Many times Catholic apologists are asked for that apologetic “silver bullet” to help someone else they know with understanding or appreciating the fullness of the Christian faith as it has been upheld within the Catholic Church. I was recently asked if there was such a tool for the best way to help someone to become open to Catholicism, or the process to join the faith, especially if they are distrustful of religion.
Number Two: discovering and resolving personal and denominational misconceptions about the Catholic Church. Speaking from experience, having been raised a Protestant I held several “common Protestant” misconceptions about the Catholic Church, some theological and some historical. For example, I had to discover that though I was taught that “Catholics worship Mary” it was false, and based in large part upon misconceptions of the nature of prayer. Furthermore, I had to discover that the Catholic Church didn’t “start in the time of Constantine” but was, by nature and historical lineage, clearly connected to the perpetuated leadership role of the Apostles of Christ, and that the word “catholic” (universal) is simple one of the four “marks” that point out the original Church.
After initial conversion to Christ and to His Church it is easy to fall into sin again, as the temptations of the world are powerful. Thus a conversion of will is perpetually necessary. For this reason many spiritual masters and writers will tell you that conversion is not a “one time” deal, but a continual process, a life-long journey toward God, whereby one continually and daily “takes up their cross” to follow Christ.
The unfortunate answer: there isn’t one single issue or idea. For most converts to discover the ancientness and originality of the Catholic Church as that which was founded by Jesus Christ upon the leadership offices of the Apostles it often takes each individual several personal steps. However, in my own studies, as I relate in my upcoming book, there are several common themes or “lessons learned” among intellectual converts to Catholicism, especially the countless Protestant ministers that have been coming in over the last few decades. Thus conversion is a complex process of a spiritual conversion, an intellectual conversion, and a conversion of will to do what God desires.
Number One: be open to the Holy Spirit’s ability to guide through answered prayer and be prepared to accept the signs of answers. The spiritual life of a prayerful relationship is the beginning of learning about God, experiencing the revelation of Jesus Christ, and embracing the wondrous Church He gave as an extension of His “body” as Saint Paul called it, which Christians are incorporated into. The “Body of Christ” on earth is not perfect, of course, but in the process of being cleansed for those who desire purification.
Those who are distrustful of religion often are so because they are distrustful of people who present it. Again, as previously discussed in past articles, the word “religion” comes from the word meaning “to bind” as in a “relationship.” Thus religion is a relationship with God. Authentic religion is divine revelation: religion that God revealed because humanity, due to our falleness, tend toward false religion. Therefore such skeptics need to learn about the nature of divine revelation, as it is quite inspiring!
Number Two: discovering and resolving personal and denominational misconceptions about the Catholic Church. Speaking from experience, having been raised a Protestant I held several “common Protestant” misconceptions about the Catholic Church, some theological and some historical. For example, I had to discover that though I was taught that “Catholics worship Mary” it was false, and based in large part upon misconceptions of the nature of prayer. Furthermore, I had to discover that the Catholic Church didn’t “start in the time of Constantine” but was, by nature and historical lineage, clearly connected to the perpetuated leadership role of the Apostles of Christ, and that the word “catholic” (universal) is simple one of the four “marks” that point out the original Church.Number Three: learning more Church history and historical theology. I didn’t realize that, as a youth, some of my beliefs were in part based upon modern (non-historical or non-ancient) interpretations of the Christian faith. In other words, as I discovered the root issue, due to the new idea of believing in “the Bible alone,” people thus tended toward private interpretations, whereby apart from the historical context they were written (i.e., Sacred Tradition), it is truly impossible to “get it right” on one’s own on all doctrine.
This also is due in part to the nature of the Bible, especially the New Testament, as it was never intended to be a sort of catechism of the Christian faith. It is most often here, by delving into Church history and discovering the richness of such treasures as the writings of the Apostolic and Early Church Fathers, those men who were ordained by the Apostles or who followed their disciples, that a great number of academics, very often Protestant ministers, Christian college professors, and other lay intellectuals, discover what Cardinal Newman did: “To go deep into history is to cease being a Protestant.”
After initial conversion to Christ and to His Church it is easy to fall into sin again, as the temptations of the world are powerful. Thus a conversion of will is perpetually necessary. For this reason many spiritual masters and writers will tell you that conversion is not a “one time” deal, but a continual process, a life-long journey toward God, whereby one continually and daily “takes up their cross” to follow Christ.