Taylor Marshall's Conversion Story

I am always fascinated by stories of Catholic Converts. From St. Paul’s own conversion and testimony God continuously sends new converts to show us that in seeking the Truth, one can find it in knowledge. The great writer and speaker, Mr. Marshall shares with us how God has led him home. (Photo Credit: Taylor Marshall):

I was not always drawn to the Catholic Church. I once resisted it with great force. As a college student I believed that Pope John Paul II was the Antichrist and that the Catholic Church was the Scarlet Whore of Babylon described by St John in the Apocalypse. I even handed out Jack Chick tracts and left them in my dorm toilet stalls (probably where they belonged in the first place!) for fellow students to read. Today my wife and I (and our four children) are Catholic, Roman Catholic. As Chesterton described in the quote above, the moment I ceased pulling away against the Catholic Church I slowly (even without knowing it) began to be pulled toward the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, many Protestants and Anglicans cannot comprehend why someone might be drawn to Catholicism in the first place.

Many will grant that the Catholic Church is impressive. A trip to the Vatican will verify this for you. The Church is the curator of priceless pieces of art. The Vatican is a city-state. The pope has a seat at the United Nations. The cathedrals of Europe are spectacular. Many of the great universities and hospitals of the world find their origin in the Church.

Yet there are strange and foreign elements that I still find uncomfortable. There is the voiceless "silent Irish" phenomenon that occurs during hymns at Mass. The Infant of Prague. On Eagles' Wings. Standing (not kneeling) for Holy Communion. Churches in the round. Latino devotions. Alleged "Clown" Masses. Cheap looking slip-shod painted statues. And what about all the other seriously "questionable" practices of the Roman Catholic Church? Medici popes? Indulgences? Penances? Marian apparitions? What about the very serious blemishes, for example, the American priest scandals of 2003?

Why would a man in his right mind want to become a Catholic?! Read more of Taylor Marshall's Conversion Story