Where can I find the ability to believe in a world full of skepticism, falsifications, and varied truths?

Question

I want to believe, but I can't, and I'm looking for inspiration in order for my mind to believe the truth, whatever it may be. Religion is big, as I am Catholic, and even though I want to believe some aspects of the religion, I want to reject other aspects, but I don't possess the power to believe. My conscious mind wants to, but my instincts tell me otherwise. Any examples of inspiration to believe or advise would help. I appreciate any serious response.

Answer 1

--Is Catholic--

I would suggest that you read St. Augustine's CONFESSIONS. He had the exact same problem as you do and the entire book deals excellently with the problem.

The short answer is that wanting to believe is enough. Belief is a process of agreeing with what you know and agree with and then trusting that which you are not sure about or find difficult to be true and acting accordingly. Belief is always a conscious choice. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it is automatic like breathing air. It is not. It is all choice and it is as simply as saying "I am willing to believe". We learn how to believe and what to believe by becoming trusting true authority, becoming educated in philosophy, history, and theology, and by having our consciences formed in morality. It is all a process and a life long choice. You will never end the need to choose or to work at believing, for there is always something new that God wants to show you.

A very old and famous Catholic prayer is "Lord I believe, help my unbelief." Remember it and pray it often.

The world is full of skepticism and falsifications. Pope Benedict has often spoken out against relativism. I suggest you track down those writings of his and read them. Start with what he said as Card. Ratzinger before the conclave and then at his inaugural mass. It will lift your spirits greatly!

I do not know what your difficulties are, but would be willing to help you with them and give you what you are looking for to help.

Answer 2

I am sort of confused about what you are asking. I think you are wanting to know how you can have faith in your beliefs when the world is so messed up? (maybe not). If this world makes you question your beliefs, than your faith is working. Your faith should be used to give you parameters, boundaries, and offer you a set of standards in which to measure the world by. How should you find the ability to believe? Remember your faith, your beliefs, it is a relationship between you and it, not between you and everything within this world. Also, remember that religion...and/or beliefs aren't designed to give you unwavering certainty...if it were, it wouldn't be called "believing", now would it? What I would tell you is that things in this world may feel uncertain or unfair a lot of the time, but try to accept that your beliefs don't have to have a absolute truth to them. If your beliefs are helping you to find purpose and direction, then it is doing it's job.

Answer 3

I know this will sound weird, but it works. Think of your mind as a glass full of dirty water - as long as its shook up, it stays murky! Put it down to rest and the sediment falls to the bottom and eventually things become clearer. Now how do you do that? Get away from all noise, all distraction, and force yourself to just sit without really thinking. If you allow thoughts to creep in, consciously stop and just concentrate on your breathing. Meditate not on "thinking" or what you do or do not know, but on "being". ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE! Seek the stability of peace without worry or turmoil. Eventually you will be able to do this for longer and longer periods of time, and your core beliefs - your heart and soul - will start becoming clear. For the moment, stop searching for "proof" and accept that there are things you "know" because you feel them! I knew the sun rose in the east and set in the west from experience, long before I'd ever heard of astronomy! I knew that air fills my lungs - from experience - long before I'd ever heard of anatomy. I knew my God was there long before I'd ever heard of his existance from different religions! Get back to what you know! You say your conscious mind wants to believe but your instincts tell you not to? I have found its the other way around. Our instincts, our conscience, and our hearts "know"! --- Its the conscious mind that doubts. If you really want the ability to believe, become"like a child" not because they are gullible but because they believe what they see and feel without having to know every WHY. Once you get back to that point, you can build a relationship with God like with any other person - not on what you can prove in court, but on what you know in your heart - what you BELIEVE!

Answer 4

Belief is overrated. It's also an open invitation for anyone to waltz in and feed you a line of bull.

Don't believe.

Know.

Follow your instincts. They're there for a reason.

Answer 5

I suppose you can force yourself but that is all it would be and after some time you would spit it out because it is not going to stick mind body or soul. Religion is a choice and it is personal. I think you are looking to go to church..hmmm? Well you cannot go to church for anyone but you.

Answer 6

You can find faults in every church, every religion. Why? They are made by man, and man is not God. Man cannot make a perfect religion or church. I think what you are struggling with is faith. Faith is what we rely on to keep God in our lives. You don't need a church or a religion to give you truth. You have that inside of you, go with it. Keep faith, keep God. He believes in you.....

Answer 7

Sounds like you're experiencing "spiritual warfare"

Everyone goes through times of doubt and usually they are caused by things issued from MAN not God...

Talk to your priest or a deacon or anyone who is steadfast in their faith. Be honest and look for God-you WILL find him again..

http://cards.cardfountain.com/ecards/sosnitymf01/index.php?aid=102003

Answer 8

Try believing in yourself first, or you would not be asking these questions There is only one truth, your truth, my truth is what works in life for me, It will not be the same for you as yours will not be the same for me.

Answer 9

Withold assent on everything and I'll guarantee you'll end up tortured or in jail.

Only then will you be able to say: OKAY I know somethings!!

Answer 10

exciting idea. It relies upon on what you ought to judge to be a crises; and to whom does the crises impact, what ought to the adaptation be between purely "having some issues" to an complete "disaster". i imagine there are areas of this international that are torn aside by employing conflict and social unrest, poverty, starvation, and violence (esp middle east, areas of Africa), yet, at the same time, multiple the western international locations stay in prosperity and wealth. to those those who have by no potential commonly used different lives, it may truly look like the international is in crises in evaluation to our personal. regardless of the indisputable fact that, the individuals who stay there adapt and procedures to proceed to exist. And the international powers have adequate nuclear guns to wipe out the total human race, if the total arsenal became used. And there are projected environmental mess united statescoming if we do not give up a number of our conduct (global warming, deforestation, toxins of the oceans, ozone depletion, depletion of sparkling water), that can truly reason mass extinction of multiple species. regardless of the indisputable fact that, i imagine the authentic question to "is the international in a state of crises", a minimum of to maximum human beings, is redefined to "Is the human race in jeopardy"? i imagine the answer to that, except we bypass in an all-out nuclear conflict, we are able to proceed to exist. If many of the suggested environmental themes get up (depletion of sparkling water, or possibly finally our nutrients production purposes are hampered), i imagine human beings ought to correctly be sensible adequate to proceed to exist. it ought to get ugly, and multiple human beings ought to die off, yet i do not imagine it's going to be to the point of extinction. Our inhabitants ought to decline, yet we are able to nevertheless proceed to exist. i imagine the priority with human beings is, if it does indirectly impact their lives, they have a tendency to be apathetic about it, till a catastrophe strikes or a large replace we don't love strikes. We ignore concerning the concepts of environmental and ecological scientists with the intention to stay our personal lives to the optimal luxurious. And we've self-fascinated religionists that ignore about all of this taking position contained in the international; because they're captivated with debating what's happening contained in the subsequent international, and the thanks to get there (which they could't even tutor the existence of). often times i imagine human beings want to commence wondering about searching after this international first.