Main Menu
RC DAILY MEDITATIONS
RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

July 7, 2023

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Would I Offend God by Looking for Evidence of His Existence?”

/ Ask a Priest
Q: I come from an atheistic background, yet I came to believe in God and that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church. Yet, I still have doubts about the existence of God. And because joining the Catholic Church would seriously impact my future life, I want to be intellectually sure that God exists. I don’t want to spend my whole life worshipping something that might not exist. So, a few months ago I started looking into arguments for and against the existence of God. But recently a thought started to creep into my head, that what I am doing is sinful. That I must simply believe that God exists. That God would find it insulting that I doubt his existence and need to research to believe in him or to be sure. I think I am surely just overly scrupulous. But I want to be sure I am not doing anything sinful. So, my question is: Would God be OK with my accepting that he might not exist and subsequently delve into arguments for or against him (miracles, apparitions, problem of evil, etc.), until I would be sure that he actually exists or find it unlikely and stop believing? If God would have a problem with that, would that be a venial or even a mortal sin for me to continue my research? Thank you for your answers. – V.L.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It sounds as though the Holy Spirit is nudging you closer to God.

Rather than try to answer your specific question, let me state the situation in a different way.

God created faith and reason. He gives us intelligence and free will. With intelligence, we can seek the truth. With free will, we can make an act of faith and love.

You can certainly use your intelligence to study the arguments for and against the existence of God.

My advice is to keep going deeper into the arguments. A few resource that might help are:

─ Peter Kreeft’s 20 arguments for the existence of God

─ The Aquinas 101 course offered by the Thomistic Institute. This is a set of short videos on the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. They give an overview of Church teaching, though there are specific videos on arguments regarding the existence of God.

A second piece of advice is this: Don’t try to find “scientific” proofs in this case.

Strictly speaking, the question of God’s existence is beyond the bounds of science to prove or disprove.

But then, many of our most cherished beliefs are beyond scientific proofs. We don’t test a mom’s love for her child in a laboratory, for instance.

At some point we sense that the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming in one direction, and we make an act of assent.

I think you will find the circumstantial evidence points in a very definite direction regarding Our Lord. In the meantime, try praying to God for guidance.

I hope some of this helps. Count on my prayers.

 

“Ask a Priest: Would I Offend God by Looking for Evidence of His Existence?” Read More »

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: At the crucifixion, why does Jesus only answer the ‘good thief’?”

/ Ask a Priest
Q: Praying about the Gospel for Christ the King Sunday, Luke 23:35-43, I have a question. Christ only answers the “good thief” and doesn’t answer the thief who said to Jesus, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” Since Jesus only answered the good thief, is he being a model to us? I am going to read the Gospels in this light now, to see how Jesus answers various people. I seem to think that he never gets in the defensive mode and often just ignores the negative comments thrown at him. I am trying to become less defensive to people, and maybe there is some help here. Christ never answers a person defensively. My guess is that one of the things involved here is that I need a more humble heart. -K.P.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It is great that, as you are reading the Gospels, you pay particular attention to how Jesus responds to others. Our Lord invited us, in fact, to “learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Meekness, by the way, doesn’t mean timidity or cowardice. The virtue of meekness “enables an individual to use anger according to the rule of right reason” in the words of theologian Jordan Aumann (see his Spiritual Theology). Thus, meekness didn’t hold Jesus back from going on the offensive at times. Witness his cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-17) or his chastising of critics (“Can any of you charge me with sin?” –John 8:46).

On the cross Our Lord’s charity is remarkable. He prays for his persecutors, for instance (“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” — Luke 23:34). So how could we interpret his silence to the thief who taunts him?

One interpretation (and this certainly doesn’t exclude others) is that Jesus tried to win over souls until the last moment of his earthly life. It wasn’t a moment to argue with a person who either didn’t believe or didn’t understand Jesus and his mission. It is interesting that the bad thief asked, “Are you not the Christ?” — as if he believed to some degree that Jesus was the messiah. In any case, the bad thief didn’t understand that the messiah’s mission would be to suffer for the redemption of mankind.

Jesus gives us a practical example here: When confronted with someone who is incapable in the moment of grasping a Gospel message, the best response might be the charity of silence. Sometimes it is better to be quiet, if by responding we only fuel a fruitless debate. No doubt, Jesus’ patience and endurance on the cross made a deep impact on the “good thief” — so much so that he both believed Jesus’ innocence and Our Lord’s ability to make room for a last-minute repentant sinner in his kingdom.

“Ask a Priest: At the crucifixion, why does Jesus only answer the ‘good thief’?” Read More »

Scroll to Top

Events

Donate

Looking for another country?

Contact Regnum Christi near you

News & Resources

Main Menu

News & Resources

The Regnum Christi Mission

The Regnum Christi Family

The Regnum Christi Identity

Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!