A Phone Call That Worked
You may recall the fellow who called Catholic Answers one afternoon shortly before Easter this year, the Protestant who was wavering, trying to decide whether, at 47 years of age, to leave the Protestant fold and become a Catholic.
You were kind enough and gracious enough to understand my plight–that of leaving a culture and tradition for another, with all the luggage and heart tuggings from either side. You sent me two books, Spiritual Journeys and Theology for Beginners.
I would like you to know that I was received, along with my wife, Gail, into the Holy Roman Catholic Church on July 7 at St. Edward’s Church in Grauville, Ohio. You and all at Catholic Answers played a very big part in this by calming and answering doubts, conveying clear, straightforward answers, whose tone of love and understanding helped convince and fortify just as much as the facts and logic in them.
David Denton
Grauville, Ohio
Take a Breather!
You guys might need to take a look at all the hours and travel you are doing. Speaking as a wife, I think it’s hard on a family when the dad is gone too much.
Remember, your primary vocation is as a husband and father. You all are in our prayers (especially the wives) as you do such important work. I love This Rock and read it from cover to cover when I can get it away from my husband.
Therese Bower
Duluth, Minnesota
Amen, Brother!
I wholeheartedly agree with [Karl Keating’s] advice to priests about apologetics homilies [“Apologetics Homilies,” July 1991]. The article hit home on exactly what is wrong, in my opinion, with the Catholic Church today. When I’m at Mass, the homilies are often boring and lack the drama you advised your priests to include.
I am not taken in by most televangelists, yet there is one in particular, Charles Stanley, who may not be teaching full Catholic doctrine, but speaks not only on the topics I know most people wonder about, but can speak three times as long as any priest I’ve heard and with a drama and conviction that inspires me for the rest of the week.
I am not the least bit surprised by the story you tell about how the attendance in that Midwestern church increased dramatically when the priest began using your advice and gave apologetics homilies and talked for twenty minutes instead of ten.
Anthony Azzara
Greenlawn, New York
Warnings Come True
I cannot express adequately what a tremendous help Catholicism and Fundamentalism has been to me. I am now beginning to experience the anti-Catholic attitudes that you so thoroughly deal with. What is even more disturbing is the number of Catholics who are being influenced by such attitudes.
Lloyd Edwards
Doncaster, England
Jailhouse Re-Conversion
I am a “fallen away” Catholic, and I have started attending Mass again here in jail. I would like to receive some Catholic literature and would greatly appreciate any literature you could send me.
Anthony J. Tucker
Santa Ana, California
You Didn’t Blow It
I have just been listening to [Karl Keating] on the John Stewart Show [on KKLA radio, Los Angeles].
When I heard them announce the guests, I immediately thought, “Oh, great–a lay person is going up against a disgruntled priest [Bart Brewer, ex-Discalced Carmelite and director of Mission to Catholics].” But I was really impressed not only with your answers, but with your manner of answering.
Marilyn Boussaid
Hermosa Beach, California
I Am Curious (Presbyterian)
The conversion to Catholicism of several Protestant ministers (and other influential folk) has aroused my curiosity, and I have begun a study of Catholic doctrine.
I am particularly interested in the alleged biblical justification for Roman doctrines. I am a Presbyterian, a student at a major theological seminary, and a “minister-in-training” at my church.
Questions regarding Catholic doctrines come up in my Sunday school class from time to time, and I have realized how little I really know about Roman Catholicism. All my information has been filtered through Protestant authors. It’s time for me to get the straight scoop from the horse’s mouth.
Gregory A. Krehbiel
Laurel, Maryland
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
I am a former Catholic who is now a Fundamentalist. I have purchased some tapes, but I cannot afford to buy anything else at the moment. Would it be possible to borrow a copy of the tape on “Catholic Fundamentalism”?
Gina Conaway
Cincinnati, Ohio
Simply Irrefutable
Apologetics is exactly what I miss in Catholic education right now. This is especially scandalous since Catholicism is so irrefutably defensible. The truth always is. I wish you all the success and happiness in your tireless devotion to the holy Catholic faith.
Francis M. de Rosa
Niagara Falls, New York
Sanity in the Little Big House
Thank you for the books and pamphlets you sent me. They were inspiring and very well written.
I am a Catholic inmate, being held pre-trial at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections, where I have been the last eighteen months.
Through the generosity of people such as yourselves, I have gotten some great books and magazines and managed to maintain my sanity here.
Phil Montella
Manchester, New Hampshire
I Am Now an Atheist
Please remove my name from your mailing list. Since I am now an atheist, you will be wasting money if you continue sending magazines and letters. The letters are irritating. And for this non-Thomistic philosopher, your arguments are hardly compelling.
In fact, I am absolutely amazed that your organization portrays Aquinas’s “proofs” of God’s existence as sound arguments. If that sounds unbelievable, read J. L. Mackey’s book, The Miracle of Theism. After all, philosophical naivete is hardly an admirable quality in people who claim to give intellectually respectable answers to opponents of the Catholic Church.
Bill McEnaney
Schenectady, New York
Scientology, Schmientology
I was glad to see This Rock run a critique of the Scientologists. But don’t underestimate them because their cult is so silly–those guys have lots of money behind them, and they play rough.
Russell Miller’s excellent biography of Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard: Bare-Faced Messiah, is the book to get, if you can find a copy that the Scientologists haven’t destroyed.
Sandra Miesel
Indianapolis, Indiana