Growing up as a Protestant I had a certain perspective on Catholicism. All that was challenged when I went to a Catholic Bible study for a few months and got to see firsthand what being a practicing Catholic looks like. In this video I share with you my experience as an Evangelical Protestant going to a Catholic Bible study and what I learned from that. During this time I learned that there's a big difference between nominal Catholics and practicing Catholics, a difference many Protestants don't always pick up on. Often times Protestants judge Catholicism based on unfair caricatures. Despite my assumptions, I learned that Catholics do in fact read the Bible, and that a Catholic Bible Study isn't an oxymoron. I also realized that I'm still quite comfortable being a Protestant, despite the fact that Catholicism isn't nearly as weird as I thought. My challenge to you is to engage in conversations with Catholics and realize the biases and false narratives you have about Catholicism. By attending a Catholic Bible study and meeting sincere, practicing Catholics, my view of Catholicism changed. I learned a lot about Catholicism, and maybe even more about myself and my own false beliefs about Catholicism. This isn't the end of the conversation about Catholicism. What we need is more healthy dialogue between Catholics and Protestants, not just arguments based on half-baked caricatures. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

Church I went to: St Michael's Catholic Church in Mt. Airy, MD.
Study I did: That Man Is You by Paradisus Dei

A huge thank you goes out to some of the awesome Catholics I met while at St. Michael's. You all represented the Catholic Church well and welcomed me in with open arms.

Catholic YouTubers I watch:
Trent Horn
Matt Fradd
Breaking in the Habit
Ascension Presents

About me:
Hey! My name is Austin, and I'm a 21 year old guy with a passion for people. I believe the good news is that God is better than we could've ever hoped, and I love sharing this message of grace and love with anyone that will listen. I'm the former Digital Marketing and Video Production Coordinator at a large, evangelical church in Frederick, MD, and I'm currently a student at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. When I'm not writing papers or making YouTube videos, I do freelance work as a Wedding Photographer/Videographer and social media consultant. On any given day you can find me with my nose in a book or a guitar in my hands. Want to get to know me more? Follow me and say hi on Instagram at: @austin.suggs

Video Stuff:
Camera: Canon 80d
Lens: Sigma 17-50 F2.8
Edited in FCPX

Music:
Bowmans Root - Isaac Joel
Can't Explain - Tide Electric