True religion

[nasdravie]

I would appreciate advice on how to explain that the Catholic Church has the fullness of Truth in regards to world religions. I feel i can adequately explain my reasoning between choosing the Catholic faith over the Protestant traditions, but have trouble when asked “why the Catholic faith over all the other different religions in the world?”. Or, how do you deal with Agnostics who doubt that God has ever revealed Himself to mankind?

I know that’s a bit of broad topic, but I’d appreciate any advice on how to respond to family and friends who express reservations about God and/or our Faith.

 

[AquinasXVI]

Nasdravie:

Hello there. I’m afraid there’s no formula. There are numerous, adequate and satisfying apologies that bring it to the conclusion “fullness of truth.” There’s biblical, historical, theological approaches to your question that symphonically point to the Catholic Church as the Church that Jesus Christ did establish and continue to sustain.

There’s no set formula because each person’s heart comes from the solitude inherent of the person. God crafts a unique adventure with everyone of us in our journey towards Him and His church.

There are a hundred books I would like to suggest and thousands that the others here can recommend. I would go with these as the first 4. 1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2. Surprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid. 3. The Everlasting Man by GK Chesterton and 4. Lukewarmness: the devil in disguise by Francisco Carvajal. IMHO these are a good cross section to start with for understanding the Church you are looking to understand.

But even more important is that God become a WHO as you search not a WHAT. He is a being in which we all need to come to love, not simply an idea or a thing. This can only be done with one thing: prayer.

God bless you as you enter the great journey.

in XT

 

[Verbum]

Hi Nasdravie,

If God did not speak to us, then all religions are as good one as the other.

If, on the other hand, God spoke to us, then He told us how we should worship Him, and we must do as He asks.

God did speak to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ proved the truth of his mission by dying and resurrecting.

This is the basis of our faith.

Does this answer your questions?

Verbum

 

[Paris_Blues]

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!” We didn’t hear Buddha or Shiva say that did we?

 

[barsapp]

Paris Blues:

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!” We didn’t hear Buddha or Shiva say that did we?

The first mistake usually made is to consider Catholicism as one more “religion” among many others. There are many religions, all of them preach God, all of them want the good, you can pick up anyone. There are all the same. This is the first mistake. Catholicism is not a religion, but a fact, a historical fact. Christ incarnated, lived, died, resurrected. These are facts. You can deny them. You can also deny any other historical fact. No problem with that. Historical facts do not depend on our opinions. Do we believe in Christ? Better to say that we believe in what the Apostles said about Christ.

(1 John, 1, 1-3): “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life -for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us -what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

Consider then how many people proclaimed themselves being “God” on earth. Christ was one of them. Not Mahomet, not Buddha. Consider the other ones who proclaimed themselves “God”. Where are they? Where are their martyrs and saints? Where are their doctrine and wisdom? Where are their fruits in culture, human dignity, arts and progress?

 

[banjo]

nasdravie:

I would appreciate advice on how to explain that the Catholic Church has the fullness of Truth in regards to world religions. I feel i can adequately explain my reasoning between choosing the Catholic faith over the Protestant traditions, but have trouble when asked “why the Catholic faith over all the other different religions in the world?”. Or, how do you deal with Agnostics who doubt that God has ever revealed Himself to mankind?

I know that’s a bit of broad topic, but I’d appreciate any advice on how to respond to family and friends who express reservations about God and/or our Faith.

“Christ was the only person pre-announced. …] Because of the Old Testament prophecies, His coming was not unexpected. There were no predictions about Budda, Confucius, Lao-tze, Mohammed, or anyone else; but there were predictions about Christ. Others just came and said, ‘Here I am, believe me.’ They were, therefore, only men among men and not the Divine in the human. …] Turn to pagan testimony. Tacitus, speaking for the ancient Romans, says, ‘People were generally persuaded in the faith of the ancient prophecies, that the East was to prevail, and that from Judea was to come the Master and Ruler of the world.’
Suetonius…‘It was an old and constant belief throught the East, that by indubitably certain prophecies, the Jews were to attain the highest power.’ China…‘a light appeared in the Southwest which illuminated the king’s palace. The monarch, struck by its splendor, interrogated the sages. They showed him books in which this prodigy signified the appearance of the great Saint of the West whose religion was to be intorduced into their country.’
The Greeks…Aeschylus wrote, ‘Look not for any end moreover, to this curse until God appears, to accept upon His Head the pangs of thy own sins vicarious.’ Cicero…a ‘King whom we must recognize to be saved.’” Life of Christ Fulton J. Sheen

 

[Verbum]

Hi Nasdravie,

I asked whether my post answered your question. Are you still there???

Verbum