Different bloggers do different weekly series of blog entries. Some bloggers post a collection of interesting links that they have encountered throughout their week, and still others post a collection of things that they've found on the Internet and fallen in love with. I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and begin my own weekly series of blog entries, entitled "Weekly Apologetics."My original vision for Philflipsnor was to provide some insight into my spiritual journey and my path to the priesthood, but since its launch, I've strayed slightly from that road (not me, rather, the content of my blog entries). I've been struggling lately with how I could be refocus my blog entries, and I realized that since I read a lot of Catholic apologetic-based books and listen to radio programs and lectures in the same genre, I could pass on my knowledge to a horribly misinformed audience.
So there you have it: each Sunday, every Sunday, I'll be writing another "chapter" of Weekly Apologetics, a series of blog entries focused on Catholic apologetics.
Please post a comment with suggestions for future chapter topics.
3 comments:
Although Protestants accept that Scripture calls Mary highly favored and blessed among women, they do not venerate her. With a bit of reading, I found the different "states" of worship that Catholics (I assume) use: latria, the highest form of worship, reserved for the Trinity. Dulia, given to the saints and angels. Hyperdulia, reserved for Mary alone - above the angels, below God - superveneration. As early as the fourth century, however, tradition began to say that Mary's virginity continued after Christ's birth and that she had no other children. Matthew 13:55-56 reads (non-disciples are speaking) "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" More recently, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as Dogma in 1854: that Mary was conceived without sin and lived a sinless life as Jesus did. Pope Leo XIII stated in 1891 that "As no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother." Other papal encyclicals refer to Mary as the co-mediator with Jesus, his "associate in the redemption." As the Bible states in John 14:6, Christ is the way and the truth and the life. He was not a way, nor a continuation of the way through his Mother.
Protestants believe in "sola scriptura" and "sola fide"- that is, the Holy Bible is the one and only word of God and by faith alone are we saved. Although I seem to remember you saying something to the contrary (about works being needed) previously, I presume Catholic doctrine to be the Bible + Tradition and faith in Christ + works. Romans is a nice book to quote from for these. Romans 10:4 - "For Christ is the end of the law to righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:9 - "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." As is 2 Timothy 3:16-17: - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." Faith is all that is needed for salvation, and the Bible provides that faith on its own. I'm not saying that Catholic tradition is wrong or sinful- indeed, I believe that they help to strengthen the faith of most believers. I do, however, believe that they are not on the level of the Word of God.
Lastly comes the Pope. One, Peter, the one on whom the Church was founded (I agree with Catholic doctrine in that sense- Peter and his acts were the rock on which the first Church was founded), was married. As Matthew 8:14 says, "Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever." The Papal lineage carries through from Peter, and yet they seem to impose unnecessary restrictions upon him that Peter did not have- one of which is celibacy. Celibacy is certainly a valid way to show ones commitment to Christ, but it just seems... off, to me. Also, it seems that Catholics today tend to worship the Pope. I don't know the official stance, but the Pope is obviously highly venerated- to some, he is God on earth. When Peter, the rock, was worshiped by a man called Cornelius, he refused worship as seen in the following verse. Acts 10:25-26 - As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." He never assumed any position as Vicar of Christ, rather being simply an elder of the Christian flock who urged for his fellow elders to be like shepherds. Christ is revealed to be the only foundation of the Church, as says 1 Corinthians 3:11 - "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." While the Pope is certainly a holy and devout Catholic, I would be wary of assigning any man deific powers (infallibility 'ex cathedra', for example) via election.
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