Answers 4 Catholics (iPhone App)2 Minute FAQs

[Aleetheeuh]

These questions and topic are from iPhone app called "Answers 4 Catholics/ 2 Minute FAQs.
I wanted to post a few because i feel sharing this information to others will help answer any questions and clear up confusion about Catholics.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Apologetics?

The word "apologetics" is derived from the ancient Greek word apologia. which means, an apology. Not an apology in the modern sense of the word- which is to say you're sorry for something. But rather, an apology in the ancient sense of the word- which is to make a reasoned defence of something or someone. In ancient times, the word apology referred to the case a lawyer would make on behalf of his client.

Apologetics is about building the case for our Faith....Learning how to explain and defend our Faith.
Basically, there are 3 types of apologetics : natural apologetics, Christian apologetics, and Catholic apologetics. Natural apologetics builds the case for truths we can know from the "natural" light of reason. Truths that can be known whithout any divine intervention. Truths which the articles of our Faith rest upon and build upon. Truths such as the existence of God. the inate spirituality of human soul, the object reality of right and wrong... truths that our faith rest upon and build upon.

Christians apologetics, on the other hand, builds the case for divinely revealed truths- truths that cannot be known by reason apart from faith. Truths such as the reality of biblical miracles, the divinity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, and the Resurrection to name a few.

Catholic Apologetics encompasses all the Christain apologetics- since Catholicism is the fullness of Christianity- but Catholic apologetics tends to focus on those truths of Christianity that are not generally believed by Non-Catholic Christians. Truths such as the Catholic Church having been founded directly by Jesus Christ; the papacy; the Sacraments; the Immaculate Conception, and others.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Apologetic Rules?

We need to always keep in mind 1Ptr 3:15 which says "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you..." Always be prepared Scripture tells us! So, how can we "always be perpared" to make a defense of our Faith?

Rule#1: Pray. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Pray that He will give you the courage to share your Faith and wisdom to choose your words carefully and profitably.

Rule#2: You don't have to know everything right now! Just learn a little bit more about your Faith each and every day. Read Scripture. read the Catechism. Listen to apologetics tapes. Read Books on or by the Saints. Learn a little bit at a time.

Rule#3: Luke 5:10, "Do not be afraid, henceforth you will be catching men. "Jesus said this to Peter, but He's also saying it to us. Will you make mistakes? Wil you get into tight spots... when you start sharing your Faith with others? Of course you will, but Peter made mistakes! He got into tight spots. Yet, Jesus told Peter not to be afraid. Why? Because if we are sincere in our desire to share the truth with others... to share Jesus Christ with others... then Jesus will find a way to make something good come out even our mistakes.

Rule#4: Always view a question about your Faith, or even an attack on your Faith, as an opportunity- an opportunity to share the truth. Stay clam and stay determined to bring light into darkness.

Rule#5: Don't get frustrated. Quite often Catholics get frustrated by what is called doctrinal dance... you get asked about Purgatory, Mary, the Pope, the Sacraments all the rapid fire succession. Before you can answer one question, you're asked another. Just keep firmly, but gently, guiding the discussion back too one topic until you've said all you want to say... then move on.

Rule#6: Very, very important! Never be afraid to say, "I don't know", when asked a question about your Faith. don't try to "wing it". However,always follow, "i don't know," with, "but, I will find out and get back to you." and make sure you do!

If you follow these rules, you will be prepared the next time God Puts you in a position to explain and defend your Faith.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Apologetic Basics

a few more basics about apologetics before we move into specific apologetics topics:

1#) Ingrain this into your psyche...the Bible is the Catholic book! the Catholic Church gave it to the world! Which means that there is nothing... nothing!....in the Bible that is contrary to anything in the Catholic faith and there is nothing in the Catholic faith contrary to anything in the Bible! Always remember that!

This is important to keep in mind because a lot of times folks qill qpute a passage from the Bible that "proves" the Catholic Church is wrong. Whenever someone quotes you a bible verse that "proves" the Catholic Church is wrong on something, your response should be, "Amen, I believe what the Bible says! As a Catholic, I believe everything the Bible says! However, I don't agree with your personal interpretation of that passage." The reason you don't agree with their personal interpretation is because 100% of the time that you are presented with a verse that "proves" the Church is wrong, either: a) the verse has been taken out of context, or b) the verse simply doesn't say what they are trying to make it say.

2#) And this flows right from #1, the Catholic Church can be defended solely from the Bible better then any other Christian faith tradition can be. There is actually a good bit in the various Protestant faith traditions that does indeed contradict the Bible, So, do not be afraid to engage non-Catholics in a discussion of the Bible.

3#) If you are ever asked a question about your Faith that you cannot answer, don't worry. There is an answer, you just need to go and find it. Simply respond, "I don't know. But I will find out and get back to you". Then find out and get back to them.

As Catholics, we need to reclaim the Bible. It is our book. We need to read it, pray it, learn it, and use it to bring our separated brothers and sisters back too the Church. if you keep these things in mind, you have started down a road to being a very effective apologist for the Catholic Faith.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Why a Crucifix?

First of all, you want to check out 1st Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 3. Paul says, "...But we preach Christ crucified..." Why does Paul preach Christ crucified? Doesn't he know Jesus has been raised from the dead? of course he does! But, he knows that it is through the power of the crucified Christ on the cross that the bonds of sin and death are broken. As Paul says in verse 24, Christ crucified is the "power of God".

1 Cor 2:2, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Again, didn't Paul know that Jesus had risen from the dead? Of course, he did.

Paul preaches Christ crucified because an empty cross has no power. The cross that bears the beaten, battered, and bloodied body of Jesus Christ, however, that cross is the "power of God". This is why, we "keep Jesus on the cross," because we too preach Christ crucified. The Crucifix reminds us not only of God's power, but also His love for us- giving His only begotten Son up for suffering and death.

And, we must die with Christ in order to live with Him as Romans 6:8 tells us. Where did Christ Die? One the cross. The Crucifix serves to remind us of these things.

One other passage to keep in mind is Galatians 3:1. "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as Crucified?" Did you catch that? Jesus was publicly portrayed, before their " eyes" , as being crucified. Sounds kind of like they may have been looking at a Crucifix, doesn't it?  

[Aleetheeuh]

Adam and Eve real?

The Church has always taught that Adam and Eve were real people and were the first human beings from whom all other human beings are decended. In 1950, Pope Pius XII, in Parahgraph 37 of an encyclical entitled Humani Generis, states, "...the faithful cannot embrace the opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from [Adam] as from the first parent of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents." In other words, the Church teaches that all humanity descended from Adam and Eve. They had to be real for that to happen.

Paragraph #38 states: "This [encyclical] in fact, clearly points out that the first eleven chapters of Genesis...do nevertheless pertain to history in a true sense..." Again, Adam and Eve are not myths, and the rest of Genesis is not legend. They are history in a "true sense."

Paragraph #39: "therefore, whatever of the popular narrations have been inserted into the Scared Scriptures must in no way be considered on a par with myths or other such things..." Can it be stated any clearer then that?

And listen to what the Catechism says, Paragraph #375, "The Church...teaches that our first parents, Adam and Eve..." No mention of myth here.

Paragraph #404: "By yielding to the temper, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin. Someone please tell me how do myths commit personal sins?

Adam and Eve aare not myths. Genesis does not contain myth or legend. That is Church teaching. Challenge anyone, who teaches differently, to produce their sources from a magisterial document. They cannot do it. They can, however, produce countless books and articles by "theologians". Not good enough.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Do Catholics take Bible literally?

Catholics interpret the Bible in a "literal" sense, while many fundamentalists, Evangelicals, and other interpret the Bible in a literalist sense.

The "literal" meaning of a passage Scripture is the meaning that the author of that passage of Scripture intended to convey. The "literalist" interpretation of a passage of Scripture is: "that's what it says, thats's what it means."

Let me give you an example to illustrate the difference. If you were to read a passage in a book that said it was "raining cats and dogs outside", how would you interpret that? As Amercians, in the 21st Century, you would know that the author was intending to convey the idea that it was raining pretty doggone hard outside. That would be the "literal" interpretation...the interpretation the author intended to convey. On the other hand, what if you make a "literalist" interpretation of the phrase, "it's raining cats and dogs"?

The "literalist" interpretation would be that, were you walk outside, you would be that were you to walk outside, you would actually see cats and dogs falling from the sky like rain. No taking into account the popularly accepted meaning of this phrase. No taking into account the author's intentions. The words say it was raining cats and dogs, so by golly it was raining cats and dogs! That is the literalist, or fundamentalist, way of interpretation.

If someone 2000 years in the future picked up that same book and read, "it was raining cats and dogs outside," in order to properly understand that passage in the book, they would need a "literal" interpretation, not a "literalist" interpretation. Now think about that in the context of interpreting the bible 2000-3000 years after it was written.

Literal, or Catholic, interpretation vs. literalist, or fundamentalist, interpretation  

[Aleetheeuh]

Are Catholics "Saved" or "Born Again"?

Answer with a resounding,"Yes!" Tell them that it is through Baptism that you were saved, just as the bible says in 1 Ptr 3:20-21 that it is through Baptism, water and the Spirit, that you are "born again," just as the Bible says in John 3:5.

You see, many Protestants believe that they are saved by making one single act of faith at one single point in time in their lives. Nowhere does Scripture say such a thing. As Catholics, however, we believe that salvation is a process which begins with our Baptism and continues throughout our lifetimes, just as the Bible teaches.

There are so many places in Scripture, which talk about how one is "saved", but not one of them says we are saved by one act of faith at just one point of time. As it was just mentioned, 1 Ptr 3:20 says we are saved by baptism. In Hebrews 12:14 it says that we will no see the Lord unless we are holy, and that we have to strive for this holiness. In Matthew 6:14-15, it says we must forgive others or we will not be forgiven. Can you attain salvation if God hasn't forgiven you? No! So, our forgiving others is necessary for our salvation.

1 Tim 2:25 says that woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with modesty. John 6:54 says we will have eternal life by doing something...eating the flesh and drinking the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Matthew 19 verses 16 and 17, Jesus is asking directly what one must do to have eternal life. Did he say, accept me into your heart once and that's it? No! Jesus said to keep the commandments and you will have life.

yes, Catholics we are born again. And, as Catholics we believe that we were saved, as Paul says in Rom 8:24; that we are being saved, as Paul says in 1 Cor 1:18; and that we will be saved, as Paul says in Rom 5:9-10, provided we preserve and keep our eyes on the prize. Salvation is a process, just as Catholics believe, and just as the Bible clearly teaches.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Isn't Baptism Symbolic?

First, nowhere does the Bible say that baptism is merely a "symbolic" act...that passage simply does not exist.

Second, let's see what the Bible does say about Baptism:
Ezek 36:25-27, its says, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses...a new heart i will give you and a new spirit I will put within you...and I will put My spirit within you..." Here, in the Old Testament, we have a foreshadowing of New Testament baptism.

Now, let's see if the New testament corresponds to what we just read in Ezekiel. Acts 2:38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Note that there is no symbolic language here...this is real! The Book of Acts says, "Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. "Ezekiel says, "I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean form your uncleanness." The Book of Acts says, '...and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Ezekiel says. "...and I will put My Spirit within you." Do you begin to see how God, in the Old Covenant, was preparing us for what He gives us in the New Covenant?

Acts 22:16 - "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins..." . 1 Cor 12:13 - "For by one body..." What body was that? The Body of Christ. 1 Ptr 3:21: "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you..."

Scripture simply does not support the non-catholic notion that Baptism is symbolic. Scripture does very directly and very clearly support the Catholic teaching that baptism saves us; that Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ; that Baptism washes away sin: and that through baptism we receive the Holy Spirit...just as the Catholic Church teaches!  

[Aleetheeuh]

Why Confess to a Priest instead of God?

Well, the quick answer is because that's the way God wants us to do it. In James 5:16, God through Sacred Scripture, commands, us to "confess our sins to one another." Notice, Scripture does not say confess your sins straight to God and only to God...it says confess your sins to one another.

In Matthew, chapter 9, verse 6, Jesus tells us that He was given authority on earth to forgive sins. And then Scripture proceeds to tell us, in verse 8, that this authority given to "men"...plural.

In John20, verses 21-23, what is the 1st thing Jesus says to the gathering disciples on the night of His resurrection? "Jesus said to them, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.''' How did the Father send Jesus? Well, we just saw in Mt 9 that the Father sent Jesus with authority on earth to forgive sins. Now, Jesus sends out his disciples as the Father has sent him...so, what authority must Jesus be sending His disciples out with? The authority on earth to forgive sins. And, just in case they didn't get it, verses 22-23 says this, "And when he said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'''

Why would Jesus give the Apostles the power to forgive or retain sins if he wasn't expecting folks to confess their sins to them? And how could they forgive or retain sins if no one was confessing their sins to them?

The Bible tells us to confess our sins to one another. It also tells us that God gave men the authority on Earth to forgive sins. Jesus sends out the authority on earth to forgive sins. When Catholics confess out sins to a priest, we are simply following the plan laid down by Jesus Christ. he forgives sins through the priest...it is God's power, but He exercises the power through the ministry of the priest.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Is the "Left behind" Rapture Biblical?

The "Rapture" refers to a passage in First Thessalonians, chapter 4, which talks about Christians being "caught up" in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Many Christians believe, and the "Left Behind" books promote, that this being "caught up" to meet the Lord will occur before the Great Tribulation which is headed our way in the near future. Christians will simply vanish, meet Jesus somewhere in the air, and then return with Him to Heaven to await the end of time

But notice, in verse 17, Paul says that "...we who are alive, who are left," shall be caught up. Remember that...those who are "left" get caught up to meet the Lord.

The "Left Behind" books get their name from a passage in Matthew 24 which talk about the coming of the Lord being like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Matthew 24 puts it this way: "As were the days of Noah, so will be coming the Son of man...they ate, they drank, they married and they didn't know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field, one is taken and one is left. Two women grinding at the mill, one is taken and one is left.

"See," Rapture enthusiasts say, " One is taken, one is left...the Rapture! Jesus takes the Christians and leaves behind non-Christians!" Two problems with that interpretation: First, Jesus' coming is being compared to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. After the flood, who was left? Noah and his family...the good guys...the bad guys were taken! After Sodom and Gomorrah went up in smoke, who was left? Lot and his daughters..the good guys..the bad guys were taken! Second, remember 1 Thessalonians? It says that those who are "left" get to meet Jesus in the air. The good guys are left behind to meet Jesus.

In other words, you want to be left behind so that you can get caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus
in the air accompany him back to earth at His 2nd and final coming. There will be no Rapture like the one the Left Behind books talk about...that view is not scriptural.  

[Aleetheeuh]

1 Mediator not Saints or Mary

1 Tim 2:5 reads as follows: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ..." "You see," we Catholics are told. "there is only one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. Therefore, praying to the saints goes against the Bible because you are making them mediators between God and Man, you are diminishing Jesus' role as the sole mediator!"

Is that an appropriate interpretation of that passage? No, it's not and let's see why not.

In the O.T. we see that Moses, Abraham, and Job interceded on behalf of others...that's mediating between God and man. We know it is okay to ask others here on earth to pray and intercede for us...that's mediating between God and man. So, once again, we have a situation where a passage of the bible is being misinterpreted and misunderstood. There is only one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, but as members of the Body of Christ, He allows us to share in His mediation.

Also, Scripture tells use that we have only one foundation, Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11); but, Scripture tells use that there is more that one foundation (Eph 2:19-20). Scripture tells use that there is more that we have only Lord, Jesus Christ (Eph 4:4-5); but, Scripture tells use there is more than one lord (Rev 19:16). Scripture tells use that we have only one Judge, Jesus Christ (James 4:12); but, Scripture tells use there is more then one Judge (1 Cor 6:2).

Contradictions in Scripture? No! Not when these passages are all properly understood in context. Jesus is the only foundation; Jesus is the only Lord; and Jesus is the only Judge. But, we are members of Jesus Body. Therefore, we are able, according to the graces given by Christ, to share in Jesus' role as foundation, as lord, and as judge, and in other aspects of Christ, as well. Another example, as a father I share in God's role as Father, but His grace. And, so also, we, and the saints in Heaven, and the angels in Heaven, can share in Christ's role as Mediator.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Mary a Virgin? Jesus had Brothers?

Mk 6:3 says, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses, and Judas and Simon, and are not His Sisters here with us?

We need to realize a few things here about these "brothers and sisters": #1 there was no word for cousin, or for nephew or niece, or for aunt or uncle in ancient Hebrew or Aramaic - the words that the Jews used in all those instances were "brother" or "sister". An example of this can be seen in Gen 14:14, where Lot, who was Abraham's nephew, is called his brother.

Another point to consider, If Jesus had any brothers, if Mary had had any other sons, would the last thing that Jesus did on earth be to grievously offend his surviving brothers? In Jn 19:26-27, right before Jesus dies, it says that Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to the beloved disciple, John. If Mary had had any other sons, it would have been an incredible slap in the face to them that the Apostle John was entrusted with the care of their mother!

Also, we see from Mt.27:55-56, that the James and Joses mentioned in Mark 6 as the "brothers" of Jesus are actually the sons of another Mary. And, one other passage to consider is Acts 1:14-15, "[The Apostles] with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers...the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty." A company of 120 persons composed of the Apostles, Mary, the women, and the "brothers" of Jesus. Let's see there were 11 Apostles at the time of Jesus' mother makes 12. The women, probably the same three women mentioned in Matthew 27, but let's say it was maybe a dozen or two, just for argument's sake. So that puts us up to 30 or 40 or so. So that leaves the number of Jesus' brothers at about 80 or 90 children? She would have been in perpetual labor! No, Scripture does not contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church about the "brothers" of Jesus, when Scripture is properly interpreted in context.  

[Aleetheeuh]

All Sin, Mary Sinless?

Romans 3, verse 10 says, "...as it is written: 'None is righteous, no not one." Yet, James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. If absolutely no one is righteous, then who is James talking about? Luke chapter 1 says that Elizabeth and Zechariah were righteous before God. If absolutely no one is righteous before God. If absolutely no one is righteous, then how can that be? Is Scripture contradicting itself? No, the folks who interpret Romans as saying absolutely, without exception, no one is righteous, are misinterpreting that the key to understanding Romans3:10 is the phrase, "it is written."

Here in Romans, Paul is quoting from the O.T. , Psalm 14 to be exact. In Psalm 14 it says, " The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God. They are corrupt...there is non that does good.''' But then that same psalm goes on to talk about the "righteous." Well, if none has done good, who are these righteous the psalm is talking about? Obviously, when the psalmist says that none has done good, he is talking about the fools who say there is no God. he is not talking about absolutely everyone.

Just so Paul when he quotes from this psalm. Paul is not saying absolutely no one is righteous, if he was, then how do we explain all the Old and New Testament passages that refer to the righteous? In Romans 3:11it says that no one seeks for God. Does that mean that absolutely no one is seeking God? No, to interpret it that way would be ludicrous!

Just so verse 23 which says that "all have sinned". Babies haven't sinned, have they? Little children haven't sinned have they? No! This is not an absolute. There are exceptions. What about John the Baptist? Did he sin? Scripture says that he was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. Can someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit his entire life ever sin? It's something to think about.

So, it is perfectly legitimate to day that these passages from Romans, when interpreted in context, in no way conflict with the Church's teaching on Mary being without sin.  

[Aleetheeuh]

Bread and Wine really Jesus?

In Matthew 26, mark 14, and Luke 22, Jesus says of the bread, "This is my body." He says of the wine, "This is my blood." Not "this is symbolic of," or "this represents," He says "this IS." In John 6, He repeats Himself, like he does nowhere else in Scripture, to emphasize the fact that He expects us to eat his flesh and drink his blood and that His flesh is real food and that His blood is real drink.

Anyone who says He is speaking symbolically , and not literally , simply is refusing to look at all the facts. Fact #1: The Jews took him literally, verse 52. Fact#2: His disciples took him literally, verse 60. Fact #3, the Apostles too him literally verse 67-69. If everyone who heard him speak at the time too him literally, then my question is: Why does anyone today 2000 years after the fact take him symbolically?

Also, in verse 51, Jesus says that the bread which He will give for the life of the world is His flesh. When did He give His flesh for the life of the world? On the cross. was that symbolic. If you think Jesus is talking symbolically here when He says that we must eat His flesh and drink his blood, then you must also conclude that Jesus' death on the cross was symbolic...hanging up there...it was symbolic flesh and symbolic blood.

Jesus is clearly talking about the flesh that He gave for the life of the world...He did that on the cross. Those who believe He is talking symbolically here in John 6, have some real problem when it comes to John 6:51. Did Jesus give His real flesh and blood for the life of the world, or was it only His symbolic flesh and blood?