How do we know Catholicism is the right religion?

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Struggling1

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Many other faiths can point to spiritual leaders and old sacred texts and some are way older than Christianity/Catholicism how do we prove that we are right besides just saying it’s in the Bible? The only reason I’m trying to find other reasoning is that you can’t just write something and then claim it as fact usually there are multiple sources to support a statement for example George Washington’s life was documented outside his biography and with the Bible being written in multiple types of writing how do we guarantee any of it to be true?
 
I.e If we rely solely on the Bible the Muslims and Mormons can make the same exact claim.
 
If talking about the New Testament, there are many other writings other than the Bible that include the events described. I’m fairly certain there are some old Jewish writing that go back further, but I am unsure how far back they go.
 
Not even just that but is it odd that like we can document old wars from a million sources yet the only accounts of Christ’s resurrection appear only in writings of people who believed? It’s not like there was a room of atheists who saw the risen Jesus and then scrambled to record wait a minute someone just came back from death?!?
 
Jesus is “famous” now, but hardly anyone cared about Him in His day. He wasn’t an emperor or a great general, so He meant very little to anyone who didn’t become a disciple.

Whenever we read a biography, we might start thinking, “How did nobody know how great they were and start writing about them immediately?” But just think to the diary of Anne Frank. She was a “nobody” in her time, but now her diary is mandatory reading in English classrooms all around the world. She’s very well known now, but she was just another girl to anyone else from her time.

We can’t use one’s current “fame” to determine if they existed or not. Some people aren’t famous until years after they’ve passed. This doesn’t have any impact on their existence.
 
CHRIST, Himself, Named Šimʻōn, (known to us as “Simon”), became “Cephas”, כֵּיפָא‎, “Peter”, meaning “rock”, Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42: - “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
This is the prevailing faith of the Messiah, Yeshua (ישוע‬), known as “Jesus” - Greek.
Saint Simon Peter, according to the epistle to the Galatians 2:11, Peter went to Antioch, and “after having first founded the church at Antioch, went away to Rome preaching the Gospel, and he also, after [presiding over] the church in Antioch, presided over that of Rome until his death”.
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (Latin: Patriarchatus Latinus Hierosolymitanus) is the title of the see of Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. It was originally established in 1099 with the Kingdom of Jerusalem encompassing the re-conquered territories in the Holy Land, but from 1374 had been a titular see, the Patriarchs of Jerusalem being based at the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura in Rome. A resident Latin Patriarch was re-established in 1847 by Pius IX. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is now the diocesan archbishop of Latin Catholics of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jerusalem and has jurisdiction for all Latin Church Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem also holds the office of Grand Prior of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

WHEREFORE, The Original Faith of The First Church, Given by Christ, rests “Upon this Rock I Will Build My Church” which is that of The Original Roman Catholic Church.
Therefore, Any Other Church That Is Not The Roman Catholic Church Is Man-Made And Is Not Of Christ.

Peter, 2:1 - "1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
 
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If God exists, why do so many people doubt? Apologetics
If the resurrection was false I see two probabilities The Romans/Jewish authorities moved the body (surely they would have produced it if that was the case?) The apostles stole the body (would they not have admitted it under persecution?) Do you see any alternatives?
Here is my defense of the resurrection. I hope it helps you more than the person I originally responded to
 
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WHEREFORE, The Original Faith of The First Church, Given by Christ, rests “Upon this Rock I Will Build My Church” which is that of The Original Roman Catholic Church.

Therefore, Any Other Church That Is Not The Roman Catholic Church Is Man-Made And Is Not Of Christ.
Wasn’t the first church actually in Jerusalem where the first council met? An Peter, that rock, was Jesus actually conferring his authority to this individual man who soon denies him? Or upon the spirit and insight that animated Peter to say, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”?

Honestly, the more I ponder it of late, I think the organized church has just added and complicated so much. For example, Jesus never talked about Holy Days of obligation and Paul actually spoke against them.
 
One sentence answer:
You are Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church
 
Is there a non biblical reasoning for why we are right? Thank you for the response by the way.
 
I haven’t seen it but try getting Tim Staples’ DVD Why be Catholic if it’s still available. It goes from no faith to the Catholic Church apparently, so you should find it useful.
 
Your desired approach desiring to demonstrate an objectively “right” Church is itself flawed.
People do not join religion like approaching a newly proven scientific truth.

As you correctly observe all the major religions have objectively credible enough sources to make converting to their faith reasonable.

That is a necessary box that needs to be ticked for joining but not necessarily a “sufficient” enough one.

People join community’s in harmony with the best of human nature.
If the Catholic Church practises that harmony…then anyone who follows their own conscience should naturally be drawn to Christianity more than other faiths over time by the law of averages.

If Catholicism fails in this regard it is either because its current members do not practise it properly OR it is not the best of religions.

How do we know the difference? We don’t, we Catholics are called each one of us to make that difference.
 
Or upon the spirit and insight that animated Peter to say, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”?
Jesus told Peter who that Spirit was that gave him the insight. It was his Father in heaven. Since Jesus, being God manifest materially, and knowing He would return to the Father, would want another material reality to establish His Church on. Could the animating spirit or insight meet that desire?. It seems only a human person could be the rock.
 
Not necessarily, since we seem to depend on successors of Peter and no longer Peter himself.
 
It wouldn’t make sense to establish it on anything at all in that case.
 
I think it hinges on whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead. Not only would a “yes” affirm religion over atheism, it would also specify which religion. And if Christianity is true, then we can figure out which denomination (Catholicism 😉) based on the Bible and Tradition (which is the teachings from the early Church passed down).
Not necessarily. Catholicism can be the only true religion in the believer’s mind only if one places faith in the Church’s interpretation of Scripture and places faith in the ECFs and in the Church’s interpretation of their writings and maintains a faith that humans never erred along the way.
 
because Jesus founded the Catholic Church

flawed human persons have founded every other religion
 
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