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My mom had me baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944;
and when old enough; enrolled me in catechism where I eventually
completed First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
My aunt and uncle were Catholics, their son is a Catholic, one of my half
brothers is now a semi-retired Friar. My father-in-law was a Catholic, as was
my mother-in-law. Everybody alive on my wife's side are Catholics; her
aunts and uncles, and her cousins. My sister-in-law was a nun for a number
of years before falling out with the hierarchy that controlled her order.
I have things to thank the Church for. It instilled within me an unshakable
confidence in the Holy Bible as a reliable authority in all matters pertaining
to faith and practice. It also instilled within me a trust in the integrity of
Jesus Christ. Very early in my youth; I began to believe that Christ knew
what he was talking about and meant what he said.
I was very proud to be affiliated with Roman Catholicism, and confident as
all get out that it is the one true religion. Some Catholics see red whenever
the Church is criticized and/or critiqued, but I never did. Some Catholics see
criticism and/or critique of the Church's beliefs and practices as hatred for
Catholics. I have never understood that mentality.
Ironically, one of the Church's enemies, the Jehovah's Witnesses, sometimes
react the same way when somebody criticizes and/or critiques the Watch
Tower Society. For some odd reason, it translates in their minds as hatred
for Jehovah's Witnesses. I think some people have trouble telling the
difference between a sport and a sport's fans; if you know what I mean.
Oddly, though I was confident that the Bible is an authority in all matters
pertaining to faith and practice; I had never actually sat down and read it. A
co-worker in a metal shop where I worked as a welder in 1968 suggested
that I buy one and see for myself what it says.
Everything went smoothly till I got to the New Testament, and in no time at
all I began to realize that Rome does not always agree with the Holy Bible;
nor does it always agree with Christ. Well; that was not cool with me
because I was, and still am, confident that the Holy Bible is an authority in
all matters pertaining to faith and practice, and that Christ knew what he
was talking about and meant what he said.
Well; I soon became confronted with a very serious decision. Do I continue
to follow Rome or do I switch to following the Holy Bible?
The decision was a no-brainer due to my confidence in the Holy Bible as an
authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice and due to my trust
in Jesus Christ's integrity— that he knew what he was talking about and
meant what he said.
Ironically, the Church sabotaged itself by instilling within me the justification
to defect. It's been said: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Give
him some fishing tackle, and you feed him forever. Well; the Church had
inadvertently given me some fishing tackle, so to speak, and here I am
today 47 years later still a Protestant. That's not forever, but it's a start.
http://cfbac.org/catholicism.htm
===========================================
My mom had me baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944;
and when old enough; enrolled me in catechism where I eventually
completed First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
My aunt and uncle were Catholics, their son is a Catholic, one of my half
brothers is now a semi-retired Friar. My father-in-law was a Catholic, as was
my mother-in-law. Everybody alive on my wife's side are Catholics; her
aunts and uncles, and her cousins. My sister-in-law was a nun for a number
of years before falling out with the hierarchy that controlled her order.
I have things to thank the Church for. It instilled within me an unshakable
confidence in the Holy Bible as a reliable authority in all matters pertaining
to faith and practice. It also instilled within me a trust in the integrity of
Jesus Christ. Very early in my youth; I began to believe that Christ knew
what he was talking about and meant what he said.
I was very proud to be affiliated with Roman Catholicism, and confident as
all get out that it is the one true religion. Some Catholics see red whenever
the Church is criticized and/or critiqued, but I never did. Some Catholics see
criticism and/or critique of the Church's beliefs and practices as hatred for
Catholics. I have never understood that mentality.
Ironically, one of the Church's enemies, the Jehovah's Witnesses, sometimes
react the same way when somebody criticizes and/or critiques the Watch
Tower Society. For some odd reason, it translates in their minds as hatred
for Jehovah's Witnesses. I think some people have trouble telling the
difference between a sport and a sport's fans; if you know what I mean.
Oddly, though I was confident that the Bible is an authority in all matters
pertaining to faith and practice; I had never actually sat down and read it. A
co-worker in a metal shop where I worked as a welder in 1968 suggested
that I buy one and see for myself what it says.
Everything went smoothly till I got to the New Testament, and in no time at
all I began to realize that Rome does not always agree with the Holy Bible;
nor does it always agree with Christ. Well; that was not cool with me
because I was, and still am, confident that the Holy Bible is an authority in
all matters pertaining to faith and practice, and that Christ knew what he
was talking about and meant what he said.
Well; I soon became confronted with a very serious decision. Do I continue
to follow Rome or do I switch to following the Holy Bible?
The decision was a no-brainer due to my confidence in the Holy Bible as an
authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice and due to my trust
in Jesus Christ's integrity— that he knew what he was talking about and
meant what he said.
Ironically, the Church sabotaged itself by instilling within me the justification
to defect. It's been said: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Give
him some fishing tackle, and you feed him forever. Well; the Church had
inadvertently given me some fishing tackle, so to speak, and here I am
today 47 years later still a Protestant. That's not forever, but it's a start.
http://cfbac.org/catholicism.htm
===========================================