And You Will Know The Truth

235 Pages·2009·1.46 MB·English

And You Will Know
The Truth

How to Explain and Defend
The Catholic Faith

Sebastian R. Fama

Large Print Edition
And You Will Know
The Truth

How to Explain and Defend
The Catholic Faith

Sebastian R. Fama

Permission is hereby granted by the author to print,
copy or distribute anything in this book.

www.StayCatholic.com July 9, 2007
Table of Contents

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Introduction to The Essays - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
1. Creationism or Evolution? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9
2. The Trinity - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13
3. The Bible - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17
4. The Church - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21
5. The Pope - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
6. Papal Infallibility - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 27
7. The Canon of Scripture - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31
8. Scripture Alone - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33
9. Tradition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32
10. Justification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34
11. Baptism - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
12. The Mass - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40
13. The Eucharist - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42
14. Confession - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 44
15. Purgatory - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46
16. Indulgences - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48
17. Praying to saints - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52
18. Mary Ever-Virgin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 54
19. The Immaculate Conception - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 56
20. The Assumption - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 58
21. The Rosary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 60
22. Statues and Holy Pictures - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62
23. Scapulars, Medals and Relics - - - - - - - - - - - - - 64
24. Call no Man Father - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 66
25. The Rapture - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 68
26. Abstinence - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
27. Contraception - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 76
28. Natural Family Planning - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80
29. Marriage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82
30. Divorce and Remarriage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 86
31. Annulment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 88
32. Abortion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 90
33. Women’s Ordination - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 94
34. Traditionalists - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 96
35. The Words of Consecration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100
36. Salvation Outside the Church - - - - - - - - - - - - - 104
37. The Word of Faith Movement - - - - - - - - - - - - - 108
38. Jehovah’s Witnesses - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 112
39. Seventh Day Adventists - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 116
40. Mormons - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 120
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41. Freemasons - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 124
42. Divination - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 128
43. Our Debt to the Catholic Church - - - - - - - - - - - 132
44. Knowledge is not Enough - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 136
Doctrinal Concordance of the Bible - - - - - - - - - - - - 138

Introduction to The Early Church Fathers - - - - - - - - 151
1. Creation Out of Nothing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 153
2. The Church - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 156
3. The Primacy of Peter/Rome - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 159
4. Peter’s Presence in Rome - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 162
5. Apostolic Succession - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 165
6. Tradition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 168
7. Justification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 171
8. Baptism - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 174
9. The Mass - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 177
10. The Real Presence - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 180
11. Confession - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 183
12. Purgatory - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 186
13. Intercession of the Saints - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 189
14. Mary Ever-Virgin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 192
15. The Immaculate Conception - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 195
16. The Assumption - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 198
17. The Mother of God - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 200
18. Contraception - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 203
19. Divorce and Remarriage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 206
20. Salvation Outside the Church - - - - - - - - - - - - - 209
21. The Divinity of Christ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 212
22. The Trinity - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 215
23. Hell - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 219
24. Sabbath or Sunday? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 222
25. The Filioque Clause - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 230
How Old is Your Church? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 234
For Further Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 235

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Introduction to the Essays

Quite often those who object to Catholicism will do so on scriptural grounds. They
claim the teachings of the Church are opposed to the teachings of the Bible.
However, Scripture read in context fully supports Catholic teaching. The primary
goal of my essays is to present the biblical case for Catholicism. I also refer to the
writings of the Early Church Fathers. I do so in order to show that those who were
taught by the Apostles believed and interpreted the Scriptures in the same way that
the Catholic Church does today. I kept the essays short in the hope that skeptics
would be more likely to read them. They are by no means an exhaustive study on
the subjects they cover. They are designed to address the most common objections
to Catholicism and thus remove any stumbling blocks to further investigation.
Toward that end suggestions for further study appear on the last page.

Perhaps you are a skeptic. Perhaps you agree with those who say that the teachings
of the Catholic Church are unbiblical. But have you ever examined the evidence
that supports those teachings? You are certainly entitled to believe any thing that
you wish. But shouldn't your opinions be based on evidence and not the prejudices
of others?

In the movie, "To Kill a Mocking Bird," Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of
a crime that he obviously could not have committed. The story takes place in the
American south during the early 1930's. The jury was composed of local
townspeople all of whom were white. Despite clear evidence that indicated his
innocence the jury found Tom guilty. The verdict was not based on the facts of the
case but on the bigotry of the jury. If you were on that jury would you have stood
up for the truth or would you have succumbed to peer pressure like the others? You
are in such a position now. There is a great deal of prejudice against the Catholic
Church. Can you examine the evidence without that prejudice affecting your
opinion?

Perhaps you are a Catholic who thinks that apologetics (defending and or
explaining the faith) is unnecessary. You may see it as a rude rejection of those
who believe differently than we do. But that is simply not the case. Catholic
Apologetics rejects false ideas but not the individuals who hold those ideas.
Disagreeing with someone doesn't have to be an act of malice. In fact it can be an
act of love.
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Let me illustrate my point with a little story. Suppose your neighbor plans on
visiting friends in a distant city. He informs you that he will be leaving the
following morning on the 10:00 AM bus. Being familiar with the bus schedule you
realize that there is no 10:00 AM bus to your neighbor’s destination. However,
there is a 9:00 AM bus. Would it be rude to correct your neighbor? After all he may
reject what you have to say. And of course he has the right to do so. Still, if you
truly care about him you are duty bound to tell him what you know. The same
principal applies to our faith. With eternity at stake it would be foolish to ignore
our differences.

It is also important to point out that there are Catholics who don't have a good
understanding of their faith. A good number of them leave the Church every year
due to the efforts of anti Catholic groups and churches. If these individuals had
known why the Church teaches as she does, many of them would never have left.
As a Catholic apologist I wish to reach such individuals so that they can at least
make an informed decision.

Apologetics is an important part of the Church's work. In Jude 3 we are told to
"Contend for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints." Paul tells
Titus to "Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the Faith, instead of
giving heed to Jewish myths or to commands of men whom reject the truth" (Titus
1:13-14). Finally, Peter tells us to "Always be prepared to make a defense to any
one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness
and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15).

Jesus said that the truth would set us free. Common sense tells us that two opposing
views cannot both be true. However, if the truth is to set us free, we must know
what the truth is. Consequently a vehicle is needed to verify just what the truth is.
Apologetics is that vehicle.

For those who wish to become apologists a word of advice: Don't expect that every
one will convert once you have demonstrated the Catholic position. People remain
outside of the Church for a variety of reasons. Some simply do not wish to abandon
that which has been familiar to them. The deeper someone is immersed in a way of
thinking the harder it is to see any flaws in it. In the final analysis sentiment and
friendships can win over the truth.
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Some leave or stay out of the Church because they are unwilling to accept one or
more of its teachings. Weather or not those teachings are true is beside the point.
As Scripture puts it: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound
teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own likings" (2 Timothy 4:3).

Remember also that it is possible for your intentions to be misinterpreted.
Oftentimes people are insulted by any kind of correction. Be careful in the way you
communicate and pray that God would open the hearts of the people that you want
to reach. Bear in mind that it is the Holy Spirit who converts hearts.

No matter what the outcome, never be judgmental or demeaning. While you may
not have won the person over you may have planted a seed, a seed that may sprout
and grow strong at some future date. Don't jeopardize that with the wrong attitude.
Your objective should be to win souls not arguments. I once heard Mother
Angelica say, "An argument is an exchange of feelings. A discussion is an
exchange of ideas. Discussions lead to truth, arguments lead to bitterness." I
couldn't agree more. That is why the Scriptures tell us to "speak the truth in love"
(Ephesians 4:15).

In writing the essays I have used either the New American Bible or the Revised
Standard Version (Catholic Edition). In a few cases I have quoted the versions that
are used by the groups addressed in the essay. The reasoning is simple, I believe it
is more effective to correct someone with a version they trust. That is not to say
that all of the other versions can be trusted. The Bible used by Jehovah’s Witnesses
is not considered to be credible by any Scripture scholar. One reason is that some
of the words have been changed to match their distinctive beliefs.

All of the essays are faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium. When using them
with family or friends, make sure that you read them first and understand them.
You may want to highlight points that you think are important or that may have
come up in past conversations. Before your discussion you may want to consult
books like Karl Keating's "Catholicism and Fundamentalism" or Rev. John
O'Brien's "The Faith of Millions" as they cover these issues in more detail than I
have. Feel free to copy and distribute anything in this book.

Copyright © 2001 StayCatholic.com

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Creationism or Evolution?

Is it possible to know that God exists even though we cannot see or touch Him?
Well, we believe that radio waves exist and we can’t see or touch them. And we
believe it because the evidence allows for no other conclusion. We turn on a
television and we see and hear someone who is many miles away. Adjusting the
antenna changes the quality of the picture. Disconnect the antenna, and there is no
picture. Obviously the television is receiving the pictures and sound from the air.
Consequently, we can know that radio waves exist even if we cannot see or
touch them.

Similarly, we can know that God exists because the evidence allows for no other
conclusion. For instance, the fact that we exist is an indication that God exists.
But, you might ask, what about the theory of evolution? Couldn’t that explain our
existence? No, not at all. A look at the evidence will show us why.

Honest evolutionists will admit that evolution is not a science. It is nothing more
than a theory, an assumption that the universe and living things created themselves
by a totally naturalistic, materialistic process. Creationists claim that a look at the
facts rules out the theory of evolution. Evolutionists reject the idea of a Creator
because they claim that facts must be observable by the senses. Thus, this would
exclude God. However, it would also exclude radio waves. As we saw earlier,
radio waves are not observable by the senses - their effects are. Likewise, God is
not observable by the senses, but His effects are. Thus we can know that God
exists even if we can't see or touch Him.

The theory of evolution contends that billions of years ago the elements which the
universe is made up of were packed into a dense mass at an extremely high
temperature. The mass exploded (the Big Bang) and over millions of years this
mother of all chaotic events formed an orderly solar system with planets and stars.
After our own planet cooled down, a variety of complex and delicately balanced
ecosystems consisting of tens of thousands of species of animals, fish, plants, and
bacteria were formed by chance. All of this supposedly evolved from a burnt rock,
which is all the earth would have been after cooling down. Now, if life could come
into existence by chance chemical reactions, why can’t the process be repeated in
the laboratory with deliberate actions, millions of dollars and the brightest minds?

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But what about the fossil record, isn’t that evidence of evolution? Hardly! Just
how old the fossils are, is itself a matter of controversy. But more important is the
fact that the fossil record contains no transitional forms. Transitional forms are not
important to evolution - transitional forms are evolution. No transitional forms
means no evolution!

What is a transitional form? Imagine that you are watching a cartoon illustrate how
a fish evolved into an amphibian. At the beginning you would see a fish. As the
cartoon progresses, the fish’s fins begin to shrink and change shape until they have
formed legs. Each frame of the cartoon would be a transitional form. If evolution
takes millions of years, then there should be billions of transitional forms for each
evolved group. But we find no such thing in the fossil record. Even in the earliest
fossil layers we find completed, complex life forms, such as clams, snails, jellyfish,
sponges, worms, etc. No one has been able to find fossilized ancestors for a single
one of them.

Another problem arises when we realize that even the so-called “simple” life forms
are not really simple. Today we know that a cell is one of the most complex
structures known to man. In a book titled “The Evidence for Creation” by Dr. G.S.
McLean, Roger Oakland and Larry McLean, we find the following on page 113:

“The cell has turned out to be a micro universe containing trillions of
molecules. These molecules are the structural building blocks for
countless complex structures performing chains of complex
biochemical reactions with precision… a single cell surrounded by a
cellular membrane exhibits the same degree of complexity as a city
with all of its systems of operation, communication and government.
There are power plants that generate the cell’s energy, factories that
produce enzymes and hormones essential for life, complex
transportation systems that guide specific chemicals from one location
to another and membrane proteins that act as barricades controlling the
import and export of materials across the cellular membrane.”

In the nucleus of every cell is the DNA. DNA contains millions of bits of coded
information – information necessary for the building and development of our
bodies. The function of DNA is more complex than a computer’s. Is it not
reasonable to conclude that something this complex had an intelligent designer?
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Within the human body there are a number of irreducibly complex systems. That
is, systems that would not function if they were any simpler. One example is our
digestive system. Microvilli, which line the intestines, are microscopic bristles that
somewhat resemble the bristles of a hairbrush. The spaces between the bristles are
wide enough to allow nutrients to pass through to be absorbed and digested.
However, the spaces are narrow enough to block the passage of bacteria, bacteria
that would kill you if they were allowed to pass. This in itself refutes the theory of
evolution, which contends that when a need presents itself, the body adapts by
gradually changing (evolving) over millions of years. In this case millions of years
would be too long. As soon as the deadly bacteria appeared, the body would have
minutes to hours to design and evolve a system to block them. Failure to do so
would result in immediate extinction. Our continued existence rules out the
evolutionary premise.

But, some may wonder what about the alleged ape-men? The answer is simple: no
one has ever found a fossil that indicates a link between man and ape-like
ancestors. Fossils are either pure ape or pure man. Except for Neanderthal Man,
the skulls of the alleged ape men were not found intact. They were pieced together
from fragments and given the desired look.

Neanderthal Man had been traditionally portrayed as being chimp-like. However,
in recent years he has been upgraded to human status. He had, on average, a larger
brain size than modern man. He cared for his sick and elderly, buried his dead,
employed art and religious rites, appreciated agriculture, clothing, and music. He is
not that different from a number of cultures existing in recent centuries.

Nebraska Man was supposed to be half man and half ape. This was all based on
the finding of a single tooth. Years later it was found that the tooth belonged to a
wild pig. Piltdown man was also supposed to be a great evolutionary find. The
upper part of a skull was found in a quarry. Within the same quarry there was
found, among many other types of bones, a broken lower jawbone. The two were
put together and we had Piltdown Man. Decades later it was found that the skull
was human and the jawbone was that of an ape. The teeth had been filed down to
simulate human teeth. Piltdown man was a hoax, an outright fraud.

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