OTHCC Chapter 6: items 101

The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic Church < > All Chapters

{101}      Down

The fact that many countries now make it against the law to injure someone because of a religious difference means that

a.   deep down, everyone now has the same religious beliefs and practices.
b.   no one can force you to believe the truths of the Catholic faith.
c.   there is no 'right answer.' It's all a matter of opinion.

Down

{102}      Down       Up

Heresies (ideas that clearly conflict with what the Catholic Church solemnly teaches)

a.   can exist, and do matter.
b.   can exist, but don't matter.
c.   can't exist, and don't matter.

Down Up

{103}      Down       Up

Suppose everyone who has ever lived has, all along, been completely controlled by an all-powerful (but very nice) Being. All along, the all-powerful (and very nice) Being has been making sure that, in reality, we all think and do the exact same thing - the right thing.

Thus, even when it seems to us that some people are doing and thinking the opposite of what some other people are thinking and doing (for instance, burning St. Joan of Arc at the stake rather than proclaiming her a saint), that isn't really true.

The very nice Being controlling everything makes sure that we are all really moving in one direction - the right one. A world like that would be a world in which sin, and heresies,

a.   can exist, and do matter.
b.   can exist, but don't matter.
c.   can't exist, and don't matter.

Down Up

{104}      Down       Up

The imaginary world of the previous question is a world of

a.   freedom.
b.   niceness.
c.   slavery.

Down Up

{105}      Down       Up

When we look at the world of the previous questions, we can see that a world in which heresies can't exist and don't matter must be a world of

a.   freedom.
b.   niceness.
c.   slavery.

Down Up

{106}      Down       Up

When the bishops of the Catholic Church in union with the Pope teach us that heresies can exist, and do matter, they are also defending the truth that our world is a world of real (and terrifying)

a.   freedom.
b.   niceness.
c.   slavery.

Down Up

{107} Down Up

For you to be truly free, your decisions have to matter. You must have the ability to move in the wrong direction, not just the right one.

Obviously that means that both sin, and heresies - the ultimate in wrong directions - can exist, that you can really move toward them, and that it does matter if you move toward them. <<

Down Up

{108}      Down       Up

The obvious fact that, throughout history, people have had many different opinions about religion means that

a.   God does not exist.
b.   no religious ideas are correct.
c.   people have different opinions.

Down Up

{109}      Down       Up

Centuries ago, many people sincerely thought that the earth was flat. Their sincerity

a.   does not necessarily prove that the earth is actually flat.
b.   means that it doesn't matter whether the earth is actually flat.
c.   means that, when people sincerely thought the earth was flat, it was.

Down Up

{110}      Down       Up

Marcion sincerely thought that the Old Testament does not belong in the Bible. This means that

a.   absolutely anything we think or do will move us toward Christ, as long as we are sincere.
b.   Marcion and his followers were moving toward Christ when they thought and taught that.
c.   sincerity can not be the final judge of whether a thought or action will lead us closer to Christ.

Down Up

{111}      Down       Up

''God is controlling man like a puppet, so that, whatever man thinks, whatever he does, he always moves in one direction - the right one.'' This statement is

a.   a solemn teaching of the Catholic Church.
b.   logical, if you assume that heresies don't matter.
c.   too horrible to think about, so it can't be true.

Down Up

{112} Down Up

Because God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, does not control us like puppets, we do have the ability to move toward anti-''special'' places, where our union with Christ is less and less. We also have the ability to move toward very special places, where our union with Christ is more and more. <<

Down Up

{113}      Down       Up

''Christ is everywhere'' means that

a.   Christ is equally available to us in every single situation and in every single idea.
b.   in this life, there is no place we can go, from which Christ can not call us to him.
c.   whatever we think or do, Christ will not allow us to turn away from him.

Down Up

{114}      Down       Up

The Catholic Church teaches that

a.   an all-loving God prevents each man from truly turning away from Christ.
b.   as each year passes, mankind inevitably moves just a little closer to Christ.
c.   each man has the ability to move closer to Christ, or farther away from him.

Down Up

{115}      Down       Up

Someone comes up to you and tells you that he believes in God. [Remember, we think ''he'' is necessarily a male human being only if the context tells us so. Since the context doesn't tell us that, then ''he'' is a generic human being.] He also says that he ''doesn't believe in all that religion stuff.'' So, he does believe in God, but he ''doesn't believe in all that religion stuff.'' Taking for granted that we will always treat him with respect and courtesy, his words still remind us that

a.   absolutely everything in an idea has to be in direct conflict with what the Catholic Church professes in order for the idea to be a heresy.
b.   if something in an idea is determined by the Catholic Church to be in direct conflict with what the Catholic Church professes, it is a heresy.
c.   what matters is whether the most important idea is faithful to the Church's teachings, not whether some particular point contradicts the faith.

Down Up

{116}      Down       Up

If sincere people have ideas about the Bible that contradict what the Church teaches, that truly

a.   does move them closer to Christ.
b.   does not move them closer to Christ.
c.   prevents Christ from saving them.

Down Up

{117}      Down       Up

The Church teaches [CCC 846] that, if you are a person who understands that union with the Catholic Church is necessary for union with Christ (salvation), and you then turn your back on the Catholic Church, then

a.   Christ in his infinite mercy will send the Holy Spirit to keep you close to him regardless.
b.   the saints will pray so fervently that you will be forced to turn back to the Church.
c.   you really do have freedom and you really will get your wish - you will not be saved.

Down Up

{118}      Down       Up

The Church teaches [CCC 847] that if, through no fault of your own, you do not know Christ and the Catholic Church who is his Body, then

a.   you are going to hell, no matter what you do.
b.   you can be saved, if you try to do God's will.
c.   you will be saved, whatever you do.

Down Up

{119}      Down       Up

When someone teaches or believes an idea that directly contradicts the teaching of the Catholic Church, then

a.   there is a chance he could be correct.
b.   we know that he is going to Hell.
c.   what happens to him can be known only by God.

Down Up

{120} Up

So, if someone who understands what he's doing rejects the sacraments and the truths of the Catholic faith, that would be very, very bad for him, but if a basically good person through no fault of his own does not know Christ and his Church, then that would be OK for him. Given this, wouldn't it be fine if Catholics did not try to teach others about the full truth of Christ and his Church, and just left everybody alone?

The short answers are, don't underestimate man, don't overestimate him, and anyway, Jesus himself told us to preach the gospel to all nations.

Don't underestimate your fellow man - there are plenty of people sincerely searching for the Catholic Church. There actually are people who have heard it all - all religions are alike, all religions are bogus, etc. - and now they want the truth. They have the right to have their questions answered - by you, if necessary - and their searching rewarded. >>

Up < > All Chapters