An Open Letter to All Young Christians - Please Convince Me.

You guys do realize catholics are Christians too right?

 

lol we really showed him

 

What does that have to do with anything though?

 

That is actually just a rumor.

 

Before you make all of your bashing statements to this, I would like to point out that these are not my own ideas, but the catechism of the Catholic Church created by many bishops and cardinals including many popes.

The bible was written by human beings, not god himself. For the record, human beings are not perfect and do not always match up with other teachings or how christianity evolved over the centuries.

Again, the bible was written around 2000 years ago. Then, the communal pool of scientific knowledge was much smaller. It was only 400 years prior that Democritus formed his atomic theory with absolutely no evidence. In the case of evolution, many christians believe in it due to it's evidence keeping in mind that god is the divine author for its occurrence.

As you speak of critical thinking, i'll use that very term to break up your argument. Critical thinking is to take what you have and can see and analyze it to the point of a conclusion that was not simply stated. Through this, one can determine that there is a creator. Look at a tall building and tell me who the architect and engineer was to make it stand? Just because you cannot point out who the creator of the building is doesn't mean it didn't have one. The proof of the creation itself is proof that there is a creator, otherwise you would therefore support spontaneous generation which is the creation of something out of nothing.

We do believe in a literal Hell, however it is not of God's creation. God created angels, divine beings that were never human, and gave them free will just as humans have. The first angel to turn away from God was satan, and from there others had followed. The fallen angels, or devils, had created Hell and went to reap souls from the world to fill it. As for genocide, the flooding of the earth was to purify it from the deep evil it had fallen to which cannot be described. Adding to that God had warned those who were pure of heart and saved them from the flood. As for the passover, the people of God, who were Jews at the time since Christ had not walked the earth yet, were enslaved in Egypt and were set free by plagues that were increasingly devastating to the pharaoh and his people which did come with a warning.

Yes. The power of prayer is unimaginable. However, saving miracles are more common for those who have fallen away from the faith rather than solid believers as they are very effective for bringing people back to the faith, whereas a believer would know that an eternal reward is awaiting them. Also, God's job is not to give us what we want, it is to help guide us to the kingdom of heaven while attempting to spread the truth and good news without forcing it upon others. Back to miracles, science can prove that they do in fact exist and have no other explanation. Take for example Gus Lloyd who is an active evangelist in the catholic faith. In his early adulthood he fell away from Catholicism. One day at a party his only daughter who was at a young age had fallen into their swimming pool and went unnoticed under the pool cover. Being close to fall, the cold water had frozen her muscles and she drowned in that very pool. About an hour later, he had found her lying in the bottom after a search for her when she did not show up. Convinced that she was dead, he pulled her off the bottom and held her in his arms. He also recounted holding her in his arms while pleading to god to bring her back to him, and he did. It was this that brought him back to the church and to a morning radio show "seize the day" where he talks about things such as this with a large atheist population of listeners.

Not everything under God's gaze is righteous and just. Homicide, abortion, suicide, the list goes on. However, he is ultimately just in his power to decide Heaven or Hell from a person's actions, even if they did not serve for them in this world. Being fully merciful is his promise to forgive any sin, no matter the severity if and only if we decide to forgive ourselves and ask for his mercy. The contradiction of mercy and just comes when society says if one is merciful then they give no punishment, however in this world the reward is forgotten. Being just is not just sentencing unrepenting people to Hell, but also rewarding those who he has shown his mercy to with heaven.

He does. Every day God shows himself through the charitable acts and love of those who believe in him. When you see someone feed the homeless or sick, you also see Jesus feeding the starving and broken in his life. A key belief to christianity is that God is in all of us no matter our actions. Therefore our actions are his. Our evils he suffers for. Our good deeds he rejoices in. The story of doubting Thomas was that he did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead so he had walked through a locked door, not showing himself through divination as in coming down from heaven to appear in front of us. That is for us to do through our works and deeds.

Yes. Prayer is a conversation with God where he responds in actions and events. Although there is no audible noise, a christian can know he is there by truly listening, not with their ears, but with their heart.

Disagree. Hindu's do not believe in the same God, they believe that the Ganges river is the Mother of all life. Muslims believe that Jesus Christ was not the son of god, but another prophet along with Mohammed. Also, Allah, Yahweh, and God are all the same. Also, the Q'uran, the Torah, and the Bible are different books but have the same books inside of them with leaving out or adding some books based on the prior stated beliefs. On the matter of handing down beliefs, that is partially true, however due to free will the religion that holds true will be the longest lived and the most professed.

No. Our God gave his life on the cross to break the seal of death and open up the doors to heaven by planting the first seed of christianity in the middle east. He also did not have himself tortured, he simply did not back down that he was the son of God even when threatened with death. By rising from the dead, he proved this to many more and continued to spread the good news until he rose back to heaven and took his throne awaiting our arrival for judgement. Also, the cross used to be an ancient torture device. Now, it is a sign of God's love in how he gave his own life and endured tremendous suffering for our own actions. Also, original sin, the sin every one of us is born with, was made when Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of wisdom and gave humanity the choice of good and evil and the tendency towards evil. Being baptized into the church erases this sin and does not require eternal torture. Hell comes when one does not follow Christ and instead turns to sin and Satan.
I hope this explanation serves well in this debate since I put 2 hours in typing it and also how it addresses all misconceptions about Christianity. Also, I would like to share a quote from archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He states that "Not 100 people in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is.”

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 16, 2015, Original Post Date: Feb 16, 2015 ---

If you really are looking for change I suggest attending a Catholic mass and perhaps openly speaking to a priest or evangelist as it is nearly impossible to change someone's beliefs without them being open and willing to change

 

How do yall make these 3 page responses damn.

 

Don't worry, quotes take up about half of it

 

He wanted to be dazzled and I hate to disappoint

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 16, 2015, Original Post Date: Feb 16, 2015 ---

No but seriously as fang points out quotes take up a ton of space

 

that's the stupidest question a human being could ever think of!

 

Not really, it's a pretty good one, and if a Catholic or any follower of any faith (or non-faith) doesn't know the answer to why they believe something, then it's pretty silly for them to believe it.

 

What he said

 

what if i asked you why you were "jewish" or something. how would you reply? please share

 

I would explain that that is my faith because x, y, and z.
I am Catholic because I find hope, a comfort, and proof enough for the existence of God. I believe that He exists because of my experiences in life. One of my main reasons for believing in him is the "intelligent design" proof by St. Thomas Aquinas (which basically says that the world is too intricate for everything to happen by chance). Many other parts of my religion i agree with/have come to the same conclusion as through my own critical thinking about it, such as (i have 2 min left so I can't go into detail) intelligent design, how I am conscious but plants are not, though we are both alive, how consciousness works, the CIRCLE OF LIFEEEEEEEE, etc etc. I am Catholic because I find it very logical to be, and trust in what I don't understand.

Your turn

 

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evolution Hoax/evidences.htm

Facts against evolution because I dont feel like typing it out in different words

 

"And what do we say about coincidence?"
"The universe is rarely so lazy"
~Sherlock

--- Double Post Merged, Feb 16, 2015, Original Post Date: Feb 16, 2015 ---

I read it

Some of it

Anyway, that's one of those fanatic websites by the look of it.

 

This offends me a lot.

 

why?

 

Because it goes against my religious beliefs.

 

well i believe in god and such but not as much as i used to since i stopped going to church

 

I'm guessing he's Christian and doesn't like that we are debating whether or not his God exists.