Why Believe?

 

“The truth will set you free.”

Why

Believe at all?

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Your desires don't make sense, unless...

Each one of us has experienced a moment we wish would last forever.  We want more of it and we want it longer.  If we’re honest, sometimes we want so much that we want infinity and so long that we want eternity. 
The human heart is not foolish but is telling us something true about our destiny.  We were made for another world – a world beyond limits and expiration dates.  

You have objective meaning & purpose

God’s existence provides our lives with objective meaning and purpose.  Sure, we could subjectively add or find meaning in our lives, and we should, but we could also just as easily take it away.  Being made in God’s image and likeness means our lives have objective worth and meaning that cannot be erased, no matter what anyone else says.

Our universe does not explain itself

Nothing in the universe could have created the entire universe.  The cause must be something beyond time, matter, space, and energy.  Our universe does not explain itself.  Can you think of something (or Someone) beyond time, matter, space and energy?

Everything that begins to exist has a cause

The universe had a beginning, and therefore a cause.  The only adequate explanation for the existence of the universe and the order of the universe is an all-powerful God.  

Moral facts exist

Lying, cheating, and stealing are wrong.  Courage is better than cowardice.  We should be humble rather than prideful.
Moral laws are discoverable just like scientific laws are discoverable.  God also directly revealed some moral laws as guidelines to help us live well with others.
Without God, all morality is subjective and can be reduced to mere human opinions and feelings.  
With God, we have an objective standard of morality so we know how best to treat one another.  Moral laws come from the moral Law-giver.  

The wrongs of this world are made right

The world is full of evil and injustice, but with belief in God comes belief in an afterlife, where divine justice makes up for the injustices of this earthly life.  Without God, wrongs are never made right in the end – the torturer would unjustly meet the same fate as their victim.

How else to explain...

…the creativity of the human intellect, the inexplicability of miracles, the radical holiness of saints, and your own limitless desire for happiness?  These out-of-the-world realities point to the fact that we were made for another world.

Why

Christianity?

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Not a cosmic force, but a person

You are a human person.  Jesus is a divine person who also has a human nature.  God is personal.
Persons, whether human or divine, have minds and wills.  You are in God’s mind.  He thinks of you.  With His will, God created you and this universe for you to live in.  You are indispensable, irreplaceable, and unrepeatable.  God wants to be involved in your life.  If something matters to you, it matters to God.  

Jesus is different

Jesus claimed to be God and do things only God can do.  That makes Him either a Liar, a Lunatic, or the Lord.  His teachings and actions show He was not a bad or insane man.  Therefore we should take His claim seriously.

Jesus worked miracles

The Bible is full of the miraculous deeds of Jesus.  Science has not disproven the possibility of miracles.  Indeed science is necessary because its rules must be in place for a miracle to circumvent them.  Miracles continue to this day and many people in our pews have experienced them.

Jesus lived a sinless life

Jesus lived a sinless life and was able to perfectly show us how to live and love.

Jesus rose from the dead

Multiple accounts attest Jesus rose from the dead with hundreds of witnesses seeing Him afterwards.  This event, paired with the power of the Holy Spirit, launched the eventual worldwide movement of Christianity.  Its subsequent influence on personal behavior, educational systems, healthcare networks, and courts of law and justice has been unrivaled.

Morals based not on power, but humility

Christianity’s moral system is based on love, humility, and sacrifice — not power, wealth, skill, or fame.

Power to save

Being both human and divine, Jesus bridges the gap between Heaven and Earth.  Jesus’ self-sacrifice has a power that enables Him to save us from sin and its eternal effects (hell).

Every person's story

The Bible reveals who God is and who we are.  The joyful, tragic, and profound events in the Bible are relevant to every human person because the lessons are still played out in our lives.  The Bible is a library – a collection of 73 books of many different genres – that includes history, biography, letters, poetry, song, teaching, and prophecy.  

He showed us the depths of His love

Why the Cross?  Jesus’ Passion teaches us many things:  we have tremendous worth in God’s eyes; sin is very bad because it harms God and us and others; pain and suffering are not foreign to God because He experienced them too; sacrifice is an important part of life and relationship; and God must love us so much because “No one has greater love that this – to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” ~ John 15:13

The real meaning of life

The purpose of life is ultimately union with God, in this life and the next.  God has a place in Heaven reserved with our names on it.  All we must do is accept God’s invitation to follow Him.  God’s guideposts and guardrails exist to allow us to safely and fully enjoy this adventure of life.  It won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.

Given a way to respond

If God exists and revealed Himself to humanity, then we should not be surprised that He also provided a way to respond to Him, which some people call “organized religion”.  It makes sense that the God who created us and loves us would give us a reliable and clear path to come to Him.

Why

Catholicism?

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Soul Transformation

The Catholic Church produces saints – examples of ordinary people who live extraordinary lives and prove that holiness is possible for us all.
Consider the compassion of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the simplicity of St. Francis of Assisi, the brilliance of St. Thomas Aquinas, the masculinity of St. John Paul II, and the femininity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Our Lord takes the natural gifts and desires He gave us and supernaturalizes them with God’s own power.

Advancing the World

The civilizational impact of the Catholic Chruch is undeniable.  Major advances in science, healthcare, art, philosophy, architecture, justice, politics, and education all track with the spread of Catholicism throughout the world.  

Jesus started a Church

Jesus founded the Church and gave it authority to teach and preach in His name.  “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church” ~ Matthew 16:18

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  ~ Jesus to Peter in Matthew 16:19

A Church that will last

Jesus made a divine promise that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”  ~ Matthew 16:18

That same Church Jesus founded has endured for thousands of years and still exists today.  Only the Catholic Church can trace its authority and lineage of followers and priests all the way back to Jesus Christ and the apostles.

The power to forgive sins

Jesus gave the Catholic Church the authority to forgive sins.  The Church exercises this power through several of its sacraments.

Jesus “breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”  ~ John 20:23

Sacraments of Grace

The Catholic Church has all 7 Sacraments – sacred signs instituted by Jesus to give grace.  Jesus entrusted them to the Church.  They are channels of grace and healing.  They are Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick.

The Word of God

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church composed, collected, and disseminated all 73 books of the BibleThe most popular book in the world has transformed billions of lives.  

Social Service to everyone

The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world, treating more sick people, feeding more hungry people, and educating more people than any other organization on earth.

Consistent Ethic of Life

The Church is the only institution consistent in upholding the dignity of all human persons from the moment of conception until the time of natural death.

Every person – regardless of size, age, sex, race, status, location – is born in God’s image and likeness and has inherent value.  

Why

St. Basil?

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Joyful, Merciful, Faithful

Every gathering at St. Basil is full of smiles and laughs.  We are blessed and therefore a joyful community.
We recognize we all struggle with things that keep us from the life we seek, and we try to imitate Jesus and respond to brokenness and shame with mercy.
We believe the Catholic Church’s way of life is the beautiful, true, and challenging way to be human and so we are faithful to the Catholic Church’s mission, message, and teachings.

Vibrant Involvement

Our vibrant parish community offers 60+ ministries to serve you and provide you a place to serve others.

A Place to Grow

Many young families find St. Basil’s a great faith community in which to raise their children to be holy, happy, and healthy.

"Make disciples of all nations..."

We have a long tradition of serving people both locally and globally, most notably in urban Cleveland and Honduras.

The Weekend Experience

Our weekend Mass services are a great mix powerful messages, worshipfellowship, and music that lifts our hearts and minds to God.

Only 5%...

Only 5% of Catholic parishes in the country are growing.  We’re one of them.  Come see why!

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Further Reading