This paper traces the origins and development of Roman Catholicism from its roots in the Jewish faith and the early Christian church through the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire. It outlines the core Catholic worldview, including beliefs about creation, the afterlife, and the role of Scripture. The paper then examines philosophical debates surrounding faith and the existence of God, including St. Augustine's stance on unquestioning belief, St. Anselm's Ontological Argument, Dostoevsky's challenge regarding innocent suffering, and W.K. Clifford's argument against belief without sufficient evidence.
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Roman Catholicism is the oldest of the Christian faiths and a direct descendant of the institutions established by the disciples of Jesus. The first leaders of what later became Catholicism were the twelve apostles. These men originally set up organizations in various towns and cities across the Roman Empire to spread the word of their God, and in doing so became the first bishops and saints. Roman Catholic bishops, cardinals, and popes of today can still trace their succession back to the apostles.
Christianity itself grew out of the Jewish faith. "Christianity was one form of the faith of the Jews, and not only in its first years. Jesus was a Jew" (Chadwick 10). The God of the Jews is also the God of the Christians, but differing interpretations of the nature of the Lord — and most particularly the divinity of Christ — are where these two religions first diverged.
The first Christians were persecuted by Roman Emperors. For hundreds of years the religion was outlawed, and thousands died as martyrs in the Roman gaming arenas. In 324 A.D., Constantine became the first Christian Emperor. Soon after, "The Emperor Theodosius I banned paganism, made Christian heretics liable to penalties, and forbade sacrifices" (Chadwick 58). The bishops were given formal status, and the Christian church became an institutionalized authority with power throughout the empire. Thus, the Holy Roman Empire was born, and the Christian faith became dominated by Roman Catholicism.
The most basic worldview held by Roman Catholics consists of three general beliefs: "The universe has not always existed, and will not exist forever in its present form"; "The universe has not come into being by chance; it was created by a personal God and is continually held in being by him"; and "People have much in common with animals, but are unique because they have been created to enjoy a special relationship with their creator" (Packer 12). This relationship, most importantly for Catholics, is exemplified by God's sacrifice of his only son — Jesus — to forgive the sins of mankind.
The notion of the afterlife grows out of God's sacrifice of Jesus. Catholics believe that after Jesus died, he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, or eternal paradise. This reward awaits all those who follow the word of God and live their lives according to his will. All Christian faiths share this belief, but Catholicism has had, for hundreds of years, church officials in place to interpret specifically how the word of God and the Scriptures are to be understood. The other Christian faiths were seeded through conflicting interpretations of the Bible, disagreements over the path to heaven, or revolts against the established church and the pope.
The variety of faiths that exist today came about largely through varying interpretations of the Holy Scriptures. The first writings that were later incorporated into the Bible lay the framework for the Christian faith but have not gone unchallenged. The role of Mary, the divinity versus the humanity of Christ, and the path to heaven are just a few of the issues over which biblical scholars have disagreed. On numerous occasions the pope has convened learned clergymen to decide which interpretation of the Scriptures should be accepted in the Roman Catholic faith. Because most of these matters were philosophical in nature, logic and deduction have commonly been used to settle issues in Christianity.
The question arises, however, of how one is supposed to truly believe in God and the Scriptures. Is God absolute or nothing? Is He finite or infinite? St. Augustine addressed this directly: "The finest thing that we can say of God is to be silent concerning him from the wisdom of inner riches. Be silent therefore, and do not chatter about God, for by chattering about him, you tell lies and commit a sin. If you wish to be perfect and without sin, then do not prattle about God. Also you should not wish to understand anything about God, for God is beyond all understanding. A master says: If I had a God that I could understand, I would not regard him as God. If you understand anything about him, then he is not in it, and by understanding something of him, you fall into ignorance" (Davies 236–7).
The arguments surrounding the existence and understanding of God have frequently ended in such logical contradictions. Yet it has generally been agreed that when discussing an all-powerful and all-knowing being, contradictions are inherent and unavoidable. Clearly, St. Augustine was a follower of the Catholic faith, and his philosophy was that of unquestioning belief.
"Anselm's Ontological Argument examined and critiqued"
"Dostoevsky and Clifford challenge faith's foundations"
The arguments surrounding faith in Roman Catholicism have produced some of the most enduring philosophical debates in Western history, pitting unquestioning belief against the human impulse to question everything. From the institutional foundations laid by the apostles to the metaphysical challenges posed by Dostoevsky and Clifford, Roman Catholicism has continually engaged with — and been tested by — the deepest questions about God, existence, and the nature of faith.
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