Conversion to/from Catholicism

[Ciabhán]

Really no reason for the poll other than curiosity. If you wish to include specifics or explainations as to reasons for conversion please do, but lets try to keep all the childish bickering to a minimum.


I was born into a Catholic family and ostensibly that made me Catholic until I was old enough to find other things to do on a Sunday morning.

[blackwatersix]

I was born into a Catholic family and I'm still Catholic, because I've never really been convinced that the protestant sects are right (and I find them too militant at times) and because my religion doesn't interfere with other aspects of my decidedly secular life.

[Kovas]

I was born into a catholic family, but some years ago, I became a believer of the Sun, Moon, forests, rivers and storms.

[Monarchist]

I started off atheistically, and just yesterday visited a nice Catholic parish called St. Agnes (they gave me the R.C.I.A. program and told me to come back later). If I were to convert to a Christian religion, it would be to Catholicism or Orthodoxy. Since it is "up in the air", I have voted here regardless.

[blackwatersix]

I started off atheistically, and just yesterday visited a nice Catholic parish called St. Agnes (they gave me the R.C.I.A. program and told me to come back later). If I were to convert to a Christian religion, it would be to Catholicism or Orthodoxy. Since it is "up in the air", I have voted here regardless.

I always thought you were Orthodox to begin with.

[Monarchist]

I always thought you were Orthodox to begin with.

Nope. I was raised by a militant atheist (Tankbuster must be praying to Saint Charles that I be saved right about now).

[Tankbuster]

I had four years of religious education when I was little and went to a Catholic school for more than 6 years afterwards.
But I can't say for sure that I ever really believed in any of the Catholic dogmas that were presented to me, so I'm a bit on the fence as to whether or not I actually ever was a Catholic (EDIT: come to think of it, I did do both communions so I guess that means that I'm still a Catholic in some sense).
Voting Catholic to Atheist anyway.

Nope. I was raised by a militant atheist (Tankbuster must be praying to Saint Charles that I be saved right about now).

Nah, I'm more into the whole human sacrifice thing.

[Fiyenyaa]

Nah, I'm more into the whole human sacrifice thing.

Don't forget about that baby-eating we all indulge in...

[Ciabhán]

I had four years of religious education when I was little and went to a Catholic school for more than 6 years afterwards.
But I can't say for sure that I ever really believed in any of the Catholic dogmas that were presented to me, so I'm a bit on the fence as to whether or not I actually ever was a Catholic (EDIT: come to think of it, I did do both communions so I guess that means that I'm still a Catholic in some sense).
Voting Catholic to Atheist anyway.

Nah, I'm more into the whole human sacrifice thing.

That's ok Tank, I went to church run schools for my entire span of primary and secondary education. I also had Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. As far back as memory serves I never once believed in any of it. It was the old story of a child having little choice in what the parents forced upon one. I did however find ways to avoid Mass, excepting major holidays, when I was still in primary school so at least I got out of that.

OH MY GOD! I KNEW IT! So, you atheists really are into that sort of thing, aren't you? I saw it coming from miles away.

Who would put lettuce in a baby sandwich? You truly are sick.

I prefer fresh spinach, tomato, and a little malt vinegar on mine in case anyone is ordering out.

[Monarchist]

OH MY GOD! I KNEW IT! So, you atheists really are into that sort of thing, aren't you? I saw it coming from miles away.

Who would put lettuce in a baby sandwich? You truly are sick.

[Phier]

I have a lot of respect for the Catholic church. When I became an atheist (IN a catholic church btw), it had nothing to do with a problem with Catholicism in general, just the core concept of religion.

[Admiral Piett]

Cannot apply as I never was raised a Catholic nor am I ever going to convert to Catholicism.

However, something that should be noted in this thread is that most Protestants are perfectly happy with the degree of flexibility in their churches - whereas the much older dogmas of Catholicism and Orthodoxy are more centralized and strict in regards to what values are taught. Not I'm not saying this is how Catholic or Orthodox families are, I'm saying that the churches are fairly set in stone in regards to values, traditions, rituals, etc. Protestants are so widely diverse that I bet you could try to name one thing that they all have in common. The only thing they have in common is that they believe in the same trinity god. Some protestant sects even recognize the Catholic church, such as Lutherans - whom I was raised by. Lutherans recite the Nicene creed in every service.

[Monarchist]

However, something that should be noted in this thread is that most Protestants are perfectly happy with the degree of flexibility in their churches - whereas the much older dogmas of Catholicism and Orthodoxy are more centralized and strict in regards to what values are taught. Not I'm not saying this is how Catholic or Orthodox families are, I'm saying that the churches are fairly set in stone in regards to values, traditions, rituals, etc.

What a bunch of revisionist pro-Protestant propaganda. Have you ever noticed how often Catholics switch their dogma on things? Practically the entire way of government in the Church was totally changed in 1964. In 1870, a perfectly good Catholic who didn't believe in the Immaculate Conception would be labeled a heretic one year later. Aquinas was a "heretic" in 1285, and a saint in 1885. There are no traditions that are truly sacred to the modern Roman Catholic Church, because it keeps trying to change with the times. It's very Protestant, in that respect.

Not that there's anything wrong with all that, but things just aren't as you say they are.

[Dr. Croccer]

Born into a family of Scots-Irish and Brabanter and Twentenaar Catholics. Despite the fact that the Catholic community in my home town is small and we tended to go to Protestant churches and I have become less religious over the years, I still consider Catholicism to be better than both Protestanism and Orthodoxy and I tend to affliate with it. It's more humane, modern and mature than both. Their theology is more convincing and less fanatic than that of the others. Outside of religious regions, the Catholic church has been, IMO, a force of good in the world most of the time and Catholic aesthetics are very nice, though I have to admit that Orthodox ones are just as good.

[Stavroforos]

Born Orthodox, but I was interested in the prospect of going Catholic a few years back. The more I looked into it though, the more I found myself unwilling to join a post-Vatican II Church.

[Sharpe]

I was born an Irish Catholic, still practice, and hope my kids will too be Irish Catholics, obviously when they get to certain age they can make thier own choices, but until then I believe the values held by Catholics is good for someone to grow up with.

[Ciabhán]

I was born an Irish Catholic, still practice, and hope my kids will too be Irish Catholics, obviously when they get to certain age they can make thier own choices, but until then I believe the values held by Catholics is good for someone to grow up with.

Are you by any chance from NI or are you from the Republic? This type of thing was part of the reason I put up the poll. I never did actually believe in god/s though I didn't see anything wrong with the church until after I was older and had seen the strife of our secular conflict wherein people used religion as both an identifier and a way to rationalise their actions.

[motiv-8]

It makes me wonder if there's something wrong with the Catholic education system that would have its students turn to atheism. Granted, that's making a lot of generalized assumptions in the process, but it seems bizarre.

Anyway, I was raised in a Protestant family which never attended church, I became an atheist briefly as a teen, and then again recognized God when I began studying Islam and Christian history. I belong to no church, but if I were to be baptized it would likely be the Catholic Church, which I have great respect for.

[Phier]

It makes me wonder if there's something wrong with the Catholic education system that would have its students turn to atheism. Granted, that's making a lot of generalized assumptions in the process, but it seems bizarre.

Good educations can do that.

[motiv-8]

Good educations can do that.

Looks like another set of assumptions running in another direction. My education brought me closer to belief in God, despite taking as much in natural sciences as my limited capacity would allow, and I don't see how a higher "quality" one like say from an Ivy League school would have changed that, unless they bludgeoned me with "God is fake" while torturing me. Strangely enough this is the kind of tactic that has been attributed to Catholic schools by stereotyping hysterics, in my experience.