Ex-Catholics Anonymous! Share your Testimony!

[Berk60]

I thank you all for your support and prayers with my mom.

We had our family bible study this Monday and it was quite intense. Many of the Catholic traditions came into question and also the biblical truth that a person must be born again to see the kingdom of Heaven. I had the opportunity to explain how to be born again to my Mom in saying that when we come to the admission that we have sinned and offended God, our emotional wall of rejection comes tumbling down and we ask Jesus to forgive us and ask Him to be the Lord of our life. Recognizing that He died on the cross in place of us so that we may have eternal life. This was all done by the grace of God and none of our works has anything to do with it. Now we plead with Him to be the Lord of our life no matter where that may take us. We have total trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

My mom was very adamant to say that she didn't think she needed to do this since she always had God in her life thanks to her parent being devout Catholics. I told her that the narrow path that Jesus talks about in the bible has only room for one on it and we all need to come one on one with Him and have a personal relationship with him and this will happen when she invites Him as the Lord of her life.

This kind of lead to praying to Mary and all the saints questions. I pointed her to scripture that Jesus is the one and only mediator between the Father and us and that in the Old Testament we are told not to communicate with dead human beings. She said that she doesn't believe that she is communicating with dead people like that. I posed the question that when we pray to God are we communicating with Him? The answer was Yes. Then I told her that when she prays to Mary and all the numerous saints that help her with various problems, she is trying to communicate with them when she should be praying to God.

My mom also brought up a saint that was visited by Mary and said that why would God ordain this if we weren't suppose to pray to her. I again pointed her to scripture that says even Satan can appear as an angel of light and that may have been the case. I think that thought scared her a bit.

She called the next day and told me she couldn't sleep all night with all the things we talked about at bible study. As I listened I got excited and then she said," I kept asking Jesus why does everyone at bible study think that I don't believe I'm saved." Well it was in a tone of self justification and I knew that she didn't ask Jesus into her heart that night. Now it's business as usual with pulling out the beads and praying to Mary and all the saints,the Holy days of obligation,giving money for Masses for the dead, ect...

Maybe I can find a comparison list comparing the the RCC traditions and doctrines to scripture.

[bystillwaters]

I was born into a catholic home and attended parochial school. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was schizophrenic. My father and mother did however remain married to each other for all their lives. That is an example that I have endeavored to follow. In the '50's I attended catholic school. During my time in parochial school, I noticed that the nuns were making a big deal about Mary. Even though I was only 6 or so I always felt wrong about that otherwise I found the orderly nature catholic education helpful to me when I later transferred to public highschool. I never had very many friends because of my family situation. I was perpetually embarrassed by my family situation and had no social skills. So perhaps thats why I constantly turned to Jesus. Later on when I went to the public highschool, I became less interested in church. I experimented with various other faiths and found some benefit in everything. However I always remained Christian in my mind and my heart, and still to this day remember finding the presence of Christ and the holy spirit in what the Catholics call Benediction. Eventually I refound a desire to be more active in my faith and because of the Marian stuff, chose to not be catholic and instead chose to study the bible and eventually joined a 4 square church. Today I am about to begin an online study of the bible... and perhaps find a way to minister to the truly unfortunate such as single moms, the mentally ill and the elderly. I also am an artist and would like to share Christ through my art. The only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ.

[Zack1956]

I'm beginning to find peace again after a struggle with my beliefs. I was raised Presbyterian & have attended Christian churches of various denominations over the decades as I moved around. A few years ago I became Catholic after reading a book, that DIDN'T fully explain Catholic beliefs. But I was tested last year. My mom died & I changed jobs twice & I needed God to get through it. But I just had religion. A very complex religion that felt like an obstacle course & promised nothing in return. I remember an RCIA teacher saying "I don't know if I'll make it to heaven. I'm working my way toward it. I hope it's enough." My faith weakened upon hearing that. I made it to Mass most of the time, made it to confession when I missed Mass but after awhile I felt like I was living by the old Jewish Law of the Old Testement. I wasn't hearing why Jesus died for my sins. I was hearing about other things but very little about Jesus. I quit going to Mass & confession 2 months ago. I started listening to Christian radio stations in the car on my commute & I feel like I'm coming alive again. I'm praying & getting peace back I haven't felt since before my conversion. I realized how insulting I probably was to Jesus. To believe that His sacrifice on the cross wasn't enough so I have to make up for it with my own "works" is an insult to Him. A lack of faith. I remember an RCIA teacher said once we convert, if we leave the Catholic Church we'll go to hell. I no longer believe that. It's a man-made idea taught to keep people from leaving. I could have spent a lifetime studying the Catholic faith & have little clue who Jesus is. So much stuff! Where did all that come from? It's not mentioned in the Bible. 1,500 years of re-inventing the old Jewish Law. Works instead of faith? Not for me anymore. Now comes the obstacle. My wife was raised Catholic. After we married it took 3 1/2 years for my annulment to be completed & she went to the mental hospital 4 times during the wait because the Catholic church said "you're living in sin as 2 adulterers" & would go to hell if we died before the annulment was completed. (I divorced my ex 8 years prior & I could write a book as to why) Anyway, I just heard my wife drive up. She can't read this. That's where I'm at now. Gotta go.

[Verisimilitude]

Welcome Zack! I am also an ex-catholic who was put on the path to Jesus through Christian radio. You'll find a few of us ex's here and some of us, like me, are married to catholics. We can really identify with you.

[gdawg55]

I'm beginning to find peace again after a struggle with my beliefs. I was raised Presbyterian & have attended Christian churches of various denominations over the decades as I moved around. A few years ago I became Catholic after reading a book, that DIDN'T fully explain Catholic beliefs. But I was tested last year. My mom died & I changed jobs twice & I needed God to get through it. But I just had religion. A very complex religion that felt like an obstacle course & promised nothing in return. I remember an RCIA teacher saying "I don't know if I'll make it to heaven. I'm working my way toward it. I hope it's enough." My faith weakened upon hearing that. I made it to Mass most of the time, made it to confession when I missed Mass but after awhile I felt like I was living by the old Jewish Law of the Old Testement. I wasn't hearing why Jesus died for my sins. I was hearing about other things but very little about Jesus. I quit going to Mass & confession 2 months ago. I started listening to Christian radio stations in the car on my commute & I feel like I'm coming alive again. I'm praying & getting peace back I haven't felt since before my conversion. I realized how insulting I probably was to Jesus. To believe that His sacrifice on the cross wasn't enough so I have to make up for it with my own "works" is an insult to Him. A lack of faith. I remember an RCIA teacher said once we convert, if we leave the Catholic Church we'll go to hell. I no longer believe that. It's a man-made idea taught to keep people from leaving. I could have spent a lifetime studying the Catholic faith & have little clue who Jesus is. So much stuff! Where did all that come from? It's not mentioned in the Bible. 1,500 years of re-inventing the old Jewish Law. Works instead of faith? Not for me anymore. Now comes the obstacle. My wife was raised Catholic. After we married it took 3 1/2 years for my annulment to be completed & she went to the mental hospital 4 times during the wait because the Catholic church said "you're living in sin as 2 adulterers" & would go to hell if we died before the annulment was completed. (I divorced my ex 8 years prior & I could write a book as to why) Anyway, I just heard my wife drive up. She can't read this. That's where I'm at now. Gotta go.

WOW....stay strong Zack1956. True Christianity and personal salvation is not found in the RCC or any religion (or group). It is found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are saved through grace not of works. Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of us, not just folks in the RCC. All we have to do is put our faith and trust in Him. I hope you will continue your path out of the RCC and find peace in a personal relationship with Christ.

Please, whatever you do, start reading your Bible. It will help answer all your questions. I have been faithfully reading my Bible for a couple of years now, and I feel like my eyes have been opened. My are with you my friend.