Unfiltered Apologetics Volume 1: Bite-Size Explanations to Questions About the Christian and Catholic Faith

By Albert Allegue

The newest edition in A GUY IN THE PEWS, Volume 1 series, compliments the book written about the Mass. It continues to dig deeper into the Christian and Catholic Faith and summarizes answers such as: Who is the Holy Spirit and what are the 7 gifts available to those who believe? Why confess your sins to a
priest? Do Catholic Priests forget what they are told in confession? Other questions answered are: Do Catholics have their own Bible? After death, where do souls go? Topics such as Euthanasia, Transubstantiation, Cremation, Mortal vs. Venial sins, and Abortion are explored.

These are questions we face day-to-day, and we ask ourselves, "How do I reconcile these present issues with Jesus' teachings and church values and guidance?"

The pace of our lives has become so fast, so hectic, who has time to read extended explanations of things? People want to know what they need to know in as short a period of time as possible. That's the reason why this series of books were created. A Guy in the Pews answers are provided in a bite-sized, one-page explanations that are easy to read and take about 1-minute to study.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781792389078

Book preview

Introduction

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s Jesus was preparing to ascend to heaven, he gathered his disciples together and said, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20

Christians know this as the Great Commission. I firmly believe these were orders and not mere suggestions. I don’t believe Jesus was thinking, Look, if you are in the mood and have nothing to do, do me a favor, would you? Go out into the world and consider sharing my words with others and make them disciples. No. This was a command!

In this easy-to-read book, I am following Jesus Great Commission to share, not only the Good News, but answers many questions Catholics and Christians have about their Faith. Many Catholics have forgotten what was once learned in their Catechism classes as young children. Questions that sometimes we may be too embarrassed to ask or just wanting to know how the Catholic Faith now deals with day-to-day living. I also concentrated a lot on objections that many have about Catholic teachings. This book also tackles current issues and tries to answer common Catholic practices that maybe misunderstood.

Remember what Peter said, Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks for a reason for your hope. 1Peter 3;15

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What is the difference between a Christian and a Catholic?

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he common thread is that a Christian and Catholics are both followers of Jesus Christ. Christians can be Catholics, Protestants, Gnostic, Mormon, Evangelical, Orthodox, Anglican, or even followers of another branch of the religion. A Catholic Christian is also a follower of Jesus Christ but follows the Catholic religion as communicated through the succession of Popes at the Vatican. The first pope being the Apostle Peter.

As a result, all Christians are not Catholics, but all Catholics are Christians. Catholics consider Catholicism to be Christianity and that they have the truth that Jesus revealed. However, Catholics believe that Catholicism is the only and correct plan to heaven. But when you really examine both approaches, the main difference between them is the interpretation of the laws, rules, and scriptures. Here are a few points of differences:

Christianity is the world’s largest religion. Christians can meet and worship anywhere while Catholics usually worship in a chapel.

Catholics believe that God’s revelation comes to them in two ways, sacred tradition and sacred scriptures. While many non-Catholics believe that only source of God’s revelation on moral and faith is in the Bible, they don’t follow the added teachings from their pastors; they believe that their religious leaders can only offer advice and guidance. In contrast, the Catholic Church has the authority to interpret biblical scriptures and can decide when the interpretation is the truth or misleading. Catholics are bound by the Roman Catholic Church traditions found in the Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus, and the letters of the Apostles who trained under Jesus’ discipleships.

Catholics consider all popes to be Apostle Peter’s successors. Jesus appointed Peter and became the first head of the Catholic Church. As a result, the pope has the authority over the interpretation of the bible, the pope’s rules must be followed. Christians consider the pope to be the leader of the Catholic Church, but do not recognize his authority and do not believe in his supremacy.

Catholics accept the Virgin Mary, or any other saint in the church in the form of pictures and statues. Catholics display these pictures and statues in their home. Christian have limited depiction from being displayed in churches while other denominations forbid it completely. Catholics do not pray to these statues, but instead ask favors of these saints to intercede on their behalf to Jesus and ultimate to God. Catholics have many documented instances of having received favors through the intercession of saints. As one Catholic explained to me, it is acceptable to pray to your mother, father and grandparent who have died, and ask them to intercede on your behalf.

The Catholic Mass is really the biggest difference. Catholics attend Mass to remember the Lord Passion, death and resurrection. The Catholic Mass is the sacrament of unity in which the faithful are nourished from the table of God’s Word and Christ Body. The priest acts in the person of Jesus Christ (Persona Christi) and the mediator between Jesus and the faithful. The Catholic priest then uses transubstantiation to convert bread into the Body of Christ and wine into the Blood of Christ. The bread and wine in the Eucharist become Christ’s real presence and the faithful receives the Eucharist through Communion. Non-Catholic churches do not believe in the real presence of Christ during a religious service. In some churches there is wine and a small piece of bread available to the parishioners, but they are only a symbol.

Catholic believe the Virgin Mary was without sin and conceived through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. When Mary died, she ascended into haven. In Christianity, Mary, such as in the Protestant faith, plays a much less significant role. In post-Reformation Europe, Protestants view Catholic devotion to Mary as excessive and non-Biblical. For many, that feeling has persisted over the centuries.

The Catholic Bible has 73 books, while other churches only have 66 or 73 books depending on the version. For example, the King James Version of the Bible has 80 books (39 in the Old Testament, 14 in the Apocrypha, and 27 in the New Testament), while the Protestant’s Bible only has 66 books (27 books from the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament). The Baptist bible also has 66 books, while the Mormons have four books (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).

However, not all churches believe in the Holy Spirit. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God is the only true God, and Jesus is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and created by God. The Holy Spirit is not a person, but God’s active force. Protestants who adhere to the Nicene Creed believe in the three persons (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). Emerging movements during the Protestant Reformation and Unitarianism also reject the Trinity. Catholics believe the Holy Spirit is one member of the Holy Trinity, and as a person, the Holy Spirit is one we can be in relation with. In Pentecostal churches the Holy Spirit is seen as the giver of natural and supernatural gifts, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy.

Abortion

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bortion is still a difficult, contentious and unsettled issue for some religious group, even for Christian and Catholics.

The United Methodist Church position is unclear. Although in 1996 the church ended their membership in a proabortion rights advocacy group, their church’s Book of Discipline (which explains the denomination’s laws and doctrine) stresses that abortion should be, in