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

Judgment on lapsed Catholics

1410. Are those who leave your Church a thorn inyour side?

Not as regards the effect of their defection upon the Churchthey have left. The value of the evidence for the truth of theCatholic Church remains unaffected by the lapse of individuals fromher fold. And the loss of faith by such individuals cannot possiblyinterfere with the continued existence of the Catholic Church. If Imyself were to renounce the Catholic Faith, and spend the rest ofmy life lecturing against the Catholic Church, my conduct wouldneither prove that Church wrong, nor result in its collapse. Fromthe viewpoint of the Church, therefore, ex-Catholics are not athorn in my side. At the same time, I regret to hear of anyCatholic forsaking his or her religion both because such a soulforfeits immense spiritual blessings and privileges, and becausesuch defections set a bad example to other individuals. You wouldrightly blame me were I indifferent to the spiritual welfare ofothers, whoever they may be.

1411. Is everyone who leaves the Catholic Church ascoundrel?

No. People who have never forfeited their right to an honorableand unblemished reputation in the eyes of their fellow men havedrifted from their faith in the Catholic Church; some because notwell instructed in that religion; others because, althoughintelligent enough in other directions, they have been unable totake an intelligent attitude where religion is concerned; others,again, have abandoned their religion for the sake of worldlyadvantages which do not seem in the least evil to the majority ofworldly-minded people. Not everyone, therefore, who leaves theCatholic Church could be called a scoundrel according to theordinary standards accepted by public estimation. But it remainstrue that no adult Catholic can lose his faith in the CatholicChurch without some degree of moral responsibility before God.

1412. Have all who leave a poor weak intellect?

No. Some are very intelligent, but have proved to be out and outscoundrels. Others, very intelligent, have devoted theirintelligence to all subjects save their religion, of which they have known little or nothing; or elsethey have devoted it to the discovery of excuses to leave theirreligion because they found it uncomfortable. Others again, as Ihave already remarked, are psychologically unable to reason clearlywhere religion is concerned. Many people, Catholics andnon-Catholics alike, tend to become quite unreasonable oncereligion is involved, however reasonable they may be in othermatters. For example, a very highly educated woman who professed tobe an agnostic once showed me a photograph of Herbert Spencer, andchallenged me to say that a man with such a kindly face could teachwrong ideas about religion. I might mention that this woman wasvery religiously inclined, and found a relish and a devotion indeclaring herself to be an unbeliever which it would be hard tobetter in the most fervent of revivalist meetings.

1413. Are not those who leave as convinced in theirown minds as you are in yours?

Some are as convinced as I am that the Catholic Church is indeedthe true Church. I have met many such people, and have been told bythem that they hope to return to their Church some day. Othersattain to a genuine conviction that the Catholic Church is wrong.But usually this conviction is due to some form of mentalaberration. People can convince themselves, and most intensely, ofalmost anything. If you visit a lunatic asylum you may find aninmate most intensely convinced that he is Napoleon. In the clashof divergent convictions, you must first sort out the sane peoplefrom the insane. Then you must take the convictions of the saneones, and examine carefully the evidence for them. If this is doneimpartially, it will be found that other forms of religion are notbased upon sound foundations, whilst the Catholic position isimpregnable. Were I myself, by some drastic infidelity on my part,to lose my faith and become an atheist, I would still maintain thatif there were anything in the Christian religion, the CatholicChurch could alone justify itself as the true Christian Church inthis world.

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