Post by clusium on Jun 26, 2020 0:40:44 GMT
Why is Catholicism the one true faith?
That’s a great question! Like so many big questions, this one that can be approached from many angles. Some people will answer based on personal experience, others based on history, others on science, and others based on philosophy.
The way I want to answer this question is based on deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is like a pyramid, you start off with the most basic facts, and then use those to build more and more complex conclusions. My pyramid has 5 steps, all leading up to Catholicism:
This is going to be a very detailed answer, so feel free to skip to the parts you find most relevant! Ready? Here we go!
Atheism vs. some sort of supernatural power.
For me, this is the trickiest step to argue, because it involves a lot of very abstract philosophical arguments which don’t have many real-world parallels. However I think that it’s possible to construct a strong rational case for the supernatural for a couple reasons.
The existence of consciousness. Thanks to science, we know that the human brain works by taking in electrical signals, running them through circuits, and outputting more electrical signals. This means that the brain is nothing more than a machine, albeit a very complex one. However no machine can ever be conscious of its decisions, or experience what we call the “theater of the mind”. This means that humans must have an immaterial part of our existence, which we call the soul.
The design of the universe. When we play a computer game, we observe how the world in the game operates according to consistent rules, according to the dictates of a programming language. In the same way, our universe has consistent rules, which are in the language of Mathematics. Humans never “invented” math, math is written in the very fabric of the universe. And just like a programming language could never exist without an intelligent programmer, how could the laws of the universe come about without an intelligent entity?
The fine-tuning argument. Building on to my last point, not only are the laws of the universe beautifully written in math, but they are very specifically-tuned to allow for life. Stanford University physicist and cosmologist, Leonard Susskind, says, “ If the value of this ratio [electrons to protons] deviated more than 1 in 10^37, the universe, as we know it, would not exist today. If the ratio between the electromagnetic force and gravity was altered more than 1 in 10^40, the universe would have suffered a similar fate. Furthermore he states that “If the expansion rate of the universe deviated by more than 1 in 10^37, or the mass density of universe varied more than 1 in 10^59, there wouldn’t be a single habitable galaxy or planet in the universe.[1] For a great article about this, see Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God.
Also, the chance of life on Earth developing by accident is also infinitesimally small. Even the most “simple” multicellular organisms are immensely complex, with over 100,000 DNA base pairs and very complex interlocking mechanisms. Even the random creation of a few working proteins is statistically impossible. To watch scientist Stephen Meyer do some mathematical calculations, look at this video:
In my opinion, believing that all of these things happened by chance takes a lot more faith than believing in God.
2. Monotheism vs. Polytheism and other spiritualism
If we’ve established that a supernatural entity does exist, now we have more questions to answer. How many gods are there? Is god a personal entity, or just some sort of force. I believe that there is one God and that he is a personal God.
Nature of Space and Time. In order for God to write the laws of the universe, which include the existence of space and time, God himself must be outside of space and time. This means that God must be both infinite and eternal; infinite because he exists without space or matter, and eternal, because he exists absent of time. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is also all powerful, that he can create something from nothing. There simply could not be more than one God who fulfills all of this. God himself is infinite and undivided being, which is why he told Moses “I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14
In contrast, the gods of polytheistic religions are not infinite or all powerful. These gods usually have a beginning, live in the universe, and follow pre-existent rules like time, space, and matter. Although these gods could explain certain things in life, they don’t explain the “First Cause” that got time and the universe started. (To work around this, some polytheistic religions actually do believe in a single highest power).
Once we look at the basic evidence, we can establish that there exists some sort of single higher power. But then arises another question: is this entity a personal being who we can have a relationship with? Through reasoning, we can realize that he is a personal God.
God is sentient. If humans, who have very limited minds, are sentient and self-aware, then it follows that God, who gave us consciousness (see above) is also sentient. That said, the way that God thinks and experiences reality is impossible for our minds to comprehend. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8)
God wants a relationship with us. If God went through so much complexity to create and sustain life, and if he gave us consciousness so that we could have understanding of life, then how could he not have an interest in our lives?
God loves us. God is completely whole just by himself, and he doesn’t need anything that humans have to offer. The only reason he could have created us was out of love. He loves us and desires us to love him.
3. Christianity vs. Judaism and Islam
All three major monotheistic religions have a lot of things in common. They all believe in a single God, they share a similar moral code, and accept many of the same Biblical events. However there’s one crucial point that separates Christianity from all other monotheistic religions: Jesus.
Jews think that Jesus was a sorcerer, Muslims think that he was a prophet, but just a man, and Christians think that he was the Messiah and the Son of God. To find out who Jesus is, we have to evaluate the historical evidence.
The Bible was written very recently after the events it describes. Even the most liberal scholarly estimates of when the Gospels were written say that Mark was written in the 70s, Matthew and Luke in the 80s, and John in the 90s. This is well within the lifetime of many witnesses of Jesus, who would be able to make counterclaims if the events recorded in the Bible were inaccurate. There’s a lot of evidence to suggest earlier dates for the Gospels however. Furthermore, even before the Gospels were written, the Apostle Paul was writing letters in the 40’s and 50’s which describe the essential beliefs of Christianity, including Christ’s death, resurrection and divinity. So there really was no time for myths to develop.
The Bible’s historical and locational references are accurate. The New Testament is a very accurate book in terms of history and geography, and as the study of archeology and history progress we are finding more and more corroboration (for example, we’ve recently discovered the Pool of Bethesda, which has 5 porticoes just as John said). Luke especially was a refined and scrupulous historian; one prominent archeologist carefully examined Luke’s references to 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands, and found not a single mistake.
The claims of Christianity could be easily disproved if they weren’t true. In Islam, the central claim of their religion is that Muhammed received private revelations from God over multiple decades. The thing about this is that there’s no way to verify it if it’s true, or disprove it if it’s false. Christianity made claims that could have easily been disproved if they weren’t true: that Jesus lived and preached among the people of Judea, that he performed many public miracles (including a miracle for over 5000 people), that he was crucified by the Romans and the Sanhedrin, and that he rose from the dead, and was seen by the apostles and over 500 followers.
Despite there being many opponents of Christianity in the 1st century, nowhere do we see anyone denying the first three claims. In fact, later Jewish writings call Jesus a sorcerer who led Israel astray, which validates the fact that he performed miracles, even if they disagreed about how he did them. And Jesus’s death by crucifixion is very well corroborated by the Jewish historian Josephus and Roman historians.
This brings us to the Resurrection, which was and still is the most contested part of Jesus’s life. We know that Jesus’s tomb really was empty, because if his body was still there the Jewish leaders would have easily taken it out and disproved his resurrection. But did Jesus really rise, or did his disciples steal the body as the Jewish leaders claimed?
The disciples were in no disposition to start a hoax. After Jesus’s death, the disciples were very discouraged and fearful. Judas, one of their own, had betrayed Jesus, meanwhile Peter had just denied Jesus three times, and the rest of the disciples, except for John, had run away in Jesus’s hour of need. Would these people then risk their lives and reputations in order to steal a dead body (especially if it was guarded by Roman soldiers)?
The Bible cites women as the first witnesses of the Resurrection. During the time of Jesus, the testimony of women was not seen as being equal to men, and women were not even allowed to testify in court. If the disciples were simply making the story up, they would never have invoked women as the first ones to discover the empty tomb.
The disciples immediately proclaimed the Resurrection. If the disciples wanted to start a hoax, you would expect that they might wait a few years until the controversy about Jesus had died down, or go to a different town where their claims couldn’t be so closely scrutinized. Instead, after Pentecost, the disciples began publicly proclaiming the resurrection in Jerusalem, the city whose citizens had crucified Jesus just weeks earlier. The rapid spread of the Faith in Jerusalem also supports the truthfulness of Christian teachings: Jerusalem witnessed Jesus’s life and death better than any other city, so it’s unlikely that Christianity would have spread there if it was based in falsehoods.
Jesus’s resurrection converted non-believers. Jesus’s own ‘brother’ James (‘brother’ was a loose term that could describe any close relative), did not believe in Jesus during his public ministry and likely thought he was crazy (John 7:5, Mark 3:21). Yet by the time of Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection), James had joined Jesus’s disciples, and subsequently became an important leader in the Church. James’s Faith in his brother was so strong that he died as martyr. According to Josephus, James ”the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ…was delivered to be stoned” for his Faith.
The Apostle Paul was even more hostile towards Christianity. As Saul of Tarsus, he was a Jewish Pharisee who went around persecuting and arresting Christians. Yet Saul had a dramatic conversion while on the way to Damascus, which caused him to change his name to Paul and become a great Evangelist for Christianity, also dying for his Faith. Even non-Christian historians agree that both Paul and James experienced radical conversions. However the only thing that could explain these mens’ change in heart is if Jesus really did appear to them.
There was nothing to gain from lying. In fact, because of professing Faith in the resurrected Christ, the Apostles were ostracized from their Jewish community, and were often beaten, imprisoned, slandered, and even killed. Paul, James, and most of the 12 original Apostles were martyrs. It’s true that people of other religions have been willing to die for their faith, but these men were in a unique position because they knew with certainty whether the things they taught were true or whether it was a hoax. There is no way that all of them would die for something they knew to be a lie, so the only logical conclusion is that Jesus really did rise.
“But Gabriel” you might say. “Other people in the Bible have died and came back to life, like Lazarus, but that doesn’t mean that they are divine.” That’s true, but we need to remember the circumstances of Jesus’s death. Jesus was killed by the top religious leaders of the Jewish people for teaching things that they thought were heresy. He claimed that he was the Son of God and that he was initiating a new Covenant between God and man. He said that he had the power to forgive sins (which was something only God could do), and that he and the Father are one. Basically, Jesus was subtly saying that he himself was God, and the Jews knew it (see John 10:30-33).
The fact that Jesus was killed for being a supposed heretic and then rose again by God’s power is Divine confirmation that what he said is true.
4. Catholicism and Orthodoxy vs. Protestantism
Once we’ve established that Christianity is true, another question arises: what kind of religion did Jesus start? There are many branches of Christianity, but in terms of beliefs and practices there are two main subgroups, Protestant Christianity and Apostolic Christianity.
What do I mean by Apostolic Christianity? By this term I’m referring to all the Churches that trace their origins back to the Apostles and have Apostolic Succession (their priests and bishops are successors of the Apostles). These churches are mainly the Catholic Church (which itself has many sub-churches), The Eastern Orthodox Church (like Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox… etc.), and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (like the Coptic Church and the Armenian Church).
Protestantism broke off from the Catholic Church in the 16th century, starting with a disgruntled monk named Martin Luther. Although they were right to call out corruption within the Catholic Church, Luther and subsequent Protestants went farther and created a whole new religion, with beliefs very different from those that all Christians had previously believed, especially regarding the nature of the Church and the means of salvation.
Let’s analyze the evidence to see who is right:
Jesus founded a Church-based religion.
Protestants usually uphold the Bible as the sole basis of Christianity, but that makes little sense. The Bible wasn’t fully written until the 70’s AD at the earliest, and they weren’t put together into a definitive book until the late 300’s! If the Bible is the only legitimate source for Christian beliefs, does that mean that Christianity for the first 300+ years was not legitimate!?
We need to remember that Jesus did not leave behind a Bible when he ascended into heaven, he left a Church. Jesus told the Apostles:
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
Jesus sent the disciples out into the world, giving them the authority to forgive sins, heal the sick, baptize, teach and continue his work. He didn’t leave a book, he left a living Church!
And that power to continue Jesus’s work didn’t just end when the Apostles died. The apostles ordained their own disciples to continue the ministry. We already see one example of this in Acts 1:12-26 NIV when Matthias is chosen to replace Judas. In Titus chapter 1, Paul refers to Titus as a Bishop and states that he has the job of appointing elders (an early term for priests).
Although the names of the different offices were still somewhat fluid, it’s clear from many places in the Bible that there existed a Church hierarchy early on and that the Apostles were ordaining more men to continue their work. See: What is the biblical support for apostolic succession?
Early Christian writers unanimously confirm the concept of Apostolic succession. St Clement of Rome writes: “Our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned, and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry.” —St. Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians, 44:1-2, c. AD 80. For a long list of quotes from Early Christians, see What the Early Church Believed: Apostolic Succession
We also have a lot of historical information about who the apostles appointed as bishops. For example St. Polycarp (Bishop of Smyrna) was a disciple of John, St. Clement (Bishop of Rome) was a disciple of Peter, and Timothy (Bishop of Ephesus) was a disciple of Paul.
Eventually the second generation of bishops ordained more bishops, who went on to ordain more Bishops, and so on… all the way to the current Bishops of all the Apostolic Churches. This is why we believe that our priests and bishops can forgive sins and administer the sacraments - because that power was handed down to them from Jesus!
The Church is the Pillar and foundation of Truth
There is another important gift that Jesus gave the Church. The Church has the ability to define doctrines and teach what is true and false. Jesus knew that the Apostles and their successors would be faced with theological controversy, so he told them: “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
Thanks to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the Early Church made many important decisions. First, the Apostles dealt with the issues of circumcision and dietary restrictions, deciding to leave behind the Old Testament rules.
Later, the Early Church had to deal with many controversies, especially those surrounding the Trinity and the nature of Jesus, which led to the Nicene Creed (325). The Trinity is never really explained in the Bible - but we know this doctrine thanks to the Church.
The Council of Nicea - 16th Century fresco
But here’s the final nail in the Coffin - it was the Early Church that decided which books to put in the New Testament. This was done by the Bishops of the world at the Council of Rome under Pope Damasus (382) and at the Council of Carthage (397). They decided to include certain disputed books like the Letter of James and Hebrews, while excluding others like the Epistle of Barnabas and the Didache. So if you reject the authority of the Church, how do you even know you have the right books in your Bible?
It is for these reasons that the Church truly is the “Pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15)
“Faith Alone” makes no sense
Protestants have two main points of contention with Traditional Christianity. The first is with the role of the Church and Bible, which I just analyzed. The second main objection is with our beliefs about salvation. Protestants often have misconceptions about how our Churches view salvation, so lets make it clear.
We do not believe that good works can justify a man. Only God’s grace, purchased by Jesus on the Cross, can justify us and save us from our sins
We do not try to “earn our salvation”. Salvation is a free gift.
However we disagree with the notion of “Faith alone” as Martin Luther conceived it:
Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin... No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day. -Luther[2]
Luther is flat our wrong. Yes, we are saved by Faith, but Faith Alone is not sufficient. Instead we must both believe in Jesus and obey him. These two things are inseparable.
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone... For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
-James 2:24, 26
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
-Matthew 7:21
The Bible also makes it clear in various places that Christian can lose their salvation by committing grave sins.
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” -2 Peter 2:20–22
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God… Therefore do not be partakers with them -Ephesians 5: 5,7
Protestant doctrines contradict the Bible, Christian History, and often common sense. It is clear that Apostolic Christianity is closer to the truth.
5. The Catholic Church vs. Other Apostolic Churches
In the US we often think of Christianity as just being Protestantism and Catholicism. However in addition to Catholicism, there are several other Churches which maintain Apostolic succession, have the True Sacraments, and teach the same essential doctrines about salvation. The most notable of these are the Eastern Orthodox Church (like the Greek and Russian Church), and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (like the Coptic or Armenian Church).
Unlike Protestantism, (which I view as very dangerous because it teaches false things about salvation), I hold these Churches in very high regard. I think these Churches have had many great Saints, and have helped millions of people reach heaven through their teaching and ministry.
However there are two main reasons why I would not personally want to join one of these Churches.
Christian unity
When I think of the need for Christian Unity, I think of this prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane right before his Passion:
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” -John 17:20–23
Jesus clearly wanted his followers to be a united body, a theme which is reiterated many times in the Bible. Another great example is 1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
But what kind of Unity does Jesus desire? Is it just a vague kind of spiritual unity as some claim, or is it a tangible unity within a Church? And if so, which Church is it?
In fact we know the answer to both questions. Jesus set Peter as the rock and leader of his Church, so that all his followers could be united under one Pope. The Catholic Church has maintained the succession of Peter all the way to our current Pope.
2. Lack of Universality
The Catholic Church is a universal Church. In fact the name "Catholic” comes from the Greek word for “Universal". What this means is that the Catholic Church is not a community based in race, ethnicity, culture, nationality, or geography, but only our Faith in Jesus Christ.
* Because the Catholic Church is not tied to any particular ethnic or national group, we have been able to evangelize millions of people in all corners of the world, from Europe, to the Philippines, to Mexico, to Central Africa, and many more places. We are fulfilling Jesus's command to "go and make disciples of all nations”.
In contrast, most Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches are very segregated among national and/or ethnic lines. The Serbian Orthodox Church serves almost exclusively Serbs, the Coptic Orthodox Church serves Copts, the Russian Orthodox Church serves Russians and so on.
This means that even if I wanted to join one of these Churches, I would probably never be fully accepted into the community just because of who my ancestors are, which is honestly kind of sad to think about. (I’m Italian)
So obviously the ethnic/national thing is an obstacle from a personal standpoint. However I also disagree with it on a spiritual level.
One of the big messages of the New Testament, in my opinion, is to let go of ethnic and national divisions. Jesus and the authors of the New Testament make it clear that The Church is one united body, embracing people from all nations and ethnicities. St. Paul says it best in Galatians 3:28”:
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
While I understand the appeal of having a Church where everyone is the same ethnicity, I don’t think that this reflects the spirit of inclusivity and unity that Jesus wants us to foster. I want to be part of a Church that is truly universal, one that welcomes and reaches out to people from all nations and cultures. I want a Church where people cast aside ethnic and national divisions to be one in Christ Jesus, not a Church that is based around these divisions. So this is another reason why I want to be part of the Catholic Church.
Note: Just to be clear, I'm not trying to say that Churches can't do outreach to particular communities. In the US Catholic Church, we have different parishes that are especially geared to Hispanics, African-Americans, and other groups. We even have Eastern Rite churches, like the Ukranian-Greek Catholic Church or the Armenian Catholic Church, which have their own rites and hierarchy but are in communion with the Holy See. However the Catholic Church as a whole has no ethnicity or nationality, which I think is closer to the spirit of the Gospel.
Footnotes
[1] coldcasechristianity.com/writings/the-inexplicable-fine-tuning-of-the-foundational-forces-in-our-universe/
[2] Luther: Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong
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Author of this essay is Gabriel Dionisi
Catholic Apologetics ~ Quora
