Ask a Catholic

[Randy Carson]

Ok. I think that's bat-shit insane, but thank you for answering honestly.

No, problem, Becca.

I will always answer an honest question as honestly as I can. Thank you for asking.

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Oh wait.  Here's another one: since I entertained the "God" idea while you were explaining that, could I ask you to pretend you don't believe "God" exists?  Would you still use NFP, or would you concede that there's nothing wrong with copulation and contraception?

If it were not prohibited by God, then sure...I would encourage my wife to use some form of birth control.

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How well do I have to understand physics in order to get the general idea of the Big Bang or multiverses or black holes or dark matter?

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Do I need the comprehension of these things that Stephen Hawking has? Or would some basics be sufficient for me to accept that these things are reasonable explanations based on what we know so far?

Do I need the comprehension of the trinity that Thomas Aquinas had? Or would some basics about God's attributes be sufficient for me to accept that God must exist?

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Why? If a being far beyond my comprehension reveal himself to me, how is it that I cannot know with certainty that the being exists even if I cannot begin to comprehend Him in all His depths?

As you pointed out up-thread, the consequences of being wrong could be personally catastrophic.

Indeed.

The trouble is, you think your understanding is complete and infallible while admitting it is not.

After nearly 36 years of Catholicism and nearly a decade of online apologetics, one thing I do know is that I am not infallible.  

I bolded 'know with certainty' because it is exactly this where your unquestioning belief becomes a danger to yourself.

Some things can be known with certainty even if they are not fully understood.

Physics is simply a description of the universe around us.  It is not personally vindictive or vengeful.  

A demon could be. It might play a game with you to see how far you can be misled. And it could be fully capable of clouding your mind into believing it offered absolute truth and eternal bliss.

Ah...here you are really onto something, Julia. A demon COULD be deceiving someone...even me. So, knowing how demons operate, what they can and cannot do, and how to stay clear of them becomes a bit more important, doesn't it?

Now, for the baptized Catholic who frequents the sacraments and maintains a state of grace, demons do not have much sway. For the godless, demons have no real reason to bother - that battle is essentially won (unless the person is moved by grace and open to it). So, the battle is over those who are considering faith in God. (Satan also attacks God's strongholds - such as the priesthood - through sins of the flesh (think pedophilia and other carnal temptations here)). God is greater and cannot be defeated...but WE have free will and can choose to act on temptations.

Without an independent, reliable method of identifying a god vs a demon, you cannot even assign probabilities as to which is the case.  Even if you found a god, it could, for its own ineffible reasons, damn you to hell in what to you would be an arbitrary and unjust action.  You cry, "But God is Love, All perfection and goodness!  He would never do that!" in your own feeble, infallible, reedy voice.  Again, you arrogantly claim to know the essential characteristics of God while admitting He is unknowable.
By biting fully on the bait, you are buying that pig to which I referred earlier.

Knowing no god, I'm not sure how you feel qualified to comment on mine.

"Do I need the comprehension of the trinity that Thomas Aquinas had?"
Why do you think yours is less or his was complete?
In fact, you need more.

The Christian faith is simple enough that even a peasant may understand, believe and be saved. It is also deep and rich enough that some of the greatest intellects in history have barely scratched the surface.