"Most people accept whatever religion they're raised in, so there's no particular reason to believe in religion."
Just because people tend to accept the beliefs they're raised with, that doesn't mean we should reject belief altogether. (Thread) (1/6)
Children have a natural tendency to accept the beliefs they're taught by their parents and culture. This is essential to our education, since we aren't able to personally verify literally every last one of our beliefs. This is true across all subjects, not just religion. (2/6)
For example, people tend to accept the ideas about the natural world that are prevalent in their culture, but this doesn't mean they should disbelieve in the natural world or how it works. (3/6)
Rather, it means they have reason to accept what they've been taught unless and until a superior case is made for another view. Similarly, people have a reason to accept the religion they were raised in unless and until they encounter a superior case for another religion. (4/6)
Christianity has nothing to fear in this regard. Of all religions, it has made perhaps the most comprehensive and thorough study of the arguments and evidences that support it—a field known as Christian apologetics (which is what Catholic Answers specializes in). (5/6)
If most people remain in the religion of their birth, it is because most don't undertake a detailed study of apologetics and thus don't encounter the powerful evidences for the Christian faith. (6/6)
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The Catholic Church did not "baptize" a pagan festival into Halloween/All Saints Day.
All Saints Day originates from Pope Gregory III (731-741) dedicating a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to all the saints and fixing its anniversary as November 1. 🧵
In fact, the history goes back even farther than that.
In the early days of the Church, Christians celebrated each martyr’s feast on the anniversary of his death.
As the number of martyrs increased over time, though, and because the liturgical calendar can only accommodate a limited number of Christian luminaries in its 365-day cycle, the Church began honoring all martyrs on a single day by the later A.D.300s and the early 400s.
In 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs, choosing May 13 to honor the martyrs.
Pope Gregory III, as mentioned above, extended the feast to include all saints, moving its celebration to November 1, which explains why All Hallows’ Eve is celebrated on October 31, the day before.
Later, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) made it a feast for the entire Western Church.
Some believe he failed to meet crucial Old Testament prophecies.
Here are four classic objections and our answers: 🧵
Objection 1: The Messiah was supposed to bring worldwide peace (Isa. 2:4). Jesus didn’t.
As Rabbi Tovia Singer puts it: “If Jesus were the Messiah, you would know it from reading the newspaper.”
Answer: Jesus did bring peace—but it was the deeper and more important peace with God (Rom. 5:1).
And Scripture never said all prophecies had to be fulfilled at once. Many Jews themselves expected the Messiah to suffer first, then triumph later.
Jesus implied that the messianic prophecies of peace would be fulfilled when he came to earth again at the end of time (see Matt. 24).
Objection 2: The Messiah was to reunite the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus didn’t.
Answer: He began that reunification. He chose twelve apostles to symbolize the twelve tribes (Luke 22:30).
The early Church Fathers saw the tribes spiritually reunited when Jews across the Diaspora came to Christ.
He will finish the work at the end of time (Rev. 7:4–12).
Even many Catholics wince at these Marian titles. Some avoid them altogether, worried they sound like blasphemy or competition with Christ.
But here’s what they actually mean (and why they glorify Jesus even more)🧵
First, “Co-redemptrix.”
At first glance, it seems shocking: isn’t Jesus the only Redeemer?
Yes. The “co-” here comes from the Latin cum which means “with,” not “equal.”
So “Co-redemptrix” means that Mary cooperated with Christ in his work of redemption, in a unique and unparalleled way.
How?
-At the Annunciation, she gave her total fiat (Luke 1:38)
-At the Presentation, she offered Jesus back to the Father
-At Calvary, she stood beneath the Cross, uniting her suffering with his
This does not lessen Christ’s work as Redeemer. He receives more glory by allowing a creature to participate in it.
Parents can now choose which of their unborn children gets to live—based on looks, sex, or predicted health.
It’s called “embryo selection.”
Here’s why it should trouble all of us 🧵
Last year, the Church reaffirmed a truth many have forgotten:
Children have “the right to have a fully human (and not artificially induced) origin” due to their unalienable dignity (Dignitas Infinita 49).
A child is a gift from God, not a product. No one is entitled to a child, because no one is entitled to another human being.
But with the advancement of modern technology, often people believe they do have this right—and what's more, some think they can have a say in designing their child.