Questions and doubts

[Amir]

Peace be with you all,

Is it odd that a Catholic questions his faith? Let me elaborate on some thoughts I have been having. God forbid I displease him. I have some Islamic friends. Of couse since we all grew up together. Our faith the only delineating difference. I have been questioning my bible for instance. Did Matthew, Mark, Luke and John write these? Did moses write the Pentatuche. I know in one part of the Pentatuche it said explained the Death of Moses and how the children of Israle mounred. Who wrote our bible. Was is scribes who changed what the Lord said? THen I read in the Cathecism that those who practice Islam are looked on as those who worship the one true God along with us. They say Jesus is only a prophet? How can this be even remotely the same one true God. Is the Cathecism saying it’s ok to believe as you believe. That Islam is a true religion and if I were to re-vert I too would be saved? I read the scriptures. Jesus said those who do not believe in me are already condemned Jn 3. I am truly frightened as to what this all means. It seems to me the more I read the Cathecism the more I get confused as to what is our faith. Please in your spare time help me through this. I tried asking a priest and he told me that only the Church can intrepret scriptue and that what it teaches is correct…period. Ok then Fr. Then can you help me out. I must have made him mad by I suppose my lack of faith.

Amir

 

[jemfinch]

Is it odd that a Catholic questions his faith?

Not at all. And don’t be concerned that you’re angering God by having questions: God is not angered by honest questions, any more than he was angered by Thomas’ honest doubt. He’s willing to prove Himself, just as He was with Thomas.

Who wrote our bible.

Fundamentally, when it comes down to it, God chose our Bible. You can trust it because He was guarding it all along the way.

Then I read in the Cathecism that those who practice Islam are looked on as those who worship the one true God along with us.

That’s the claim they make, and we take them at their word. Catholics, more than probably any other Christians, know what it’s like to make a claim and have others tell us we’re lying.

They say Jesus is only a prophet? How can this be even remotely the same one true God.

I can worship the same God as the Catholic next to me, even if he and I don’t understand Him the same way. Since God’s ways are higher than our ways, we may never fully understand Him; our lack of understanding Him does not disqualify us from worshipping Him; indeed, it gives us all the more reason to worship Him!

It is similar with Muslims. We accept their claim that they worship the One God, the God of Abraham; but we also recognize that they don’t understand Him fully. They don’t understand that He exists as a Trinity, they don’t understand that Jesus is His Son and is fully divine: but this doesn’t mean that they aren’t worshipping Him.

Is the Cathecism saying it’s ok to believe as you believe.

Not at all. The Catechism makes a big difference between not knowing the truth about God, and those who know the truth, but choose to ignore it or turn back from it.

That Islam is a true religion

Islam, though it worships the God of Abraham, is not the one true religion: Catholicism is. Though Muslims may understand some aspects of God, they don’t understand Him in His fullest, and their religion, in some ways, keeps them from fully understanding Him and embracing the truth.

and if I were to re-vert I too would be saved?

If, after having received the knowledge of the truth, you were to revert to deny Christ and become a Muslim, it would be better for you never to have known Christ at all.

I read the scriptures. Jesus said those who do not believe in me are already condemned Jn 3.

Indeed, those who looked in the face of God Himself in human form and denied Him are lost.

It seems to me the more I read the Cathecism the more I get confused as to what is our faith.

Well that’s certainly not the intent!

Please in your spare time help me through this.

Feel free to ask all your questions here, I’m sure many (as well as myself) are willing to help you through this.

Jeremy

Amir

 

[buffalo]

Read:

THE AUTHORS OF THE GOSPELS
[According to the Clementine Tradition]
By
Dennis Barton

The Gospels are Historical

**
and
**
**
The Toledoths of Genesis**

 

[mosher]

Peace be with you all,

Is it odd that a Catholic questions his faith? Let me elaborate on some thoughts I have been having. God forbid I displease him. I have some Islamic friends. Of couse since we all grew up together. Our faith the only delineating difference. I have been questioning my bible for instance. Did Matthew, Mark, Luke and John write these? Did moses write the Pentatuche. I know in one part of the Pentatuche it said explained the Death of Moses and how the children of Israle mounred. Who wrote our bible. Was is scribes who changed what the Lord said? THen I read in the Cathecism that those who practice Islam are looked on as those who worship the one true God along with us. They say Jesus is only a prophet? How can this be even remotely the same one true God. Is the Cathecism saying it’s ok to believe as you believe. That Islam is a true religion and if I were to re-vert I too would be saved? I read the scriptures. Jesus said those who do not believe in me are already condemned Jn 3. I am truly frightened as to what this all means. It seems to me the more I read the Cathecism the more I get confused as to what is our faith. Please in your spare time help me through this. I tried asking a priest and he told me that only the Church can intrepret scriptue and that what it teaches is correct…period. Ok then Fr. Then can you help me out. I must have made him mad by I suppose my lack of faith.

Amir

I think that the linked articles that were given above are a good place to start. So, I will not address the historicity of the Scriptures nor the issue of authorship. What I would like to speak to is the issue of worshiping the same God with Islam.

What the Catechism is trying to express is that while the image of God in Islam is defective it is not a completely false image of God. Think of it this way. The Jews worship the same God as we do but they do not have an understanding of the Trinity - this is the same with Islam. Islam believes in the one God in the Jewish sense but they lack an understanding of the Trinity because of Arian influences when Islam was founded.

This is a very bad analogy but you can think of it this way:

Three people are looking at God.

The first person is a Catholic the second a Jew and the third is of Islam.

The Catholic sees 100% of God
The Jew sees 50% of God
The Muslim sees 30% of God

They are all looking at the same God but only one sees the fullness the other two only see parts of God.

 

[Amir]

Peace be with you all Mosher, Buffalo and Jenfinch.

I walked away for a bit and wow! I had a few posts to read. Thanks for your inciteful posts. I don’t have to tell you I have been quite bothered by my thoughts. My friends have given me almost a library of Islamic material to read. I have been reading them because well I thought It would make me more well rounded, etc. Maybe this isn’t helping me out much. Anyhow thanks all. Take care.

Amir

 

[mosher]

Peace be with you all Mosher, Buffalo and Jenfinch.

I walked away for a bit and wow! I had a few posts to read. Thanks for your inciteful posts. I don’t have to tell you I have been quite bothered by my thoughts. My friends have given me almost a library of Islamic material to read. I have been reading them because well I thought It would make me more well rounded, etc. Maybe this isn’t helping me out much. Anyhow thanks all. Take care.

Amir

Confusion is a tool of the devil. We as people are easily swayed one way or another especially in the face of doubt. The solution to your problem is not becoming “well rounded” because reading things that are in error will not help you come to the truth. Rather, I would challenge you to read more about the faith and learn why things are the way they are and I am confident that you will no longer find doubt. I would start with the extensive library that is found on the Catholic Answers main page and work from there. We are always here to help you with your questions as long as you are willing to ask them.

 

[Eden]

I don’t have much to add since I think others have done a good job of responding.

I was just wondering, is Amir your real name? Amir is an Arabic name meaning “prince”. I don’t know if you are in the United States or if you are a Christian living in a predominantly Muslim country, so I thought I’d ask to better understand your statement that friends are giving you a library of Islamic texts to read.

 

[Amir]

Peace and blessing Eden,

I live in Central New York. In my neighborhood I have a few families whom are friends due to our ties. Yes, I am Arabic Christian. Anyhow, I guess my friends want me to like them I suppose and not a Kaffir. Take care Eden. I pray you have a blessed day.

Amir

PS “No prince by any means. ”

 

[jemfinch]

Amir,

This is completely unrelated to your question, but f you haven’t yet been, you might enjoy visiting a Melkite Catholic Church sometime. The Melkites are the Arabic rite (or maybe just one of them, I’m not sure if there are others) of Catholicism; They’re in complete union with the Pope in Rome. In fact, I was catechized by a Melkite priest and have attended several of their divine liturgies. They recite the Lord’s prayer in both English and Arabic, but most of the Liturgy is in English. Depending on where in particular you’re (ethnically) from, you might find some people with a similar background at a Melkite Church.

Jeremy