Ex nihilo: fides

I hope I got that Latin right: out of atheism, Jennifer Fullwiler both receives that wonderful gift, faith.

A conversion story to ponder

I love conversion stories, and I don't think it's the same thing over and over again. Jennifer's story is particularly thought-provoking in both simple and profound terms. He shares his train of insights that led him ultimately to the Catholic Church, and the path they took is striking.

He ponders the implications of human intervention in the form of Biblical translation, exegesis and preaching, and our own private judgment. And not only does he experience contradictions from different exegetes (whom we assume are all baptized, sincere and prayerful Christians), he actually sees that this is a non-trivial problem. But ultimately, the marvel in this story is the grace of God, who prompts a hunger for truth, uses a skeptic's quest for the truth, and brings him home.

[Link found via the Catholic Converts blog.]

Eric Clapton finding prayer

This is an inspiring story about perhaps the greatest guitar player ever, the hard knocks of life, and finding hope.

Get a Catholic revert on Evangelical radio show

.. and you get an interesting 2 hours. Dr. Francis Beckwith went on his first interview on Stand To Reason concerning his reversion to the Catholic Church. There is a modest discussion about this interview at the Catholic Answers forum, too. While Dr. Beckwith was indeed unprepared for the specific topics, he gave some rather good answers and I learned a few things from the whole thing -- mainly a better idea about what sort of issues due arise from a Evangelical-to-Catholic conversion/reversion. Dr. Beckwith's blogged account of his conversion appears to be cached via google. The Right Reason blog reports errors when attempting to recover archived blogs (the blog was closed down October 2007).

So what did I find interesting about the interview? For one, that it was identified at some point that the issues of justification and authority are key. I also learned the continuity of the doctrines on sanctification as pertaining to Purgatory and indulgences. A few other things struck me, also, but it'll be a few days for me to digest.

Eucharist and conversion

Aimee Millburn posts a conversion story. I love conversion stories. :-)

Converted because of the new Ark of the Covenant

Astounding that an Evangelical would convert because of Mary. Quite interesting too that the convert, John Weidner, correlates this with the sacraments. Not that it's shocking -- it makes sense, after all.

Lutherans, Catholics, and the chasm in between

It was months ago when Lito (extranos) and I exchanged ideas about the Lutheran-Catholic gap. At some point, Lito declared that I sound almost Evangelical. He also thought that I was like an Evangelical trying to remain Catholic. Lito felt the need to confront me and declare that I was either Evangelical or Catholic. At several points, Lito declared that I was confusing. :-)

I can't blame him. You see, there is a chasm between us, and no one can say for certain how wide that chasm really is. I had recently found a Ponificator post on the conversion of Prof. Robert Koons, and it confirms what I am about to say.

The problem with chasms is that you can't really tell how wide the gap is when it's too dark to do so. From having read up on converts such as Dr. Scott Hahn and Dr. Francis Beckwith, I think it is true that one can only measure that chasm through the light of charity. Without the light of charity to look at the other side, it is entirely impossible to put things in perspective. The other side might as well be as dark as the chasm.

[Story about Prof. Robert Koons was found via The Catholic Report.]

Dr. Francis Beckwith hears the call of the Church Fathers

Found this link about Dr. Beckwith's decision thanks to the Catholic Report. Quite a few of the reactions in Dr. Beckwith's blog were angry. It's come to mind before that the one thing about such reactions that their sources seem to miss is not the anger, nor the hurt, nor the disappointment -- which are all understandable.

It's the pride.

Someone in the comment boxes noted (in different terms) that the same people who hate the Church Magisterium's perceived arrogation of infallible authority are arrogating the same for themselves. This should scare Christians but I've seen well-meaning Christians toss around an unshakable belief in themselves. Pride should scare the wits out of Christians! If we must boast, boast of the Lord and his work. I believe in the Church Magisterium, the Church Councils and the Church Fathers, not because the they more trustworthy than Scriptures, but because they are more trustworthy than me. Christ established them. I trust that the Lord established a Church, not my individual and personal infallibility. I trust that the Holy Spirit works within the Church, through anointed leaders -- just as he had done throughout the history of Israel and the Church. I trust in the body of Christ, to which I belong, and in which I am nurtured, and in which every member is called to a unique charism and ministry. The weight of teaching certitude is simply too great a charism for me. I freely embrace the possibility that I may be mistaken in Scriptural interpretation, and that seems to me to be a safer recourse than asserting that I may be wrong, or may fail to understand. Proceeding with the premise that I cannot be wrong, or that the group I oppose cannot be right seems to me a dangerous presupposition.

From Lost to Found: A Conversion Story

Yet another beautiful story of having been found by The Good Shepherd among the dark places of the world. Meet, Joel, Catholic Convert.

From an atheist into a priest

Yes, another conversion story, and a very romantic one:

My beloved wife, Elisabeth, prayed incessantly for my return to the Catholic Faith. Daily for this intention, she accepted and offered up all her sacrifices, trials, sufferings, and at the end, even her death.

But she did this secretly.

She never argued with me; she never spoke to me of the supernatural side of her life, save by her example.

I have, since Elisabeth’s death, learned to appreciate the power of her silence. God heard the constant prayer it concealed, and, when her sacrifice was accomplished, completed the conversion that was begun in me by her influence and by my reading her diary, which I found after her death, and which I present to you here.