Why do you believe?

[August]

My main reason was that I found my idea of the existence of a universal standard of morality was incompatible with my atheism. The move to Catholicism (I had been a nominal at best Protestant before being an atheist) happened shortly afterward.

 

[john_doran]

The free grace of God - that contains everything.​

yes. yes, it does.

 

[I_Believe]

Great thread

I started to answer “I studied/prayed about it and found it to be true.” But that is just what got me back to Mass.

I believe because …

1. He has spoken to me, and ,
2. He has answered my prayers

One of the things He granted was amazing.

Hallowed be His Holy Name forever

 

[dorothy_smith]

This is probably the best question I’ve seen on this forum.

I believe for one reason only. I want to spend eternity with my maternal grandmother and my mother. The Church says my maternal grandmother is burning in hell because she left the Church to marry my grandfather, but I’m willing to bet on God’s mercy. If God doesn’t grant her mercy, then I’m more than ready to go straight to hell to be by her side.

Sorry, there’s a second reason. I’m sick to death of this world we live in. The everlasting live the Church promises will be a very welcome change.

You love your grandmother. God would not let anyone who is loved to burn in hell.

 

[dorothy_smith]

I am not in the least troubled by unbelievers and if one asked me to prove the existence of God, I would simply answer : the great majority of people in the world do believe in a supreme being and if you don’t, the onus is on you to prove the opposite…

The onus is on the person making the claim. You are claiming that God exists. The non-believer isn’t making a claim that God doesn’t exist. He simply doesn’t believe in God. For example, you might claim to be able to read my thoughts. The onus would be on you to prove it. I could not prove that you cannot read my thoughts. I simply would not believe you (not without concrete evidence that is).

 

[jack_hawkins]

I put no. 6, but probably it should have been other
God makes sense of life, and coming back to church has given me peace
I have certainly felt the presence of God and seen, not miracles, but signs from God

 

[dorothy_smith]

I believe in God because He sends me little signs. I also believe in God because God is everything that is good. When I try and do good it makes me feel happy in my soul. When the devil tempts me to be bad I feel depressed and horrible. Anything time I read the NT or the meditations of Christ I feel at peace. The devil does not give peace only God does. God gives us His proof of peace by the teachings of His son. Jesus gives us proof of His existence by the peace He installs in our souls. If we accept Him then we will have eternal peace when we pass over.

 

[Benedictus]

You love your grandmother. God would not let anyone who is loved to burn in hell.

Cool, if someone loves me, I can’t go to hell.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Dorothy,

The general consensus of humanity is accepted as valid, unless formally disproved.

Verbum

 

[dorothy_smith]

Hi Dorothy,

The general consensus of humanity is accepted as valid, unless formally disproved.

Verbum

The general consensus of humanity was at one time of the opinion that the earth was flat

 

[dorothy_smith]

Cool, if someone loves me, I can’t go to hell.

Yes, that’s right. If someone loves you then at one time you must have had love in you to be loved. God does not send to hell His loved ones.

Plus, when you are in heaven you have no more worries. Therefore, the person who is loved cannot be in hell because it would in turn upset the balance of bliss per se.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Dorothy,

The general consensus of humanity was at one time of the opinion that the earth was flat

I think you need to read my original post again.

I gave a “poor” reason : I just do.

I am convinced that belief in God is a grace of God. Of course, there are oodles of proof of the existence of God, but the fact is that, of two individuals with the same upbringing, intelligence and circumstances, one will believe and the other will not. There is therefore something else at work. It may be a function of free will, but, in this case, we know that we cannot even have a good thought without the grace of God.

I am not in the least troubled by unbelievers and if one asked me to prove the existence of God, I would simply answer : the great majority of people in the world do believe in a supreme being and if you don’t, the onus is on you to prove the opposite… **There was a time when most of the world believed that the earth was flat and that the sun went around it. They believed their senses, and they were right to do so. When people came around who thought differently, they were asked, rightly, to bring convincing proof. The same goes for the existence of God. **

We cannot convert anyone, only God converts. And if we are brought into contact with an unbeliever, God may or may not use us. Our job is to be a witness to our faith by our words and deeds. The kindness and understanding we show may go farther than any proof.

Verbum

 

[Sixtus]

There are many good reasons here, too many to list individually.

Because such a complex universe requires the existence of a God.

1. If God created creatures that are able to love and communicate, then He must be able to love and communicate, hence the necessity for revealed religion.

1. Of all the revealed religions, only Judaism and Christianity make sense.

1. Christ clearly fulfills the messianic prophecies, hence Christianity is true.

1. Catholicism is the oldest form of Chrsitianity and is supported by the Bible, history, and logic.

That’s why I’m Catholic.

God Bless,
Michael

AMEN

 

[dorothy_smith]

There was a time when most of the world believed that the earth was flat and that the sun went around it. They believed their senses, and they were right to do so. When people came around who thought differently, they were asked, rightly, to bring convincing proof. The same goes for the existence of God.

We cannot convert anyone, only God converts. And if we are brought into contact with an unbeliever, God may or may not use us. Our job is to be a witness to our faith by our words and deeds. The kindness and understanding we show may go farther than any proof.

Hi Verbum

Kindness and understanding are very recommendable virtues but, alas, they are not proof of God’s existence. Many atheists have those same two virtues in abundance, yet, they do not believe in God or anything else that isn’t empirically proved.

And regarding the flat earth analogy and convincing proof, what is your convincing proof of God’s existence. You claim that God exists (so do I) but then again people once claimed that the earth was flat, they were proven wrong.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Dorothy,

Exactly. I am waiting to be proven wrong.

Verbum

 

[dorothy_smith]

Hi Dorothy,

Exactly. I am waiting to be proven wrong.

Verbum

Hello Verbum

No, you don’t get it. The burden of proof is upon you making the claim. Your argument is invalid otherwise. For example, you could claim a million and one things and then wait to be proven wrong. That would be a farce. The onus is on you to prove your claims. To suggest otherwise is nonsensical. Plus, making a claim and then refusing to back it up with proof doesn’t suggest much confidence in what you profess. And it also goes against Catholic tradition; it is more in line with the Latter Day Saints who answer any doubters with their claim that they believe their beliefs to be true because they feel it in their bosoms to be true.

 

[Bennie_P]

Hello Verbum

No, you don’t get it. The burden of proof is upon you making the claim. Your argument is invalid otherwise. For example, you could claim a million and one things and then wait to be proven wrong. That would be a farce. The onus is on you to prove your claims. To suggest otherwise is nonsensical. Plus, making a claim and then refusing to back it up with proof doesn’t suggest much confidence in what you profess. And it also goes against Catholic tradition; it is more in line with the Latter Day Saints who answer any doubters with their claim that they believe their beliefs to be true because they feel it in their bosoms to be true.

We don’t have to prove anything, we just have to believe and live in the trust of our Lord. It is God who converts and we are just having foolish debates to think that we do the converting or the proving. If we live in His grace then that is what God will use, no matter how smart we think we are, it is not us, but Him that does the proving.

John 6:64-65 (6:65-66) But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him. And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father. DRB

 

[dorothy_smith]

We don’t have to prove anything, we just have to believe and live in the trust of our Lord. It is God who converts and we are just having foolish debates to think that we do the converting or the proving. If we live in His grace then that is what God will use, no matter how smart we think we are, it is not us, but Him that does the proving.

Don’t we have to prove to the one being converted that Catholicism is the only true religion? And that Catholics are the only ones that are going to heaven? I wouldn’t consider being converted into the faith by taking catechism classes as foolishly debating. Or are you suggesting that God converts us alone without the need of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Or maybe you are suggesting that God converts into believing without the need of any religion?

 

[Bennie_P]

Don’t we have to prove to the one being converted that Catholicism is the only true religion? And that Catholics are the only ones that are going to heaven? I wouldn’t consider being converted into the faith by taking catechism classes as foolishly debating. Or are you suggesting that God converts us alone without the need of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Or maybe you are suggesting that God converts into believing without the need of any religion?

We prove it by God’s Grace, sure we need to know our faith, we need to live the faith.

God proved to me that he was God, he used different people, but it wasn’t the people that convinced me but the Holy Spirit. God proved to me that the Catholic Church was the true Church and he used many people in my life over many, many years, including non-Catholics, but it wasn’t until I accepted the prompting of the Holy Spirit, did I understand.

We need to practice our appologetics, be knowlegable of the teachings of the Church. But we can present what we know as truth until we are blue in the face to someone that will not accept the truth, and will be to no avail, until they accept the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I really take to heart this that is attributed to St Francis: “Preach always, use words when necessary.”

For I know my words mean nothing, without God.

I come here to CAF to practice my knowledge of the faith and to learn, so the Holy Spirit may use me, but when it comes down to proving my beliefs, I have no power to do that.

 

[chris_molter]

Because it makes the most sense to me.

That, and all the alternatives suck.