Atheists and supposed contradictions in Scripture

[Nita]

I won’t say I’m an atheist, but my faith is certainly on autopilot.

I’ve never once felt the presence of God, not once, and I’ve been going to Mass since I can remember, I was raised through the church. Like I said, simply autopilot. There’s no ‘crisis’ of faith per say, I just don’t feel anything. I feel the same no matter where I am, no matter how much I pray. There’s only a void inside, and I never feel any sort of presence people here attest to experiencing.

I’ve fasted to the point of hallucinations, all sorts of things, but I’ve still yet to ever experience any sort of presence or vision, nothing at all.

What about folks like this? I know a few others like me too. I don’t even know if I would say I’m agnostic, I think that the only explanation of existence is God, it’s just logical. But I certainly never feel anything that indicates he’s around.

Something to recognize is that there is nothing you can do to produce legitimate “good feelings” indicating God’s presence. If and when they come, it is God who gives them. It’s possible to experience them once and then never again - even tho you do/pray the same thing, in the same place, etc.

Another thing to keep in mind is the motivation for religious acts. If one does them in an attempt to experience spiritual consolations, the motive is selfish and self-centered. Our motivation and focus should be on God; to please Him, love and honor Him, learn more about Him.

It will take most of us more than a lifetime to become God-centered (and others-centered) rather than self-centered. (Thank heavens for Purgatory a much needed time extension.) But when, finally, our greatest desire is to love and please God, then doing something just because He desires it becomes a great joy - because we are doing what we desire most.

Nita

 

[AgnosTheist]

I guess that belief and faith in Christ can be implicit rather than explicit, in the sense that those who never heard of Christ, but have an inner awareness of right and wrong, which they obey, can be said to have faith in the Logos/Word/Christ who is in them and is speaking to them.

This helps us reconcile the two ideas that belief and faith are necessary for salvation and that those who never heard of Jesus can be saved.

Nick

so whats the point of jesus coming down to earth?

 

[Nick9]

AgnosTheist,

Christ’s life, death and resurrection won for us the grace to attain heaven. He became poor so that we can become rich. He became man so that we can become God (by participation).

To some, this grace is applied through explicit faith - walking with Jesus knowingly. To others, this grace is applied through implicit faith - walking with Jesus unwittingly, by obeying His voice within.

This is how I see it. Feel free to correct me, anyone, if I am wrong.

Nick