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Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 9

Faith Q&A › Catechism › 3. Faith That Works Through Love

Is it necessary to believe in the existence of God?

The answer

The Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). With His love, He wills to be very close to us, to make us one with Him, to dwell in our souls, and to give us the ability to share His glory, and not be preoccupied with philosophical arguments, but rather draw us to Himself, as a father attracts his children. In him we find the source of life, immortality, eternal pleasure, and glory. St. Athanasius wrote that “the contemplation of God, and the Word (Logos) which is from Him, suffice to nourish those who hear, and stand to them in place of all food. For the angels are not otherwise sustained than by beholding at all times the face of the Father, and of the Savior who is in heaven.”33

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Notes

33 St. Athanasius, Paschal Letters 1.6 (NPNF II/4:508), amended.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.