tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71378202196248179102012-10-16T23:05:54.372-04:00> Links for defending what Roman Catholics REALLY believeBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-36070835261305312632009-05-26T11:34:00.008-04:002009-06-06T17:56:30.599-04:00

The "Inquisition" is often used by opponents of Catholicism in an attempt to prove that the Church is intolerant of others' beliefs, or that it isn't really the church Christ established, or that the Church approves of violence. Phoney facts and statistics are often used to back up these claims. There are actually three different periods in history which are referred to as "The Inquisition": the

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-66437554946505784202009-05-19T09:46:00.005-04:002009-05-19T10:04:48.180-04:00

If the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, then why do Catholics worship on Sunday? Jesus says in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath," when his disciples are attacked for not observing the Sabbath. Elsewhere he criticizes the way in which it is followed. Later on, at the Council of Jerusalem, we see the apostles declaring that converts to Christianity do not need to be

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Does God exist? Can God's existence be proven by reason alone, or is faith absolutely necessary? While the Catholic Church has said that God can indeed be believed by logic and reason, this does not mean He can be proved by science. Many philosophers have developed intriguing arguments in favor of God's existence, ranging from physical reasons to moral and philosophical ones. Introduction

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In Matthew 23:9 Jesus says to "Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven." For this reason, some Protestants accuse Catholics of ignoring Jesus' command, because we call our priests "father."But in the next verse, Jesus says to call nobody "teacher," "master," or "rabbi," either. Or "doctor," which means "teacher" in Latin. Is Jesus putting these words off-limits

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-39654162711331705692009-05-11T18:46:00.024-04:002009-05-20T12:14:33.447-04:00

It is a common myth that Galileo was persecuted by the Catholic Church for promoting heliocentrism (the belief that the sun is the center of the solar system) as opposed to the then-accepted view, geocentrism (Earth is the center). The issue is touted by many as proof that Catholicism is opposed to science, afraid to accept new knowledge, and that its teachings are not infallible. But these

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The Immaculate Conception is the belief that "the most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin..." (Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus). Some people object to this belief, saying that Mary would be equal to

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Catholics believe that at the end of her life, Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven by the power of her Son. This doctrine is called the Assumption of Mary. It is NOT called the Ascension of Mary, because that would mean she went by her own power, which is not the case. The Bible does not explicitly mention this event. However, it does say that both Enoch and Elijah were assumed into

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-82025292337047787182009-05-02T23:25:00.009-04:002009-05-15T22:43:11.151-04:00

The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which refers to "speaking in defense" of something, like a lawyer. A Catholic apologist, therefore, is a person who argues in defense of the Catholic faith. A common misconception is that it has something to do with apologizing or asking for forgiveness. In 1 Peter 3:15, we are told to "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-9476612133102639032009-04-30T23:47:00.028-04:002009-05-14T20:28:09.349-04:00

Except in rare circumstances, married Catholics cannot also become priests. It's important to note that this is a discipline, not a doctrine, which means it can be changed in the future. Nonetheless, there are many objections to it - that it's not in the Bible, or that changing it would result in more priests. Celibacy is indeed mentioned in the Bible. Both Jesus (Mt 19:10-12) and Paul (1 Cor 7:

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-48632210234756177632009-04-30T17:23:00.032-04:002009-06-23T07:40:08.405-04:00

The question, "Why can't women be Catholic priests?" is one of the most sensitive and misunderstood issues a Catholic must face. At first glance, it may seem politically incorrect, sexist, and maybe even contrary to the teachings of Jesus - "Aren't all people equal in God's eyes?" The answer takes much into account and must be understood carefully, so I will not try to summarize it here, in

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The Catholic Church (and most Orthodox Churches) have at least seven books in their Old Testament which Protestant Bibles do not: Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and Baruch. Catholics refer to them as the deuterocanonical ("second canon") books because they were originally disputed and their canonicity established later than other books. Protestants say that they are not

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The Catholic Church teaches that there are two categories of sin: mortal sin and venial sin. Venial sins hurt our relationship with God, but do not sever it. Mortal sins, however, concern grave matter, and an act of mortal sin will cut us off from God - from heaven - unless we repent. There are three conditions necessary for a sin to be mortal: 1) It must concern grave matter, such as the Ten

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Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." Matthew 7:24: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock." Catholicism does not teach a doctrine of works, and does not teach that a person can earn

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Once you accept Jesus as your savior, can you be absolutely certain that you are going to heaven? This belief is called "Once Saved, Always Saved" (OSAS). It is the belief that once you are saved, nothing you do, and no amount of sin, will ever cut you off from Christ. The Catholic Church rejects this belief, but some Protestants believe it. The bible, on many occasions, shows Jesus and Paul

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Some Christians object to the Catholics' use of the crucifix, which portrays Jesus on the cross. They claim it shows a desire to keep Christ crucified, or that it is offensive because it shows Jesus' weakness and defeat. Instead, they say the cross is a much better symbol. While Catholics are certainly free to prefer one over the over, we believe the crucifix portrays other things. For example,

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-59161583385679859452009-04-22T12:18:00.057-04:002009-05-15T20:45:49.638-04:00

Most Christians (including Catholics) believe that at the Second Coming of Christ, all the faithful will be caught up to meet him (1 Thess. 4:16-17). And we also believe that before the Second Coming, the Church will go through a period of great trouble and persecution, known as the tribulation (2 Thess. 2:1–4, CCC 675). However, most Christians do not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. This

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-61655643139124209852009-04-20T20:12:00.040-04:002009-05-15T20:39:25.681-04:00

Does the Catholic Church teach that only its members are saved? The answer is a bit complicated, and depends on what you mean by "member" and "Catholic." But it's safe to say three things: 1) Being called a "Catholic" on earth is NOT a one-way ticket to heaven. 2) Being non-Catholic is NOT a one-way ticket to hell. 3) A person can be a member of God's Church without even knowing it.

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Some people claim that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon described in Revelation 17-18: Revelation 17:4-6 - "The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF

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Sola Scriptura ("Scripture Alone") is the belief that the Bible is a Christian's only rule of faith. But Catholics reject this view, saying that the Catholic Church has been entrusted with the oral teachings of Jesus as well as the authority to interpret scripture correctly. The whole of Christian truth is not found in a book of which hundreds of versions and fragments exist, but is clarified

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-27474438734113741092009-04-16T03:42:00.037-04:002009-05-15T20:32:26.551-04:00

Catholics tend to have statues in their churches of Jesus, Mary, the saints, etc. For this reason, Catholics are sometimes accused of worshiping false gods, or of worshiping statues. But this accusation is based on a misunderstanding of why Catholics have statues, and what the Bible says about the use and misuse of religious images. Catholics have them for the same reason people have photos of

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-28283828282844127802009-04-15T10:04:00.046-04:002009-05-17T16:25:40.246-04:00

"The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the 'consubstantial Trinity'. The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: 'The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God.' In the words of the Fourth

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In Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus says to the apostle Simon that "you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Catholics believe that Jesus was appointing Simon the

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-58183674001834396392009-04-12T06:30:00.012-04:002009-05-17T16:34:53.937-04:00

Catholics believe that people can indeed be baptized into the Body of Christ, even if a person is not old enough or lacks the mental ability to understand Christianity. Why is this, and does the Bible support this view? Introduction Infant Baptism - Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur (catholic.com) The Promise Is to You and to Your Children - By Terry J. Svik (catholic.com) See Also Can

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1 Cor 3:15 says that under certain conditions, a person "will be saved, but only as through fire." Catholics believe this refers to an experience after death called purgatory, which is a purifying experience for those destined for heaven, but are not completely free from venial sin, and not yet ready to enter heaven. For this reason, we pray for those who have died. Unfortunately, it is often

BPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15754028346731298602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7137820219624817910.post-37190372436647042682009-04-10T22:01:00.012-04:002009-05-15T20:20:57.850-04:00

Catholics and many other Christians believe that we can ask those who have died and been reunited with God to pray for us, in the same way we can ask those still alive to pray for us. Introduction Praying to the Saints (catholic.com) The Bible Supports Praying to the Saints - By Mitchell Pacwa, S.J. (catholic.com) Prayer to Mary and the Saints: Contrary to Scripture? [2 min] - by John

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