Fallen-away Catholic searching for Truth, asking for help

[millerklj]

(I apologize for the length of this post; I tried to keep it as short as possible while still illustrating how I got to where I am spiritually.)

I was once Catholic.

I was raised in the Catholic faith. I was Baptized and Confirmed, attended Catholic school from kindergarten through 11th grade, attended Mass and received the Eucharist regularly, and went to Confession, albeit not as regularly. Although I was far from being an expert, I was very familiar with the Faith.

Moreover, I believed. I was Catholic.

As is not uncommon, though, early in high school, I started to…withdraw…from the Faith. At first I would miss Mass on occasion to go out with friends. Later I would skip several Sundays in a row, and disregard Holy Days. Over time, I really didn’t think about God or religion very often at all.

During my senior year of high school, I got involved in the occult, starting with ouija boards, then moving on to “witchcraft.” While researching “magic,” I encountered many differing religious views. I became interested in religion again, and read up on several of them before choosing a hybrid version of polytheism I referred to as “paleopaganism.” During this time, I became very anti-Christian, and held a particular disdain for Catholicism.

Now, as I near 40, my belief in paganism has since waned, then ceased, along with my anti-Christian sentiment. My disdain for Catholicism has been replaced by a pang of nostalgia along with the sense that something is missing from my life, and I no longer discount the possibility that the Truth might be found within Christianity. Maybe even within Catholicism.

I’ve given the matter considerable thought over the last two or three years. I’ve reread the New Testament in Its entirety (and brushed up on some of the Old Testament), attended Mass and the Sunday services of several Christian denominations, and listened to well over a hundred apologetics and evangelical TV and radio programs and podcasts, from both Catholic and Protestant viewpoints. But I’m still not sure what I believe. Or rather, I’m not sure how much I believe, because my deliberation has not been without benefit, as I have resolved some of my uncertainty.

I believe that God exists, and that He is our Creator. I believe in the afterlife, either in the presence of God or not, dependent upon His judgment of our lives. I believe that God is forgiving, so long as we are truly repentant, and I believe in the theory of purgatory, as it just seems…just.

As for the legitimacy of the Bible, and of Jesus’ being the Son of God and the means of salvation, though, I’m not yet sold. I’ll admit that, sometimes, the notion just “feels right,” but I’m not sure that this is not due to a sense of familiarity and nostalgia for my youth. I no longer specifically disbelieve in Christianity, but neither do I believe. Sometimes I wish that I did believe, as I long for the comfort that I once knew when I thought I was strong in my faith.

But as it is, I don’t believe, and I’m not sure where to go from here. While actually engaged in reading the Bible or listening to an apologetics podcast, I come so close to believing, and I want so badly to believe, but I can’t banish my doubts just by wanting it all to be true, no matter how much simpler life would be. Not necessarily easier, but surely simpler.

Since there is no way to really disprove the Bible, I fear I’m left with two possibilities: either find someone or something that finally convinces me that Christianity is really the Truth, or spend the rest of my life wondering what is true.

So I’m open to suggestions. No, I’m begging for suggestions, for anything, historical or philosophical, that anyone can point me to that might convince me that the Bible is truly God’s Word. I want, I need to have a closer relationship with He Who has given me so much in this life. So please, persuade me, help me to see what I may be missing, what will show me that what feels so true really is true.

 

[mskejj]

It seems to me that God has been working in your life lately…he wants you to come home Trust is a big part of making that leap… Have you read the book “Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis? Or “The Case for Christ” by Lee Stroebal? Both of these books might help in your journey.

I recently did a Bible Study called the Great Adventure by Jeff Cavins. It is a Catholic study of Salvation History…the 14 narrative books of the Bible which tell the story of our faith. I took the 8 week program and now I am engaged in the 24 week session. I really did not know how the Bible story all connected with the Old Testament and the New. That course opened my eyes to so many things…mainly how the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament…all the foreshadowing of events and how God’s plan was unveiled made me KNOW that God has had a plan to save us and bring us home to him. Once you study it in that context…everything becomes more real to you…you actually get excited to discover how God has been working with us all along…but you definitely realize how many times mankind kept getting off course. But like yourself, God never gave up on them! If you can find the course offered at your local Catholic Church…take it! If not…you can order the CD’s and workbook to go with them but then you miss out on the ideas and thoughts of the others in the group. But his CD or DVD’s are filled with so much you will understand the story so much better. I will be praying for you

 

[PJM]

Luke.1 Verses 26 to 35 "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus… And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” [35] And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."

My dear friend in Christ; either the Bible is completely true,[but not always true AND factual] or none of it is true. So which is it going to be for you

Love and prayers,

Pat

 

[sidhe54]

I add my prayers to the message of the post above…

Dear St. Monica,

Troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
Grant to us that same fortitude, patience,
and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for us, dear St. Monica,
that God may favorably hear our pleas
for all non practicing Catholics and those
discerning conversion to Catholicism. Amen

Praying also for the intercession of Servant of God Fr Nelson Baker. *

 

[tbcrawford]

Hello millerklj and welcome to CAF.
How wonderful that you are seeking to find the truth.
You are doing the right things in reading as much information as possible
and of course praying is your powerful tool of communication.The more you
pray the closer to God you will become.Have you been to a Mass recently?
I would suggest attending Mass again soon and pray to Our Blessed Lord for
guidance.Speak to a priest who will be very welcoming to you and a mine of
information to you.God bless

Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

• Saint Aurelius Augustine (Augustine of Hippo)

Please check out this thread…

’ I need to talk about my loss of faith’ thread by WatchfulPilgrim in Apologetics forum last post dated February 22nd 2010

This is one of my posts from that thread…
[There are quite a few people who have drifted away from the Church, and from many other churches as well. This may be mostly due to the fact that when we grow up, we realize that we believe certain things just because we were told they were true by people we trust, and not because we ever thought about them at all. This makes us uneasy, and we start looking in other places for beliefs that we can call our own.

But there is, after all, one and only one Truth; and being a child of God, you have the ability to recognize it. Life is generally long, and a good person will learn more about herself and more about God every day. This is all very human and very natural. Since God knows absolutely everything (a difficult enough concept on its own), He knows that this will happen, and gives us the grace to find our way back. All you have to do is to accept that grace.

Prayer shows our trust and faith in God. He does not need our prayers, but we do. They are a source of grace. So in His infinite love for us, God wants us to receive this grace that we can only get by a voluntary act of will, a free choice to make the effort to show our belief in God through prayer. Frequent prayer will strengthen our faith and trust and lead us to heaven, and that is God’s goal.

Religion, after all, is not about a set of rules to follow, or splitting doctrinal hairs. It is about experiencing God’s love. We have to deeply believe that He loves us as selflessly as a parent, as passionately as a lover. It may be that the whole of humankind can become one family and live together in peace and affection. This is the story that Christ told us; this is the vision and faith that keeps us Catholic

The Church emphasizes that God is infinitely merciful and compassionate and fair, and gives everyone who has ever lived enough grace to reach heaven, whether or not they ever heard of Christ’s sacrifice before God offers them this knowledge (in His infinite goodness) in the last timeless instant of their lives.

When children (especially boys) have gone astray, perhaps getting into trouble with the police or dropping out of school, our fathers take a rather hard line. “The no-good bum, throw him out of the house and let him see what the real world is like for awhile!” Mom always takes the kid’s side. “Oh, he’s a good boy. You’ll see. He will find his way; don’t be so hard on him. He just needs more love.”

The Church is like our mum. She sees only the good in us. She is always eager to take us back, and show how much she loves us, no matter what we have done. We can always go home to Holy Mother Church and know that only complete forgiveness and unconditional love await us.

First, while Christ was teaching on earth, He established a Church with St. Peter as the founding head. He gave this Church absolute authority not specifically over the Bible, which had not yet been written or even thought of, but over all things and all matters spiritual. The Bible says this, in no uncertain terms, in Matthew 16: 17-20.

Then, the Apostles and Disciples of Christ started spreading His Church by going out all over the known world preaching. This was all oral teaching, as was the practice of the day. What they knew of Christ and His teaching were passed word of mouth from person to person.]

Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

[tbcrawford]

Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray. – St. Louis de Montfort

Prayers by St. Francis de Sales

Confidence in God
It is good to mistrust ourselves, but how would that advantage us were we not to throw all our confidence on God, and to wait on His mercy? If you feel no such confidence, cease not on that account from making these acts and from saying to Our Lord: “Yet, O Lord, though I have no feeling of confidence in You, nevertheless, I know that You are my God, that I am all Yours, and that I have no hope but in Your goodness; so, I abandon myself entirely into Your Hands.” It is always in our power to make these acts; although we have difficulty in performing them, still there is no impossibility. Thus we testify faithfulness to our Lord.

THE PRAYER
BE AT PEACE
(By Saint Francis De Sales)
Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are,
will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand it,
God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same understanding Father who cares for
you today will take care of you then and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering
or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace,
and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

 

[millersatthefar]

Wow! You are one lucky guy. I too went through a “lost and searching” period. You and I are the same age and I can tell you, quite confidently, that our formation in school was sadly incomplete. My return to the Catholic Church was catalyzed by meeting a good faithful friend who was on fire for his faith, and a good Priest who was a spiritual father to me. Pray for these good people to come into your life, and find a Priest to make an appointment with to discuss your situation. Finally, Go to Confession! Pray with all your heart to the Holy Spirit for the courage to know and confess all of your sins. There is no way to know what effect your time practicing witchcraft has done to your soul. Confession will cleanse you and allow you to see the truth that God loves you, and wants you home.

Peace to you my brother.

 

[Convert66]

It sounds (or reads, rather) like you have some great thoughts to ponder already. I couldn’t help noticing a “subtext”, if you will, about your desire for certainty. I’m afraid that certainty is analogous (roughly) to romantic love. It flows with time and circumstances. It’s possible that your doubts are what will prepare you for greater faith to come, much like lifting heavy weights is tiresome and draining, but ultimately the only sure way to build real strength.

I’d like to recommend an article that, at first glance, may appear far from your topic of concern. But when I was struggling with issues of certainty and it proved ever elusive, this article helped me to see the comparitive religions in an incredibly liberating new light. The author’s name is Rene’ Girard. The title is "Are The Gospels Mythical?" It lent me a fresh wave of certainty when I read it, although perhaps not as concrete as you are hoping for. It’s an incredibly original perspective, very humane, very rational, dauntingly learned, and yet deeply orthodox. I hope it helps in some small way. God bless you, friend.

All my best…

 

[mskejj]

The blog below might help you…lots of good insight

conversiondiary.com/2006/12/on-having-proof.html

 

[puzzleannie]

**(I **During my senior year of high school, I got involved in the occult, starting with ouija boards, then moving on to “witchcraft.” While researching “magic,” I encountered many differing religious views. I became interested in religion again, and read up on several of them before choosing a hybrid version of polytheism I referred to as “paleopaganism.” During this time, I became very anti-Christian, and held a particular disdain for Catholicism.

Now, as I near 40, my belief in paganism has since waned, then ceased, along with my anti-Christian sentiment. My disdain for Catholicism has been replaced by a pang of nostalgia along with the sense that something is missing from my life, and I no longer discount the possibility that the Truth might be found within Christianity. Maybe even within Catholicism.

I’ve given the matter considerable thought over the last two or three years. I’ve reread the New Testament in Its entirety (and brushed up on some of the Old Testament), attended Mass and the Sunday services of several Christian denominations, and listened to well over a hundred apologetics and evangelical TV and radio programs and podcasts, from both Catholic and Protestant viewpoints. But I’m still not sure what I believe. Or rather, I’m not sure how much I believe, because my deliberation has not been without benefit, as I have resolved some of my uncertainty.

.

you might compare this current state of mind with the condition of a person who was raised with good ideas on nutrition, but has eaten nothing but junk food, fat and sugar all his adult life. After a shock, maybe a heart attack or diabetes diagnosis, or maybe just because the old food is no longer satisfying, he has started to remember with nostalgia the good food of his childhood, the comfort foods. He no longer knows how to cook and shop, or even quite where to go to find quality ingredients, or even what to order when he dines out to capture the taste of the food he longs for.

So he experiments. He watches cooking shows, clips recipes, tries cooking, buys cookbooks. He does not know if he wants vegetarian & organic, gourmet, French or continental, Mediterranean, Pacific rim, just that he knows there is a taste and flavor and he will know it when he finds it. He shops at farm stands, ethnic markets, import shops, Trader Joe’s and learns a bit more about authentic good taste with every meal.

But he could shortcut this by finding like minded friends who enjoy cooking and eating good food, and learning from them, but he is reluctant to accept their guidance.

So he as at the point know where he has to decide who to trust when it comes to food, wine, shopping and related affairs. He is naturally drawn to those people and has started to frequent their web sites.

where do you think he should go from here?

 

[sidhe54]

***Dear St. Monica,

Troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
Grant to us that same fortitude, patience,
and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for us, dear St. Monica,
that God may favorably hear our pleas
for all non practicing Catholics and those
discerning conversion to Catholicism. Amen

Praying also for the intercession of Servant of God Fr Nelson Baker ***

 

[bettyg51]

Have you heard of the Proofs for the Existence of God of Saint Thomas Aquinas? This web site has them: aquinasonline.com/Topics/5ways.html. There are many other sites on the web about this. It would be a violation of your nature if God expected us to believe without some logical reason to support faith. Yet, it takes faith to support your understanding. Dare God to show you why you should believe and ask for the gift of faith.

The question then is, “If God exists and he loves us, isn’t it fitting that God would reveal himself to us?” Catholics claim He has done this through Scripture and even more fully through sending Jesus to redeem us. If He loved us enough to create us, why would He want to keep His love a secret? He would send prophets to tell us of His love and these prophesies would come true in amazing ways.

If He wants to be in a relationship with us, He would give us some reasons to believe in Him and His love for us. He would validate His love with miracles and many people who are witnesses to faith, even by martyrdom. Why would the martyrs die for a lie?

Your doubts are like fertilizer to faith because they motivate you to learn more. There are answers to all your questions, so keep asking them.
God bless,
Betty

 

[good_news]

One need not complicate the issue. Proof of God’s existence is in the fact that the universe is comprehensible–one needs high degrees in science and the language of mathematics to grasp the workings of the cosmos. Just as the proof that all the books in your local library were written by thinking minds is the fact that the books are comprehensible–namely through a code we call language.

The logical proof that I am a thinking mind is the fact that you can comprehend the code you are reading at this moment (the English language).

Those who promote the idea that evolution is the author of life are as foolish as those who might argue that the printing press is the author of a book!

img514.imageshack.us/img514/7206/crucifixion3.gif

 

[PJM]

Proof of God’s Existence

How to prove we have a soul and that God does exist

A philosophical guide to Christian Logic; defending our Faith

We must seek Wisdom where it is found and we must seek understanding through “logic.”

An intellectual exercise.

We must be able to understand “logic” sufficiently to understand ourselves, how to use it in explaining various TRUTHS of our Faith. Thus. We must accept it ourselves. “One cannot share what one does nor possess.”

An FYI: Priest are first trained in Philosophy to prepare them to understand how to “think logically.”

The three Foundational Principles of All Logic

A “THING” is what it is
A “THING” is NOT another THING
A “THING” is either Caused or it is It’s Own Cause (self-sufficient)
A “THING” is what it is… nothing less and nothing more

To be “self-sufficient” means that “it needs nothing else.” It is completely self-sufficient, thus it is “PERFECT.”

Stated again: a THING that is self-sufficient is PERFECT

What does PERFECT MEAN? Nothing missing, nothing more needed.

Example: If you get a 100% on a test. It is “perfect.” Nothing can be added to make it “more perfect,” and taking anything away from it makes it “im-perfect.”

“Self-sufficient” means: That it never had to be created! If it had to be created, then it
was not “self-sufficient” to begin with.

CREATO is Latin for created.

For some-THING to exist it either had to be 1. Created, or 2. HAD to ”Always be!”

Either it is CREATED or It is the CREATOR!

4.     The Philosophical CORE of all Logic

How does one discern “The Origin?”

1. Everything has two properties.

EXISTANCE = That it is!

ESSENCE = What it is

This is the very philosophical core of “Being!”

For Human Life the FACT of our “existence” is…

For humanity, our Existence is “FINITE.” Which means with a beginning and an end.

The “WHAT” of our existence is defined by our ESSENCE.

All creatures, indeed, all creation is defined by it’s ESSENCE

Definition = “De /finit/ ion “ = setting it’s limits, and labeling it

By breaking it down and eliminating what IT “is not,” we are left with what IT is!

                            5.     Definition of the CREATOR

1. God has defined Himself as “I AM”

** Exodus Chapter 3: “13 **Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations”

“I AM” The Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the one who always was, is, and always shall be.  

               2.   God is defined by God’s Existence = God is!

                                 3.    CREATURES are defined by their ESSENCE

       4.    In Him we LIVE, MOVE and HAVE OUR BEING

1. Our Existence FLOWS FROM God’s Existence
2. Through Him all things “are made” (brought into existence.)

God… is… God

Man… is… man

God is NOT man

Man is NOT God

1. ONLY GOD can say, “My Essence is to be in Existence!”

2.  All “FINITE” Existence Flows THROUGH the Infinite (God alone)

3. The three BIG Misunderstandings

4. The Nature of man = body, soul in unity!

5. The nature of God = Spirit

6. Misunderstanding the nature of “Heaven.”
   
           Not understanding these three issues, is the root cause of misunderstanding with all 
           other religions
   
                            7.     The Nature of Man

How can we know that our bodies have a SOUL?

What is “MATTER” = as it relates to humanity = that which is composed of body parts

That “Which is “NOT MATTER” is single cannot be broken down has No PARTS

Something with “NO PARTS” we call SPIRITUAL

                                 8.     The Human Soul is

“It Is” (spiritual and immaterial)

“It Is Here”

“It Is Now”

How can we know that the Human Soul exist?

The Human Soul Generates Ideas, one cannot separate “An Idea!”

“Ideas” have “No Parts”, and thus are ‘SPIRITUAL”, proving the existence of our soul.

Where do “ideas” originate? In our soul!

                                   9.     The Basic Principles involved

The rule of The Material and the Immaterial Universe

A corolary result: Ideas are Spiritual, the “brain” is Material. A “spiritual thing” cannot be generated or created by a “Material Thing.”

Everything that is “made” comes from something greater than itself

Something cannot give “what it does not possess.”

How does an idea come into existence? Before the wheel. Air travel Ect. someone had to formulate the idea for them.

Matter is always inferior to the immaterial

The “Spirit” always rules “Matter.” “Matter” obeys (at the service of) the “spirit.”

The lesser of two things cannot rule the greater of two things (can’t give what it does not possess). And the lesser of two things can’t generate the greater of two things.

Example: A man “can make” a house
But a house cannot make a man

Conclusion: Everything made is made by something GREATER than itself. The
Mind must be greater than the idea.

The “brain” is “Matter” but the “Mind” is Spiritual. Ideas originate in ones
“mind,” proving the existence of a ‘Spirit” within us that we call “our Soul!”

Cont. On NEXT POST

 

[PJM]

Cont. form Previous Port: Proving God’s Exitence

1. For an idea to be created, the mind must be greater than the brain.

   1. Example: Think of “peanut-butter.”
      
        Some may think of a “jar of PB,” it could be a “small jar,” or a “large jar,” it could
        Be ‘Chunky” or “Creamy, ” it could be a PB sandwich or something else? It is a  
        Personal “idea” that could be somewhat different for each of us. Proving that we 
        Have the potential to create our own ideas!
      
        Now measure your IDEA. Not what you thought of, but the idea itself. How long, 
      
        Wide, deep was it? And how much did your idea weigh? Can’t answer can you? 
      
        Thus we have just proven that ideas are Spiritual.

A MIND can not only have “an original idea,” it has the ability to have multiple
ideas and to group them together and to from concepts and thought patterns.

1. Both immaterial and material THINGS have a “pecking order.” A priority of importance and significance.

   Mind = a thought, and idea, and an original thought and an original concept
   
   Matter = a cell, a blade of grass, a tree, a dog and a human being

   1. The mind is able to group ideas and develop thought patterns.

   Example: a chair; a dining room, a desk chair, and a recliner are all “chairs.”

2. Proving that GOD does exist 
   
    1.     2+2 = 4 …. This Proves that God exist

Show me “four.” No, not four fingers, no not four of anything, show me “four.”

Again I ask you, show me “four.” You can’t, and yet we know with certitude that 2 + 2 = 4.

“four” has no touch
“ has no humanity
“ has no Nationalism
“ has no Patriotism
“ has no holiness

We can only show Examples, only part of what “four is.” So what does this give evidence of?

It brings to light “finite,” things that have a beginning and an end. And “infinite” things, that have no beginning and no end. It also points out that both material things and immaterial things exist.

How can a “finite creature,” humanity, so something in the immaterial world? We cannot!

There has to be, and there is, an immaterial POWER that can group thoughts, and Form other thoughts.

Thoughts can ONLY COME FROM an immaterial source.

Something can only be what it is

Something cannot be what it is not

A thing is either is either CAUSED or it is it’s OWN CAUSE

This IMMATERIAL SOMETHING, this source, we call GOD!

Matter = has either FEW parts or SEVERAL parts

Human Thoughts

Are immaterial and have NO PARTS

“No PARTS” = Spiritual

             12.  The Human Soul

The soul is personal, belongs to a single person and every person has a soul.

The “soul” is synonymous (means the same) as “INTELLECT.”

The intellect has the ability to know moral rights and wrong. This function we call Conscience.

Intellect and “brain” are not the same. The Brain is material, while the “intellect” is immaterial.

Intellect in both personal and unique. No two are the same. My unique intellect, my unique will, my unique memory, all three are personally mine.

A spiritual “thing” must be generated by another spiritual thing.

Therefore our soul is generated (caused by) this spirit that we call “GOD.”

We also have “personal material things.” For example; “my parents.”

Something Lesser cannot make (cause to be) something Greater. Cannot give what they don’t have.

Spirit is Greater than Matter.

Spirit commands (directs) matter. Example: Lift your arm, now put it down. Your Spirit (intellect) just directed your Material – arm.

A soul cannot procreate, nor can it be procreated; has NO PARENTS.

A Spirit / Soul has no parts. It is one but has multiple functions. Thought’s, ideas, evaluation, calculation, moral certitude, knowledge, and awareness.

What is the Human Person?

A person consists of BOTH material and immaterial parts.

Personal material parts: my eyes, my arms my head Ect. And my immaterial intellect, which we call, my personal SOUL.

            13.     What is the origin of our soul?

A “Thing” can only give what it has

The Soul has no parts, has no parents, so it HAD TO BE CALLED INTO EXISTENCE.

That which calls our personal souls into existence, has to be GREATER in the Spiritual realm, than the soul, because only a greater Spirit can cause another spirit into being. That Greater Spirit is what we call God.

**John Chapter 1: **“1”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

 

[petr]

Miller,

I like the way you write.

I can only tell you what I did. I made a list of questions and made an appointment with a priest. In the beginning I was aggressive and even adversarial. I simply did not believe in the eucharist. The priest was gracious and understanding. He gave me answers I never expected to hear from a priest. The discussion was lively. We met several times.

I discovered Father Robert Barron on youtube and the CatholicismProject.com. I watched all of his videos. I gained a respect for him as a person, which lead to more study.

I listened to Fr Corapi. Still skeptical at times, I watched his DVD’s.

I knew from life experience that God was mercy. Mercy by definition. These other men helped me understand principles. I followed their advice and began prayer. Honest to goodness time spent in prayer. There I found something special. The layers fell away one by one. I began to go to Mass and it was a whole new place.

I could face lions today. It took a year.

May the holy spirit continue to trouble you as it did me until your questions are answered.

 

[sidhe54]

• Dear St. Monica,

Troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
Grant to us that same fortitude, patience,
and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for us, dear St. Monica,
that God may favorably hear our pleas
for all non practicing Catholics and those
discerning conversion to Catholicism. Amen

Praying also for the intercession of Servant of God Fr Nelson Baker
*

 

[millerklj]

Thanks, everyone, for your prayers and words of encouragement and insight. I don’t have as much time as I would like to dedicate to my searching for answers, but I have been following all of the links that have been suggested, albeit slowly. There has definitely been some food for thought in them.

If there is any more reading you can suggest that might help, please let me know and I will be sure to follow up on it.

Please keep me in your prayers, and again, thank you all.

 

[garyr]

Thanks, everyone, for your prayers and words of encouragement and insight. I don’t have as much time as I would like to dedicate to my searching for answers, but I have been following all of the links that have been suggested, albeit slowly. There has definitely been some food for thought in them.
If there is any more reading you can suggest that might help, please let me know and I will be sure to follow up on it.
Please keep me in your prayers, and again, thank you all.

Hi Millerklj,

Belief is not something for us to take, attain, choose, or be convinced; rather, it is solely a Gift from God: Jn 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, . . "

Pray to God to grant you this Gift; He gives it Freely.

Here is some great free/online reading as food for thought:
(this stuff really helped me mature my knowledge/understanding)-

familyland.be/mercy/68-alone-with-god.html

familyland.be/en/message-of-hope.html

familyland.be/mercy/72-divine-providence-gods-design-in-your-life.html

familyland.be/mercy/77-the-seven-dimensions-of-the-responsibililty-of-the-present-moment.html

-Enjoy!
-G

 

[sidhe54]

*** Dear St. Monica,

Troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
Grant to us that same fortitude, patience,
and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for us, dear St. Monica,
that God may favorably hear our pleas
for all non practicing Catholics and those
discerning conversion to Catholicism. Amen

Praying also for the intercession of Servant of God Fr Nelson Baker ***