Top 10 Things Faithful Catholic Apologists Say, Even Though They Shouldn't

In my reading, watching and listening to claims of Catholic apologetics, I sometimes hear something that doesn't quite sound right, so I scratch my head and say "what?"  Later, I look the claim up, and discover that from a certain interpretation, there is some truth to it, but that the way it was phrased made it sound like some false claim.  Maybe the claim denies other, theological claims, but doesn't challenge the church on any doctrines or disciplines.  Maybe it's technically true, but just phrased very badly.

For whatever reason, it's been know to happen that an apologist will say something they really shouldn't.  Sometimes, these somethings are heresies or challenges to the faith, but I'm not talking about those.  I'm talking about statements which can be made in all honesty by a faithful Catholic, and still lead people into error.  In some ways, these kinds of statements can be among the most dangerous; hidden pitfalls, where discovering the truth is a challenge, and it's easy to lose track of the truth.  This is the main reason that I would now like to get into...

The top 10 things faithful Catholic apologists say, even though they shouldn't.



10. "We must decrease, so that God can increase."

What's really dangerous about this one is that it sort of sounds right, on the face of it.  After all, John the Baptist says something like this, and he surely knew what he was talking about.

The thing is, when John the Baptist said this about Jesus, he wasn't talking about the state of heavenly bliss; only about Earthly concerns.  In particular, he meant "I must decrease in the public eye" and "I must decrease in prominence at this point."  This is certainly true for all of us too.  We need to focus less on ourselves and more on Jesus as long as we're alive.

The problems only start arising when you try to apply this statement to the heavenly kingdom, and man's ultimate destiny in eternity.  I've heard people make statements like "we need to empty ourselves, so there'll be enough room for God," and that statement is, at best, misleading.

In the end, it boils down to a question of why God created human beings to begin with.  Did he intend for them, by design, to get out of the way and let him do everything, or did he create them to magnify and express his already-existing glory?

It's obviously the second for several reasons.  First, because Mary says as much in her Magnificat; that her soul magnifies the Lord.  Secondly, because God does everything for a reason.  If we're not designed for anything but to get out of his way, then we were created for no constructive purpose, which is like accusing God of creating us for no reason.  Third, Jesus says, quite clearly, that apart from him, we can do nothing.  It stands to reason, therefore, that with him, we can do much, and this wouldn't be the case if we were mere obstructions.

Lastly, since God is the source of all things that are good, and no things that are evil, it would seem to be impossible for him to subtract good things from us as we draw closer to him.  It makes far more sense, using just simple math, to conclude that God adds good things to those who are closer to him, rather than subtracting them.

This claim is dangerous to people in their spiritual journeys, because it can lead to a false sense of self-image; an idea that people are purposeless and insignificant, even in God's plan.  In cases where a person is strongly attached to themselves, it may even lead them to consider God as some kind of monster, eager to devour all the things about themselves that they like, and this just isn't true about God.  That's why "God decreases those closer to him" is false, and number 10 on the list.



9. "Claiming that you can understand part of God's plan is pride."

This one is patently false, and the only reason it gets thrown around is because English is such an impoverished language when it comes to establishing specific definitions.  So many words in english have over a dozen technical definitions, that we can almost say whatever we want, and have it mean over a hundred different things.

The objection here, is that the bible condemns pride as the greatest vice, and the source of all other sins.  Therefore, pride is neccesarily evil, and all the things that we refer to as pride are evil as well.  Since we refer to confidence in our knowledge of God's plan as being prideful, this must be bad, right?

There are two big problems here.  The first is that the modern English word "pride" carries a number of meanings that the bible never intended to condemn.

"Pride" can mean arrogance, confidence, joy, determination or faith.  Of these five definitions, only the first is meant to be condemned by the bible.  The rest are actually good things, provided that they're used properly.

The second problem is that believing in the certain knowledge of God's plan is actually neccesary in order to properly have faith in God, and without faith in God, you can't accept his graces or pursue salvation.

Anyone who says that "claiming to possess certain knowledge of God's plan is prideful," therefore, is just wrong, but their argument isn't with me; it's with Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jonah, Paul, John, and every pope who's ever lived.  That's why this claim makes number 9 on the list.



8. "Eternity is like being frozen in time."

I've heard this claim more than once too; that being in eternity means lacking any presence in time, and that therefore, eternity is like one big moment.  Problem with this claim is, it's false.

It's true that there is a certain level of constancy to eternity.  After all, the angels don't get to change their minds about whether they want their natures to be good or evil, and God doesn't change his nature, because it's eternal.  However, the reason eternal natures are unchangable is that they're bigger than time; they see all of time at once, and react to it with a strength that can only come from inner constancy.

Actions are much different.  God is eternal, and yet, he takes different actions from time to time.  These actions are dependant on his nature, but it's equally obvious that multiplying loaves and fish, writing on a wall and causing a plague of locusts are different actions.  Therefore, God is not frozen in time, and if God is not frozen in time, neither are other eternal beings.  To reiterate, in eternity, natures remain constant, but actions are still free and changable.

The problem with claiming that eternity is like being frozen in time is that you're essentially saying that eternity is only one moment, while time is many moments.  That's ridiculous on the face of it, since eternity is bigger than time, not smaller.  Furthermore, it gives people the impression that the many moments they sacrifice in time for the sake of God will only be repaid by one moment in eternity, which is bad economics if you really believe that.  That's why eternity is not like being frozen in time, and why this claim is number 8 on the list.



7. "If you don't enjoy mass, you wouldn't enjoy Heaven."

There are people who say that if you can't enjoy mass, you wouldn't enjoy Heaven, because of the fact that the presence of God is as strong in mass as in Heaven, but while there is some element of truth to the claim that God's presence in the eucharist is just as great as in Heaven, claim number 7 doesn't follow from that.

You see, there are many reasons to not enjoy mass.  Perhaps the music director likes to play heretical hymns, or maybe the priest teaches heresy from the pulpit.  Maybe there's just an overall lack of reverence among the massgoers.  Ultimately, however, all these reasons for not liking the mass boil down to only one.  We cannot use our senses to see what really goes on at mass.  If we could, then the mass would effect us as if we had gone to Heaven for a brief period, and we would never want it to end.  However, it's not reasonable to assume that an unsensible delight will have the same effect on people as a sensible one.

As Saint Paul said; "We see now as in a mirror darkly, but then, face to face."  What really allows people to appreciate Heaven is that God gives those in Heaven the senses that they need to fully appreciate his actions and his plans.  This is a gift that we never get in this life, barring a very special gift of grace.  Therefore, even if you don't enjoy mass, you might still enjoy Heaven.  That's why this claim is number 7 on the list.



6. "If we want to get to heaven, we'll need to give up everything we knew in this life."

Getting to Heaven requires us to let go of a lot; our body, our wholeness, our comfort, our vices, our sins, our possessions and our temporary pleasures.  All of these things are left behind when you die, which is the doorway to Paradise for the saints.

However, to say that we must give up everything from this life is a lie.  There are many things we don't need to give up in this life, or the next.  Love, for example, generocity, charity, peace of mind, faithfulness to God and other virtues don't need to be given up.

Many other things that we need to give up in this life are only given up in the short term.  Money, for example, and wealth, friends and family members who shun us when we defend the Lord.  All of these things are given up in this life, and then restored to us a hundredfold in the next, just as Jesus said.  We just need to trust that God will fulfill his promise regarding that.  "Seek first the kingdom and its righteousness, and all these things will be added to you without the asking."

Therefore, it's never a question of giving up other things we want in order to get to God.  It's only a question of being patient and trusting enough to believe that God will give us everything else we want.  God isn't competition for our other desires.  God is our other desires.  That's why this claim is number 6 on the list.



5. "All desires are wrong.  We should be content with what we have."

This is so simple, I don't even have to waste two paragraphs on it.  If all desires were wrong, the desire for virtue would also be wrong.  Therefore, desires are not wrong.  What's wrong is the way we sometimes prioritize meager desires (like money) over very important ones (like self control.)  If we were truly content with what we had, there would be no reason to pursue Heaven.  That's why this claim is number 5 on the list.



4. "Suffering is good."

Any idiot knows that suffering is bad, and if idiots know it, God surely knows it infinitely better.  After all, he did say in the book of Genesis that suffering was a penalty for sin.  Why would he give people a penalty that was good?

The confusion here stems from the fact that suffering often makes us better people by training us in righteousness.  As it says in scripture, "Jesus, son though he was, was made perfect through suffering."  However, it does not say that the suffering itself was made good.

In order to properly tackle the subject of suffering, we need to be willing to draw a distinction between those who suffer, and the suffering itself.  One is made better, but the other one is still bad.  Therefore, no matter how much a person may benefit from suffering, their suffering is still a bad thing.

Making this claim is dangerous, because if suffering were a good thing, there would be suffering in Heaven, and people would lose their motivation to go there.  That's why this is number 4 on the list.



3. "Our goal is to become indistinguishable from Jesus."

There's a sense, especially in the writings of the saints, that we must become identical to Jesus in certain ways, and this sense has been expanded by some modern apologists, to make the claim that if we don't become indistinguishable from Jesus, we've missed the boat.

There are two big problems with this claim.  First, that many things that Jesus did during his life (such as spending years as a carpenter,) are clearly not neccesary for salvation, and if carpentry were important for a high seat in Heaven, I'm sure it would have been mentioned somewhere in the bible.  Instead, Jesus chose fishermen, a tax collector, a revolutionary and so forth to join his inner circle of apostles, and found his church.  Some similarities to Jesus are essential, but not all of his traits are required.

The other thing to point out is that among the 11 remaining apostles, even though they all wound up working for the same goal, they had vastly different personalities.  Peter was impetuous and bold, Thomas was a pessimist, John was very passionate and contemplative, etc...  Among the lives of the saints, this diversity of personality can be noted as well.  Yet, all of them were virtuous and holy.

The goal is not to become indistinguishable from Jesus.  Rather, the goal is to emulate his virtues, his commitment, wisdom, suffering, determination to doing right and so forth.

This claim is damaging because if we believe that we need to become identical to Jesus, we might fall into the belief that Jesus will eradicate all our individuality when we get to Heaven, and we'll all be a bunch of Jesus-clones, all walking around and talking about the same things all the time.  This belief would definitely decrease the desire for Heaven, and for Jesus himself.  Therefore, this claim makes number 3 on the list.



2. "Have realistic expectations."

In a certain sense, this claim is right.  We need to recognize that the gifts God gives us in this life probably won't involve too many miracles (although there is precedent,) and probably won't involve the total overturning of the world order (although there is precedent for that too.)

However, in the wake of the modernist heresy, the term "realistic expectations" has come to mean "desire only things that people can obtain in this life, such as money, fame, a good family life, etc..."  I can only think of one thing that would damage a person's desire for God more than this perspective (see number 1.)

The main reason why we need to follow God is that we know that there are things (lots of things, in fact,) which we can't obtain for ourselves, and need his help to acquire.  We dream of having total self-control, of teleportation, time travel, irresistable beauty, shapeshifting, immortality, a great, epic quest that never ends and gives eternal purpose to our lives...  All of these things are desired by human beings, and none of them are wrong desires, provided that they motivate us to follow God.  The moment that we give up on these desires, we've given up on a great many good reasons to follow God, and that's why this command is number 2 on my list.



1. "God possesses the faithful."

I really don't know why so many apologists say this.  It's a disgusting concept.  God may work through us, but he doesn't possess us.

The difference is this; when one is possessed, one's free will is taken away, and the possessed falls completely (or almost completely) under the control of the possessor.  When one obeys the will of God, one does not lose their free will, but rather, uses it properly.  Likewise, when God works through the saints, he doesn't take away their free will, but increases it, by allowing it to do what their free will was made for.

If God needed to take away our free will in order to do good, why would he have created it to begin with?  This goes right back to claim 10.  In the same way that we don't exist just to get out of God's way, neither does our free will.  Free will is good, and God doesn't need to take away good things in order to do good with them.  Therefore, God's action upon us is actually the opposite of possession.

This claim is most dangerous because it could actually lead people to feel terrified of God and his will, and to shun good works just because they're good.  That's why this is number 1 on the list.