Bill:
A little bit. I asked my priest about it he says he only uses it as a reference work.
I’m going to admit I am unclear about your actual question and beg your patience with me while I try to figure it out.
God has his own essence that gives life to us but it’s not what powers himself. Do we exist because we are one of god’s ideas?
If God is omniscient, He cannot have ideas.
Yes God has " ideas. " at least according to Thomas. He describes every aspect of the created univers as being first an " Idea " in the Divine Inetllect. But remember, while St. Thomas was a Saint and a very great intellect and philosopher, neither his philosophy nor anyone else’s has been canonized - as one Pope famously quipped. What we have to do is believe what the Church teaches. Go back to the Catechism and start in Part One, Section Two, Article 1 and go from there and you should learn a lot.
I am afraid to buy the latest catechism because I have been told they change every so often. I know it’s online like the summa. The Summa really hits my questions to the spot. Has the catechism been “cannonized” I guess you mean like the NT books. I have read that Aquinas levitated at some point and I’ve always considered him inspired. Things change so much in the church. All it seems we can depend on is the sacraments. And reconcilliation and how often it was received has changed much over the centuries. The only sacremental I use is holy water. Btw I have Teresa of Avila’s interior castle and the other popular book she wrote. I haven’t read them but is she as good as St. Thomas? I understand faith and reason go hand in hand but faith is above reason.Yes God has " ideas. " at least according to Thomas. He describes every aspect of the created univers as being first an " Idea " in the Divine Inetllect. But remember, while St. Thomas was a Saint and a very great intellect and philosopher, neither his philosophy nor anyone else’s has been canonized - as one Pope famously quipped. What we have to do is believe what the Church teaches. Go back to the Catechism and start in Part One, Section Two, Article 1 and go from there and you should learn a lot.
Some of what you say is incorrect. Catholic teaching or doctrine has been the same since the time of Christ. However these teachings were not all fully understood at once but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit have been more fully understood over the centuries. The Catechisms contain the basics but not all doctrine or teaching which must be believed. We can go into that point more fully if you want but I think it should come under another thread. The current Catechism is structurally different than the one I grew up with but the basic content is the same. So I would just have to say that the only difference in Catechisms in the last 150 years or so is the structure, not the content.
I was reading a 1975 book entitle “A catholic catechism” it said a long time ago few people were going to mass because they felt they had mortally sinned and that led to deathbed confessions. People were waiting until their death bed to confess.Some of what you say is incorrect. Catholic teaching or doctrine has been the same since the time of Christ. However these teachings were not all fully understood at once but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit have been more fully understood over the centuries. The Catechisms contain the basics but not all doctrine or teaching which must be believed. We can go into that point more fully if you want but I think it should come under another thread. The current Catechism is structurally different than the one I grew up with but the basic content is the same. So I would just have to say that the only difference in Catechisms in the last 150 years or so is the structure, not the content.
There is a new Catechism geared to young people. But it is based on the bigger Catechism. Both are correct, just a different approach.
The difference between the Philosophy of St Thomas or St Augustine and the Catechism is that one does not have to believe all of what St Thomas said is true, though much, perhaps most of it is true. We only have to believe it if we are absolutely certain that what he taught is true and as long as it does not contradict what the Catechism teaches or what the Church teaches elsewhere. But we do have to believe what the Catechism teaches to be Catholics in good standing.
St. Teresa and St. Thomas were both great Saints and both Doctors of the Church. I’m not exactly sure how to explain the difference except I think St Teresa would be regarded more as a Doctor of Spirituality and Thomas as a Doctor of Philosophy.
That is so sad. We need God’s grace NOW.
Does God need love or power?
Kindly have the courtesy to speak for yourself, or remain silent. I do not reply to web links.
Think about that.
