One-Minute Apologist: Essential Catholic Replies to over Sixty Common Protestant Claims
If you're looking for solid Catholic answers to common Protestant challenges, but don't have lots of time, then reach for The One-Minute Apologist. Here renowned Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong (author of A Biblical Defense of Catholicism and The Catholic Verses) has assembled over sixty of the claims and arguments that Protestants (of all stripes) most frequently level against the Church. Drawing on a lifetime of study - in Scripture, history, and the works of Catholic and Protestant...
Search in google:
If you're looking for solid Catholic answers to common Protestant challenges, but don't have lots of time, then reach for The One-Minute Apologist. Here renowned Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong (author of A Biblical Defense of Catholicism and The Catholic Verses) has assembled over sixty of the claims and arguments that Protestants (of all stripes) most frequently level against the Church. Drawing on a lifetime of study - in Scripture, history, and the works of Catholic and Protestant theologians - he delivers the essential Catholic replies to each claim, packaged for you in a compact and uniquely usable format.And since he's a convert from Evangelicalism, Armstrong presents these anti-Catholic claims with an insider's accuracy - using the special terms, references, and follow-up arguments that you're mostly likely to hear in real-world encounters - and responds to them in a way Protestants can understand and appreciate.The One-Minute Apologist is concise, but never superficial. It cites or quotes more than a thousand Scripture verses, along with the words of scores of saints and scholars - including many respected Protestant sources. Packing centuries of learning and wisdom into just a few tightly structured pages, The One-Minute Apologist decisively refutes common Protestant claims such as: "The Bible is the only infallible source of theological truth." "Peter is not the 'rock' to which Jesus referred." "Celibacy for priests is unnatural and unbiblical." "The Catholic Mass is an abomination." "True Christians cannot fall away from salvation." "Mary had other children besides Jesus." "Indulgences allow Catholics to 'indulge' in sin." "Venerating the saints is a form ofidolatry." "The Catholic ban on contraception has no scriptural basis." And over 50 other pervasive Protestant objections to Catholic docrine and practice! More accessible than thick theological tomes, more substantial than tracts, and better organized than other "quick answer" books, The One-Minute Apologist is the one source you'll find yourself turning to whenever you have the need to defend the Catholic Faith quickly, credibly, and well.
Introduction xiiiCommon Protestant claims aboutScriptureThe Bible is the only infallible source of theological truth 4The Bible is clear, or "perspicuous," in all its broad teachings about salvation 6The Catholic Church added illegitimate books to the Bible 8We can know which books belong in the Bible simply by reading them 10Catholics are taught not to read the Bible for themselves 12The ChurchThe notion of bishops and a hierarchical Church is unbiblical 16The Church is the invisible sum total of all true believers 18Catholicism is a half-pagan religion, blending non-Christian beliefs and practices with the gospel 20Miracles and the supernatural gifts ceased after the death of the Apostles 22The Catholic Church believes it can damn people to hell by excommunication 24The Church can contain only the holy and saved 26Denominationalism is not condemned in Scripture 28The Galileo incident proves that the Catholic Church isn't infallible 30The PapacyThe Bible doesn't teach that the Church had one leader 34Jesus did not make Peter the leader of the Apostles 36Peter himself is not the "rock" to which Jesus referred 38Paulrebuked Peter 40How can a mere man be infallible? 42The case of Pope Honorius proves that popes are not infallible 44The PriesthoodThe Bible says we're all priests 48Celibacy for priests is both unnatural and unbiblical 50The Catholic Church's male-only priesthood is sexist 52The SacramentsThe thief on the cross proves that sacraments are unnecessary 56Holy Communion was meant to be a symbolic rite only 58The Catholic Mass is an abomination in the sight of God 60The Catholic Mass is a form of idolatry 62It is wrong for Catholics not to allow everyone to receive Holy Communion 64Baptism is merely a symbolic rite 66Infants cannot be baptized because they're not able to choose Jesus 68The Catholic Church teaches that a baby who dies unbaptized will go to hell 70Confession to a priest is an unbiblical concept 72SalvationWorks play no part whatsoever in salvation 76The Catholic system of "merit" is no different from works-salvation 78True Christian believers cannot fall away from salvation 80Justification is external and imputed, not internal or "infused" 82There is no difference between "mortal" and "venial" sins 84Original sin is not taught in the Bible 86Eternal hellfire is not taught in the Bible 88The Church teaches that all non-Catholics will go to hell 90The Bible says nothing of a third state besides heaven and hell 92Our sufferings have nothing to do with those of Jesus 94Theology of GodGod is not three-in-one, as in the irrational doctrine of the Trinity 98The Holy Spirit is neither a person nor God 100God could not have become a man 102Jesus had to grow into the understanding that He was God 104Mary and the SaintsMary was not sinless throughout her whole life 108Mary had other children besides Jesus 110Calling Mary the "Mother of God" makes her greater than God 112Mary could not have been "assumed" into heaven 114Calling Mary the "Mediatrix" of graces makes her equal to Jesus 116There's no reason for Christians to pray for the dead 118Praying to saints is wrong 120"Venerating" the saints through statues or icons is idolatry 122Other TopicsIndulgences are a way for Catholics to buy salvation and "indulge" themselves in sin 126Formal ritual worship is opposed to a vibrant spiritual life 128The Rosary is "vain repetition" 130Crucifixes prove that Catholics believe Jesus is not yet glorified in heaven 132Catholic "sacramentals" and relics are unbiblical magic 134Marriage is not absolutely indissoluble 136"Annulments" are just the Catholic rationalization for divorce 138The Catholic ban on contraception is an arbitrary, unbiblical restriction 140Dave Armstrong 143
