This tract asks a question which could easily require a large book to answer...or could be answered in one brief sentence. I shall attempt to answer the question by writing something in between, and do justice to the question.
There are some characteristics which ALL (normal) humans share:
- One of these is the desire to know - and the willingness to seek to find out - IF there is a "meaning" to life.
- Second characteristic is to know WHY there is "undeserved" suffering in our lives.
This leads us to the first reason to be a Catholic: namely, to receive answers to these questions.
Everyone of us knows that "beyond us humans" there is "something else" - something which will ultimately explain what life is really all about. This "something else" is what most of us mean when we use the word "God." The mere fact that we want to know about God is a "proof" for His existence, and a "proof" that He has a plan and a design for us. But this tract is NOT concerned with proving the existence of God. This desire for knowledge is why men seek to join religious systems. It is the desire for answers. But only one of the systems (the ONE established by God Himself) can fulfill this desire in all of us. In every OTHER (than the Catholic) system there are fatal flaws and self-contradictions. Every OTHER system is "divided against itself" and cannot stand examination.
To illustrate this point with the Protestant system, I shall give an example.
Many Protestants (say that they) believe that once they are "born again," they are then guaranteed entry into heaven when they die - no matter what they do or do not do. Therefore, logically, IF heaven is a good place, and IF they really want to go there, THEN they should commit suicide to get to heaven NOW. Why should they wait for the next bit of human unhappiness to come along? They could "be at home" with Jesus and not worry about the heating bill or their health.
The reason usually given in answer to this question is that suicide is a sin and sin should be avoided. But notice the necessary conclusion: the sin of suicide leads to an immediate reward (heaven), while the righteous act of living leads to yet more and more suffering. So heaven is the reward for sin, and suffering is the reward of virtue! NO SANE person believes this. It is utterly opposed to the very concepts of sin, virtue, and God. A system which has this as its basic premise CANNOT satisfy the person when it comes to the real questions. To answer these questions someone needs truth. And Catholicism has a consistent, logical, TRUTHFUL theology which answers these troubling questions. But this is only natural, as our theology was given by Jesus to the Apostles, and from them to us.
Let me deal with issues of suffering. Suffering troubles all of us, as we all suffer and see loved ones suffer. The Protestant NEVER explains the random suffering, the type not caused directly by the person. He cannot. When this issue arises he dodges and evades. This is the nature of Protestantism: it has no answers to the questions of life.
In Catholicism, Purgatory and Indulgences (which ARE taught in the Bible) explain how love can be expressed in such suffering, and how our pain can be used for the benefit of others or for ourselves. We Catholics have the answer why such suffering is advocated by the Bible, and how such suffering can be reconciled with God's love, justice, and mercy.
No OTHER system even tries.
To put it slightly differently, when it comes to THE important issues of life, no other system has an answer. This would mean that some cruel "god" of the Protestants is playing a joke on mankind. In Catholicism, not only are these desires satisfied, but also the answer satisfies the brain and gives peace and comfort to the heart. This is simply because the God who made YOU made YOU restless until you rest in His knowledge of Him, until YOU approach Him in truth. In other words, YOU must approach Him in the Church which He established to teach these truths to you.
And this is the reason to become a Catholic.
But this is not all. Perhaps, equally important, you should be a Catholic in order to have your sins forgiven. Sin causes guilt, and this sin needs remission, if you are to regain peace. ONLY Catholicism's sacramental system offers the way for you to know that your sins are removed. Such a system is the only one taught by the Bible (Jn 20:23).
Even without this Biblical support your own soul cries out for assurance of forgiveness. All the other systems simply "wish away" the guilt of sin, but no one is fooled by such silliness. YOU aren't, are you?
I'll briefly touch on another reason to be Catholic. This is to minimize the effects of death. One of the worst effects of death is the separation of loved ones. IF death separates people from doing good for each other, then there is no solace for this sorrow and "god" is cruel. However, the Communion of Saints (a truth taught by Jesus) assures us that death does NOT stop the power of love. The love of Jesus destroyed death's power. And Christian love ignores death also. The dead may yet help the living, and the living may yet help the suffering dead.
How could it be any other way? Christianity utterly did away with the real sorrow of death.
The BEST reason for YOU to be a Catholic, however, is to be SAVED. Because when YOU are judged by God Himself, after your death, you will be able to give a proper account for yourself IF AND ONLY IF you have learned what to say in the Church which He established to teach you the correct answer. This is the Catholic Church, of course!
So to find truth, to fully express love -- to get your sins forgiven, you need to be a Catholic.
So, let me end by asking you -- if the question is appropriate -- WHY ARE YOU NOT A CATHOLIC?
Feel free to call me with YOUR answer.
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