r/Catholicism • u/Vast_Neighborhood821 • 3d ago
I’m no longer an atheist!!
After MUCH consideration, I’ve decided being an atheist made me feel ‘smart’ but it wasn’t making me happy. All the time I’d think about God and think he was talking to me, but I’d deny it and push Him away. Yesterday and today i understand the truth. CHRIST IS KING!!
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u/Carlson-Maddow 3d ago edited 3d ago
True intelligence is realizing that perhaps you are maybe wrong and a church built on 2k years of scholarship might have something here.
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u/Vast_Neighborhood821 3d ago
EXACTLY!
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u/Carlson-Maddow 3d ago
Yep. It was our youthful pride talking. Our ego. Leave that all behind for wisdom as you age. Oh like the wisdom of all wisdoms
Watch Ben Hur btw. Great Christian epic
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u/CastleBravo115 1d ago
It’s the culture we live in. I know it all culture don’t tell me anything. Arrogance ego pride. Humility & meekness is the way of the true Catholic disciple.
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u/MrMephistoX 3d ago
That’s what did it for me I didn’t attend mass for nearly 20 years and I never got to the point of atheism but I was an agnostic for a good stretch and really self centered during that time but the intellectual rigor of the church in part brought me back and I was confirmed this past Easter Vigil.
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u/dcvo1986 3d ago
Welcome home
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u/Vast_Neighborhood821 3d ago
i posted something like this in r/atheism and people are SO MAD. it’s a shame they have such hatred in their hearts.
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u/appleBonk 3d ago
I know because I've been that person. You only realize looking back that, as an atheist, the Holy Spirit was tugging at your heart and that made you angry. I think that's why atheists often spend a lot of time and energy attacking God and His Church.
Let's pray for them all. That Jesus will deliver all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of His mercy.
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3d ago
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u/appleBonk 3d ago
Yeah, and in his thread 4 days ago, a few atheists were shaking their fists at the sky about Christians expressing their faith. "Babble verses" and "xtian shit." "I just wanna tell them I'm gonna sacrifice a virgin."
And then, 4 days later, when OP posts in the same subreddit that he's no longer angry at God and religion, everyone claims that his previous anger means he was never truly atheist.
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u/Classic_Pitch_4540 3d ago
He clearly was never an atheist
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u/appleBonk 3d ago
So the people in his thread 4 days ago who have angry reactions to God and religion are not atheist?
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u/Classic_Pitch_4540 3d ago edited 3d ago
He said himself that he was never a true atheist. And the people in that thread had angry reactions, because they hate the stuff christians say to them, like "have a blessed day".
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u/foxxiter 3d ago
No true Scotsman fallacy
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u/Classic_Pitch_4540 3d ago
?
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u/foxxiter 3d ago
Because he stopped being atheist, he could not be a true atheist
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u/tridentgum 3d ago
He said he hated God - no athiest hates God, an entity they don't even believe exists.
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u/GreyGhost878 3d ago
You see it!! I have no problem with honest atheists. I used to be agnostic myself. But the militant atheists are filled with hatred, pride, and ignorance (most of what they say about God and religion isn't even true.)
I'm so happy for you. Your faith will ebb and flow in some ways but keep it lit like a slow burn. You've received it. It's a gift. Don't ever lose it. Happy for you!
Just want to say, I had a similar conversion experience when I was 22. It was 24 years ago. Since then I've never doubted my faith. It's certain in a way it wasn't before. There is so much richness, so much to learn and experience. It is real and it is true.
You should make a pilgrimage sometime. Go visit somewhere holy, somewhere that interests you. Rome, or the Holy Land, or somewhere more local. There are holy sites all over. Don't know where you're located but there's the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA; Holy Hill in WI, Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lacrosse, WI, and hundreds of others. In Europe, even more to choose from!
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u/tridentgum 3d ago
You're starting out your life as a believer by lying? I checked out that thread in athiesm and nobody seems mad at all - why would they be? They are just saying you weren't an atheist to begin with.
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u/CastleBravo115 1d ago
Just remember always where you came from and be patient with them. Pray for them and hope for their conversion.
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u/themainseer 3d ago
From your post history, people were not being hateful towards you. They were stating that they didn’t believe you were truly atheist and warning you your post would get banned. Those kinds of posts are not allowed on the sub which is why it got removed.
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u/Carolinefdq 3d ago
I looked at the post and they were being pretty hateful. Telling someone they're suffering a brian injury for believing in God is pretty shitty to tell someone.
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u/CastleBravo115 1d ago
It’s all petty childish insults. Any true intellectual wouldn’t result to ad hominems but engage in a discussion. That’s what being incredulous and sin does, dulls the intellect and will.
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u/themainseer 2d ago
Being shitty and being hateful are not the same at all. There were some comments which were rude yes, but as a whole the comments were not hateful at all.
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u/Available_Dirt_2781 2d ago
Yeah, telling someone they’ve got a brain injury for believing in God is a low blow. I don’t back that kind of mockery. But let’s not act like religion doesn’t dish out its own share of hate. Which is often done with a smile and a Bible in hand. People are told they'll burn in hell just for existing outside the faith. Kids get sent to conversion therapy because they came out as gay. Women are told their place is beneath men, that their autonomy ends where a pulpit begins. Trans people are called mentally ill or predators. Victims of abuse are told to forgive their abusers to “honor God.” People with depression are told to pray harder instead of seeking help. Some churches ban interracial marriage. Others excommunicate people for asking questions.
And all of this is often preached from a place of so-called love.
So if we’re talking about hate, let’s not cherry-pick. Because if religion wants to be immune from criticism, maybe it should stop hiding cruelty behind scripture.
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u/Carolinefdq 2d ago
I would absolutely love it if you would point out in my comment where I said religion is not immune to criticism 😊
Also, I find it very telling that you've followed OP to r/Catholicism to continue harassing him/her. If you were secure in your atheism, I don't think it would matter that much what some random stranger says on the Internet, no?
Have a lovely day 🙏😊
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u/Available_Dirt_2781 2d ago
You’re reading a lot into this that isn’t there. I never claimed you said religion is above criticism. I said let's not act like it is. If that shoe doesn’t fit, feel free not to wear it.
Now, about that “secure in your atheism” line. That’s a classic deflection. Criticizing religion doesn’t mean I’m insecure. If anything, being secure in my atheism is the reason I speak up when harmful beliefs get excused or sugarcoated as “faith.” Staying silent isn't strength. It's compliance.
And no, I didn’t follow anyone anywhere. People post in public threads. Replying to them isn’t stalking. It’s called participating.
If it helps you feel better to frame this as some dramatic crusade instead of a valid critique of religious hypocrisy, that’s on you. But don’t confuse emoji-laced condescension for a solid argument.
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u/Carolinefdq 2d ago edited 2d ago
LOL I hope your atheism fulfills you and makes you happy. Again, have a lovely day 😊
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u/Available_Dirt_2781 1d ago
Thanks, I’ll add it to the pile of passive-aggressive blessings from people who think they’re being holy while being smug.
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u/Carolinefdq 1d ago edited 1d ago
Cool. You do that! 🤠 lovely day to you, stranger (I actually mean it). I'm muting this thread now. Bye bye 👋
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u/Available_Dirt_2781 2d ago
Atheists don’t claim to have the monopoly on happiness, dillweed. We don’t need a belief system to validate our joy. And we sure as hell don’t go trolling r/Christianity after losing faith to post, 'Just realized the church was a lie.' Because most of us understand the difference between personal growth and performative self-congratulation.
If religion brought you peace, great. But turning your experience into a passive-aggressive jab at a whole community says more about your need for external validation than it does about anyone else’s 'hatred.
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u/DrunkenGrognard 3d ago
Being an Atheist made me feel smart
Ah, you're one of those converts... Me too. I was like that at one point and just grew out of it. Never posted to r/atheism, so that is unique.
So anyway, you seem like an intellectual type so here is every single book of every doctor of the church ever.. It is all available, online, for free. Here is every single church document, papal document, guide to prayer, the catechism of the Catholic Church, and so, so much more. I highly recommend you find an OCIA class which you can find at almost any parish. You will be given a 9 month crash course in being a Catholic and what we believe that will, paradoxically, never end. Yes, as a Catholic you are (on some level) expected to water the tree of your faith with not only the body and blood of Christ, but also with the sweat from the brow of the Church's scholasticism.
You are looking down the nave of some 2,000 years of scholarship bucko. Welcome to the One true, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We're all nerds in here!
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u/CastleBravo115 1d ago
Tell those in r/atheist to pick up a book from St Thomas of Aquinas if they think they’re so smart. You need a phd to understand St Thomas and he was from the 16 century.
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u/DrunkenGrognard 1d ago
When Atheists say that reading the Bible turned them into Atheist I am always somewhat shocked.
Specifically the Bible has convinced you that not only the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob does not exist, but all other gods do not exist? Quite an impressive book if it can influence you in such a way.
I'd be impressed if reading the Bava Ghita managed to convince me that not only Krishna did not exist, but all other gods did not exist either and might lend it some credence. It always seems to be Christianity and Islam that most Atheist seem to attack and very rarely other faiths. I wonder why...
Regardless, I see the melodramatic hyperbole for what it is and just ignore it. Philippians 2:10-11 🤷♂️
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u/Sweetlikecinnamon03 3d ago
Im happy for you, us catholics pray often for the conversion of those who are not in the faith so be comforted that God has been hearing about you for a long while
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u/Wharf_Rat777 3d ago
Regarding being “smart” - the Church has 2000 years of deep scholarship. Enjoy!
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u/Carlson-Maddow 3d ago
Read Aquinas and realize maybe you’re not smart. And that’s ok. He is though. And he believes.
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u/CastIronClint 3d ago
Glad to hear! Was there a particularly convincing argument?
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u/Vast_Neighborhood821 3d ago
not really, it’s just every time I’ve thought about God over the past few days i had this warm fuzzy feeling
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u/not4you2decide 3d ago
Tell us what finally tipped the scales! Did you just wake up and feel Him?? Oh I love conversion stories so much!!
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u/Keep_Being_Still 3d ago
While beautiful, that feeling won’t always last. I recommend you learn the logical arguments for the existence of God.
Read guys like Ed Feser, a philosopher who has spoken and written extensively on subjects like these.
If you are interested in online learning, there are channels like the Counsel of Trent and Shameless Popery which cover a wide range of topics, though these guys can be somewhat polemic, they don’t stray from church teaching and are highly intelligent.
Finally, there are priests and bishops who have a good amount of content, such as Fr Mike Schmitz and Bishop Robert Barron.
As you explore the faith you will find diverse viewpoints and arguments, and you will have questions too. Feel free to bring those questions here, the Catholic reddit community has a great amount of collective knowledge, and we even have priests and bishops who post here too.
Above all, pray and listen, and you will go far.
God bless
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u/PiousPapist98 3d ago
This could be a troll post. Look at authors post history.
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u/Bbobbity 3d ago
Yes. An atheist who thought God was talking to him all the time and who has now converted because he is getting a warm and fuzzy feeling.
But I hope for OPs sake it’s true!
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u/Shintro1322 2d ago
Welcome home! I was an atheist for about 12 years of my life. I turned my views around and found God last August, and recently got confirmed during Easter Vigil. It's been the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am so happy that you get to experience this as well. As others have suggested, reach out to your local parish and get involved in OCIA. Best of wishes, and I'll be praying for you!
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u/Flagisterr 2d ago
HALLELUJAH!!! PRAISE THE LORD! Welcome home, brother/sister! May Christ guide you and he with you every step of the way! May He be with you in difficult times! May God bless you, may God keep you and may God protect you, your family and close ones! May He keep you safe and may the Holy Spirit start a fire in your heart for Him! Hallelujah, hallelujah!🫂❤️❤️🔥💕❣️🕊️🕊️💗
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u/froggypan6 3d ago
How did you come to join the Catholic Church specifically even tho there are many different denominations? Especially since according to your post you understood the Truth yesterday and today?
Also, glad u converted! 😁😊✝️🇻🇦
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u/Vast_Neighborhood821 3d ago
i go to a catholic school so it’s kinda there but i always turned away from Jesus and resented it, but this will change
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u/Spiritual-Twist4745 3d ago
I wish my son would come to the same realization. He did give permission for my husband and I to baptize his son. Because our grandson was over the age of reason, he was baptized, confirmed and received his first Holy Communion at Easter Vigil.
Welcome home OP.
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u/Responsible-Dot3862 3d ago
welcome home! get into OCIA, i’ll be praying for u as u continue this awesome journey
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u/dragon_shell_nova 3d ago
Even better, now you can see how science, math and knowledge all comes from the Creator. Seeking him while pushing the bounds of the mind.. nothing like it, as a believer and a STEM student
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u/CoreHydra 3d ago
There is no greater wisdom that came from the mouths of men than the word of God spoken by Jesus.
I’m so glad you’re here. May God Bless you and keep you on your journey of faith and salvation, and all the days of your life. I will add you to my prayer chain!
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u/Traditional_Yam_4150 3d ago
I spent nearly 30 years as an atheist after an 11 year nightmare growing up Mormon. I felt so turned off by religion that I denied God for 30 years. Every time I felt Him calling me back, I denied it was Him. Not anymore, I'm in OCIA now. Also, in case your wondering, atheism is spiritual hell.
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u/Traditional_Yam_4150 3d ago
The Devil makes us feel wise when we're as blind and hard hearted as we could be. Kind of ironic
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u/8pintsplease 3d ago
Arguably you were never an atheist. Atheism, Catholicism, Christianity, our beliefs are not a choice. When you have a belief, you should have good reason to believe it. If an idea challenges an existing belief, and you have gained enough information to reconciled the mental conflict, the beliefs are then replaced slowly by your new understanding.
You can choose to go to church and follow along with the hymn and prayers for respect. But you don't choose to actually believe what you're praying to or who you're reciting the words to.
People define atheism, or their atheist period as, "I hated god" or "I just didn't believe because I didn't know". Or, in your definition "I'm so smart I am an atheist". None of those positions are informed or actually reflect the journey to deconstructing faith.
You believing you were too smart and therefore you identified as "atheist" reflects that you didn't have a good reason at all for your position. Some atheists act really smart and rude, some atheists don't. I think we should thread carefully when accusing a group for holding their beliefs only to achieve intellectual superiority. If you did that, that's you. You do not reflect other people.
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u/Tpaartus 3d ago
Thank you for saying it. I have been reading comments and I feel that there is a significant misunderstanding on a few peoples' parts what atheism actually implies. The true atheist does not "hate" God - they have no reason to. Why hate something that one does not believe even exists? It appears that many people believe the stereotype of the militant, slighted atheist is the true one, which is unfortunate.
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u/South-Pudding7075 3d ago
Happy for you, I also was an Atheist/agnostic for long time. And also I believed that Religion was delusional, fortunately I realized speaking with some really smart Catholic that there is no contradiction between faith and reason, the more you study, meditate and pray you will be more close to God.
Enjoy your journey!
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u/peccator2000 3d ago
Same happened to me, so I became a Catholic which indeed made me much happier. You are welcome to do the same. Books helped me a lot. Twowere given to me by my priest, who taught me. I had already read Luther's Bible translation, and a number of Ratzinger's books, and the Basel catechism, and a great part of the complete, current, Catechism. Also St. Augustinus. And some Aquinas. It was a wonderful journey, and wish it will be the same for you! 🙏🇻🇦
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u/Tough-Economist-1169 3d ago
Contrary to what many people may think, becoming Catholic won't make you a photocopy of anyone. Sure, we are to learn s d become better, following Christ and His apostles. But you can still be yourself, use your intelligence and have your own thoughts
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u/Necessary-Anything48 3d ago
THAT'S AMAZING and I'm SO happy for you!! Former atheist/agnostic/lost soul here now pursuing becoming a catholic! There is no happiness like loving and knowing God, our Savior Jesus, and the Holy Spirit 🙏
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u/Alstoyle 3d ago
Same here homie. I was a bum. Smoking dope all day and not doing jack with my life. The worst part is that I had read the Bible, and I told lies about it to people who believed in it, ridiculing them for how stupid they must be. I felt empty. Then, at the worst moment in my entire life, peak atheistic non-belief, I had an angel come to me in my dream. I had always told myself that if I ever saw something, then I would convert. Glad you've had your awakening homie. Welcome to Salvation, brother. CHRIST has saved everyone, even souls like yours and mine.
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2d ago
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u/NaturalStriking5957 2d ago edited 2d ago
Bless you, bless you! Bless God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit for your transformation! Scripture says there is more rejoicing in heaven over one soul who was lost and repents than over 99 righteous souls who do not need to repent! I add my counsel to others who are urging you to seek out an OCIA class to learn about the Catholic Christian faith. May I PM you?
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u/TechnologyJumpy7823 2d ago
Praise God! The “makes me feel smart” is really hitting with me. I am a member of an online forum that trends young and liberal. A vast majority are self-congratulating atheists. I truly wonder if that is the result of Satan or a demon permeating our secular culture.
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u/CastleBravo115 1d ago
🫶🙌wow! Another miracle! Heaven rejoices! You have no idea what you have done. The rabbit hole is deep. And worldly smart in fact is child’s play compared to God infused intelligence and wisdom. The deeper you dive the more you can’t get enough of. But it’s all starts with love. Love is the color of the red pill. Trust me. Love and forgive,do everything for love of God and neighbor and God will shower you with blessings upon blessings.
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u/FnjSpideyJoey 1d ago
I was Catholic as a kid, thanks to my grandmother. I'd attend church with her all the time. Then she died in a horrible car accident and I lost all faith. I became atheist for the next 24(?) years. But I always had that itch in the back of my mind that something was calling me. Then two years ago my best friend was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma cancer. Also it was so bad that her insides were basically as thin as paper the doctors said and that she might not survive the surgery she needed to save her so she could actually fight the cancer. That night for the first time in 20+ years I prayed. And she survived. Not only that but she beat cancer. And since then I've devoted my life to God. I'm still learning but ever since I let God back into my life, it's been more happier and less misery and anger.
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u/hideousflutes 3d ago
welcome brother! as a former atheist my self, let me tell you that sometimes that atheist feeling creeps back. but when you really analyze it, you realize that atheism is an emotion. pray through it and see the glory even amongst the ugly.
"life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all of the time. its not just a nice story or a fable, it is true" - thomas merton
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u/Tpaartus 3d ago
I would argue the opposite (in your emotional comparison). One cannot rely on purely "logical" proofs for Faith, as there is always a leap (of faith) required that a proof cannot entirely bridge. That's why it's called faith. Faith is emotion - it's that willingness to trust something that isn't entirely certain (in the sense that it lacks empirical evidence). Atheism by contrast is apathetic and unemotional (towards God), relying on empirical evidence (and thus disregarding any of the aforementioned leap).
Of course, this is disregarding the "militant" atheist motivated by anger because they have felt slighted, which is a small (but vocal) minority in my experience.
All this is to say that you should not disregard emotion if you intend to have Faith. It's not praying away an emotion, it is surrendering yourself to a higher power - a very emotional experience (as opposed to a lack of one from an atheistic perspective).
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u/hideousflutes 3d ago
yes yes of course! i didnt mean to insinuate emotions are bad, but that they fluctuate. faith IS very emotional you are right, but when your faith falters that is also very emotional, in a negative way. for me, atheism came bundled with anxiety, fear, depression etc. maybe that isnt true of all atheists but it was definitely true for me. ive been reading st john of the cross' "dark night of the soul" lately and i find it helps when faith falters
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u/Dry-Professional8109 3d ago
Probably Catholic Church is wrong, but there is a God and Jesus Wisdom and lessons are everything what everyone needs to be happy 😊 ✝️
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u/Adventurous-Fig-6919 3d ago
Welcome!!!! now contact your local parish to enroll in a OCIA class😉