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If you were born into a different religion...

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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,087 ✭✭✭Festus


    snafuk35 wrote: »
    How do you explain the phenomena of Muslim and Jews theologians who have studied Christian texts or Christians theologians who have become atheists?

    They find lies attractive and it suits them to ignore the truth.
    snafuk35 wrote: »
    You have just contradicted you entire post.
    You have basically protrayed the Catholic faith as the one and true religion and you claim that anyone who is exposed to Catholic teaching will inevitably convert.

    That is not what I said. You introduced the term "exposed" and attempted to apply it to what I said. I said explored.

    I've been exposed to Protestantism, Judaeism, Buddhism, atheism and a few more. I've explored them and found them lacking.
    snafuk35 wrote: »
    And you claim that if you were born anywhere in the world and no matter what religion you were born into - you would still be a Catholic today?

    Yes. I have an inquisitive nature.


  • Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭Cato Maior


    Festus wrote: »
    I've been exposed to Protestantism, Judaeism, Buddhism, atheism and a few more. I've explored them and found them lacking.

    Oddly, I explored Catholicism to the extent of being a seminarian for three and a half years. Even after I left I continued to study and explore. I prayed daily, continuing the practice of praying the Office, and attended mass at least weekly.

    Yet in the end, I became convinced that it was not true across the course of one day.

    Interesting that we should have had such different outcomes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,255 ✭✭✭tommy2bad


    Cato Maior wrote: »
    Yet in the end, I became convinced that it was not true across the course of one day.

    What was it that clinched it, if you don't mind me asking?


  • Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭Cato Maior


    tommy2bad wrote: »
    What was it that clinched it, if you don't mind me asking?

    I spent the day systematically doubting my beliefs (I had been re-reading Descartes) and testing them. I found that the arguments and evidence for believing that a god exists were insufficient and so rejected the hypothesis. It came as a shock and the struggle between heart and mind went on for some time, but reason won in the end.

    We should probably leave it there as this is not the thread for such discussions. I only mentioned changing my beliefs in the context of this thread and in response to another on-topic poster.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭lmaopml


    Cato Maior wrote: »
    I spent the day systematically doubting my beliefs (I had been re-reading Descartes) and testing them. I found that the arguments and evidence for believing that a god exists were insufficient and so rejected the hypothesis. It came as a shock and the struggle between heart and mind went on for some time, but reason won in the end.

    We should probably leave it there as this is not the thread for such discussions. I only mentioned changing my beliefs in the context of this thread and in response to another on-topic poster.

    Cato you became a 'stoic' yes? One who regards their behaviour constantly, and is aware of it constantly too....


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  • Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭Cato Maior


    lmaopml wrote: »
    Cato you became a 'stoic' yes? One who regards their behaviour constantly, and is aware of it constantly too....

    Aye, although the aim is really to form a 'habit' of virtuous behaviour through attention to one's actions, thoughts, judgements, and character formation. Mindfulness is important, as is a daily 'reckoning' of one's behaviour during the day.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭lmaopml


    Cato Maior wrote: »
    Aye, although the aim is really to form a 'habit' of virtuous behaviour through attention to one's actions, thoughts, judgements, and character formation. Mindfulness is important, as is a daily 'reckoning' of one's behaviour during the day.

    I like this philosophy that is self examined, and very much 'aware' of themselves - although I can't entirely agree that Christianity doesn't incorporate it, or indeed rewrite it in ways sometimes?

    We fail very badly sometimes, perhaps as much as the stoic philosophy of life, that died out long ago to any great degree - but we live with eachother and learn too from eachother...The 'stoics' are age old - I'm sad about you Cato, but if you are honest in your belief than I don't know, I think somebody let you down, or people in general, I had this to deal with - but not Christ.


  • Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭Cato Maior


    lmaopml wrote: »
    I like this philosophy that is self examined, and very much 'aware' of themselves - although I can't entirely agree that Christianity doesn't incorporate it, or indeed rewrite it in ways sometimes?

    We fail very badly sometimes, perhaps as much as the stoic philosophy of life, that died out long ago to any great degree - but we live with eachother and learn too from eachother...The 'stoics' are age old - I'm sad about you Cato, but if you are honest in your belief than I don't know, I think somebody let you down, or people in general, I had this to deal with - but not Christ.

    Oh Christianity does incorporate elements of Stoic philosophy - natural law for example. Stoic practice and techniques are not really found in Christianity, but they have re-emerged in CBT, and the creator of that acknowledged his debt to the Stoics.

    I'm not entirely clear on your meaning in the second part of your post. Yes we fail to live up to our standards, but Stoicism has no equivalent of sin - one simply aims to learn, improve and move on from one's errors (taking responsibility for wrongs to others and seeking to right them). The wrong-doing does not burden one though - that would be foolish.

    As I said, elements of Stoicism have re-emerged in CBT but they have raised their head from time to time throughout the history of ideas in Europe. It did not die off entirely with the Roman Stoics.

    As to being let down - no, not to any great or significant degree and on the whole I am positive about people in general.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭lmaopml


    Cato Maior wrote: »
    Oh Christianity does incorporate elements of Stoic philosophy - natural law for example. Stoic practice and techniques are not really found in Christianity, but they have re-emerged in CBT, and the creator of that acknowledged his debt to the Stoics.

    I'm not entirely clear on your meaning in the second part of your post. Yes we fail to live up to our standards, but Stoicism has no equivalent of sin - one simply aims to learn, improve and move on from one's errors (taking responsibility for wrongs to others and seeking to right them). The wrong-doing does not burden one though - that would be foolish.

    As I said, elements of Stoicism have re-emerged in CBT but they have raised their head from time to time throughout the history of ideas in Europe. It did not die off entirely with the Roman Stoics.

    As to being let down - no, not to any great or significant degree and on the whole I am positive about people in general.

    You sing your praise in a choir - so do I Cato - :)


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