I spent about the same amount of time studying Catholic theology before I went to mass for the first time. What cradles, especially cradle women, don’t understand about converts is that becoming a Catholic actually requires a lot of effort. We have to mentally convince ourselves that this is true in the abstract before we engage with it in person. That way, we can assure ourselves that we’re not being led astray by our emotions, and that our conversion is thereby genuinely rational. With that in mind, it’s completely understandable to spend years researching doctrine before being comfortable participating.
>"I've been studying Catholicism for 4 years"
>Attended Mass for the very first time last week
His comment is as ridiculous as saying he's been "studying how to make a grilled cheese sandwich for 4 years"
Catholicism engages the mind, body and soul
Unless someone fully embodies the religion for a long time, they're still mostly ignorant of all it has to offer