Sometimes I Wish I Were A Catholic 2

    Due to the number of replies on the previous topic, I have been prompted to write a new post since writing individual comments is a hassle.

    Another reason why I blogged about this in the first place is because of this song. It sounded beautiful with both the lyrics and melody. But what struck me was the passion with which the people sing this song. And of course the writer who came up with the words. This is the thing I am looking for; I want to feel strongly about something, something so brilliant that it would inspire me to create.

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvellous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above *

*And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God, to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You.

You are beautiful beyond description
Yet God crushed You for my sin
In agony and deep affliction
Cut off that I might enter in
Who can grasp such tender compassion?
Who can fathom this mercy so free?
You are beautiful beyond description
Lamb of God who died for me *

Anyways, on with the replies.

@alia

You will find that faith in yourself. It doesn’t matter what about. It could be faith in people, faith in your goodness or in your talents. It doesn’t hurt to start from there.

    That’s interesting food for thought. But I think I, perhaps erroneously, associate this issue with the question of why I am here in this world. Where did I come from? How do I talk to the source?

@shaira

“I totally disagree, however, with people who think science and faith/religion do not go along very well. That is not the case, they’re actually quite complementary, but it just needs open eyes and an open mind to see this.”

    I do not understand how you find science and religion to be complementary. Correct me if I am wrong but looking at it objectively, science studies what is measurable and religion under the eyes of science is in no way measurable.  I think that they are complementary in the sense that together they can explain everything to human beings. But that’s it because looking at history religion was always whatever science could not explain.

@pitasyo

“What what what are you guys talking about? If there is anything more obvious than you reading this, it is the NATURE of MAN to be RELIGIOUS… it is such a common phenomenon all over the world that despite having different cultures and separated lands, man in his separation from one another finds universality in being religious that atheism is the abnormality.”

    I find that the nature of man isn’t to be religious but to seek knowledge. It makes perfect sense as the most primitive (historically-speaking) of religions, worshiping the elements, explains it perfectly.

    Imagine the cave people as they go about making heads and tails of their world. The things that they can sense and observe, they explain. For example water is wet and fire is hot. But for things that they cannot explain they deem them as gods worthy of worship and sacrifice.

NOW. Given this presupposition, HOW, HOW can you say that RELIGION is man-made if there such is an intrinsic need for man to submit himself to a Superior Being?

    That’s as you say, a presupposition. Religion is man-made in the sense that all social aspects of it are man-made and are propagated by man. If there were a Superior Being that officiated its own religion then we wouldn’t have any questions now would we?

From this platform, yes religion comes about through the intrinsically embedded “tendency” (for lack of better term) of man to be religous, but not from the pure necessity of society, hence a social construct, nor from the so called autonomous rationalization of man (for there is no such thing) which would prompt some to call religion as a “product of the human mind”, which is synonymous to saying “God is a mental construct”. Shame!

    If it helps, please view the issue as a non-Catholic (if you can) it will make a lot more sense. Also there is no argument/proof here.

There is only one Truth, and when it comes to Truth, and when you believe the Truth, there is no compromise. The Catholic Church is the One True Church, the only religion which operates on both logic and reason. The Children of the Church can be flawed (like priests, bishops, the laity, etc), but the Church, the institution which Jesus founded Himself is Immaculately Perfect.

    I find this one of the most disturbing things about Catholicism. Though it is altruistic for you to spread your beliefs to other people how can you explain how these other people came about their own beliefs? What happens to non-believers, not by choice but by geography? If Catholicism is the true religion then why didn’t the world know about it at the same time?

How can people BELIEVE without knowing, how can people be faithful but not religious?

    You live in the Philippines right? Ask your Juan dela Cruz about doctrines and stuff, he may not be able to answer but he can honestly say that he has his faith.

    All religion operates under this because of no superior being manifesting itself. It is a purely scientific way of looking at it, but if you take out that all you have is faith. Faith with which you can express and absorb without following religious doctrines.