Do Doubters & Non-believers Excommunicate Themselves?

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Remember, there is a difference between doubts and questions. Recall the words of Cardinal Newman that a thousand questions does not equal a single doubt.
 
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KBarn:
Remember, there is a difference between doubts and questions. Recall the words of Cardinal Newman that a thousand questions does not equal a single doubt.
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I take it that the difference is an open mind.

I must say, this doesn’t reflect well on Catholicism from my point of view. Presumably, you would encourage people of OTHER faiths to have an open mind. Isn’t that hypocritical? Imagine what it would be like if everyone assumed this epistemic ethic.

You being by assuming uncritically that your faith is the true faith, and that any serious consideration that you are wrong is sinful. Not wanting to sin, you don’t allow yourself to question. If you do apologetics, any historical research or reasoning you engage in is in bad faith; you are just looking to see HOW you or the religious authorities were right all the time. How would you respond to a protestant, Muslim, or member of any other belief system who shared this ethic when they said “It would be sinful for me to even consider Catholicism.”? You can’t say “Well, the difference is Catholicism is TRUE.” because that is what is at issue. The person you are trying to convert will say the same thing about their faith (and if they have any involuntary doubts, they will try and squelch them just as a good Catholic would). Instead of honesty inquiry leading everyone toward truth, the circumstances of birth would determine what people believe.

This seems dishonest and, as I said, hypocritical. Am I being unreasonable?

Michael
 
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