Hey guys
I'm a young Trad Catholic(SSPX) studying Classics at a university in DC. ( converted from Islam to Catholicism) Latin, Greek, and Patristics are my main interests. ( I'm very well read in the Fathers and St. Thomas. St. Augustine's writings in particular were a big part of my conversion) I also really like Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange and other pre-Vatican 2 theologians in the Thomist and Augustinian traditions.
Look forward to many good discussions on the Faith.
Welcome Augustinian! Some great minds here. Would.love to hear your conversion story sometime! I have a feeling, so would others! Good to have you!
Welcome to the Forum! You certainly have a great reading list.
Welcome. I'm interested in your background (which school of Islam? raised in it or converted to it, and then left? speak/read/write Arabic [at what level of competence?]?, etc.)
Quote from: Gardener on October 31, 2018, 06:39:49 AM
Welcome. I'm interested in your background (which school of Islam? raised in it or converted to it, and then left? speak/read/write Arabic [at what level of competence?]?, etc.)
Sorry, I've been quite busy lately.
I was raised in a very conservative Muslim family, but started
questioning Islam in 7th grade. At that point, I became a skeptical
Deist. After several years of independent philosophical and
theological study (study of religious philosophy, and the Scriptures)
I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior 3 years ago. Examining the
life of Christ and realizing that Isaiah had prophecied Christ in the
OT had a profound effect on me.
I swam around in High-Anglican circles for about 2 years. However, the more I read the Early Fathers (especially St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, and Justin Martyr) the more I saw the
truth of the Catholic Faith, and the errors in Protestant thinking. Reading St. Thomas (working through the Summa) has also been a greathelp to me theologically. Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange is certainly my favorite modern theologian. Dominican/Thomist theology is especially appealing to me. I hold to a very high view of God's grace andsovereignty, as well as the Thomistic understanding of Predestination outlined very well by Lagrange)
I was received into the Catholic Church a number of months ago and currently attend an SSPX chapel. I take the SSPX position on the Crisis and believe it makes the most sense. I've also attended a few of Fr. Ortiz's Masses at St. Athanasius in Vienna
Very interesting Augustinian21. I'm curious. Do you know if there are many Muslim kids that question Islam at a young age, like you did?
Quote from: mikemac on November 11, 2018, 09:48:40 PM
Very interesting Augustinian21. I'm curious. Do you know if there are many Muslim kids that question Islam at a young age, like you did?
I know many who simply "Americanize" and become hedonists when they come to the US
I could tell you really are into Lagrange by the fact that I asked several simple questions and you answered only part of them with way more information than I asked, and yet still didn't really answer the questions.
:cheeseheadbeer:
Hello, Augustinian. My former pastor, a Frenchman, was fond of Fr. Lagrange. Tremendous story you have, and we are the better for having you and your prayers in the valley of tears. How is the relationship with your parents? Are you planning on becoming a priest? Also, you mentioned Vienna and Father Ortiz. What order of are we talking about here? I live in America, am an American, but hobby travel to Europe(Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland) as much as I can. I have attended both SSPX and FSSP in my travels, but do not have a bead on a traditional Mass in Vienna.
Thanks!
Oh, do you like to pump iron?
Quote from: Augustinian21 on November 11, 2018, 05:25:47 PM
Quote from: Gardener on October 31, 2018, 06:39:49 AM
Welcome. I'm interested in your background (which school of Islam? raised in it or converted to it, and then left? speak/read/write Arabic [at what level of competence?]?, etc.)
I was received into the Catholic Church a number of months ago and currently attend an SSPX chapel. I take the SSPX position on the Crisis and believe it makes the most sense. I've also attended a few of Fr. Ortiz's Masses at St. Athanasius in Vienna
I thought St Athanasius in Vienna (Virginia) was sedevacantist rather than SSPX. No?
Quote from: Augustinian21 on November 11, 2018, 05:25:47 PM
Quote from: Gardener on October 31, 2018, 06:39:49 AM
Welcome. I'm interested in your background (which school of Islam? raised in it or converted to it, and then left? speak/read/write Arabic [at what level of competence?]?, etc.)
Sorry, I've been quite busy lately.
I was raised in a very conservative Muslim family, but started
questioning Islam in 7th grade. At that point, I became a skeptical
Deist. After several years of independent philosophical and
theological study (study of religious philosophy, and the Scriptures)
I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior 3 years ago. Examining the
life of Christ and realizing that Isaiah had prophecied Christ in the
OT had a profound effect on me.
I swam around in High-Anglican circles for about 2 years. However, the more I read the Early Fathers (especially St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, and Justin Martyr) the more I saw the
truth of the Catholic Faith, and the errors in Protestant thinking. Reading St. Thomas (working through the Summa) has also been a greathelp to me theologically. Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange is certainly my favorite modern theologian. Dominican/Thomist theology is especially appealing to me. I hold to a very high view of God's grace andsovereignty, as well as the Thomistic understanding of Predestination outlined very well by Lagrange)
I was received into the Catholic Church a number of months ago and currently attend an SSPX chapel. I take the SSPX position on the Crisis and believe it makes the most sense. I've also attended a few of Fr. Ortiz's Masses at St. Athanasius in Vienna
Welcome HOME, friend! :cheer: :pray1: I am glad that you are with us! God bless! :pray2:
I am going to assume that you are talking about Vienna, Virginia, since you are going to school in the DC area, right?
And since there are a lot of Persians/Iranians in the DC area, is your family Persian?
I am looking forward to reading your posts! Thanks for the intro.
Quote from: mikemac on November 11, 2018, 09:48:40 PM
Very interesting Augustinian21. I'm curious. Do you know if there are many Muslim kids that question Islam at a young age, like you did?
There a lot of Muslims in the DC area, from various backgrounds (Persians, Arabs, North Africans, Turkish, etc.) And like our new friend mentioned, a lot of them "Americanize". It is easy to do so, when the older generations might not be around to keep them in line.
In a lot of these countries you find several generations living in the same home. The nuclear & extended family is very important.
And the young view the wisdom of the grandparents, great grandparents as priceless. They are respected &
cherished. So, the young people keep & or stay with their faith much longer compared to their counterparts in the West.
I have met several young people that have converted to Catholicism from Islam. I was told that it was easier to do that in the US.
Quote from: Heinrich on November 12, 2018, 10:29:31 AM
Hello, Augustinian. My former pastor, a Frenchman, was fond of Fr. Lagrange. Tremendous story you have, and we are the better for having you and your prayers in the valley of tears. How is the relationship with your parents? Are you planning on becoming a priest? Also, you mentioned Vienna and Father Ortiz. What order of are we talking about here? I live in America, am an American, but hobby travel to Europe(Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland) as much as I can. I have attended both SSPX and FSSP in my travels, but do not have a bead on a traditional Mass in Vienna.
Thanks!
Oh, do you like to pump iron?
1. The relationship with my parents is very bad. I had to leave my house a few months ago for converting to the Faith( they had ranted at me for many months, calling me a traitor and a shame to the family) One Sunday, they told me I had to stop attending Mass or could no longer live with them. PM for details
2. I've thought about the priesthood, and have had many conversations about it with my SSPX priest. I don't think I'm called to the priesthood, but I have thought about becoming a 3rd Order Dominican. I think God is calling me to married life( the main problem with that is that there are virtually no seriously Traditional Catholic women my age I know. The vast majority of the girls at my university are hedonists)
3. I was speaking of Vienna, Virginia.( not Austria)
Quote from: Reader on November 12, 2018, 11:01:00 AM
Quote from: Augustinian21 on November 11, 2018, 05:25:47 PM
Quote from: Gardener on October 31, 2018, 06:39:49 AM
Welcome. I'm interested in your background (which school of Islam? raised in it or converted to it, and then left? speak/read/write Arabic [at what level of competence?]?, etc.)
I was received into the Catholic Church a number of months ago and currently attend an SSPX chapel. I take the SSPX position on the Crisis and believe it makes the most sense. I've also attended a few of Fr. Ortiz's Masses at St. Athanasius in Vienna
I thought St Athanasius in Vienna (Virginia) was sedevacantist rather than SSPX. No?
Not quite. It's weird. Fr. Ringrose and Fr. McMahon are Sedevacantists, but Fr. Ortiz is SSPX-Resistance. I would never go to the Masses of Ringrose/McMahon, but have occasionally attended Fr. Ortiz's Masses( there's virtually no theological difference between the SSPX and the Resistance. It's a political fight) I usually attend an SSPX chapel.
Quote from: Christe Eleison on November 12, 2018, 01:02:14 PM
Quote from: Augustinian21 on November 11, 2018, 05:25:47 PM
Quote from: Gardener on October 31, 2018, 06:39:49 AM
Welcome. I'm interested in your background (which school of Islam? raised in it or converted to it, and then left? speak/read/write Arabic [at what level of competence?]?, etc.)
Sorry, I've been quite busy lately.
I was raised in a very conservative Muslim family, but started
questioning Islam in 7th grade. At that point, I became a skeptical
Deist. After several years of independent philosophical and
theological study (study of religious philosophy, and the Scriptures)
I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior 3 years ago. Examining the
life of Christ and realizing that Isaiah had prophecied Christ in the
OT had a profound effect on me.
I swam around in High-Anglican circles for about 2 years. However, the more I read the Early Fathers (especially St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, and Justin Martyr) the more I saw the
truth of the Catholic Faith, and the errors in Protestant thinking. Reading St. Thomas (working through the Summa) has also been a greathelp to me theologically. Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange is certainly my favorite modern theologian. Dominican/Thomist theology is especially appealing to me. I hold to a very high view of God's grace andsovereignty, as well as the Thomistic understanding of Predestination outlined very well by Lagrange)
I was received into the Catholic Church a number of months ago and currently attend an SSPX chapel. I take the SSPX position on the Crisis and believe it makes the most sense. I've also attended a few of Fr. Ortiz's Masses at St. Athanasius in Vienna
Welcome HOME, friend! :cheer: :pray1: I am glad that you are with us! God bless! :pray2:
I am going to assume that you are talking about Vienna, Virginia, since you are going to school in the DC area, right?
And since there are a lot of Persians/Iranians in the DC area, is your family Persian?
I am looking forward to reading your posts! Thanks for the intro.
No, family is Pashtun. I'm not from the DC area, I just go to college here
You couldn't appeal to nanawatai? Or does that not apply to apostate family? I'm not really sure on the particular application of it.
Quote from: Gardener on November 12, 2018, 03:14:28 PM
You couldn't appeal to nanawatai? Or does that not apply to apostate family? I'm not really sure on the particular application of it.
Absolutely not. None of that stuff applies to apostates. In Afghanistan, apostates are put to death
Interesting story, thanks for sharing your brief history with us. We are friends with an SSPX priest in Southern India, he said there, the Catholics and the Muslims are allies against the pagans.
Don't loose heart about the lack of young Catholic ladies who are not serious about their faith. There are plenty out there. Keep studying and praying and deepening your faith, and God will lead you to the right young lady. Traveling the SSPX mission chapel circuit would not hurt either ;)
And is SSPX singles still a thing?
Very interesting journey. Since retiring, I've been learning Latin and studying the Classics. How are you finding that field of study?
I wish the OP would post more. Should have time as it is between semesters.
Quote from: Christopherus on January 08, 2019, 06:09:31 AM
Very interesting journey. Since retiring, I've been learning Latin and studying the Classics. How are you finding that field of study?
I really enjoy it. One has to get the forms down in the early years but reading the languages is very rewarding. Translating the New Testament and Plato's Apology in Greek class
Hi Augustinian21, welcome to the forum!
I'm new to the forum like you and look forward to reading, discussing, and learning. I am a college student too and learning Latin 8) Until we meet again, God bless!