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

Principles for converts to Catholicism

1417. A little over a year ago I joined the CatholicChurch against the wishes of my family.

You did the right thing in following your conscience. Since theothers in your family did not perceive the truth of the Catholicreligion as you did, they could scarcely be expected to wish you tobecome a Catholic. But at least they should wish you to do what youyourself thought to be right.

1418. I would not leave the Church I have grown tolove so much, even for my mother whom I love very dearly.

That is the correct attitude to adopt.

1419. My mother says that, if I did love her, Iwould do what she asks, and even have no religion rather thanbelong to the Catholic Church.

She knows quite well that you love her. She is merely trying touse your love for her to persuade you to abandon the CatholicChurch. But she is asking too much. Love for one's mothershould impel us to give her all the lawful happiness we can. But nolove for any human being can justify our offending God andviolating our conscience. If a mother said to her child, "Ifyou love me you will steal $5,000 for me," the child would beobliged to refuse. That is not a lawful test of one's love. Nowreligion is one's duty to God. Yet your mother would have youacknowledge no duty to God at all, rather than see you a Catholic!She would not mind your doing what you believe to be sinful beforeGod provided she gets her own way. It is her love for you that isdeficient, for if she loved you rightly she would think of yourgood, and she would not have you incur the guilt of sin before Godfor any earthly consideration. Only selfishness, based on woundedpride, human respect, and prejudice, could make such demands.

1420. She says I am disobeying the commandment,Honor thy father and thy mother.

You are not doing so. That commandment, as all other subsequentcommandments, is regulated by the preceding commandments which dealwith God's rights. God comes first. "I am the Lord thyGod. Thou shalt not have other gods before Me." Duties toparents can never come before duties to God. "Thou shalt lovethe Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul"leaves no room for conflicting loves, though it can include lesserloves. So Christ said, "If anyone love even father and mothermore than Me, he is not worthy of Me." He knew that, for Hissake, many would meet with opposition from their own parents, andwould have to choose between pleasing them and pleasing Him. Andwhen a conflict arises, He must come first.

1421. Is she right? Or am I justified in myaction?

She is not right. You are justified in your action. You can butsay to her, "Only for God you would not be my mother, nor Iyour child. I must do God's will. In fact, the more I love you,the more grateful to God I am that He should have given you to meas my mother; and the more grateful I am to Him, the more obliged Iam to do His will. I will do anything I can for you, except what Iknow will offend God." In standing to a principle like this,of course, you are not unaware of the fact that she does not seethings as you do. You do not forget that she can have littlesympathy with the step you have taken; and that it causes her avery real suffering. Appreciating that, you should be twice as kindand devoted to her in all the ways you can be to make up for thepain your necessary fidelity to God inflicts upon her.

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