So how does one convert to Catholicism?

[Justin Adams]

On 1/11/2020 at 7:10 PM, JacquelineDeane55 said:

GOD recently came to me and he told me my parents were hateful bigots

This tells me that it WAS NOT God that gave you this message. You need to rethink this.

God would never violate one of His Commandments about honoring your parents. You just honor them and do not tell others they are bigots, even if they are. That is defamation and borders on FALSE WITNESS. That is another one of God's Immutable Commandments.

Of course, there are hateful spirits that would whisper that in you ear...

[Fidei Defensor]

@JacquelineDeane55

I have a book I would recommend to you “Are We Together? A Protestant Analysis of Roman Catholicism” By R.C. Sproul. 

Sproul is respectful and gets at the core differences between Protestantism and Catholicism, sharing from the Council of Trent, Vatican I and II, Scripture, Reformers, and more. 

I highly recommend you read Chapter 2, pg 38-39, On Justification. 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Fidei Defensor

[Billiards Ball]

On 1/11/2020 at 2:10 PM, JacquelineDeane55 said:

I have been a baptist my whole life, but GOD recently came to me and he told me my parents were hateful bigots and that I needed to convert to Catholicism, although I don't know how to go about doing this...I have never stepped foot in the Catholic church. Can somebody help me with this? How do I convert to Catholicism?

The Roman church is not the best vehicle to grow as a Christian. A Bible-based church is. Trust Jesus for eternal life then get to a Bible church.

I say this to you gently, but as someone who knows God He's never asked anyone to be with a church that isn't Bible-centered.

[Deadworm]

11 hours ago, Billiards Ball said:

The Roman church is not the best vehicle to grow as a Christian. A Bible-based church is. Trust Jesus for eternal life then get to a Bible church.

I say this to you gently, but as someone who knows God He's never asked anyone to be with a church that isn't Bible-centered.

Some evangelicals in my small city have been flocking to our local Catholic church and finding God real there.

[HAZARD]

On 1/12/2020 at 6:10 AM, JacquelineDeane55 said:

I have been a baptist my whole life, but GOD recently came to me and he told me my parents were hateful bigots and that I needed to convert to Catholicism, although I don't know how to go about doing this...I have never stepped foot in the Catholic church. Can somebody help me with this? How do I convert to Catholicism?

 Jesus Christs true church is not a building or a particular religious group with some special name, eve Catholic!

  The new Testament Church, of which Jesus Christ is the head is a called out body of people of all nations who have been born again and who have lived a true Christian life and died in the faith. It also includes all those who are alive in Christ today. This present church is called the "ekklesia" of the New Testament times, called out of this world to evangelize the world in this age.

The church, in its largest signification is the whole company of redeemed in all ages, in Heaven and in Earth (Eph. 3:1-11; Heb. 12:23). It is the spiritual people who have been made members of the universal family of God. The church in this sense is the body of Christ, and it does not consist of saved and unsaved. It is not a group of individuals associated together for social and benevolent purposes, as seems to be on every hand in most worldly church gatherings. It is the body of people indwelt by God through the Holy Spirit and through whom God works in the world.

 

The new Testament Church, of which Jesus Christ is the head is a called out body of people of all nations who have been born again and who have lived a true Christian life and died in the faith. It also includes all those who are alive in Christ today. This present church is called the "ekklesia" of the New Testament times, called out of this world to evangelize the world in this age.

The church, in its largest signification is the whole company of redeemed in all ages, in Heaven and in Earth (Eph. 3:1-11; Heb. 12:23). It is the spiritual people who have been made members of the universal family of God. The church in this sense is the body of Christ, and it does not consist of saved and unsaved. It is not a group of individuals associated together for social and benevolent purposes, as seems to be on every hand in most worldly church gatherings. It is the body of people indwelt by God through the Holy Spirit and through whom God works in the world.

Not only is Christ the founder of the church but he is also the foundation of the church. In that same statement to Simon Peter cited earlier Christ said, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). What was or is the rock on which the church of Christ is established? It is the bed-rock foundation fact that Peter had just acknowledged -- namely, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. In Matthew 16:16 Peter said to Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." Following this statement Jesus said that upon this rock he would build his church. The rock was not the apostle Peter or any other man; rather it was Christ and his divine relationship to God- the fact that he is God's Son. The apostle Paul makes this abundantly clear when he states, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Any church built on a NAME or some special religious doctrine or some form of church government led by a man or men is built on the wrong foundation and will not stand. The church our Lord established is built on him - on the fact that he is God's Son. That is why every person who becomes a member of His church must confess his faith in Christ as the Son of God (Acts 8:37). Christs church is said to be a spiritual house made up of lively or living stones.

Before a person can be placed on Christ the foundation and made a stone in that house he must believe that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Peter 2:5,6). He must not bow down before statues, skulls of dead men, pray to the dead and other such pagan traditions.

[HAZARD]

3 hours ago, Deadworm said:

Some evangelicals in my small city have been flocking to our local Catholic church and finding God real there.

Sadly, the only god they will find there is the god of this world.

[Billiards Ball]

10 hours ago, Deadworm said:

Some evangelicals in my small city have been flocking to our local Catholic church and finding God real there.

Having a "spiritual" or "moving" experience is different than having correct relationship with Jesus. Jesus said if you mix works with your trust in Him (RCC), you do not have eternal life. Trust me, you can find God far more real at almost any evangelical or Pentecostal church than any RCC church.

[Deadworm]

7 hours ago, HAZARD said:

Sadly, the only god they will find there is the god of this world.

No, these ex-evangelicals have discovered the beauty of Christ crucified in a beautiful and more biblically sound way in our local Catholic church and, as a result, have become glowing fruitful Christians.  

I guess it's time to start a thread that demonstrates what Catholics have to teach evangelicals about the full counsel of God in Scripture.

[BeauJangles]

On 1/11/2020 at 1:50 PM, Galleon said:

The RCC... I'd advise against it. You know all the stuff about not bowing to idols? Catholics do that all the time. You know how Jesus is the way, and the ONLY way?Catholics worship the saints are rather up-in-arms about Mary, for some reason. You know how the Bible says absolutely nothing about burying a tiny statue (idol) on your property if you want it to sell better? The RCC relies on "tradition" and has far too many extra-biblical practices and beliefs.

This is a pretty tough piece of meat to chew, but I'd have to admit to it as pointedly being accurate. 

On 1/16/2020 at 9:59 PM, Kristin said:

“How does one convert to Catholicism?”

knowledgeable opinion:  one doesn’t!

Or it would be applicable to not make this decision. It's not advisable to do so. Another strong opinion. 

On 1/17/2020 at 5:02 PM, Marilyn C said:

I think you are listening to those `demons` you talked about on another thread. It`s not about where you should `go` but `who` you are listening to.

 Yet another very strong opinion here, but I'd have to agree with this statement as well. 

12 hours ago, Deadworm said:

Some evangelicals in my small city have been flocking to our local Catholic church and finding God real there.

Not impossible, but not very likely either. You'll find ritualism and a lot of alternatives to God's word. 

Let me just share this with you. My sister converted over to become qualified as my future brother in law's finance. He was from Azorean heritage and RCC from numerous generations past. Well, for a few years the two of them continued to attend mass and then something happened. They began to feel a call to the truth of salvation through Christ alone.

Apart from Mary supplications and prayers to the saints, the lack luster rituals and meaningless prayers of repetition were not getting them to where their hearts longed for. It's not about denominationalism I'm speaking here, specifically. It's not church or where you go. It's heart faith first and foremost. Thanks for the allowance to express some thoughts about Catholicism.

Edited August 1, 2020 by BeauJangles

[David1701]

On 8/1/2020 at 2:56 PM, Deadworm said:

No, these ex-evangelicals have discovered the beauty of Christ crucified in a beautiful and more biblically sound way in our local Catholic church and, as a result, have become glowing fruitful Christians.  

I guess it's time to start a thread that demonstrates what Catholics have to teach evangelicals about the full counsel of God in Scripture.

Roman Catholicism is a mixture of paganism and pseudo-Christianity.  They venerate artifacts; worship a wafer-god; follow a man who has titles of blasphemy (Holy Father, Vicar of Christ); have a mediatorial priesthood, when Christ is our only mediator; continually re-enact the Cross, when the Bible says that by one offering God has perfected forever the sanctified; they teach that we are kept justified by good works; they teach the unbiblical Purgatory; they teach that Mary is a mediatrix and that she is Queen of Heaven; they pray to "saints"; they pray to statues and pictures; they teach that you can buy a shorter time in the fictional Purgatory (Indulgences), they teach that it is absolutely necessary to salvation, to be subject to the "Pope", etc, etc.

Any genuine Christian who is in Romanism, needs to get out NOW, so that he does not partake in her sins and does not receive her plagues.

Edited August 3, 2020 by David1701
typo