Tag Archives: Apologetics

Why I’m Catholic

By | April 9, 2013

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I had grown up a Presbyterian Christian who believed that as long as you were a Christian who believed in Jesus, you belonged to the “church.” It didn’t matter which church you belonged to or where you went to worship on Sundays, it just mattered if you believed in Jesus. If you believed in Jesus, you were doing just fine.

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Why Do Catholics Believe the Pope is Infallible?

By | February 28, 2013

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The word “infallible” does not mean that the pope is perfect. It also does not mean that the pope knows everything. Instead, infallibility only applies when the pope speaks about solemn, official teachings on faith and morals, and he can’t ever change, add, or subtract Christian doctrine.

He only helps define or explain what we already believe, and he doesn’t do it on his own. The infallible teachings of the Pope are the result of many years – sometimes hundreds of years – of consultation with the other bishops and theologians of the Church. He is, in effect, voicing the belief of the whole Church.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Are You There God?: 5 Ways to Prove God Exists

By | October 31, 2012

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I’ve heard it. You’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it. “You can’t prove God exists!”

It seems like more and more people these days only believe in what they can see, touch, hear, taste, and smell. It’s all about what our senses can experience and what we can wrap our brains around. Pope Benedict XVI has declared a Year of Faith for us all to get back to the basics and proclaim that there is more to life than only what we can see!

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Stop Yelling At Me

By | October 29, 2012

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I sat up straighter. Everything I’d ever read about apologetics and answering peoples’ complaints about the Church started running through my mind at full speed. I was like a lion ready to pounce on any reason she said, convince her she was wrong and corral her back to the Church . . .

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LifeTeen.com Blog

The Big Bang Theory

By | October 9, 2012

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Did creation start with a “big bang”? What does the Catholic Church say about that? Have you ever wondered if the creation story in the book of Genesis is real? Are we supposed to take it literally and leave science behind?

No way! The Church is all about us using our faith and our reason. Just because science explains the natural world around us, doesn’t mean it disproves that God created the world.

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Why Do Catholics Believe in Indulgences?

By | April 12, 2012

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Catholics believe in indulgences because ultimately we know we’re all sinners and need God’s mercy. When a person commits a sin, there are two kinds of punishments that they have to deal with as a result of that sin. The first is called “eternal punishment” which means the sinner can’t enter heaven because of a grave sin that is not repented from. Through Christ’s sacrifice we don’t have to suffer eternal punishment if we repent. The second kind of punishment is called “temporal punishment” and every sin we commit carries a temporal punishment with it.

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Why Do Catholics Genuflect in a Church?

By | March 15, 2012

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Catholics genuflect in Church in order to show our reverence to the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Genuflection is defined as “A reverence made by bending the knee, especially to express adoration of the Blessed Sacrament” (CCC 1378). As we walk into the house of God, a Church, we show our adoration for Him by kneeing before Him.

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It’s My Body: How to Respond to the Pro-Choice Argument

By | January 31, 2012

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Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who said that a woman has a right to have an abortion because it’s her body? This is one of the most common ‘defenses’ of the pro-choice position; so more than likely, you’ve heard it.

It’s hard to respond to. Here are some ways you can talk about this argument.

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Why Do Catholics Pray to Statues?

By | December 15, 2011

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Catholics do not pray to statues.

That would be idolatry and therefore, a violation of the First Commandment. If a person prays to a statue out of superstition, believes that the statue has special powers or is even God – that is idolatry.

However, this is not what Catholics do when they pray in front of a statue. Catholics worship with their whole person and all of the senses. A statue, or any other piece of religious art, is intended to draw the soul deeper into prayer by helping the senses to recall the mystery that it represents.

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