Presenting 300 biblical evidences that favor Catholicism
1. The Best: I am convinced that the Catholic Church adheres much more closely to all of the biblical data, offers the only coherent view of the history of Christianity (i.e., Christian and Apostolic Tradition), and possesses the most profound and sublime Christian morality, spirituality, social ethics, and philosophy.
2. Alternate reason: I am a Catholic because I sincerely believe that, by virtue of so much cumulative evidence, Catholicism is true, and that the Catholic Church is the visible Church divinely established by Jesus, against which the powers of hell shall not prevail (Mt 16:18), and that it therefore possesses an authority to which, as a Christian duty, I am bound to submit.
3. Second alternate: I left Protestantism because it was seriously deficient in its interpretation of the Bible (e.g., “sola fide” and many other “Catholic” doctrines — see the evidences below), inconsistently selective in its various notions of Catholic Traditions (e.g., the Canon of the Bible); it was inadequate in its ecclesiology, it lacked a sensible view of Christian history (e.g., “sola Scriptura”), with its moral relativism (e.g., regarding contraception and divorce), and it was unbiblically schismatic, anarchical, and relativistic. I do not believe that Protestantism is all that bad; rather, these are some of the main defects that I eventually came to see as fatal to the “theory” of Protestantism, in comparison with Catholicism. Every Catholic ought to regard all baptized, Nicene, Chalcedonian Protestants as Christians.
4. Catholicism is not formally divided or sectarian (Jn 17:20-23; Rom 16:17; 1 Cor 1:10-13).
5. Catholic unity makes Christianity and Jesus credible to the world (Jn 17:23).
6. Because of its thoroughly Christian and supernatural outlook, Catholicism mitigates secularization and humanism.
7. Catholicism avoids the unbiblical individualism that weakens Christian community (see 1 Cor 12:25-26).
8. Catholicism avoids theological relativism by means of dogmatic certainty and the centrality of the papacy.
9. Catholicism avoids ecclesiastical anarchy — one simply cannot hop from one denomination to another when some disciplinary measure or censure is carried out.
10. Catholicism formally (though, sadly, not always in practice) prevents the theological relativism that leads to uncertainty among the laity within the Protestant system
11. Catholicism rejects the “State Church,” which has led governments to dominate Christianity instead of the other way around.
12. Protestant State Churches greatly influenced the beginnings of nationalism, which came to mitigate universal equality and Christian universalism (i.e., Catholicism)
13. United Catholic Christendom (before the 16th century) had not been overrun by the tragic religious wars, which in turn led to the “Enlightenment,” in which men rejected the hypocrisy of the wars waged within Christianity and decided to be indifferent to religion rather than allow it to guide their lives.
14. Catholicism retains the elements of (religious) mystery, the supernatural, and the sacred within Christianity; it thereby sets itself against secularism, in which the religious sphere in everyone’s life is greatly restricted.
15. Protestant individualism led to Christianity becoming a private affair. Because of this, Christianity receives very little respect in both social and political life, leaving the “public square” devoid of Christian influence.
16. The false secular dichotomy of “church versus the world” has led orthodox Christians everywhere to withdraw from the political sphere, leaving a vacuum that is filled by pagan, cynical, unscrupulous, power-hungry people. Catholicism offers a framework for addressing the state with civic responsibility.
17. Protestantism leans too heavily on traditions of men (each denomination stems from the vision of a founder. As soon as two or more of these contradict one another, error is necessarily present).
18. Protestant churches, especially evangelical ones, are frequently guilty of placing their pastors too high. In effect, each pastor becomes a “pope,” even to certain degrees (some are “super-popes”). Because of this, evangelical congregations very often experience a crisis or split when the pastor leaves, which proves that their philosophy is man-centered rather than God-centered.
19. Given its lack of true authority and dogmatic structure, Protestantism is tragically vulnerable to the spirit of the age and to whatever is fashionable in moral matters.
20. Catholicism retains apostolic succession, which is necessary in order to know what the true apostolic Christian Tradition is. Apostolic succession was the criterion for knowing Christian truth that was used by the early Christians.
21. Many Protestants have a very limited view of Christian history in general, especially of the years from 313 (the conversion of Constantine) to 1517 (the arrival of Martin Luther). This ignorance of, and hostility toward, Catholic Tradition leads to theological relativism, anti-Catholicism, and a constant and unnecessary process of “reinventing history.”
22. From its very birth, Protestantism was anti-Catholic, and it still is today (especially evangelicalism). Obviously this is neither right nor biblical if Catholicism is indeed Christian (for if it is not — logically — neither is Protestantism, which inherited from Catholicism the bulk of its theology). The Catholic Church, on the other hand, is not anti-Protestant.
23. The Catholic Church accepts the authority of the great Ecumenical Councils (see, for example, Acts 15) which defined and developed Christian doctrine (much of which Protestantism also accepts).
24. Most Protestants do not have bishops, a Christian office which is biblical (1 Tim 3:1-2) and which has existed from the very beginning of Christian history and Tradition.
25. Protestantism has no way of settling doctrinal matters definitively. The best that can be done is for the individual Protestant merely to count up how many Protestant scholars, commentators, etc., take this or that position on doctrine X, Y, or Z. There is no unified Protestant tradition among them
26. Protestantism appeared in 1517; in the history of Christianity it is a latecomer, and therefore it cannot be any “restoration” of “pure” and “primitive” Christianity, since this is ruled out by the fact that it is absurdly late in its appearance. Christianity must have historical continuity, or else it is not Christianity. Protestantism, historically and doctrinally speaking, is a “parasite” of Catholicism.
27. The Protestant idea of the “invisible church” is likewise a novelty in the history of Christianity and foreign to the Bible (Mt 5:14; 16:18); therefore, this idea is false.
28. When Protestant theologians refer to early Christianity (as when they refute the “sects”), they say “the Church taught…” (since back then it was unified), but when they refer to the present time, they instinctively and inconsistently avoid such terminology, since the universal authority to teach doctrine resides only in the Catholic Church.
29. The Protestant norm of private interpretation has created a social environment in which, as a rule, man-centered “sects” such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Christian Science have appeared. The very idea that one can “start” a church is at its core a Protestant idea.
30. The lack of a definitive Christian teaching authority (such as the Magisterium of the Catholic Church) in Protestantism leads many individual Protestants to think that they have an “open line of communication” with God, without caring about the whole Christian Tradition and history of biblical exegesis (a “the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and me” mentality). Such people are theologically ill-educated, unable to learn, lacking in humility, and have no grounds whatsoever for making presumed “infallible” declarations about the nature of Christianity.
31. The “evangelization techniques” of evangelicalism are frequently contrived maneuvers and manipulations; truly, these “techniques” are not derived from the Bible. Some, to a certain degree, look like brainwashing.
32. The gospel preached by many evangelical and Protestant ministers is a mutilated and abbreviated one; it is individualistic, pleasing to the ear. It is, in effect, mere “fire insurance” rather than the biblical Gospel proclaimed by the Apostles.
33. Evangelicalism frequently severs deep, transforming repentance and radical discipleship from its Gospel message.
34. The absence in Protestantism of the idea of submission to spiritual authority has been seeping into the civic sphere, where the ideas of personal “liberty,” “rights,” and “choices” now predominate to such a degree that civic duty, community life, and discipline have been neglected with tragic carelessness, to the detriment of a healthy society.
35. Catholicism maintains the sense of the sacred, the sublime, the holy, and the beautiful in spirituality. The ideas of the altar and of “sacred spaces” have been preserved. Many Protestant churches are no more than buildings structured like “meeting halls,” “gymnasiums,” or “barns.” Most Protestant homes are more aesthetically appealing than their own churches. Likewise, Protestants are frequently “addicted to mediocrity” in their appreciation of art, music, architecture, drama, imagination, etc.
36. Protestantism has greatly neglected the place of liturgy in worship (with clear exceptions in Anglicanism and Lutheranism). This is the way Christians have worshiped through the centuries, and therefore it cannot easily be ignored.
37. Protestantism tends to set matter and spirit in opposition, favoring the latter: in this, it is somewhat gnostic or docetic.
38. Catholicism upholds the principle of the Incarnation, whereby Jesus takes on flesh and raises flesh and matter to new spiritual horizons.
39. Protestantism greatly limits, or does not believe in, sacramentalism, which is simply the extension of the principle of the Incarnation and the belief that matter can convey grace. Some sects (such as the Baptists and many Pentecostals) reject all the sacraments.
40. Protestants’ excessive distrust of the flesh (“carnality”) frequently leads (in evangelicalism or fundamentalisms) to an absurd legalism (prohibition of dancing, drinking, playing cards, “rock” music, etc.)
41. Many Protestants tend to divide life into categories: the “spiritual” and the “carnal,” as if God were not Lord of everything in which there is life. They forget that all endeavors that are not sinful are, in the end, spiritual.
42. Protestantism has removed the Eucharist from the center and focus of Christian worship services. Some Protestants observe the Eucharist every month or every three months. This goes against the Tradition of the early Church.
43. Most Protestants regard the Eucharist as a symbol. This is contrary to universal Christian Tradition up to the year 1517, and to the Bible (Mt 26:26-8; Jn 6:47-63; 1 Cor 10:14-22; 11:23-30), which have taught the Real Presence (this is another example of the antipathy toward matter).
44. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism has tacitly ceased to regard marriage as a sacrament (Mt 19:4-5; 1 Cor 7:14,39; Eph 5:25-33).
45. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism has abolished the priesthood (Mt 18:18) and the sacrament of ordination (Acts 6:6; 14:22; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6).
46. Catholicism maintains the Pauline teaching of the spiritual efficacy of a celibate clergy (see Mt 19:12, 1 Cor 7:8,27,32-3).
47. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism has rejected the sacrament of confirmation (Acts 8:18, Heb 6:2-4).
48. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, many Protestants have denied the baptism of infants and children (Acts 2:38-9; 16:15,33; 18:8; compare with 11:14; 1 Cor 1:16; Col 2:11-12). Protestantism is divided into five camps on the question of Baptism.
49. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, the great majority of Protestants deny baptismal regeneration (see Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 6:11; Titus 3:5).
50. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestants have rejected the sacrament of the anointing of the sick (Extreme Unction or “last rites”) (see Mk 6:13; 1 Cor 12:9,30; Jas 5:14-15).
51. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism denies the indissolubility of sacramental marriage and permits divorce (Gen 2:24; Mal 2:14-16; Mt 5:32; 19:6,9; Mk 10:11-12; Lk 16:18; Rom 7:2-3; 1 Cor 7:10-14,39).
52. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism does not believe that procreation is the primary purpose and benefit of marriage (it forms no part of Protestant vows as it does in Catholic marriage vows) (Gen 1:28; 28:3, Psalm 107:38; 127:3-5).
53. Protestantism approves of contraception in defiance of universal Christian Tradition (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) up until 1930 — when the Anglicans began to permit it — and in doing so, it also defies the Bible (Gen 38:8-10; 41:52; Ex 23:25-6; Lev 26:9; Dt 7:14; Ruth 4:13; Lk 1:24-5). Today, only Catholicism upholds the ancient Tradition against the “contraceptive” mentality.
54. Contrary to universal Christian Tradition until recently (sometime around the year 1930), and contrary to the Bible, Protestantism, chiefly its liberals, has accepted abortion as a moral option. (See Ex 20:13; Job 31:15; Psalm 139:13-16; Is 44:2; 49:5; Jer 1:5; 2:34; Lk 1:15,41; Rom 13:9-10).
55. Protestantism (especially the liberal denominations) permits female clergy (in Anglicanism they allow women bishops), which is contrary to Christian Tradition (including traditional Protestant theology) and contrary to the Bible (Mt 10:1-4; 1 Tim 2:11-15; 3:1-12; Titus 1:6).
56. More and more, Protestantism is formally and officially committing itself to the radical feminism that denies the places of man and woman that the Bible gives them (Gen 2:18-23; 1 Cor 11:3-10) and that have been upheld by Christian Tradition (with different roles but the same dignity)
57. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism is also denying, with ever-increasing frequency, the headship of the husband in marriage, which is based on the Trinity (see 1 Cor 11:3; Eph 5:22-33; Col 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-2). This is also based on a relationship of equality (1 Cor 11:11-12; Gal 3:28; Eph 5:21).
58. Liberal Protestantism (chiefly among the Anglicans) has ordained active homosexuals as pastors and has blessed their “marriages”; it has taught that homosexuality is merely an “alternative” and involuntary lifestyle. This is contrary to universal Christian Tradition as taught by the Bible (Gen 19:4-25; Rom 1:18-27; 1 Cor 6:9). Catholicism maintains a firm traditional morality.
59. Liberal Protestantism and evangelicalism have, more and more, accepted the methods of “higher criticism” in the interpretation of the Bible, which has undermined the traditional Christian reverence for Scripture and lowered it to the level of a human, fallible document, to the detriment of its divine and infallible essence.
60. Many liberal Protestants have discarded many fundamental doctrines of Christianity, such as the Incarnation, the bodily Resurrection of Christ, the Trinity, Original Sin, hell, the existence of the devil, miracles, etc.
61. Formerly, the founders of Protestantism denied (and today the Calvinists deny) the reality of human free will (Luther’s favorite book was his own work entitled The Bondage of the Will). This is contrary to the constant teaching of the Bible, of Christian Tradition, and of common sense.
62. Classical Protestantism has a deficient view of the fall of man (Original Sin), believing that the result was “total depravity.” According to Luther, Zwingli and Calvin, human beings could only do evil and had no freedom of will to do good, and thus man now has a “sin nature.” Catholicism, on the other hand, believes that, in a mysterious way, human beings cooperate with the grace of God, which is what always precedes every good action. In Catholicism, man’s nature still retains much that is good, although he is prone to sin (“concupiscence”).
63. Classical Protestantism, especially Calvinism, makes God the author of evil. According to this, God supposedly leads man to do evil and to violate His precepts without man having the freedom to avoid it. This is blasphemous and turns God into a demon.
64. In keeping with the foregoing (man has no free will), in classical Protestantism, and in Calvinist teaching, God predestines man to be damned in hell, without man being able to do anything about it, whether good or evil.
65. Classical Protestantism, and Calvinism, falsely teaches that Jesus died only for the elect (those who are going to heaven).
66. Given its false notion of Original Sin, classical Protestantism (especially Luther), and Calvinism, deny the efficacy and capacity of human reason to know God even to a certain degree (both sides agree that revelation and grace are also necessary), and hold that reason is opposed to God and to faith; this is contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible (Mk 12:28; Lk 10:27; Jn 20:24-9; Acts 1:3; 17:2,17,22-34; 19:8). Today the best Protestant apologists simply draw upon the Catholic heritage of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and many other great thinkers.
67. Pentecostal or charismatic Protestantism places a great emphasis on religious experience without adequately balancing it with reason, the Bible, and Tradition (including the authority of the Church to pronounce on the validity of “private revelations”)
68. Other Protestants (many Baptists, for example) deny that the spiritual gifts are present today (they supposedly ceased with the Apostles).
69. Protestantism has contradictory ideas of what church government, or ecclesiology, is (episcopal, presbyterian, congregational, or no authority at all); hence discipline, unity, and order are impossible. Some sects go so far as to claim that they have “apostles” or “prophets” among them, with all the abuses of authority that result from this.
70. Protestantism (esp. evangelicalism) has an inordinate fascination with “the end of the world,” and this has led to the creation of unbiblical chronologies predicting that end (Mt 24:30-44; 25:13; Lk 12:39-40), also creating much human tragedy among those who believe and cling to such false prophecies.
71. Evangelicalism’s great emphasis on the “imminent” end of the world has very often created a mentality of carelessness, which has proved harmful to social, political, ethical, and economic sensibilities here on earth.
72. Protestant thought has the characteristic of being “dichotomous,” that is, it separates ideas into more or less exclusive and mutually hostile camps, when, in fact, many of these bifurcations are complementary rather than contradictory. Protestantism adopts “either this or that,” whereas Catholicism takes “both this and that.” Several examples follow:
73. Protestantism sets the Word (Bible, preaching) against the sacraments.
74. Protestantism accepts interior devotion and stands against the Liturgy.
75. Protestantism opposes spontaneous worship to formulated prayers.
76. Protestantism separates the Bible from the Church.
77. Protestantism creates a false dichotomy of Bible versus Tradition.
78. Protestantism sets Tradition against the Holy Spirit.
79. Protestantism regards church authority and freedom of conscience as contradictory.
80. Protestantism (esp. Luther) sets the Old Testament against the New Testament even though Jesus Himself never did this (Mt 5:17-19; Mk 7:8-11; Lk 24:27,44; Jn 5:45-47).
81. On these same grounds, which are not biblical, Protestantism opposes law to grace.
82. Protestantism creates a false separation between symbolism and sacramental reality (e.g., Baptism, Eucharist).
83. Protestantism separates the individual from the Christian community. (1 Cor 12:14-27).
84. Protestantism confuses the veneration of the saints with the adoration of God. Catholic theology does not permit the adoration of the saints in any form, since adoration is directed to God alone. The saints are honored, but they are not adored; only God the Creator is to be adored.
85. The ahistorical outlook of many Protestants leads many people to think that the Holy Spirit is speaking to them, when, in fact, He had been speaking to the multitudes of Christians for 1500 years before Protestantism began.
86. Flaws in the original Protestant ideologies have led, in reaction, to even worse errors. For example, extrinsic justification, devised to ensure the predominance of grace, went so far as to forbid any outward sign of its presence (“faith versus works,” “sola fide”). Calvinism, with its cruel god, disillusioned men to the point that they became Unitarians. Many founders of sects of recent origin began as Calvinists (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, etc.).
87. Evangelicalism is unscripturally obsessed (typically in the North American fashion) with celebrities (televangelists).
88. Evangelicalism is obsessed with the false idea that great numbers in a congregation (or rapid growth) are a sign of God’s presence in a special way, as if it were His exceptional blessing. They forget that Mormonism is also growing by leaps and bounds. God calls us to faithfulness rather than to “success”; to obedience and not to statistics.
89. Evangelicalism frequently stresses growth in numbers rather than the individual’s growth in faith.
90. Evangelicalism, at present, is obsessed with self-sufficiency, self-help, and, frequently, an outright selfishness, in place of the traditional preaching on Christian sacrifice, suffering, and service.
91. Evangelicalism has a truncated and insufficient view of the place suffering holds in the Christian life. Instead, movements like “health and wealth” and “name it and claim it” are flourishing within Pentecostal Protestantism, with an outlook on possessions that is in harmony with neither the Bible nor Christian Tradition.
92. Evangelicalism has adopted a worldly perspective that is, in many ways, more capitalist than Christian. Wealth and personal achievement are sought more than holiness, and are regarded as proof of God’s favor, as with the Puritans and the secularized thinking that is set above the teachings of the Bible and Christianity.
93. Evangelicalism is increasingly tolerating extreme leftist positions that are not in accord with the Christian vision, especially in its seminaries and schools.
94. Evangelicalism is increasingly tolerating theological heterodoxy and liberalism, to such a degree that many evangelical leaders have become alarmed, and this portends a decline of orthodox standards.
95. “Positive confession” groups within Pentecostal evangelicalism have adopted an idea of God as a “cosmic grab-bag” at the disposal of the frivolous whims and desires of the moment. This denies God’s absolute sovereignty and His freedom not to heed improper prayers (Jas 4:3; 1 Jn 5:14).
96. The above-mentioned sects frequently teach that anyone with enough “faith” can be healed, but this is contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible (as, for example, St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”[1][1], which is regarded by many Protestant commentators as an illness).
97. Evangelicalism, by its own self-criticisms, is terribly infected with pragmatism, the false philosophical idea that “whatever works is true or right.” The Gospel, especially on television, is sold in the same way that McDonald’s hamburgers are sold: fast and in the comfort of your home. Technology, mass marketing, and public relations skills have largely replaced personal, pastoral care for the marginalized, the irreligious, and those estranged from the Church.
98. In evangelicalism, sin is very frequently regarded as a psychological failure or a lack of self-esteem, instead of being regarded as what it truly is: a willful rebellion against God
99. Protestantism, in all its essential elements, simply “borrows” doctrines from Catholic Tradition or, likewise, distorts them. All the doctrines that both Catholics and Protestants believe are clearly of Catholic origin (Trinity, Virgin Birth, Resurrection, Second Coming, Canon of the Bible, heaven, hell, etc.) Those in which Protestantism differs are usually distortions of their Catholic predecessors; for example, Quakerism is a variation of Catholic Pietism. Calvinism is an obsession with the Catholic doctrine of the sovereignty of God, but taken beyond what Catholicism has taught (denial of free will, total depravity, double predestination, etc.) The Protestant dichotomies, such as faith versus works, stem from nominalism, which was itself a corrupt form of Scholasticism that was never dogmatically approved by the Catholic Church. Whatever substance or truth is present in any Protestant idea is always derived from Catholicism, which is the fulfillment of the deepest and best aspirations within Protestantism.
100. One of the fundamental pillars of Protestantism is sola Scriptura — Scripture alone, which is neither biblical (see below), nor historical (since it did not exist before the 16th century), nor logical.
101. The Bible does not contain all of the teaching of Jesus, or of Christianity, as many Protestants believe (Mk 4:33; 6:34; Lk 24:15-16,25-27; Jn 16:12; 20:30; 21:25; Acts 1:2-3).
102. Sola Scriptura is an abuse of the Bible, since it is a use of the Bible that is contrary to its own testimony, whether implicit or explicit, and it is also an abuse against Tradition. An objective reading of the Bible leads one to Tradition and to the Catholic Church, rather than the opposite. The Bible, in fact, is in itself an undeniable Christian Tradition.
103. The NT was at first neither written nor received as the Bible; rather, this happened gradually (the first Christians could not have believed in sola Scriptura as Protestantism does, unless they were referring only to the OT).
104. Tradition is not a dirty word in the Bible. The Greek word paradosis refers to something that is handed down from one person to another (whether good or bad). Good (Christian) Tradition is spoken of in 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 2:15, 3:6, and in Col 2:8. In this last passage it is contrasted with the traditions of men.
105. Christian Tradition, according to the Bible, can be oral or written (2 Thess 2:15; 2 Tim 1:13-14; 2:2). St. Paul makes no qualitative distinction between the two forms.
106. The phrases “Word of God” or “Word of the Lord” in Acts and the epistles almost always refer to oral preaching, not to the Bible itself. Much of the Bible was originally oral (e.g., all of Christ’s teaching — for He wrote nothing — St. Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, etc.)
107. Contrary to many Protestant claims, Jesus did not condemn all traditions, nor did St. Paul. It is in Mt 15:3,6; Mk 7:8-9,13, that the Lord condemns only the corrupt tradition of the Pharisees.
108. The Greek word paradidomi, or “delivering” the Apostolic Tradition, occurs in Lk 1:1-2; Rom 6:17; 1 Cor 11:23; 15:3; 2 Peter 2:21; Jude 3. Paralambano, or “receiving” the Christian Tradition, occurs in 1 Cor 15:1-2; Gal. 1:9,12; 1 Thess 2:13.
109. The concepts of “Tradition,” “Gospel,” “Word of God,” “doctrine,” and “the Faith” are essentially synonymous, and all are predominantly oral. For example, in the epistles to the Thessalonians St. Paul uses three of these concepts interchangeably (2 Thess 2:15; 3:6; 1 Thess 2:9,13 (cf. Gal 1:9; Acts 8:14). If Tradition is a dirty word, then so are “gospel” and “word of God”!
110. In 1 Tim 3:15, St. Paul places the Church above the Bible as the foundation of truth, just as is done in Catholicism.
111. Protestantism’s chief “proof text” for sola Scriptura, 2 Tim 3:16, fails since it says that the Bible is profitable, but not sufficient, for learning or justification. Catholicism agrees that the Bible is admirable for these purposes, but not in an exclusive way, as in Protestantism. Moreover, when St. Paul speaks here of “Scripture,” the NT did not yet exist (it would not exist for more than 300 more years), so he was referring only to the OT. This would mean that the NT was not necessary as the sole rule of faith — if sola Scriptura is true and if it was supposedly alluded to in this verse!
112. The above 11 factors being true, Catholicism maintains that all of its Tradition is consistent with the Bible, even where the Bible is silent or where a subject is merely implicit in it. For Catholicism, not every doctrine has to be found primarily in the Bible, for that is the Protestant position of sola Scriptura. On the other hand, most Catholic theologians declare that all Catholic doctrines can be found, in some form, in the Bible, whether in seed form or by derivation.
113. As evangelical scholars have pointed out, an extreme position on the doctrine of sola Scriptura can turn into “bibliolatry”; a worship of the Bible in place of God, who is its Author. This mentality is akin to the Muslim view of Revelation, where no human element whatsoever was involved. Sola Scriptura, rightly understood from a more sophisticated Protestant perspective, means that the Bible is the final authority in Christianity, and not the record of everything God has said and done, as many evangelicals believe.
114. Christianity is inevitably and intrinsically historical. All the events of Jesus (Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, etc.) are historical, together with the preaching of the Apostles — Tradition, then, is inevitable, contrary to the numerous Protestant claims that sola Scriptura annihilates Tradition. This is true for great matters (ecclesiology, trinitarianism, justification) and small matters (such as church funds, the type of music in the Liturgy, the length of sermons, etc.) Every denial of a particular tradition involves a deviation (whether hidden or open) toward one’s own alternative tradition (for example, if all church authority is despised, even individualistic autonomy or “tradition” has to be defended, in some way, as a Christian perspective).
115. Sola Scriptura, literally, cannot be true since, practically speaking, most Christians throughout history could not have had a copy of the Bible, for the printing press did not exist until the 15th century. Preaching and oral Tradition, together with other things such as devotional practices, holy days, architecture, and sacred art, were the principal transmitters of the Gospel for 1400 years. In all those centuries, sola Scriptura would have been regarded as an abstract absurdity and an impossibility.
116. Protestantism says that the Catholic Church has “added to the Bible.” The Catholic Church responds that she has only drawn out the implications of the Bible (development of doctrine), and that she has followed the understanding of the early Church, and she says that Protestantism has “suppressed” large portions of the Bible that suggest Catholic positions. Each side thinks the other is unbiblical, but in different ways.
117. Sola Scriptura is the “Achilles’ heel” of Protestantism. As long as multiple interpretations exist, sola Scriptura does not solve the problem of authority and certainty. If the Bible were so clear and explicit, to the degree that all Protestants agreed upon reading it with a disposition to accept and follow its teachings, that would be one thing; since this is not the case (the multiplicity of denominations proves it), sola Scriptura is only a dream. What Protestants do agree on is that Catholicism is wrong! Of all the Protestant doctrines, the “perspicuity” of the Bible is surely the most absurd and demonstrably false by the historical record.
118. To view the foregoing another way: having a Bible does not make one’s interpretation infallible. Interpretation is as inevitable as tradition. The Catholic Church, therefore, is absolutely necessary in order to speak authoritatively and to prevent confusion, error, and division.
119. Catholicism does not regard the Bible as obscure, mysterious, or inaccessible; rather, it stands watchful to protect it from all arbitrary and aberrant exegesis (2 Peter 1:20, 3:16). The best Protestant traditions seek the same thing, but they are inadequate and inefficient, since they are fragmented among themselves.
120. Protestantism has a great problem with the Canon of the NT. The process of determining the exact books that constitute the NT lasted until the year 397 A.D., when the Council of Carthage pronounced infallibly; the Bible is not “self-authenticating,” as Protestantism believes. Some sincere, devout, and learned Christians doubted the canonicity of some books that we have in the Bible today. Other people regarded other books as Scripture, but these were not included in the Canon. St. Athanasius, in the year 367, was the first to enumerate all 27 books of the NT as Scripture.
121. The Council of Carthage, in deciding the Canon of the whole Bible in the year 397, included the so-called “apocryphal” books, which Protestants removed from the Bible. Before the 16th century, Christians regarded those books as Scripture, and they were not even separated from the other books, as they are today in some Protestant Bibles that include them. Protestantism accepts the authority of this Council for the NT but does not accept it for the OT. It is the same way in which it arbitrarily or selectively accepts or denies other conciliar decrees.
122. Contrary to the Protestant and anti-Catholic myth, the Catholic Church has always held the Bible in high esteem, and has suppressed nothing from it (she protested against certain Protestant translations, but Protestants have at times done the same with Catholic versions). This is proven by the laborious care of the monks who protected and copied the manuscripts, and also by the constant translated versions in vernacular tongues (in opposition to the falsehoods about there being only Latin Bibles), among other indisputable historical evidences. The Bible is a Catholic Book, and no matter how much Protestants study it and proclaim it peculiarly their own, they have to acknowledge that it is the Catholic Church they should thank for having decided the Canon and for having preserved the Bible intact for 1400 years. How can the Catholic Church be “against the Bible,” as many anti-Catholics say, while at the same time preserving and honoring it for so many years? The very thought is absurd, as well as self-refuting. If Catholicism is really so wicked, as anti-Catholics would have us believe, Protestantism ought to form its own bible instead of using the one that the Catholic Church has handed down.
123. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism denies the Sacrifice of the Mass (Gen 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Is 66:18,21; Mal 1:11; Heb 7:24-5; 13:10; Rev 5:1-10/cf. 8:3; 13:8). Catholicism, it must be stressed, does not believe that Jesus is sacrificed again at each Mass; rather, each Mass is a re-presentation of the one Sacrifice on Calvary, which transcends time and space, as in Rev 13:8.
124. Protestantism does not believe in the development of doctrine, which is contrary to Christian Tradition and to many implicit indications in the Bible. Whenever the Bible refers to increasing knowledge and to the maturing of individual Christians, an idea akin to development is present there. Furthermore, many doctrines develop in the Bible before our very eyes (“progressive revelation”). Some examples are the afterlife, the Trinity, the acceptance of the Gentiles, etc. Doctrines that Protestantism accepts wholesale from Catholicism, such as the Trinity and the Canon of the Bible, developed over the course of the history of the first three centuries of Christianity. It is naive to try to deny this. The Church is the “Body” of Christ; it is a living organism that grows and develops like every living body. The Church is not a statue that has to be cleaned from time to time, as many Protestants seem to think.
125. Protestantism separates justification from sanctification, which is contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible (Mt 5:20; 7:20-24; Rom 2:7-13; 1 Cor 6:11; 1 Peter 1:2).
126. Protestantism opposes faith to works (sola fide), but this is a rejection of Christian Tradition and of the explicit teaching of the Bible (Mt 25:31-46; Lk 18:18-25; Jn 6:27-9; Gal 5:6; Eph 2:8-10; Phil 2:12-13; 3:10-14; 1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:11; Heb 5:9; Jas 1:21-7; 2:14-16). These texts also indicate that salvation is a process and not, as in Protestantism, an instantaneous event.
127. Protestantism rejects the Christian Tradition and biblical teaching of the merit, or reward, of our good works carried out through faith (Mt 16:27; Rom 2:6; 1 Cor 3:8-9; 1 Peter 1:17; Rev 22:12).
128. The Protestant doctrine of extrinsic, imputed, or exterior justification contradicts Christian Tradition and the biblical doctrine of infused, actual, interior, and transforming justification (which includes sanctification): Psalm 51:2-10; 103:12; Jn 1:29; Rom 5:19; 2 Cor 5:17; Heb 1:3; 1 Jn 1:7-9.
129. Many Protestants (especially Presbyterians, Calvinists, and Baptists) believe in the security of salvation, or the perseverance of the saints (the belief that one cannot lose one’s “salvation,” supposedly obtained at a specific moment). This is contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible: 1 Cor 9:27; Gal 4:9; 5:1,4; Col 1:22-3; 1 Tim 1:19-20; 4:1; 5:15; Heb 3:12-14; 6:4-6; 10:26,29,39; 12:14-15; 2 Peter 2:15,20-21; Rev 2:4-5.
130. Contrary to the Protestant and anti-Catholic myth, the Catholic Church does not teach that one is saved by works apart from preceding grace; rather, she teaches that works are inseparable, as in James chapters 1 and 2. This heresy of which the Catholic Church is frequently accused was condemned at the Second Council of Orange in the year 529 A.D. The heresy is known as Pelagianism, which teaches that man can save himself by means of his natural efforts, without the necessary supernatural grace of God. A more moderate doctrine is Semipelagianism, which was also condemned. To go on accusing the Catholic Church of this heresy is a sign of unfairness and a manifest ignorance of theology, as well as ignorance of the clear teaching of the Council of Trent (1545-63), which is within everyone’s reach to be studied. Nevertheless, the myth still strangely persists.
131. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, Protestantism has almost eliminated the practice of confession to a priest (or at least to a minister or pastor) — see Mt 16:19; 18:18; Jn 20:23.
132. Protestantism does not believe in penance, or temporal punishment for sin already forgiven, and this is contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible (see, for example, Num 14:19-23; 2 Sam 12:13-14; 1 Cor 11:27-32; Heb 12:6-8).
133. Protestantism has a very limited concept of the mortification of the flesh, or of suffering with Christ: Mt 10:38; 16:24: Rom 8:13,17; 1 Cor 12:24-6; Phil 3:10; 1 Peter 4:1,13.
134. In the same way, Protestantism has lost the doctrine of the redemptive suffering of Christians with Christ for the good of all: Ex 32:30-32; Num 16:43-8; 25:6-13; 2 Cor 4:10; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6.
135. Protestantism has rejected the doctrine of purgatory as a consequence of its false perspective on justification and penance, and it does so despite the abundant evidence found in Scripture: Is 4:4; 6:5-7; Mic 7:8-9; Mal 3:1-4; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45; Mt 5:25-6; 12:32; Lk 16:19-31 (cf. Eph 4:8-10; 1 Peter 3:19-20); 1 Cor 3:11-15; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 21:27.
136. Protestantism has rejected (mainly because of misunderstandings) the Catholic doctrine of indulgences, which is, simply, the remission that the Church offers (supported by Mt 16:19; 18:18, and Jn 20:23) of the temporal penalties of sin (penance). This is no different from what St. Paul did regarding a brother who had erred in the Church of Corinth. St. Paul first imposed a penance on him (1 Cor 5:3-5), and later remitted part of that penance (an indulgence) in 2 Cor 2:6-11. Just because certain abuses occurred before the Protestant Revolt (admitted and corrected by the Catholic Church) is no reason to get rid of a doctrine that is biblical. But it is typical of Protestantism to “burn down the house instead of cleaning it”; to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
137. In opposition to Christian Tradition and the Bible, Protestantism denies prayers for the dead (see Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45; 1 Cor 15:29; 2 Tim 1:16-18; these are verses that also have to do with purgatory, since those prayers are for the saints who are there).
138. Protestantism, without biblical basis, rejects the intercession made for us by the saints who are in heaven and the corresponding invocation of the saints for their effective prayers (Jas 5:16). Christian Tradition and the Bible, on the other hand, have maintained this practice: the saints in heaven are aware of affairs here on earth (Mt 22:30, and compare with Lk 15:10 and 1 Cor 15:29; Heb 12:1), they appear on earth and interact with man (1 Sam 28:12-15; Mt 17:1-3, 27:50-53; Rev 11:3), and, therefore, they can intercede for us and we can ask them for their prayers in the same way that we do with Christians here on earth (2 Maccabees 15:14; Rev 5:8; 6:9-10).
139. Some Protestants, despite Christian Tradition and the Bible, do not believe in Guardian Angels (Psalm 34:7; 91:11; Mt 18:10; Acts 12:15; Heb 1:14).
140. Contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible, many Protestants deny that angels can intercede for us (Rev 1:4; 5:8; 8:3-4).
141. Despite developed Christian Tradition and indications in the Bible, Protestantism rejects the Immaculate Conception of Mary; see Gen 3:15; Lk 1:28 (the words “full of grace” are interpreted by Catholics, on linguistic grounds, as “without sin”; the Ark of the Covenant is seen as a prefiguration, or type, of Mary (see Lk 1:35 and compare with Ex 40:34-8; Lk 1:44 w/ 2 Sam 6:14-16; Lk 1:43 compare with 2 Sam 6:9: the presence of God requires an extraordinary holiness).
142. Despite developed Christian Tradition and indications in the Bible, Protestantism rejects the Assumption of Mary: if Mary was indeed without sin, she would not have to pass through the putrefaction of death (Psalm 16:10; Gen 3:19). Similar events in the Bible make the Assumption neither improbable nor “unbiblical” (as, for example, with Enoch: see Gen 5:24, compare with Heb 11:5; with Elijah: 2 Kings 2:11; with Paul: 2 Cor 12:2-4; compare with the Protestant doctrine of the “Rapture,” 1 Thess 4:15-17, and the risen saints: Mt 27:52-3).
143. Many (almost all?) Protestants deny the perpetual virginity of Mary, despite Christian Tradition (including the unanimous acceptance of the Protestant founders such as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.) Some biblical evidences support this doctrine, and some Protestants accept it, but this is too deep to treat briefly here.
144. Protestantism denies the Spiritual Motherhood of Mary toward Christians, which is contrary to Christian Tradition and to the Bible (Jn 19:26-7: “Behold, your mother!”; in Rev 12:1,5,17 Christians are described as her “seed”). Catholics believe that Mary is incomparably more alive than we are, and, therefore, her prayers for us are very effective (Jas 5:16; Rev 5:8; 6:9-10). But, in our condition as creatures made by the Creator, Mary is our sister. She never operates apart from the necessary graces from her Son, and she never glorifies herself but her Son, just as Catholic theology stresses.
145. Protestantism rejects the papacy, despite profound Christian Tradition and the strong evidence the Bible presents concerning the preeminence of Peter and Jesus’ commissioning of him as the Rock of His Church. No one denies that Peter was, in some way, a leader among the Apostles. The papacy, as we know it, is derived from this primacy: the following texts, Mt 16:18-19; Lk 22:31-2; Jn 21:15-17, are the most direct “papal” texts. Peter’s name appears first in all the lists of the apostles; even an angel implies that he is the leader of the Apostles (Mk 16:7), and he is accepted as such (Acts 2:37-8,41). Peter works the first miracle of the age of the Church (Acts 3:6-8), pronounces the first anathema (Acts 5:2-11), raises the dead (Acts 9:40), is the first to receive the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-48), and his name is mentioned more than that of all the other disciples put together (191 times). Much similar evidence can be found in the Bible.
146. From the beginning, the Church of Rome and the Popes were crucial to the governance and to the theological direction and orthodoxy of the Christian Church. This is undeniable. All the historical groups today regarded as heretical by both Protestants and Catholics were originally judged as such by Popes and/or Ecumenical Councils presided over and ratified by the Popes.
147. In its desperation to piece together some kind of historical continuity apart from the Catholic Church, Protestantism at times strains to claim a lineage from the medieval sects such as the Waldensians, Cathars, and Albigensians (and sometimes from earlier groups such as the Montanists or Donatists). However, this effort is doomed to fail when one studies in depth what those sects believed. They held much Catholic teaching, anathema to Protestants, or they held heretical ideas antithetical to all of Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox), or both, making this Protestant theory quite dubious.
148. The Catholic Church has the most sophisticated and careful Christian socio-economic and political philosophy; a mixture of “progressive” and “conservative” elements distinct from the common political and Machiavellian rhetoric that typically dominates the political arena. Catholicism has the best vision of the Church in relation to the State, as well as to culture.
149. Catholicism has the best Christian philosophy and worldview, formed through centuries of reflection and experience. As with its theological reflection and development, the Catholic Church is ineffably wise and profound and, to a certain degree, truly marvelous and indicative of the sure divine seal. Just before I converted to Catholicism, I used to marvel at how the Catholic Church could be so right about so many things. I was accustomed to thinking, like a good evangelical, that the truth is always a mixture (selected by me) of ideas proceeding from many Protestant denominations as well as from Catholicism and Orthodoxy, but that, at the same time, none of them had the complete truth. But, surprise! The Catholic Church, after all, does have that complete Truth.
150. Last, but not least, Catholicism has the most sublime spirituality and devotional vigor, manifested in thousands of different forms; from the monastic ideal, to the heroic celibacy of the clergy and of religious men and women; Catholic hospitals; the pristine holiness of a Thomas à Kempis or a St. Ignatius with their great devotional books; countless saints — both canonized and unknown; a Mother Teresa, a John Paul II, or a Pope John XXIII; the early martyrs; a St. Francis of Assisi; the events at Lourdes and Fatima; the lively intellect and wisdom of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, of St. John of the Cross; the holy courage of a Chesterton or a Muggeridge; elderly women and men, young people, adults making the Way of the Cross or praying the Rosary, attending the Holy Hour, and… — the list could go on and on. This devotional spirit is inimitable in its scope and depth, despite very good counterparts in Protestant and Orthodox spirituality.
Author: Dave Armstrong
Translated from Morelos, Coahuila, Mexico (2002)
Copyright 1992 by Dave Armstrong. All rights reserved.
