Is it OK to test your own faith?

[AdhaesitPavimento]

Hi, I’m new to the forum here. Thanks for reading my question.

I am wondering whether it is OK to test your own faith. I often listen to or watch videos – sometimes by kooks and sometimes by reputable thinkers – often challenging the Catholic Church or theism in general. If there is some argument that convinces me that the Catholic Church is inherently and fundamentally wrong about everything, or if there’s a convincing argument that there’s no God, and if that’s the truth about the world, I want to know the truth and not follow some fable.

Short of some miracle in my life that defies all empirical explanation, I’ll probably always be a little bit of a Doubting Thomas. But I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to explore the questions I have from multiple angles and perspectives.

I should say that I have invited all manner of atheist and protestant to talk me out of the Church. I’m open-minded about possibly being wrong, but to date I haven’t encountered any argument that would definitively cause me to lose what faith I have. But I do continue to have questions and there are issues that nag at me, and I’d like to use my CA account to work them out.

Thanks again for reading.

 

[Dan_Defender]

Faith is an act of the intellect, aided by grace. Faith doesn’t result from the evidence, nor from syllogistic reasoning, it comes from no less than God himself. It is a gift. That human fallen spirit often cries out, “but what if???” Who cares. Faith cannot explain fully the content of Faith, since the object of Faith is God himself. So don’t fear, don’t try to explain everything to yourself since that is impossible.

 

[AdhaesitPavimento]

Faith doesn’t result from the evidence

Perhaps it’s something else I am talking about then. For example, we as Catholics believe that Christ instituted the Eucharist. We believe the Eucharist is really the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ because there are reasons to think so, namely we have the scriptures. We don’t believe it as a matter of something God simply gives to us. It is a defensible belief, in other words.

If however there were contrary reasons to think otherwise, we might consider them, but in so doing we are challenging an article of faith.

Do you see what I am asking?

 

[Dan_Defender]

It is the same point. The Eucharist is ultimately a great mystery, a gift for our spiritual benefit, and cannot be fully explained. You say ‘if there were contrary reasons’ but reason can only go so far. Faith is a gift.

 

[porthos11]

Hi, I’m new to the forum here. Thanks for reading my question.

I am wondering whether it is OK to test your own faith. I often listen to or watch videos – sometimes by kooks and sometimes by reputable thinkers – often challenging the Catholic Church or theism in general. If there is some argument that convinces me that the Catholic Church is inherently and fundamentally wrong about everything, or if there’s a convincing argument that there’s no God, and if that’s the truth about the world, I want to know the truth and not follow some fable.

Short of some miracle in my life that defies all empirical explanation, I’ll probably always be a little bit of a Doubting Thomas. But I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to explore the questions I have from multiple angles and perspectives.

I should say that I have invited all manner of atheist and protestant to talk me out of the Church. I’m open-minded about possibly being wrong, but to date I haven’t encountered any argument that would definitively cause me to lose what faith I have. But I do continue to have questions and there are issues that nag at me, and I’d like to use my CA account to work them out.

Thanks again for reading.

No, it is not. It is a sin against the first commandment to intentionally endanger your faith. There are times when it may be necessary to learn opposing viewpoints, especially in academe and apologetics. But those engage in apologetics only those who are strong, learned, and firm in their faith, after years of study and conviction.

This is something no beginner should even expose himself to.

So given your own post that you are a “doubting Thomas”. I believe exposing yourself to this is indeed a sin against the virtue of prudence, and perhaps even a sin against the virtue of religion.

Examination of Conscience

"To those who have been far away from the sacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving love, I make this appeal: Come back to this source of grace; do not be afraid! Christ himself is waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will be at peace with God!"1

www.catholicnewsagency.com

• Did I put my faith in danger-without a good reason-by reading a book, pamphlet, or magazine that contains material contrary to Catholic faith or morals?

 

[EZweber]

Just to note; if you become convinced that Catholicism is false, talk to a established apologist.

 

[Prodigal1984]

Of course it is
Saint Paul tells us to test everything and retain what is true.

 

[meltzerboy2]

I would advise that before you challenge your faith by testing it with beliefs from other faiths, be sure to have a solid foundation in your own faith. Otherwise, you are probably asking for trouble, which does not necessarily mean converting to another faith but could also mean not being certain of anything. Also, pay heed to what was already mentioned: namely, that no faith can be fully known or understood by means of reason alone.

 

[AdhaesitPavimento]

So given your own post that you are a “doubting Thomas”. I believe exposing yourself to this is indeed a sin against the virtue of prudence, and perhaps even a sin against the virtue of religion.

Thanks for your reply. What you are saying does touch at the heart of what I am asking, to an extent. The interesting thing for me in this is that whenever I do test my faith, it generally comes off the better for it, because in doing so one of those little nagging questions can be laid aside.

It’s this very process of testing that gives me pause, and why I ask the forum about it. On the one hand, as you say, it seems possibly imprudent or dangerous, and on the other hand, I feel more secure in my faith when those questions are resolved in the testing:

Saint Paul tells us to test everything and retain what is true .

I was thinking of this very quotation from Paul, as a matter of fact. But it is a curious thing to actually go ahead with it and test. One ends up exposed to all sorts of things that one knows are designed specifically to lure one away from the faith, which should also be avoided. It’s something of a riddle.