New young Catholic. need advice

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alliWantisGod

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Hello all,
I’m a young 22 year old from Canada who has just begun to be serious into Catholicism. I love Jesus and I have grown to love God and I want to do God’s will. I grew up Ukrainian catholic, but I didn’t care too much about my faith. now within the past two years I started to become serious about my faith. I attended a non-denomination church but left since I could not agree with their doctrines. I came back to the Roman Catholic church. since then I have been growing in my faith. I have read the Quran, am close to finishing the old testament, and have read other Christian novels such as CS lewis’ Mere Christianity.

However, I have some doubts and issues. I’m trying to find out what the will of God is, BUT I have doubts whether there is an absolute truth AKA God, or if life is just relativistic. a few of my close friends are not religious, and believe that there is no absolute truth, and that if you be a good person that’s all that matters. My girlfriend is atheist and believes the same thing.

I am confused. I love God and want to live in Christ everyday. Is there really a purpose for all of us? (by purpose I mean to get back to God) or is there just no purpose at all and we just need to live a good moral life? If there was no absolute truth or purpose, then how and where did we get our morals? who gave us our morals? how could humanity come up with an absolute truth to live by… when each society is different on what is right or wrong.

I just need advice. I really love God but the thought of no purpose scares me
 
They say being “a good person” is all that “matters.” You should not take for granted that the meanings of those things are obvious…

Does a “good person” think that ripping a child out of the womb and putting scissors in its head is not merely wrong, but is sometimes a duty? Or does a “good person” oppose such things in all circumstances? Have you ever tried reeeeeally hard to be a “good person” ALL THE TIME? It’s difficult. But again, what does it mean?

The Church provides the clarity to answer the question of what makes a person “good.” Give the Catechism a read.

What does it mean for life to “matter”? What are the terms of mattering? You’re a “good person” your whole life, but then you’re dead… so who cares? What if you weren’t a “good person”? So what? WHY does it “matter”?

…The Church provides the clarity to answer this question. Etc. Read the Catechism.

A thing can’t be true and false in the same way at the same time. The universe is only one universe… It has one series of facts. For instance, either Jesus is consubstantial with the Father, or not. Either Jesus rose from the dead, or not. There’s not an in between. There might be something like an in between for some moral questions or metaphysical questions, but with the right distinctions the problems disappear and you can find the truth of the matter.

Again - read the Catechism.

Peace,
e_c
 
Hi,

I like e_c’s advice, the Catechism will indubitably help you

You can also read up on apologetics from catholic.com to fight these objections.
In my opinion a good response to there’s no absolute truth is by asking a question:

“Is it an absolute truth that you are correct in saying there is no absolute truth, and that I am wrong for believing in absolute truth?”
and
“Those who approve of no absolute moral truths, and that society is the creator of morality would have to reasonably conclude that the actions of certain societies (namely, Mao Ze Dong’s China or Hitler’s Germany) would be moral, since the society approved and commanded these actions”
and one of my favorites
“[Assuming you’re a 5’ 9’’ white male] So if there’s no absolute truth, then I am a 6’5’’ Chinese woman. You may say yes, that I am indeed a 6’5’’ Chinese woman because I can act like it, but I have neither the amount of empirical height, nor was I born there, nor the chromosomes to say this”
or
“If there’s no absolute truth, then 2+2=1?” They might then change their position to saying that there’s no absolute moral truths

I see no reason to live a moral life if one doesn’t believe in God: not merely because he’ll punish us for immorality, but because all humans have a great sense of importance that we cannot do certain things because our conscience forbids it.

You can look up apologists (people who defend the Faith) on google like Karlo Broussard and Trent Horn (both of whom work for catholic.com as well) to help you dialogue with these people.

All the best on your journey to Truth
 
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alliWantisGod:
I’m trying to find out what the will of God is
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First and most important, The prodigal son. And then, The good samaritan.
BUT I have doubts whether there is an absolute truth AKA God, or if life is just relativistic. a few of my close friends are not religious, and believe that there is no absolute truth, and that if you be a good person that’s all that matters. My girlfriend is atheist and believes the same thing.
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A lot of people in their 20’s go for relativism/atheism as a belief system. For the most part because it’s popular. But, it has a false intellectual depth, and it’s a perfect excuse for autonomy. Some people in their 20’s think that they are all grown up and so smart. They’ve left religion behind and have been enlightened blah, blah, blah.

Who decide’s what a good person does? History is full of terrible people/ideas who, at the time, thought they were good. The present is full of people who can’t see what they are doing is wrong.
I am confused. I love God and want to live in Christ everyday. Is there really a purpose for all of us? (by purpose I mean to get back to God) or is there just no purpose at all and we just need to live a good moral life? If there was no absolute truth or purpose, then how and where did we get our morals? who gave us our morals? how could humanity come up with an absolute truth to live by… when each society is different on what is right or wrong.
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I hesitate to say the purpose of life is to help each other, because it’s more complicated than that. The most important thing in life is family; again, it’s more complex, but listen to Jesus’ words about who some of your brothers and sisters are. But, that’s not to say you turn your back on others; again, The good Samaritan, The woman at the well., the adulterous woman etc…
 
It is confusing I guess. I don’t know why most people my age and on campus are always in the perspective of a “live and let live” philosophy. Most people on campus I notice are always in the mindset of trying to have fun, chase down pleasure, and do as they please, while I am trying really really hard to always keep God on my mind. (I’m not bragging or anything because I make mistakes just like anyone else, just pointing out a difference I’ve noticed between myself and many others). For example, while most people view their life secularly, I’m trying to improve my faith all the time. I got rid of the drugs and alcohol in my life(still not perfect at it), learning to pray the rosary (haven’t done adoration before but want to try) and I read lots of philosophical books. Alot of people think it’s not normal.

The thing that upsets me is that while my girlfriend is atheist but very open minded, I wish she could experience the joy in my heart that I have when I am in consolation with Christ. There is no way for me to show it to her since conversion is God’s work. I guess maybe I can show her the love of Christ by trying to love her unconditionally as best as I can and respecting her, and praying for her
 
I get confused at “no such thing as absolute truth”. When I get up every morning there is the sunlight shining on the good and the bad… Isn’t that absolute truth???

:confused:
 
alliWantisGod said:
It is confusing I guess. I don’t know why most people my age and on campus are always in the perspective of a “live and let live” philosophy. Most people on campus I notice are always in the mindset of trying to have fun, chase down pleasure, and do as they please, while I am trying really really hard to always keep God on my mind. (I’m not bragging or anything because I make mistakes just like anyone else, just pointing out a difference I’ve noticed between myself and many others). For example, while most people view their life secularly, I’m trying to improve my faith all the time. I got rid of the drugs and alcohol in my life(still not perfect at it), learning to pray the rosary (haven’t done adoration before but want to try) and I read lots of philosophical books. Alot of people think it’s not normal.

The thing that upsets me is that while my girlfriend is atheist but very open minded, I wish she could experience the joy in my heart that I have when I am in consolation with Christ. There is no way for me to show it to her since conversion is God’s work. I guess maybe I can show her the love of Christ by trying to love her unconditionally as best as I can and respecting her, and praying for her
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pray for them, they don’t know what they are missing out on. I am 25 so I know what you mean.

as for your girlfriend, try to share with her, take her to church, and also do things besides religion to have fun. but also be prepared for the relationship to possibly not work. I don’t mean that pessimistically but you might just be moving in a direction that she isn’t ready to follow. but always pray for her. like you said, Conversion comes from God on his own time, and also if we are receptive to it

I think you have mostly answsered your own questions though
 
angell1 said:
as for your girlfriend, try to share with her, take her to church, and also do things besides religion to have fun. but also be prepared for the relationship to possibly not work. I don’t mean that pessimistically but you might just be moving in a direction that she isn’t ready to follow. but always pray for her.
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I understand that it is a bit of a higher chance it may not work out. So im just trying to do God’s will in this relationship and treat her right, whether I end up marrying this girl or whether it lasts a few more months. I want to share my faith with her, but I want to do it in a way that doesn’t sound too pushy. Do any of you have good advice for me?
 
alliWantisGod said:
I understand that it is a bit of a higher chance it may not work out. So im just trying to do God’s will in this relationship and treat her right, whether I end up marrying this girl or whether it lasts a few more months. I want to share my faith with her, but I want to do it in a way that doesn’t sound too pushy. Do any of you have good advice for me?
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Start by living the Faith as attractively as possible… With joy and peace and as much integrity and consistency as possible, but also with good solid reasons for believing what you believe.
 
True… A priest told me that one of the best ways of bringing people to Christ is by living your faith out by actions, not by words.

I talked about my girlfriend with a friend of mine who is a member of that non-denomination church I used to go to, and he said that all I need to do is to get my girlfriend to read the bible, and she will automatically believe. I told him that it doesn’t work that way.

My gf grew up in mainland china and never grew up with any religion, so she doesn’t really know anything about religions. she already had a bad experience with a Christian group trying to force her to believe in God. I guess she had a friend who tricked her into meeting him for coffee for help with her English, but instead that friend brought his pastor in and was getting my girlfriend to read some passages from the bible while other customers watched to try to “get her to believe in God”. Since English wasn’t her first language, she was very embarrassed because she didn’t even know what the bible is, while she is being pressured publicly into reading bible passages in English. I guess the pastor kept asking if she believes in God now, and it just left her startled. poor girl
 
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