Please pray for me, really doubting my faith!

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Chazemataz:
I have been debating with many atheists on another website, and they have been easily discrediting everything I have said for proof there is a God. I have looked into darwin’s writings and evidences for evolution and have looked at things dissaproving miracles, “proof” Jesus never existed, and things regarding the “true origin” of the Bible. I am starting to question my beleifs, and am slowly turning agnostic. I do not want to tstop beleieving in Jesus, I do not want to stop beleiving in God, but for some reason I just am starting to drift away no matter how much i do to strengthen my faith. I would like to ask you all to pray for me that my faith in God made be strengthend. Also, if you can find anything that would strengthen my faith, please do.
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Have you read the works of Thomas Aquinas? He gives a completely logical and rational presentation. So far, no one has been able to refute him. Why do you uncritically accept what the atiests say without question? Why should their theories go unchallenged? Don’t give up, but continue to pray for faith as you word through the works of Thomas Aquinas.

I’ll pray for you as well.
 
Corey

I will give you a quote from the movie Secondhand Lions that this reminded me of.

“Sometimes the things we can’t prove, are the things that we should believe in the most.”
 
I pray for you.
As this was done for me, i found my faith…

I hope you will too.
 
Hey Corey,

The Catechism speaks of “clear and converging” proofs for God’s existence, and this encompasses more than just logical proofs. By keeping an open mind and and hanging on to faith despite seeming evidence to the contrary, I have found the case for belief to building by the day. I used to approach the problem just logically and philosophically, but in recent years I have been made aware of the revolutions occurring in cosmology, biology, physics, etc. which point to an Intelligent Designer.

To sum up: It is very reasonable to be a believer.

Try Lee Strobels books: The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ and The Case for a Creator.

Also get Peter Kreefts and Ron Tacelli’s Christian Apologetic’s Handbook. It has a whole chapter dedicated tot the philosophical proofs.

For now, it would be best to hang with dedicated believers.

God bless you!
 
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Chazemataz:
I have been debating with many atheists on another website, and they have been easily discrediting everything I have said for proof there is a God. I have looked into darwin’s writings and evidences for evolution and have looked at things dissaproving miracles, “proof” Jesus never existed, and things regarding the “true origin” of the Bible. I am starting to question my beleifs, and am slowly turning agnostic. I do not want to tstop beleieving in Jesus, I do not want to stop beleiving in God, but for some reason I just am starting to drift away no matter how much i do to strengthen my faith. I would like to ask you all to pray for me that my faith in God made be strengthend. Also, if you can find anything that would strengthen my faith, please do.
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Chaz

You are wasting your time trying to come up with a rational proof for the existence of God. I was educated by the Jesuits and heard them all and they are all lacking.

Belief in the existence of God is based on faith and not reason. Why get into trouble trying to “prove” something that can’t be proven. It is as much an exercise in futility as trying to “prove” that God does not exist. Pascals wager aside.

Most people have honest doubts and that can be a good thing because it will prompt you to search for the truth and strengthen your faith.
 
I have to second Krebsbach’s recommendation of Lee Stroebel’s book “The Case for Christ”. It’s a very easy read, written in the style of trying to prove a case for a courtroom. Stroebel used to write for one of the Chicago newspapers on the local courts, I think. Anyway, you will find a lot of answers to your questions in this book. Although written by a Protestant, I did not find anything anti-Catholic in it at all. Give it a try - I think you can get it at Amazon.com, but probably at any Christian bookstore as well.
MBS1
 
Sometimes, reading too much of anything will slowly make us slip. Read C.S. Lewis as an antidote, and search vigorousy for Christian resources. If your doubts teach you anything, it is that you are not yet prepared to answer all the claims of atheists. That’s fine… you’re not as well-prepared as they. That’s fine. Take your time, and find the answers you need. Begin to read Christian authors and philosophers… turn to those who have studied to that depth, and have walked away from atheism/agosticism.

Another great place to start is to read bout Antony Flew’s recent conversion from atheism. He was one of the most confirmed and convincing atheists, untl his defection to theism last year at age 80. At the bottom of this page is the beginning of a long interview with him:

biola.edu/antonyflew/

Anyways, read C.S. Lewis, and begin your journey. Learn your faith more deeply first, then you can meet the challenges of atheists.

I’m saying a rosary for you today,
  • Hugo
 
Ask them in return, to prove that there is no God. Their argument would then crumble. That is for sure.

As we travel back through many scientific theories of how the world was created, we find, that when there was nothing, at the very beginnig, there must be a supreme being to make the energy - or something else- to create the very first thing ever. This can only have been God.
 
Hey Corey! 🙂

My prayers for you are sent!

Please stop arguing with atheists for a while, and try to build a solid foundation for your catholic faith. (The aim of the atheists is to destroy your oportunities to reach Heaven).

I am sure that you can your faith, but if you need an easy repetition here is one intended for evangelicals ( it is written in a way that makes it easy for you to make a quick repetition. Besides; the history of how the Webowner became a catholic is very interestening).
catholicbridge.com/

Please remember that we all doubt from time to time. You have to prepare yourself for how to resist the doubts when they come (temptations) (in periods, like the rest of us have to do).

**Pray to God :bowdown2: , pray the Rosary, ask your Guardian angel to watch over you, pray for the protection of St. Michael and don’t forget St. Joseph. :gopray2: **

St Joseph followed Gods will and he is trusted as Jesus fosterfather.

Here is a Novena to St. Joseph (that you can pray again and again with some weeks in between):

cptryon.org/prayer/9days/stjoseph.html

Some convertionstories to think about:

The convertion of an agnostic:
chnetwork.org/efconv.htm

The history of a “fallen away catholic”:
chnetwork.org/journals/justification/justify_3.htm

Two articles from “This Rock” about the Bible:
Volume 15, Number 5:
Combating Biblical Skepticism - Part One - By Frederick W. Marks
catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0405fea1.asp

Volume 15, Number 6
Combating Biblical Skepticism - Part 2 - By Frederick W. Marks
catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0407fea3.asp

Perhaps you will like one of these Catholic Bibles (amazon.com):
  1. The Catholic Youth Bible: New Revised Standard Version : Catholic Edition
    by Brian Singer-Towns (Editor), Michael O’Neill McGrath (Illustrator)
  2. The Catholic Study Bible: New American Bible
    by Donald Senior (Editor), Mary Ann Getty (Editor), Carroll Stuhlmueller (Editor), John J. Collins (Editor)
A good website for youth (and older):
phatmass.com/

And at last a webpage with prayers you can use when you need it:
cptryon.org/prayer/

All my best wishes for you and God bless! :gopray2: 👍
 
I would appreciate it if a mod would delete this thread completely. Thanks!
 
Hmm… Does anyone think it’s wrong that Chaz started with the belief in Catholicism, didn’t want it to be false, and so rationalized, justified, read faith-promoting things, etc? This is what many here tell us Mormons is so wrong, but I have a hard time thinking that any Catholic here would tell him to stop being Catholic until he looks at all the negative evidence and apologetics for it. Cognitive dissonance at work.
 
For me working in the prison ministry has been quite a refutation of atheism. Most of the people in prison are there because they were not connected with God, either in their heads or in their hearts. They thought they were oh so clever … as the people who are working on you no doubt think they are so clever they can twist the truth into logical pretzels.

They would have us think that religion is evil and that Jesus never existed. They would smash the moral codes of Moses and Jesus to be replaced with a “feel good” morality that ultimately makes them miserable even when they don’t know it.

Try to remember that atheism is an affirmation of ultimate Nothingness. As the Psalmist tells us, “The fool in his heart says there is no God.”
 
hi. i have a few words i’d like to say that i hope will help. (this is my first post by the way!)

just to say as a teenage Catholic (albeit a bit older than you) i’ve often felt out of my depth when it comes to debates and such.

basically, i’ve gotten to the point where i know Catholicism is just right, that’s it, and if i come across something that says otherwise then i know there’ll be an explanation to it, even if i don’t know it myself.

Because i haven’t always had a strong faith, and it’s only come with time, at a progressive rate, i’ve come across articles and said to myself “I’m really glad i didn’t read this two months ago”, because i wouldn’t have known what to think and would start questioning what i believed… but i’ve gotten to a point, as i’ve said, that I know Catholicism is right and that just because i can’t always answer straight off any criticisms i come across…or even what appears to disprove somethings, i know that if i wait i’ll find the answer to it and this hasn’t failed me yet…

i’m sure you’ll reach this point as well…at your age i don’t even think i knew that much about Catholicism to defend any bit of it against other christians, let alone atheists on an an atheist forum!

so don’t go straight into the deep end… 👍
God Bless.
Neil.
 
Corkonian Neil:
basically, i’ve gotten to the point where i know Catholicism is just right, that’s it, and if i come across something that says otherwise then i know there’ll be an explanation to it, even if i don’t know it myself.
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That’s the exact same feeling I’ve come to experience! It’s like every time someone throws out an argument against Catholicism it seems worrying at first, then gets less and less scary each time as you get used to the fact that the arguments all turn out to be either misunderstandings or bald-faced lies. It’s gotten to the point now where I actually look forward to being asked a question I don’t know the answer to, since I know I’m about to learn something as a result of seeking out the answer. Opposing arguments pretty much start to become an inside joke after a while. 😃
 
Why are you arguing with atheists to begin with? You KNOW you are right. Period. End of story.

That’s like arguing about calculus with 2 year olds. it is a waste of time.
 
Instead of this poppycock about praying to the angels, Mary and the assorted saints who can’t help you and in the latter two can’t even hear you, pray to the Father himself. The Holy Spirit will strengthen your faith. By the way if you want some real Christaiin counseling go to a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor who can talk to you without the Roman Catholic rigamorla and God will do the rest. God’s grace be with you.
 
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Lehrer:
Instead of this poppycock about praying to the angels, Mary and the assorted saints who can’t help you and in the latter two can’t even hear you, pray to the Father himself. The Holy Spirit will strengthen your faith. By the way if you want some real Christaiin counseling go to a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor who can talk to you without the Roman Catholic rigamorla and God will do the rest. God’s grace be with you.
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Does anyone really ever tell you, “wow, your sarcastic tone and insulting comments about my faith have really opened my heart to your point of view!”?
 
Hi Exo,
(edited comments on deleted post)

anyhoo, its hard to see whether God exists or not.
it cannot be proven. I think you need faith as a plus after logic. And someone says in atheist forum :
And frankly, I just don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.
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Lehrer:
Instead of this poppycock about praying to the angels, Mary and the assorted saints who can’t help you and in the latter two can’t even hear you, pray to the Father himself. The Holy Spirit will strengthen your faith. By the way if you want some real Christaiin counseling go to a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor who can talk to you without the Roman Catholic rigamorla and God will do the rest. God’s grace be with you.
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That’s where non-Catholic are wrong about what Catholic do! Do they **pray to ** St. Paul? No ! Do they **pray to ** The Virgin Mother? No! Do they **pray to ** St. Ching_PBUH? No!

Catholic invoke their names so they may intercede for them to The Father, i.e. pray together, them in Heaven and man on earth!

If there ever is a Catholic who prays thus: “O St. Ching_PBUH, I pray that you will heal me of this iniquity…” then THAT Catholic better go for another round of RCIA !!! 😃

Right Cute2904? 😉
 
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