Ever feel like you need to get something off your chest, and if you don’t you’ll go absolutely bonkers? I’m in a debatable mood right now, so I want to just go through a few things here to express some thoughts that I need to get off my chest about our Church and her position in society. If you are a devout Catholic, you will not be surprised by anything you read here, so you might as well go check your sport’s scores or update your Facebook. If you aren’t a Catholic or are but not practicing, pick something out of here and let me know how wrong I am, or ask me to clarify. I love those who oppose the Catholic Church, but I desperately want to get rid of all the lies that people fall into. I don’t hate anybody, but I certainly do disagree with falsehoods and deceit. I hope everyone who might read this will understand that I am attacking lies and propaganda, and not people.

1. Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses have set up this belief that they are the original church Christ created, which then fell away, and is back together again after nearly 1900 years. Does anybody see a problem with this? Why not just come out and say that Jesus was so incredibly stupid and short-sighted to pick the apostles he did, and entrust them with the Church He established.
2. Same goes for Protestants who continually persecute the Catholic Church with all their hate-mongering sermons, books, and propaganda. So, again, Jesus was wrong, and it took a sinful priest who wanted to marry a nun to fall away from the Church and recreate the Bible? He removed entire books from Holy Scripture. He is to be trusted over Jesus? Martin Luther was right in his indignation over the fraudulent practices of some bishops and priests who sold indulgences. But instead of trying to reform, he threw the baby out with the bath water. We call this the Protestant Reformation, but what was reformed? Nothing!
3. The Protestant Revolt is more like it, because whole new religions sprung up everywhere with all types of different beliefs. These aren’t reformed churches, they’re new and dissimilar churches. It is incredible that people somehow think that the Catholic Church is incapable of having bad seeds within it. Do you not recall that all but one of the disciples were absent at Jesus’ crucifixion? Judas betrayed, Peter denied, Thomas doubted. All scattered at Jesus’ death. Sounds like sinners within the very first ranks of Jesus’ Church, which is no surprise. So why would anyone be surprised when hearing about corrupt priests, bishops, nuns, and so forth?
4. Every non-Catholic I speak to, it would seem, tells me that we need to ignore history and the Church Fathers. Why is this? Simply because the Church fathers
   throughout the first centuries paint a church very much like the Catholic Church today (in fact, the comparison is identical). They speak of all the sacraments, traditions, and creeds. Protestants cannot have this history known because all of Protestantism collapses. The two very sweet Jehovah’s Witnesses who visit me regularly tell me that we cannot trust ancient writings, but only scripture. Yet, in their Watchtower magazine, ancient writings are quoted all the time if they seem to be supporting some belief by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hypocrisy? Absolutely.
5. I am believe I am very patient, and I encourage all to be patient, with those who persecute us. They are children of God and are deeply loved. Protestants are true believers and worthy of all the gifts of our Blessed Lord, but I feel so despaired at times because how can they love God so much if their hearts are filled with hatred for us? If you are Catholic you must love! And, because I want to elevate Protestants to that same love, I challenge them to love Catholics without any barriers put up by pastors, Christian writers, propagandists, and others.
6. Ignorance is the Catholic Church’s greatest enemy. People fall for the lies set forward by propagandists and haters. No, the Church does not worship anybody but God. No, we do not carry our Bibles with us to Church, but you will find more scripture at any Mass than most Protestant agenda-driven services (I use to be Baptist and would sit through hours of quotes and writings by other Christians and philosophers, yet only one or two versus of scripture).
7. The Bible does not teach “Bible alone”. But it does teach “tradition”. So stop telling Catholics they are wrong because they don’t get all information from scripture, but also from tradition. Could you imagine any government or family set up without tradition? Read Paul’s writings. He wants followers to hold to “traditions” and what he had “spoken” to them. Jesus wrote nothing but handed down traditions. The apostles established a network of churches holding to what they “spoke” of regarding the Crucified Christ, and held them accountable to holding to these traditions.
8. “Faith alone” is not scriptural, but in fact is the opposite. James 2:24 reads, “You see a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” And, 1 Corinthians 13:13 reads, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” Why isn’t the greatest of these three faith? Isn’t faith all you need? No! For, as we read from Jesus, even demons have faith! And, not all who proclaim “Lord, Lord” will see heaven. You need to have love. Love is an action; it’s a work. Faith and works. The only reason I can think of why someone would want to believe in faith alone is to not have to change their lifestyle, either because they are lazy or they are afraid, or corrupt.
9. Jesus is not the Archangel Michael.
10. A new church has sprung up today, and another one will tomorrow, even though Jesus prayed that all his children may be one as He and His Father are one (John 17). The same Catholic Church is in San Diego as in Russia as in Korea. Every Mass has the same scriptural readings, Eucharist, and teachings. There is one catechism to ensure no one strays from the true faith. There are the sacraments given as spiritual fruits for holiness.
11. The Catholic Church will never be “with the times”. In 1930 the Anglican Church began to allow contraception in rare instances, now the entire Protestant world allows contraception. The Catholic Church will hold to God’s truth for eternity because it belongs to Jesus, and Jesus is truth.
12. Those who hate are from the devil (no exceptions to this rule)
13. Those who love are in Christ (whether they like it or not)
14. Mary is the mother of Jesus. She should be loved and honored in regard to her role in salvation history. Do we not honor Abraham, the “Father of Israel”? Do we not honor Moses? David? The Ark of the Covenant only contained the written word of God, and unworthy people would fall death at just touching it. How worthy a woman would have to be to carry the Son of God in her womb!
15. Joseph and Mary never had intercourse. There was no word for “cousin” back then, so cousins were termed “brothers” or “sister”. Jesus likely had many cousins through Joseph’s side of the family. Of course, the Protestant will still point to scripture showing how Joseph and Mary didn’t consummate their marriage “until” the birth of Jesus. So what? Remember the song that goes… “Happy traaaailllls to yooouuu… Until we meet again…” Does he mean that there will be no more happy trails after we meet again? No! Next point, your wife just gave birth to the Messiah of the word, God-made-man. Are you seriously going to want to have any type of physical relations with her after that? Priests and other holy vocations are celibate, why wouldn’t the parents of Jesus be celibate? It isn’t so difficult. Also, why would Jesus entrust the care of His mother, at the cross, to John, his disciple, if he had siblings? It was Jewish tradition that the next sibling would take on that responsibility, not a friend of the family.
16. You believe Catholics offend God by repetitious prayer? Remember when Jesus went away three times to pray the same prayer in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:44)? Do you think the Father didn’t hear his first? Read Psalm 136 and you will be dizzy with repletion of “For His steadfast love endures forever”, and this is God’s inspired Word! Prayer is what is in the heart, but when it is said in vein, that is what God has a problem with.
17. Statues and artwork of the saints are beautiful. We do not worship them. That would be like me accusing you of worshiping your children or parents as their pictures are on the walls of your house. Recall 1 Tim 2: 3,5… Although Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man, there are many intercessors (subordinate mediators). This is pleasing to God. He invites us to participate in Christ’s role as mediator. Protestants prove this fact every time they gather together to pray for someone. Are they so prideful to think they can intercede for someone with God? No! They are taking part in exactly what we Catholics and the saints do every day.. Praying for one another.

I’m going to leave it there for now. I feel better. Thank you very much for letting me vent. You have been very patient with me. I hold all this in as we are so often offended by lies. It’s not my intention to offend anyone with any of this, but if for some reason you disagree with me, let me have it. God love you!

-Travis