Brilliant article on becoming a Catholic

I have just read this brilliant article which is as good as any on this issue that I have read:

http://catholicexchange.com/how-not-to-become-a-catholic/

As someone involved with the Travelling community over many years, I am used to those converted to one of the 'Gypsy churches' trying to give me a hard time and sending me Videos, DVDs and tapes of anti-Catholic diatribe.

One of my favourites included a pastor reading from the 'up to date Catholic Catechism' (it wasn't) to prove that we worshipped idols. The problem was that even the version he was reading clearly states that we cannot worship statues, etc. because "they have eyes, but they cannot see, ears but they cannot hear, lips but they cannot speaking, with their mouths...". I am sure you get the picture. The problem is that he ignored what it said and nobody challenged him, not least because most of them couldn't read.

He also tried to use it to prove that Catholics offered sacrifices despite them being replaced by the one sacrifice of Christ. Hilariously, he clearly read out the teaching that the Sacrifice of the Mass is the "one, unrepeatable Sacrifice of Christ" and then said "there you are, they say it themselves - they offer new sacrifices."

Bizarre but not as bizarre as once devout Catholics telling me that when they were Catholics they worshipped statues; when I enquired as to when they had done this, given the fact that, prior to conversion, they had argued that they had never done such a thing, I was met with silence.

The funniest book I received is called "Far from Rome and close to God" which purports to give accounts of former Catholic priests converting to their brand of Christianity. Read it and you find a mix of real conversions, made up stories, some rather kind men who are gracious about their former Catholic community, a priest who had been involved in astrology (not a Catholic thing at all), long dead pastors and, most tellingly, the account of a Roman Catholic Benedictine priest from Manchester who not only didn't leave but was a teacher at my old school and whose Requiem Mass in 1970 was celebrated by the Bishop as he was in good standing with the Church.

In the end, when it comes to the ranting, I learned what is described in one part of the article - I listen, have a cup of tea and, when people are ready to chat, we do.