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

Conscience

901. I should be grateful if you would defineconscience for me.

Conscience is simply a judgment of the intelligence applied tomoral matters. In mathematics the mind concludes that two and twomake four. In music it will judge as to whether the notes harmonizewith one another or not. In moral conduct, it judges that good mustbe done, and evil avoided. And when some particular course ofaction presents itself, it will decide as to whether that course ofaction is in harmony with good principles or not. Whence come theprinciples with which conduct is to be compared? They are part ofour very nature, impressed upon us by the Creator Himself. And inthis sense conscience is the voice of God within us. Every humanbeing is born with an urge to tend to a perfect development. Butthis will be possible only if life be well ordered. Hence, theinnate conviction that the order of nature itself must berespected. As a creature, man has an innate tendency to respect therights of the Creator; as social, he has an innate tendency torespect the rights of his fellow men; as intelligent andself-regulating, he tends to respect his own dignity. Andconscience manifests itself by interior approval or reproachaccording to his observance or violation of these naturalobligations imposed by the God who made man as he is.

902. I know I can always say, "Follow yourconscience. Conscience is the last court of appeal."

You cannot say that. Conscience is not the last court of appealas the guide of conduct, whatever may be its value in relation toone's judgment by God. The last court of appeal, where right orwrong conduct is concerned, is the revealed law of God. Theindividual conscience can be objectively erroneous through lack ofknowledge, or through malice. For example, God says, "Thoushalt not commit adultery." Yet there are people who say thatthey cannot conscientiously see any wrong in adultery. If they aretelling the truth, then their conscience is wrong. They havedistorted their conscience. God's law is the standard of rightand wrong just as the sun is the standard of time. And conscienceis right if it is conformed to God's law, just as a watch isright if it is in harmony with the sun.

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