Presbyterian here; son of a Catholic mother

[Guest Scott Gosnell]

[b]Edit: I'm sorry, I didn't read the stickied "Basic Guidlines" thread before posting this. Obviously, this post is too long and multifacted for this board. Please, feel free to move it if you find it necessary. I hope that I'll still be able to get the insight and responses from the select members that answer questions on this board.[/b]

I'm 17, and have been a confirmed Presbyterian for a little over two years. That being said, my Mom was raised Catholic, and she still claims her faith, although she rarely goes to mass (she goes to Protestant services with the rest of the family).

However, despite being brought up as a Protestant, my religious instruction from family members has been primarily from my mom, and thus Catholic in nature. To be honest, it wasn't until recently that I realized certain aspects of my faith were uniquely Catholic. For example, I've long been taught that we have "guardian Angels". And though I'm aware this is not a belief trabscribed in Catholic doctrine, I'm pretty sure it is one that few Protestants have. Furthermore, my Grandmother taught me the "Angel of God, / my guardian dear" prayer when I was about 6 or 7, and I've been saying it ever since. I have my mom's rosary, and though I don't perform the proper rosary prayers (mainly because I'm not sure how, and I don't want to do it wrong), but I've been known to take it out every now and then, and just hold it while I say my prayers. I was surprised when I found out that the crucifix hanging on the wall in our house was unique to the Catholic church.

So I've grown up with these things around me, only recently becoming aware of their association with the Catholic church. Now, don't get me wrong. This is not to say I haven't had profound Protestant influences on my life. When I was very young, I went to a few masses, but my parents ultimately decided to raise me Protestant. So needless to say, when I went to mass in February for the first time in many years, with my mom and visiting grandfather, most of the rituals were somewhat foreign. But I certainly enjoyed it.

When I've asked my mom about her faith, she says that she disagrees with a lot of the rules of the Catholic Church, but one thing she really appreciated is the reverance (I hope that's the right word) of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With this in mind I did some research, and next thing I knew I was saying the Hail Mary (although, admittedly, part of my intrique can be attributed to the pure coolness of the prayer; "Hail Mary, full of grace..." It's just so powerful).

As I discover that many of my Christian roots are Catholic in nature, I can't help but contimplate conversion to Catholicism. There are so many things I like about it, but at the same time there are a few things that I hesitate on. That's what I want to talk about, or at least see what you all have to say. For example, prayers of intercession. I'm sort of on the fence with this one. I can totally see how asking the Virgin Mary, or other prominent Biblical figures, to pray for me can be acceptable. However, I hesitate to pray to less prominent Saints. Would I not be a good Catholic if I privately chose not to pray to those Saints?

What about confession? I sort of see it as a form of accountability. I mean, if you know you have to confess your sins on a regular basis, I would think you'd naturally be less likely to commit them. But if I did't confess once a week, or if I felt I could confess directly to God, would I not be a good Catholic?

What if I disagree with something the Pope says? I love John Paul II, and I love what he's done for this world, but I happen to support the war in Iraq. Does that mean I'd be a bad Catholic? Does that mean I'd be going against the will of God? Of course, that's not to say that, by being a Protestant and supporting the war, I'm not going against God's will. I really just don't know what to think.

I'm against abortion, but I can't say that I'm against contraceptives. It seems to me that those prevent abortions. If I used contraceptives, would I not be a good Catholic?

I know that there is debate within the Church over some issues, and that tells me that it is possible to be a Catholic and have disagreements with the Church. At the same time, I can't help but ask myself if I've got what it takes to be a good Catholic.

The passing of John Paul the second has reinvigorated my interest in the Catholic church. I've always thought of him as pretty much the earthly leader of all of Christendom. As he died, I wept. And I knew, then, that I ought to investigate Catholicism a little more closely.

Edited April 3, 2005 by Scott Gosnell

[dUSt]

I'm moving this to Open Mic where more people will be able to respond.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Scott Gosnell' date='Apr 3 2005, 02:17 AM'] [b]Edit: I'm sorry, I didn't read the stickied "Basic Guidlines" thread before posting this. Obviously, this post is too long and multifacted for this board. Please, feel free to move it if you find it necessary. I hope that I'll still be able to get the insight and responses from the select members that answer questions on this board.[/b]

I'm 17, and have been a confirmed Presbyterian for a little over two years. That being said, my Mom was raised Catholic, and she still claims her faith, although she rarely goes to mass (she goes to Protestant services with the rest of the family).

However, despite being brought up as a Protestant, my religious instruction from family members has been primarily from my mom, and thus Catholic in nature. To be honest, it wasn't until recently that I realized certain aspects of my faith were uniquely Catholic. For example, I've long been taught that we have "guardian Angels". And though I'm aware this is not a belief trabscribed in Catholic doctrine, I'm pretty sure it is one that few Protestants have. Furthermore, my Grandmother taught me the "Angel of God, / my guardian dear" prayer when I was about 6 or 7, and I've been saying it ever since. I have my mom's rosary, and though I don't perform the proper rosary prayers (mainly because I'm not sure how, and I don't want to do it wrong), but I've been known to take it out every now and then, and just hold it while I say my prayers. I was surprised when I found out that the crucifix hanging on the wall in our house was unique to the Catholic church.

So I've grown up with these things around me, only recently becoming aware of their association with the Catholic church. Now, don't get me wrong. This is not to say I haven't had profound Protestant influences on my life. When I was very young, I went to a few masses, but my parents ultimately decided to raise me Protestant. So needless to say, when I went to mass in February for the first time in many years, with my mom and visiting grandfather, most of the rituals were somewhat foreign. But I certainly enjoyed it.

When I've asked my mom about her faith, she says that she disagrees with a lot of the rules of the Catholic Church, but one thing she really appreciated is the reverance (I hope that's the right word) of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With this in mind I did some research, and next thing I knew I was saying the Hail Mary (although, admittedly, part of my intrique can be attributed to the pure coolness of the prayer; "Hail Mary, full of grace..." It's just so powerful).

As I discover that many of my Christian roots are Catholic in nature, I can't help but contimplate conversion to Catholicism. There are so many things I like about it, but at the same time there are a few things that I hesitate on. That's what I want to talk about, or at least see what you all have to say. For example, prayers of intercession. I'm sort of on the fence with this one. I can totally see how asking the Virgin Mary, or other prominent Biblical figures, to pray for me can be acceptable. However, I hesitate to pray to less prominent Saints. Would I not be a good Catholic if I privately chose not to pray to those Saints?

What about confession? I sort of see it as a form of accountability. I mean, if you know you have to confess your sins on a regular basis, I would think you'd naturally be less likely to commit them. But if I did't confess once a week, or if I felt I could confess directly to God, would I not be a good Catholic?

What if I disagree with something the Pope says? I love John Paul II, and I love what he's done for this world, but I happen to support the war in Iraq. Does that mean I'd be a bad Catholic? Does that mean I'd be going against the will of God? Of course, that's not to say that, by being a Protestant and supporting the war, I'm not going against God's will. I really just don't know what to think.

I'm against abortion, but I can't say that I'm against contraceptives. It seems to me that those prevent abortions. If I used contraceptives, would I not be a good Catholic?

I know that there is debate within the Church over some issues, and that tells me that it is possible to be a Catholic and have disagreements with the Church. At the same time, I can't help but ask myself if I've got what it takes to be a good Catholic.

The passing of John Paul the second has reinvigorated my interest in the Catholic church. I've always thought of him as pretty much the earthly leader of all of Christendom. As he died, I wept. And I knew, then, that I ought to investigate Catholicism a little more closely. [/quote]
My heart is smiling for you right now.

First to answer some of your "would i be a bad Catholic" questions....

Which saints you choose to pray to is up to you. No one is going to come around and ask you who to pray to. Belief in the saints is one thing.... choosing to pray to them i believe is completly different. Thats just my opinion since I don't pray to all of the saints anyway. I mean I do collectively but not individually. I like to pray to Thomas Aquinas and a few others but I dont have a huge group of them. (if that makes sense)

I dont know that it is required to go a set number of times a year. I know that it is suggested you go at least once a month but no one is going to hold you to that. I know sometimes I dont make it to confession when I would like to but I go when I can. No one is going to shake their finger at you because you dont go every week.

Many people have many different views on the war for Iraq and we are not to judge them for that. That does not make them a good or bad Catholic it just makes them human and with opinion.

Using contraceptives would be against the teaching of the church. This might be an area that you look into more and study while you are thinking about conversion.

I hope that you take the time to investigate these things that your heart is pulling you towards. If you have any questions we are all here for ou and I know that if i dont know or cant find an answer for you i will get someone that can!


God bless!
with love in Christ,
Laura

oh and.... welcome to phatmass

[Lil Red]

welcome to phatmass! i am very sure your questions will be answered here!

God bless

[Ash Wednesday]

Welcome to phatmass, and pleased to meet you on your faith journey. :tiphat:

The tidalwave of inspiration from John Paul II continues... surfs up!

I think it would be best to address each question one at a time, since you've got understandably hefty questions. There are others on this board who can articulate and give apologetics much better than I could, but I'll mention a couple of things off the bat:

As far as I know, you can pray to any saint you want. If you would rather pray to mainly biblical figures like St. Joseph, St. Paul, or St. John the Baptist, I don't think they would mind.

Catholics are actually required to go to confession at least once a year. We are urged to do that more often than that, but the minimum is once a year. We aren't required to go weekly -- (I set a goal to go monthly, but am not always successful...)


Hang around, phatmass is addictive.

[Jake Huether]

Guardian Angels are Biblical. If a protestant specifically teaches against it, than they are denying the Bible.

They may ignor it, or beat around it...

Sorry if I'm not responding more specifically or elaboratly right now... I'm in a hurry.

God bless and welcome to phatmass - where not only your questions will be answered, but you will be sucked in and addicted in no time. Haha.

Take care.

[CatholicAndFanatical]

Pax Christi and Welcome to PhatMass!

I am so happy for you and your discernment. I was in your shoes 6 years ago and know kinda where your coming from.

I will try to answer quickly (because im at work)

[quote]
What about confession?
[/quote]

What a wonderful Sacrament this is! How often you should go depends on your conscience really. One should make an examination of conscience everyday. By this you can tell if you have offended God and need confession. How often should we confess? All the time, if you need too.

I was worried because I wanted to go to confession alot, I asked the Priest about this and pretty much in a nut shell he told me that when we go before God, the accuser (satan) is beside us, telling on us and accusing us of doing this or that. The more we confess, and be sincere in our conversion, the less the accuser has on us. Of course, this is my humble opinion .

[quote]
What if I disagree with something the Pope says?
[/quote]

Then your human. The only thing you need to be obediant on is when the Pope speaks of morals and Faith. Now keep in mind that he is and always is the Vicar of Christ and his input should weigh heavily on the topic at hand. A Wise person would want to follow what he says often.

But in the event that you might disagree with him doesnt make you a bad Catholic. If you hold marches, protests, Catechism burnings or whatnot because you dont agree with him then you are not a bad Catholic, you are NO Catholic.

[quote]
I'm against abortion, but I can't say that I'm against contraceptives.
[/quote]

This is one of the teachings that we single people have to be obediant. There are good reasons to stay clear of contraceptives. For one they dont work: You can still get AIDS from using Condom (Studies show the virus is actually SMALLER than the holes in the condom). Two, it keeps God from doing His work. Anytime you stop God from doing anything its wrong.

But like what was said above here, research it and anything you question or are concerned with FIRST, before making up your mind whether or not you agree with it.

Plus if you're single..you shouldnt need contraceptives to begin with because we are to be chaste.

Alot of prayer is needed, doing it daily makes it easier to deal with issues as they arise.

I hope I didnt confuse or turn you away. Your interest being peaked is not a coincidence. Its God calling and it seems like you are knocking for Him. God Bless you on your journey! Take your time, research, pray, research and ask questions..thats why were here.

Your Servant

[Brother Adam]

Welcome to phatmass. It is good to have you among us. I am a convert from Fundamental Christianity, so I had an allergic reaction to anything Catholic for a while.

Let's get started.

[quote]For example, prayers of intercession. I'm sort of on the fence with this one. I can totally see how asking the Virgin Mary, or other prominent Biblical figures, to pray for me can be acceptable. However, I hesitate to pray to less prominent Saints. Would I not be a good Catholic if I privately chose not to pray to those Saints?[/quote]

First, that you understand the communion of the saints, and why it is acceptable is great. One less apologetic discussion that stands in the way of uniting with the Bride of Christ in full communion. That said there are hundreds upon thousands of saints. If you can say private prayers to all of them, you are a much better Catholic than almost anyone I know! As a Catholic you are not even required to say a Hail Mary. It is a private devotion in which no one is required to participate. You must only believe in those doctrines of Mary which the Church proclaims. You can be a perfectly good Catholic without using the rosary itself if you so choose.

[quote]What about confession? I sort of see it as a form of accountability. I mean, if you know you have to confess your sins on a regular basis, I would think you'd naturally be less likely to commit them. But if I did't confess once a week, or if I felt I could confess directly to God, would I not be a good Catholic?[/quote]

I would not use confession as a form of accountability in itself, though it does cause us to hold ourselves accountable. Confession is the sacrament of the forgiveness of sins through repentance, conversion, and confessing. In confession the priest acts in persona christi - in the place of Christ, because Christ rose bodily to the heavens, and has left his successors in His place. You are only required to go to confession once a year, but must confess mortal sins. Read up on what the Catechism says about Confession. If you do not have one, email me your address and I will send you one free of charge.

[quote]What if I disagree with something the Pope says? I love John Paul II, and I love what he's done for this world, but I happen to support the war in Iraq. Does that mean I'd be a bad Catholic? Does that mean I'd be going against the will of God? Of course, that's not to say that, by being a Protestant and supporting the war, I'm not going against God's will. I really just don't know what to think.[/quote]

Just war theory is just that, theory, and by measure of all wars, WWII would barely be acceptable under just war theory. You can indeed disagree with what the pope says when he makes personal statements. Before you do though, you should have good rational for doing so as he is the Vicar of Christ on earth. If the Pope speaks for the Church however you are not permitted to disagree. For instance you cannot be Catholic and opt to toss Humane Vitea out the window. The Church is infallible on all matters of faith and morals and thus it is sinful to contracept (what Humane Vitae deals with).

[quote]I'm against abortion, but I can't say that I'm against contraceptives. It seems to me that those prevent abortions. If I used contraceptives, would I not be a good Catholic?[/quote]

If you use contraception you would indeed be in mortal sin. However, I disagree with your premise. I believe contraception fosters the culture of death. There has been much written by the Church on contraception and its effects on the dignity of life, some prophetically so. Contracepting sees your wife or husband as an act for pleasure and sees the consequence of the marital act as negative, a child is no longer a blesing, but a curse. The divorce rate among those who contracept is over 50% even among Christians. The divorce rate among those who do not stands at less than 2%. Have you looked into Natural Family Planning? It is free and 99% effective, and is a moral way to plan your family. By contracepting you are telling your spouse that you do not love all of them and that you refuse to give all of yourself to them. You are also telling God that you are against the way he created your body, that it is not good, and that you are going to destroy the process he created using artifical means.

[quote]I know that there is debate within the Church over some issues, and that tells me that it is possible to be a Catholic and have disagreements with the Church. At the same time, I can't help but ask myself if I've got what it takes to be a good Catholic.[/quote]

You DO have what it takes to be a good Catholic. But no one said it wasn't going to take some study or heartache. Being Catholic means being a member of the Bride of Christ. It means carrying your cross. It means both joy and redemptive suffering. It means forsaking your own will to the Church and to God. And that is hard, but look at the benefits! It is worth it.

Catholics do sometimes disagree in the Church, but a 'good' Catholic submits himself to the will of the Church on what has been formally defined. That doesn't mean a good Catholic doesn't question. A bad Catholic never asks questions. A good Catholic always seeks out knowledge, wisdom, goodness, and truth.

God bless you brother! Keep those questions coming!

Adam

Edited April 5, 2005 by Brother Adam

[CatholicAndFanatical]

Bro Adam you never cease to amaze me.

Man im glad you're Home.

God bless you!

[sweetpea316]

Yes, thank you all for the replies to this. I am sort of in the same boat as Scott, so this is all very helpful for me also! God bless.

[Catholic_Pinoy]

Hey Scott! Welcome to the forums!

[quote]What if I disagree with something the Pope says?  I love John Paul II, and I love what he's done for this world, but I happen to support the war in Iraq.  Does that mean I'd be a bad Catholic?  Does that mean I'd be going against the will of God?  Of course, that's not to say that, by being a Protestant and supporting the war, I'm not going against God's will.  I really just don't know what to think.[/quote]

You musn't disagree with the pope on intrinsic evils such as abortion, same-sex "marriage", euthanasia, etc. The war in Iraq, however, is not an intrinsic evil.

[b]"Consider, for example, the war in Iraq. Although Pope John Paul II pleaded for an alternative to the use of military force to meet the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, he did not bind the conscience of Catholics to agree with his judgment on the matter, nor did he say that it would be morally wrong for Catholic soldiers to participate in the war. In line with the teaching of the catechism on "just war," he recognized that a final judgment of prudence as to the necessity of military force rests with statesmen, not with ecclesiastical leaders. Catholics may, in good conscience, support the use of force in Iraq or oppose it."[/b]

-Archbishop John J. Myers

[quote]I'm against abortion, but I can't say that I'm against contraceptives.  It seems to me that those prevent abortions.  If I used contraceptives, would I not be a good Catholic?[/quote]

[b]The truth about Contraception[/b]

Contraception, the deliberate action of using a condom, taking "the pill", or other barrier devices and abortifacients to render the conception of a child impossible, is Gravely sinful.

WHOA! Is that so?! YES! The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us so in paragraph 2370: "Every action…to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil."

Contraception is opposed to TRUE LOVE, because true love in a marriage gives TOTALLY of oneself, including fertility. True love created life and nurtures it. Ultimately, contraception is the selfish use of a marriage partners body for pleasure and the refusal to be open to God's creative will. This is an abuse of our sexuality which is designed to create children and to foster intimacy in the marriage.

Check it out! This has been the constant Catholic Church teaching since the time of Christ. Yet, even well-known Protestant detested Contraception. Martin Luther called it "More atrocious than incest or adultery…a sodomitic sin," and Calvin regarded it as a form of homicide!

Virtually all Christian religious believed contraception was immoral for 19 centuries until the Anglican Church allowed it in the 1930! Most other Christian religions soon followed. However, the Catholic Church reinforced the immorality of contraception three times this century through papal encyclicals in 1930, 1968, & 1981.

In cases where there's a serious reason for married couples to space births, Natural Family Planning is morally acceptable, because it respects God's natural creative order and the dignity of persons.

[url="http://www.catholicspot.com/youth_guys_page.htm"]http://www.catholicspot.com/youth_guys_page.htm[/url]

You can find answers to any other questions that you may have at: [url="http://www.catholic.com"]Catholic Answers[/url].

God Bless,
Grant

[Ash Wednesday]

I've read stories of women who have had abortions, and I noticed a large correlation between the contraceptive mentality and abortion. So many of the stories usually revolve around: "I was on the pill but it didn't work" or "we had a condom but I guess that wasn't enough."

No contraception is fool-proof. If one is not open to life in any way shape or form, it would naturally reflect on someone's attitude about keeping the baby if they end up pregnant. If they absolutely didn't want a child when they were having sex, what makes anyone think they would definitely want it if they end up pregnant?

It is my understanding that the one exception is that if a woman is raped, she can go to a clinic and they can go through procedures to prevent a pregnancy (emergency contraception but NOT abortion or abortive measures of contraception) because rape is not conjugal love. (Y'all can correct me if I'm wrong, please do!) It takes a number of hours before fertilization so there is a window where one can attempt to halt the process.

Natural Family Planning is a Church-approved way of being aware of fertility and having proper stewardship of it. It's not "Rhythm" and is said to be very effective in married couples for avoiding pregnancy or wanting to get pregnant.

Which reminds me, I need to ask someone for a password to the NFP forum...

[geetarplayer]

Welcome Scott! Welcome to Phatmass, and thanks for posting this. I have a feeling your faith journey will be very fruitful.

-Mark

[MichaelFilo]

I whispered him a response before it was moved here, baha!

God bless,
Mikey

[franciscanheart]

this thread helps me realize even more why phatmass is one of the most awesome places on the net. broadam.... youre awesome. and welcome again scott!!

I agree with whoever said it above.... your heart pulling you this way is no coincidence.... the Spirit is moving you, God is calling you and you are listening.

[hopeful1]

Hi Scott! Welcome to Phatmass! I'm glad you're intrested in learning more about the Catholic faith and i hope that everyone will respond to you with charity while you are here. I guess you can technically say I'm a convert myself (i became catholic when i was 6) but I'm always learning about my faith and fall more in love with it everyday. I'll try to answer some of your questions as best as i can.


As far as praying to saints goes, i don't believe you're required to pray to them, it's more of a matter of personal devotion. Many of the saints may have a cause or a group of people they were passionate about, for example St. Francis of Asissi loved animals, St. Margaret was cared about pregnant mothers, St. Cecilia was passionate about music, and of course Our Blessed Mother, Mary, only desire is to bring others closer to her son and our savior.i a sense, they're kinda like prayer warriors in heaven who also pray for these things, as well as any speical intentions addressed by the person in prayer. so people who are also passionate about certain things, or may have experienced simular situations in their lives like some of the saints, may have an affininty or devotion to one or more of the saints for those reasons. but i don't think it's neccessary to pray to all of the saints to be a good catholic.


Confession is lot like accountablity as you mentioned, so i'm glad you were able to see that connection. In the confessional, the priest is working "in persona christi" (in the person of christ) or to word it in another way, Christ is working through him as an instrument, to forgive sins, "for what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, and what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven". To my knowledge, a catholic is only required to go to confession at least once a year (unless in a state of mortal sin-which is a very grave sin that is commited full knowledge and consent of will.) however the church does encourage that individuals go more frequently. Personally i try to make it a personal goal to go at least once a month or every few weeks, but unless if it's something serious it's really on an as needed basis. I also find confession to be a very humbling and healing experience, especially if i'm confessing something that's been on my chest for awhile, and leave I come out much more at peace. It's actually one of my favorite sacraments the preist can also help give you guidance and advice on how to advoid a certain sin you may be struggling with as well.

Ok, as far as the pope goes, you can't disagree with him on matters of faith and morals, however as my good friend pointed out, you CAN disagree with him on math, science, and grammar, this includes disciplines (ex. celibate priesthood) which can change over time.


and contraceptives, yes it would be a mortal sin. I used to have the same mentality as you when i was younger, but the more i learned about my faith and got more involved with the prolife movement, the more i became convinced that it was indeed sinful. This is because in the sacrament of marriage, everytime the marriage is consumated it's considered a sacred act which must be unitive between husband and wife, and open to life. The language of the married act is something like this " I love you and want to give all of myself to you without holding anything back, which could possibly open up a new life", whereas a contraceptive act profanes it by saying " I love you, but not enought to give myself entirely to you". in a sense, you're not only not leaving it open to children, but you're frustrating the unitive aspect by holding a part of yourself back. (you can find out more about this aspect by learning about Theology of the Body in the NFP phorum [with permission] or check out Christopher West's book "The Good News About Sex and Marriage" or the tape"Contaception: Why Not?" from www.omsoul.com ). Condom's are out because it creates a "barrier" between the couple, and the pill, noraplant/depo, iuds, and other "artificial" meathods are also immoral because they can act as an abortificant in the early stages. It might also be interesting for you to note that many of the Protestant Reformers, including Luther and John Calvin opposed birth control, before 1930, every christian denomination considered contraception to be a sin as well, until the Anglican Church made an exception for some cases. every other Christian denomination followed the suit soon after, except the catholic church. However, the Church does permit couples to use Natural Family Planning (NFP), which contrary to popular belief IS NOT the rythym meathod (that was the old school version). Today nfp is much more reliable (supposedly up to 99%) which takes into account various factors of the womans reproductive system by charting her temperature or mucus everyday to evaluate the time she's fertile/infertile. it also works for women with irregular periods too and can also inform her about other things about her health as well. in this light, you are cooperating with the body as God designed it to be and opening it up to God's will, as opposed to working against it and Him, if that makes sense. to find out more about NFP and it's various meathods i recommend checking out the NFP board or checking out www.ccli.org .


well i hope i was able to answer your questions clearly enough, and don't be afraid to ask more if you have any. and again, welcome to Phatmass.

Hopeful1

[Guest Scott Gosnell]

Woah, this outpouring of support is awesome. You all have been great. I need to sit back and digest some of this stuff. I definitely want to learn more about the Catholic faith, it truely fascinates me, and I think it's really growing on me.

Here's another question:
My parents (Catholic mother, Protestant father) were married by a Priest in a Catholic church (although there was no Mass to go along with the ceremony). Would this have any ramifications regarding my possible acceptance into the Church? And on that note, what sort of classes would be required to convert? I remember back in the day when my friends did CCD -- would it be something like that, except for adults?

In the meantime, I definitely want to read up on the Church. Thanks again to everyone for the help -- keep it coming!

[Dave]

[quote name='Scott Gosnell' date='Apr 6 2005, 01:46 AM'] Here's another question:
My parents (Catholic mother, Protestant father) were married by a Priest in a Catholic church (although there was no Mass to go along with the ceremony). Would this have any ramifications regarding my possible acceptance into the Church? And on that note, what sort of classes would be required to convert? I remember back in the day when my friends did CCD -- would it be something like that, except for adults?

In the meantime, I definitely want to read up on the Church. Thanks again to everyone for the help -- keep it coming! [/quote]
Your parents' marriage wouldn't prevent you from being received into the Church. Heck, it wouldn't prevent you even if your parents had never been Catholic and weren't married in a Catholic ceremony!

As for the classes that would be required to convert, most parishes require RCIA (rite of Christian initiation for adults) classes. However, please know that in a lot of parishes the RCIA programs are either inadequate or unorthodox. So be careful!

[Guest Scott Gosnell]

[quote name='Dave' date='Apr 6 2005, 01:37 AM'] However, please know that in a lot of parishes the RCIA programs are either inadequate or unorthodox. So be careful! [/quote]
How so and how can that be avoided?

[Dave]

The teachers of RCIA classes could possibly teach heresy in any given area, whether on faith or morals. Or if they don't do that they might just really dumb down the class. You might want to send a private message to Brother Adam and/or Mrs. Bro. Adam. They had to deal with the latter situation. At any rate, read all you can about Catholicism from orthodox Catholic sources such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In addition, read anything by Scott Hahn, David Armstrong, and Patrick Madrid. Finally, go to www.catholic.com for wonderful apologetics information. There are other great apologetics sites as well.