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My mom had me baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church; 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 the final 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 was the final 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 suggested
that I buy one and see what it says. He took me to a book store where I
picked out a cheap copy of the Scofield Reference Bible. Back in 1968, it was
available in only the KJV: not the original KJV of 1611, but a revised version;
which is quite a bit easier to read and understand than the original 1611.
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 as the final 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 follow
Rome and its Christ; or do I follow the Holy Bible and its Christ?
The decision was a no-brainer due to my confidence in the Holy Bible as
the final authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice' and due to
my trust in the integrity of Jesus Christ-- 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. They say: 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 48 years later still a Protestant. That's not forever, but it's a start.
==========================================
My mom had me baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church; 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 the final 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 was the final 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 suggested
that I buy one and see what it says. He took me to a book store where I
picked out a cheap copy of the Scofield Reference Bible. Back in 1968, it was
available in only the KJV: not the original KJV of 1611, but a revised version;
which is quite a bit easier to read and understand than the original 1611.
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 as the final 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 follow
Rome and its Christ; or do I follow the Holy Bible and its Christ?
The decision was a no-brainer due to my confidence in the Holy Bible as
the final authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice' and due to
my trust in the integrity of Jesus Christ-- 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. They say: 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 48 years later still a Protestant. That's not forever, but it's a start.
==========================================
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