/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>>559795

Try this: Take your faith out of church. Be of self-sacrificing service, and proclaim the gospel. Lean into your faith a bit. It'll be weird, but it'll be OK.

Could you link to some proofs of Aquinas? He seems pretty real, but every once in a while I doubt his existence

>>559804

It is HIGHLY likely that education did screw you up. You have been entrusted with the truth about God and life - indeed, through the Eucharist you join yourself to Christ's sacrifice. It isn't one of many truths, it's the Truth, it's not some weird old belief or ritual, it's the foundation of any just society, and the hope of life everlasting.

I'd recommend two things:

1) Be honest about your faith. It's really OK, be willing to talk about it, and if a question involving religion comes up, don't muzzle yourself. You'll be surprised who asks, and the reactions you get. Remember to be as charitable as you can be.

2) Talk to your priest about joining your parish's evangelism activities - or if you don't have a program at your parish, work with him to start one. All Christendom is realizing this is necessary again, you can be sure he'll have heard from his bishop about doing more in this area.

Faith is personal trust in God and in whatever he says, on the basis that he's the one who said it.

Faith is a supernatural, infused virtue. It is a gift of God. There is no skill by which you can acquire it. Your best bet is to beg God for it in prayer, and to try to prove your worthiness for it through acts of self sacrifice and obedience to God's law. (Of course, you will fail at this–no one is worthy of the gift of faith. But you might make God laugh at how cute your terrible attempts to please him are, and perhaps he will condescend to give you what you don't deserve.)

If and when God gives you the gift of faith, you need to make a return on it to him, especially with gratitude and humility. Remind yourself daily how wonderful God is, how merciful and magnanimous, and how unworthy you are to bear the holy name of Christ, when once you are called a Christian.

But, even if you are given faith, you will doubtless need to beg for other virtues, too, and this will continue throughout your life on earth. To follow Christ is to follow in his suffering and death. You will have to die to be resurrected.

God bless you.

>>559795

>So how do I become an actual christian? I've read a lot of the Bible, I've read multiple proof of God, Aquinas, Lonergan, Spitzer, etc. I fully believe in the existence of God, I feel constantly called by the beauty of the church, liturgy, music and catholic literature. I truly desire God and my life and want to live a Christian life.

Many Christians live a successful Christian life with these preconditions, but with not much faith.

>Yet I don't feel faith in my heart. What I mean is I can pray, but a little voice inside me is like: "This doesn't work" or "He doesn't hear you".

When I was (very rarely) praying as an agnostic atheist, I was never in doubt of a higher being watching me. I was just not fond of joining organized church, fallible popes etc.

This kind of loose faith solidified when I finally accepted Jesus as truth after reading the Bible.

I think Jesus Christ is the key to real faith. Seek Him.

>>559795

>how do I become an actual christian

>catholic literature

Not like that.

I always feel God by my side. When I sin or miss the mark in life he hopes for me to repent and do better. When I do well he is content. When I pray he listens. I'm a servant of God, and he will need me on the day of battle against the Whore of Babylon, to slaughter all her followers young and old, and leave nothing that breathes alive.

When you truly become Christian (not Catholic), you will realize that you have a personal relationship with the creator himself. A divine gift of life and talent, that permeates your every cell and thought at every moment, yet a divine obligation to manifest his will in this universe without compromise. God's enemies are your personal enemies. The sacraments cannot bring you closer to God for he is already with you in the fullest, they severe merely to remind you of your duty and to show your dedication to your fellow man.

>>559815

>>559939

But what if it just doesn't click ? I do accept God, I accept Christ as my Lord and Savior, I pray, I go (or better: I went) to Church regularly, I read the Bible - I did all the devotional stuff which not even culturals do. I did - or at least attempted - strict penance for the severe sins I committed.

And yet … I am pushed off from it all the harder I try. The more I cry to God for help or at least a small sign of whether I am on the right path or not, the more disciplined I became with extended Rosaries and penance, the more I felt this deep sense of rejection from deep down bottom of my heart.

I try. I beg. I tried to do everything necessary, and yet - I find no way. No faith, no sign of Him, nothing.

I sincerely do not hate Him, I try to love Him, but He seems to just not answer .. or care.

This is not a post to express disdain for God. But I find no peace - probably I'm just not meant for receiving the gift of faith.

>>559961

>t.totally not a prot false-flagger

>>559967

100% Orthodox

Get saved.

>>559966

You're Catholic friendo. Pedophilia and covering for pedophilia is rampant in your Church - a faithful person could not even think it.

Christ and Papism don't mix, we've been saying that for a millennium now. Stay a Papist and you will find plenty of fornication and blasphemy, but never God.

You have to ask God for the gift of faith. Faith does not come from man but is a grace bestowed by God. If you ask God for it he shall give it to you

>>559979

Great answer. I'm thankful you had something very productive and totally faith-related to say for a man in deep crisis. Thank you so much. Hopefully that great advice will pay off some day in the future.

Why did I even think of seeking advice in this shithole. Maybe, because it's called /christian/ and you would expect real Christians and not some retarded orthoLARPers that focus solely on "le ebin papa" instead of Christ. Fuck you and your political ideology. Go visit Istanbul and tell me if this great and famous mosque is still intact.

>>559961

We're reaching ortholarp levels we didn't even know were possible

>>559980

That's true. You need to ask.

>>559981

There’s an 80% chance they’re a troll from /mudslime/ or somewhere, I wouldn’t let him get to you. If you want genuine advice without autistic pissing matches you’re probably better off going to the chan the mods made or /r/catholicism (I think is the right one?). The only advice I can give you fake it till you make it, sorry.

>>559966

In prayer reflect on and acknowledge God's perfect love for us (even for those who hate him). Glorify and praise him and then pour out your despair to him and beg that he teach you to love him perfectly the way he loves you and ask for the gift of faith or whatever is preventing you to love him to become apparent.

Consider also that it could be sinfulness you're unaware of or demonization. Seek pastoral care to help you figure it out if you keep floundering.

>>560003

Sounds like you are possessed by a demon. How often do you receive the blessed Eucharist?

>>560005

I thank you very much for your input brother. Indeed, I didn't consider going to my priest yet for some reason. Definitely going to do that - and hopfully it'll become better thereafter.

God bless you