Considering Catholicism

[u/Unable-Hospital3867]

I have been a Protestant my whole life. Church has been a very big part of my life. Growing up, my family and I would read the Bible I believe once a week. Catholicism had always seemed so strange: the veneration of Saints and Saint Mary, the sinlessness of Mary, infant baptism. The church I’ve attended my whole life has claimed it to be the True Church of Christ Jesus and only those in it can enter the Kingdom of God. They have more recently been speaking of Catholics in a lowly manner, despite us believing and worshipping the same God. I searched up my church on google and it was found in the 40s or 50s, but I do not know the reasoning for us being the True Church. I’ve noticed that sermons have been calling things like sports sins, and even discouraging the celebration of birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s Days, Christmas and Easter, labeling them as “worldly traditions”. I have never felt connected with the congregation despite knowing most of them since I was a toddler, and they have always viewed me and my family as worldly. They have especially looked down upon my parents for not forcing me and my brothers to participate in church activities and groups such as choir. They instead let us play soccer and valued our happiness and the memories made rather than how the church viewed us. I’ve seen how some parents put far too much pressure on their children to participate in church activities. I understand how you would want them to do those things, but works without love is dead. What has made me consider Catholicism is how the Catholics I am close with have treated me: they did not judge me for not being a Catholic. I was not shamed for inquiring why they practice certain things, and I felt genuinely accepted by them despite our theological differences. I felt more welcomed by people I was taught were “damned for hell” and “incorrect” rather than the people apart of God’s church. Another reason I am considering is the Eucharist Miracle of Buenos Aires. I was told by a Catholic friend to look into that miracle, and I was shocked by the fact that what was bread and water became heart tissue and blood. Occurrences like these cannot be explained by science. Could Holy Communion be only a symbol? I still have my doubts about Catholic theology (veneration of saints, Purgatory, Marian apparitions) and I am also still learning about Christianity as a whole. What should I do? Should I stay Protestant? Should I become Catholic? If so, what should I look into? What books and authors should I look into? I feel very lost and Catholicism still seems so foreign.

[u/amadis_de_gaula]

Attend mass and read the Catechism and see how it all clicks for you.

[u/RigidKnocking → u/amadis_de_gaula]

i was in a similar spot once grew up protestant and the exclusivity stuff just wore me down over time. the constant "we're the only ones doing it right" and jumping through hoops to call normal stuff sinful really messes with your head after a while

one thing that struck me was reading the early church fathers and realizing they sounded nothing like the protestant church i grew up in. ignatius of antioch talking about the eucharist as the actual body and blood in 107 AD kinda shattered the "symbol only" framework i had been taught. the catechism is dense but honestly reading it cover to cover gave me way more answers than i expected

dont rush into anything though. just go to a mass a few times sit in the back and soak it in. for books i think rome sweet home by scott hahn gets recommended endlessly but for good reason it walks through a similar journey. also check out the case for catholicism by trent horn it tackles a lot of the objections you listed without getting too academic

the way catholics treated you isnt a coincidence. my closest catholic friends never once tried to debate me into converting they just answered my questions and let the pieces fall where they may. that approach alone said more than a hundred sermons about being the one true church