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 divine gift of Faith

491. I have often longed for the faith possessed byCatholics.

If you have any faith in Christ at all, you can easily have thefaith possessed by Catholics. For it is only a question of findingout what Christ taught, and then letting your faith in Christextend to that also. For example, if you believe in Christ, andfind that the Catholic Church is the one He founded, your faith inHim includes faith in the Catholic Church. But I think your troubleis that you misunderstand faith, expecting far more than isrequired by it.

492. It is no use trying to make oneself believewhat one doesn't believe.

That exemplifies what I have just said. You imagine that you donot believe a thing unless you fully understand it, seeing all itsins and outs for yourself. But faith is not that. Faith is theacceptance of what Christ has said because He said it. If He tellsme that something is true which I would normally have thoughtincredible, I believe it. And if He but tells me the fact withoutdeigning to explain it to my full satisfaction, it will continue to baffle me. Yetthat does not diminish my belief in its reality. Instead of saying,"It is of no use to try to make myself believe what I do notbelieve," I rather say, "I believe what Christ teacheseven though I do not fully comprehend it."

493. Faith has to come to one, and until it does onecannot realise the truth.

It is true that faith in Christ and in all that He taught is agift of God. And this gift comes to one in answer to prayer. Butone has also to come to the faith. That is, one must not have themere wish, but the will to believe what Christ has taught. We arenot asked to realize, or visualize, or see the full significance ofwhat is proposed to us. That would be expecting too much, and isnot possible in this life. In such a case we would have"sight," not "faith." I cannot realize thatChrist is indeed really present in the Holy Eucharist. I believe itabsolutely, because He has said it. Had He not said it, I wouldhave no means of knowing it. I say this to warn you againstexpecting too much. Wrong and exaggerated ideas of what faith meanscould conceivably keep you still waiting for a faith you alreadypossess. The conviction that Christ is God and that the CatholicChurch is His one true Church, together with the will to accept theteachings of that Church and to obey its laws, are sufficientindications that one possesses the Catholic Faith.

494. If Catholicism does not conflict with soundreason and scientific facts, why is faith necessary?

Because what is believed by faith, though not against reason, isabove reason. When God reveals a truth known to Himself alone, andnot to be derived from a consideration of the created things aroundus, we do not know it as a conclusion of human reasoning nor as aconsequence of scientific study of created things. We know quitescientifically and historically that God has revealed it, but weknow that it is true solely because God has said so; and theconviction of its truth is due to faith in God's knowledge ofthe subject, and in His absolute veracity. Since revealed truth isabove that to be attained by reason and science, it demands inaddition to sane reasoning and scientific examination a deep faithin God's knowledge, veracity, and authority; for these are themotives impelling us to accept and believe the additionalinformation in question. So we Catholics accept all the conclusionsof sane reasoning; all established scientific facts; and all thedefined teachings of the Catholic Church.

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