A little background about me. My faith took a trip just like yours. I asked myself all these questions and I worried I only believed what my parents taught because I wanted them to be right. It took many years and a lot of strained relationships on both sides (my catholic family and my atheist friends) before I found myself regularly returning to Church. So I will try to answer your questions but at the end of the day no one but you can decide what you should believe and how you should live.
- Why do you believe in god?
You are searching for proof so I’ll send this question your way. If you can prove god exists won’t you negate our free will? How can we prove an all powerful God exists and then not feel compelled to worship him? You will
never find indisputable proof that God exists.
I believe God exists because there are enough things that have happened in my life that it seems like mere chance cannot work like that. I can’t tell you how many times I have had a close call or witness one for a family member and yet we came out alright. I can’t tell you how many times I got myself into a real mess and ask for help from God or Mary and received the help. I’m not just talking about I suddenly figured out a way to solve the problem. More like something out of the blue happened that helped me out. Maybe it was luck or pure chance but that answer doesn’t satisfy me— I don’t think the law of probability works that way. It seems to happen too often and too well.
I can also say I see a huge difference in my happiness and quality of life when I accept God and when I didn’t. Maybe that is psychological only…maybe it isn’t. My point is you can’t tell me anymore than I can tell you. I have faith in God, you have faith that my brain is designed to survive.
- Do you believe that god will send me to hell, even if I live my life really well, but I just don’t believe in him?
2.1 Do you think this is just?
2.2 Would you do the same?
Think of it this way. You have a parent that gives you everything you need, helps you out whenever you ask, sometimes sends you help and aid even when you don’t ask, is always willing to forgive you. But you never call this parent, you never thank them, you take all their gifts for granted or you outright mock/insult/waste their gifts.
If we were to describe to friends, family, Dear Abby, psychologists a human relationship like this, almost everyone would tell the parent this relationship is “toxic.” Someone said earlier that God does not send us to Hell we send ourselves. This is very true, we choose not to accept God…so we have no protection from Satan and thus we are in hell.
It isn’t just about living your life really well. It is about accepting there is more to life than just you. It is about thanking and serving the Lord who has given you a great gift of life.
I do think it is just. If you are going to scorn the gift given to you, why should you continue to get gifts?
Would I do the same? I’d probably do worse…I’m human and don’t have God’s capacity of forgiveness.
- For what would you send a person for **eternal ** torture?
I can’t send anyone to hell. I am not God. I do not have his knowledge, power or understanding. Frankly, it is a job I am not qualified for and would never ever want. No one can tell you who will be saved and who will be damned- we just don’t know.
- Why do you think religion tends to contradict science?
I’m probably going to get slammed for this. The Church run by humans, at times it ventures out of the religious and into the social, economic and political. Sometimes it makes mistakes.
But I have studied math and science the higher up you go the more you realize it doesn’t have all the answers either. A lot of science is our best guesses and theories and there have been times it has been wrong. It wasn’t just the religious that thought the world was flat or that the earth was the center of the universe and it wasn’t only the religious that criticized new ideas.
- Do you think bible is the source of all moral?
I think God is the source of all moral. The Bible isn’t God it is the Word of God. You came from God so your moral starts with God but you can corrupt it. Read up on Catholic literature on the importance of developing a good conscience- it is really interesting (and it is good psychology too).
6.1 If so, what would you do in the following situation? "You are at a railroad track. The train is coming, and far ahead, you can see five persons in it’s way. The persons can not hear you nor the train. (they are wearing headphones, they can’t hear, I don’t know) The persons are not moving, and will soon be hit by the train. You have only one chance saving them. Next to you there is a switch. By pulling the switch, the train will change track.
But on this other track is also
one other person, who will be hit by the train. Will you save the five persons, but kill the other one?
Can the person on the other track hear me? If so I’ll shout out to him.
The problem with your word problem is that it assumes wayyyy too much. First of all, how do I know the five people can’t hear me? How do I know all I have to do is hit the switch? How can you be sure my brain is going to process everything that fast? Most people in this situation merely react they don’t have time to think things through. Most Catholics will probably be saying a lot of "Hail Mary"s very fast as they move to do something. Some people will just freeze in the horror of it.
I cannot answer this because I don’t know what I would do (even if the person on the other track was a family member). But can science tell me what to do either?
Well I hope that helps. I’ll try to answer any other questions you have but it really is a matter of faith.
Kat
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