I am a Catholic seminarian; I was a very respected member on FK. Ask me anything!

Honestly it's really more that I don't want people to associate Catholic Seminarian with my somewhat scandalous former account.

I personally disagree with Catholicism, but if that's what you wanna do, then good for you
I wish you good luck.

ASPM said:

Right you are.


The Pope isn't worshiped, he is just held in high regard as God's representative on Earth. I could say some people worship Obama or other high level officials as well. Also atheists seem to worship him as we'll, I can't go on reddit without seeing an atheist comment "I'm atheist but I love this pope".

Well, to start you've got the doctrine wrong One God, three different people, one of them is a man and God at the same time. It's a concept out human minds cannot understand and is one of the few things in the Church that require faith to believe and not just reason.

Also He's God. That's how. Aristotle actually believed that God had to be somewhat like the trinity in order for him to maintain sanity!

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See I was forced to be Catholic for the first 16 years of my life, so I understand the concept as well as anyone. My disagreement with it has less to do with the concept than it does with evidence and past action of the Church. If it's as true as you claim it to be, why is faith needed for it to be experienced. I'll use a drug example; if you've never done acid before and have no idea what it will do or that you're taking it, you'll still feel the effects of the acid, no faith or knowledge required. So why to experience God, must I throw reason to the wind, to any degree?

Cannabis said:

See I was forced to be Catholic for the first 16 years of my life, so I understand the concept as well as anyone. My disagreement with it has less to do with the concept than it does with evidence and past action of the Church. If it's as true as you claim it to be, why is faith needed for it to be experienced. I'll use a drug example; if you've never done acid before and have no idea what it will do or that you're taking it, you'll still feel the effects of the acid, no faith or knowledge required. So why to experience God, must I throw reason to the wind, to any degree?

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Many philosophers, such as Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas, say reason can be used to prove a God. However, one thing atheists like to say is that we shouldn't force our religion on them. I agree. It violates freedom and free will. If God were to appear in the heavens to all the peoples of the Earth and reveal himself, it would take away that choice to believe in God.

Damn I thought I was on reddit for a second
haha

Tropical said:

Damn I thought I was on reddit for a second
haha

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Some seminarian redditors are planning on doing an AMA soon actually. Or did you mean the /r/atheism feel of the querstions?

ASPM said:

Many philosophers, such as Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas, say reason can be used to prove a God. However, one thing atheists like to say is that we shouldn't force our religion on them. I agree. It violates freedom and free will. If God were to appear in the heavens to all the peoples of the Earth and reveal himself, it would take away that choice to believe in God.

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I doubt it would take away choice to believe, there's a substantial amount of evidence that says 9/11 was an inside job but hardly anyone believes that's what happened.

Cannabis said:

I doubt it would take away choice to believe, there's a substantial amount of evidence that says 9/11 was an inside job but hardly anyone believes that's what happened.

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Like the missile launcher under the plane? That's stuff's BS and debatable.

There are many miracles of Catholicism that are not explainable by science, like Guadalupe or Lanciano.

ASPM said:

Like the missile launcher under the plane? That's stuff's BS and debatable.

There are many miracles of Catholicism that are not explainable by science, like Guadalupe or Lanciano.

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No like Jet-A fuel (standard in US) doesn't burn hot enough (980 C, in ideal conditions) to melt steel beams (1100 C) used to build those buildings that are designed not to burn or collapse on themselves under extreme stresses.

Cannabis said:

No like Jet-A fuel (standard in US) doesn't burn hot enough (980 C, in ideal conditions) to melt steel beams (1100 C) used to build those buildings that are designed not to burn or collapse on themselves under extreme stresses.

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Didn't need to melt, just crack: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/debunking-911-myths-world-trade-center

But, this is for another thread. The only 9/11 theory I find valid is that the government knew about the attack but did nothing.

1) Do you believe there is evidence of the existence of God?

2) Do new scientific discoveries mean it is no longer possible to believe in the existence of God?

ASPM said:

Some seminarian redditors are planning on doing an AMA soon actually. Or did you mean the /r/atheism feel of the querstions?

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I meant by the IAMA style of this thread.

Where's Cannibal at, this could get interesting!

I respect what you are doing here. I am a Catholic and I am a full-blown one also. I go to church every sunday and I pray all the time.

I have a question. Is it bad that I dislike going to church? I love God and all but I just don't like taking time out of my weekend to go to church. I don't mind being there when I go but just the fact that I have to go urks me.

Enlighten me.

Beats said:

I respect what you are doing here. I am a Catholic and I am a full-blown one also. I go to church every sunday and I pray all the time.

I have a question. Is it bad that I dislike going to church? I love God and all but I just don't like taking time out of my weekend to go to church. I don't mind being there when I go but just the fact that I have to go urks me.

Enlighten me.

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I used to hate it as well. It's not supposed to be entertaining, however. It's the ultimate prayer, the ultimate form of worship where heaven meets earth. It's good that you're there, plenty of people don't go and it's good you have a relationship with God. Keep working on listening and praying hard at Mass, you'll get to the point where you enjoy it. Google "Mass is boring" for lots of information. Also: Matthew 26:40, "Could you not watch with Me for one hour?" One hour a week isn't too terribly much

MCG said:

1) Do you believe there is evidence of the existence of God?

2) Do new scientific discoveries mean it is no longer possible to believe in the existence of God?

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1. Would I be becoming a virgin for life if I didn't?

2. Science and religion do not have to contradict. Minus miracles that cannot be explained by science, they co-exist quite peacefully.

I'm a Catholic, is it bad for me to believe in both God and science?

I just wanted to give you thanks for enlightening us. I'm also a catholic and go to church every Sunday.

Prepare said:

I'm a Catholic, is it bad for me to believe in both God and science?

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See my answer above; they don't contradict. God is not a replacement for science. God made science.

Adorable said:

I just wanted to give you thanks for enlightening us. I'm also a catholic and go to church every Sunday.

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You're welcome!

I'd like to thank you too. I'm learning more about it also. It's very interesting.

ASPM said:

Give an example of a contradiction of logic in the Church. All priests have degrees in Philosophy, I doubt after going through that education they would continue onto a life of no sex if there were logical problems.

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Here's a simple one concerning the Church.

"Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven." Matthew 23:9

Catholics are taught to call priests Father out of religious respect.

ASPM said:

I could leave whenever I want. I'm not brainwashed, I have chosen Catholicism for my own.

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You choose to keep your faith in Catholicism after being indoctrinated most likely during your childhood.

ASPM said:

I'm a theistic evolutionist. I'm not a Bible thumping fundamentalist who thinks they world was made in six literal days and that dinosaurs don't exit. Science and religion don't have to contradict. Modern genetics, the big bang theory, and many other scientific discoveries were made by Catholic priests and monks.

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Science and religion do contradict.

Creationists believe dinosaurs did exist and that they coexisted with mankind.

Priests were of the wealthiest and most educated bunch, of course they would of made scientific discoveries, they had the funds and power. It would be absurd if there weren't any attributed to priests, but in no way do these significant discoveries raise the significance of religion. The Christian Dark Ages left a gigantic gap in the world's timeline of scientific advancement.

ASPM said:

Divine intervention still does occur, just not on the scale that it has in the past. I personally, when praying over people, have startlingly accurate insights to that person's personal life and receive advice to give them; it's called the charism of words of wisdom. Miracles that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the existence of God don't happen because that would force people's free will. You have to choose to love and believe in God, it can't be forced.

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Prayer has been scientifically proven to not help, the studies actually showed that the ones who were prayed and were aware, had more complications than the ones who weren't prayed for by a slightly significant percentage.

As for free will; do you define God as either or both omniscient and omnipotent?

ASPM said:

The harm people have done in the name of religion is awful, yes. It's a shame people claim that their God tells them to destroy another people.

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Their God does tell them to kill other people. The way you use claim makes it seem like you think their claim's false.

APSM said:

Catholicism has never taught to kill another people for not believing in God. All bloodbaths Catholicism has been accused of can be attributed to bad men in charge, not the institution itself. You cannot blame democracy for the drone bombings, you blame the people in charge: Obama, Bush, etc.

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But they mindlessly killed the heretics anyways. Hypothetically speaking, God is in charge of everything, so according to your logic, everything that has ever happened is God's fault.

ASPM said:

Well, to start you've got the doctrine wrong One God, three different people, one of them is a man and God at the same time. It's a concept out human minds cannot understand and is one of the few things in the Church that require faith to believe and not just reason.

Also He's God. That's how. Aristotle actually believed that God had to be somewhat like the trinity in order for him to maintain sanity!

Click to expand...

There are over 200,000 denominations of Christianity and there is infinitesimal amount of religions which have existed, which also hold an extensive amount of sects, yet every single one of them claim they have the doctrine correct. I must ask, what makes you so confident you have it correct?

Labeling it as an unfathomable concept is a logical fallacy, it's an argument from ignorance. The Church does not require reason, don't be silly.

Prepare said:

I'm catholic and I'm not embarrassed to say it. I accept all the things you've stated. Everyone has their own religion/beliefs. I don't see why it's looked down upon? There's no need to bash on a religion (Catholicism in this case).

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Some people ridicule religion and believers to demonstrate how ridiculous it is.

ASPM said:

Many philosophers, such as Aristotle or Thomas Aquinas, say reason can be used to prove a God. However, one thing atheists like to say is that we shouldn't force our religion on them. I agree. It violates freedom and free will. If God were to appear in the heavens to all the peoples of the Earth and reveal himself, it would take away that choice to believe in God.

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Many philosophers, also believed slavery was justifiable, ironically, Aristotle and Aquinas were both apart of that troop. Aquinas even thought it hitting a slave was acceptable behavior. They were brilliant, but also ignorant.

It directly says in the Bible, that you are to spread the word of God. In other words, enforce your beliefs on others.

ASPM said:

There are many miracles of Catholicism that are not explainable by science, like Guadalupe or Lanciano.

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Perchance, because they were fraudulent.

The miracle of Lanciano is demonstrably fraudulent. Yes, the examinations have shown it's real blood and flesh, but if it were seriously Jesus Christ's, DNA tests could be done to prove whether Jesus existed. The hypothesized uniqueness of the DNA would indicate he was divine and had no biological father, thus, proving God. However, tests have not been done. I wonder why. Until then, this will remain as one of the many arguments from ignorance supporting theistic beliefs.

Prepare said:

I'm a Catholic, is it bad for me to believe in both God and science?

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I have never heard a more absurd question in my life.

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Please explain the origin of God without making a logical fallacy.