Saved by Faith Alone?

What about those other things, according to Scripture, by which we are saved? As Paul puts it in Ephesians 2 "by grace ye are saved through faith." Notice, "through" faith. Not "by" faith.

It takes more than faith all by itself to save someone. Scripture demonstrates that there is but one thing that "alone" can be considered to save us: grace. Without the helping grace (termed Actual Grace) from God we cannot respond positively to His offer of salvation. Only by cooperating with that grace can we possibly consider accepting His gift. After that, in order to be justified and sanctified and ultimately get into heaven, we must believe (have faith) and repent and be baptized and obey and love. Faith is first, after grace, but these other things must follow, while being based on that faith. Neglecting any of these can lead to loss of salvation, but doing all these things without underlying faith will do nothing for you in the first place. It's not that these "works" cause our salvation, but that these works are required in order to grow in sanctity and even to remain in the justified state. Justification is simply the state of divine son-ship. To be justified is to be an adopted child of God. Baptism is the Sacrament of initiation into God's family (as circumcision was, in the Old Covenant). It is a sign and it brings about the regeneration of the believer, by the Holy Spirit indwelling him. This indwelling is also called Sanctifying Grace. This grace differs from the initial grace God gave us in order to enable us to accept His gift. ("Prevenient Grace" is a term used by the Reformers to describe the initial Actual Grace we need in order to be able to accept the gift. We receive actual grace throughout our lives to help us grow. The Sacraments are the primary means of dispensing this grace but we can also receive these graces through other ways of obedience to God, such as fasting & prayer & good works, etc., done in faith.)

Salvation by faith alone is actually a new & novel concept, popular among Christians for less than 500 years. Historically, until the 1500's, this doctrine cannot be found, at least not among the early Christian writings.( http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/page5.html,
http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/fathers.html . Here's a piece by a former Catholic presenting evidence that the church Fathers did believe in Faith Alone: http://www.girdedwithtruth.org/2009/09/21/sola-fide-by-faith-alone/#.Ufq6Rm0pjNE, but as you can see in matt1618's page, those quotes are isolated from the rest of the Father's writings and hence are taken out of context. )



Grace is necessary, unearned & unmerited:


Romans 3

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Ephesians 1

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Ephesians 2

AND you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Titus 3:

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.



Faith is also necessary:

This is the first necessary reaction to the grace God gives everyone. Without faith you'll never really repent. Without faith, it won't matter if you're baptized and obey and love. Those things depend on underlying faith for them to be effective. (Notice these passages don't say "faith alone". They simply state that faith is necessary, not that faith is the exclusive means by which we are saved.)

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 3

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Galatians 3:14
"...that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."


Galatians 5
"6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."


... but faith alone won't get you into God's family...




Repentance is also necessary:

After we come to believe, we must repent of our sinful ways...

In the Gospels you'll see that people are called to "repent", not mentioning faith. (Faith is presumed, however.) Matthew 3:2, 3:8, 3:11, 4:17, 9:13, 11:20, 11:21, 12:41.

Acts 2:37-38

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 3
19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord

Acts 5
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.


Acts 8
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.


Acts 11
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.


Acts 17
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:


Acts 20
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.


Acts 26
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.





Baptism is also necessary:

Then we must be baptized, in order to be brought in to God's family. We don't just believe ourselves into God's family. We believe and repent and are baptized into the body of Christ...

Under the Old Covenant a requisite of membership was circumcision. Even a non-Israelite could join God's covenant family by circumcision. And it was mandatory for Israelites, in order to be in covenant with God. (Moses failed to circumcise his son and almost died because of it. Zippora's intervention by circumcising the boy saved Moses.)

The New Covenant has fulfilled & superceded the Old. The sign of this New Covenant is Baptism (Colossians 2:11). Baptism is an oath of the Covenant. The latin word for oath is sacramentum. That's why Catholics call Baptism a Sacrament. Basically, a Sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality (the imparting of Grace). A Sacrament is a visible sign instituted by Christ to give grace in order to sanctify us, to conform us to God.

We don't just believe ourselves into God's family, we are baptized into it.

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 2:37-38

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 19

AND it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

 

1 Cor 12:13
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Gal 3:26-27
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 6:3-4
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Ephesians 4:4-5

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

 
Colosians 2:10-13
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

1Peter 3: 18-21
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Baptism cleanses, regenerates us...

Acts 22:16
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

1Corintians 6:

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

1Peter 3: 18-21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Titus 3:

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

...then we work out our salvation with fear and trembling by loving and obeying...


Love is also necessary...

(In older translations "charity" is the noun form of love, "love" is the verb form)

John 13

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 14
15If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him 


1 Corinthians 13:

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.


Galatians 5
"6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."


Obedience is also necessary...

John 14

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

If a believer commits certain sins after being born again into God's family, he will lose his inheritance (his justification)...
1Corintians 6

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Likewise in Ephesians 6... Paul is addressing believers, telling them to "walk as children of light" and not do such things, because doing them would mean they would not get to heaven.


It seems we are also justified by what we say...

Mattew 12

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Perhaps Matthew 12:37 should be interpreted in the context of Paul's statement that we are saved if we believe and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. Even so, this shows that we are saved by more than just our faith.

Romans 10

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And, lastly, we must persevere in that saved state to the end of our earthly life...

Romans 2:7

To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life

Galatians 6:9

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Hebrews 3:14

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

 

Revelation 3:11

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

In closing, we are not justified by faith alone. Through grace we can have faith and that faith enables us, and is absolutely critical, to be a child of God. Without faith, additional grace and these other requirements of justification are fruitless. But also, without these "works" faith is unfruitful, unsaving. On the other hand, if we neglect these "works" we might not see heaven. It's what's in the heart that counts. That's how the thief on the cross was saved by his faith "alone". Even though he could not go on to be baptized, etc, he still was saved because he had faith and likely would have done those things had he the chance.

The idea of "salvation by faith alone" (aka "Sola Fide") is a new & novel doctrine of men (or, a man), not found in documentary history of Christianity, except maybe among sects which were heretical in other ways as well (ie denial of the humanity or divinity of Christ). Contrary to that, the idea of salvation by faith plus works wrought in that faith, is traceable to the Apostolic age. Here's what early Christian writings show us on what the post-Apostolic Christians believed of justification: http://www.staycatholic.com/ecf_justification.htm


References:

King James Bible used for Scripture quotes:
http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/thebible.htm

Faith v Works:
http://catholicbridge.com/catholic/faith_vs_works.php

Historicity of Faith Alone:
http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/page5.html
http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/fathers.html

Justification by Christ Alone, by James Akin:
http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/christ_a.htm

Salvation: Past, Present, Future by James Akin
http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/pastpres.htm

Comparing Catholic & Protestant understandings of Justification:
http://vivacatholic.wordpress.com/223-2/

Catholic Encyclopedia on Justification:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08573a.htm

The Process of Justification, part of a study of Paul's letter to the Galatians:
http://www.instituteofcatholicculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Galatians_Handout.pdf

Early Christian Writings

These historical writings are not considered inspired but they are invaluable in telling us what the Christian Church of the first centuries believed and taught. As we study Scripture, we should see how they interpreted things and consider their views as we decide on how we interpret it. After all, if we heed advice of modern scholars and pastors as we learn God's written Word, we should also consider the teachings of the earliest scholars and pastors (some who learned directly from an Apostle) as well.


"Fathers of the Church"
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06001a.htm

The literary works of the Fathers and other writings (councils, apocryphal, etc)...
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers

Quotes on various subjects...
http://www.staycatholic.com/early_church_fathers.htm
http://www.cin.org/users/jgallegos/contents.htm

Didache, one of the earliest extant Church documents...
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0714.htm

James Cardinal Gibbons The Faith of Our Fathers
http://www.cathcorn.org/foof/

Arguments Against Catholicism

These are some literary works written to show the errors of Catholicism. All the typical anti-Catholic arguments can be found within their pages. Below each is also a link to refutations of them. For any reader, it is wise to follow through on the references provided, when there are any. Then, go a step farther as well. Check the references in the references. If primary references are non-existent or simply too vague, that statement or accusation or quotation can be dismissed out of hand, as false or not valid.

==

John Foxe Actes and  Monuments  (aka Foxe's Book of Martyrs) (1563)
http://www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/home.html

Gives accounts of Martyred Christians, from the Apostles to contemporaries of Foxe. He emphasizes the evilness of the "papists" as murderers of real Christians, merely trying to live the true Christian faith.

Refutations:
Soon on the heels of the spread of Foxe's work, a rebuttal was produced. Robert Parsons wrote "The Three Conversions of England" in 1603. It is referred to in Andrews' work linked here...
A Critical and Historical Review of Fox's Book of Martyrs by William Eusebius Andrews (1824)
https://archive.org/details/acriticalandhis00foxegoog

http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2011/02/refutation-of-historical-inaccuracies.html


==

Alexander Hislop The Two Babylons circa 1853

This has been roundly discredited, even by non-catholic scholars, due to its misrepresentations and lack of references.

online version: http://www.biblebelievers.com/babylon/00index.htm

Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Babylons


==

Loraine Boettner  Roman Catholicism  circa 1962

Online versions:
http://www.thescripturealone.com/Boettner_RomanCatholocism.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/110631125/Roman-Catholicism-Lorraine-Boettner


refutations:
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-anti-catholic-bible

refuting the "Boettner List", a listing meant to show how the Church has invented doctrines down through the years. A paper called "ROMANISM" REVISITED: A FACTUAL AND HISTORICAL REFUTATION OF THE THE "BOETTNER LIST" by Wayne A. Ariss...
http://blackieschurchmilitant-apocalypsis.blogspot.com/search/label/Boettner
or  http://www.christianforums.com/t922262/


==

Dave Hunt A Woman Rides the Beast   circa 1994

pdf online: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fknizky.mahdi.cz%2F128_Dave_Hunt____A_Woman_Rides_The_Beast_The_Roman_Catholic_Church_And_The_Last_Days.pdf&ei=O82gUuPTIIbNkAearYGwCw&usg=AFQjCNErAzIqr6926yDw7COUapKTmfv8xw&bvm=bv.57155469,d.eW0&cad=rja

Refutations: http://www.catholic.com/search/content/dave%20hunt%20a%20woman%20rides%20the%20beast

==

James McCarthy The Gospel According to Rome  1995



Refutations:
http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/a101.htm
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gospel-According-James-McCarthy/dp/1581880049

==



==


Boettner's List, as found in Roman Catholicism (Section 1 Chapter 1 Part 3):

SOME ROMAN CATHOLIC HERESIES AND INVENTIONS
and the dates of their adoption over a period of 1,650 years 
1.      Prayers for the dead: began about A.D. 300.
2.      Making the sign of the cross: A.D. 300.
3.      Wax candles: about A.D. 320.
4.      Veneration of angels and dead saints, and use of images: A.D. 375.
5.      The Mass, as a daily celebration: A.D. 394.
6.      Beginning of the exaltation of Mary, the term “Mother of God” first applied to her by
the Council of Ephesus: A.D. 431.
7.      Priests began to dress differently from laymen: A.D. 500.
8.      Extreme Unction: A.D. 526.
9.      The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I: A.D. 593.
10.  Latin language, used in prayer and worship, imposed by Gregory I: A.D. 600.
11.  Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints, and angels: about A.D. 600.
12.  Title of pope, or universal bishop, given to Boniface III by emperor Phocas: A.D. 607.
13.  Kissing the pope’s foot, began with Pope Constantine: A.D. 709.
14.  Temporal power of the popes, conferred by Pepin, king of the Franks: A.D. 750.
15.  Worship of the cross, images, and relics: authorized in A.D. 786.
16.  Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest: A.D. 850.
17.  Worship of St. Joseph: A.D. 890.
18.  College of Cardinals established: A.D. 927.
19.  Baptism of bells, instituted by pope John XIII: A.D. 965.
20.  Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV: A.D. 995.
21.  Fasting on Fridays and during Lent: A.D. 998.
22.  The Mass, developed gradually as a sacrifice, attendance made obligatory in the 11
th
century.
23.  Celibacy of the priesthood, decreed by pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand): A.D. 1079.
24.  The Rosary, mechanical praying with beads, invented by Peter the Hermit: A.D. 1090.
25.  The Inquisition, instituted by the Council of Verona: A.D. 1184.
26.  Sale of Indulgences: A.D. 1190.
27.  Transubstantiation, proclaimed by Pope Innocent III: A.D. 1215.
28.  Auricular Confession of sins to a priest instead of to God, instituted by Pope Innocent
III, in Lateran Council: A.D. 1215.
29.  Adoration of the wafer (Host), decreed by Pope Honorius III: A.D. 1220.
30.  Bible forbidden to laymen, placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Council of
Toulouse: A.D. 1229.
31.  The Scapular, invented by Simon Stock, an English monk: A.D. 1251.
32.  Cup forbidden to the people at communion by Council of Constance: A.D. 1414.
33.  Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma by the Council of Florence: A.D. 1439.
34.  The doctrine of Seven Sacraments affirmed: A.D. 1439. 
35.  The Ave Maria (part of the last half was completed 50 years later and approved by
Pope Sixtus V at the end of the 16
th
century): A.D. 1508.
36.  Jesuit order founded by Loyola: A.D. 1534.
37.  Tradition declared of equal authority with the Bible by the Council of Trent: A.D.
1545.
38.  Apocryphal books added to the Bible by the Council of Trent: A.D. 1546.
39.  Creed of pope Pius IV imposed as the official creed: A.D. 1560.
40.  Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX: A.D. 1854.
41.  Syllabus of Errors, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX and ratified by the Vatican Council;
condemned freedom of religion, conscience, speech, press, and scientific discoveries
which are disapproved by the Roman Church; asserted the pope’s temporal authority over
all civil rulers: A.D. 1864.
42.  Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, proclaimed by the Vatican
Council: A.D. 1870.
43.  Public Schools condemned by Pope Pius XI: A.D. 1930.
44.  Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death),
proclaimed by Pope Pius XII: A.D. 1950.
45.  Mary proclaimed Mother of the Church by Pope Paul VI: A.D. 1965.
Add to these many others: monks, nuns, monasteries, convents, forty days Lent, holy
week, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, All Saints day, Candlemas day, fish day, meat
days, incense, holy oil, holy palms, Christopher medals, charms, novenas, and still others.

"To Protect and To Pass On"

The Home School Legal Defense Fund has a video, "To Protect and To Pass On"... It's a good and inspiring video. And as I watched it and pondered the principals it put forth, it occurred to me that that concept is not just a good idea for a free republic, it's the prime purpose of the Church Jesus founded...to protect and pass on the Gospel message, in order to bring people into the family of God and teach them Truth, not error.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit deposited the entirety of that message in the Apostles
(Matt28:18ff, John14;26, Eph3). Those Apostles were thus entrusted and empowered to not only pass on that message, but also to protect it from those who would alter it (Gal1, 2Cor11, 1john2:18-26).  They hand-picked successors for continuing and expanding that mission, specially ordaining them to the task (Acts1, 1Peter4:14, Titus1). They, and their successors have, since Jesus ascended, protected and passed on the complete Gospel, which includes the Scriptures they authored (as attested by the early Christian writings).

Down through the ages they and the successively ordained men (bishops & presbyters) have, collectively, protected the Gospel from heretical movements such as the Judaizers (Acts), gnosticism, Sabellianism, Montanism, Nestorianism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Albigensism (Catharism), Waldensians, and others. All those movements were aberrations of the Gospel (even if they had some truths within them) and were refuted and condemned, else souls would be threatened (Gal1, 2Cor11, 1john2:18-26). It is thanks to the organized, visible leadership of Jesus' Church, bolstered by His Holy Spirit, that those egregious errors of doctrine were challenged and rejected. Without such a hierarchical leadership, moved by the Holy Spirit, those errors could not have been successfully combated and would have lead many many souls astray from the true Gospel.

That Church was, by the 2nd century, known as the "catholic" church (as attested by Ignatius of Antioch), distinguishing it from heretical movements. And, despite occasional and various episodes of bad men and bad behavior in positions of power in the hierarchy of that Church, the uncorrupted Gospel message continues to be protected and passed on to all generations (Jesus promised as much, Matt16:18). Over the ages, particularly the last several centuries, allegations have been stated that the Catholic Church killed 50 million believers or that the church persecuted scientists and suppressed the sciences, and other rumors. Yet, a little research reveals those rumors to be false.

After the Exodus out of Egypt, the first generation of Israelites failed their charge to protect and pass on God's ways to their children. Generation after generation, it was the same old story (but, thankfully, the priests and prophets did pass on God's teachings) up until the Son of God became a man. Then Jesus built His Church on the foundation of the Apostles (Eph2:20,Matt19:28,Luke22:29-30), guided by the Spirit, so that that historical error could not be repeated. The Apostles and their visibly appointed successors have protected and passed on God's salvation plan, the entire Gospel message, to their "children" (all those who will hear the message).

This is why I remain a Catholic: To know the Gospel preached by Jesus and His Apostles.

Kingdom of God = Kingdom of Heaven = the Church

The Kingdom of Heaven is often thought of as existing only in Heaven.

The reign of Jesus, seated on David's throne is often thought of as the "millennial kingdom" (1000 years, though not all followers of this idea insist that it will be a literal 1000 years) of the future, just prior to the final judgment. (This is called millennialism or millenarianism ).

The Kingdom of David was the Kingdom of Heaven (aka Kingdom of God) manifested on earth. This idea is given to us by Scripture as follows...

1&2Chronicles calls the Davidic monarchy the "kingdom of the LORD". The Davidic king sat on "the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel" (1Chronicles28:5). It was "the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David" (2Chronicles13:8). The Kingdom of God extended from Heaven down to Earth, with the king seated on David's throne. The earthly kingdom suffered exile by the Babylonians and the king's generational descendancy was interrupted (Kings, Chronicles). The Prophets of the Old Testament prophesied that an heir would take the throne and restore David's Kingdom. The Prophets' main theme was the restoration of the kingdom.

Jesus came along, proclaiming "the kingdom of heaven is at hand". The Kingdom was present, not a future development, with Jesus doing what He did: "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." (Matthew12:28). The phrases "kingdom of heaven" and "kingdom of God" are freely exchanged in usage in Matthew's Gospel, even in consecutive verses "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:23-24). In the parallel scene in Mark's Gospel "kingdom of God" is used for both instances (Mark 10:23-25).  Comparing parallel accounts in the Gospels Luke and Matthew we see "kingdom of heaven" in Matthew5:3 and "kingdom of God" in Luke 6:20.  Jesus was recognized as king of "the kingdom of our father David" (Mark11:10). So, Jesus was heir to the throne of (and now & forever rules over) the Davidic Kingdom of Heaven. (The queen of that kingdom was not a wife of the king but the king's mother. This is why Mary is, in Scriptural fact, queen of Heaven. The true one, not a false pagan one.)

The Kingdom of God (aka Kingdom of Heaven), with King Jesus enthroned over it, is here and now. It's not a future construct as an earthly reign lasting literally one thousand years. It is the restored/renewed/transformed Kingdom of David. This restoration is what the Prophets foretold. Isaiah 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. 7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!


Their main theme was that God would draw all people back to Himself. Isaiah called this message "good tidings" (which is "good news", in Old English was "godspell" which has morphed into "gospel" (in Latin is evangelium)). (The message of the Gospel, then, is that the Davidic kingdom of God is restored.) The restoration would reunite the 10 lost tribes (the Northern Kingdom) with the 2 (the Southern Kingdom), making Israel whole again. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom is here and brought the lost tribes back into the fold by drawing in the Gentiles (the lost tribes had been assimilated into the gentile peoples). He transformed the Davidic Kingdom of God into the Church which He built on the foundation of the Apostles (Eph2:20). Since the Church is rooted in the Davidic Kingdom, it bears similar characteristics: It has a descendant of David as king (Jesus). The king appoints a vicar to administer the kingdom (Old Kingdom: Isaiah22:20ff -> New Kingdom (Church): Matthew16:19). The king has a cabinet of ministers (Old Kingdom: 1&2Kings;1&2Chronicles  -> New Kingdom (Church): Luke22:29-30). The original & the restored kingdom is all twelve tribes (Old Kingdom: 2Sam5;1Kings4 -> New Kingdom (Church): Luke 6:12-16, 2:10, 2:36 ) . The kingdom is international (Old Kingdom: 1&2Kings;1&2Chronicles; Psalms -> New Kingdom (Church): Luke 2:32,13:29,24:47)

In the New Covenant, God's family=Church=Kingdom. OT refers to the people of God as the assembly (ecclesia in Greek). In the NT "ecclesia" is translated to "church". Jesus built His Church on the foundation of the Apostles and set them on "12 thrones" to judge the Kingdom. In Ephesians 3, Paul points out that God's ways are made known to us through that Church...
⁹ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; ¹⁰ so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. "
So, all revealed Truth comes to us through that Church. (This is opposed to the non-Catholics' idea that Scripture contains all revealed Truth. In fact, the Bible came from the Church, the Church does not spring forth from the Bible.)

Matthew 19:28 "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
King Jesus sat on "the throne of his glory" when He ascended (ie Ephesians 1:19ff). There can't be a king unless there's a kingdom, so the Davidic kingdom of Heaven was renewed. This verse in Matthew (paralleled in Luke) tells us that Jesus installed the Apostles to "judge" the "twelve tribes". The reunification of Israel, being a sign of the New Kingdom coming to fruition, happened with the inclusion of the gentile folks who had assimilated the 10 lost tribes. Jesus emplaced the Apostles to "judge" this kingdom ( His Church) after He ascended.

Other kingdom-prophesies:  Isaiah 9:5-6; 49:6; 55:3; Ezekiel 34:23-25,30; 37:25


The description of the Kingdom being 1000 years is figurative, not literalistic. In the culture & time & literary genre round numbers mean something besides a strict numeration. 10 means perfection. 3 means the most or the greatest. ("Holy, holy, holy is the Lord" means He is the holiest of all.) 1000 = 10x10x10. So, 1000 means the most perfect of all. The New Kingdom is the most perfect because King Jesus the God-Man is enthroned over it and His Spirit indwells the Kingdom and it's inhabitants.



References:

Kingdom and Church in Luke-Acts,
From Davidic Christology to Kingdom Ecclesiology:
http://www.salvationhistory.com/documents/scripture/KingdomChurchInLukeActs.pdf

Catechism of the Catholic Church:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a3p3.htm#541

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, aka Lumen Gentium:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html

'He Must Reign': The Kingdom of God in Scripture  :
http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/he_must_reign_the_kingdom_of_god_in_scripture

Malcolm Smith, a Lutheran Bishop, did a series on Revelation. I read the transcripts of all the tapes and, though he's not Catholic, he does a great job breaking down that hard-to-get book. He posits that the 1000 year reign is symbolic and began with Jesus on earth. I can't find the link where I found the transcripts, but his ministry sells the audio... I think it's a worthy investment:
http://malcolmsmith.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1449



Some verses mentioning the kingdom or throne:

Psalm 132

11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. 12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

Isaiah 6
1 IN the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Isaiah 9
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 16
5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

Isaiah 66

1 THUS saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Jeremiah 317 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

Jeremiah 17

24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.

Jeremiah 22

2 And say, Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.

Jeremiah 29

16 Know that thus saith the Lord of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

Hebrews 1, note verse 3:
...when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Eucharist?: Luke14:15 "Blessed ishe that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God."

 http://www.yorww.com/reign.html

The kingdom of God is more than a warm fuzzy feeling, it is also a tangible corporeal reality. Way back, it was manifested on earth as the Davidic kingdom of Israel (1&2Chronicles). During the Babylonian Exile, the Prophets prophesied "good tidings" (aka good news, aka god-spell, aka gospel) that the Davidic Kingdom of God would be restored (Isaiah52). The main thrust of the Gospel Jesus preached is that the Kingdom is restored and we have a King!. Jesus preached the Kingdom is here with His presence & activity (ie Matt12:28). Jesus is King because He is descended from King David. That's His credentials. He now reigns over the Davidic kingdom of God, enthroned in Heaven, but before He ascended He installed the Apostles to lead/teach/guard His kingdom on earth (Matt19:28; Luke22:30). Their successors have lead/taught/guarded Christians ever since then, they are the bishops of the Catholic Church.

More notes on my research into references to the throne of David and the throne of God. They show that David's throne IS the Lord's throne and that the restored kingdom of Israel (aka kingdom of God, Kingdom of the LORD, kingdom of David, kingdom of Heaven), the "millennial" kingdom, is HERE and NOW, King Jesus being enthroned in Heaven and His kingdom on earth shepherded by duly appointed men...
The Church is the restored/renewed Davidic kingdom of God (aka kingdom of Heaven, aka kingdom of Israel), see Samuels, Kings, Chronicles, Psalms, Gospels. The Kingdom was split in two by civil war in the 700's BC, and there was no sitting king from 500-ish BC on. The OT prophets foretold the return of a rightful heir to the throne and as such, the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. non-Catholic Christians believe this restored kingdom is yet in the future, the "millenial" kingdom of literal 1000 years. However, Scripture shows that Jesus effectively restored the Kingdom in His life and death and resurrection and enthronement in Heaven. "Gospel" is the modern English derivative of the older English "God spell", meaning good news or glad tidings, or good tidings.

Isaiah says that when we see the blind see and the lame walk, our God reigns, which means the Kingdom would be restored, since, logically, where the king is, there is his kingdom. Jesus healed the sick and lame and blind and restored the kingdom of Israel by calling the gentiles (into whom 10 tribes of Israel were assimilated) to join His kingdom, which He called His Church.

Micah 4 & 5 describes the Kingdom of Israel restored and including all people, not just Israelites.
Jesus' ministry, His Gospel, is themed primarily on the restoration/renewal of David's kingdom of God (The first words of Jesus' public ministry are "repent, the kingdom of God [or heaven] is at hand". Jesus called the restored kingdom of God His Church (Matt16).

Micah 4 describes the Kingdom of Israel restored and including all people, not just Israelites.

"throne" in OT, the throne of the king of Israel is the throne over the kingdom of God/heaven/LORD... synonymous terms:
    - throne of David
    - throne of Israel
    - his throne (the human king)
    - throne of the kingdom of the LORD, 1Chron28:5
    - throne of the LORD, 1Chron29:23
    - throne of thy kingdom (Solomon's, aka Israel)
    - the throne of king of Israel is God's throne... 2 Chronicles 9:8   "Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God"
    - the throne of Israel is apparently the earthly expression of the heavenly throne, the human king ruling the earthly sided of the Kingdom of God... Psalms 11:4   "The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven"
    - the "throne" in Psalms often refers to the Heavenly throne, and often to the earthly throne
    - Psalms 122:5   "For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David"  These are positions of authority in the Kingdom occupied by men of the king's choosing, the ministers of the Kingdom. King Jesus set the Apostles on these thrones, Luke 22:30 "That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel"
    - Isaiah 9:7 "...there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom..."
    - Isaiah 14:13  "...I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God..."
    - Isaiah 66:1   "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool..."
    - Jeremiah mentions throne of David
    - Jeremiah 33:17 shows that there will ALWAYS be a descendant to rule the kingdom of Israel. (This is affected in King Jesus, ruling over the New Kingdom of Israel, the Church. The restored kingdom cannot be present-day political nation of Israel, as there is not king there...) "For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel"
    - Jeremiah 49:38   "And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD. "  Don't know what this means... must read the whole pericope to find out...
    - David's throne is the LORD's throne... Lamentations 5:19   "Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation."
    -   Ezekiel 43:7   "And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places."
    - Zechariah 6:13 ... king of Israel's throne?  look it up
    - Matthew 25:31 ... Jesus will sit on the throne in Heaven
    - Luke 1:32,33 "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." ... This tells us that the kingdom of Israel is presently being ruled over by king Jesus. We infer from this and the fact that Davidic Kingdom of God ("Israel"), has been restored and Jesus is on His throne in Heaven ruling it. Couple this with the fact that the Apostles (and by extension, their successors) were appointed by King Jesus to rule the earthly side of this kingdom of God. Modern day nation of Israel is not the restored kingdom. The true Kingdom of God is the "New Israel" as Paul calls it, the Christian Church.
    - Luke 22:30   "That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. " ... Jesus emplaced the Apostles with His authority to lead/teach/guard/discipline the kingdom on earth. Parallels Matt 19:28
    - Acts 2:30   ... Jesus sits on David's throne.
    - Hebrews 1:8   "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom"  ... The throne which Jesus sits on is David's throne as evidenced by Acts2:30 and Luke1:32, AND it is God's throne, as expressed by this verse and others.  [this verse also shows that Jesus is God, BTW, so JW's must ignore this verse of interpret wrongly].
    - Hebrews 12:2 "...set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
    - Revelation 3:21   "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." ... Since we are "little Christs", Christians, we have a share in all that He is: were have Sanctifying grace within us, we are priests (non-ministerial) and can go directly to God and we can offer sacrifices to Him, and this verse shows we hav a share in His kingship. And as Paul says "we shall judge angels" (judge means "rule" (?) ).
   - Revelation mentions the throne 37 times


KJV search site:  http://www.kjvbible.net/

Pain & Suffering

Physical/emotional suffering can, and should, be offered up to God as a sacrifice. This can help us grow spiritually. That's why God doesn't always heal us. He doesn't cause suffering, but He does use it to ultimately glorify us, grow us in spirit, making us a little more like Him. That's why we should never despair in our suffering, but have joy despite it, even if not happiness. (Consider that God used the greatest effect of Sin, death, to accomplish the salvation of everyone who accepts Jesus' sacrifice.)

All Christians are priests in the new covenant (called the general priesthood to differentiate from the ministerial priesthood) and as such can offer personal sacrifices to God...
1Peter2:

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

We are directed by Paul to offer up ourselves (this would include the painful imperfections of our fallen human nature) as a sacrifice to God...
Romans 12:
1 I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Such sacrifice helps our growth in sanctity...
2Cor 4:
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Our sufferings, united to Jesus' passion, living it out in our lives, can contribute to our sanctification (which is continuous as long as we live on this earth)... we can even offer up our sufferings for others...
Colossians 1:
²⁴ I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.

Jesus was perfected through suffering [need more study on this one]... so if our sufferings are united to His, through faith, we also can gain benefits from sufferings...
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,


Not just our suffering, but our worship and our good works and our fellowship, are offered up as a sacrifice...
Hebrews 13:

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The sacrificial sufferings of others can serve as models for our own spiritual journeys. We are all saints, but some are entitled Saint so we know who can serve as a holy role-model for ourselves.
1Cor 11:
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1Thess1:

6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

Anti-Catholic Lies & Bias in the Media

This is an on-going compilation of Media lies or bias or just omissions of fact, such as the generally higher rates of sexual offences in non-Catholic (secular or religious) organizations. (Not to justify the Catholic abuses, just to put in perspective the magnitude of the scandal).


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http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100202781/catholic-bashers-have-embellished-the-truth-about-abuse-in-catholic-institutions-its-time-to-put-the-record-straight/

Catholic-bashers have embellished the truth about abuse in Catholic institutions. It's time to put the record straight ...

By Brendan O'Neill Religion Last updated: February 14th, 2013
493 Comments Comment on this article

The publication last week of the Irish government's McAleese Report on the Magdalene laundries has proved kind of awkward for Catholic-bashers. For if McAleese's thorough, 1,000-page study is to be believed, then it would appear that those laundries were not as evil and foul as they had been depicted over the past decade. Specifically the image of the laundries promoted by the popular, much-lauded film The Magdalene Sisters – which showed them as places where women were stripped, slapped, sexually abused and more – has been called into question by McAleese. This has led even The Irish Times, which never turns down an opportunity to wring its hands over Catholic wickedness, to say: "There is no escaping the fact that the [McAleese] report jars with popular perceptions."
In the Irish mind, and in the minds of everyone else who has seen or read one of the many films, plays and books about the Magdalene laundries, these were horrific institutions brimming with violence and overseen by sadistic, pervy nuns. Yet the McAleese Report found not a single incident of sexual abuse by a nun in a Magdalene laundry. Not one. Also, the vast majority of its interviewees said they were never physically punished in the laundries. As one woman said, "It has shocked me to read in papers that we were beat and our heads shaved and that we were badly treated by the nuns… I was not touched by any nun and I never saw anyone touched." The small number of cases of corporal punishment reported to McAleese consisted of the kind of thing that happened in many normal schools in the 1960s, 70s and 80s: being caned on the legs or rapped on the knuckles. The authors of the McAleese Report, having like the rest of us imbibed the popular image of the Magdalene laundries as nun-run concentration camps, seem to have been taken aback by "the number of women who spoke positively about the nuns".
And yet, despite the fact that the McAleese Report has utterly exploded the popular view of these laundries, some are wondering out loud if it was nonetheless legitimate and good to have produced so many embellished stories about evil nuns in recent years, as a way of highlighting the broader culture of abuse in the Catholic Church. As The Irish Times ponders: "Are factual inaccuracies in movies justified by role in highlighting issues?" The Times cites campaigners for justice who believe that "the role such [movies and books] played in highlighting the issue justified any artistic embellishment". A playwright told the paper that even if these portrayals of laundry life were exaggerated, they "served an important function at the time" – that is, to raise awareness about the problem of abuse in Catholic life more broadly.
This sounds dangerously like a Noble Lie defence – the idea that it is okay to make things up, to spread fibs, if one is doing it in the service of some greater good. The idea of the "good lie", the lie which helps open people's eyes to the existence of wickedness, should be anathema to anyone who cares about getting history right and establishing the truth. Yet there seem to be many in Ireland who believe that telling "good lies" about the extent of abuse in Catholic institutions is an okay thing to do since it might prove cathartic for a nation allegedly in denial about its dark past.
This isn't the first time that observers or artists have massively embellished the alleged evilness of the modern Catholic Church. In September 2010, The Independent casually reported that in America "over 10,000 children have come forward to say they were raped [by Catholic priests]". This wasn't true. For the period 1950 to 2002, 10,667 Americans have made allegations of sexual abuse against priests but the majority do not concern rape – they include other foul things, from verbal abuse through to fondling. When the Irish government published its Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse in 2009, newspaper headlines declared "Thousands were raped in Irish reform schools" or "Thousands raped in Ireland's Christian Brothers schools". But actually, the commission heard allegations of 68 rapes, not thousands. That is a horrific number as it is; why embellish it?
Anyone who points out that reports and depictions of abuse in Catholic institutions have been overblown risks being denounced as an abuse apologist or a sinister whitewasher. When I pointed out a couple of years ago that The Independent was wrong to say 10,000 children were raped by American priests, I was accused by one humanist magazine of being "pedantic". So it's pedantic to point out that there is a difference between being verbally abused by a priest and raped by one? These days, anyone who insists on getting the facts straight about Catholic institutions is accused of being a pedant, someone annoyingly and peskily committed to historical accuracy rather than to the grander goal of making the Catholic Church appear as rotten and warped as possible, regardless of the facts. Yet those of us, even atheists like me, who are genuinely interested in truth and justice should definitely be concerned that films and news reports may have left the public with the mistaken belief that women in Magdalene laundries were stripped and beaten and that thousands of Irish and American children were raped by priests.
Catholic-bashers frequently accuse the Catholic religion of promoting a childish narrative of good and evil that is immune to factual evidence. Yet they do precisely the same, in the service of their fashionable and irrational new religion of anti-Catholicism.

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There are only a few credible accusations of priests molesting minors in any given year. That'd be just a fractional percentage of the number of priests. Meanwhile, in other organizations, groups, etc there is a much higher ratio of perverted behavior by adults in positions of authority which go largely unreported by these same media outlets.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/1403/continuing_double_standards.aspx


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Divorce rate of Catholics are lower than any other group... not exactly the subject matter of this blog entry, but interesting anyway... (interestingly, Catholic couples who practice NFP have an extremely low (a few percent I think) divorce rate... I'll have to find that study and post it here...)

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/catholics-continue-to-have-lowest-divorce-rates-report-finds/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+catholicnewsagency%2Fdailynews+%28CNA+Daily+News%29&utm_term=daily+news

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Teachers unions oppose a bill that would ban convicted sex offenders form schools.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/23/teachers-unions-fight-bill-that-would-bar-sex-offenders-from-schools/

Conversely, Catholic dioceses years ago began to do thorough background investigations on anyone, cleric or layman, who would be in positions working directly with children. For example, Arlington Diocese commissions the same investigation as folks get who work in government Top Secret environments. Nothing goes unfound in those investigations and they cost thousands of dollars ($10K or more).

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The idea that Religion causes most violence is refuted...

http://carm.org/religion-cause-war

Now, in terms of the allegations that the Catholic Church brutally slew many millions of people, you'll find an obvious lack of those numbers showing up in this study. It's not that it's a biased study in that regard (it's a non-Catholic organization), it's just a fact that the Church did not slay many millions of people.

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Media Predictably Goes Silent As Catholic Abuse Allegations Fall To Lowest Levels

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/dave-pierre/2014/04/01/media-predictably-goes-silent-catholic-abuse-allegations-fall-lowest-le

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Sex Abuse Scandal Rocks Public Schools (while being unreported) while in the Catholic Realm in recent years an average of 7 credible allegations are made, among 40,000 priests. (the "plague" of Catholic clergy sexual abuse are repeats of the abuse statistics of the 60's - 80's. since then steps have been taken and the abuse rate is way down)...
http://www.catholicleague.org/sex-abuse-scandal-rocks-public-schools/

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Old facts re-presented and implied to be a new discovery and spun to be evidence of Catholic clerical abuse ...
http://www.harvestingthefruit.com/the-stench-of-an-irish-rat/


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