Do you guys feel your faith is compromised with the world?

[pwlj_christ87]

I always feel that, i am always compromising my faith, probably due to cowardness, to the world… i always feel that, while we hold the truth, we are constantly (or i , am constantly) giivng in to the world as if we have to prove ourselves to them, like a reverse onus test… shouldnt it be the athiest or non religouus feeling the other way around, how is it that atheists and other thinkers feel so confident, it shouldnt be this way, but the other way around! what are your thoughts?

 

[lauray]

I agree with you my friend.

We need to be more like Christ and relate back to when he entered the temple and saw that it was being misused. Of course this is different but we need to defend our faith and beliefs.

Firstly to be able to ensure our faith is strong, like the parable of man who built his house on the rock. Pray always, especially in times where you feel that your faith is being compromised.

It is definitely hard especially as our world is changing but allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.

I also battle with this. Allow it to help you grow.

John 15:18-19
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

 

[MyNameIsDan]

I always feel that, i am always compromising my faith, probably due to cowardness, to the world… i always feel that, while we hold the truth, we are constantly (or i , am constantly) giivng in to the world as if we have to prove ourselves to them, like a reverse onus test… shouldnt it be the athiest or non religouus feeling the other way around, how is it that atheists and other thinkers feel so confident, it shouldnt be this way, but the other way around! what are your thoughts?

After a while, I felt that I was lacking in two areas that are very important to the Church: philosophy and theology. I’m taking a philosophy class right now and it helped me realize just how ignorant many in our society are. While the number of those who are anti-theists, anti-religion, and so on are indeed growing in number, I realized that many of those type people are just misinformed and many tend to go with reactionary, or counter-culture crowds.

Having said that, taking my philosophy class does pose some questions I would like answered, but I feel more secure than I did before; realizing my ignorance as well as others’. At least, now I know that most of the people today who will say “Science over religion! Religion poisons everything! There is no God, they have no proof!” are really unprepared to take on a serious discussion. Not that I didn’t know that already, but the stuff I’ve learned in my class reaffirmed this, strengthened this, and helped me to find more flaws.

 

[Sjonesd3]

I agree with a lot of what MyNameIsDan said when mentioned people say"Science over religion! Religion poisons everything! There is no God, they have no proof." I honestly don’t think science disproves religion at all or vice versa; many people don’t realize that evolution doesn’t even disprove Christianity. Then you have the people that say “religion causes war”, there’s two sides to that many people do use religion as a way to justify horrible behavior. But many do use atheism to promote war as well.

 

[ChurchSoldier]

Prayers said for continued growth in your faith.

 

[SuperLuigi]

I always feel that, i am always compromising my faith, probably due to cowardness, to the world… i always feel that, while we hold the truth, we are constantly (or i , am constantly) giivng in to the world as if we have to prove ourselves to them, like a reverse onus test… shouldnt it be the athiest or non religouus feeling the other way around, how is it that atheists and other thinkers feel so confident, it shouldnt be this way, but the other way around! what are your thoughts?

It’s easy to feel confident when the wind of culture and society are at your back.

 

[Pat_Albertson]

Sometimes I think the church is right and the world wrong, and sometimes, much less often, but still sometimes, I think the world is right and the church wrong, and sometimes I think they are both wrong and only I am right. The last is the hardest, because then I am completely alone in my thinking, with only my own conscience to guide me.

I probably ought to pray for guidance, and once in a while I do, but most of the time I don’t because things just seem so obvious to me. What I think of things doesn’t matter much anyway, because I don’t have the power to change anything. I pray for people to get rational and wake up, but I don’t really think that’s going to happen.

Mostly what I pray about is relief from depression and from my own financial situation and for some sort of escape from future homelessness. I don’t pray much for my health because I tend to think of a fatal illness as deliverance from this life. I think of death as a blessing, and not even a blessing in disguise, just an out and out blessing. I do not fear it, but would welcome it.

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

Yes of course we are…simply because we are a part of the world… most of us that live in the Real world. Where we work & live with people that have no regard whatsoever for your faith…
Yes we must Compromise virtually everyday…
Unless of course you never leave your house…
But what sets us apart is our faith…hold fast to your faith …

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Yes. I feel like I’m hiding most of the time.

I feel more confident around Asians because on the whole they are more religious than westerners, so I feel free to say that I am a practicing Christian. I don’t feel like I’m compromising with that world. But whenever I’m around other westerners I am extremely uncomfortable mentioning my faith and I feel pressured to adapt to the secular mind-set. I hate it but have serious difficulty changing.

 

[Ash_Wednesday]

When I was living in the U.S., I more or less felt open to express my faith. Since moving to the U.K., however, I feel like I’m in a much touchier situation and people are much more hostile to religion. In the U.S. I had a better grasp on how to discuss it with people without turning them off. Here, I have no idea.



I did recently join the Legion of Mary, so hopefully observing how they do apostolic work and getting involved with the parish outside of just going to mass, I’ll have a better idea of how faith is shared in daily life over here.

Keep praying!

 

[Dorothy]

I always feel that, i am always compromising my faith, probably due to cowardness, to the world… i always feel that, while we hold the truth, we are constantly (or i , am constantly) giivng in to the world as if we have to prove ourselves to them, like a reverse onus test… shouldnt it be the athiest or non religouus feeling the other way around, how is it that atheists and other thinkers feel so confident, it shouldnt be this way, but the other way around! what are your thoughts?

Christians need to be the light of Christ for others, or how else will they recognize Him?

We have all the means to grow in His love…prayer, the sacraments, especially focusing on Reconciliation and the Eucharist. We are designed to help one another in like-minded community to draw closer to the Lord. It then becomes easier to move about in the world and ignore all the tinsel and distractions that would take us away from a deeper walk with our Lord.

 

[benotagoat]

Sometimes I think the church is right and the world wrong, and sometimes, much less often, but still sometimes, I think the world is right and the church wrong, and sometimes I think they are both wrong and only I am right. The last is the hardest, because then I am completely alone in my thinking, with only my own conscience to guide me.

I probably ought to pray for guidance, and once in a while I do, but most of the time I don’t because things just seem so obvious to me. What I think of things doesn’t matter much anyway, because I don’t have the power to change anything. I pray for people to get rational and wake up, but I don’t really think that’s going to happen.

.

Well I think that the catholic Church does not have all the answers and I am not talking about protestants ,because they have the same error as the Church,but some individuals have this greater truth, which will come out in the future .
Perhaps you are one of those and it can be very depressing because you are alone you feel .However you must continue to pray ,only to Jesus and the Father in the Our Father .
Tell Him why you are troubled ,and ask for strength to go on ,and be prepared .

However if you can look at what you said, that you don’t pray for guidance,and that
you don’t have power .
The first is remiss ,and the second is true,you don’t have the power ,but unless you do the first and be patient, then the second cannot happen .
If you give up, you will be in danger of going to a very bad place, so start praying ,listen to what you are told to do, and go from there .
I was in your situation of depression and not caring ,but I would not go back there for anything .

 

[christofirst]

It might help to remember the Apostles cowering in fear and confusion after the death of Our Lord. It took the Holy Spirit coming over them at Pentecost to make them bold and courageous in going out to proclaim the Good News, and also to suffer the deprivations which came with that mission. We need the Holy Spirit now as then when we face the world.

It is difficult to go against the grain, to say no when everyone else is saying yes (and vice versa). Some of us enjoy the challenge of apologetics and evangelization, while others (like myself) are not so outgoing. Thankfully, there are ways of showing others the truth of our faith without always being confrontational. Teach by example. Those times I have refused to go along with the crowd, I did receive some ridicule, it’s true, but I have found that for the most part people eventually respect a person of integrity and conviction (even when they do not agree). Who knows what good seeds are planted this way?

 

[pwlj_christ87]

I agree, with the Holy Spirit the walk of faith is as easy as slicing butter with a hot knife. It is times where you are holding to your faith but “give in” so to speak, which is ultimately lukewarmness and deserving of eternal punishment. I think that I need alot of help in prayer to overcome personal characteristc flaws that may be holding me from becoming a better catholic… but i appreciatea lll your thoughts thus far

jay

 

[Wildgraywolf]

Do you guys feel your faith is compromised with the world?

My faith is at odds with the world which tends to make me unpopular. I’m fine with that.

 

[Dorothy]

My faith is at odds with the world which tends to make me unpopular. I’m fine with that.

Yes! Jesus said we would be hated because of Him.

 

[Latias]

I always feel that, i am always compromising my faith, probably due to cowardness, to the world… i always feel that, while we hold the truth, we are constantly (or i , am constantly) giivng in to the world as if we have to prove ourselves to them, like a reverse onus test… shouldnt it be the athiest or non religouus feeling the other way around, how is it that atheists and other thinkers feel so confident, it shouldnt be this way, but the other way around! what are your thoughts?

While I was an agnostic, I never felt confident that a God didn’t exist, but it seemed likely that a god of classical theism didn’t exist due to the rife human suffering. But within a philosophical debate, the onus is on you to provide a credible argument that it is reasonable to belief in God, rather than refer that you have “the truth”. You should be aware that you do not hold such a privileged epistemological position where others should defer to your insights. Remember that both organized theism and New atheism are both cultural phenomenon, and the later has some legitimate grievances concerning the negative influence that religion has on society.

My faith is currently lukewarm, but I am an autistic woman with high verbal ability. I do not care about how others would regard me because of intellectual position I may hold, and I always had the confidence to parse and comprehend the argument of others and articulate my respective position. I sometimes do this because I find it to be amusing and intellectual stimulating. Perhaps you do not possess such confidence and you do not have an immunity to the impulse to conform to the opinion of others.

More importantly, trying to persuade others is bound to fail, since you will likely directly uproot any negative stereotype that others may associate with religion. If intend to persuade others of your position, the natural response from others is simply to become defensive from what they perceive as an intrusive proselytizing attempt or simply ignore you. The best advice is to exhibit both exemplary natural benevolence and supernatural charity to the people you encounter.