Choose a topic from Vol 2:

God

Proof of God's existence
God's nature
Supreme control over all things and the problem of suffering and evil

Man

Destiny of man
Death
Immortality of man's soul
Pre-existence denied
The human free will
Determinism absurd

Religion

Necessity of religion
Salvation of the soul
Voice of science
Religious racketeers
Divine revelation
Revealed mysteries
Existence of miracles

The Religion of the Bible

Gospels historical
Missing Books of the Bible
The Bible inspired
Biblical account of creation
New Testament problems
Supposed contradictions in Sacred Scripture

The Christian Faith

Source of Christian teaching
Jewish rejection of Christ
Christianity a new religion
Rational foundation for belief
Causes of unbelief

A Definite Christian Faith

Divisions amongst Christians
Schisms unjustified
Facing the problem
The wrong approach
Is one religion as good as another?
Obligation of inquiry
Charity and tolerance

The Protestant Reformation

Meaning of "Protestant"
Causes of the Reformation
Catholic reaction
Reformers mistaken
The idealization of Protestantism
The Catholic estimate

The Truth of Catholicism

Meaning of the word "Church"
Origin of the Church
The Catholic claim
The Roman hierarchy
The Pope
The Petrine text
St. Peter's supremacy
St. Peter in Rome
Temporal power
Infallibility
Unity of the Church
Holiness of the Church
Catholicity of the Church
Apostolicity of the Church
Indefectibility of the Church
Obligation to be a Catholic

The Church and the Bible

Catholic attitude towards the Bible
Is Bible reading forbidden to Catholics?
Protestant Bibles
The Catholic Douay Version
Principle of private interpretation
Need of Tradition
The teaching authority of the Catholic Church

The Dogmas of the Church

Revolt against dogma
Value of a Creed
The divine gift of Faith
Faith and reason
The "Dark Ages"
The claims of science
The Holy Trinity
Creation and evolution
Angels
Devils
Man
Reincarnation
Sin
Christ
Mary
Grace and salvation
The Sacraments
Baptism
Confession
Holy Eucharist
The Sacrifice of the Mass
Holy Communion
The Catholic Priesthood
Marriage and divorce
Extreme Unction
Judgment
Hell
Purgatory
Indulgences
Heaven
The resurrection of the body
The end of the world

The Church and Her Moral Teachings

Conscience
Truth
Charity
Scandal
Tolerance
Censorship
The Inquisition
Astrology
Other superstitions
Attendance at Mass
Sex education
Attitude to "Free Love"
Abortion
Suicide

The Church in Her Worship

Magnificent edifices
Lavish ritual
Women in Church
Catholics and "Mother's Day"
Liturgical Days
Burial rites
Candles and votive lamps
The rosary
Lourdes water
The Scapular

The Church and Social Welfare

Social influence of the Church
The education question
The Church and world distress
Catholic attitude towards Capitalism
The remedy for social ills
Communism condemned
The Fascist State
Morality of war
May individuals become soldiers?
The Church and peace
Capital punishment
Catholic Action

Comparative Study of Non-Catholic Denominations

Defections from the Catholic Church
Gnosticism
Manichaeism
Arianism
Nestorianism
Eutychianism
Coptic Church
Greek Orthodox Church
Anglican Episcopal Church
The "Free" or "Nonconformist" Churches
Presbyterianism
Methodism
Church of Christ
Baptists
Seventh Day Adventists
Plymouth Brethren
Catholic Apostolic Church or Irvingites
Salvation Army
Spiritualism
Christian Science
Christadelphians
British Israelism
Liberal Catholics
Witnesses of Jehovah
Buchmanism or the "Oxford Group Movement"
From Protestantism to Catholicism

To and From Rome

Conversion of Cardinal Newman
Why Gladstone refrained
The peculiar case of Lord Halifax
Gibbon the historian
Secession of Father Chiniquy
Father Tyrrell, the modernist
Bishop Garrett's departure
Judgment on lapsed Catholics
Protestant apathy towards conversion of Catholics
Principles for converts to Catholicism
God's will that all should become Catholics

The education question

1092. Speaking of education, what is the real reasonfor Catholic antipathy to our state schools?

Whatever others may think of our public policy of free,compulsory, and secular education, Catholics cannot in conscienceaccept that system as being suitable for the education of Catholicchildren. The real reason is that the religious training of thechildren is not sufficiently provided for, the time allotted forreligion being quite inadequate, even were it utilized. The Statesystem demands the "3 R's," reading, writing andarithmetic. Catholic principles demand the "4 R's,"religion, reading, writing and arithmetic; and religion first, notmerely a third-rate item. Again, even granted that religion weretaught adequately in the school, education is as much a matter ofenvironment and atmosphere as of anything else. You can't havea Catholic atmosphere in a school, where 75% of the children arenon-Catholics. Children's convictions are formed or deformed inthe playground every bit as much as in the classroom. For childrenare impressionable and greatly influenced by the opinions andassertions of their companions. And a Catholic child who constantlyhears non-Catholic children giving utterance to their parents'peculiar religious or irreligious opinions is certainly not beingwell grounded in the Catholic Faith. If Catholic parents want tobring up their children as good Catholics, they must send them to aschool where they will come into contact with a consistent Catholicteaching, both in classroom and playground.

1093. I know that the Bible says, "Bring up achild in the way it should go, and it will not depart fromit." But that merely means that the child will lose the powerto think for itself, believing only what it has been taught inchildhood.

That is a foolish interpretation of the words you quote. Thereis no reference whatever to any loss of power to think for oneself.The words say that the child is to be brought up in the way itshould go, obviously in the right way; not in the wrong way inwhich it should not go. And if one has been taught the right thingin childhood, he will continue to believe it, if he has any sense,in later life. Any Catholic who thinks for himself in later life,will find only reasons to confirm the truth of the Catholic Faith taught him in his youth, provided hethinks soundly, and avoids packing his mind with false ideasderived from unreliable and partisan sources.

1094. Why the Catholic idea of teaching religionevery day in religious schools? Christianity is a simplereligion.

It is simple in its principles, but it has to be taught in itsfullness in accordance with our Lord's command, "Teach allthings whatsoever I have commanded you." Also, Catholiceducation is as much a matter of atmosphere as of classes inreligious doctrine. To put any child in the midst of hundreds ofothers who never mention religion, scarcely think of it outsideSunday school hours, or if they do speak of it, do so according tosystems utterly opposed to Catholic teaching, is no way to give aCatholic education to a Catholic child. Where it is possible,Catholic parents are obliged to secure a truly Catholic educationfor the children God gives them.

1095. Is Rome finding it difficult to keep the flocktogether, and Catholics from finding out too much in these moderntimes?

The Church is doing her duty in trying to keep the"flock" within the sheep-fold. Surely you are not goingto blame the shepherds for doing their strict duty in the name ofChrist. Also, it is not to prevent Catholic children from findingout too much. It is to prevent them from knowing too little of thetruth, from acquiring too many erroneous notions, and from modelingtheir lives upon those of sheep wandering without a shepherd.

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