THIS PAGE IS AS MUCH FOR MY BENEFIT AS ANYONE VISITING THE WEBSITE. I HAVE IT SO THAT I CAN EASILY FIND IT FOR MYSELF FOR NOTES AND REMINDERS. HOWEVER, IF YOU STUMBLED UPON IT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE WHAT YOU CAN.
Trent Horn: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/protestant-traditions-you-wont-find-in-the-bible
I don't want to argue with anyone about faith. I was once a Protestant but NEVER anti-Catholic. However, there was a time that I would like have said "I don't agree that the Bible says that" or "Show me that in the Bible." So although I've never been anti-Catholic, I would have not agreed with a lot of Catholic teachings, but I also didn't agree with a lot of Protestant teachings like "once saved - always saved."
Keep in mind that you don't have to have every answer, you don't have to argue and you don't have to feel uncomfortable:
1) You can always just keep repeating John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Example: Well, what about Mary? I don't have all the answers, but I do believe that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Well, what about Purgatory? I don't have all the answers, but I do believe that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
2) You can also say, "That's a great question ( or point ). I'll write that down and email you ( call you, get back with you, etc. ) the answer because I don't know if off the top of my head." I can tell you that if you want to look it up that Catholic.com is a great one stop resource for many answers from a Catholic Position.
3) You can also always politely, lovingly and reverently say, "Obviously this conversation is not getting either of us anywhere, so I suggest we end it for for now. But I'm happy to discuss it at another time." If the conversation ( or phone call ), gets too hostile, you can always end it in a way that will not make you look bad.
Here's an example of the stuff you'll find online:
This is what someone wrote about Mary being sinless:
"I am one of those to whom you'Il have to specifically show FROM SCRIPTURE who other than Jesus Himself was sinless.Knew no sin, did no sin, and IN HIM was NO SIN was said of NO ONE but Jesus, period. So...waiting."
This is what someone wrote in response to the above:
"In Luke's Gospel , Mary was addressed as Full of Grace. Everyone agrees that we are saved by grace. Now, even before the conception of Jesus, Mary was already declared as FULL of grace - hence no longer in need of any grace because she was already FULL of it. To be FULL of grace is an incredible thing for this means that there is no nook or cranny in one's soul where God's will is not being followed. This state of Mary in and of itself is a gift from God. This was how God WILLED it to be."
Here are 3 links from Catholic.com related to the Mary:
https://www.catholic.com/qa/does-scripture-support-marys-sinlessness
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/hail-mary-conceived-without-sin
https://www.catholic.com/tract/immaculate-conception-and-assumption
Remember this, "WHERE DOES THE BIBLE SAY THAT EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE AS CHRISTIANS MUST BE PROVEN FROM THE BIBLE?" Hint: It doesn't. 2 Timothy 3:16 about "ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED..." is likely the default go to text for Protestants, but it doesn't say ONLY SCRIPTURE, and the New Testament was not even completed when this verse was written and how do we know what books belong in the Bible to know what ALL is? 1 Timothy 3:15 tells us what is the PILLAR AND BULLWARK of TRUTH? It's the Church. The Church is not the invisible confused body of believers.
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The first 3 questions below came direct from Tim Staples.
1. How do you know St. Luke and St. Mark are authorized to write Scripture? They were not apostles. And where can I find the answer in the Bible?
2. How do you know when someone is actually married? Is it when the preacher says, "I now pronounce you man and wife?" Is it when they exchange vows? Is it when they consummate? Do they have to be in a church? Can they just do it alone? And where can I find the answer in the Bible?
3. How do you know the revelation ceased with the death of the last apostolic person? Was it when St. Jude says the Gospel was "declared once for all to the saints" in Jude 3? That can't be because Revelation was not written by that time. So how do you know? And where can I find that in the Bible?
4. How do you know which books belong in the Bible? How do you know if it should be 66 books or 73 books in the Bible? Did the Bible come with a list of the books that should be in the Bible? And where can I find that in the Bible?
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From Patrick Mardrid...
Someone says that I'm not going to accept your Catholic teaching unless you can show me from the Bible. Response can be, I'll give you as much Biblical basis as I can, but I'd first like you to show me in the Bible where the Bible says that I have to show you from the Bible?
Someone says, that's just your interpretation of the Bible. Fair enough, but why is my interpretation to be rejected and yours to be accepted? Why is yours to be accepted? Well, I'm just going by the Bible and you say the same thing, but it can be a standoff.
Here's how to refute private interpretation of scripture and how six words ( "I never said you stole money." ) can be interpreted five different ways. So how can someone know the correct interpretation of scripture?
Do you understand "I never said you stole money?" Are you sure because I could have meant:
"I never said you stole money."
I didn't say it, but everybody else did.
"I never said you stole money."
I thought it, but I never said it.
"I never said you stole money."
I said your wife took it, but I didn't say you.
"I never said you stole money."
I thought you burned it or threw it in the trash, but I never said you stole it.
"I never said you stole money."
I said you stole my car keys and many other things, but not money.
The interpretation is what's in conflict here.
The Bible no where tells us which books belong in the Bible. The Catholic Church preserved it down through the ages.
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Apologetic Notes from Trent Horn
"When we ask questions, it takes us out of the hot seat and puts us into the drivers seat." Greg Koukl
Don't let people bounce around. If purgatory is the issue, stick with purgatory before moving to Mary. For example, you start covering purgatory and they flip to what about all that Mary stuff?
Would you agree that _______?
Where in the Bible does it say that everything in the Bible has to be in the Bible? Yet, you say, if something is not in the Bible, then it shouldn't be followed. Do you see how that could be problematic?
Why should we believe in the Bible? Where did it come from?
Respond with questions even if you know the answers. You don't need all the answers just the right questions?
How did Jesus respond to Pharisees and Sadducees? Concise and to the point. He asked questions. He exposes the weakness of those opposing him.
3 Essential Skills - Even if you don't have all the answers.
1) Ask Questions: What do you think? Why do you think that? Challenge Questions.
2) Listen
3) Find Common Ground
What do you think? Why do you think that? "Catholic Church is Pagan." How do you know that is true? Where is your evidence?
Two most difficult: Family and Those On Internet
Repeat the question/statement, you are saying.....
Why are you Protestant? Why do you think Protestantism is true? The salvation Gospel is so simple. Thief on cross, would you agree that every salvation experience doesn't work exactly like that? Where does it say in the Bible that all we have to do is make an act of faith?
Can start with common ground and then ask questions.
Even if someone says, "I know where you are going with this." Ask them to humor you for a moment and go there or where is it that you think I'm going. Keep reeling it in though and not letting it go down a different path.
There are ways to defend without being argumentative, quoting scripture and being theological. However, we still need to have answers to defend our faith.
If you DO NOT KNOW, admit it. You know, I cannot answer that. However, I will find the answer and get back to you. Can I email you about it?
Prayer and practice is how you keep composure in difficult situations.
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Links That Support The Catholic Position:
https://chnetwork.org/2011/06/07/the-verses-i-never-saw-marcus-grodi/
http://www.thecatholictreasurechest.com/errprot.htm
http://www.drbo.org/difficult.htm
https://restlesspilgrim.net/blog/2014/08/10/thats-not-in-the-bible/
http://www.thecatholictreasurechest.com/errprot.htm
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Non-Catholic Perspectives That Exist ( and there are tons of them ):
It's things like the link(s) below that make me want to know my faith better in order to defend the Catholic position more. For me, no matter what someone else says, it all comes back full circle that either the Catholic Church is TRUTH and has AUTHORITY or it doesn't. If I believe the Catholic Church is TRUTH and has AUTHORITY ( which I do ), I have to stand my position of the "GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT."
Got Questions below in #1 has no issue with CARM ( Matt Slick - Very anti-Catholic ) as the Got Questions site states here. However, any site that endorses and has no issue with CARM / Matt Slick automatically loses respect to me. Also, Got Questions points to Ron Rhodes and James McCarthy on two ( likely more ) different pieces of content . I know that both Ron and James say many inaccurate things about Catholicism.
What gets me about Protestantism and was a key frustration of mine with Protestantism is "The Bible Says" - "The Bible Says" - "The Bible Says." However, there is so much disagreement on what the Bible says in PROTESTANTISM, so it goes back to private interpretation. I also don't care that YOU SAY that YOUR CHURCH is functioning as the original church did because the bottom line is that YOUR PROTESTANT Church was founded by a man after 1517 and some as recent as the last 100 years. No matter what one says, the Bible doesn't say everything has to clearly be in the Bible. In addition, it makes ZERO sense that Christ would not have founded ONE CHURCH. Christ didn't set up the mess known as PROTESTANTISM. Yes, Protestants love Jesus, serve the same Jesus as Catholics, but Protestants don't have the fullness of the faith.
At the end of the day, we all answer to God for ourselves. I'm not willing to settle for PROTESTANTISM any longer. There is too much confusion. I will also add that the Loosey-goosey style of PROTESTANTISM of just have believe and love Jesus is not all it's cut out to be because it leads to a ton of other issues like "I don't need to go to Church because Jesus is my PERSONAL Lord and Savior" or "As long as we agree on the essentials, we can disagree on all this other stuff because we just need to Love Jesus." Trust me, I know PROTESTANTISM and many PROTESTANTS.
In many cases, verses of scripture are used to make a point. However, scripture has to be taken in complete context of what is being said and many times it's not just the verses before and after but numerous parts of the Bible to fully understand what is being said. Furthermore, the context of the time period and that the writer was not writing in today's modern era has to be factored in. These are key reasons why oral tradition and the magisterium of the Church need to be a part of overall understanding.
Without fail, every time that I have dug into the Catholic position on a point, it has made more logical sense and been backed up with scripture context that often goes deeper than the Protestant position. I have seen so much out of context scripture used by Protestants not only during my Catholic journey but throughout my life that Protestant, private interpretation of scripture to make a point sickens me these days.
Don't take me out of CONTEXT. I love the word of God. I love the Bible. I've read it all. Have you? I'm saying that PRIVATE interpretation, cherry picking scripture sickens me NOT the Bible.
WARNING: These links will not shed good light on Catholicism. However, I'm sharing them so that you will not only know what you are up against, but that you may also do your homework on how to refute these claims.
Link 1...
https://www.gotquestions.org/Catholic-questions.html
Link 2...
https://carm.org/roman-catholicism
Link 3...
http://www.bible.ca/catholic-questions.htm
Recommended Books by Catholic Authors:
Tim Staples - Behold Your Mother - A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines
Trent Horn - The Case for Catholicism and Why We're Catholic
Jimmy Akin - The Fathers Know Best and The Drama of Salvation
Stephen K. Ray - Upon This Rock
Mario P. Romero - Unabridged Christianity