Tag Archives: truth

Horses and Religions

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Horses and Religions

Although she knew very little about horses, the young woman admired horses and was eager to join her boyfriend at the race track to watch the horses race. In fact, she was thrilled at the thought of watching these magnificent animals running at full speed, with such grandeur, power, and brilliance. The thought tantalized her; she was quivering with excitement as they approached the racing stables. The clear skies and moderate temperatures added to the anticipation of a pleasurable, exciting experience. She could not wait to enter the race grounds to watch the horses parade onto the track and then to witness the stately animals race furiously down the track.

As the two of them advanced to the paddock to evaluate the horses scheduled to run in the first race, the boyfriend scanned his iPad where there existed multiple, horse racing data bases, which contained most of the pertinent facts and figures about each of the horses competing in the race. Then his eyes would furtively check the odds on each horse, before returning to notice the behavior of each horse as they walked around the paddock. Meanwhile his girlfriend calmly enjoyed the beauty of the horses and the comfort that each jockey possessed as he guided his horse. Finally, it was time to place a bet. The boyfriend authoritatively advised her that the number 3 horse was an almost certain winner so he was placing his bet on number 3.  She replied, “I like the 5 horse; it is so beautiful and appears ready to run well.” The boyfriend shook his head in disbelief commenting, “A bad bet, but it is your money.”

“And they are off!” shouted the race announcer. The ten horses charged from the starting gate and immediately drove furiously down the track, before settling into a tempo. Both friends cheered loudly and enthusiastically as their horses passed the viewing stand. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and tension. It was a heart pumping experience as they both threw their whole being into the race. The girl friend screamed in jubilation as the announcer called her horse, number 5, as the leader, as the horses approached the finish line. “Number 5 Wins”, he thundered over the public address system. She was jubilant, jumping up and down, waving her winning ticket high in the air, and throwing a hung around her boyfriend’s neck. He was dumfounded. How could she have picked a winner on the basis of the beauty of the horse? Knowing his thoughts, she smiled and gently advised him that the night before the race she had accessed the best horse rating sites on the Internet and reviewed the pedigree of each of the horses and noticed that the number 5 horse possessed a lineage that was far superior to any of the other horses in the race. She confidently told her boyfriend, “Your horse did not stand a chance against number 5. Your horse was bred from lesser horses than was number 5. All the other measurements were secondary” She was focused on the most important factor.

There are over 34,000 Christian denominations in the world today. Not all of them possess the fullness of truth from Jesus Christ. It is true that most of the 34,000 plus denominations contain elements of the truth, but only one has been designated as possessing the fullness of truth. It is the Catholic Church. Only the Catholic Church was founded by God, Jesus Christ; all other churches had humans as their founders. Additionally, the Catholic Church is the only church which Jesus promised to be with “until the end of the age.” Despite the failures of many of its followers, including bishops and priests, the Catholic faith remains the faith founded by Jesus Christ. Jesus guaranteed that the Catholic Church would remain fiercely loyal to His teachings on faith and morals. It is His Church.

As was the case with the young woman’s analysis of the importance of the lineage of the horses in the winning of the race so also is Jesus’ connection and guarantee of the faithfulness of Catholicism to His teachings in man’s seeking the will of God.

“I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

God Exists

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God Exists

Challenging her mother, the child shouted, “Why do I have to do it? Have my brother do it.” With increased irritation and a failing patience, the mother quickly and firmly replied, “Because I told you to do it. Now get on with it.” In every aspect of life, there arise situations in which an individual will be ordered to institute an action solely on the authority of the person issuing the command. Children are expected to obey the reasonable (and sometimes some unreasonable) requests of their parents. Similarly in a work environment, employees do assignments simply because they are ordered to do so by their superiors. Husbands follow orders from their wives and vice versa. These situations are common and necessary for an effective managing of life’s daily requirements.

Oh yes, parents, bosses at work, coaches, military leaders, and others in command usually make an effort to explain the reason behind a specific order or request. However, when reason and logic fail to move a person to action, then a command is often issued. Every parent can recall situations where the parent explained in detail and with frequency the reasons why one of the children should do a certain task only to receive a “Why me?” response. In the end, the parent would finally lose patience and say with firmness and not a little bit of irritation, “Because I said so!” In work situations and throughout one’s life, an individual faces the issue of doing some act because someone in authority said, “because I said so.” (Ask any married man why this mantra is true.)

In talking with a friend, I asked her why she believed in God and was a Catholic. From this highly intelligent and thoughtful woman, I was expecting some philosophical or theological response. Instead she merely stated, “Because Jesus Christ said so.” That was it, nothing more. “Because Jesus Christ said so.” The more I considered her answer the more it became clear that the woman had indeed grasped a core truth. Jesus Christ, the authority for truth and love, had clearly and frequently stated that God exists. His actions and His teachings were sufficient to engender the necessary trust for my friend to accept His direction. She fully understood that, although reason and theology will lead one to God, the most fundamental reason for believing in God’s existence is that the most trusted being in all of human history said so. The trustful authority figure declared the truth of God’s existence.

When I attend Catholic Mass and observe the individual members of the congregation praying, I realize that few have ever studied philosophy or theology, yet they are certain that God exists and, for most, that belief is based upon the observation, “Because Jesus Christ said so.” Nothing else is necessary.

Suggested Reading:

“The Catholic Catechism” by John Hardon, S.J.  Part One “The Word of God”