Thursday, January 26, 2012

Discussing the Bible with Roman Catholics

John Lollard (which I presume is a psuedonym) has provided the following dialogue between a hypothetical truthseeker and a Roman Catholic:
Roman Catholic (RC): "Here, this book came from God. Read it and believe it."
Truth Seeker (TS): "Okay! Hey, this book says X is true."
RC: "What? Give me that!"
TS: "Right there, 'X is true'."
RC: "It doesn't actually mean that. What it means is that X is false and Y is true."
TS: "But, you said this book came from God?"
RC: "It did. But you should just listen to me, and not worry about what this book says."
TS: "What? Why should I listen to you?"
RC: "Why, it says right there in the book, 'the true believers' - meaning me of course - 'will never teach falsely'."
TS: "But this book teaches X and you teach Y. Doesn't that mean you do teach falsely?"
RC: "Look, I'm the one who gave you the book in the first place."
TS: "Then thank you very much for the book that you claim came from God, please read it yourself and obey it."

I have one criticism of this dialog, though. How many savvy Roman Catholics would suggest to a truth seeker to read and believe the Bible? Reading the Bible is not going to lead you Romeward, and I think most RC proselytizers realize that.

-TurretinFan
to the Glory of God, at

2 comments:

  1. NatamllcFriday, January 27, 2012 3:27:00 PM

    TF, this one is the very best eye opener that I believe the elementary spirits of rule, power and authority use against "truthseekers" to draw us away from the Truth, which really is not possible:

    ""RC: "Look, I'm the one who gave you the book in the first place.""

    On the whole, the whole thing in some ways amounts to what the Apostle Paul said about being around those within the imperial guard and why yet it is not exactly the same circumstances, just rather similar:

    Php 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,
    Php 1:13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
    Php 1:14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
    Php 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.
    Php 1:16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
    Php 1:17 The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.
    Php 1:18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
    Php 1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
    Php 1:20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

    I remember reading in that Book they gave in the first place that the Devil himself was "giving" the Word of God to God, Jesus, too. This is his tactic and scheme and hopefully young novice "truthseekers" won't be completely distracted or struggle to much as they, too, come to learn the schemes of the devils?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Philip JudeSaturday, February 04, 2012 1:36:00 PM

    TF, what do you think of this argument for the sacrificial priesthood?

    http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2012/02/sacrificial-new-testament-priesthood-in.html

    ReplyDelete

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