Im a Catholic but dont REALLY believe in Jesus

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ladybug25 said:
Thanks Randy. I see that foreword is written by Strobel. I have his book at home and it was one of the first Christian books I read. It convinced me back then. I just didnt take Strobell seriously after I discovered he is a creationist and didnt find his book about creation scientifically accurate.
But I guess the book about Jesus is fine.
So I I will read it again.
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It doesn’t matter if one is a creationist or a believer in evolution. So long as you believe that GOD is the Divine first cause.
There may well have been a big bang. But God did the banging. 😃
Remember that Moses wrote Genesis for a specific audience. People who had no access to the internet or science. He taught truth about God. His method of delivering that message is appropriate to his audience, and also to us. The Bible is written in many genres.
But truth resides within its pages.
 
Let me start off by welcoming you to the Catholic faith!

Though not 100% the same as you, I used to have doubts of Jesus’s divinity, and even his existence! I would recommend reading about the history of Christ (Josephus Flavius, Tacitus, to name two) and the historicity of the Scriptures. You should also see the Messianic prophecies of Christ, and consider arguments like the Lord, Liar, Lunatic Logic (the name sounds elementary, but it is a great point). I can share some links with you if you would like over PM.

Merry Christmas! 🙂
 
My faith has had peaks and valleys. I minored in religion in college and that can mess you up. I was baptized and confirmed iin a different church growing up, but I felt the Catholic church had the fullness of faith. It was the 1970’s. Instead of checking into converting, I left church altogether and really had no direction in my life.
I finally converted to Catholicism at 56. I still have my dry moments
where God seems far away. I tend to overthink things. I struggle with life everyday as well as religion. It doesn’t get easier the older you get.
I went to Mass last night and it was beautiful. I miss the faith I had growing up. Losses will test your faith. But I want to believe that Christianity is real.
 
If I had never been taught anything about Jesus I think I would still believe in a higher supernatural power.
But if there had only been the old testament books available to teach me about God I would probably be quite doubtful.

Its the life and teachings of Christ witnessed by the early apostles that inspire me…
Its those earliest Christians that were executed by the Romans, or those followers who were persecuted for spreading the faith in so many hostile places.

Even if I were an atheist I would never doubt the existence of Christ, I would accept that as historical fact, and think of him as a great prophet as members of non-Christian religions do.

As for doubts, I do occasionally have those fleeting moments that quickly pass (as I imagine many people do at various stages in life). If they bother me I try to remember these words of St Augustine- “Doubt is but an element of faith”.
 
ladybug25 said:
Well, thats it. I don’t know for sure if it really happened. Probably yes, but how can we know for sure? None of us was there.
This might seem heretical, buts its what ive been thinking about.
And another thing I dont understand is the concept of death on the cross. Why was it necessary? God could forgive us without it.
Ive read some explanations about someone else paying for broken window. But relationship is not a thing that can be paid by someone else!
If I argue with my dad, how can my brother’s death make my father forgive me? It just doesn’t make sense.
Im sorry if this thought upset you.
Anyway, I will take your advice and i will continue to pray and go to mass regularly.
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Firstly,
I sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas.
Secondly, do you realize that your first two lines are right out of the playbook word for word for those that deny evolution?
 
I would not just read books that validate the existence and the truth of Jesus, I would also read books written that seek to either contradict or interpret the Gospels in different ways than the Church and then make your decision. This is how Jesuits train in order to make their faith strong and prepare themselves to answer difficult questions. Ultimately no one is going to be able to provide the type of evidence that would absolutely prove the truth of both Jesus’s existence and his resurrection, nor should they. I also find CS Lewis’s arguments to be full of logical flaws and not very convincing, but still good reading. I actually much prefer the arguments presented by Soren Kierkegaard and I think his answers to faith are much more inspiring and true. Kierkegaard argued that belief in Christ was completely irrational and anyone who tried to argue to the contrary either did not understand the true extraordinary significance of the Christian message or teaching, or that their faith was merely conventional and completely uninspired. Essentially we believe not because it is provable or rational, but rather because it is irrational and impossible. That is faith.
 
ladybug25 said:
First of all, blessed Christmas 🙂
I guess I have a weird question. Ive became a Catholic in summer 2013. However, as I think about it, i dont REALLY believe in Jesus. I like Christian philosophy, I like the lifestyle, I try to live as if I was a christian. I try to be good, I go to church, ive been praying rosary daily for half a year now.
On the other hand, i dont believe that other religions are false. Im not really sure wether things really happenened like they are described in the Bible. I just like that idea, but Im not completely persuaded. I wouldnt be able to defend these ideas to my friends.
The problem is that i studied social anthropology where we had courses like critical interpretation of religion etc… So for me, Christianity is something that works for me and gives me confort. But I dont feel a need to persuade other people they are wrong if they believe something else.
Catholicism is just a lifestyle for me. Is this a sin? What am I doing wrong? I do really believe that there is a God, but i dont believe people are able to describe him properly. For me, Christianity is just an attempt to describe him that works for me. But why cant i REALLY believe Catholic story is the TRUTH?
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http://qmbarque.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/miracleacolph.jpg?w=894&h=1199
qmbarque.com/2013/11/19/an-astounding-miraculous-photograph-taken-during-eucharistic-adoration/
 
Techno 2000,

Can you tell me about this post you shared with us that contained no text?
 
ladybug25 said:
First of all, blessed Christmas 🙂
I guess I have a weird question. Ive became a Catholic in summer 2013. However, as I think about it, i dont REALLY believe in Jesus. I like Christian philosophy, I like the lifestyle, I try to live as if I was a christian. I try to be good, I go to church, ive been praying rosary daily for half a year now.
On the other hand, i dont believe that other religions are false. Im not really sure wether things really happenened like they are described in the Bible. I just like that idea, but Im not completely persuaded. I wouldnt be able to defend these ideas to my friends.
The problem is that i studied social anthropology where we had courses like critical interpretation of religion etc… So for me, Christianity is something that works for me and gives me confort. But I dont feel a need to persuade other people they are wrong if they believe something else.
Catholicism is just a lifestyle for me. Is this a sin? What am I doing wrong? I do really believe that there is a God, but i dont believe people are able to describe him properly. For me, Christianity is just an attempt to describe him that works for me. But why cant i REALLY believe Catholic story is the TRUTH?
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It is necessary for you to take a leap of faith. Logic, reason, historical evidence, philosophy, science can take you only so far. Try to let go, if only a little, of your analytic way of thinking. You say your faith gives you comfort and that you believe that G-d exists. That’s a start, a big start. From what I understand, you are not required to actively evangelize by persuading others that their faith is wrong or incomplete: instead, you can teach by example, by being the best Catholic you can. By means of doing this, you will no doubt observe your faith growing stronger, and you will come to believe in your heart as well as your mind.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Sorry, you did nothing to rise to the level of outrage.
You have posted a pic without commentary and claimed I am outraged for calling you out on that.
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Ok, it looks to me like a supernatural image of the Virgin Mary.
 
Techno2000 said:
Ok, it looks to me like a supernatural image of the Virgin Mary.
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Love it.
Looks to you like?
You are sharing this with people without any sense of duty to their intelligence.

I just made some toast. Want me to forward to pic to you so you can try to influence people without evidence?
 
I believe there is a thread here on CAF about this particular image. I have seen it before. If you do a thread search you might find it.
 
7_Sorrows said:
I believe there is a thread here on CAF about this particular image. I have seen it before. If you do a thread search you might find it.
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This pic must really bother this person there is a link connected at the bottom of it that tells exactly what it is.:hmmm:
 
Techno2000 said:
This pic must really bother this person there is a link connected at the bottom of it that tells exactly what it is.:hmmm:
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Some people are wary of clicking on links.
The poster maybe just wanted some background info on the image which supposedly was taken by a camera at an adoration chapel.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Firstly,
I sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas.
Secondly, do you realize that your first two lines are right out of the playbook word for word for those that deny evolution?
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Im sorry StrawberryJam, but Im not sure what that second sentence means. English is not my first language.
 
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