Question for Protestants/Evangelicals who converted to Catholicism

[Of Mike and Men]

I'd be interested in talking to you, first of all. But my question is whether this transition was difficult, or easy for you?

I have been doing a lot of study on the topic, but I feel that naturally, my Protestant faith has brought me to be so opposed to Catholicism, that I feel that I am almost abandoning Christianity altogether. Thus, if I were to convert, it wouldn't be in clear conscience.

On the other hand, I am finding out a lot of what I was taught about the Catholic church were A) Misunderstandings or Ignorance B) Outright lies (i.e. praying to Mary/the dead -- people have directly misinterpreted this doctrine, purposefully, as I now know you DON'T pray to the dead). I've been doing some in depth studying on the Early Church Fathers as well, and it's quite interesting how opposed people were to Protestant ideas in the first century. I.E. Faith alone, Predestination vs Free Will vs Freed Will. Namely that from Iranaeus who was a disciple of Peter, and adamantly condemned faith alone, eternal security, and the idea of effectual grace (Calvinism). Even the early councils, which Protestants believe are for the most part true, (i.e. Nicea and Orange), completely contradict Protestantism on so many levels.

It's even more disturbing, or awakening to me, how the Bible became a Canon, and how the early Reformers altogether rejected books of the Bible that were considered scriptural for the past 1,500 years simply because it didn't agree with Sola Fide. And, in fact, these "Apocryphal" books are even quoted from Jesus, James, Peter, Jude, and Paul themselves -- IN THE PROTESTANT BIBLE, NO LESS! Several quotes from Sirach, Wisdom, Enoch, etc. And even doing just plain doctrinal studies, so much that I thought was unbiblical in Catholicism, has roots directly from the Bible. For example, Sacred Tradition is taken directly from the Bible, yet protestants ignore this completely.

It's just astounding to me.

The part that has bothered me the most, though, is that when I debate Protestant colleagues, no body has a solid answer for my questions. And some just turn to outright denial. The biggest one being how the Bible was canonized and how this completely contradicts sola scriptura (and in fact, sola scriptura, conflicts with sola scriptura, because the entire new testament was written based on tradition!). It's so ironic that they don't even realize how ingrained they are into traditions, themselves.

The thing that, over time, and through prayer, has become important to me, and has sparked my consideration of converting, is the Eucharist and Mass. I had not really took the time to study it from the Early Church perspective, and heck, even from Paul's perspective in the letter to the Corinthians, or Christ's own words, "Truly, truly I say to you... My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink." Yet, as the early disciples did, Protestants turn away from Christ simply because believing his flesh is real food, is a hard teaching. And they say it's a metaphor... yet every other time Christ says, "Truly, truly," they say that Christ is saying something, as cliche as it sounds, true, and of much importance. So, then why ignore the fact that Christ said His flesh was truly real food and His blood truly real drink? Why ignore Paul who said we proclaim the death of Christ until He returns each time we take it? Why ignore Paul who said if we take it in an unworthy manner, we are guilty of sinning against the very blood and flesh of Christ?

Anyways, I'd be interested in talking to any converts, or anyone thinking of converting.