I didn’t. I went out and look for God, and after that day I still having a great relationship with him, I could say deeper and deeper every day.

    It is very hard when the topic “which religion is right” comes out, but what I know is that Jesus said “follow me” He didn’t say follow this religion or this man. As he made us human beings with free will I know a lot of men and women made a lot of mistakes, even leaders of big churches or religions. But I know that God is watching us, He sees that we really want to follow Him and do the right thing in His name. I think that is what really matters.

    Thank you so much for all these articles, keeping that amazing woman 🙂

    • Thanks 🙂 And you’re right–we definitely follow Jesus, not a particular denomination. But having these discussions is still SO important because I want to make sure I am believing the truth (or as close to the truth as possible), not just some version of it I grew up with.

      As far as not finding God in the Catholic church–I definitely agree that Protestants emphasize the relationship aspect way more, but I don’t think God is absent from the Church altogether. I think that’s all in how you interact with it personally… But then again, I’m not Catholic or Protestant… just trying to find God wherever He is 🙂

  84. Not exactly sure how I ended up on your blog, through pinterest somehow. I am not protestant or Catholic. I grew up in a bible believing to baptist churches. My husband and I converted to Orthodox Christians ten years ago. Our oldest two were baptized and received at the same time. Our youngest three have been born into our church. For us the journey “home” took a while. It took a severe crisis of faith and starting to question why we believed the way we did. Now I cannot imagine being anywhere else.
    http://www.st-marymagdalene.org/ << this is our church. It has a lot of links to follow on what Orthodoxy is.

  85. Hi Brittany! I am super impressed with all of the great discussion on here, as well as your thoughtful and polite responses to everyone’s questions and comments. Amazing engagement! I would just add, like Renee did above me, that there is a third option. In the West we tend to think of Christianity in terms of Catholicism and Protestantism, but don’t forget about Eastern Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church has existed for two thousand years. (We would say that the Catholics broke away from us in the eleventh century.)

    I completely agree with you about how crazy it seems to me now that one person could just decide to change the Church and start his own. It really is unfathomable. Christianity is not just “my Bible and me.” Thanks for a great series!

    • Yes, I didn’t even know that Orthodoxy was an option until more recently. Still need to look into it more. I don’t believe it’s as popular around here, but that could just be because I don’t know anyone.

  86. I actually left the Catholic Church more than 10 years ago. I have found a true relationship with Jesus. I have learned to love like Jesus loved. If people want to become Catholic, that great, but I could not justify bowing to statues, praying to Mary, and supporting an organization that covered up abuse for decades. The Bible speaks against many of the things Catholics do and believe.

    • I’m not completely sold on Catholicism either, but I think it is important to distinguish between what the Catholic Church officially teaches and the way people practice it. I really don’t care what individuals do in their own homes. People are going to mess it up–Protestant or Catholic both. So I look more at what the Church officially teaches. And it does NOT teach so many of the things people think it does. (I see you already saw my myths post, so I won’t link here)

  87. You realize the Catholic Church was started in the 1054 when Pope Leo IX decided he wanted to be in charge of the Orthodox church & they wouldn’t let him so he formalized his own? Kind of like Martin Luther did, but for the sake of power instead of a focus on the relationship between God and people? The new Western church picked and chose the teachings they wanted to focus on, just like Luther ended up doing, set up their own church hierarchy, just like Luther ended up doing. It’s called The Great Schism of 1054 or The East-West Schism. It’s a fascinating history, and one that should be understood before questioning any other religion as being started by a man.

  88. I was raised Catholic but did attend a Protestant church for a while in my 20s. I thoroughly enjoy my Catholic faith and am sure that it’s right for me. Your blog about Catholic myths caught my eye. I started volunteering at a local crisis pregnancy center. I do some data entry which includes notes from the clients visit. As I type and read the note I’m forced to type, “She was raised Catholic but is now a believer.” My heart sank. I’m in a quandary as how to address this.
    Im going to think, pray and enjoy your blog until I figure it out!
    Peace to you!

      • I don’t know them personally as I just started volunteering. It just saddens my heart that people are being taught that Catholics aren’t Christians. I hope that she will come to realize that, yes, indeed, I am a passionate Christian! As St. Francis said, “Preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words!”

  89. I’ve just come across your blog and I love it. Because I’m Methodist and married to a Catholic. And my daughter is going to a Catholic school. And I have so often thought about converting, but why? It’s the same, isn’t it? Perhaps once I have read through your series, and analysed your findings, I’ll have my answer…

    Always a Christian, though, always…

  90. Martin Luther didn’t invent a new religion. Any article or book will show you that after Luther escaped being murdered by the catholic church he preached in non-catholic churches and wrote to leaders of non-catholic churches across Europe. How could he have done this if he invented the non-catholic church ? The catholic church’s own ”history” is the torture and murder of Jews and non-catholics for thousands of years. Many beliefs that catholics believe today would have brought them before the Inquisition years ago in the ever changing catholic church.

  91. I have spent much of my morning reading your faith-based blog posts. Thank you for sharing your experience, research, and Christianity.

  92. Im finding myself in a similiar situation where i come from more of a baptist background but like you say dont give myself a label other than being a born again Christian. Rebirth of my spirit when i confessed Christ is Lord and seeked his forgiveness. I am now married into a Lutheran community and family where there are differences. Even though i have struggled over some biblical issues like infant baptism vs adult baptism, one thing i do know about Martin Luther leaving the Catholics was the Holy spirit revealed that it is by Grace you are saved not by works so no man can boast. It doesnt matter how many hail Mary’s one does or payments to the church (which they were getting the people to do in those days). The church was with holding scripture from the people it was a way to be in control. You couldn’t question anything because you couldnt read it for yourself. It was a way the religious leaders kept power o er the people. Martin Luther stood up against that. He gave the people God word and i am so glad for that. He was one of the many people who risked their lives so that today i can have a bible in my home. I dont think remaining in a church that is preventing you from having the right to question what is being taught is right. That’s when it becomes a control over the people. Martin Luther did the right thing leaving not wrong. Jesus says “i am the way the truth and life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” If we have to do anything else ontop of that them i would start questioning. God bless you sister in Christ

    • Hi, Sarah. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of misconceptions in what you wrote. Catholics do NOT teach salvation by works. In fact, the Catechism very specifically says we are NOT saved by works. So that’s not a Catholic teaching at all. (This post of mine goes into more detail: https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/faith-alone-enough/

      Secondly, Martin Luther’s protest began in 1517. The printing press wasn’t even invented until 1440. This means that up until 1440 and even after that, most people likely could not even read, and even if they could, wouldn’t have been able to afford their own Bible. Whether or not the Catholic church didn’t LET people read the Bible, I don’t know, I wasn’t there. But likely it wouldn’t have made much of a difference anyways. The people couldn’t read and didn’t have a Bible to read even if they could. So going to the church to hear the Scriptures read was the BEST way for them to hear them.

      (And Catholics do read Scripture at Mass. I *think* if you were to attend Mass for a 2-3 years, you would end up hearing pretty much the entire Bible? I’m not sure, but they have a schedule of what gets read when so everything does get covered).

      If you don’t think Catholics are right, that’s TOTALLY fine. I’m not convinced they are 100% right either 🙂 Just don’t want you stuck believing things that aren’t accurate like I was before I started looking into everything and wrote this series 🙂

      Thanks for your comment!

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