Why Catholic Christianity is a most rational choice

By Dr. Raul Nidoy

This article is contained in a free one-page leaflet. The leaflet in Word Doc can be downloaded here.

Top reasons for the three rational foundations of the truth of Catholic Christian belief: (1) God is real; (2) Jesus is the real God who became man; (3) Jesus built one Church, the Catholic Church.

1.     God is real.

• Humans and the world have such an intricate, beautiful design which can only be caused by an Intelligent Designer, and not by mindless matter nor by chance.
• Nothing can cause its own existence. In the chain of causes and effects which we see in the world, if there is no First Uncaused Cause, then the second causes and their effects could not exist.
• We know of objective moral facts of right and wrong (e.g. help the drowning; do not steal my things) which obliges humans in all cultures. Its power to oblige can’t come from men obliged by the moral law. It comes from a Lawgiver.
• If there is no God, life is ultimately meaningless. Only God satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart for infinity and eternity.
• To bet on God is your only chance of winning eternal happiness, and to bet against him is your only chance of losing. (Note:  Most points are from Peter Kreeft’s Extremely Brief Arguments for the Existence of God.)

 2.     Jesus is the real God who became man.

• Many reliable eyewitness accounts, eminent contemporary Roman historians and archaeological findings attest that Jesus really existed and was worshipped as God.
• Jesus did things only God can do. He stopped a storm in one instant, raised 3 dead persons back to life, multiplied 5 loaves of bread to feed 5000 and turned 500 liters of water to top quality wine.
• Jesus claimed he was God. He said, “I and the Father are one”. He forgave sins and claimed eternity, omnipresence, and power over all the angels. Since he was not a lunatic or a liar, he should be telling the truth.
• Jesus was confirmed dead by the best killers of ancient history, the Roman soldiers, and was seen to have resurrected by more than 500 persons.
• Thousands of people in the early years of Christianity, including former sceptics and enemies, gave their lives to testify to the truth that Jesus resurrected and is God. Hundreds of thousands continue to do so throughout history. One estimate says that in the 20^th century alone, there were 45.5 million martyrs! (A. Socci)

 3.     Jesus built one Church, the Catholic Church.

• The Bible and the early Christians testify that Jesus built his Church on Simon, whom he renamed Rock (Peter), and gave him “the keys of the kingdom (Mt 16:18-19).  Jesus told him alone to “feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17).  History shows that the Popes are his successors.
• The Bible is a Catholic book.  It was Pope Damasus’ Council of Rome in 382 AD which drew up the official list of the books of the Bible. All Christians trust the Catholic Church when they read the Bible.
• The Bible refutes the “Bible alone” principle. St. Paul says “hold to traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thes 2:15).  The Bible also tells of a Council’s authority where Peter declared what “we believe” (Acts 15) and that the “the Church –not the Bible—is the pillar and the bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).
• The true Church is universal, evangelizing in all parts of the world with more than 1.2 billion members today. Compare this with the 2^nd biggest Christian group, the Easter Orthodox Churches with only 230M (1/5 of its size) mainly found in Eastern Europe; Southern Baptists 16.3M (1/73).
• The Catholic Church is the greatest charitable and educational institution in the world and the longest lasting institution. Modern secular historians of science, economics, university education, human rights, international law, hospitals and Western art are showing that Catholic priests, scientists and thinkers were behind the foundation and great achievements in these areas.

If you consider the truth that God built the Church and speaks through it (“He who hears you –the Church—hears me,” said Jesus), it is logical to learn more about Jesus’ plan and how you can be aligned with it.   

Read the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church online for a a modern synthesis of God’s infinitely loving wisdom for us.

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The free one-page leaflet containing the article can be downloaded here.