Family Strife Over Conversion

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='eustace scrubb' date='29 March 2010 - 07:07 AM' timestamp='1269857239' post='2082492']
i know her grasp of doctrine is extremely weak (she's convinced that Catholicism = salvation via works), but what it all boils down to is a lifetime of bad experiences with Catholicism and, after converting to Protestantism, a lot of crazy family strife over it. most of it was on the part of her Catholic family and i witnessed some of it, myself. but she's incredibly bitter about it and needs to repent of that. no amount of logic would change her mind, so i'm just going to turn the other cheek and love her back in spite of her treatment of me.
[/quote]

That's all it boils down to, eh? A lifetime of bad experiences and lots of crazy family strife... sounds like she's been through a lot. It's understandable (if not reasonable) for her to be defensive about your decision. I'd give things time, take an interest in her faith, and with time she may come around to seeing a different side to Catholicism. If nothing else, she is right to believe in salvation by grace alone.

[eustace scrubb]

thanks. hopefully things will improve.

i met with my dad on his lunch break today and he said that he wouldn't take me off of their health insurance or do anything financially to hurt me. he did say some pretty f'd-up things, though (like the possibility of DISOWNING ME), which smells of elderberries. but at least he was reasonable and made it clear that he still loves me.

my mom is still completely out of her mind. now she's saying that the rosary comes from Eastern religions and can't get how i "could possibly consider praying to Mary." i'm not replying to that, as any discussion with her is entirely pointless, but i mean, really... why WOULDN'T i pray to Mary?!?? the Bible CLEARLY supports it!!! fortunately, she's being reasonable enough to say that she won't take me off of their insurance or anything like that.

on an extremely positive note, my charismatic nondenominational protestant house church, which i went to tonight, is extremely supportive of me, including the leader. he's really into Catholic writers and is interested in things about it (and i think i've seen him wear a rosary before), so that could something to do with it. the other guy who helps lead the study is confused and upset by my actions, but he's praying about it and i told him that that's exactly what i wanted him to do in the first place about this. whatever happens with that, though, he's second in charge, as far as i understand. and i have a lot of support from the people who go and have talked to about it, including at least the husband in the only married couple who comes (they're in their forties. most people are 18-24, with a few exceptions) and they carry a lot of weight in what happens there. a lot of this probably has to do with everyone's respect for my spiritual maturity, love for God and others, and how i've repeatedly ministered to and looked out for them since i started attending. they and my catholic and orthodox friends are basically my family right now.

thank you all so much for your prayers... i am exhausted.

Edited March 30, 2010 by eustace scrubb

[Noel's angel]

[quote name='eustace scrubb' date='28 March 2010 - 07:09 PM' timestamp='1269796174' post='2081997']
Here's what happened yesterday; I don't want to have to retype all of it. Read that first, it explains how badly things went with my mother when I broke the news to her.

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=103964&pid=2081933&st=0&#entry2081933"]http://www.phatmass....0&#entry2081933[/url]

The mass went well, but the first priest that I came in contact with (I got there thirty minutes early, as I live only three blocks away) was clearly gay and it creeped me out because of past experiences. Thankfully I did not come in contact with him again.
I got a lot out of the homily, despite the priest coming off as, well... fake and prideful... which was very disappointing.
[/quote]


Wait, am I the only one that thought thoe comments were pretty harsh?!

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Noel's angel' date='31 March 2010 - 08:04 PM' timestamp='1270076640' post='2084345']
Wait, am I the only one that thought thoe comments were pretty harsh?!
[/quote]

Honesty is harsh at times, but it's also true.

[Saint Therese]

Yes and things like that may be more noticeable to someone who is not as familair or comfortable in Catholicism yet.

[eustace scrubb]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' date='31 March 2010 - 08:45 PM' timestamp='1270079145' post='2084396']
Honesty is harsh at times, but it's also true.
[/quote]

if nothing else, i am a brutally honest person. it has put off a lot of people, but is appreciated by many others. i wouldn't have it any other way, though.

[quote name='Saint Therese' date='31 March 2010 - 11:11 PM' timestamp='1270087884' post='2084485']
Yes and things like that may be more noticeable to someone who is not as familair or comfortable in Catholicism yet.
[/quote]

exactly.

[eustace scrubb]

i talked to my mom about things and said that i misread the catechism and that i'm still researching. she took it well. and she said that she'd never disown me.

things have not been going so well with my house church, though. there's a lot of people in it and most of them have alienated me because of my telling them what i'm doing. one of the leaders went off on me in a facebook message about some things and this was one of them. i'm waiting until i calm down in order to reply. hopefully the house church leader (who is supportive of me) will not be pleased by his actions.

i've been spending a lot of time with a Catholic and an Orthodox friend, both of whom have few friends they can relate to. they have been pillars of support for me. one of them came and hung out with me and we ran into some Christian (and two atheist) friends of mine who i hadn't seen in a little while. i broke the news to them and they were all very supportive of me. it meant so much to hear that from them... God is good...

[Marie-Therese]

[quote name='eustace scrubb' date='11 April 2010 - 02:13 AM' timestamp='1270966427' post='2090838']
i talked to my mom about things and said that i misread the catechism and that i'm still researching. she took it well. and she said that she'd never disown me.

things have not been going so well with my house church, though. there's a lot of people in it and most of them have alienated me because of my telling them what i'm doing. one of the leaders went off on me in a facebook message about some things and this was one of them. i'm waiting until i calm down in order to reply. hopefully the house church leader (who is supportive of me) will not be pleased by his actions.

i've been spending a lot of time with a Catholic and an Orthodox friend, both of whom have few friends they can relate to. they have been pillars of support for me. one of them came and hung out with me and we ran into some Christian (and two atheist) friends of mine who i hadn't seen in a little while. i broke the news to them and they were all very supportive of me. it meant so much to hear that from them... God is good...


[/quote]

Still praying for you.

This verse has comforted me at times when my family has been less than understanding about my conversion, hope it is a comfort to you. Ps. 27:10 (Douay-Rheims) [i]For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up. [/i]

[Bennn]

You know what Jesus says about suffering persecution for His sake. He blesses you. Congrats with your conversion to Catholicism. It truly is the wholeness of the Revelation given to us by Christ and the Catholic Church is the Ark which He founded. Know that you are welcomed into this Church by us, but also by the multitude of Saints and Angels in the Heavenly Regions. You have alleged with the Pope now, and may rest in the shadow of Saint Peter.

We're happy for you, even when your family is not.

Btw, I've always been curious about Charismatic Catholicism. Does it have Vatican approval and all?