catholicsphere

The truth of the matter is … you can’t. At least not directly. See, they don’t like that. They don’t like people to actually answer them in a persuasive way because, well, it makes them look bad.

Because of past debates on discussion forums where moderators would lock me out rather than debate the issues, I’ve not engaged in much debate over the past 2+ years. However, last night, on my discussion form, someone came by and requested my help with anti-Catholicism on a Delphi Forum called Christian AAA Bible Study Forum.

The anti-Catholic, who also happened to be a moderator, tossed out a laundry list of supposed “Catholic Inventions” that has been circulating the web for at least 10 years. The list is compiled from a book titled “Roman Catholicism” by Lorraine Boettner. It is referred to in many circles as “The anti-Catholic Bible”, as it is a large tome of anti-Catholic material.

In reply to the anti-Catholic laundry list, I posted cut-and-paste replies, from another message forum, of an article “ROMANISM” REVISITED: A FACTUAL AND HISTORICAL REFUTATION OF THE THE “BOETTNER LIST” by Wayne A. Ariss. For this I was locked out, because the person did not like the fact that her “list” (which she says is accepted by “real RCs”) was refuted (and so easily at that).

I am really sad when I see this kind of behavior, because it really witnesses a faith that’s merely a front; a person living in fear of Catholicism having any bit of truth. If, in their minds, Catholicism does contain truth, that would be problematic for their own “faith”. For these, Jesus isn’t the object of faith, anti-Catholicism is.

Here’s the list below. I’ll post some individual responses of my own to this list over the next several days/weeks. It should be a great exercise for Lent, and good to get back to my “roots” in apologetics.

1. Prayers for the dead …..300 AD
2. Making the sign of the cross …..300 AD
3. Veneration of angels & dead saints …..375 A.D
4. Use of images in worship …..375 A D.
5. The Mass as a daily celebration …..394 AD
6. Beginning of the exaltation of Mary; the term, “Mother of God” applied at Council of Ephesus …..431 AD.
7. Extreme Unction (Last Rites) …..526 AD
8. Doctrine of Purgatory-Gregory I …..593 AD
9. Prayers to Mary & dead saints …..600 AD
10. Worship of cross, images & relics …..786 AD
11. Canonization of dead saints …..995 AD
12. Celibacy of priesthood …..1079 AD
13. The Rosary …..1090 AD
14. Indulgences …..1190 AD
15. Transubstantiation-Innocent III …..1215 AD
16. Auricular Confession of sins to a priest …..1215 AD
17. Adoration of the wafer (Host) …..1220 AD
18. Cup forbidden to the people at communion …..1414 AD
19. Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma …..1439 AD
20. The doctrine of the Seven Sacraments confirmed …..1439 AD
21. Tradition declared of equal authority with Bible by Council of Trent …..1545 AD
22. Apocryphal books added to Bible …..1546 AD
23. Immaculate Conception of Mary …..1854 AD
24. Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, proclaimed by the Vatican Council …..1870 AD
25. Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death) …..1950 AD
26. Mary proclaimed Mother of the Roman Catholic Church …..1965 AD

[tags]apologetics, catholic, anti-catholic, christian, faith, Jesus, religion, roman catholicism, lorraine boettner, bible, anti-catholic bible[/tags]