For about seven years of my life, I was involved with Hermeticism and western Qabalah (which is Kabbalah, but with pagan elements replacing the Jewish ones). I studied tarot, astrology and ritual religiously and got rather good at doing all three. In the end, though, I always found myself unsatisfied. I was making friends by reading their futures, both in the stars and cards. My ego had grown larger than my apartment, but I had stagnated spiritually to the point where I sank into a deep depression. Nothing could pull me out of the funk I was in, which seemed to overlap in every part of my life.
Long story short, I came back to the faith after years and years of going in circles. Though my family is Presbyterian, I'm thinking about converting to Catholicism due to the fact that I need discipline and have come to the conclusion that it is, in fact, the one true Church that was set up by Christ.
Anyhow, I guess this could be a thread about coming back to the faith after stepping away and how we reignited our passions for Christ.
While I agree that discipline is impotent for the Christian life, but a mistake that grace is something that acts like a carrot to move you forward, since "grace" literally means gift in the gospel's original language. And we all understand that a gift which has to be earned, isn't really a gift at all.
Aaron Smith
I briefly was interested in occult stuff but never got super into it, I was mostly just a fedora.
I'm becoming Catholic as well, I think we're both on the right path friend, good luck to you.
Brody Smith
Well done my friend. Continue to pray and may God be with you. Are you already baptised? I think Presbyterians baptise in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so your baptism is valid. You only need to confess since you regret your past life. May God be with you in this new journey of your life brother.
Levi Wright
*since you already regret
Oliver Morris
...
Aiden Flores
...
Blake Parker
I'd recommend going to a Traditional Latin Mass, preferably SSPX if any are close by. I apostatized after going to lukewarm "Catholic" schools my whole life and was a terrible sinner for over 10 years. I started looking into Catholic tradition and realized how much I had missed out on, I had never even seen a Latin Mass and I went to "Catholic" schools for 12 years. I finally mustered up the courage to attend a High Mass at my local SSPX church and it washed over me completely. It was so beautiful and overwhelming but most of all everything I had ever wanted. Even if you have no clue what's going on just copy what everything else does (except taking communion) and use all your senses to take it all in. Keep going and you will learn more.
I recommend the SSPX because the Catholic church is in a bit of a difficult situation right now. A standard rite, aka the Novus Ordo, Mass varies wildly from church to church, usually leaning much closer to the heretical side than traditional. A TLM doesn't have the room built in to add nonsense into the Mass since it has a rigid form, and the SSPX is the group that preserved the TLM and Catholic Tradition when it was trying to be stamped out post Vatican 2. There are other Traditional Catholic groups but they are offshoots/containment zones for people who buy into the false schismatic label. The FSSP is the most notable one and are a direct offshoot from the SSPX after the false excommunications. Their situation is regular with the Vatican but they have been waiting 20+ years to get their promised bishop. Looking back it certainly seems like Archbishop Lefebvre did the right thing. The SSPX has an irregular situation but the Vatican itself has given ordinary jurisdiction to the SSPX for sacraments so there's no longer any sort of potential grey area. There is also no such thing as partial communion. The Vatican wouldn't give ordinary jurisdiction to a group in schism so don't listen to anyone who tries to say they are.
If you take anything away from this post just make sure you get the full package if you become Catholic. We need Tradition. The church is in a tough spot right now and I'd hate for a potential convert to turn away because you went to some Novus Ordo clown mass. I pray that whatever lingers from your occult days could be washed away like when I saw the TLM the first time. I had a masturbation addiction and after the second time I attended a TLM I was finally able to conquer it after struggling for years. I feel like that was a miracle and grace from God. Over 1.5 years later and I have no desire to ever do that again.
God bless user. Hope I didn't sound too much like a salesman. Just needed to share my experience and back it up.
Wyatt Turner
*protestantism intensifies* Btw if I were you I'd go to FSSP masses. I don't know how's the SSPX relations with the Holy See right now.
Wew I wasn't aware of that. I'm not those catholics take usually takes the bait from media and sedes about the current Pope, but I never thought he was working on the matter.
Logan Sullivan
Wtf ? Orthodoxes have a western rite? What the winnie the pooh is that? Just become Catholic. Sad to see you guys schimed for meme political issues and the made up filioque stuff.
Matthew Nelson
There's ongoing talk with Fellay about making them into a personal prelature, and Francis even intervened on their behalf after they were threatened with being kicked out of Argentina.
Wyatt Rogers
Wew based
Tyler Cox
Nice try, bud. We kicking it old school with traditional western rites, while you hanging with the Novus Ordo fan club.
Orthos are really delusional or Zig Forumstards are filling the ranks of the orthodox Church because of muh cultural tradition but with no faith after all.
Really reaching with that one, bud. Enjoy your Mass tomorrow, I am sure your Pope has your best interests at heart. top kek
Daniel Hernandez
It's not my interests he should have at heart, but those of God. Begone schismatic.
David Lopez
Is there a more larpy thing than this?
Nolan Jones
Halal
Dylan Myers
(checked)
Absolutely Protestant!
Sebastian Lewis
They don't believe Jesus is God, so no… they don't.
Mason Robinson
CCC 841, quoting the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium 16, from Vatican II, declared:
"The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day. "
This is what they teach catholic kids today, in no ambiguous terms. B-but it says ' these 'profess, yes, they profess to have the faith of Abraham, but the Roman Church teaches they actually adore the one, merciful God who judges mankind. even if their profession of Abraham's faith is not exact, they still adore the same God as us''.
Which is absurd.
Isaiah Flores
Enjoy Hell, become born again in Christs Blood, Simply accept Christ and know what he did and who he was, and accept it and say it, say it every day, thank him for his sacrifice, and you are saved.
Wouldn't that be the first churches, e.g. Jerusalem and Antioch, from which Rome split? I know its a meme that restless protestants go searching for the "old path" rather than study theology, but how and why the end up in Rome is beyond me.
Thomas Murphy
The Eternal Papist
Matthew Moore
Your reconstructing western rite is beyond larping. If you want the actual western rite you go to latin mass, not this pseudo-medieval orthodox things.
Elijah Gonzalez
As a Baptist, I can tell you that's not a Baptist posting. I've had enough of your bullying, and I've had enough of fedoras pretending to be Baptist or pretending to be Apostolics just to cause strife. I just have no idea how anyone could take Anderson to be representative of a majority of even the most fundamentalist Baptists.
Nolan Harris
God of the Koran: called "the greatest deceiver". HMMMMMMM.
Nathan Evans
It's was Antioch who schismed away first, via Nestorius.
Lucas Ward
That's a mistranslation, it says planner
t. Taquiyya
Brandon Russell
No, the schism started with the Quartodeciman controversy, wherein Rome demanded a change to the apostolic traditions of the passover.
Xavier Wilson
Antioch, not Asia (that is Asia minor)
Jonathan Cook
I spent several years practicing Tibetan Buddhism, which is heavily laden with shamanism and occult practices. I'm Orthodox now.
While I'm obviously going to suggest considering Orthodoxy as well, If you're set on Catholicism, find a conservative parish. The FSSP is extremely solid and any of their parishes are good. The SSPX is solidly conservative as well, but there are some issues involving their relationship with Rome. I'm not totally aware of the details, afaik Rome considers their sacraments valid, but some of the Catholics on here probably could explain the situation better than I could. Eastern Catholicism is also a thing to consider.
Honestly, my advice is find a church you can immerse yourself in and a priest who can help you develop a prayer life. The sooner the better. As someone who has been in a similar situation, I will pray for you.
Logan Reed
every Church ended up following the Roman reckoning and was codified in the canons of Nicea.
Zachary Murphy
Sacrament, any sacrament save baptism and marriage, have twofold reality to it. One answer to question "did sacrament happen" or in other words "is sacrament valid". SPPX have valid sacraments, because they have valid priesthood and valid sacramentology. But there is also question "did minister of sacrament had right to perform this sacrament" or in other words "is sacrament licit". SPPX have NO canonical status. All thier sacraments are illegally performed. Objectivlly speaking they are in schism and Church does not treat them with consequences of this fact only by her charity and real possiblity that they will be reconciled (objectivlly they should be treated like Eastern Orthodoxies). So SPPX - valid but illicit.
