Alistair Begg?

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Hi all. I haven’t been here in awhile (although I’m a long time member). Is anyone familiar with this guy? I was listening to the local (nonCatholic) Christian radio station last night after driving my daughter home from work. I was channel surfing, and stopped because I heard a Scottish (I think?) accent talking about God :). He was talking about Romans and Justification, when he all the sudden starts bashing the Catholic Church, insisting that we believe in “works righteousness” and we have a “2nd out” with Purgatory, basically lies and half-truths. Then he went into how awesome Martin Luther was, for having the “courage” to start a “revolution”. I was pretty much yelling at the radio by that point (luckily I pulled into my drive-way at that point, so I was done). I was thinking he’d be ripe for a good debate with one of the apologists here. So, does anyone know anything about him? Is he totally anti-Catholic (like, bashing the Church is a normal part of his sermons), or just random, use us for effect type of guy?

In Christ,

Ellen
 
I’ve heard him on Bott Radio.

He was doing a bit of Catholic bashing then too. He said “Catholics have a little Jesus and a big Mary.”

I looked up his website and emailed him.
 
He is Scottish, but I think he is based in Cleveland, OH. I used to listen to him occasionally. Wasn’t aware of his feelings towards Catholics – won’t be listening any more.
 
Thanks for responding. Does anyone know his religious background? I looked up his webiste (Truth something or other? I just did it a couple hours ago and already forgot what it’s called!) but couldn’t find anything about him personally. I’d like to send him some links to Catholic Answers or the Coming Home Network of Catholics who share his background and correct his misinterpretation of Catholic Doctrine (since he probably wouldn’t listen to a “cradle Catholic”. He claims that whenever he’s asked his “devout Catholic” friends if they know they’re going to heaven, they say no, they only “hope”. He obviously doesn’t understand the difference between Theological Hope and pop-culture secular “hope”, among other things).

In Christ,

Ellen
 
I’ve heard him before on the Christian Radio Station here in DC area (WAVA 105.1) I liked what he was saying and then all of a sudden just like you said he starts in with the anti-catholic message! It was very subtle however, he was saying something about certain religions that focus on works getting them into heaven and being careful not to be tricked into them. He was basically mentioning every anti-catholic statement in the book without ever saying the word “Catholic” very smart and crafty…he can always defend and say he wasn’t talking about Catholics.
 
I have heard him. Crazy accent. Not sure what denomination he is from. Presbyterian?
 
Wow. I have never heard/noticed him doing that. But then again, I haven’t listened to him often. He does have a Scottish accent. I’ve read one of his books that I liked. Perhaps I just wasn’t attuned enough to the Catholic bashing, or maybe it just didn’t come up as much in that book.

We have a couple of Evangelical stations in this area and I’ll occasionally listen when they play “worship” music, but I don’t listen to the talk shows, so I haven’t heard him on the radio much. I also fins the commercials annoying - usually some kind of Biblical diet pill. My husband calls in the radio station for fat Christians! 😃
 
Oh, last night he specifically said “Roman Catholicism” in reference to believing you have to “earn your way into heaven.” He then said the belief isn’t “exclusive” to Catholicism, but went onto to just bash Catholicism. He twisted some of our terminology to make it sound like he knew what he was talking about, saying that the Sacraments are vehicles of Grace, and that we think we have to perform all these “good acts” to get enough Grace to warrant Heaven, and that if we don’t make it, we get a “way out” with Purgatory, whereas other people can “work” on our behalf to get us to heaven. Then he brought up how if whenever he asks his “devout” (he used the word devout) Catholic friends if they’re sure they’re going to heaven, they say no, they can only “hope.” And that, whatever “this” (Catholic doctrine) is, it’s not the Doctrine of Justification that Paul preaches in Romans. Yeah, by the end, I was pretty mad. So much misinterpretation of what we believe.

In Christ,

Ellen
 
ALLGIRLS said:
Oh, last night he specifically said “Roman Catholicism” in reference to believing you have to “earn your way into heaven.” He then said the belief isn’t “exclusive” to Catholicism, but went onto to just bash Catholicism. He twisted some of our terminology to make it sound like he knew what he was talking about, saying that the Sacraments are vehicles of Grace, and that we think we have to perform all these “good acts” to get enough Grace to warrant Heaven, and that if we don’t make it, we get a “way out” with Purgatory, whereas other people can “work” on our behalf to get us to heaven. Then he brought up how if whenever he asks his “devout” (he used the word devout) Catholic friends if they’re sure they’re going to heaven, they say no, they can only “hope.” And that, whatever “this” (Catholic doctrine) is, it’s not the Doctrine of Justification that Paul preaches in Romans. Yeah, by the end, I was pretty mad. So much misinterpretation of what we believe.

In Christ,

Ellen
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Thanks Ellen. I thought he was much more reasonable than that. I’ll pray for him!
 
Very Anti-catholic. Alistair Begg would not sign the Manhattan Declaration because he thinks, Catholics Preach a different Gospel. I Agree, we do. Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, Ecclesial Authority is given, a visible Church is present…etc

Alistair Begg used the term of co-belligerence to those that took part in the signing of the Manhattan Declaration and also made this statement

" In accord with others who have chosen not to sign, my reservation is not with the issues themselves, or in standing with others who share the same concerns, but it is in signing a declaration along with a group of leading churchmen, when I happen to believe that the teaching of some of their churches is in effect a denial of the biblical gospel"
 
I came upon this thread while searching on the background of Alister Begg.This site welcomes all to join this forum and to search ‘Truth with charity’. I am assuming you know there will be people who do not believe as you believe and will comment along those same lines. How is it then when someone ‘challenges’ belief of the Catholic Church you consider it as ‘Catholic bashing’. Are you sure you are on the correct site? Or rather, am I on the correct site? Are you inviting others to seek the truth together or are you inviting others so you can tell them what the truth is? Are you on this site seeking the same or have you made up your mind that truth needs no more be sought by you? These are open questions to all who have commented on this thread.
 
John3_3 said:
I came upon this thread while searching on the background of Alister Begg.This site welcomes all to join this forum and to search ‘Truth with charity’. I am assuming you know there will be people who do not believe as you believe and will comment along those same lines. How is it then when someone ‘challenges’ belief of the Catholic Church you consider it as ‘Catholic bashing’. Are you sure you are on the correct site? Or rather, am I on the correct site? Are you inviting others to seek the truth together or are you inviting others so you can tell them what the truth is? Are you on this site seeking the same or have you made up your mind that truth needs no more be sought by you? These are open questions to all who have commented on this thread.
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There’s honest, open, discussion, then there is outright bashing. Saying that all catholics are hellbound because they believe in the Virgin Mary as co-mediatrix, for example, is bashing. Asking a question about the Real Presence is dialouge, Catholics love the Lord Jesus as much as any Protestant. Charity is what is asked from both sides.
 
Thank you for your comments Batman1973. I’m afraid we are all calling the kettle black. So in search for the ‘truth’ let us ignore who is or is not hellbound and consider the truth in the message. Would you say Catholics based their belief on the Bible and seek the Bible as the basis for truths or would you say there are other means to truth?
 
John3_3 said:
Thank you for your comments Batman1973. I’m afraid we are all calling the kettle black. So in search for the ‘truth’ let us ignore who is or is not hellbound and consider the truth in the message. Would you say Catholics based their belief on the Bible and seek the Bible as the basis for truths or would you say there are other means to truth?
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I would say that many of the beliefs of the CC come from the bible. The bible was compiled by the Catholic Church, so, it’s fair to say they have a good understanding of it. However, Catholics in addition to Sacred Scripture, they have Sacred Tradition, from which they get their system of theology. As an LCMS Lutheran myself, there are points of disagreements that I have with the Catholic Church, but not with Catholics themselves. As far as other means of truth, most Catholics on this board will tell you, as I will that Jesus Christ is the only truth. " I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."-John 14:6 Religion doesn’t save. Jesus saves.
 
Batman, check all of john’s postings and you will see why I have decided not to become involved in any more of his threads or postings.
 
Batman, to trust in something ‘like’ the truth is not trusting in the ‘truth’. As do gentiles trusting in idols do not have the truth, so are those who trust in Mary do not have the truth. As you have said: Jesus saves. And may I add… ONLY Jesus saves. Yes, honor Mary, honor Paul, and Peter and others who live an exemplar life worthy of respect and patterning our faith after.

Acts 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Acts 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Acts 14:13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Acts 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

Don’t worship Paul. Why pray through Paul, when you can pray through the Son of God. Why pray through Mary, when the way, the truth and the life is in Jesus. Was Mary’s blood shed for all mankind. Was Mary so virtuous that she had never sinned? Was Mary the promised of the Father? The lamb of God?

We have the way. Jesus. Only Jesus. All that came before him and all that came after him are but thieves.

Turn to the living God and not to vanities.
 
Ok, John, instead of derailing this thread, why not post your specific beefs with the Catholic church in a topic of it’s own. I also see that you must not have fully read my post, as you seemed to have missed the point where I said that Jesus saves. Catholics, to my knowledge do not dispute this. If your agenda here is to bash, belittle, mock, or ridicule the Catholic Church, you’ll get banned. If your purpose here is to learn more about how the Catholic Church and her members think, and believe, then you need to have charity.
 
batman1973 said:
Ok, John, instead of derailing this thread, why not post your specific beefs with the Catholic church in a topic of it’s own. I also see that you must not have fully read my post, as you seemed to have missed the point where I said that Jesus saves. Catholics, to my knowledge do not dispute this. If your agenda here is to bash, belittle, mock, or ridicule the Catholic Church, you’ll get banned. If your purpose here is to learn more about how the Catholic Church and her members think, and believe, then you need to have charity.
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Batman, the invitation to this site was for people with differences. Yet, everytime a difference was highlighted (and of course must be justified otherwise it would purely be a rant) then the label of bashing, belittling, mocking, ridiculing, surfaces. Are you not open to scrutiny? If I am misunderstanding then set me straight, but let us settle on the Bible as the basis of Truth.

By the way, there is alway a miss step or lag between my comments and your comments. So responses might be made to prior posts. If you find we are in agreement, then that’s that. I am not disagreeing with you.

Also I am not derailing this thread. I would never have come upon it were it not with reference to Alistair Begg. I would not have joined if the invitation was not made out to people outside of Catholicism and thus by definition, do not share the views nor the practices. I have not said anything demeaning nor derogatory, I merely presented Salvation as I know it and urge that we follow the teachings of the Bible and what God intended. Is this not the goal of all?
 
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