CARM almost messed up my head

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MarkA16

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I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.
 
cutting and pasting from forum sticky:
Statement of CAF policy on calls to “Board Swarm”.
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Posts/threads that include a request/suggestion for other forum readers/members to visit someone else’s forum for the purposes of apologetics debate will be deleted/edited to remove the links.

In an effort to illuminate and explain the Catholic faith, CA makes every effort to provide our participants with a pleasant and informative place on the internet where Catholics and non-Catholics may gather.

It is our hope that respectful dialogue and discussion will lead to better faith understandings. And so in charity, we ask that our forums not be used for encouraging mass visits to other websites. In the past these kinds of efforts, although perhaps well intentioned, leave participants at other websites with negative impressions.

Your cooperation in helping promote these aims of faith exposition, hope for fruitful discussion and charity in implementation are sincerely appreciated.

Sincerely,
Your servant in Christ,
Michael Francis
Moderator
Apologetics Forum
 
MarkA16 said:
I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.

carm.org/
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My friend, go to the word of God for your answers.
Protestants aim at anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and also at people whom feel they can offer something more to what Christ has offered at the cross . Galatians 2:20-21.
He is worthy to be sought!
Simon
 
Mark, before you can begin to answer criticisms of Catholicism you have to learn about your Faith. You won’t be able to feed others if you are starving yourself. I would suggest that you start with the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can either buy the book or have a look at it online. vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

It is a summary of the longer, Catechism of the Catholic Church.

If you have any more questions re good books to read which will inform your Faith just ask. 🙂
 
MarkA16 said:
I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.
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I’ve been to that web site and forum. There are not very many Christians there. They are anti-Catholic to the extreme. Their goal is to destroy the Church that Christ established. If you are weak in your knowledge of the Church avoid such places. There is an answer for every accusation they have against the Church but being weak in your knowledge they can lead you astray. Study, study, study. Catholic Answers is an excellent place to start.
 
MarkA16 said:
I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.
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The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him. (Proverbs 18:17)

You’ve heard the accusations; now it’s time to learn the answers. You’ve come to the right place. Here is a great link:

catholic.com/

Use the search feature to enter just about any topic you want. You’ll be given links to articles that counter all of the anti-Catholic rhetoric you’ve heard with the truths of our faith.

Good luck!
 
I spent a couple of years over at CARM and watched it deteriorate from a place where discussion was possible to a place where the venom content was just too high to bother, so I left. Before that I spent time on the Baptist Board. What I learned on those boards was that every challenge to the Church has already been answered, and answered quite strongly IMHO. I came away from those boards with a much stronger faith, but that was before CARM at least became so rabid. I wouldn’t spend the time there now.

But choose two or three issues where CARM raised the most doubt in your mind and post them here. You may be surprised at how the Church’s actual teaching stacks up to the CARM charges.
 
I’ve read through CARM’s arguments. Most of them — probably 75% — misstate the Catholic position and then argue against what they wrongly think Catholics believe.

Just as an example, CARM thinks Catholic priests are acting as “other mediators between God and man.” But Catholics believe Jesus is the one mediator between God and man : our priests are merely earthly administrators of Christ’s priesthood, not seperate mediators between God and man. “Christ Jesus [is] the one mediator between God and men,” CCC 1544. “Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers,” CCC 1545.

Another example is that CARM claims the Catholics sacrifice Jesus over and over in the Eucharist, whereas Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.” But Catholics believe the Eucharist is the same sacrifice made on the cross, not a million new sacrifices made over and over. “The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all; yet it is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church.” CCC 1545.

These are glaring misstatements of Catholic belief. So yeah, it’s easy to use Scripture to disprove things that Catholics DON’T believe LOL.

Keep a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church handy near your computer. Every time you see a CARM argument, look up in the Catechism and compare what the Catholic Church REALLY teaches to what CARM CLAIMS it teaches. You’ll soon see how grossly inaccurate their claims are.
 
I also spent a precious little amount of time on CARM. I found it highly contemptuous, with very little redeeming qualities. I went there, on the advice of a trusted person, to witness a particular discussion, but was quickly frustrated by the rampant polemics and posturing without regard for profitable dialogue in Christ. Instead, to me, it seemed as though most everyone there was more interested in touting their own personal brand of Christianity than Christ. This was most evident in the low tolerance this particular board had for any thoughts, opinions, or challenges that they deemed threatening to their approved “orthodox” faith traditions.

Truly, I think anyone on CARM who is honestly interested and seeking meaningful dialogue usually ends up at CA anyway. . .so, why go out when the party ends up at your house in the end!?! 🙂
 
MarkA16 said:
I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.
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Do as I do. Boycott that anti-Catholic dump with all its rude and unkind people. There are a few decent n-Cs there, but that no way makes up for the terrible environment.

PM me with your problems Bro and I’ll help you see their fallacies. Meanwhile, have a look at why I’m a Catholic HERE.
Pax tecum,

[SIGN]BOYCOTT CARM!!![/SIGN]
 
MarkA16 said:
I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.
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Welcome and remember to ask any and all questions. Also if somethings sounds wrong to check it twice and then again.
 
JaneFrances said:
Truly, I think anyone on CARM who is honestly interested and seeking meaningful dialogue usually ends up at CA anyway. . .so, why go out when the party ends up at your house in the end!?! 🙂
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Jane (and Mike),

I’m still over there … I guess I’m there in part to invite people “at the party” there to come over here.

I have established over there that the version of “faith alone” preached there is pretty much the same as the teachings of the Catholic Church on the subject. There’s a chorus of “no it isn’t” but no explanation of what the differences are.
  • Liberian
 
Liberian said:
Jane (and Mike),

I’m still over there … I guess I’m there in part to invite people “at the party” there to come over here.

I have established over there that the version of “faith alone” preached there is pretty much the same as the teachings of the Catholic Church on the subject. There’s a chorus of “no it isn’t” but no explanation of what the differences are.
  • Liberian
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There’s no reason to try to make what we believe palatable to them like that. The point is that there is such a thing as absolute truth and theirs is a divergence from the beliefs of the NT and taught by the apostles and believed by the ECF.

If they ever said that Sola Fide is what we believe then it has not been expressed correctly. After over 34 years among them I know for a fact that what they actually mean by SF is not compatible with Catholic belief, and if you disagree then you need to sit down with books from both sides of the fence and “study up” on it.

I agree with what BlackKnight said on his thread HERE. If they really are interested in the truth about what we Catholics believe then they know where to find us.

There is no reason to subject myself or encourage anyone else to patronize and support Matt Slick’s anti-Catholic enterprise, and I won’t do it.

I shook the dust off from that place just as Our Lord told us to do and that’s it. With as many Catholics who are in need of good teaching and apologetics help I don’t feel like I’d be a good steward of my God-given time and talents to ever post there again.

Barring a miraculous transformation over there…forget it.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
MarkA16 said:
I’ve put my trust in the Catholic Church so I turn to her for answers for CARM. CARM stands for Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. I read about Roman Catholics.

I admit that I’m an uneducated Catholic, and I do know that many Protestants aim at people like me, but 1 Timothy 3:15 and I believe Catholicism is it. So, I need help.
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You sound like me when i frst set out my journey of faith,exactly the same actually.

Like people are saying learn about your own faith before you read stuff from CARM…it is 100% biased and it will seriously lie to make you belive anything it wants…if you allow it.

Stay away until your are an educated catholic,then nothing can threaten your faith,as you will have all the answers you will ever need.👍
 
Baptist Board is just as Bad. Matter of fact you can’t join that Forum if you claim yourself Catholic. They only want the truth if it is their truth.
 
The MOST vicious antiCatholic website in the USA that I’ve come across is SLICE OF LAODICEA. Just google the name, it’s run by a woman named Ingrid. She and I were going back and forth one time, and she, in exasperation, finally screamed at me, “REMEMBER THE HUEGENOTS!!!”
They have an ex-Catholic priest on the board too as their “expert” (LOL) on things Catholic.

Jaypeeto4 (aka Jaypeeto3)
 
haha What is with these ex-priests and nuns? They must be lying. Or its a joke, albeit, not a funny one at all.

I remember when I was non-Catholic in my belief, I would often refer people to CARM (unbelievers). I regret that more than all of my sins against purity combined.

Gosh. What the heck was I on?
 
havemercy said:
haha What is with these ex-priests and nuns? They must be lying. Or its a joke, albeit, not a funny one at all.
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I feel the same way. It’s ironic.

The VERY worst anti-catholics are “ex-preists and nuns”.

It seems like the 2nd worst anti-catholics are “grew up in Catholic School, served as altar-boy, and seriously considered becoming a priest (or nun)” people.

I sometimes wonder if this stuff is scripted.
 
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