I'm a good person I don't need God

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Jump4Joy said:
Sounds like something a Protestant would use to evangelize
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What’s wrong with giving a quick explanation of the Gospel? The version above is not protestant because it does not preach justification by Faith alone. If one feels that it needs to be more Catholic, one could add points such as the fact that the Church is the pillar and bulwark of Truth.
 
All of this in one sitting? I don’t think so. They don’t even believe in G-d and here you’re making a specific theological case. It can be done but it will take some time.
 
Quick? As I noted before, this is a semester’s worth of instruction and a hard sell.
 
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It’s not. Brings back memories of being proselytizing by Protestants. I hated those days. I am not sure how I feel on evangelism.
 
meltzerboy2 said:
Quick? As I noted before, this is a semester’s worth of instruction and a hard sell.
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It isn’t a semester’s worth of instruction - it’s a quick run through designed to promote dialogue and generate questions about the Faith. They need to have a basic understanding of Christianity in order to evaluate its claims.
 
I think it’s a bold statement to tell a possible atheist or agnostic your religion is the truth. Doesn’t that make others existing lies? Hindus, Jews, Muslims are wasting their time praying.
 
Jump4Joy said:
Doesn’t that make others existing lies? Hindus, Jews, Muslims are wasting their time praying.
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For the most part, yes. The Catholic teaching is clear: Jesus Christ and his Church are necessary for salvation. The Church recognises that elements of sanctification and truth exist outside of the Church but holds that these truthful elements should encourage people to seek out the fullness of truth possessed by the Catholic Church alone.
 
But first talk about the existence and participation of G-d in their lives, no? Then you can point them toward Christianity and Catholicism and teachings such as hell. Otherwise, I think you are bombarding them with too much information as well as perhaps frightening them. That can be a turn-off.
 
Victorygirl said:
More often than not, when I open up to people about my Catholic faith I hear the above or “I know a lot of really moral people that don’t believe in God” and similar “one doesn’t have to believe in God to be a good person” type responses.

How would you respond to that?

I have been a Catholic since March 31 or this year so do not have all the answers yet (as if I ever will!)

Thank you!!!
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It is true that there are many so-called good people and they are not even religious. We should not deny that they are ‘good’. We also believe that God recognizes goodness when there is one, whether that person believes in God or not or whether he/she is a Catholic or not.

A fine example is the Good Samaritan of the Gospel. The Samaritans are the antithetical of the Jews who believed in Judaism, the pure religion of King David, and Abraham before him.

Yet Jesus said that the Good Samaritan was the righteous person instead of his own Levi or the priest, who were the keepers/believers of Judaism.

So when your friends say that there are good people without being Christians, they are spot on and you have to agree with them.

However, being ‘good’ is relative. In other word there must be a reference point of what is considered good. Generally we agree when we see good acts/things but there can be differences of opinion in certain aspect of what is considered good.

So being good without reference points to benchmark it can be quite risky. It can become just another opinion. When it is correct, fine and good but how about if the opinion is not agreeable? Then what is considered good or correct may not be necessary so.

Thus we have religion, in our case, Christianity. Everything is being laid clearly and which become our benchmark of what is good. We therefore can argue on these benchmarks and know exactly what and why one should be good.

God bless.
 
Protestants feel the same way though. Whose is right and who is wrong? I’ve been apparently brainwashed by my church. Fed lies. I don’t think proclaiming we’re right and others are wrong. I’ve seen that attitude among Protestants
 
I believe that many people that say they don’t believe in God, were not raised with God. They simply do not know them. Now this is not the case for all, but I have responded to a sweet girl before, when she asked if I thought it was possible for her to be good even though she did not believe.
I told her, absolutely. That she may not know God, but He created her and this world because he saw that it was good. I believe she has the holy Spirit within her, but that she cannot yet hear the Holy Spirit. God is still directing her steps. It is up to her to be open to His calling or knock at her door.

And for those who know OF Him and refuse to believe…
I would say this:
Good people make bad decisions. God can guide them through those decisions, and away from those temptations. He is the only one that has that power.
Also, if you don’t believe… What is the HARM in seeking truth? What can you lose, since you already do not believe?
 
Jump4Joy said:
Protestants feel the same way though. Whose is right and who is wrong? I’ve been apparently brainwashed by my church. Fed lies. I don’t think proclaiming we’re right and others are wrong. I’ve seen that attitude among Protestants
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The reality is that all religions teach that they are the true religion or somehow better than the others. Catholicism is no different. The Church has always taught that she is necessary for salvation.

I’m sorry you feel you’ve been brainwashed, but the clear teachings of the Church are written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can read it for free online and deepen your knowledge of the truth.
 
I don’t believe that. My Protestant friends think I’m brainwashed, feed lies, spiritually blind. I’ve heard from many. At this point, I believe no one
 
There can only be one truth. And it’s the Catholic Church and Jesus Christ
 
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I don’t even know what I meant. Lol. I don’t fall for that argument if you don’t believe as I do then you’ll go to hell.
 
How can you be so certain? I think I need work on apologetics or something. I’m not too good with defending the faith. I used to believe the argument if you’re a great person you don’t need to profess a belief in Christ or God. I still do wonder why you need God if you’ve learned to take care of yourself
 
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