Don’t read this if you have doubts

[Anonymous]

I suspect that a poster on the other “doubt” thread has strong doubts themselves, which explains their “troll” comment. I was taught that doubt is a good thing. That it’s natural to doubt and natural to remain faithful despite having doubts; that doubt makes your faith stronger.

What were you taught about religious doubt?

[Anonymous]

I was also taught that questioning and examining your faith was good (Presbyterian).

[Anonymous]

The Catholic process of preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation (usually around 8th or 9th grade), is all about examining your faith and beliefs and choosing for yourself what your parents and Godparents chose for you at Baptism. I remember we had to keep a year long journal to explore and record our thoughts, and were often given prompts to write about. I remember writing an essay in it "Does God Exist?" which the priest at my final pre-Confirmaiton interview discussed with me at some length. Unsurprisingly, I ended up majoring in philosophy in college.

The pre-Cana preparation for marriage has you explore your faith again, as you are preparing to take a vow that includes a promise to raise your children in the faith, so it is important to explore what that vow means to you as a couple before you make it.

Also the Catholic Intellectual Tradition call for constant exploration of faith and reason. Boston College describes it in part here:

"The CIT is forged by a deep partnership between faith and reason, as if two sides of the same coin. It reflects the conviction that rational people need to understand their faith for it to be credible. Likewise, in-depth reasoning leads to questions of ultimacy that encourage a faith response. However, for any of us in the everyday of life, this faith/reason partnership of CIT coalesces most intensely around momentous questions about ourselves like “Where do we come from?”; “Who or what are we?”; and “Where are we going?” Responding to such ultimate issues calls for faith and reason working together, and at times, perhaps in fruitful tension."

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/pr...ctual-tradition.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Catholic process of preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation (usually around 8th or 9th grade), is all about examining your faith and beliefs and choosing for yourself what your parents and Godparents chose for you at Baptism. I remember we had to keep a year long journal to explore and record our thoughts, and were often given prompts to write about. I remember writing an essay in it "Does God Exist?" which the priest at my final pre-Confirmaiton interview discussed with me at some length. Unsurprisingly, I ended up majoring in philosophy in college.

The pre-Cana preparation for marriage has you explore your faith again, as you are preparing to take a vow that includes a promise to raise your children in the faith, so it is important to explore what that vow means to you as a couple before you make it.

Also the Catholic Intellectual Tradition call for constant exploration of faith and reason. Boston College describes it in part here:

"The CIT is forged by a deep partnership between faith and reason, as if two sides of the same coin. It reflects the conviction that rational people need to understand their faith for it to be credible. Likewise, in-depth reasoning leads to questions of ultimacy that encourage a faith response. However, for any of us in the everyday of life, this faith/reason partnership of CIT coalesces most intensely around momentous questions about ourselves like “Where do we come from?”; “Who or what are we?”; and “Where are we going?” Responding to such ultimate issues calls for faith and reason working together, and at times, perhaps in fruitful tension."

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/pr...ctual-tradition.html

All the above helps intelligent Catholics feel good about remaining Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Catholic process of preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation (usually around 8th or 9th grade), is all about examining your faith and beliefs and choosing for yourself what your parents and Godparents chose for you at Baptism. I remember we had to keep a year long journal to explore and record our thoughts, and were often given prompts to write about. I remember writing an essay in it "Does God Exist?" which the priest at my final pre-Confirmaiton interview discussed with me at some length. Unsurprisingly, I ended up majoring in philosophy in college.

The pre-Cana preparation for marriage has you explore your faith again, as you are preparing to take a vow that includes a promise to raise your children in the faith, so it is important to explore what that vow means to you as a couple before you make it.

Also the Catholic Intellectual Tradition call for constant exploration of faith and reason. Boston College describes it in part here:

"The CIT is forged by a deep partnership between faith and reason, as if two sides of the same coin. It reflects the conviction that rational people need to understand their faith for it to be credible. Likewise, in-depth reasoning leads to questions of ultimacy that encourage a faith response. However, for any of us in the everyday of life, this faith/reason partnership of CIT coalesces most intensely around momentous questions about ourselves like “Where do we come from?”; “Who or what are we?”; and “Where are we going?” Responding to such ultimate issues calls for faith and reason working together, and at times, perhaps in fruitful tension."

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/pr...ctual-tradition.html

All the above helps intelligent Catholics feel good about remaining Catholic.

Yes, especially when you hear the stupid, hypocritical nonsense coming from reactionary, conservative clergy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Catholic process of preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation (usually around 8th or 9th grade), is all about examining your faith and beliefs and choosing for yourself what your parents and Godparents chose for you at Baptism. I remember we had to keep a year long journal to explore and record our thoughts, and were often given prompts to write about. I remember writing an essay in it "Does God Exist?" which the priest at my final pre-Confirmaiton interview discussed with me at some length. Unsurprisingly, I ended up majoring in philosophy in college.

The pre-Cana preparation for marriage has you explore your faith again, as you are preparing to take a vow that includes a promise to raise your children in the faith, so it is important to explore what that vow means to you as a couple before you make it.

Also the Catholic Intellectual Tradition call for constant exploration of faith and reason. Boston College describes it in part here:

"The CIT is forged by a deep partnership between faith and reason, as if two sides of the same coin. It reflects the conviction that rational people need to understand their faith for it to be credible. Likewise, in-depth reasoning leads to questions of ultimacy that encourage a faith response. However, for any of us in the everyday of life, this faith/reason partnership of CIT coalesces most intensely around momentous questions about ourselves like “Where do we come from?”; “Who or what are we?”; and “Where are we going?” Responding to such ultimate issues calls for faith and reason working together, and at times, perhaps in fruitful tension."

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/pr...ctual-tradition.html

The leaders of the Catholic church are not stupid. They understand that they are hemorrhaging church goers and supporters. Of course they are doing their best to survive and adjust to modern times.

Of course they are focusing on the broad "where do we come from" type questions. It's one of the most fundamental questions, and often one that children ask as one of their first thoughtful ones. However, trying to understand how we are here is still not evidence for belief in an abrahamic god, or any particular god. That's the false correlation I typically witness from believers.

Also, I love having confirmation take place when people are early teenagers. What a way to lock them in before their brain is fully developed, especially the part involved in reason and judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was also taught that questioning and examining your faith was good (Presbyterian).

Same. Reformed but not presbyterian.

I was taught early on that certainty merely a mental and psychological state. Constant studying, reflection, examination, learning, and humility are required. Humble doubting is necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Catholic process of preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation (usually around 8th or 9th grade), is all about examining your faith and beliefs and choosing for yourself what your parents and Godparents chose for you at Baptism. I remember we had to keep a year long journal to explore and record our thoughts, and were often given prompts to write about. I remember writing an essay in it "Does God Exist?" which the priest at my final pre-Confirmaiton interview discussed with me at some length. Unsurprisingly, I ended up majoring in philosophy in college.

The pre-Cana preparation for marriage has you explore your faith again, as you are preparing to take a vow that includes a promise to raise your children in the faith, so it is important to explore what that vow means to you as a couple before you make it.

Also the Catholic Intellectual Tradition call for constant exploration of faith and reason. Boston College describes it in part here:

"The CIT is forged by a deep partnership between faith and reason, as if two sides of the same coin. It reflects the conviction that rational people need to understand their faith for it to be credible. Likewise, in-depth reasoning leads to questions of ultimacy that encourage a faith response. However, for any of us in the everyday of life, this faith/reason partnership of CIT coalesces most intensely around momentous questions about ourselves like “Where do we come from?”; “Who or what are we?”; and “Where are we going?” Responding to such ultimate issues calls for faith and reason working together, and at times, perhaps in fruitful tension."

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/pr...ctual-tradition.html

The leaders of the Catholic church are not stupid. They understand that they are hemorrhaging church goers and supporters. Of course they are doing their best to survive and adjust to modern times.

Of course they are focusing on the broad "where do we come from" type questions. It's one of the most fundamental questions, and often one that children ask as one of their first thoughtful ones. However, trying to understand how we are here is still not evidence for belief in an abrahamic god, or any particular god. That's the false correlation I typically witness from believers.

Also, I love having confirmation take place when people are early teenagers. What a way to lock them in before their brain is fully developed, especially the part involved in reason and judgement.

I work for the Catholic Church. Believe me, they are not doing their best to survive and adjust to modern times. If they were, we would already have married priests, at least, and maybe even female priests. The Catholic Church doesn't have enough personnel to fulfill its own pastoral mission. I'm Catholic and find this whole situation pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Troll thread? come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Catholic process of preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation (usually around 8th or 9th grade), is all about examining your faith and beliefs and choosing for yourself what your parents and Godparents chose for you at Baptism. I remember we had to keep a year long journal to explore and record our thoughts, and were often given prompts to write about. I remember writing an essay in it "Does God Exist?" which the priest at my final pre-Confirmaiton interview discussed with me at some length. Unsurprisingly, I ended up majoring in philosophy in college.

The pre-Cana preparation for marriage has you explore your faith again, as you are preparing to take a vow that includes a promise to raise your children in the faith, so it is important to explore what that vow means to you as a couple before you make it.

Also the Catholic Intellectual Tradition call for constant exploration of faith and reason. Boston College describes it in part here:

"The CIT is forged by a deep partnership between faith and reason, as if two sides of the same coin. It reflects the conviction that rational people need to understand their faith for it to be credible. Likewise, in-depth reasoning leads to questions of ultimacy that encourage a faith response. However, for any of us in the everyday of life, this faith/reason partnership of CIT coalesces most intensely around momentous questions about ourselves like “Where do we come from?”; “Who or what are we?”; and “Where are we going?” Responding to such ultimate issues calls for faith and reason working together, and at times, perhaps in fruitful tension."

https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/centers/church21/pr...ctual-tradition.html

The leaders of the Catholic church are not stupid. They understand that they are hemorrhaging church goers and supporters. Of course they are doing their best to survive and adjust to modern times.

Of course they are focusing on the broad "where do we come from" type questions. It's one of the most fundamental questions, and often one that children ask as one of their first thoughtful ones. However, trying to understand how we are here is still not evidence for belief in an abrahamic god, or any particular god. That's the false correlation I typically witness from believers.

Also, I love having confirmation take place when people are early teenagers. What a way to lock them in before their brain is fully developed, especially the part involved in reason and judgement.

Right - all the while telling the kids how mature they are and how confirmation was saved for a time when they could make their own decisions. What a scam.

[Anonymous]

Timshel

[Anonymous]

Why waste your time posting questions you don’t really want answered?

[Anonymous]

This: Doubt is a requirement of faith. The opposite of faith is certainty.

[Anonymous]

My dad told me we will all always have some doubting Thomas in us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This: Doubt is a requirement of faith. The opposite of faith is certainty.

The opposite of faith is proof. For things for which you don't have proof, you must have faith.