Why "practice" religion?

[PRmerger]

I can’t prove it I wasn’t stating it as fact or even theory in the way that gravity is a “theory” but as rather a possibility. To me, it seems more likely that Catholicism is another invention rather than the Catholic explanation that it is God’s final revelation and everything else before it was a precursor or “man searching in the shadows”, etc. But, I could be wrong. Trying to figure that out.

'kay. Fair enough.

It does sound, though, as if you’re starting from the premise that Catholicism is a human construct.

If that’s your premise then you must provide evidence for Catholicism being a human construct.

I suggest you watch this youtube video of Peter Kreeft “7 Reasons to be Catholic”

youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8RWFRVC8w&feature=related

 

[PathDiagnosis]

'kay. Fair enough.

It does sound, though, as if you’re starting from the premise that Catholicism is a human construct.

If that’s your premise then you must provide evidence for Catholicism being a human construct.

I suggest you watch this youtube video of Peter Kreeft “7 Reasons to be Catholic”

youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8RWFRVC8w&feature=related

I’ve listed to that before and am familiar with works by Kreet, Hahn, Madrid, etc.
Maybe I’ll download it and listen to it on jog/walk this weekend. I prefer not to sit and listen.

 

[jmcrae]

Thanks. Might as well continue here.

Whatever reading/studying I do is just because I happen to be born in a well to do country, educated, and money to purchase books to access to the internet, etc. I mean, I have the LUXURY of being able to study religion and then pick one. Others do not, or have less means. I just have trouble with the idea of being a certain religion to picking one (being able to go to church etc) because one has the luxury to do so?

Millions of people can’t take baths, brush their teeth, or close the door when they go to use the bathroom. Are you going to quit taking baths or brushing your teeth, or start going to the bathroom out on your front lawn because of that?

We should take advantage of every advantage we have - and find some way to share it with others, rather than deprive ourselves because other people, through no choice of their own, are deprived.

What about impoverished villages, etc? They are limited to whatever spirituality exists in their locality, which might not be Catholic.

As often as not, it is. We have a lot of missionaries out there on the ground, bringing Jesus to everyone they encounter.

Whatever they conclude to may not be true, assuming the Catholic Church is true. But then, Catholic theology states something along the lines of “those who through no fault of their own do not know to Gospel…can be saved…etc”. I hope you understand this concern.

I do. So does the Church. It’s why we have missionaries.

 

[PathDiagnosis]

But none of this has anything to do with whether or not God exists.

And you’ll also note that there are people who believe in God who don’t have the mental capacity to read. There are other ways to learn of God for other people, but in your case reading seemed a good suggestion.

You having the luxury to study religion and others not having that does nothing to prove or disprove God.

Hmm.
This makes sense if I think with the paradigm that God exists, that He can work through the rich, poor, educated, uneducated, Christian, non-Christian, etc. This is also in line of Catholic teaching regarding the culpability of those who understand or do not understand the Gospel, etc.

Thanks. Somethings to think about.

 

[PathDiagnosis]

Millions of people can’t take baths, brush their teeth, or close the door when they go to use the bathroom. Are you going to quit taking baths or brushing your teeth, or start going to the*** bathroom out on your front lawn because of that?***

We should take advantage of every advantage we have - and find some way to share it with others, rather than deprive ourselves because other people, through no choice of their own, are deprived.

As often as not, it is. We have a lot of missionaries out there on the ground, bringing Jesus to everyone they encounter.

I do. So does the Church. It’s why we have missionaries.

Not to be cruel, but I got a bit of a chuckle out of that. I live in an apartment building with a lobby with front desk/doorman. Ick, going to the bathroom right there

 

[jmcrae]

Not to be cruel, but I got a bit of a chuckle out of that. I live in an apartment building with a lobby with front desk/doorman. Ick, going to the bathroom right there

Millions of people all over the world have no choice but to do something equivalent, but if we were to attempt it here in this country, no doubt someone would take us in to the mental health ward, for our own protection.

Not to get sidetracked - my point was, we are expected to take advantage of indoor plumbing, and no one considers it an act of sympathy for the poor to refrain from doing so.

In the same way, we have the advantage of books, and we should make use of them, despite the rates of illiteracy in other places.

 

[Julia_Mae]

OK,

So I’m sitting here at my computer on a day off from work because I have the time and luxury to do so. Meanwhile, people are starving to death in “third world” countries. I’m not comfortable with “God blessed with me with being born to well do to parents, a good education, a career that pays well above average for people of my age (26), an apartment , a computer, internet, etc”.

And you are waiting for…?

mercycorps.org/

 

[PathDiagnosis]

And you are waiting for…?

mercycorps.org/

I made a point about having the luxury to study religion in depth because it is a concern of mine, especially if I return to Catholicism. What if I returned to it because I had the luxury of such study? Other “more simple” (don’t mean that in a bad way) people stick with another religion (Anglican, etc) because it’s in their little village, etc. Assuming Catholicism is true, I came to it because I had more access, others didn’t.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Assuming Catholicism is true, I came to it because I had more access, others didn’t.

I asked a question. What are you waiting for?

 

[1voice]

This response is like many others. It justifies religion for religion’s sake. Does the anthropology and history of religion bother you? Doesn’t it seem more probable that your religion is the product of human invention???..again see anthropology and history of religion and my suggestion that the evidence for Christ is a coincidence.

Anthropology and history of religion cannot refute the existence of God any more than a library can refute the existence of a librarian.

 

[1voice]

This response is like many others. It justifies religion for religion’s sake. Does the anthropology and history of religion bother you? Doesn’t it seem more probable that your religion is the product of human invention???..again see anthropology and history of religion and my suggestion that the evidence for Christ is a coincidence.

Paul the Apostle stated bluntly … If this Gospel that we teach and believe … is not true … then Christians, more than any other people … are to be pitied.

 

[CopticChristian]

Thanks. Might as well continue here.

Whatever reading/studying I do is just because I happen to be born in a well to do country, educated, and money to purchase books to access to the internet, etc. I mean, I have the LUXURY of being able to study religion and then pick one. Others do not, or have less means. I just have trouble with the idea of being a certain religion to picking one (being able to go to church etc) because one has the luxury to do so?

What about impoverished villages, etc? They are limited to whatever spirituality exists in their locality, which might not be Catholic. Whatever they conclude to may not be true, assuming the Catholic Church is true. But then, Catholic theology states something along the lines of “those who through no fault of their own do not know to Gospel…can be saved…etc”. I hope you understand this concern.

Make this assumption until you find something that you stumble on as a question that causes you to doubt it is true. Here it is Catholic Answers to deal with whatever may cause you to stumble.

 

[1voice]

This response is like many others. It justifies religion for religion’s sake. Does the anthropology and history of religion bother you? Doesn’t it seem more probable that your religion is the product of human invention???..again see anthropology and history of religion and my suggestion that the evidence for Christ is a coincidence.

Why is it so improbable that there can be a God that is capable of allowing an environment where these as well as a myriad of other ideas are expressed.

 

[1voice]

This response is like many others. It justifies religion for religion’s sake. Does the anthropology and history of religion bother you? Doesn’t it seem more probable that your religion is the product of human invention???..again see anthropology and history of religion and my suggestion that the evidence for Christ is a coincidence.

It is mathematically impossible that Christ is a coincidence.

 

[MontChevalier]

PathDiagnosis:
It might not. But, like I said, does that make Christianity God’s final revelation or a collective religious invention of human civilization that is surviving because of non-biological natural selection?

There is little to support that. The efforts of Saints beyond counting, including the timing, the moments, the prophecies being fulfilled and the behaviors of people are not aspects of natural selection; as natural selection usually just repeats error until something comes out, varies very little in the historical ring.

A young 16yr old girl from Orlean could not have been so educated without the grace of God, and stand up to the mighty English army that had subdued northern France. I’m talking, of course, of Joan of Arc. By the time she was martyred, the French had succeeded so thoroughly in defeating the English that they never took those lands ever again. Seems far too far-fetched to have been natural selection.

Then there’s the Our Lady of Guadalupe. That brought and still brings so many Hispanics to God that it seems like too far a coincidence to have just been something made up.

Simply look at the political time of the Roman Empire during Christianity’s rise. It was TOO PERFECT a time.

-MontChevalier

 

[PathDiagnosis]

I asked a question. What are you waiting for?

I am unable to take time off of work now to help. I will not boast of my good words,because I don’t like to brag, not because scripture says we shouldn’t, but I help the “developing/third” world via other means.

 

[PathDiagnosis]

There is little to support that. The efforts of Saints beyond counting, including the timing, the moments, the prophecies being fulfilled and the behaviors of people are not aspects of natural selection; as natural selection usually just repeats error until something comes out, varies very little in the historical ring.

A young 16yr old girl from Orlean could not have been so educated without the grace of God, and stand up to the mighty English army that had subdued northern France. I’m talking, of course, of Joan of Arc. By the time she was martyred, the French had succeeded so thoroughly in defeating the English that they never took those lands ever again. Seems far too far-fetched to have been natural selection.

Then there’s the Our Lady of Guadalupe. That brought and still brings so many Hispanics to God that it seems like too far a coincidence to have just been something made up.

Simply look at the political time of the Roman Empire during Christianity’s rise. It was TOO PERFECT a time.

-MontChevalier

I’ll think about these things. PS I grew up until age six in France (Le-Petite Paris!!!) and familiar with the St. Joan of Arc story.

 

[PathDiagnosis]

It is mathematically impossible that Christ is a coincidence.

Lee Strobel stated that in his “Case for Christ”. I looked into that, even the footnotes, and the footnotes of some footnotes. Still not convinced. I’m surprised he isn’t Catholic after all his investigation of the early Church which shows it was Catholic, or at least more Catholic (adj) than non-Catholic.

He claims to have found the “Truth” but is pastor of his own “don-denominational” church. Another problem.

 

[PathDiagnosis]

There is little to support that. The efforts of Saints beyond counting, including the timing, the moments, the prophecies being fulfilled and the behaviors of people are not aspects of natural selection; as natural selection usually just repeats error until something comes out, varies very little in the historical ring.

A young 16yr old girl from Orlean could not have been so educated without the grace of God, and stand up to the mighty English army that had subdued northern France. I’m talking, of course, of Joan of Arc. By the time she was martyred, the French had succeeded so thoroughly in defeating the English that they never took those lands ever again. Seems far too far-fetched to have been natural selection.

Then there’s the Our Lady of Guadalupe. That brought and still brings so many Hispanics to God that it seems like too far a coincidence to have just been something made up.

Simply look at the political time of the Roman Empire during Christianity’s rise. It was TOO PERFECT a time.

-MontChevalier

These events can be explained without God. Joan of Arc had a great cause and the French wanted to be free. Then , her charisma helped her gain popularity, etc. I could be wrong, it may have been God.

The whole Guadalupe incident allowed Christianity to thrive. People were attracted to the miracle. A skeptic like me would think the miracle was a clever hoax, but I will look into it.
Christianity was favorable at the time (natural selection) because everyone was tired of being taken on top of Aztec pyramids, having their hearts cut out, and thrown down the steps. Voila. I could be wrong, it may have been God. *** Then Protestants might think the miracle was really a vision of Satan in disguise, etc.***

 

[1voice]

Lee Strobel stated that in his “Case for Christ”. I looked into that, even the footnotes, and the footnotes of some footnotes. Still not convinced.

Your statement pretty much supports my theory that those who disbelieve the existence of God do not base their conclusion on true logic.