Evangelicals and Catholics: Post-Catholic Evangelicals

I received a good deal of response from the first post in this series on my personal history with Evangelicalism and Catholicism. One of those responses came in the form of a personal journey from a reader who will remain anonymous. The experience described below represents a large phenomenon that I have witnessed in my experience serving in many churches and ministries over the years. Many Evangelical Christians between the ages of 30-70 are "post-Catholic."

     I grew up Catholic.  I went to Catholic school from grades 1-9, so I was heavily indoctrinated in it.  I became extremely scrupulous even afraid I would go to hell because I ate meat inadvertently on a Friday--the ever present guilt about this and many other issues.

     In college I started to question some of the changes that were being made in the Church--the mass was no longer in Latin, eating meat on Friday was no longer a sin, etc.  I questioned how these tenets could be changed by mere men.

     In a few years, I was teaching third grade and some young students were talking about their church.  I was curious at how excited they were about it, so I asked them.   One of their mothers invited me to Mount Prospect Bible Church.  It was there that I accepted Christ as my personal savior.  It was difficult to let go of some of the indoctrination of the Catholic Church, so I kept what I found edifying about it.

     I feel my spiritual personality was rooted in Catholicism.  I love the mass and what it represents.  It is a contemplative means to worship, and I do like that sometimes.

     I have Catholic friends who are passionate about their faith, even more disciplined about worshiping than many "Protestants" friends.

     Every year I desire to go to the Stations of the Cross, and somehow I don't go.  These depict the crucifixion and the journey Christ made.  I remember even as a little girl weeping through those as I saw the injustice of Christ being tortured. It was not thoroughly explained at that time that He did it for me personally.  Maybe this spring I will go and take part in that ceremony to be reminded of what sin costs.

     I feel I am both Catholic and Protestant--a Christian.  I take from both religions what I need to continue my pilgrimage.

This testimony certainly brings a lot of issues out for discussion: "Catholic guilt," catechesis, authority of the Church, etc. But my question is:

Why do many feel the need to leave the Catholic communion for 20th/21st century Evangelicalism.
And what are the implications?

Lest we start Catholic-bashing, there is an equally intriguing phenomenon of modern Evangelical Christians leaving the ranks of Evangelicalism to seek out more "high church," contemplative traditions including Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox traditions.

I hope that anyone reading this post who has experienced one of the spiritual migrations would critically reflect on these issues comment respectfully.