What's the best argument for Catholicism?

[Jimmy_B]

EENS:

One of the best arguments for someone who already accepts belief in Christ is simply history. LOOK AT HISTORY! The protestant and other religions were created hundreds of years after Christ. The Catholic Church alone existed and was founded upon St. Peter from the very beginning. Look at the writings of the early Church Fathers. They support the Catholic beliefs and not the protestants or other non-Catholics.

I agree with this!

“To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.”
**~ John Henry Cardinal Newman **

 

[Maccabees]

Catholic Heart:

Steve…Most Protestants do NOT believe in predestination…I was brought up in the Methodist Church, and have had many experiences with other Protestant churches…Also…It is disrespectful to call Protestants “proddies”…I really do take offense at this, and I am not even a Protestant…

Catholic Heart

Well it depends on which protestant church your talking about once again protestants disagree on this Wesley was an Armenian and the Methodist church was the biggest movement in this camp out of this branch of protestantsim pentacostalism and most branches of evangelcialsim sprang from most people of this persuation beleive in making a choice for christ thus they don’t believe in predistianation. The Calvinist, Lutherans and Presbyterian camps are usually on the side of predestination though the more liberal factions of these churches have watered down that teaching where it is unrecognizeable to the original denominations tenets. But it would be ture that protestant tenet at the time of Reformation was Predestination. But later protestants didn’t see it that way of corse and many church splits happened over this.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

grandadmiralboo:

Is there a best argument for Catholicism? If so what is it? I just wish i could “prove” Catholicism in one nice 15 minutes or less argument. I mean, I know Catholicism is true, but that’s based on everything I’ve learned about the Church in the past, which is quite a bit, i couldn’t even begin to summarize it into a nice clean argument, cuz every point depends on everything else. I wouldn’t know where to start!! I’m just curious what other people thought about this.

This implies that Catholicism is like a theorem in mathematics, capable of rigorous proof.​

It’s not. There is no reason why it has to be. The doctrines are connected, but Catholicism is more than a body of doctrines - it’s a way of life: not something for the mind alone. It is meant for the whole human person. Trying to “prove” Catholicism to someone, is like trying to prove that swimming is possible: there is a difference between (say) showing that the human body is able to be supported by water, and actually swimming: the argument is not the experience, and cannot replace it.

So with Catholicism (or any form of Christianity): the propositions about Catholicism (or Anglicanism or Calvinism or whatever) are not the experience of that religion for oneself - one cannot be Christian on behalf of another person, any more than one can swim on or breathe on behalf of another person - so one cannot love God on behalf of another person. One must do it for oneself.

So the stuff in our minds - all the doctrines and so on - can never replace the experience of God for ourselves. look at the Psalms: “Taste and see that he Lord is good” - that tasting, cannot be done by another: not if that tasting is to be our own experience. ##

 

[demolitionman65]

Bottom lines (for me):

1.) The Eucharist
1a) Heavily buttressed by Eucharistic Miracles (Lanciano, striated heart tissue, blood type AB)
2) The Church can trace its “pedigree” back to Peter, and hence, back to Christ.

In response to complaints that malfeasance and general foolishness in church history has rendered (2) invalid (and therefore invalidated the Church), I respond:

“We are humans trying to execute a divine mission. In terms of perfect delivery of that mission, we are doomed to failure, as is every other denomination,* since they too are humans trying to execute the same mission**, *but they now are also separate from the bloodline (so to speak).”

For whatever that is worth.

 

[Steve_Andersen]

Catholic Heart:

Steve…Most Protestants do NOT believe in predestination…I was brought up in the Methodist Church, and have had many experiences with other Protestant churches…Also…It is disrespectful to call Protestants “proddies”…I really do take offense at this, and I am not even a Protestant…
Catholic Heart

Sorry

It was obviously meant in good fun

I had no intention of offending

I’m glib by nature

Some people here are a little serious

At least I didn’t call them “Left Footers”

As for predestination I was thinking of the Calvinists
I didn’t mean to generalize
I don’t know the numbers of the various sects to determine if “most” or “some” or “many” would have been a more appropriate word

I’m always up for a little correction
If I learn something new I consider it a day well spent

The point I was attempting to make in answer to the original question is that, for me at least, the ability to do works is an important differentiation

Some folks are more contemplative and that’s fine but I need the feed back of doing something

it gives me hope

 

[Didi]

I think the best “argument” for Catholicism is to simply be the best follower of Jesus you can be – to show by example. Wasn’t it St. Francis who said “Preach the gospel always, and when necessary use words.”

When others see your love and devotion for Jesus through your words and actions, the way you lead your life, that speaks more volumes than any amount of “argument” could!

 

[BibleReader]

JohnPaul0:

Way cool exegesis! I don’t think in pictures, so I would never have visuallized all this. Is there a book (or, more in the spirit, a video), that has more of this Bible typology stuff?

I do not know of a book summarizing essentially the typology interp which you see me using, here.

I wrote a series of articles on typology for The Catholic Answer Magazine when Fr. Peter Stravinskas was editor. He has since left that organization and begun The Catholic Response. They’ll be running a series of articles on Bible Typology in that magazine, also.

A book on this subject by myself is about half finished.

 

[J.R]

There is alot of good replies here. One point I bring up is;

1 Timothy, 3,15 But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.

This speaks of the Church as a final authority. How can it be one of the thousands of Protestant churchs? It can’t it must be the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church

 

[maryj]

the catechism of the catholic church has a brief but excellent section on Old Testament types (typology) in numbers 128-130. May God bless you with wisdom in your search.

I shall be a defender of Mary.

 

[Malachi4U]

grandadmiralboo:

Is there a best argument for Catholicism? If so what is it?..

Yes there is, just read Scripture and study history. It may take more then 15 minutes but the Bible is Catholic and history proves Catholicism os the origional Church founded by Christ and the only one that still preaches His Gospel today.

Other churches may preach a portion of His Gospel correctly but only portions.