What are the best books for proving the existence of God?

[reggieM]

And what really scares me, Reggie, is the addendum “…as given through His Church.” That makes a couple of wild source assumptions that are exceptionally hard to corroborate, and are dubious at best. The best takes on those are widely divergent from the Church’s own self serving interpretation. But what would you expect? What if the Church admitted what it already knows?

Sorry Reggie, I can’t buy back into that pap-ism. (sic)

I fully realize that, Detales, and I think you repeat roughly the same message in most of your posts.

Yes, “as given through His Church” … this is the body of apostles that Jesus brought together and that body has had a remarkable unity and preservation through the ages. But that’s a topic for countless other threads here, I’d think (certainly nothing to be scared about).

The primary point I was offering was with regards to temptation, sin and then forgiveness. Because we suffer temptations, there is good reason for fear and trembling. Because we fall into temptations of greater or lesser severity, there is need for forgiveness and absolution. Because we cannot absolve ourselves of our own sins – there is a tribunal of mercy for us in the Church that Christ gave us.

That is how one is spiritually reconciled with the community of believers again after sin. One’s confessor and spiritual director helps repair any damage caused by sin – and they guide the believer in penance.

Christ said these words to the penitent: “Go, your sins are forgiven” – and He says those words again through the power of His priests.