What if and anxiety

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Fatima-Crusader

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I have been having some anxiety and over thinking about the faith latley, like what if rightnow theres is no God or another religion is right, then all time time I spent praying and studying and having devotion to Him are in vein and a good part of my life was based on a lie, any way I can combat this? Im logicaly postive that God exist and pretty confident Catholicism, but this is “what if” is stopping me from advancing spirtually
 
If Catholicism is a farce, none of the others are true either.

No other religion has what Catholicism has to offer.

FC, what you are going through is being caused by Satan. Make an act of faith “My God I believe, please help my unbelief!” and be at peace.

God bless you.
 
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What is stopping you from advancing spiritually might be more related to what seems to be your inability to realize your place in God’s presence. How have you experienced God’s presence? What is that like for you? If you ground yourself in that, “what if?” Ceases to exist as a relevant question.
 
Fatima-Crusader said:
like what if rightnow theres is no God or another religion is right, then all time time I spent praying and studying and having devotion to Him are in vein and a good part of my life was based on a lie, any way I can combat this?
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Yes, you can realize such thoughts are coming from the Devil and when you start to have them you can stop, pray to Jesus to increase your faith and drive away doubt, pray also to St. Michael to drive away any evil that causes such thoughts, and immediately go do something else or think about something else to make the thought go away.

I also find it very helpful to think about all the saints and their personal experiences of God, particularly the contemporary saints who lived during my lifetime. Why would I doubt God when St. Padre Pio, Venerable Archbishop Sheen, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszcko etc. did not? They lived very good lives and if I feel I need some “company” to help reassure me about God then I just think of them.
 
No, I disagree with this as you have written it. It would be correct if you wrote “impossible to know/ prove with absolute logic/ physical evidence.” It would also be correct if you were writing about our own assurance of salvation rather than the existence of God. However, it is NOT correct to claim that people can’t believe in God with absolute certainty, and that if they say they do, they lack humility.

Some people are blessed with very strong faith, and indeed it is a blessing that not everyone receives. Many of them who are so blessed are very humble people. Children, for example. I don’t think the sainted Marto children ever once doubted the existence of God or Jesus or any of it. They were very young and believed as children do, without any overthinking. They were also very humble - they were just poor, lowly, not very well educated children, not in the least proud or trying to impress anyone. God was part of their daily reality the same way their mom and dad were.

Some people on the other hand, including some saints, will go through periods of doubt or uncertainty and will have to rely on confidence and trust in God to get them through those dark times. But God doesn’t give everybody the same trials, so not everybody doubts.

If you are going to ask me, have I ever had a doubt about God’s existence in my life, the answer is Yes, because I have lived a long time, not just a few years as a young trusting child. Fortunately these doubts have been small, momentary, and few, and easily banished.

But if you are going to say to me that I can’t possibly know God exists with absolute certainty so I’m just going about my daily business with some type of “confidence” that he exists, then that’s incorrect. And if you’re then going to tell me that I’m somehow lacking humility for telling you what I truthfully know/ believe/ think about every time I pray the Adoro te Devote (which is not about confidence, it’s about truth) then you’re really way off base.
 
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You may notice the mystics knew with absolute certainty because they were given to know - they saw, literally, and more…However, faith is: “belief in revealed truth”. And even the mystics underwent intense periods of catching up and conforming to the truths of faith - that could be immediate by way of “indwelling grace” they received, however there was always some work of reason to be made. And even the mystics, practiced “acts of faith”.
 
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John 20:27-29. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28. Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29. Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
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Do not give up on your faith.
‘You ought not judge according to present feelings, nor give in to any trouble whenever it comes, or take it as though all hope of escape were lost.’ - The Imitation of Christ
 
Fatima-Crusader said:
I have been having some anxiety and over thinking about the faith latley, like what if rightnow theres is no God or another religion is right, then all time time I spent praying and studying and having devotion to Him are in vein and a good part of my life was based on a lie, any way I can combat this? Im logicaly postive that God exist and pretty confident Catholicism, but this is “what if” is stopping me from advancing spirtually
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What you are describing is grief and fear. It is necessary in contemplating our faith to question whether we could be wrong and deceived. Off course, that mere honest contemplation can cause distaste because that thought isn’t pleasant but of desolation. But it is a necessary intellectual hypothesis - however unpleasant- that we have to place ourselves.

However, if by way of reason and faith God has brought you this far. Then glory to Him, because such distasteful thought can only increase and enhance His sweetness.

God bless.
 
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Those sound like little messages the devils are whispering in your ear. They’re all a pack of lies. Pray your rosary.

Say, “Begone you fell creatures in the name of Jesus Christ.” . Say a Hail Mary.

Saints Who Battled Satan is an inspiring book to read about various temptations such as these that many of the saints had to contend with. You might enjoy reading it.
 
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Do you wear a medal? Making use of various sacramentals might help.

Also, I would say, just go out and live your faith. Go to daily mass as often as you can. Pray. Do works of Charity.

Even St. Therese of Lissieux had a great trial of faith that lasted a terribly long time. Be brave and keep up your spiritual practices.
 
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adgloriam said:
It is necessary in contemplating our faith to question whether we could be wrong and deceived. Off course, that mere honest contemplation can cause distaste because that thought isn’t pleasant but of desolation. But it is a necessary intellectual hypothesis - however unpleasant- that we have to place ourselves.
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It is “necessary” in the sense that the vast majority of people are going to have to struggle with it at some point, especially if they have the mental capacity to contemplate (children and those of diminished mental ability might not think in this way). I just heard a homily on this a couple weeks ago in which the priest said that we should never think of ourselves as immune to doubt because all kinds of things can suddenly bring it on, such as having to cope with a loved one’s sickness or death, and we should be prepared for it when it happens.

However, it is not necessary that we go around placing ourselves in a state of doubt in order to go through an intellectual exercise of contemplating it, if such doubt doesn’t naturally occur. It’s likely to come up enough on its own (as it seems to be doing with the OP) without us going out looking for it so we can sit around with it.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
However, it is not necessary that we go around placing ourselves in a state of doubt
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Indeed, this specific question comes around eventually/periodically on its own. No point or much gain in seeking it as an exercise.

I questioned the truthfulness of the faith as much as I could for years, it’s a futile exercise - calling the only ultimate truth into question. Doubting what God showed you to be right.
 
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adgloriam said:
Doubting what God showed you to be right.
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I’ve found that even when he shows me by giving some type of answer, putting something in my path, even giving me the exact type of sign for which I asked (on a couple of occasions, he gave me TWO of the sign), one’s mind can still manufacture doubt and say, “Oh well that’s just a coincidence because you were looking for that, hoping to find that, etc.”.

That’s about when I say Enough, begone, and start praying and flicking the holy water. The mind will dismiss anything, even miracles, when the devil gets going.
 
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