Essential
2018-07-03
Ben talks more about his journey to Catholicism and defends Catholic beliefs. Matt brings the questions and the zingers.
The Assumption of Mary is when Mary ascended to heaven.
4:35
The pope declared 2013 to be a Year of Faith and reflection of Vatican II.
Isn't faith kind of a perennial thing?
5:33
Ben and his fellow catechumens will enter the Catholic church the day before Easter.
What word did you say?
Catechumens.
And that means?
People who are being catechized.
Right. And that is not the same as circumcision, correct?
6:02
How come you still haven't invited me to mass?
You're invited.
Can we go on a Saturday so I don't have to miss real church?
9:24
Do the priests like to read from James epecially, really to stick it to Martin Luther?
Transubstantiation doesn't mean that the bread and wine physically become Jesus' body and blood. In "accidence" it's bread and wine, in "essence" it's Jesus' body and blood.
12:47
Cannibals would be sorely disappointed if they walked into a Catholic mass.
John 6:54 ESV Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Nobody got upset when Jesus said, "I am the Door". They took this literally.
Jesus said it's different than manna. How is it different?
Ben says you don't stop being a Christian if you stop taking Eucharist, but you can't be a good Christian and not take it.
Most Catholics believe that Protestants are Christians.
Catholics and most Protestants believe that Baptism is how we enter God's family, how God confers grace on us. Evangelicals believe it's a public profession of faith.
The Philippian jailer was saved then baptized with his whole family. Either he had children that were baptized, or they would have been baptized in this situation if he had had children.
The Exodus was a form of baptism (1 Cor. 10:2), and adults and children went through.
29:40
Dr. Hewitt, a Presbyterian professor Matt and Ben both had, changed Ben's mind on infant baptism, which was the first step toward him becoming Catholic.
So why was infant baptism this first step. Like why was that almost the straw that broke the camel's back?
It led me into other things--
It was like the gateway drug for Catholics.
It's the marijuana of Catholicism.
Ben shifted from believing in ordinances to sacraments. He came to believe in the importance of liturgy, which led him to Evangelical Is Not Enough by Thomas Howard. That eventually led to the church fathers (which were obvious Catholics), which led to the Catholic Catechism.
Until the 1960s, Protestants were against birth control. Catholics still don't believe you should separate sex and procreation.
Catholics believe the Holy Spirit guides the church in doctrine, so not every belief needs a Bible verse to back it up.
Matt reads the story of Onan. Is this an argument against birth control?
44:53
It's All Saints Day.
So saying a few prayers to my favorite saint, Augustine.
Hey! You have his picture up on your desktop.
I do. How did you know that?
Kinda weird, huh?
It is a little weird.
I haven't actually been to your place since you put that up, have I? But you did say I could stay in your treehouse anytime I wanted.
I'm really, really weirded out.
So anyways--
Wait wait wait, how do you know about that?
Let's move on.
Catholics believe the "cloud of witnesses" from Hebrews 12 are literally watching us.
Paul says the church is united in Christ, so we can talk to them. You don't pray to a saint like you pray to Jesus; it's like asking for a prayer request.
Mary is a picture of the church. God made her perfect.
The rosary is supposed to slow you down and make you contemplate.
57:12
Ryan Strelau asks again about praying to saints. He wonders if there are Catholics that are confused about the topic, since the Catholics he's talked to didn't seem to understand it the way Ben does.
You find just about any issue, you'll find plenty of Catholics confused about it.
Why do think Catholics are so confused in general?
The Catholic Catechism says that all who die in friendship with Christ will be made perfect before going to heaven. That's purgatory.
The common views of purgatory are not official Catholic doctrine.
As long as you agree that there is purifying after death before heaven, you basically agree with the official Catholic position.
Ben does think we should pray for people in purgatory. It's a timeless place.
Priests can't get married: it's a discipline, not doctrine.
Some priests are married (converted from other denominations).
Paul said he wishes everyone were single like him.
There's not a place for Protestants that are called to celibacy. It seems to be looked down on.