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

Catholic attitude towards the Bible

452. Are not all the Christian Churches based on theBible?

The Protestant Churches originally insisted that the Bible wasthe Word of God; but they were based on the various senses theirfounders read into the Bible and declared to be the meaningintended by God. But the Catholic Church, although she insists thatthe Bible is indeed the Word of God, does not base her positionupon the Bible. She is not so foolish as to say, "Believe theBible to be inspired because I tell you it is; and believe in mebecause the Bible, which speaks of me, is inspired." Thatwould be a vicious circle. Of course, if a man already believes theBible to be the inspired Word of God, the Catholic Church can beginfrom that in her discussions with him, and show that the very Wordof God which he accepts justifies her claims. But if a man does notaccept the inspiration of the Bible, then the Catholic Church doesnot appeal to it as inspired. She will justify herself on thegrounds of history and reason alone. Only after the man hasacknowledged the reasonable character of her claims, and with thehelp of God's grace has attained to faith in her as the Churchof God, will he be prepared to accept her teaching that the Bibleis the inspired Word of God. With such a man the Catholic approachdiffers radically from that of the Protestant Churches.

453. If you agree that the Roman Catholic Church isnot founded on the teachings of the Bible what becomes of her claimto infallibility?

You must not imagine that there could be anything in theCatholic doctrines opposed to the teachings of the Bible. We do notbelieve that the Catholic Church is founded on the Bible as if menwere given the Bible, and then constructed the Catholic Church forthemselves according to the ideas they thought the Bible tocontain. We believe that the Catholic Church was founded personallyby Christ, who built it upon the Apostles, sending them to preachHis Gospel and propagate the Christian religion throughout theworld. And it was Christ personally who guaranteed theinfallibility of the Apostles and of their successors, so that theChurch would be unable to err in her official teachings. Since theChurch is infallible and the Bible is the inspired Word of God,there will never be a conflict between the two. You must keep inmind, of course, that the Bible is the inspired Word of God in thesense in which God intended all that is written in its pages; notin any false sense which some non-infallible reader desires toimpose upon it.

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