Searching for God/Jeus by rationality?

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Meemai

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So I have been listening to apologetics, philosophers etc.

William Lain Craig for example is a big name so to say. There are also people like Paul Copan, that I listen to, read etc.

Now they are not of the catholic church in any means by what I figured, but they are christians and believe in Jesus. And in the case of many of such figures, because they are theologians/philosophers or a mix or both, they uhm try to do this with philosophical reasonning as well.

So they go in debates against the likes of Dawkins etc, now I am watching those debates and so on, and uhm so far I would like to ask. From a catholic perspective, is it alright to listen to these authorities outside of the church perhaps. I see these people as christian brothers with good intentions.

Now I myself think there are disagreements on small things, but I wonder what do you think? I also ask so because I am friends with a catholic person and would not like to offend him when uhm talking over such things.

Let me know your opinion please.
 
I’ve never heard of Copan, but Craig, from what I know of him, is essentially a popularizer of scholastic philosophy. There’s nothing wrong with that. He doesn’t claim to teach religious dogma, and instead is attempting to present merely a rational philosophical theism.

If you want dogma and philosophy mingled, might I suggest reading Thomas Aquinas?
 
bardegaulois said:
I’ve never heard of Copan, but Craig, from what I know of him, is essentially a popularizer of scholastic philosophy. There’s nothing wrong with that. He doesn’t claim to teach religious dogma, and instead is attempting to present merely a rational philosophical theism.

If you want dogma and philosophy mingled, might I suggest reading Thomas Aquinas?
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No what I want is the kind of thing Craig does. I do not want dogma as much, I want to get closer to God, and have issues with that. Issues of not really making a connection with God, but I do believe Jesus died for me, yet I have a hard time reading the new testament myself. Reading and then seeing the character of Jesus, I just cannot see the loving God so much, I do not know what it is whenever I read about Jesus I feel like he and me would not get along…

So I want to build foundation for my faith, rather trough leaving dogma and delving into the philosophy of religion. The way Craig does, that gives me power, and that for my feeling puts me closer to God, once I have a strong foundation perhaps my view of Jesus in the new testament will change, as of now I just have a hard time… Whenever I try to read the bible I just cannot get that good feeling others get out of it.
 
Meemai said:
No what I want is the kind of thing Craig does. I do not want dogma as much, I want to get closer to God, and have issues with that. Issues of not really making a connection with God, but I do believe Jesus died for me, yet I have a hard time reading the new testament myself. Reading and then seeing the character of Jesus, I just cannot see the loving God so much, I do not know what it is whenever I read about Jesus I feel like he and me would not get along…

So I want to build foundation for my faith, rather trough leaving dogma and delving into the philosophy of religion. The way Craig does, that gives me power, and that for my feeling puts me closer to God, once I have a strong foundation perhaps my view of Jesus in the new testament will change, as of now I just have a hard time… Whenever I try to read the bible I just cannot get that good feeling others get out of it.
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Since when has faith been based on feeling? I mean if you feel good reading philosophy or apologetics, fine, but I don’t really think that’s any substitute for having a devotional life.
 
bardegaulois said:
Since when has faith been based on feeling? I mean if you feel good reading philosophy or apologetics, fine, but I don’t really think that’s any substitute for having a devotional life.
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You name a few words:

Faith- Feeling
I think

So this would mean faith is not based on a feeling? If faith is not based on a feeling than what is it? I would say people with faith do at least feel some sort of connection to Jesus, faith without feeling would to me seem as if I where to open the lock of my house with my keys. I just do it, mechanical without giving it thought. Correct me if I am wrong.

I think a devotional life without feeling, but just because it was written so in the bible, and blindly jump into that, is not a life that bears any fruits. Now maybe you did not mean it like that, but faith… Is a sort of trust. And have you ever not trusted someone based on a feeling that that person gave you?

Now I assume when you need an operation, let’s say you are abroad in a country with not as good medical care as your own. Would you walk into the hospital abroad and have a risky operation, just because you have faith in God? Or would you go to your country and consult a good hospital? For me these are logical arguments and lgoical things to think about.

We can have faith, but we can also rationalise, why would God have given us the ability to do so, if he wouldn’t want us to use it? If God insisted we should just trust him he would not have given us free will is what I think. But out of love God gave us free will, and would not a loving parent let a child make his or her own steps in the world, would a good parent not let a child discover stuff herself? Would the parent insist, ‘trust me on I know what’s best for you?’
 
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