Q&A for How to Be a Good Catholic

What is nothingness? There are two destinations: heaven or hell. If nothingness is what you mean by hell, then, yes. But you don't wait till purgatory to choose hell -- you choose it here on earth by rejecting God. If heaven is where God will be, and God is our soul's greatest delight, why would we want to go anywhere else?

Yes. In fact, Jesus encouraged even children to come to Him. A preteen may serve in different capacities than an adult because of age restrictions. However, there are many ways a young person can serve Christ and His Church.

God is our creator and heavenly father. Without Him, we wouldn't be here. He wants what's best for us. He loves us unconditionally and proves it to us constantly. He knows we yearn for knowledge and does His best to give it to us. He is sinless; we are not. We trust Him and give ourselves entirely to Him so we can go to heaven.

Anglican churches do not believe in the transubstantiation, or the idea that Jesus's literal body is present in the Eucharist, like Catholics do. Therefore, Anglican communion would not satisfy the Sunday mass requirement.

We do not worship Mary. We only worship Jesus Christ. We honor Mary and pray to her because she was a good role model for any Christian.

Of course not! Remember though, it's usually easier to marry someone who shares the same faith.

According to the Catholic Church, in order to be forgiven of sins, a Catholic must go to confession.

Call the closest parish to where you live and schedule an appointment for confession, or you may go to a parish's scheduled confession services. When you actually go to confession, enter the confessional, and kneel on one side of the screen while the priest sits on the other. Do the sign of the Cross and say, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been () years since my last confession." The priest will tell you when you can start confessing your sins. After confessing your sins, he will give you your penance (what you should do in atonement for your sins) and absolution.

Yes, the Catholic Church believes that we get our understanding of God through faith and logic. If we didn't have logic, there would be no way to reasonably establish or justify our beliefs, and if we just had logic, there would be no way to have a relationship with God and to trust in him. Reason and faith go hand in hand. I would recommend reading about this more in the Catechism for a fuller explanation.

The Catholic Church goes back, in an unbroken chain, to Saint Peter himself. As such, of all Christian churches, it has the strongest claim to being the "original" church. Whether it is the "right" one for you is something only you can decide.

Envy, gluttony, lust, greed, sloth, wrath, and pride.

There are too many religions to keep an accurate count, especially since a person has the freedom to make up their own beliefs and belief systems. I would have you focus upon the difference between a small number of the major religions. Judaism is based upon the revelation of the one true G-d to the Jewish people through the holy prophets and the Torah. Christianity is based upon a belief that the one true God has revealed himself in the person of Jesus Christ and the written text of the Holy Bible. Islam is based upon a belief that Allah is revealed through the prophet Muhammad whose teachings are recorded in the Koran. This subject is very complicated, so I'd encourage you to do your own research into the matter.

You can talk to someone that you trust within the Catholic faith about the specific teachings or practices that are the source of your anxiety. It may be that you have an incomplete understanding of something basic. Determine to resolve your inner conflict through a peaceful dialogue with an understanding person that you respect.

This is a belief and it cannot be proven by science. If you are part of a church, you could ask your leader questions like this. They will be happy to answer your questions.

There are several reasons, including: Historical references, Biblical prophecies and archaeological finds. Many different historical references outside of the Bible show the same things that the Bible shows. I recommend "The Case For Christ" by Lee Strobel. It is a real great book and explains a lot!

His existence is well-recorded. At the time of his existence, the Eastern Mediterranean was under control of the Roman Empire, who were key to record anything abnormal.

We don't know for sure that God does exist. The truth is, you have to have faith and trust in God.

God will forgive you for anything regardless of whether or not you go to confession. As long as you confess to Him, He will forgive you.