Hesitant to return to the Church

[Sumwear]

Former apatheist here. Take your time. Take it slow. I too had my reservations but so many things associated with happenstance in the world that made me keep turning my head back to the possibility of an ultimate being. Perhaps not good enough, but look at the genesis of the Church. The early Christians [Former Jews, former pagans]. Much willing self sacrifice to go off on more than a hunch. Then, there are the accounts of the persecutors who recanted their past lives and turned to Christ, who in the end were persecuted themselves.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Can you post links to these sources?

Here's a starting point.

http://www.bible.ca/d-resurrection-evidence-Josh-McDowell.htm

 

[RenatusFueritExAqua]

So we've established that you believe in God. But what do you believe about Him? Do you believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and cares about you?

Yes

Do you believe in the Incarnation?

That's where there are gaps. I want to believe it and believe it to some extent, but not strongly.

 

[RenatusFueritExAqua]

I think we're in different places then. I haven't been able to make that first step, and the more I study the universe the harder it gets. However, I feel that if I could make that first step the rest would follow. I see it as a chain with three links. The first is the belief in anything supernatural, anything beyond the material world. I haven't made that one. If you make the first, the next is the idea that there is one (or one in three) diety. The third is that out of all the faiths that accept a single diety, the Catholic Church is the one with the best case for understanding this diety. I believe sometimes that if I can make the first. the other two will follow. That's probably because I have a deep respect for the scholarship of the early Church and how far back it reaches.

I view it a little differently. I view the first as believing in a deity, like you said. The second is that if the first is true, believing that the Resurrection and all the other NT events are true. The third is that if the second is true, believing that the Catholic Church is the True Church. I have the first one, and the third one, it is only the second one where there are gaps.

 

[RenatusFueritExAqua]

There are a lot of so-called "scientific" evidences for evolution and evidences against God.

I believe in evolution and God just as the Catholic Church does.

 

[RenatusFueritExAqua]

Here's a starting point.

http://www.bible.ca/d-resurrection-evidence-Josh-McDowell.htm

Thanks, but there are no citations on that article. Primary sources would be good.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

Did you see post #4?

 

[RenatusFueritExAqua]

Did you see post #4?

Oh, thanks. I will give those books a look.

Maybe I'll just take the next few months doing a lot of reading and then decide by the end of the year.

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

I view it a little differently. I view the first as believing in a deity, like you said. The second is that if the first is true, believing that the Resurrection and all the other NT events are true. The third is that if the second is true, believing that the Catholic Church is the True Church. I have the first one, and the third one, it is only the second one where there are gaps.

Maybe I need a step between 1 and 2, I figured that if one believes a supernatural being or beings exist, one has to then sort through all the possibilities, one God, a trinity, a number of gods, a god who is the universe, not separate from it, and so on. Then onto your step 2.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I have been an atheist for a few years now and am slowly coming back to the Church. However, I'm still hesitating to go back because I'm not sure that I'm convinced. I love the Church, I love the Liturgy, the support for family, the Sacraments, etc, I'm just not fully convinced of the basics like the Resurrection.

I don't want to go back to the Church, receive Absolution, go to Mass for a month, only to fall away again because my faith wasn't strong enough in the first place.

I love the Church, I just need a strong reason to believe, and I'm hoping someone here could help me with that.

God loves you and His heart aches to have you back.