The Complete History of the Universe: A Personal Journey

I’ve decided that the best way to illustrate the person that I was is to copy a couple of old posts of mine. In their original publicized form, they were an introduction to a project I was putting on facebook at the time – the same project that has become this blog, as you’ll see. (You might say the project has evolved significantly.) I posted them a long time ago from one perspective, for I have changed drastically since then, but also a very short time ago, for it has been only a few years. I admit to some minor editing, but nothing that changes the picture.

Introduction – Part 1

“For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” -Romans 1:22

In previous notes, I have expounded pretty much everything I believe. However, I have yet to offer conclusive proof.

Starting today and continuing every Saturday, hopefully without interruption, until I am finished or the need has passed, I will be posting a note on some very serious topic. These topics are all very important to me, as they form the very foundations of my life, the way I live. I at one point said I would not do this. However, I have decided for several reasons that it is absolutely necessary.

First, Christ said, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” (Or words to that effect.) As a Catholic, it is part of my life’s work to spread the truth.

Second, I feel that everyone should have and be able to explain reasons behind their beliefs. For many years, “My Daddy says so” was enough; “I was a child then, I am a woman now.” This no longer suffices, not that I ever really believed very much on my daddy’s say-so anyway.

Third, this is really a way for me to place my beliefs under a microscope. I am attempting to prove everything I believe (except for that socks as multidimensional beings thing); if it cannot be proven, I must either change my beliefs or have a very good explanation for keeping them. Is this an open search for truth? Not really. Am I willing to change my mind if presented with convincing enough evidence? I think so.

Fourth, this is a revival of an old project of mine, one I thought up during the summer of 2005. (I believe I was somewhat influenced by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It would be safe to say that this remains among my very favorite books by non-Catholics.) This project is still entitled The Complete History of the Universe, though that may be more of a code name at this point. This is certainly no conventional “History”. If you wish, you may consider these notes as a parceled rough draft of this project.

Fifth, I had absolutely no homework one week and took it as a sign that I needed to start solving the mysteries of the universe.

My major premise, one might say, is that the Roman Catholic Church is right about everything. However, this is a conclusion which must be proven before being used as evidence. Using this premise prematurely could easily result in some very circular reasoning:

Q: “Why do you believe this Jesus Christ was God?”

Me: “The Catholic Church teaches it.”

Q: “And why does the Catholic Church have that authority?”

Me: “It was founded by Jesus Christ, true God and true man.”

Q: “And how do you know this?”

Me: “…the Catholic Church teaches it?”

I think my point is clear.

I do base that conclusion on a few facts: A) God exists, II) God promised a Redeemer to fallen man, 3) God founded Judaism to preserve this promise and prophecies relating to it, IV) that Redeemer has come in the Person of Jesus Christ, E) Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and therefore God, 6) Christ founded Catholicism.

Looking at my piles of books, I may well need the rest of the year for fact A.

I welcome you to join me on this grand adventure, and I will do my best not to make you late for dinner.

Introduction – Part 2

“No, no, listen. Don’t listen to me, listen.” –the butterfly in the beginning of The Last Unicorn

I’d be willing to bet that at the statement, “the Roman Catholic Church is right about everything,” several minds immediately thought “What about the Crusades and the Inquisition?” For now, my answer has to be, “In due time.”

I will accept suggestions for topics; feel free to comment with any suggestion you have. However, I’m trying to follow a certain order, so if it looks like I’m ignoring your suggestion, please keep in mind that research takes time and this is a big project (or will be).

I’ll rarely use my own ideas for any of this series; I will be reporting what other people have said for the most part. After all, pretty much everything I want to cover has been said before and most of it better. I’m trying to present it all together in a cohesive whole.

For the interest of those who wish to know what’s up ahead of time, I now present an outline of the whole project.

I. God Exists
	A. Outlined Proofs
	B. Scientific Proofs
	C. Logic Course
	D. Proofs from Reason
	E. Original Sin
	F. Promise of Redeemer
II. The Earth Has Experienced a Worldwide Flood
	A. Why Destroy the Planet?
	B. Whole World Involved
	C. Scientific Evidence
	D. Bible as Evidence?
	E. Noe’s Family
	F. Father Abraham
III. Judaism: the Accepted Religion
	A. Moses
	B. Types and Prefiguring
	C. Prophecies Concerning Messiah
IV. Messiah
	A. How Christ Fulfilled the Prophecies
	B. Scientific Evidence
	C. Logical Proofs
		i. Legend
		ii. Lunatic
		iii. Liar
		iv. Lord
	D. Christ Rose from the Dead
V. Catholicism: the Accepted Religion
	A. Founded by Christ (God)
		i. How Christ Said the First Mass
		ii. Institution of Priesthood
		iii. Institution of Sacraments
	B. Apostolic Succession
	C. Other Marks
	D. Infallibility Question
VI. The State of the World
	A. Conspiracy Theory
	B. Masonic Subversion
	C. Marian Prophecies
	D. Other Issues

 

This outline is fairly incomplete (especially towards the end) and subject to change, but it does give a fairly good idea of where I’m heading next. Also, it lets you, the audience, know that certain topics will most assuredly be covered and removes the need to suggest them. At my current rate, I think I’ll be doing extremely well to have Part I and II done before I graduate. Then again, I may surprise myself.

What do I expect from you, Dear Reader? I expect you to critique my arguments. Well, I should rather say, the arguments I present, for as I said before, almost nothing I present is my own idea. I expect you to point out any flaws so that I can make my arguments stronger; or, if my conclusions are incorrect, I can find out now. If you have a comment to make, I want you to present it. If you have a criticism, I want to know. If I have strayed from the path of logic and gone completely away from reason, I need to be set straight.

Am I trying to change your mind? In a way; I’m trying to present an honest view of important issues, and I believe that the open mind will be swayed to my side if my arguments are presented well enough, for I believe that there is truth in them. If this does not happen, there is no great loss, as my mission is not to convince you, but to present my arguments. For those who already agree with my conclusions, this may strengthen their beliefs. My goal is merely to present the arguments; after I’ve done my part, let the effect be whatever God wills.

End Portrait

There are at least 3 points from that which still apply to this blog. First, I am still searching for truth and trying to prove my conclusions, and if not with a completely open mind, I will assuredly change given enough evidence, as I have done before. Second, I am still accepting suggestions from readers. Third, I am still relying quite largely on outside sources, although I think I have thought things through for myself much more thoroughly now.

How far in that outline did I get? I never made it past I.B., for I started with evolution.