A
Amazon
Guest
What’s a good reason to become a Catholic?
- Status
1
1ke
Guest
There is only one reason to become Catholic: because it is the Truth…
B
Brendan_64
Guest
Because we are the one true Church formed by Christ Himself when He was on Earth.
N
NextElement
Guest
Become a Catholic because we truly represent the message of Christ! The Catholic Church was founded when Jesus himself made Peter “the rock” of his church, and we’ve held the same traditions and values for the last 2000 years. We are the real deal, the biggest charity in the world, and we can change your life for the better in a way no other faith can. God bless 
S
steymard
Guest
Here’s the Catechism on why someone might become Catholic:
156
So “that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.” Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability “are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all”; they are “motives of credibility” (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind”.
I became Catholic because, given the existence of a self-revealing God, I found that this was the only religion whose claims about itself were internally consistent. Which is not to say that those claims were incontestable - anyone can contest a truth claim - but its positions held up under all the critiques and conundrums I could throw at it.
I became Catholic in my heart when I believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and became united with Him in Holy Communion.
156
So “that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.” Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability “are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all”; they are “motives of credibility” (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind”.
I became Catholic because, given the existence of a self-revealing God, I found that this was the only religion whose claims about itself were internally consistent. Which is not to say that those claims were incontestable - anyone can contest a truth claim - but its positions held up under all the critiques and conundrums I could throw at it.
I became Catholic in my heart when I believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and became united with Him in Holy Communion.
A
Amazon
Guest
I was really expecting a lot more reasons.
N
NextElement
Guest
Would you rather have a lot of small reasons, or a few REALLY big ones?
There’s no better way to say it than that we practice the faith the way Jesus wanted it to be practiced, and have the traditions that the Bible lays out, which no other faith does.
S
steymard
Guest
Here’s a lecture on the Motives of Credibility for faith:
calledtocommunion.com/2013/11/lawrence-feingold-the-motives-of-credibility-for-faith/
You said you were “expecting a lot more reasons”. What kind of reasons are you expecting? Pick any number of doctrines that Catholics find beautiful about their faith. All of these can be reasons. The glorious Virgin Mary and all the doctrines surrounding her; the incredible grace of the Sacraments; the Real Presence; the divine guarantee of adherence to truth in Peter’s successor; the beauty of the Liturgy; the incredible cultural achievement of Catholic culture over two millenia; the inspiring example of thousands of saints, Catholics who truly lived their faith and became clearly extraordinary; the comfort of Sacramentals; the hope of the Beatific Vision; the eternal bringing up the earthly to Heaven in the Mass, I could go on.
calledtocommunion.com/2013/11/lawrence-feingold-the-motives-of-credibility-for-faith/
You said you were “expecting a lot more reasons”. What kind of reasons are you expecting? Pick any number of doctrines that Catholics find beautiful about their faith. All of these can be reasons. The glorious Virgin Mary and all the doctrines surrounding her; the incredible grace of the Sacraments; the Real Presence; the divine guarantee of adherence to truth in Peter’s successor; the beauty of the Liturgy; the incredible cultural achievement of Catholic culture over two millenia; the inspiring example of thousands of saints, Catholics who truly lived their faith and became clearly extraordinary; the comfort of Sacramentals; the hope of the Beatific Vision; the eternal bringing up the earthly to Heaven in the Mass, I could go on.
B
Brendan_64
Guest
Christ Himself founded our Church, in person, when He walked the Earth, and we have stood firm to those traditions ever since. Our Church was founded, not by men, but by God, in person. If that’s not a good enough reason then I’m really not sure what is.
S
steymard
Guest
Amazon,
I see on your profile that you’re new to the Faith - welcome!
I might have sounded a little snippy, please don’t take offense.
It might help us answer you if you let us know if you yourself are looking for reasons to believe, or if you are seeking to answer the questions of a friend, or if you are simply curious. I think the whole tapestry of Catholic doctrine is simply glorious, and I could talk about it for hours.
I see on your profile that you’re new to the Faith - welcome!
I might have sounded a little snippy, please don’t take offense.
It might help us answer you if you let us know if you yourself are looking for reasons to believe, or if you are seeking to answer the questions of a friend, or if you are simply curious. I think the whole tapestry of Catholic doctrine is simply glorious, and I could talk about it for hours.
H
HandyAndy
Guest
The Eucharist!
The true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. To be truly in the presence of love. Now that is really something.
Despite all that his children do to him through our ignorance and our arrogance, he still longs for our affection. Though he suffered much for OUR sins…his children continue to force further suffering on him as they pull away from his love…yet he still reaches out for us through his tears of love. Have we become so distant as to not be able to feel his passion…and what do we owe for such suffering and so great a sacrifice?
Abortion, Euthanasia of the sick, the elderly and the disabled, rape and murder of the women and children of the Sudan, the trafficking in sex slaves, Greed and the sufferings through the Global financial crisis, children lost to the crack epidemic of Brazil, open celebrations of the flesh in Gay street parades, street violence, and the open mockery of Jesus and his church. So tell me…how are we doing as children of God?
“They mock me.
They spit on me.
Throw my words away.”
“Where are my children at the mass? Where are my children?
I tell you, they are seeking their own selfish selves.”
The true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. To be truly in the presence of love. Now that is really something.
Despite all that his children do to him through our ignorance and our arrogance, he still longs for our affection. Though he suffered much for OUR sins…his children continue to force further suffering on him as they pull away from his love…yet he still reaches out for us through his tears of love. Have we become so distant as to not be able to feel his passion…and what do we owe for such suffering and so great a sacrifice?
Abortion, Euthanasia of the sick, the elderly and the disabled, rape and murder of the women and children of the Sudan, the trafficking in sex slaves, Greed and the sufferings through the Global financial crisis, children lost to the crack epidemic of Brazil, open celebrations of the flesh in Gay street parades, street violence, and the open mockery of Jesus and his church. So tell me…how are we doing as children of God?
“They mock me.
They spit on me.
Throw my words away.”
“Where are my children at the mass? Where are my children?
I tell you, they are seeking their own selfish selves.”
B
Brendan_64
Guest
M
marywarfield
Guest
For me it is because I would rather experience
Christ present and living in the Eucharist than remember
Him fondly at a memorial service somewhere else.
B
Brendan_64
Guest
The healing Sacrament of Penance.
N
Neofight
Guest
More important is we remember we are Christians first, and the Body of Christ is not exclusively made up of Catholics!
B
Brendan_64
Guest
The Catholic Church is not simply another Christian denomination. We are the one true Church, and the others are our separated brethren. So no, we do not think of ourselves as Christians first and Catholics second. We are the one true Church founded by Christ, from which others have moved away through schism.
Yes, all baptised Christians are part of the Body of Christ on Earth, but there is only one true Church and that Church is Catholic.
N
Neofight
Guest
With all due respect to your opinion, I think Vatican Ii would disagree with you, and would be interested in what the Holy Father might say…such attitude might be argued as leaning towards a lack of humility ala the Pharisees as depicted in the Gospel.
S
St_Francis
Guest
I would be interested in finding out where the V2 documents say this; perhaps you would be kind enough to post those quotes or sources in another thread so we don’t derail Amazon’s thread (which is also against CAF rules)?
You have my permission to quote this post in the new thread.
S
St_Francis
Guest
Well, gee, you asked for “a reason”… we are very literal here!
In another post, you said you were looking for “real” reasons… Can you give us an example, since you seem to think the fullness of the Faith and the Eucharist are not “real” reasons
For me, the Catholic Church contains everything that God wanted to give to Man–what more could one ask for?
- Status