Catholic Answers - The Essential Catholic Survival Guide: Answers to Tough Questions About the Faith

Essential Catholic Survival Guide

Answers to Tough Questions About the Faith

C ATHOLIC

A NSWERS

PRESS

San Diego

2005

Essential Catholic Survival Guide

Catholic Answers

2005 Catholic Answers, Inc.

NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.
Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004

IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827 permission to publish this work is hereby granted.
+ Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004

First Electronic Edition

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition, 19651966 by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

All rights reserved. Except for quotations, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, uploading to the Internet, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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• Does the New Testament show that Peter was first in authority among the apostles?
• Why is Peters name change important?
• How do we know that Peter is the rock on which Christ built his Church?
• What promises were made to Peter alone, and how do they establish the papacy?
• Where did Jesus change Peters name, and why was this location important?

• Does the Greek word for Peter, petros, mean little stone while the word for big rock is petra?
• How does the original Aramaic of the New Testament clarify the meaning of the words used for Peter and rock?
• How does knowledge of grammar help in explaining Peters name?

• Is it important to know whether Peter was ever in Rome?
• Does the Bible say that Peter was in Rome?
• Why does Peter refer to Babylon in his epistles?
• What early Christian evidence establishes that Peter was in Rome?

• How can the Pope be infallible when all men are sinners?
• What is the doctrine of infallibility, and does it apply only to the pope?
• What mandate did Christ give that indicates papal infallibility?
• How can objections to papal infallibility be answered?
• Dont the numerous bad popes show that the papacy is not protected by infallibility?

• What are the differences between Catholic and Protestant views of Scripture and its authority?
• What arguments support each view?
• What does the Bible say about its own authority?
• What does the Catholic Church mean by Tradition?
• Why do Fundamentalists argue with this understanding of Tradition?

• What is sola scriptura?
• How do Protestants explain their belief in biblical inspiration, and why it is the sole rule of faith?
• How do Catholics prove that the Bible is inspired?
• Is Protestant reasoning for belief in biblical inspiration adequate?

• What is the first thing you should ask a missionary at your door?
• What Bible verses will he likely bring up in response, and why dont these verses answer the question?
• What is the Bibles role in Christian faith?
• How do the writings of the early Church Fathers demonstrate the need for the Catholic Churchs teaching authority?

• What do Catholics and Protestants believe about development of doctrine and public revelation?
• What does the Catholic Church teach about further development of doctrine, and what examples support this understanding?
• Why wasnt Church doctrine defined clearly in the beginning, so that confusion could be avoided later?
• Why do Fundamentalists believe that Catholic development of doctrine is actually the accumulation of pagan beliefs and rites?

• What two philosophies do translators use?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the resulting translations?
• How does a Catholic find a balance between the two types of translation philosophies?
• What are examples of different Bible translations, and how would each be classified by translation philosophy?
• Which translation is best for serious Bible study?
• Does Catholic Answers recommend a translation?

• Can the saints hear us when we pray to them?
• Doesnt prayer to the saints violate the sole mediatorship of Christ?
• Isnt prayer to the saints considered contact with the dead?
• How can the saints, mere human beings, hear the prayers of millions of Catholics, in many different countries, praying in many different languages, all at the same time?
• Why would anyone want the saints, rather than Jesus, to pray for him?

• How does contemporary understanding of worship distort its meaning?
• What are the different types of honor?
• How is the honor we give to living people (public officials, parents, etc.) related to the honor given to the saints?
• What biblical form of honor is most important in honoring the saints?

• Arent Catholics practicing idolatry with images of Christ and the saints, not to mention the statues in their churches?
• What is the difference between a religious use of images and the worship of images?
• Why do Catholics and Protestants number the Ten Commandments differently?
• What does the Catholic Church teach about idolatry?

• Why do non-Catholics dislike the mingling of spirit and matter, the sacramental aspect of Catholicism?
• Why do relics of the saints present the biggest problem for non-Catholics?
• Arent most relics frauds?
• Does the Bible support veneration of relics?
• What did the early Christians say about relics?

• What do Catholics and Protestants believe about Marys virginity?
• How could Mary remain a perpetual virgin when the Bible talks about the brethren of the Lord?
• Do the Hebrew and Aramaic languages have special words meaning cousin?
• Why do Fundamentalists insist that brethren of the Lord be interpreted in the strict sense?
• How do Catholics answer the objection that it was unnatural and repugnant for Mary and Joseph to have a celibate marriage?

• Doesnt the Immaculate Conception refer to Christs conception in Marys womb without a human father?
• Why do Fundamentalists object to the Immaculate Conception?
• What is the Assumption, and where does the Catholic Church get this teaching?
• How does the Assumption complement the Immaculate Conception?
• Are these dogmas found in the Bible?

• What does rosary mean, and what kind of devotion is the rosary?
• What prayers are associated with the rosary, and are they biblical?
• What is the most problematic line of the Hail Mary for non-Catholics, and why?
• What is important to understand about the mysteries of the rosary? Are these mysteries scriptural?
• How and when was the rosary instituted?

• Since infants cant freely choose to accept Christ, why do Catholics baptize babies?
• Does Scripture support infant baptism?
• How does Pauls comparison of circumcision and baptism relate to infant baptism?