The popular apologist and best-selling author of Catholicism and Fundamentalism addresses fifty-two of the most common misconceptions about the Catholic Faith that are held by many Catholics and Protestants. Drawing upon Scripture and the Catholic tradition, he not only shows the logical errors in these positions but clearly spells out Catholic teaching and explains the rationale behind frequently misunderstood doctrines and practices. An excellent guide to what Catholics really believe and why.
"Catholics and others who want to play with a full deck will welcome the fifty-two explanations provided by Karl Keating in What Catholics Really Believe. He deals with each question crisply and clearly. Readers can await the last trump with equanimity." -Ralph McInerny, University of Notre Dame
"With erudition, wit, and charm, Karl Keating explains some of the most common misunderstandings of the Roman Catholic Church. I highly recommend this work to Catholics seeking better to understand our Faith." -Cardinal John O'Connor, Archdiocese of New York
"Keating is simply one of the best Catholic apologists alive. He writes in the tradition of, and as a worthy successor to, Frank Sheed and Fulton Sheen. He is thoroughly orthodox, reasonable, clear, and interesting." -Peter Kreeft, Author, Fundamentals of the Faith
Contents:
Introduction
Book One: The Teaching Church and Its Authority
The pope can change doctrine.
Infallibility means that everything the pope says is true.
Vatican II teaches that the Church should be like a democracy. That's why we have parich councils.
Vatican II was such a watershed that it's now a waste of time to read the book written before the Council.
Catholics who leave the Church will go to hell.
The Church teaches that as long as a Catholic goes to Mass and confess any serious sin, they will go to heaven.
We shouldn't spend money on building fancy churches
Book Two: The Bible - Its Inerrancy and Authenticity
Before modern times, paypeople weren't allowed to read the Bible.
Because of ecumenism Catholics may now read any Bible.
Only priests or qualified religious can teach Scripture classes.
The Gospels contain lots of inconsistencies.
All right, but the Old Testament has lots of contradictions and people and people have known that for at least a century.
Catholics don't believe in the inerrancy of the Bible.
That is what Protestant believe, especially Fundamentalists.
Modern Scripture scholarship has shown the New Testament was written well after the events took place. The miracle stories are - like fisherman's tales - probably exaggerated and legendary.
Book Three: The Mass and the Sacraments
Anyone who wants to can receive Communion at Mass.
Vatican II emphasized the spirit instead of the letter of the law, so we are not oblidged to attend Sunday Mass anymore.
Jesus dies and is sacrified again at every Mass.
Lutherans and Anglicans believe in the Real Presence the same way Catholics do. They just explain it differently.
When you get divorced you are excommunicated automatically and are barred from receiving Communion.
The recent practice in many parishes of receiving communion under both species (bread and wine) now means that we need to receive under both kinds, or we haven't received both the body and blood of Christ.
If two people marry in the Church and never have children, their marriage is invalid.
Everyone knows that an annulment is really the Catholic equivalent of a civil divorce. Only the words are different.
Conscience tells me what's true or false. Right or wrong.
We don't need to go to confession because sins are forgiven by going straight to God.
Every Catholic must go to confession at least once a year.
Book Four: The Immaculate Conception, Apparitions, and the Rosary
The Immaculate Conception means that Mary did not need a Savior.
Catholics must believe that Mary really appeared at Fatima, Lourdes and other sites of apparition approved by the Church.
We should get rid of the rosary because it's an obstacle to ecumenism.
Book Five: Our Eternal Destiny
Everyone is basically good, and almost everyone will go to heaven.
Purgatory is not an essential doctrine, but an optional one like limbo.
Everyone, except for canonized saints and martyrs, must spend some time in purgatory before going to heaven.
The Church dropped its old belief in indulgences - that you can get time off in purgatory by performing some specified religious acts and prayers.
Hell isn't permament. Eventually all creatures will be reunited with God.
Priests and deacons shouldn't even mention hell. Doing so is uncharitable.
The Catholic Church teaches we can earn salvation by good works.
Reason plays no role in our salvation. We just have to believe.
A Christian can believe in reincarnation.
Book Six: Evangelization, Missionaries, and Better Homilies
Catholics don't outwardly evangelize like other Christians because they think actions speak louder than words.
All Christians agree on essentials, so we shouldn't secondary points of doctrine.
We shouldn't impose our religion on others through missionaries. Our policy should be live and let live.
Priests should speak only positively from the pulpit and shouldn't concentrate on negative things.
All we can do is pray for better homilies. We shouldn't say anything to our priests because they're in charge.
Book Seven: Catholic Customs, Devotions, and Disciplices
We should elminate old-fashioned customs, such as holy water, since they put unnecesarry barriers between us and other Christians.
Missionaries at my door explained women aren't supposed to wear slacks (Dt 22:5) and that women aren't supposed to cut their hair (1 Cor 11:6, 14, 15). Seems reasonable to me.
Priestly celibacy is unnatural and unncesarry in the modern world. The pope should just let priests marry.
Relics come from a superstitious age and should be done away with.
Book Eight: The Spirit World and Superstitions
This is a scientific age. We know miracles don't happen anymore.
I don't believe in angels as shown on holy cards. That's just ancient superstition.
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