Ask a Catholic

[Randy Carson]

MODS: In this series of questions, I've been asked to explain and defend some very specific points of Catholic doctrine by a former Catholic. I would respectfully ask for a little latitude in answering his these short questions with longer, more robust answers that are necessary to do his questions justice. Thanks.

It hardly matters.  Way too long to read anyway.  If it makes you feel better to download all of that crap, knock yourself out.

Yeah, cause you don't want to have to read all that and actually learn something.

Best just to ignore it and tell yourself you have all the answers.

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There are 40,000 "sects" because of private interpretation and sola scriptura

If this was a true religion, and the claims in this book did happen, then private interpretation at this scale wouldn’t be possible. There would be nothing arguable in it. Instead, we see a plethora of contradictions, untrue data, and stories that are so farfetched that you have to be a little “out there” to believe.

This is incorrect. For over 1,500 years, Christianity was essentially unified. Sure, we can talk about the Oriential Orthodox who split off after the third (or fourth) Ecumenical Council, and the Eastern Orthodox who split finally around the 13th century (due to political aspirations of their own), but Christianity WAS Catholicism - unified - for 15 centuries. Then people decided to try to interpret the Bible for themselves, and the rest is painfully obvious,

The Catholic Church is teaching the same doctrines it has for 2,000 years.

This may be true, but, the catholic church has been changing it’s mind and making up new rules since it was first established. Also, yes, we know that science has changed over the years too, but this is due to observable, testable evidence, not some men in fancy hats and robes deciding to change the rules for their own reasons.

Name one example.

So, "vain repetition" simply does not prohibit the repetition of words in our prayers.

I can see what you’re saying there. However, when it’s a rosary, and there’s 53 hail mary’s in it, I’d say most christians would quarrel with you on that. They would describe the rosary as vain, repetitious, and blasphemous.

And there are 20 mysteries on the life of Jesus that we meditate upon while saying those Hail Mary's. It's about JESUS.

It's not the amount of time on the cross but the identity of the victim that makes Jesus' sacrifice unique.

Well, I’m going to stick to my opinion, and say a few hours is nothing for someone to suffer for the sins of all humanity.

The identity of a man in a story doesn’t hold much weight either.

Also, the way the story says he was sacrificed, is nothing unique.

God incarnate dies on cross. Film at eleven.

No need to stay up to see that story. G'night.