Apologetics :: Catholic News Agency

Apologetics :: Catholic News Agency

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Apologetics

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Belief in God

• How to Talk to an Atheist about Christianity
• Where is Your God? Responding to the Challenge of Unbelief and Religious Indifference Today

Jesus

• The Double Consciousness of Christ by Bertrand de Margerie, S.J.

Eucharist

• Eucharist Makes Us Holy
• Eucharist in Scripture
• Eucharist in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Trinity

• Against the Sabellians
• The Trinity – Catechism of the Catholic Church
• The Trinity in Scripture

Purgatory

• Teachings of Church Fathers
• Purgatory in Scripture
• Purgatory in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
• On Purgatory
• Purgatory: The Purifying Fire

Heresies

• Definition
• Gnosticism
• Secularism
• Sola Fides
• Pelagianism
• Jansenism
• Montanism
• Sabellianism
• Alogi
• Arianism
• Semi-arianism
• Nestorianism

Bible

• Bible, Tradition and Church
• The Apocrypha?
• Do Christians Need Only the Bible?
• Where Is That Taught in the Bible?

Saints

• Why do we believe in the Communion of Saints?
• Do Catholics worship saints?
• Saints - Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Saints in Scripture

Apologetics

• Quick and Easy Apologetics

Bible Alone (Sola Scriptura)? - Is the Bible the sole authority and foundation of truth for Christianity?  No, the Church is the "pillar and bulwark of truth" (1 Timothy 3:15) and the final authority (Matthew 18:17).  Furthermore, there are traditions to be observed which are on equal footing with Scripture for not everything the Apostles taught or Jesus said, was written down (1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6; John 21:25).

 

Calling Priests "Father" - Isn't calling a priest "Father" in violation of Matthew 23:9?   No, in this passage Jesus is using a hyperbole (exaggerated literary expression) to make a point.  Otherwise, St. Stephen the first martyr (Acts 7:2) and St. Paul would be in violation of this command (Romans 4:1, 12, 16; 9:10; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 10:1).

 

Divorce & Remarriage - Is divorce and remarriage permitted in Christianity?  No, Jesus Christ and St. Paul both forbade a divorced person to get remarried while their spouse was still alive (Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 39).

 

The Eucharist - Are we to eat the literal Body of Christ and drink His Blood?  Yes, Jesus Christ meant for us to literally eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as He Himself repeated and emphasized the literality of this teaching by using the words "verily, verily" and "indeed" in describing it.  If He did not mean this teaching literally, He surely would not have allowed disciples to stop following Him over this (John 6:51-71).   In addition, why would St. Paul state that anyone who accepted the Eucharist unworthily is guilty of the blood of Christ if it were only symbolic? (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

 

Mary - Is Mary the mother of God?  Yes, for St. Elizabeth herself calls her "the mother of my Lord" in Scripture (Luke 1:43).  Jesus Christ is God (Hebrews 1:8) and Mary is His mother, therefore, Mary is the mother of God (the Son) for Christ was both God and human in the womb of Mary.  Did Mary remain a virgin her whole life?  Yes, for the "gate" in which the Lord passed is closed to all others (Ezekiel 44:2).  The brothers of the Lord spoken of in the Gospels are most likely St. Joseph's children from a previous marriage or Jesus's cousins as there is no word for "cousin" in the Aramaic language.  In addition, Jesus is mentioned as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary in Scripture (Mark 6:3).

 

The Papacy - Was St. Peter the first "pope" as the Catholic Church claims?  Yes, for Jesus Christ said it was upon St. Peter that He would build His Church and Christ gave him authority over His whole "flock" (Matthew 16:18-19; John 21:14-17).

 

Purgatory - Does a cleansing state of the soul exist before entering Heaven for those who need it?  Yes, for Scripture says nothing unclean or impure will enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Revelations 21:27).  St. Paul mentions the saving of a person's soul, but through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).  In addition, Jesus mentions being forgiven for sins in the next world (Matthew 12:32) and that we shall not be released until we have paid for all our sins (Luke 12:59).

Repetitious Prayer - Is reciting the same prayer over and over again a sin?  While repeating a prayer in vain is useless, repeating a prayer in faith is not, for Jesus Christ Himself repeated prayer (Matthew 26:44) and the angels in Heaven continually repeat "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Revelations 4:8).

 

Sin:  Deadly or Not? - Is there no degree of seriousness when it comes to committing a sin?  Yes, there are sins that are more serious in nature that deprive the soul of communion with God.  These are called "mortal" (deadly) sins (1 John 5:16-17).  Even Jesus Christ distinguished between lesser and greater sins (John 19:11).

 

Statues - Isn't having statues of Jesus, Mary and the saints in violation of Exodus 20:4-5?  This passage is in reference to pagan idols and graven images which the Israelites would have been prone to worship at the time.   For if it were in reference to all graven images, God would not have commanded angelic cherubim of gold be put on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-19).   Nor would Moses have made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole (Numbers 21:8-9).  In addition, the temple had several graven images decorating it (1 Kings 6:23-29; 7:25-45).

 

Printed with permission from Catholic Defense.

Church Documents

• Reception of Holy Communion by the Divorced and Remarried Members of the Faithful.
• Whether the baptism conferred by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is valid

Salvation

• Salvation: Is Obedience to God Necessary?
• Original Sin
• Salvation: Assurance or Hope? Are you saved?

Catholic Doctrines and Practices

• St. Peter and the Popes
• Graven Images: Altering the Commandments?
• A Primer on Indulgences
• The Immaculate Conception
• Birth Control
• A Primer on Catholic Morals
• The Sabbath or the Lord's Day

Sacraments

• Baptism, Infants and Salvation
• The Blessed Sacrament: Jesus Christ

Controversies

• Slavery and the Catholic Church
• Bible Burning and other Allegations
• Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust

Priestly Celibacy

• The Case for Priestly Celibacy

Defending Life

• It's my body/a women's choice
• It's not a baby- it's just a blob of tissue
• Rape, Incest, Fetal Abnormality
• What will we do with all the unwanted kids? (Poor babies, overpopulation, abuse, etc.)
• If abortion is made illegal, women will die in back alleys

Faith

• The Real Jesus Christ
• The Divinity of Christ
• If God, Why Evil?
• Reasons for Faith
• The Catholic Faith in Brief
• Why Believe in God?