Studying Religion

[cassm]

I have never been really religous, I have always thought that as long as you believe in god and try to do what is right that is enough. I have recently found it very important to see if there is a religion that is right for me. I was baptized LDS but my parents were not active members of the church so I did not continue going long after being baptized. At this point I have been studying the LDS church and the Catholic Church. I am just not sure if I am going about this in the right way. Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to go about my seach?

 

[Newbie2]

I have never been really religous, I have always thought that as long as you believe in god and try to do what is right that is enough. I have recently found it very important to see if there is a religion that is right for me. I was baptized LDS but my parents were not active members of the church so I did not continue going long after being baptized. At this point I have been studying the LDS church and the Catholic Church. I am just not sure if I am going about this in the right way. Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to go about my seach?

First, I’d recommend being careful about what you read online. Some of the information is good and some not, and it’s difficult to tell the difference sometimes.

Second, I’d recommend attending a mass or services to see how worship is conducted to see what you think about it.

Third, when you read about a particular Church or denomination, I’d recommending reading their creedal and doctrinal statements. For the Catholic Church, that’d be the Catechism (CCC)

 

[Third_Day]

I have never been really religous, I have always thought that as long as you believe in god and try to do what is right that is enough. I have recently found it very important to see if there is a religion that is right for me. I was baptized LDS but my parents were not active members of the church so I did not continue going long after being baptized. At this point I have been studying the LDS church and the Catholic Church. I am just not sure if I am going about this in the right way. Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to go about my seach?

I would suggest that you get the book “Inside Mormonism” by Isaiah Bennett. He was a Catholic priest that left the Catholic Church and became a Mormon and moved up the ranks and became “Temple worthy”. He came to the realization that he had made an unbelievable error and came, once again, to know that the Catholic Church was the true Church founded by Christ…

I would also get the book on the Catholic Church called “The Faith of Our Fathers” by James Cardinal Gibbons

 

[Publisher]

To get a better view of what the Mormon church teaches versus nominal Evangelicals…I’d look for the book “How Wide the Divide”…it’s a dialog between a Mormon and an Evanglelical discussing some various beliefs and seeking to find common ground. You might be able to pick up a copy at your local Deseret Bookstore or on line. It’s not an “anti-Mormon” book…but really seeks to open real dialog between the two vastly different traditions.

Since Catholics tend to see Evangelical Protestants as somewhat “orthodox” in belief of the Trinity, Incarnation and nature of God…it can be very helpful.

 

[TheosisM]

After reading “Inside Mormonism” (which I have, very interesting), you may like to read “Catholic Roots, Mormon Harvest” by Eric Shuster, which tells the story of a Catholic couple that became Mormon, as well as a comparison of beliefs on 40 issues.

You should also have, for Catholicism, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and for Mormonism, Gospel Principles. Both are available online. You may also be interested in “Theology and Sanity” by Frank Sheed (Catholicism), and “Latter Days” by Coke Newell (Mormonism). Other books that I have on both religions that I would recommend are (note that these books are not critical but are books by faithful of the respective religions. Inside Mormonism and Catholic Roots, Mormon Harvest are critical books):

Catholicism

-A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God’s Covenant Love in Scripture by Scott Hahn
-Swear to God-The Promise and Power of the Sacraments by Scott Hahn
-Why Do Catholics Do That-A Guide to the Teachings and Practice of the Catholic Church by Kevin Orlin Johnson
-Upon This Rock by Stephen Ray
-The First Seven Ecumenical Councils by Leo Donald Davis S.J.
-Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
-A Biblical Defense of Catholicism by Dave Armstrong
-Signs of Life:40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots by Scott Hahn

Mormonism
-The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration by Tad Callister
-Leap of Faith by Bob Bennett
-Where Have All the Prophets Gone? by Scott Petersen
-Of Faith and Reason by Michael Ash
-Exploring Mormon Thought (Vol 3)-Of God and Gods by Blake Ostler
-By the Hand of Mormon by Terryl Givens
-When Souls Had Wings-Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought by Terryl Givens
-Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820-1844 by John Welch

The Mormon equivalent of this forum is: mormonapologetics.org/index

You should of course also be reading the Bible and praying. When looking at critical information on either religion, you should also see if members/apologists of that religion have responses to those criticisms, since “anti” material is quite available for each. Look at the Biblical passages cited in support of all of the sides. You should also read the writings of the Early Church Fathers, which are found online (newadvent.org/fathers/). It may be difficult at this point to actually read them, but you will encounter them in your readings, so it may be helpful to go back to the work and read them in context.

I hope that was helpful for you.

 

[Mark77]

**You can find out the Truth by searching the Catechism of the Catholic (CCC) Faith here;

scborromeo.org/ccc.htm**

**i personally would avoid any faith started by a man named Smith in the 1800’s & join the One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Faith started by a God/Man named Jesus over 2000 years ago!
**
**Catholic Answers has many wonderful resources on their homepage!

i love the booklet “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth” as a start; catholic.com/library/pillar.asp**

God Bless you in your search for the Fullness of the Truth which is Jesus Christ Himself!

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark

 

[Mr_Sun]

All I can say is, search with an open mind.

I did that and chose one of the notoriously strictest religions out there because I thought everything made sense.

 

[Berean2]

It’s not clear from your post where you stand in regards to the Bible being God’s authoritative Word. If you do hold that position, then you definitely want to heed His warning in Deuteronomy 18: “How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him. Joe Smith was a false prophet.

 

[Dale_M]

First, I’d recommend being careful about what you read online. Some of the information is good and some not, and it’s difficult to tell the difference sometimes.

Second, I’d recommend attending a mass or services to see how worship is conducted to see what you think about it.

Third, when you read about a particular Church or denomination, I’d recommending reading their creedal and doctrinal statements. For the Catholic Church, that’d be the Catechism (CCC)

This is all good advice. To it, I would add… pray. Pray humbly, asking for guidance. And pray a lot. Become good friends with God. Put your thoughts before Him and be open to the responses when they come.

You might also get to know individuals or families who take their faith seriously. Look to see what is good, and what is troubling, about their how they live their religion

 

[simspt]

I have never been really religous, I have always thought that as long as you believe in god and try to do what is right that is enough. I have recently found it very important to see if there is a religion that is right for me. I was baptized LDS but my parents were not active members of the church so I did not continue going long after being baptized. At this point I have been studying the LDS church and the Catholic Church. I am just not sure if I am going about this in the right way. Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to go about my seach?

Everyone searches differently. I think knowing your history is extremely important in making educated decisions between Catholicism and LDS. Eventually no matter how much studying you do faith is required. This is an excellent bibliography site for all subjects on historical Christianity. As far as studying goes its a great resource. It does not have any Mormon resources however. I found Raymond Brown INTRO TO THE NEW TESTAMENT very helpful. Another important consideration IMO is figuring out why to choose one groups interpretation of the scriptures over another. The Catholics claim historical succession and appeal to historical tradition when defending the validity of their teaching. If Christians existed before any of the NT books were written then deciding on the validity of the Catholic Church claim is very important.
moses.creighton.edu/harmless/bibliographies_for_theology/Index.htm

 

[Wesley7]

If you want to study you have to go the library.

 

[Bluegoat]

A very good book for someone with little religious background is The World’s Religions by Huston Smith. It is not trying t convince anyone of anything, it simply describes the major streams of the world’s major religions. Any library would have it.

You would need to look further into anything specific that interested you, but it gives good overviews and would allow you to compare some different religions at a basic level.

For general Christianity anything by CS Lewis is good and very readable.

 

[eshuster]

Hello, I am Eric Shuster - author of “Catholic Roots, Mormon Harvest” - the book referenced earlier in the thread. Studying religions is a very personal thing and requires not only the reading of credible sources (beware of internet sources that have extreme biases), but more importantly seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost in prayer. If we desire to follow God’s will we must be open and willing to accept whatever He has in store for us.

Such was the surprise when my wife and I became Latter-day Saints nearly 21 years ago. My wife is a former Franciscan nun with a degree in Catholic theology; and I a former music minister raised in the rich traditions of the Catholic Church. We had no intention of leaving the Catholic Church, although we had our concerns. We moved next door to a Mormon family and witnessed a depth of faith in Christ and example of Christianity that we had never seen before. It was inspiring and moving. We studied Mormonism for a year at the academic level, as well as going to Church, meeting with the missionaries, fasting and praying, and spending time with Latter-day Saints. It wasn’t easy, as we did not want to give up our identities as Catholics, nor leave the wonderful beauty that we knew existed in Catholicism (despite so many concerns we had about the Catholic Church). Catholicism is as much a tradition as it is a religion and it is hard to leave.

After a great many spiritual experiences, miracles shown to us by the Lord, and the resolution of many doctrinal concerns (that ended up being soundly answered in the Bible), we were baptized into the Mormon faith and have been blessed by the Lord ever since. We took all that we learned and experienced as Catholics and parlayed that into wonderful spiritual lives in Christ as Mormons. Hence the title of my book: “Catholic Roots, Mormon Harvest.” I have another book coming in June titled “The Biblical Roots of Mormonism” that further shares how the Bible soundly supports Mormon theology.

It is not about Catholicism being wrong and Mormonism being right. It is about what God wants for you as one of his children. It is about being a member of a Church that is going to lead you to truth in Christ and teach you want you and your family need to know to be happy in this life and the next. It is about living a life as a Christian that brings you as close to the Savior as possible. It is about feeling the spirit and serving the Lord in a way He desires for you.

I can personally answer questions from time to time as I have the opportunity to do so at www.ericshuster.com or www.studychristianity.org.

God bless you this day as each of you strive to do the will of our Heavenly Father in His son Jesus Christ.

Eric Shuster

 

[Newbie2]

Is this like, a commercial for you book?

 

[TheosisM]

Is this like, a commercial for you book?

looks like it, which is against the rules.

 

[Javl]

I have never been really religous, I have always thought that as long as you believe in god and try to do what is right that is enough. I have recently found it very important to see if there is a religion that is right for me. I was baptized LDS but my parents were not active members of the church so I did not continue going long after being baptized. At this point I have been studying the LDS church and the Catholic Church. I am just not sure if I am going about this in the right way. Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to go about my seach?

Hi cassm:

Putting my two cents in, I have studied comparative religions and have just about made a concerted and deep effort to learn about all Christian, and those who claim to be Christian, Churches. After many, many, years of study I found out and came to the conclusion that only the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ and it is the ONLY Church that has the fullness of Christ’s truths. All others are partial, incomplete, heretical, or totaly false.

I’d advise you not to rush to a decision but to study. Learn all you can and pray, pray, and pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance. If you are sincere in your efforts, He will guide you in the right direction. God Bless.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

 

[eshuster]

Folks:

This is my first posting to this forum, to follow up an earlier posting that is more of a commercial than anything I could have written. My intention was not to promote, but rather to encourage spiritual exploration and use our own spiritual journey as witness of spiritual exploration. My hope was to inspire, not to purchase.

I apologize if my posting offended you or broke some rule in the forum.

God Bless.

 

[TheosisM]

Folks:

This is my first posting to this forum, to follow up an earlier posting that is more of a commercial than anything I could have written. My intention was not to promote, but rather to encourage spiritual exploration and use our own spiritual journey as witness of spiritual exploration. My hope was to inspire, not to purchase.

I apologize if my posting offended you or broke some rule in the forum.

God Bless.

No problem, it just seemed as if you were advertising your book in your first post. As I mentioned, I have your book, and just took it out to re-read it. I believe you also commented on my blog a few weeks ago, which had a review of it. I look forward to your second book, and hope you participate more on the LDS related threads here. Welcome!

 

[Dokimas]

First, I’d recommend being careful about what you read online. Some of the information is good and some not, and it’s difficult to tell the difference sometimes.

Second, I’d recommend attending a mass or services to see how worship is conducted to see what you think about it.

Third, when you read about a particular Church or denomination, I’d recommending reading their creedal and doctrinal statements. For the Catholic Church, that’d be the Catechism (CCC)

Good advice; I’d do the above and then check things out in the Bible.

 

[Dokimas]

Folks:

This is my first posting to this forum, to follow up an earlier posting that is more of a commercial than anything I could have written. My intention was not to promote, but rather to encourage spiritual exploration and use our own spiritual journey as witness of spiritual exploration. My hope was to inspire, not to purchase.

I apologize if my posting offended you or broke some rule in the forum.

God Bless.

It didn’t bother me. God bless you, too.