I think my faith is gone

[StudentMI]

I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Thanks for the replies, they’ve made me ponder a lot of things. I am still a Catholic, just a troubled one. I decided that after some thinking, and prayer.

Thanks.

 

[celtspirit]

God permits satan to harm us if we do not live the way he wants us to live.

 

[Hatikvah]

I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Thanks for the replies, they’ve made me ponder a lot of things. I am still a Catholic, just a troubled one. I decided that after some thinking, and prayer.

Thanks.

Oh, thank the Lord! I was scared for you after this thread was bumped under “New Threads” and I had never stumbled across this before, I read your first post.

I plan to pray for you. May God bless you and may He keep you.

 

[Heather914]

It hit me tonight. It wasn’t a huge emotional moment. I have been struggling with some thoughts lately, theological stuff about Satan and Hell. And I was just thinking about something and I said to myself, “I guess my faith is gone.” It was calm and just acknowledging what I felt and thought. I don’t feel happy or sad.

Basically my thoughts ran along the lines of “okay, I can see God creating people and wanting all to be saved, but respecting freedom to choose salvation or damnation, but why let Satan get involved just to send people to Hell? And why did God create Satan anyway, or allow him to live after the rebellion? And why did Satan rebel? And why did God allow all this seeing as how he knows how it all ends up, who goes where?” etc. It makes God look malevolent, to be frank. Like amputating someone’s limbs and then ordering them to run or you’ll kill them.

I don’t know what to think. But I don’t think I have any faith left.

I recently went through about 2 months where I felt no desire to pray and was questioning things as well. The best advice I could give you is to pray anyway. Talk to your priest. Ask Our Lady to help strengthen your faith. It worked for me…now I am filled with joy and love for Our Lord!

As for your other questions, they are very hard indeed. I do think it all goes back to God giving us free will. We can either choose to love him, or to choose to rebel. I am going to pray for you so you can feel God’s love again.

 

[fisherman_carl]

It hit me tonight. It wasn’t a huge emotional moment. I have been struggling with some thoughts lately, theological stuff about Satan and Hell. And I was just thinking about something and I said to myself, “I guess my faith is gone.” It was calm and just acknowledging what I felt and thought. I don’t feel happy or sad.

Basically my thoughts ran along the lines of “okay, I can see God creating people and wanting all to be saved, but respecting freedom to choose salvation or damnation, but why let Satan get involved just to send people to Hell? And why did God create Satan anyway, or allow him to live after the rebellion? And why did Satan rebel? And why did God allow all this seeing as how he knows how it all ends up, who goes where?” etc. It makes God look malevolent, to be frank. Like amputating someone’s limbs and then ordering them to run or you’ll kill them.

I don’t know what to think. But I don’t think I have any faith left.

It sounds to me like what you are missing is trust. Consider that we won’t have all the answers in this life. But, God is asking us to trust in him anyway. Is that too much to ask? The fact that he sent his Son to die for us should tell us his intentions towards us are honourable and motivated by a desire for our well being, ie. Love. We don’t have to understand everything to understand that.

 

[fred_conty]

It hit me tonight. It wasn’t a huge emotional moment. I have been struggling with some thoughts lately, theological stuff about Satan and Hell. And I was just thinking about something and I said to myself, “I guess my faith is gone.” It was calm and just acknowledging what I felt and thought. I don’t feel happy or sad.

Basically my thoughts ran along the lines of “okay, I can see God creating people and wanting all to be saved, but respecting freedom to choose salvation or damnation, but why let Satan get involved just to send people to Hell? And why did God create Satan anyway, or allow him to live after the rebellion? And why did Satan rebel? And why did God allow all this seeing as how he knows how it all ends up, who goes where?” etc. It makes God look malevolent, to be frank. Like amputating someone’s limbs and then ordering them to run or you’ll kill them.

I don’t know what to think. But I don’t think I have any faith left.

Get a green scapular or a miraculous medal and carry it on you. Every so often take it out, hold it in you hand tightly and just ask your mother Mary to help you. Just for a few seconds think of her. You’ll be all right.