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Q: What if this is all a waste of time and we figure out, when we die that God doesn't exist?
A: There are many ways to know that God exists. Famous Catholic theologian St Thomas Aquinas offers us the five proofs for God's existence (see Article 3 on www.newadvent.org/summa/1002.htm). But more importantly we can know and be sure of God's existence through a living and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When we surrender your lives to Him, His presence in our lives will be undeniable and we'll know for sure that this is not a waste of time.
Q: Does the church frown upon interracial marriages?
A: Marriage is allowed between any eligible man and any eligible woman-race is not an obstacle as all races are equal in the eyes of God. The Catechism states:
Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: All therefore enjoy an equal dignity. (CCC 1934)
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: All therefore enjoy an equal dignity. (CCC 1934)
Q&A from Catholic Answers, "Quick 5" (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2001)
Q: If God made everything, who made God?
A: God is without beginning or end. He is uncreated. He existed before anything else. We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create. God creates freely "out of nothing". If we were to think that there was a time before God existed then we are left with a logical problem:
If there ever was a time that absolutely nothing existed, nothing would exist now. Because there would be nothing or no one to change that situation.
However, something (the universe) exists now. Therefore, there was never a time that absolutely nothing existed.
If there ever was a time that absolutely nothing existed, nothing would exist now. Because there would be nothing or no one to change that situation.
However, something (the universe) exists now. Therefore, there was never a time that absolutely nothing existed.
Q: Why is going to Church better than praying at home?
A: A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the minister decided to visit him. It was a chilly day.
That evening, the minister found the man at home all alone sitting by a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his minister's visit, the man welcomed him, and led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The minister made himself at home but said nothing.
In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, he took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.
Soon it was cold and dead.
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The minister glanced at his watch and chose this time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more, with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the minister reached the door to leave, his host said, with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday".
That evening, the minister found the man at home all alone sitting by a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his minister's visit, the man welcomed him, and led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The minister made himself at home but said nothing.
In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, he took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more.
Soon it was cold and dead.
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The minister glanced at his watch and chose this time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more, with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the minister reached the door to leave, his host said, with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday".
Q: Is Heaven for everyone or just baptized Catholics?
A: A living and active faith in Jesus Christ is the assurance for our salvation and eternal life in Heaven. However, those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation. So the answer is no, Heaven is not only for baptized Catholics but being a baptized Catholic who follows their faith is the only sure way to Heaven.