How Christians Would Answer
Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Men 4230 Broad St., New Orleans, La.
Dear Sirs:
In regards to your ad in the New Orleans paper titled: "How 312,000 Priests Would Answer" I would like to offer these observations: You say, "The results have shown in recent years a great diversity of belief on basic Christian principles, even among those of the same denomination. It is unlikely that such a questionnaire will ever be sent to the 312,000 Catholic priests in the world, but should this occur there would be 312,000 "yeses" to all such questions as, "Is there a personal God? "Is the soul immortal? "Is there a heaven and a hell? "Is Jesus Christ God? "Was He born of a virgin? "Did He perform miracles? "Did He redeem mankind? "Did he rise from the dead?" Now, I am not writing in behalf of denominations but I can speak for, not only the preachers, of the churches of Christ (Rom. 16:16) but for every member, and there IS a YES (100 per cent) to the questions you raise.
You seem to think unity of belief, on these BASIC questions, belongs exclusively to Catholics. And, I can go you one better: we believe these BASIC truths—not because we are slaves, intellectually, to a CHURCH, that tells us we MUST believe them, but because the SCRIPTURES which are inspired of GOD (2 Tim. 8:16, 17) affirm them to be so. Peter says, "if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God..." (I Pet. 4:11). Catholics would make it read, "if any man speak he must speak what the canons of the CHURCH have decreed." We, (the church of Christ) are amenable to GOD for what we believe and teach but Catholics are amenable to the Roman Catholic Church for what they believe and teach.
Let us notice your fourth paragraph: "That Catholic priests throughout the world must agree on all fundamental religious questions does not denote mental slavery any more than does the 100 per cent agreement of all scientists that water seeks the lowest level. They MUST believe it." The fallacy is evident to those who will think. Of course Catholics are forbidden to THINK. Scientists agree 100 per cent that water seeks the lowest level, because it is a proven fact, but Catholics believe what they do because if they did not they would be excommunicated from Catholic communion. The latter IS slavery; the former is liberty unrestrained. A free exercise of moral volition is involved in the former (with no organization threatening expulsion if they do not believe it) while in the latter it is—believe it or suffer the consequence—thus, the Catholic Church stands as MASTER over her SLAVES; between the individual and that which he accepts. I say this kindly but I read the Knights of Columbus ads and all, without exception, are like this one—couched in deception.
In paragraph five you say, "If one accepts the fundamental truth that two and two are four, it is easy and logical to accept the readings of a logarithm table. If one accepts the fundamental truth that God's word is possessed, preserved, interpreted, and preached by a Church which He established for that purpose, it is easy and logical to believe that Church's preachings and to act according to its precepts." Oh, yes! but two and two were four before the logarithm table was made and these BASIC truths (all the scriptures) existed, as truths, before the Catholic Church existed. In your reasoning (?) you make the truth of two and two are four depend on the logarithm table; such is not so, and neither does the TRUTH of God's word depend upon the Catholic Church. If you will deny this publicly, we will meet you anywhere or, if you will deny it in a written discussion and will publish it in one of your Catholic periodicals, we will do the same in one of ours. And—will you please give scripture (or any reliable proof) to prove "God's word is possessed, preserved, interpreted, and preached by the Roman Catholic Church"? Will you also give scripture to show Christ established the Roman Catholic Church? If you will please do this it will indeed, be "easy and logical to believe THAT Church's preaching and to act according to its precepts."
Finally, you say, "All this seems to the Catholic just as plain and simple as was the plain and simple Jesus, who told it all to his apostles 1900 years ago." Where did Jesus tell any of this to his apostles? There is not ONE scriptural reference as proof in the entire ad. Of course there's a reason—the scriptures do not teach it. It is simple to Catholics because that is what the Catholic Church has taught them and being SLAVES, to the church, they dare not study the naked scriptures (without Catholic interpretations at the bottom of the pages) lest they be expelled from Catholic communion.
If you are wondering how your ad came into my hands-- it was given me by a former Catholic, a Knight of Columbus, who, having learned the TRUTH, left the Catholic Church and became a member of the church of Christ. (Rom. 16;16) He is no longer a Roman Catholic but a Christian. (Acts 11:26)
Yours sincerely, R. Ervin Driskill 2509 Gould Street Columbus, Georgia