Agnostic Catholic?

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Dear members,
What is an Agnostic Catholic?
Confused? Poorly taught?

I’m only half kidding. The question is rather puzzling. Perhaps if you gave some of the background in your asking, you will get answers that you will find more helpful.

By the way, welcome to CAF!

Paul
 
Dear members,
What is an Agnostic Catholic?
An agnostic Catholic is a Catholic who is unsure whether God exists, either because (1) proof of God’s existence has not yet been found; or (2) proof of God’s existence can never be found.
 
The phrase is an oxymoron. An agnostic holds that one cannot have true knowledge of the existence of God. A Catholic holds that God revealed himself, and became man, so we could have such knowledge.

May we know where this expression was encountered?

Blessings,

Gerry
 
Interesting question. While I believe in God, I cannot absolutely prove (or have true knowledge) to someone that he exists. I believe it to be so, but I can’t prove it. I suppose that’s what faith is all about.

Could we all be agnostics in one form or another? Catholics (and many others) have a deep faith that God exists and personally have no doubt about it, but we really have no definitive proof that we can provide.
 
Implicitly, this implies that “prove” has the meaning used in science and mathematics, and no other. That’s very restrictive.

Try to either prove or disprove this proposition:

The entire universe was created 10 seconds ago. It was so created that all of the structures, beings, thoughts and memories in it were consistent with it having been there for a tremendously long time. In particular, the people created 10 seconds ago, who were created to be, say, 40 years old, would have memories consistent with that state.

Make the standard of proof too stringent, and one has to be agnostic about everything - like, say, the existence of some ancient writer. Is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a manuscript of one of his works, produced centuries after the work was ostensibly written, proof of the writer of the work, or merely of the existence of the person who made the copy in hand?

Blessings,

Gerry
 
Agnostic Catholic?

This is a contradiction in terms. As stated above it is an oxymoron.

There is no such thing.
 
The only way I can make the term work in my mind is to say that an agnostic Catholic only accepts those things that can be explained with proof. In other words, he is a Catholic who studies all aspects of his faith, not accepting any of it because someone said it was so.
 
The only way I can make the term work in my mind is to say that an agnostic Catholic only accepts those things that can be explained with proof. In other words, he is a Catholic who studies all aspects of his faith, not accepting any of it because someone said it was so.
if “those things” can be explained with proof, there’s no mystery, there’s no faith. agnostic catholic, i think, is a catholic that fits what Rev 3:15ff is saying; “I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
God bless.
 
if “those things” can be explained with proof, there’s no mystery, there’s no faith. agnostic catholic, i think, is a catholic that fits what Rev 3:15ff is saying; “I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
God bless.
Possible, unless one accepts as proof faith in things unseen.

It is also possible that one believes Jesus when he says that the Holy Spirit will lead the Church to all Truth and therefore he accepts what the Church teaches as such.

Proof does not mean something quantified. Proof may mean reading the CCC for oneself and not trusting a message board.
 
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