How could an ex-Jw become Catholic

by My Struggle 54 Replies latest jw friends

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  NanaR

  I am an XJW who is "becoming" Catholic.

  I "found Jesus" in the Catholic Church. I am finally, after many years, experiencing healing from the anger and resentment engendered by the WTS.

  Catholic worship is deeply scriptural. Jesus said that once he established his Church, it would always exist (The gates of Hades will not overpower it).

  I find it reasonable that the same God who preserved Holy Scripture inerrant for thousands of years would preserve His Church on earth.

  I find that the Catholic Church does the things that Jesus foretold his followers would do -- they feed the hungry, care for the sick, and become the face of Jesus to those in need.

  The parable of the Wheat and the Weeds foretells that not all Christians would be good. Not all Catholics are good. They are human. But so were the Israelites, and God preserved their priesthood from Aaron until the time of Christ for His purpose.

  I have, of course, not come to this decision lightly. It is also not a subject about which I will argue, although I would be happy to discuss the subject in more depth if anyone has a question for me personally.

  Peace to all of you,

  Ruth
• 

  kazar

  I am also surprised at JW's becoming Catholic; probably because I was a Catholic who converted to the JW's. I found the doctrines and teachings of Catholicism burdensome--mortal sins, venial sins, heaven, hell, limbo (I don't mean the dance) and purgatory just to name a few. I never knew any Catholics who were sincere. I'm sure there are, I'm just stating I never met them. I used to be amazed at the things Catholics would do which would be considered very damning and they didn't even worry about getting to confession. It was this descrepancy which turned me away from them. Of course after a few years of being a JW I encountered different rules and beliefs that were just as burdensom. The hypocrisy of the Watchtower did the same thing to me.
• 

  TD

  How could an ex-Jw become Catholic?

  I think the first thing that would have to happen is a rethinking of the silly Protestant notion that the 66 book Bible for all practical purposes, "Fell from heaven."
• 

  poppers

  To me it seems that they are falling into the belief that they are in the one chosen religion and all other religions and subsequent denominations are wrong.

  This is standard across the board, not just with Catholics. Who follows a religion seriously who doesn't do that?
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  Tom Cabeen

  Hi All, I am not a frequent poster here, but have been a member for some time. A friend informed me of this post, and since I was mentioned, I thought I would give a “brief” reply to what is a very good question. How could an ex-JW become Catholic? As might be expected, the answer is more complex when told in its entirety. But I can give some indicators that will at least help you see the main motivators that moved me toward where I am now: I had been trained as a JW to obey the truth no matter how hard, as, for example in the issue of blood transfusions or persecution. I have not rejected that principle, and it has continued to guide me throughout my life. Step one: Reading Carl Olof Jonsson’s letter to the WTS when I was still a loyal JW at Bethel convinced me that WT chronology was fatally flawed. Since I had really put a lot of effort into understanding it, I knew the key role it played in the claims made by the WTS as to who and what they were. Bottom line, they could not be who they claimed to be. So I knew I would have to part company with them, though I knew it would be painful. Step two: After several years as a “freelance” Christian, not associated with any formal fellowship except for a small group of former JWs every few weeks, my wife and I missed regular Christian fellowship and decided to attend a small local church. No particular reason except that it was small and convenient. We later switched to a Baptist church which had a bigger youth program to provide association for our kids. I learned a lot more, and we enjoyed the fellowship, but I found many logical and scriptural contradictions among some of the basic doctrines as taught by evangelicals. Step three: A former JW friend introduced me to the historical writings of the early Christians and convinced me that the church founded by the apostles did not go off the rails at the end of the first century. I began to read their writings extensively and, after some time spent getting my head around their very different perspective on many things, found that not only was their perspective on Christianity more sensible, it was also just as clearly supported in scripture as other “Bible based” versions of Christianity. Step four: We began attending an evangelical Anglican (Episcopal) church, where we were introduced to liturgical worship. Another former JW friend who had become a Catholic described their worship to me, I was struck at how similar it was to the Episcopal worship. I began to investigate the Catholic church more seriously. I had many of the same beliefs about Catholic teachings that many of you have, I’m sure, but I considered each one slowly and seriously. I have a very devout son who is also a scientist, and together we carefully considered the historical, scriptural and logical basis for Catholic teachings which were new to us. They each stood up to, in his words, “intense intellectual scrutiny”. Still determined to follow truth wherever it led, after intense discussions, meditation and praying about it for well over a year, my wife, my son and I all decided (independently) that we should become members of the Catholic church, based only on our research and our faith that God was guiding us through his Spirit. The first Catholic mass I ever attended, with the exception of one or two funerals and a wedding over a period of twenty five years, was on the day we were confirmed as Catholics. All that was required of me to be confirmed as a Catholic was to affirm that I believed the beliefs enumerated in the Apostle’s Creed. I firmly believe them all. We have not found the Catholic church to be what it is portrayed to be by either non-Catholics or dissatisfied former Catholics. I have learned so much. Every day I am more convinced that the fullest expression of the Christian faith is contained in the Catholic Church. I believe that many non-Catholics are also Christians, though, and I do not judge them. But once I began to really study the Catholic faith (something many if not most cradle Catholics have never bothered to do), every day her beauty and the truthfulness of her teachings becomes more evident to me. Can non-Catholics be saved? Yes. But if I have the opportunity to choose the Christian faith in simple outline (Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so) or in rich depth and fullness, why not choose the latter? As for the idea that we have just gone back to what we thought we had as JWs, that is the one thing we will never do. Been there, done that. Never again! However, the problem I had with the WTS was not their claim that God has a people nor that he directs his people, it was their claim to be that people. Their teachings do not support their claims. They are counterfeit. I will be happy to answer any serious questions, either here or in private email correspondence at [email protected]. Tom Cabeen
• 

  Crumpet

  I've considered it and I'm an atheist.

  I like the colours purple and scarlet.

  I love the Cathedrals and churches.

  I'm into candles.

  I like nuns.

  Idea of confessionals makes me horny - bit like therapy, but behind a screen so I can hide my blushes (and anything else I might want to get up to).

  I think there are quite a few reasons.

  Not to mention free wine.

  Downside - nasty papery wafery things in your mouth (I mean communion, not the priest)

  The pope.

  Unprotected sex.
• 

  martinwellborne

  i have no idea, especially if they have ever read "Vicars of Christ, the DARK side of the Papacy" by Peter de Rosa. an ex jesuir priest. i could harly put the book down for laughing, crying etc. it stunned me. without a word of a lie.

  read of pope after pope who were atheists, sodomites, murderers, soldiers etc.

  '#;*- it's unbelievable
• 

  Kenneson

  I'm one of those who fell away from the Catholic Church, joined Jehovah's Witnesses, and after about seven and a half years returned to the Church. My story can be found on Jeff's site:

  http://www.catholicxjw.com/fallenaway.html
• 

  cabasilas

  Welcome, Tom, and thanks for sharing your story here.

  One other book I want to mention that, oddly enough, is written by two Catholics (one a Jesuit!) but published by a Protestant publishing company is Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli.

  http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Christian-Apologetics-Hundreds-Questions/dp/0830817743

  While written to a general audience, it offers some insights on issues that divide Protestants and Catholics, such as the subject of faith and works.
• 

  GoingGoingGone

  When I left the JWs, it was for doctrinal reasons. What the JWs taught did not agree with what the Bible said. My search for truth brought me to the Catholic church. I read much of the early Church Fathers, studied Catholic doctrine and interpretation of scriptures, and attended mass.

  I think that the Catholic interpretation of the Bible makes the most sense of any other religion I've investigated. I jumped in with both feet because I thought, NOW, finally, I have found the way God wants me to worship him... everything the Catholics believe is in the Bible. What I failed to consider, though, was that Catholicism preceeded the Bible by about 400 years. The New Testament books were chosen by Catholics. So of course the Catholic church could make sense of the Bible! They assembled it... they took the (possibly) thousands of letters and books and other writings, hand-picked only those they wanted, put them together into the NT, and called it inspired.

  That puts the Catholic clergy in a very special position. The Bible is given to the Church, not to mankind in general, and the church must interpret it in order for everyone else to understand it.

  Tom Cabeen wrote: As for the idea that we have just gone back to what we thought we had as JWs, that is the one thing we will never do. Been there, done that. Never again! However, the problem I had with the WTS was not their claim that God has a people nor that he directs his people, it was their claim to be that people.

  Tom, I've read many of your essays and I have nothing but respect for you. You say that you'd never go back to what you thought you had as JWs. However, when you lost faith in the JWs, you lost the security of having all the answers, knowing you were part of an organization which has God's approval, which points to the Bible as proof of that. Now that you found the Catholic church, you again have the security of having all the answers, of knowing you are part of an organization that has God's approval and points to the Bible as proof of that. Only this time, the claims of being God's people come from the Church which assembled the very book you are pointing to as proof! Logically, they would fit the bill.

  I agree with the poster who said that if God had a specific way he wanted us to worship him, he would make it clear to us. Not clear as in: "Wade through tens of thousands of belief systems, pick one, then wade through all the denominations of that particular belief system. Oh, and if you pick the wrong one, you'll be spending a looong time in purgatory." I mean clear as in simply knowing what God wants. Like we know that we love our children, or know that killing someone in cold blood is wrong.

  Just my two cents.

  GGG