Why I am still a Catholic

The first part of a new and interminable series

This is a new series about why I am a Catholic. It is not about persuading atheists or winning converts. What it is (meant to be) is an answer to friends who have asked me over the years why I believe the incredible claims of the church can be reasonably believed in a sceptical and rational age.

The proximate cause and the easy answer

I did not choose to become a Catholic. The roots of my family tree are planted firmly in the drumlin-dotted soils of the West of Ireland. That part of the country was largely Christianised over the course of the fifth century and our family has kept the faith ever since.

Maybe not for much longer, however

My grandmother has over 100 living descendants and in each successive generation the number of believing Catholics has been winnowed. I believe that my own children may be the only regular mass goers of their cohort and for all I know once they turn 18 that may be it.

I have *chosen* to remain a Catholic

Family tradition only goes so far - especially when those traditions are sometimes boring and have to compete with all the other things you could be doing on a Sunday. So while I was baptised into the church as an infant, that inheritance has not been sufficient to sustain belief in the modern age. But something has.

Moving from the general to the particular

As we proceed with this series, we will start with the broader inquiries. These are questions like: "Why is there something instead of nothing?" and then narrow our focus. From examining the logical foundations for believing in a higher power we will go to the historical basis for the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ then to the specific teachings and traditions of Catholicism and its distinctive role in the economy of human salvation.

Walking before running

Adopting a slow, methodical approach like this will be frustrating for those eager for quick answers or definitive proofs. Plenty of people will already be familiar with much of the content and therefore think it is lame. But just as you need to understand basic arithmetic before moving on to algebra and calculus, there’s no sense in exploring Catholicism without establishing the framework within which it works.

An autobiography of belief

I want to reiterate that purpose of this series is to articulate the reasons behind my faith with clarity and honesty. This is my personal case for reasonable faith and nothing more. It is an invitation to help those who want to understand to gain that understanding.

A conversation, not a conversion.