Is there one true religion?

[thistle]

Please understand that I am not asking for you to “write my homework.” I posted on this forum to ask for advice. By asking for an outline I was asking for main points.

Sorry but it looks like you are asking us to provide the structure and the substance for your paper. What will you be doing?

 

[jochoa]

I believe Catholicism is the true religion, but how do I write a 6-8 page paper on the topic in the title of this post, without offending anyone? Where do I start writing? What would be my main points and how would I back them up?

What an interesting task.

To first focus on the difficult challenge of not offending anyone, I encourage you to consider a change in mindset: Instead of attempting to write an argumentative paper, attempt to present an opportunity for others to realize Catholicism shares the fullness of truth with humanity.

In order to accomplish the main challenge of sharing how Catholicism shares the fullness of truth with humanity, I encourage you to demonstrate how the Word of Catholicism (Bible, Creeds, Sacraments, Prayers, and Catechisms) share the fullness of truth.

A beginning starting prompt could possibly be: If you were God, the person who created everything, what would be your greatest creation and why would you create it?
What is awesome about this question is that the solution is universally the same for any rational being: other beings equal in capability and morality for the experience of unbreakable peace and unending joy for your creations and self AKA friends for eternal fun. To my knowledge, this solution was first shared by CCC#1 and by the Bible where Jesus says, “I lay my life down for friends” in accordance with Jesus being one with the Father.

You could possibly proceed to develop the prompt: What must you, as the Creator, do in order to fulfill this creation?
What is really exciting about this question is that the solution reveals that the person who created everything, must be three persons that are the same person who created everything, and this person must create a united church of people that share the message with other temporarily ignorant creations. Therefore, the Nicene Creed shared the solution to the second prompt.

An alternate beginning might be to share how the Bible was completely true in sharing the story of a man, declared to be God, sharing with humanity how to be all-powerful or how to get everything wanted and needed in the simplicity of “embrace unjust crucifixion.” The connection is found in realizing that the only way to get everything wanted and needed as a human is by wanting to be patient and kind, even in the face of unjust cruelty, to the point of death, which is far more gracefully stated as “[sinless man] embrace your cross.”

As for Catholic prayers revealing the fullness of truth, you could share how the Hail Mary sums up the revelation of the process to True Life. The following is an interpretation:
With great praise to the woman who is always patient and kind,
who is perfectly obedient which is the most simple and elegant way of God,
who is one with the person who is always patient and kind.
The peace and joy you experience is greater than any other woman,
the peace and joy you produce from your works yields the man who is always patient and kind.
Spirit in union with God, who gives life to God,
guide us to overcome our impatient and unkind ways, now and at the hour of our death.

As for the Sacraments, you could focus on the connection of the Eucharist to the science of living forever.
Science demonstrates that we must consume the lives of other living beings in order continue living, and the level of energy of the consumed life determines how long until we need to eat more in order to live longer. Therefore, if we ever want to live forever, we will have to eat a life that has an infinite amount of energy. There is only one possible source of life with an infinite amount of energy, which is the Body of God, and there is only one place to eat the Body of God, which is in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and excellent food for thought! I look forward to further discussion, and may you be filled with the Holy Spirit in embracing such a good challenge!

 

[Kamaz]

I think it’d be good to start with the papacy as set out in the Bible.

You could mention how Christ changed Simon’s name to Peter, which means “rock” and how Christ said that on this rock, he would build his Church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

Further, he asked Peter 3 TIMES, and Peter alone, to shepherd his sheep. Peter was listed first of the apostles and the clear leader, in the absence of Christ. Christ told Peter that later, he’d need to strengthen his bretheren. Peter alone is given the “keys to the kingdom”.

Christ said that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to him. In turn, he gave authority…besides the keys, Christ told Peter, alone, that what he held bound on earth would be bound in heaven. What he loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven.

Now, we believe Peter held what we would now call an “office”. Notice that when Judas committed suicide, the apostles replaced him with someone else, I think it was Matthew.

In this same way, Peter, when martyred, also was replaced, so that the Church would never be without leadership.

This is an apologetics cheat sheet. Scroll down to “papacy”.

ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/WALLET.HTM

Now, one thing the Catholic Church has is the pope.

Another thing we have is the Magisterium. You could show how the apostles were given special abilities, NOT given to others. They were given the power to forgive sin, for example. Christ breathed on them and told them to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, that sins they forgave would be forgiven. Again, their offices were replaced, and they made some rules and Church laws, I believe under DIVINE authority.

Some will not acknowledge Catholics as Christians, but we are actually the original “Christians”, there from the beginning.

Later, other churches split off…like when Henry VIII couldn’t get an annulment and went out and headed his own church.

Christ said he was establishing his “Church”, NOT “churches”! We believe there’s only one true one, the original.

As to not offending anyone. If you are writing this paper to a group of mixed faiths, someone would probably take offense, though. People would disagree. You’d need to realize this, upfront. However, you could be gentle, polite, and back your beliefs with quotes, etc., to make it more persuasive.

Look into the topic “apologetics” (defense of the faith) for further information.

Good luck!

When doing such a scholarly paper, you need evidence with citations otherwise yoor lecturer will not be able to authenticate your claims.
Get Bible verses to support your arguments.