Help, the defense of Catholicism

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Brothers and sisters, I come from a Protestant family who mainly lives in the South. I have been and expect many more times to be asked many things by my family and others about the Catholic Church.

Please help me, I’d like to come up with a list of all the things that Protestants question our Church with, and answers if you have them. This way I’m more prepared to give them the correct answers. Here are a couple of things I’ve heard often…

The Pope is the antichrist
Why do you worship statues/pictures
The Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon
Why do you pray to people (Saints)
Purgatory!
You can only call God, father
The Blessed Mother
Jesus has brothers and sisters how can Mary be a virgin
You cannot prove the Catholic Church was started by Jesus, it didn’t exist until the 300s or so…
The Catholic Church decreed that no one can read scripture (except priests).

These are what I can think of, if you have answers to these I’d love to get them, if you can think of more things and answers (hopefully, if not I don’t mind doing some research) I’d really appreciate it. This will help me greatly to be prepared when they do start in on me…lol. Thanks!!!
 
Sorry, I do not have much time right now but I can answer one of your questions:
Jesus has brothers and sisters how can Mary be a virgin
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  1. These “brothers” are never once called the children of Mary, although Jesus himself is (John 2:1; Acts 1:14).
  2. James and Joseph (also called Joses), who are called Jesus’ “brothers” (Mark 6:3) are indeed the children of Mary—Just not Mary, the mother of Jesus.
After St. Matthew’s account of the crucifixion and death of Jesus, he writes:

“There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; among who were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” (Matt. 27:56; see also Mark 15:40).
  1. The term brother (Greek. adelphos) has a broader meaning than uterine brothers. It can mean a biological brother, but it can also mean an extended relative, or even a spiritual brother.
Take Genesis 13:8 for example. Here the word brother is being used to describe the relationship between Abraham and Lot, who were not biological brothers but uncle and nephew:

“So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers” (Gen 13:8, NIV; see also 14:12).
  1. Maybe I am mistaken, but I’ve never read anywhere about Jesus having “sisters”.
I hope this helps.
 
Buy a copy of The Essential Catholic Survival Guide, published by Catholic Answers. All of your answers and more will be found within it.

As a start, ask them if it is better to belong to a Church that (they say) began in the 300s, or one with a man’s name on it that began in the 1500-1800s.
 
USMC_Convert said:
Brothers and sisters, I come from a Protestant family who mainly lives in the South. I have been and expect many more times to be asked many things by my family and others about the Catholic Church.

Please help me, I’d like to come up with a list of all the things that Protestants question our Church with, and answers if you have them. This way I’m more prepared to give them the correct answers. Here are a couple of things I’ve heard often…

The Pope is the antichrist
Why do you worship statues/pictures
The Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon
Why do you pray to people (Saints)
Purgatory!
You can only call God, father
The Blessed Mother
Jesus has brothers and sisters how can Mary be a virgin
You cannot prove the Catholic Church was started by Jesus, it didn’t exist until the 300s or so…
The Catholic Church decreed that no one can read scripture (except priests).

These are what I can think of, if you have answers to these I’d love to get them, if you can think of more things and answers (hopefully, if not I don’t mind doing some research) I’d really appreciate it. This will help me greatly to be prepared when they do start in on me…lol. Thanks!!!
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I think one of the most effective arguments I’ve ever heard with regards to the “why do you worship statues/images” was being asked “if you saw an old woman holding a picture of her son and kissing it, would you assume she was worshiping the image? No, you would assume she loved her son very much, and the picture reminded her of him.” That obliterated any doubt I had with regards to statues and icons.
 
Call no one father but God.

Tell them to read the verse (Mt 23:9) in context. The author is referring to placing oneself (the apostles) on a pedestal above everyone else, like the Pharisees did. The following verse (Mt 23:10) says not to call anyone ‘Master’. Are they taking that literally also?

Does the 4th commandment (Mt 19:19) need to be reworded?

When Jesus told the parable of the rich man, why did He say that the rich man said, “Father Abraham, have pity on me.” (Lk 16:24) Abraham is not God.
 
In addition to some of the other resources already given, here’s a list of Catholic Answers tracts: catholic.com/tracts/browse.

In fact, the Essential Catholic Survival Guide mentioned earlier is largely drawn from these tracts, if it’s not simply a published form of them.

Also, I just have to encourage you, like another poster has, to check out Tim Staples’ stuff.

You can’t go wrong with a retired Marine! 👍
 
FabiusMaximus said:
I think one of the most effective arguments I’ve ever heard with regards to the “why do you worship statues/images” was being asked “if you saw an old woman holding a picture of her son and kissing it, would you assume she was worshiping the image? No, you would assume she loved her son very much, and the picture reminded her of him.” That obliterated any doubt I had with regards to statues and icons.
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Right, worshiping and praying are two different things. Worshiping is, well, just that. It is only due to God. Praying is asking for something. I pray for you, you pray for me, St. Sebastian prays for us both, etc. The fact that they are dead has nothing to do with it. Just because they are in heaven does not mean they are unconcerned with us on earth. They are not “dead”. They are more alive than we are. It seems rather ridiculous to say that I can pray for you on earth, but when I’m in heaven I cannot.
 
USMC_Convert said:
You cannot prove the Catholic Church was started by Jesus, it didn’t exist until the 300s or so…
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You might as well start with this one because that is what all the other questions come down to… the Authority given to the Catholic Church by Christ.

catholic.com/tracts/whats-your-authority

A good approach to dealing with these protestants is to answer their questions as succinctly as possible but then ask them a question that leads to the question of Authority as shown in the article.
 
“Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary”

I think that applies here…
 
johnnyc176 said:
You might as well start with this one because that is what all the other questions come down to… the Authority given to the Catholic Church by Christ.

catholic.com/tracts/whats-your-authority

A good approach to dealing with these protestants is to answer their questions as succinctly as possible but then ask them a question that leads to the question of Authority as shown in the article.
Click to expand...
👍
I agree. All issues will at some point come down to authority and this same authority will at some point lead you to the bible canon, a subject no non-Catholic can fully address without honestly realizing the implications.:eek:

Peace!!!
 
USMC_Convert said:
Brothers and sisters, I come from a Protestant family who mainly lives in the South. I have been and expect many more times to be asked many things by my family and others about the Catholic Church.

Please help me, I’d like to come up with a list of all the things that Protestants question our Church with, and answers if you have them. This way I’m more prepared to give them the correct answers. Here are a couple of things I’ve heard often…

The Pope is the antichrist
Why do you worship statues/pictures
The Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon
Why do you pray to people (Saints)
Purgatory!
You can only call God, father
The Blessed Mother
Jesus has brothers and sisters how can Mary be a virgin
You cannot prove the Catholic Church was started by Jesus, it didn’t exist until the 300s or so…
The Catholic Church decreed that no one can read scripture (except priests).

These are what I can think of, if you have answers to these I’d love to get them, if you can think of more things and answers (hopefully, if not I don’t mind doing some research) I’d really appreciate it. This will help me greatly to be prepared when they do start in on me…lol. Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
It is my experience that many protestants use sound bites and a small set of repetitive slogans. They are learned and then simply regurgitated over and over. Going into a deeper civil theological discussion on any of these sound bites is well near impossible. If you start focusing on one sound bite, they will just simply throw out the next sound bite, then the next one. If you are in fact fortunate enough to be listened to, they will just nod change the conversation to the weather, then next time you meet you get the same sound bites.

I think the best thing you can do is pray for the seed to be sown in their heart. It does work.

And I agree with other posters here. The ultimate problem is the question of authority, which I believe has it’s root in human pride.
 
If you are more of a listener like me then let me refer you to this great website full of good Catholic apologetics:

biblechristiansociety.com/download

It asks for a donation for the material but you aren’t required to give one.

John breaks down protestant objections and refutes them, soundly, one-by-one.
 
  • The Pope is the antichrist
Common. What evidence do they have for this? And not “Vicar of Christ” equaling 666 in Latin, because so does “Ellen G White” in Latin. That was originated by John Calvin in the Protestant Reformation.
  • Why do you worship statues/pictures?
It is veneration. Someone else can surely explain this better than me.
  • The Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon
The Catholic Church has been the most influential vehicle, arguably, in the conversion of peoples all around the world to our Christian faith: why would that very vehicle be the Whore of Babylon, drunk with the blood of the saints? Perhaps the Inquisitions, but not the Church itself as we know it today.
  • Why do you pray to people (Saints)
We do not pray to them: rather, we request their intercession (prayers to God for us, or for others on behalf of us, etc).
  • Purgatory!
Someone else can explain this better than myself.
  • You can only call God, father
catholic.com/tracts/call-no-man-father

(Skipping some questions that are not within my expertise…)
  • You cannot prove the Catholic Church was started by Jesus, it didn’t exist until the 300s or so…
Read a book such as “Upon this Rock” by Stephen Ray; it will give you insight into the world of the early saints and our ancestors-in-faith, also revealing that Rome took responsibility for its sister churches, and that the Office of Peter was established literally since him.
  • The Catholic Church decreed that no one can read scripture (except priests).
Perhaps long ago, but this is a complex subject, certainly.
 
Lenten_ashes said:
If you are more of a listener like me then let me refer you to this great website full of good Catholic apologetics:

biblechristiansociety.com/download

It asks for a donation for the material but you aren’t required to give one.

John breaks down protestant objections and refutes them, soundly, one-by-one.
Click to expand...
You can also call him on Mondays at 3.00 p.m. Eastern (US) Open-line.
 
USMC_Convert said:
Brothers and sisters, I come from a Protestant family who mainly lives in the South. I have been and expect many more times to be asked many things by my family and others about the Catholic Church.

Please help me, I’d like to come up with a list of all the things that Protestants question our Church with, and answers if you have them. This way I’m more prepared to give them the correct answers. Here are a couple of things I’ve heard often…

The Pope is the antichrist
Why do you worship statues/pictures
The Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon
Why do you pray to people (Saints)
Purgatory!
You can only call God, father
The Blessed Mother
Jesus has brothers and sisters how can Mary be a virgin
You cannot prove the Catholic Church was started by Jesus, it didn’t exist until the 300s or so…
The Catholic Church decreed that no one can read scripture (except priests).

These are what I can think of, if you have answers to these I’d love to get them, if you can think of more things and answers (hopefully, if not I don’t mind doing some research) I’d really appreciate it. This will help me greatly to be prepared when they do start in on me…lol. Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
All they have to know is both Catholicsis that you believe in God and Jesus so are brothers and sisters. You are all a human family created by one God. Why should there be any division between the children of God?
 
“Catholicism and Fundamentalism” by Karl Keating found on this websites bookstore.
 
Welcome to the fullness of the Catholic Church! You have to start reading. You have 2000 years to read about. Meantime there is the Catholic cheet Sheet. Several versions around. here is a free one. However there is no point in arguing. When the pop up with this silliness change the discussion to what you agree on and how much more you get from being a Catholic vs a Protestant. They love personal witness, give them yours!

ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/WALLET.HTM
 
Original sin thus proves a reality of grace. Grace’s effectuality is according to eternal law. Grace given according to incorrectness proves a conscience being *known, a conscience being turned into repentance, by reason of scholastic evidence of truth.
 
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