I like the explanation that religion is the human response to a transcendent experience of faith. People feel compelled to express their experience of faith, especially at momentous times of their lives, such as when someone dies. It is not normal to stand around a grave and say, “Well, he’s dead. That was that. Oh, well.” It isn’t normal to experience the awesomeness of creation and say, “random chance sure generates some interesting patterns. Oh, well. What can you say?” It isn’t healthy when someone looks at life and says, “It is random, it means nothing in particular, it nothing to praise, nothing to be thankful for, nothing profound.” Even religions that do not believe in a deity as such at least rise to attempt to meet the human need to express how obviously profound our lives are, how profound life itself is.I need some good responses to a nominal Catholic who has begun to insist that religion is only “based on fear” – i.e., that religions (and specifically Christianity) are primarily seeking to control behavior through fear of hell.
I really need to be better at defending the faith in this kind of scenario…
The ideal is to be like God for ever, so there may be fear of not attaining that.I need some good responses to a nominal Catholic who has begun to insist that religion is only “based on fear” – i.e., that religions (and specifically Christianity) are primarily seeking to control behavior through fear of hell.
I really need to be better at defending the faith in this kind of scenario…
1023 Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they “see him as he is,” face to face:598
1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.[51]
1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.[52]
I’m more inclined to think that religion is based on “why?”religion is only “based on fear” –
If there was no hell, then that would be true. The problem is that hell is real; and wicked spirits, evil, and damnation are as real as the nose on your nominal Catholic friend’s face.a nominal Catholic who has begun to insist that religion is only “based on fear” – i.e., that religions (and specifically Christianity) are primarily seeking to control behavior through fear of hell.
So, his implicit “argument” is this:I need some good responses to a nominal Catholic who has begun to insist that religion is only “based on fear” – i.e., that religions (and specifically Christianity) are primarily seeking to control behavior through fear of hell.
I need some good responses to a nominal Catholic who has begun to insist that religion is only “based on fear” -- i.e., that religions (and specifically Christianity) are primarily seeking to control behavior through fear of hell.
I really need to be better at defending the faith in this kind of scenario…