Can anyone give an atheist a good starting point?

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TaylorCat

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Hi Everyone,

I apologise if this is posted in the wrong place.

Just for some background, I am an atheist, 25 years old living in England. I have described myself as atheist since I was 19. Prior to that I would have described myself as Christian, although it was not a big part of my life. I attended a school that had some focus on the Church of England, but many from England will know that it doesn’t entail much in the way of religious teaching in most instances.

In recent months I have been thinking regularly about the Catholic church, mostly due to reading these forums and the radio show. At this moment I still describe myself as atheist but I am open to learning about other religions.

Can anyone offer any advice about where to start with learning about the Catholic faith? I am not suggesting that I want to convert, but I am definitely interested in learning more about the faith and would enjoy a resource that explains things in a relatively basic manner to begin with.

I also don’t know how to reconcile some things regarding the church, but I wont mention those for now as it probably won’t be appropriate to start with that.

Everyone on these forums always seems to give well thought out answers, so thanks in advance if anyone takes the time to do that.

Kind Regards

TaylorCat
 
Hi Taylor!

Are you looking for rational reasons why belief in God makes a lot more sense than disbelief?
 
Welcome, Taylorcat!

I was a cradle Catholic who was never interested in the faith until I had a dramatic conversion experience in my late twenties. I became very devout and read a lot of the writings of the saints. Because my conversion was so dramatic and unusual, I doubted its authenticity and after six years became an agnostic, leaning heavily towards atheism. I just came back into the Church (again) on Epiphany.

Because I am familiar with how agnostics and atheists think, these are the sorts of books and ideas I would recommend to you.

First, find a nearby parish and attend mass. I’m serious. Follow along with everyone else, but do not go up to receive Holy Communion. Just talk to the God you are unsure exists like you would to a regular person and tell Him honestly what you are thinking and feeling at that moment about the mass, the church, faith, whatever- even if it’s not even remotely complementary.

If that seems too daunting or if you would rather start somewhere less dramatic, find your nearest adoration chapel and sit there for an hour in front of The Lord and talk to him like you would one of your friends. Ask Him questions, tell Him about your confusion, tell Him you are interested in Catholicism but don’t know if you want to get your feet wet. I would recommend going to adoration once a week, if you can manage it.

Say one Hail Mary prayer. Just one.

Read Thomas Merton’s ‘The Seven Storey Mountain.’ It is a fantastic piece of literature and talks about his conversion.

Read ‘Catholicism for Dummies.’ This is not suggested to insult your intelligence- I learned new things about the Church from reading it. It is a little more user friendly than the catechism, though you can graduate unto that when you are ready.

Read either ‘The Life’ of St. Teresa of Avila or ‘Confessions’ by St. Augustine, whichever seems to speak to you the most. The Life personally converted me to Catholicism, as it did Edith Stein and many other people, but it is not necessarily for everyone. ‘Confessions’ has converted many.

Try these first and start talking to God a little bit everyday- even if it seems foolish to talk to air or an imaginary friend. Don’t worry about if it seems stupid. Just try it. Soon you will find God answering you in ways you never dreamed of.

I’ll be praying for you.
 
God won’t hold your past against you.
Jesus, King and Lord of supernatural mercy for poor sinners, wants only your obedience.
And this is for your own good and eternal salvation.
He loves you so much, it’s way deeper than words can express.
His Spirit is upon you and the Heavenly court is waiting.
Your fiat will please his mother and release days upon days of graces to you if you bless and glorify her Son.
 
TaylorCat said:
Hi Everyone,

I apologise if this is posted in the wrong place.

Just for some background, I am an atheist, 25 years old living in England. I have described myself as atheist since I was 19. Prior to that I would have described myself as Christian, although it was not a big part of my life. I attended a school that had some focus on the Church of England, but many from England will know that it doesn’t entail much in the way of religious teaching in most instances.

In recent months I have been thinking regularly about the Catholic church, mostly due to reading these forums and the radio show. At this moment I still describe myself as atheist but I am open to learning about other religions.

Can anyone offer any advice about where to start with learning about the Catholic faith? I am not suggesting that I want to convert, but I am definitely interested in learning more about the faith and would enjoy a resource that explains things in a relatively basic manner to begin with.

I also don’t know how to reconcile some things regarding the church, but I wont mention those for now as it probably won’t be appropriate to start with that.

Everyone on these forums always seems to give well thought out answers, so thanks in advance if anyone takes the time to do that.

Kind Regards

TaylorCat
Click to expand...
Welcome! 👋

Since you said you’re an atheist, I’d encourage you to start with St. Thomas Aquinas’ 5 proofs for the existence of God. web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/web%20publishing/aquinasfiveways_argumentanalysis.htm

There are also more where that came from. peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existence.htm

Also, there’s the video, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” that argued as to why Intelligent Design should be taught in public schools.

As to Catholicism, specifically, there’s “Catholicism for Dummies”, which I believe, was already mentioned in a previous post. I second the idea.

Good luck in your journey!
 
There are many beautiful books out there, but I have heard that* Mere Christianity *by C.S. Lewis has really helped people who were atheists. Lewis was a former atheist himself. It’s a wonderful book.

Peace.

+JMJ+
 
As said before, going to Mass just to see what things are like would be a pretty good way to start, as Mass is the center of Catholicism. If you get there early, you can look through one of the books in the pew called a “missalette” which has the entire Mass in it. After Mass, you can ask the priest some of the questions you have, including the things you have trouble reconciling, however, I know this can be daunting, so no worries if you don’t. If you do decide to go to Mass, then just remember to not go up to receive communion.

There’s also book called the “YouCat” (youth catechism) which is a simplified form of The Catechism, which contains all of The Churches teachings. You can read the youcat online here (although the format is weird) and if you want a physical copy without spending money, you could try asking your local parish if they have one. If they do, and if they have a youth minister, then she’ll probably be the one who has it. Just make sure to return in when you’re done!

Finally, I believe that even if you don’t plan on converting, you can still take RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes, which are a great way of learning more about the faith. I would talk to your local parish for more information.

Pax et Bonum
 
I really liked

Why Do Catholics genuflect?: And answers to other puzzling questions about the Catholic Church by Al Krestna. Cheap on amazon used.

Best wishes for your discernment process
Mary.
 
“Atheist” is fairly relative in definition, especially in the western culture. The atheist view is dominate in Russia and China. However, these populations have a deep spiritual practice which does not exclude God entirely.

Catholics follow the “Creed” when teaching and exploring the Faith. The “Creed” begins with, " I believe in God, the father almighty, maker of heaven and Earth, of all things visa or and invisible …" When we start here, we are accepting an invitation into Gods family. We go from being only spiritual (which dogs and cats can also be) to blossoming into the possibility of becoming more grandeur, more sophisticated, more divine in hopes for an eternity in the presence of pure charity, who is God.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” is a good way to study the “Creed” and is also a wonderful tool to look up scripture, and social issues, and general reference point.
 
The greatest truths are simple. We are loved and we are not born to be evil but good. God is good and He wants us to experience this goodness for eternity. He sent Jesus to deliver this message and to set the example for us and die “once and for all” for all mankind so that we may have everlasting life.

If you call out to God and say you don’t have a clue what to say or do but that you really want to know the truth then He will direct your path.

Then, don’t overlook others as the implement of God’s will. If someone tells you to read this or that, read it. If they invite you to church, go. Open yourself up to discovery for truth and the rest will follow. So, since Providence has brought you here, don’t fight it, listen to all the great Catholic advice.

A man is standing on his house because of flooding and calls out to God “deliver me Lord, please” Two men in a boat show up and say “Get in” He says “No, I prayed to God and He will deliver me.” He eventually drowns and asks God “Why didn’t you deliver me?” God says “Why didn’t you get in to the boat I sent you?”

If God sends you a boat when it is flooding that is the answer to your prayer, the realness of God’s plan for us is sometimes overlooked. In my observation, the rational side of our mind overlooks the way God works into our life through the mundane. It is all Providence. That’s what was put on my heart to write so it could be part of God’s plan, only if the spirit in you moves in response to it will you know… that’s how it works. Listen to the spirit inside you, it certainly won’t be your rational mind.

Life is absurd… except when it makes sense. 🙂
 
TaylorCat said:
In recent months I have been thinking regularly about the Catholic church, mostly due to reading these forums and the radio show. At this moment I still describe myself as atheist but I am open to learning about other religions.
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I think a good starting point is to disabuse ourselves of cultural or social biases that ‘color’ or prejudice our thoughts against the issue to begin with.

David Bentley Hart offers an antidote of sorts against the kind of pernicious biases against ‘religion’ that have taken hold in modern western cultures. It is important that we begin with a kind of neutrality to the ideas being discussed absent negative influences.

His talk is here…

youtu.be/qYWEYuhiWzE

Well worth a listen.
 
TaylorCat said:
In recent months I have been thinking regularly about the Catholic church, mostly due to reading these forums and the radio show. At this moment I still describe myself as atheist but I am open to learning about other religions.

Can anyone offer any advice about where to start with learning about the Catholic faith? I am not suggesting that I want to convert, but I am definitely interested in learning more about the faith and would enjoy a resource that explains things in a relatively basic manner to begin with.

I also don’t know how to reconcile some things regarding the church, but I wont mention those for now as it probably won’t be appropriate to start with that.

Everyone on these forums always seems to give well thought out answers, so thanks in advance if anyone takes the time to do that.
Click to expand...
Hi Taylor,

The first question to answer is “Does God Exist?” You are considering the Catholic Church, so deep down it may be that you know God does exist and are looking to learn more and how to connect Him to the Catholic Church. For now, put aside your concerns about certain aspects of the Church. First, learn more about what happen before the Catholic Church came to be. Then deal with the details that came to be once Christ established the Catholic Church.

We know God exists because He has revealed Himself to us. Not a complete revelation, but way more than enough to know He does exist. The first source is the Bible. Another great source is St Thomas Aquinas. And an excellent short, readable introduction to TA is Father Robert Barron’s book, **“St Thomas Aquinas, Spiritual Director.” **I recommend this short book as a great place to start.

Having a better degree of knowledge of God’s existence, the next step is to learn more about Jesus Christ. Again, the first source is the Bible, especially the 4 Gospels and the New Testament. Libraries of books have been written about Christ and God these past 2,000 years. Cannot read them all. Other posters, above, have provided excellent books that are readable. I would add two more: “The Life of Christ” by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and “Jesus of Nazareth” by Pope Benedict XVI.

In a short, simplistic nutshell:
  1. God Exist.
  2. Jesus Christ is the Living Son of God.
  3. Christ established the Catholic Church and promised to guide it until He returns.
  4. Christ, by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection opened the Gate of Heaven for us.
  5. Christ made it possible for us to receive Him in Holy Communion.
  6. Christ made it possible for our sins to be forgiven through Reconciliation.
Much more could be said and hopefully you will search the sources several of us have provided. The list of 6, short though it is, is why I am a Catholic.
 
:clapping:
GratefulFred said:
Hi Taylor,

The first question to answer is “Does God Exist?” You are considering the Catholic Church, so deep down it may be that you know God does exist and are looking to learn more and how to connect Him to the Catholic Church. For now, put aside your concerns about certain aspects of the Church. First, learn more about what happen before the Catholic Church came to be. Then deal with the details that came to be once Christ established the Catholic Church.

We know God exists because He has revealed Himself to us. Not a complete revelation, but way more than enough to know He does exist. The first source is the Bible. Another great source is St Thomas Aquinas. And an excellent short, readable introduction to TA is Father Robert Barron’s book, **“St Thomas Aquinas, Spiritual Director.” **I recommend this short book as a great place to start.

Having a better degree of knowledge of God’s existence, the next step is to learn more about Jesus Christ. Again, the first source is the Bible, especially the 4 Gospels and the New Testament. Libraries of books have been written about Christ and God these past 2,000 years. Cannot read them all. Other posters, above, have provided excellent books that are readable. I would add two more: “The Life of Christ” by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and “Jesus of Nazareth” by Pope Benedict XVI.

In a short, simplistic nutshell:
  1. God Exist.
  2. Jesus Christ is the Living Son of God.
  3. Christ established the Catholic Church and promised to guide it until He returns.
  4. Christ, by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection opened the Gate of Heaven for us.
  5. Christ made it possible for us to receive Him in Holy Communion.
  6. Christ made it possible for our sins to be forgiven through Reconciliation.
Much more could be said and hopefully you will search the sources several of us have provided. The list of 6, short though it is, is why I am a Catholic.
Click to expand...
:clapping:
 
GratefulFred said:
Hi Taylor,

The first question to answer is “Does God Exist?” You are considering the Catholic Church, so deep down it may be that you know God does exist and are looking to learn more and how to connect Him to the Catholic Church. For now, put aside your concerns about certain aspects of the Church. First, learn more about what happen before the Catholic Church came to be. Then deal with the details that came to be once Christ established the Catholic Church.

We know God exists because He has revealed Himself to us. Not a complete revelation, but way more than enough to know He does exist. The first source is the Bible. Another great source is St Thomas Aquinas. And an excellent short, readable introduction to TA is Father Robert Barron’s book, **“St Thomas Aquinas, Spiritual Director.” **I recommend this short book as a great place to start.

Having a better degree of knowledge of God’s existence, the next step is to learn more about Jesus Christ. Again, the first source is the Bible, especially the 4 Gospels and the New Testament. Libraries of books have been written about Christ and God these past 2,000 years. Cannot read them all. Other posters, above, have provided excellent books that are readable. I would add two more: “The Life of Christ” by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and “Jesus of Nazareth” by Pope Benedict XVI.

In a short, simplistic nutshell:
  1. God Exist.
  2. Jesus Christ is the Living Son of God.
  3. Christ established the Catholic Church and promised to guide it until He returns.
  4. Christ, by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection opened the Gate of Heaven for us.
  5. Christ made it possible for us to receive Him in Holy Communion.
  6. Christ made it possible for our sins to be forgiven through Reconciliation.
Much more could be said and hopefully you will search the sources several of us have provided. The list of 6, short though it is, is why I am a Catholic.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for this post, it was an interesting read. I will definitely find those books and give them a read when I get some free time. I currently am at university studying part-time, working full-time, so I don’t often get much time free presently.

Regarding the existence, as silly as it sounds, this is the big stumbling block. I just feel I can’t logically justify believing in the existence of a god. I sincerely mean no offence when I say that too, so I apologise in advance if I have done.
 
TaylorCat said:
Thank you so much for this post, it was an interesting read. I will definitely find those books and give them a read when I get some free time. I currently am at university studying part-time, working full-time, so I don’t often get much time free presently.

Regarding the existence, as silly as it sounds, this is the big stumbling block. I just feel I can’t logically justify believing in the existence of a god. I sincerely mean no offence when I say that too, so I apologise in advance if I have done.
Click to expand...
Far from being silly, you have hit upon the most fundamental question each human needs to answer. Does God really exist? True atheists say He doesn’t. Why don’t you start with the 5 Ways by St. Thomas and see if that helps.
 
TaylorCat said:
Regarding the existence, as silly as it sounds, this is the big stumbling block. I just feel I can’t logically justify believing in the existence of a god. I sincerely mean no offence when I say that too, so I apologise in advance if I have done.
Click to expand...
As a young girl, though I was raised Catholic, I went through a period where I struggled with whether God existed. Seeing nuns and priests who devoted their lives to God, I wondered what they knew that I didn’t know. I started praying to God, simply asking that if He was there that He would make it clear to me.
After a few months of this type of prayer, God revealed Himself to me. It’s difficult to describe, but from that moment on, I knew without a doubt that God existed. I guess the best way to describe it would be an overwhelming feeling of peace.

God is happy to reveal himself to those who seek Him with a sincere heart. We just have to ask 🙂
 
TaylorCat said:
Thank you so much for this post, it was an interesting read. I will definitely find those books and give them a read when I get some free time. I currently am at university studying part-time, working full-time, so I don’t often get much time free presently.

Regarding the existence, as silly as it sounds, this is the big stumbling block. I just feel I can’t logically justify believing in the existence of a god. I sincerely mean no offence when I say that too, so I apologise in advance if I have done.
Click to expand...
Check out conversiondiary.com. The author was a diehard athiest who converted to Catholism based on her research into a variety of religions. You may find the story of her journey helpful.
 
TaylorCat said:
Thank you so much for this post, it was an interesting read. I will definitely find those books and give them a read when I get some free time. I currently am at university studying part-time, working full-time, so I don’t often get much time free presently.

Regarding the existence, as silly as it sounds, this is the big stumbling block. I just feel I can’t logically justify believing in the existence of a god. I sincerely mean no offence when I say that too, so I apologise in advance if I have done.
Click to expand...
I wrote a post on another forum pointing at some of the evidence that God existing makes much more sense than the alternative.

You might find it helpful as a starting point:

bahaiforums.com/general-discussion/10535-atheism-untenable.html
 
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