A Catholic Philosophy

The purpose of Catechesis is to facilitate an encounter between the students and Jesus Christ. It is precisely those encounters which transformed us, and I feel we would anyway, given what He has done for us. Are there intellectual or philosophical barriers to the acceptance of Catholicism, if I may invoke the name as a system of belief and of living? Below is an unpublished article I wrote seeking to understand such barriers, viewing them as questions rather than roadblocks. 

A Philosophical consideration of Catholic Theology must begin with the question of knowledge. What can we know and how can we know it? Do we have a belief in God prior to any outside influences? If yes, is this faith? Have others felt this and how is it described? Do we believe the experiences of others? Are they relevant or irrelevant? Do our own life experiences support our belief? 

Do we have a natural desire to know what is out there and to know why we are here? Is this merely advanced curiosity? Is it not natural to want to know what there is and how we may or may not be connected to it, to everything? Is it natural to want to know what the "biggest" thing is? 

Is written revelation (the Bible) true? Can it be believed? What are the articulable reasons for our belief in it beyond a natural faith as mentioned above? (Natural faith being connected with our natural desire to know what IS and why we are here.) What factual evidence might we have that supports the Bible as truth? Do we have a complete understanding of the various supporting facts of the Bible? 

Do we understand and believe in Catholic heritage and lineage? In short, which things (concepts or ideas or facts) MUST be believed in order to BE Catholic? If one believes all of these things, what are the results? At what point does the ontological study of faith become a study in Theism, and take on a flavor of belief or faith in God? 

Is this really an exercise in Epistemology, particularly under the knowledge category of Testimony? Are we not given testimony to things and asked to believe them, and must we then rectify this testimony to what we already know? Must it necessarily fit what we know? CAN we have any sense of the “rightness” of the written revelation of the Bible in ourselves? 

Is this also an exercise in skepticism? To what degree does skepticism play a part in faith? How much skepticism is useful? Does skepticism serve us as well as does a tendency towards belief in the testimony of others? 

Are we not analyzing two things simultaneously? Namely, do we believe in God, AND if so, do we believe in any form of revelation from that God about Himself and about our place in the universe? It does seem possible to believe in God and also doubt written revelation. (The “Clockmaker” theory of God logically does make sense, IF one were to disbelieve revelation.) Do God and Revelation require two different sets of tests or analyses? 

The ultimate goal of such an investigation must have as its endpoint the matter of what we DO based on our findings. If true, the Bible and Catholicism require certain things of us, which if we believe then we must act. Are these thought exercises barriers to faith, or do they actually lead us TO faith? Must we justify THAT, and if so, how? 

Of course, if you are reading this you can ponder each question on your own and consider the impact on your own faith. For me, all of these questions and answers arrive at this crucial point: I do in fact believe that Jesus Christ was (is) who He said he was, and I believe everything contained in the Nicene Creed as a result of that belief. I believe that the Catholic Church is the authentic Christian church, true to Christ and His chosen Apostles.

I think that the Bible is definitely and arguably true and a legitimate form of revelation, divinely inspired and written by man. 

I undeservedly accept His offer of love and salvation. As an adult, with free will and after thorough study I converted to Catholicism. I work now to share the Good News with others as best I can, using the talents and skills God gave me. The biggest question I have ever had to answer is likely the biggest question ANYONE has ever had to answer: who do YOU say Jesus Christ is? I can tell you who, and I can tell you why.