How certain are you about Catholicism?

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MichaelLewis

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A question for Catholics and soon-to-be Catholics only:

How certain are you that the central doctrines (defined as those which, if they were false, would demonstrate that the Church does not have the special, divinely granted authority it claims for itself) of the Catholic Church are true?
 
If I weren’t certain, I probably wouldn’t be Catholic, so put me down for 100%.
 
As Bud said, I do bet the farm and my soul on it.

The choices on the poll don’t have that choice but they do have every other choice.
 
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scylla:
As Bud said, I do bet the farm and my soul on it.

The choices on the poll don’t have that choice but they do have every other choice.
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I understand you are betting your souls on it, I’m just wondering how close to a sure thing your bet is as far as you’re concerned!
🙂
 
Sorry, I did not realize that this was a Roman Catholic only poll until too late. I voted that I am certian that they are not, but I am not a Roman Catholic.

Michael
 
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MichaelLewis:
A question for Catholics and soon-to-be Catholics only:

How certain are you that the central doctrines (defined as those which, if they were false, would demonstrate that the Church does not have the special, divinely granted authority it claims for itself) of the Catholic Church are true?
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Are you talking about infallibility? She is infallible in faith and morals because she claims herself as the standard. That makes sense, but if you’re saying she is infallible in faith and morals because Christ gave Peter the keys, I’m highly skeptical.

I do not have a problem with others believing these things, though. When they try to “prove” these articles of faith with logic, that’s where I step in and have fun refuting them.

Oh yeah, why am I Catholic? I am a cradle Catholic and I love the Church. I have five children in Catholic school grades 1, 3, 7, 9, and 12, and one who just finished K-12. I play organ for Mass at two different churches, and am otherwise involved. It is my life. How can I love the Church without believing she is infallible? The same way I love my wife and children.

Alan
 
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MichaelLewis:
I understand you are betting your souls on it, I’m just wondering how close to a sure thing your bet is as far as you’re concerned!
🙂
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This is the one thing in all the universe that I am sure of.
 
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michaelp:
Sorry, I did not realize that this was a Roman Catholic only poll until too late. I voted that I am certian that they are not, but I am not a Roman Catholic.

Michael
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I know, I would have been more specific, but you can only make the pole question itself so long. 😦 The complete question is my first posting.
 
Isn’t there some sort of philosophical reasoning about not being able to prove 1+1=2? Whatever. I’m 100% sure anyway:D .
 
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Genesis315:
Isn’t there some sort of philosophical reasoning about not being able to prove 1+1=2? Whatever. I’m 100% sure anyway:D .
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I included 1+1=2 because it is, I think, inconcievable that it could be false. I don’t know that it is provable, but I don’t think that anyone who understands it CAN doubt it at all. It seems to me that if you were MORE sure about the Church than you are that 1+1=2, no evidence could in principle convince you that the Church was false.
 
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AlanFromWichita:
Are you talking about infallibility? She is infallible in faith and morals because she claims herself as the standard. That makes sense, but if you’re saying she is infallible in faith and morals because Christ gave Peter the keys, I’m highly skeptical.

I do not have a problem with others believing these things, though. When they try to “prove” these articles of faith with logic, that’s where I step in and have fun refuting them.

Oh yeah, why am I Catholic? I am a cradle Catholic and I love the Church. I have five children in Catholic school grades 1, 3, 7, 9, and 12, and one who just finished K-12. I play organ for Mass at two different churches, and am otherwise involved. It is my life. How can I love the Church without believing she is infallible? The same way I love my wife and children.

Alan
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Interesting. I take it that you see the Church as just a good social institution? Would you say the same thing about Christianity?
 
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MichaelLewis:
I included 1+1=2 because it is, I think, inconcievable that it could be false. I don’t know that it is provable, but I don’t think that anyone who understands it CAN doubt it at all. It seems to me that if you were MORE sure about the Church than you are that 1+1=2, no evidence could in principle convince you that the Church was false.
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1+1=2 is provable because it is an analytical statement–i.e. it is true by definition. Like the statement a triangle have three sides. A triangle, by definition, has three sides. Analytical truths are the only truths that anyone can be %100 certian about (except–possibly–the cartesian statement “I exist” since it might qualify as analytical).

Michael
 
michaelp said:
1+1=2 is provable because it is an analytical statement–i.e. it is true by definition. Like the statement a triangle have three sides. A triangle, by definition, has three sides. Analytical truths are the only truths that anyone can be %100 certian about (except–possibly–the cartesian statement “I exist” since it might qualify as analytical).

Michael
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I’m inclined to agree, but some would quibble, citing Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem. I really don’t understand how it could be denied, but I don’t know how to give a technical proof, so I figured it was best to sidestep the issue.
 
I have no doubt!!! It is something that is so deep within me that I wonder sometimes where it came from and then I know it is God!
 
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