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2ndGen
Guest
How do you know that you are right religiously?
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HannahLisa
Guest
I don’t.
In the most basic doctrines, I believe that I am. I suppose there is a possibility that I’m completely wrong about Christianity, though my faith states that I am right.
In everything else, though, I am learning. And I will continue learning for a long time.
In the most basic doctrines, I believe that I am. I suppose there is a possibility that I’m completely wrong about Christianity, though my faith states that I am right.
In everything else, though, I am learning. And I will continue learning for a long time.
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2ndGen
Guest
That’s exactly what Jesus wants to hear.
There is such a vacuum of pride there that only humility comes through.
For me, it was revealed to me. Again, I had a spiritual supernatural experience and the fruits of it were life changing and “good” therefore the spirit that brought that realization to me was of God.
Your answer reminded me of the humble tax collector and of what what Jesus said:
Luke 18:9-14
"Two men went up into the temple to pray;
one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this:
‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
There is such a vacuum of pride there that only humility comes through.
For me, it was revealed to me. Again, I had a spiritual supernatural experience and the fruits of it were life changing and “good” therefore the spirit that brought that realization to me was of God.
Your answer reminded me of the humble tax collector and of what what Jesus said:
Luke 18:9-14
"Two men went up into the temple to pray;
one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this:
‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
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Claire_from_DE
Guest
By God’s grace I believe that Jesus is God the Son who became man. The Catholic church taught me about Him. I have experienced Him. But still sometimes I wonder if what I believe is true since I have relatives that believe in reincarnation and other things. Then I think about the church coming down through the centuries teaching the same truth and the apostles, who actually knew Jesus, dying for their beliefs. And they actually saw that he was dead and came back to life so they KNEW the truth about him. However, I realize the the images I have in my mind of God are only a little like he really is because He is so much greater than I’m able to imagine.
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Tony_Souza
Guest
Faith is a great gift and blessing from God. Perhaps His greatest. Indeed, without faith, we cannot attain Heaven and eternal life in the presence of the Almighty. But blind faith is dangerous, and potentially deadly. As soon as someone says, “I don’t know that I am right, but I have faith,” that person has opened themselves up to suggestion. The devil knows that and will avail himself of the oppotunity to plant lies and insecurities. Our faith needs to be rooted in something solid. Remember the man who built his house on sand?
But how can we know we are right? Is it even possible to know that for sure? Yes, it is possible. Absolutely. We can use science, we can use logic and reason to know, beyond a reasonable doubt, that what we, as Catholics, believe is the Truth of God. So I would challenge everyone to continue researching, continue studying, continue asking questions because, if that person is truly open to all knowledge, the inevitable result will be that the search will always return to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
But how can we know we are right? Is it even possible to know that for sure? Yes, it is possible. Absolutely. We can use science, we can use logic and reason to know, beyond a reasonable doubt, that what we, as Catholics, believe is the Truth of God. So I would challenge everyone to continue researching, continue studying, continue asking questions because, if that person is truly open to all knowledge, the inevitable result will be that the search will always return to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
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2ndGen
Guest
Judge what you perceive to be as God by the fruit that it bears. Does it make you a better person? Then the nature of that revelation must be of God.
As for me, I saw Christ twice in my life. Once as a 7 year old who denied the existance of God and created my own God as a snake that I prayed to. Christ appeared to me 1 night and it was clear to me that He was real.
The next time was when I successfully committed suicide at 15 years of age over a girlfriend. I was literally dead, was spiritually risen from my body, the world blacked out around my vision except for a light that was bright, but didn’t bother my vision. It was like being able to look directly “into” the sun without it blinding me. I was surrounded by angels who were singing. God was beyond my vision but was the source of the light. Jesus showed me my mother crying over my casket and that my death wouldn’t affect anybody in any positive way. He told me that it wasn’t my time and that if I wanted to I could go back. I came back. My soul dropped into my body. The doctors could not explain clinically why I didn’t die.
The proof of the miracle? The 5 pills I ingested (a notorious painkiller that was taken off the market for having killed people) were completely intact when they were pumped out of me over an hour and a half later. They were supposed to had been dissolved within 20 minutes max.
Something supernatural didn’t allow those pills to get into my system to kill me.
That’s just my story, but if you feel that God may be reaching out to you, again, it’s ok to test the spirit to see what fruit it bears.
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2ndGen
Guest
Amen.
1 John 4
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.
4 Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
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HannahLisa
Guest
I suppose the question then is, what is the point where it is “okay” to stop “being open to all knowledge” because you are absolutely and totally convinced that you have found the truth? Does that point exist at all?
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2ndGen
Guest
True Christianity fears nothing.
I can hear any story, belief, theory or teaching. If I am strong in my faith, then I cannot be swayed.
I know what I believe, so nothing disturbs me. I am strong in my faith.
I used to be anti-Catholic/anti-Religion/anti-Church, yada-yada-yada. Then I got a spiritual beatdown by God and was brought to my knees JUST like Paul was. And then, he took me, one of his Church’s persecutors and used my arrogance and my pride and my negative energies and converted them to serve Him.
Why? Because like Paul, I was earnest in my Christian minimalism, in doing away with Churches and with sacramentals and with traditions…even doing away with bibles.
God just “nudged” me in the right direction let’s say.
(private joke between God and myself)
Place God first and foremost in your life and you won’t have to worry about being misled. Of course, it doesnt’ mean accept everything you come across because God has control of your life…no. God doesn’t do the work for you; He helps you. He meets you half way. Take one step to Him and He’ll come to meet you like the father of the Prodigal Son was met by his father.
Don’t even trust what I say to you just because I may be eloquant in how I express myself or becaus what I say seems to make sense.
Test what I tell you. Compare it to the written Bible, to what you experience and to what God tells you. Pray for discernment. I know I’m not wrong (I’m not being arrogant or prideful, whatever I boast of, it is God’s work through me for none of what I share with you came from me, the man, but from Him…hmmm, sounds alot like Paul! LOL).
Pray for God to give you your own voice like I have my own voice. Trust me, when you ask for anything that serves Him, you will receive it.
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HannahLisa
Guest
2ndGen, thank you so much for that encouragement.
For me, it’s not so much that I know WHAT I believe as it is that I know “Whom I have believed”. I have much to learn, and I know that. Is there ever a point when I will stop learning? Probably not. But I hope for a time when I will know more!
For me, it’s not so much that I know WHAT I believe as it is that I know “Whom I have believed”. I have much to learn, and I know that. Is there ever a point when I will stop learning? Probably not. But I hope for a time when I will know more!
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2ndGen
Guest
You’re only 18 right?2ndGen, thank you so much for that encouragement.
For me, it’s not so much that I know WHAT I believe as it is that I know “Whom I have believed”. I have much to learn, and I know that. Is there ever a point when I will stop learning? Probably not. But I hope for a time when I will know more!
Then I hope you receive this as the sincerest compliment…but Scripture tells us that from the mouths of babes will come wisdom and any good Christian knows that what you just said is a sign that you are truly blessed.
You, nor I, nor any Christian will ever stop learning and as long as we evolve in the right direction, then that in and of itself is a blessing.
Reminds me of Phillip and the Ethiopian:
Acts 8:
26 But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship;
28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him.
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2ndGen
Guest
In my opinion, faith is a serious of steps.
First you believe in God, then in Jesus, then in Scripture, then in what the Scripture teaches, then in The Church that the Scriptures teaches you about, then in what The Church teaches, then in the revelations of doctrine, and so on, and so on.
It doesn’t have to be in that order of course, but generally speaking, it’s a progression of breadcrumbs that God leaves us to follow in the dark forest of life and of uncertainty and of the world.
If you are one of His, He will reach out to you and snatch you from the wolves and protect you. How are you one of His? If your heart is kind and generous and naturally compassionate and merciful, if you are truly repentant when you sin and if you strive to live a good life, then you are one of His.
You don’t have to be perfect. The perfect don’t need Jesus. Jesus came for those that need Him.
For most, there is no overnight conversion. It takes time and testing and proving that we are worthy of the graces He gives us.
I’m not speaking as an agent of God, these are just my reflections. The only time that I feel He uses me is when I say things that I never knew or said before and they line up with Scripture…they come from my heart where His Word is already written (as it’s written on all of our hearts).
Sometimes, I shut my pride up long enough to allow His words to come through. I personally struggle with ego and pride and with stomping out the secular and vain me so that He may use me more…or, I decrease so that He may increase in me.
First you believe in God, then in Jesus, then in Scripture, then in what the Scripture teaches, then in The Church that the Scriptures teaches you about, then in what The Church teaches, then in the revelations of doctrine, and so on, and so on.
It doesn’t have to be in that order of course, but generally speaking, it’s a progression of breadcrumbs that God leaves us to follow in the dark forest of life and of uncertainty and of the world.
If you are one of His, He will reach out to you and snatch you from the wolves and protect you. How are you one of His? If your heart is kind and generous and naturally compassionate and merciful, if you are truly repentant when you sin and if you strive to live a good life, then you are one of His.
You don’t have to be perfect. The perfect don’t need Jesus. Jesus came for those that need Him.
For most, there is no overnight conversion. It takes time and testing and proving that we are worthy of the graces He gives us.
I’m not speaking as an agent of God, these are just my reflections. The only time that I feel He uses me is when I say things that I never knew or said before and they line up with Scripture…they come from my heart where His Word is already written (as it’s written on all of our hearts).
Sometimes, I shut my pride up long enough to allow His words to come through. I personally struggle with ego and pride and with stomping out the secular and vain me so that He may use me more…or, I decrease so that He may increase in me.
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Tony_Souza
Guest
2ndGen is obviously a person of deep, passionate faith. We can all learn a lesson from him. But I caution those who may believe or convert because of emotional reasons. When the emotion dies, what is left? Perhaps I should explain what I meant when I said you can know the Truth.
One of the myriad gifts God gave us all, one thing that separates us from animals, is that of intellect. Though a cradle Catholic, my own faith journey came through the learning of science and reason. True science and true religion are never at odds. My faith is borne of my reason and my knowledge, which are stronger foundations for faith than is emotion. Allow me to provide an example.
Protestants believe that the Bible is the sole, exhaustive Word of God. Why? There are probably as many reasons as there are believers, but many simply will say, “I just know.” Well, Muslims “just know” the Qu’ran is God’s word. Mormon’s “just know” the Book of Mormon is. Hindus believe in the Vedic texts. If all these people “just know” theire books are inspired by God, who is right? They can’t all be right? So with no logical reason for belief, there is already doubt cast. In order to believe the Bible is inspired by God, we must first trust the men who wrote it; then we must trust the body which compiled it and declared these 73 books inspired by God, to the exclusion of countless others that were touted, at the time, as being inspired. That was the Catholic Church. So, to truly know the Bible is God’s Word, we must first believe in the Church. By why believe in the Church? I could keep going, but I hope you see my point.
This is why I urge all beilevers to truly, honestly, investigate your beliefs, and find a solid way to explain them. Because eventually, the emotion will die. At that time, all that is left is reason.
One of the myriad gifts God gave us all, one thing that separates us from animals, is that of intellect. Though a cradle Catholic, my own faith journey came through the learning of science and reason. True science and true religion are never at odds. My faith is borne of my reason and my knowledge, which are stronger foundations for faith than is emotion. Allow me to provide an example.
Protestants believe that the Bible is the sole, exhaustive Word of God. Why? There are probably as many reasons as there are believers, but many simply will say, “I just know.” Well, Muslims “just know” the Qu’ran is God’s word. Mormon’s “just know” the Book of Mormon is. Hindus believe in the Vedic texts. If all these people “just know” theire books are inspired by God, who is right? They can’t all be right? So with no logical reason for belief, there is already doubt cast. In order to believe the Bible is inspired by God, we must first trust the men who wrote it; then we must trust the body which compiled it and declared these 73 books inspired by God, to the exclusion of countless others that were touted, at the time, as being inspired. That was the Catholic Church. So, to truly know the Bible is God’s Word, we must first believe in the Church. By why believe in the Church? I could keep going, but I hope you see my point.
This is why I urge all beilevers to truly, honestly, investigate your beliefs, and find a solid way to explain them. Because eventually, the emotion will die. At that time, all that is left is reason.
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2ndGen
Guest
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HannahLisa
Guest
2ndGen, thank you very much for that. I really appreciate it. I know there’s some verses, I believe it’s in 1 or 2 Timothy, directed to young people…I should find them and read them again. 
Thank you for your encouragement and willingness to explain and share!
As for what’s left when emotion is gone…I’ve reached the point where, even if I can’t “feel” God, I can remind myself God IS good, and he IS there, regardless of whether I can “feel” him or not. And I believe it. It’s something I’m very, very grateful for.
Thank you for your encouragement and willingness to explain and share!As for what’s left when emotion is gone…I’ve reached the point where, even if I can’t “feel” God, I can remind myself God IS good, and he IS there, regardless of whether I can “feel” him or not. And I believe it. It’s something I’m very, very grateful for.
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2ndGen
Guest
What I’m about to tell yo may scare you, but in reality, it should excite you in the best way.2ndGen, thank you very much for that. I really appreciate it. I know there’s some verses, I believe it’s in 1 or 2 Timothy, directed to young people…I should find them and read them again.
As for what’s left when emotion is gone…I’ve reached the point where, even if I can’t “feel” God, I can remind myself God IS good, and he IS there, regardless of whether I can “feel” him or not. And I believe it. It’s something I’m very, very grateful for.
The closer one grows to God, the more they will be spritually attacked by Satan. His job is the opposite of Christ’s in that while Christ comes for the sinner, Satan comes for the Holy. He will do everything to confuse you and to place doubt in your heart and mind.
So don’t be surprised when you feel spiritually dry. This is where Catholicism is richer than any other Christian faiths because we have the cult of Saints.
Take the writings of Saint John of The Cross and “The Dark Night of The Soul”:
karmel.at/ics/john/dn.html
Also, read this (if you haven’t):
The Imitation of Christ
catholicfirst.com/thefaith/catholicclassics/tkempis/iofchrist.cfm
Good reading.
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HannahLisa
Guest
I’ve heard that several times from my youth leader, and I firmly believe it to be true! Thanks for the links
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