Thursday, April 29, 2010

Catholic FAQs

Last night, UW Campus Based heard a great talk about common questions and misconceptions about the Catholic faith. Afterwards, we debated on two issues ourselves: abortion and the rules of receiving the Eucharist. In case you missed UW CB last night, here are some notes from last night's meeting!

Apologetics: Greek apologia meaning "a speaking in defense." The defense of Catholic-Christian doctrine.
-Where we get the English word "apology."
-Catholic apologetics does not claim that you're wrong and we're right, rather what we believe is not unreasonable.

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Top 5 Googled questions about Catholicism
1. Why do we obey the Pope?
A. Matthew 16:16. Catholic Church is "apostolic." Supreme bridge-builder Pontifus Maximus. Infallibility of the Pope. Pope is the Servant of servants of God.

2. Why do we call priests "Father?"
A. Matthew 23:9 contradicts this Catholic tradition. The point was that one cannot have two masters. But put in context, this doesn't apply to our tradition. Family members are who we first encounter Jesus through. That familial tie is why "Father" is used.

3. Why do we, as Catholics, confess our sins to priests?
A. The apostolic tradition. "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, whose sins you retain are retained." Talking to priests goes back to the "fatherly" guidance from priests. It takes a lot more humility and shows a sincere desire for repentance, because it is not easy to tell somebody what you did. You've already been forgiven. Confession is about accepting God's healing.

4. Are Catholic traditions and beliefs established anywhere in the Bible?
A. We teach things based on two forms of tradition: written tradition and oral tradition. In spite of corruption and corrupt leaders, we still have to believe that the Holy Spirit was going to fix our mistakes because God wouldn't let his people be led astray for so long.

5. Will you be saved?
A. To be saved, you must be given and accept the gift of Jesus. In baptism, we receive that gift. We are born again through baptism, because the gift of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (that was given for all nearly 2000 years ago) is re-given. Yet baptism does not guarantee salvation in any way. Salvation is a matter of how we respond to the truth we encounter in life. You wouldn't throw away a gold ring, especially if you got it as a gift, right? But the gift we have been given is worth much more than gold. But what if you never hear about Jesus and so you never have a chance to even be baptized? God knows no boundaries with his love and salvation. Salvation isn't about who's right or who's wrong, it's about the way you live.

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Where does the Church stand on...
abortion? The Catholic Church is against abortion. However, those who have had abortions are not turned away from the Church. In fact, the Church believes that more than anything, we must reach out to those who have had abortions - and not just the would-be mothers either, but also the would-be fathers.
homosexuality? Homosexual feelings are not sinful. Homosexual acts are.
women entering the priesthood? In the apostolic tradition, Jesus called men as his apostles. We are not at liberty to change a tradition that Jesus started.
the death penalty? CCC 2266.

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Agree or Disagree? (we debated two topics)
Using contraceptives?
Arguments: Contraceptives don't allow for (or artificially reduce) the probability of pro-creation during intercourse. Yet family planning via timing your menstrual cycle, monitoring hormone levels and temperature are allowed. Some people go to great lengths to get this right so that they don't have to worry about having kids if they have sex. It becomes such a problem that sometimes, it is just overboard. A line must be drawn, because for some people who use "family planning," they've invested so much money into fancy hormone indicators and done everything to prevent having a child that they may as well have used a contraceptive. There are some women who have to take birth control pills to regulate hormonal imbalances. Birth control controls the hormones that regulate your period. Some people really need that because hormonal imbalances are not good. Just as long as you don't take advantage of the pill for sexual purposes, it's okay for therapeutic purposes.

In general, we felt it is not okay to use contraceptives for the purposes of preventing child-bearing, including withdrawal (Genesis 28) because contraception is not natural.

Rules of receiving the Eucharist (need First Communion, must be in the state of grace, must be baptized Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Catholic)?
Arguments: Jesus instituted different rites and rituals while he was alive. At the very least, he implied the use of them. Before instituting the Eucharist as a tradition to celebrate in his memory (Eucharist is a common Jewish meal), Jesus was baptized. He told his disciples to baptize others. He taught the Apostles how to pray. Jesus, in a sense, was preparing his followers for the ultimate experience with him: his Eucharist. The first Eucharist was no public matter; it was only Jesus and the 12. The preparation that they went through was necessary so that they could even try to begin understanding the deep mystery Jesus was unveiling. It's not that non-Catholics are not welcome, rather we would like to help them understand just how important the Eucharist is. Sadly, there are Catholics who go to Mass because they're stuck in that Sunday routine; some people thinking about RCIA may know more about the Eucharist than them. Or like the woman afflicted with hemorrhages (Mark 5, Luke 8), there may be desperate people who believe that if they could only touch Jesus, they may be healed. Or for somebody who is at the crossroads of life: what if receiving Jesus could be that push he needs right now to get started going in the right direction? What if she was thinking, Maybe God can help me. I'll go see what's up at this church (which just happens to be Catholic). During Communion, non-Catholics are invited to come forward and receive a blessing during Communion. But sadly, this invitation and the explanation of it are often limited to weddings and funerals - such occasions when priests know non-Catholics may be present. Maybe this is the root of the issue. We never know who's going to walk into Mass, and so we should take care to make sure everybody knows what's going on during Communion. At the very least, it could serve as a reminder to those who are just stuck in a routine.

Catholics don't prevent anyone from coming to God. We don't check ID at the door. We don't lock our doors once Mass begins. But we do ask that you be prepared to receive Jesus, just as Jesus prepared the first disciples. In the interim, there's no reason why non-Catholics and those not in the state of grace can't come forward to receive a blessing. Our Churches just need to be more transparent about that. With all that said, we agree with the rules themselves, but feel that the awareness of them needs to be raised.


Do you agree or disagree? Do you have unsettled questions? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section!

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