Need help with some resources for an Agnostic!

[joeantony]

Hello All,

I go to Sunday morning mass with my cousin who told me many times that he is an agnostic and cannot understand why God created and established a system called “Religion”. According to him there cannot be a personal God but of course there exist a supreme power who created things.

He too is brought up in a catholic family and he goes to Sunday mass because it is habit but without faith. I want to help him to understand the entire philosophical reasoning behind the concept of God and then slowly move up to the existence of religion and how it came to be then probably how it can be confirmed that Catholic faith is the true faith.

I believe it is a good thing that he wants to believe by knowing and wish to be convinced before he blindly believes. He is open to conversation, discussions and reading materials. I simply want to give him materials that is light if possible but address the concept of God , why there should be a God etc thoroughly.

Please suggests me books that I can buy for him.

Hope to get some replies from you all,

With prayers,
Joe Antony.

 

[ccmnxc]

From your post, it seemed to me that your cousin is more of a deist than an agnostic, which will change the material he needs to read a little bit.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Hello All,

I go to Sunday morning mass with my cousin who told me many times that he is an agnostic and cannot understand why God created and established a system called “Religion”. According to him there cannot be a personal God but of course there exist a supreme power who created things.

He too is brought up in a catholic family and he goes to Sunday mass because it is habit but without faith. I want to help him to understand the entire philosophical reasoning behind the concept of God and then slowly move up to the existence of religion and how it came to be then probably how it can be confirmed that Catholic faith is the true faith.

I believe it is a good thing that he wants to believe by knowing and wish to be convinced before he blindly believes. He is open to conversation, discussions and reading materials. I simply want to give him materials that is light if possible but address the concept of God , why there should be a God etc thoroughly.

Please suggests me books that I can buy for him.

Hope to get some replies from you all,

With prayers,
Joe Antony.

I would suggest " Aquinas " by Edward Feser, also Part 1 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

 

[Highwayhound]

Hello All,

I go to Sunday morning mass with my cousin who told me many times that he is an agnostic and cannot understand why God created and established a system called “Religion”. According to him there cannot be a personal God but of course there exist a supreme power who created things.

He too is brought up in a catholic family and he goes to Sunday mass because it is habit but without faith. I want to help him to understand the entire philosophical reasoning behind the concept of God and then slowly move up to the existence of religion and how it came to be then probably how it can be confirmed that Catholic faith is the true faith.

I believe it is a good thing that he wants to believe by knowing and wish to be convinced before he blindly believes. He is open to conversation, discussions and reading materials. I simply want to give him materials that is light if possible but address the concept of God , why there should be a God etc thoroughly.

Please suggests me books that I can buy for him.

Hope to get some replies from you all,

With prayers,
Joe Antony.

Okay, I will take a crack at suggesting some books.

1. Kolbe: Saint of the Immaculata; Author: Br. Francis Kalvelage
   Chapter 1 covers the events in Auschwitz (and while there is more to St Kolbe) and it is in his time at Auschwitz that St. Kolbe demonstrates in a singular example his love of God.
2. The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican; Author: J.P. Gallagher
   This book gives another example of a priest fighting evil.

I often teach by story or example and these two books give clear examples of holiness.

Even if your cousin does not find any interest in these books you would most likely enjoy them.

Your personal witness to him will have a huge impact on him as well as any literature you hand on to him.

God bless

 

[Godmachine]

As an agnostic I have not yet found a resource that has convinced me one way or the other. From what I can see, the deity (if one exists) is what it is and no amount of belief or disbelief is going to change what is.

Truth has no religion.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

As an agnostic I have not yet found a resource that has convinced me one way or the other. From what I can see, the deity (if one exists) is what it is and no amount of belief or disbelief is going to change what is.

Truth has no religion.

Pleas stick to the thread. If you want to argue the merits of agnosticism, then start a thread. The O.P. was very specific.