Two-Minute Apologetics by John Martignoni

Two-Minute Apologetics

Below are some quick answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ's) that Catholics get. What does the word "apologetics" mean? Are there any basic rules for doing apologetics? Anything else we need to know about apologetics before we start engaging in it? As Catholics, do we have to accept everything the Church teaches? I had a friend ask me why Catholics have Crucifixes in our churches...don't we believe Jesus has risen? Why do we keep Him on the cross? I had a theology professor who told me that Adam and Eve were just myths, and that the rest of Genesis was all just legends...is that what the Church teaches? A friend of mine said that his church takes the Bible literally, but that the Catholic Church doesn't...is that true? How should I respond to someone who asks me if I've been saved, or born again? I have a friend who says that Baptism is a symbolic act and that it has nothing to do with salvation...how can I answer them? Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest, rather than going directly to God? A friend of mine has been reading the 'Left Behind' books that have all of this stuff about the 'Rapture' in them...is there really going to be a 'Rapture' like these books talk about? The Bible clearly says that Jesus had brothers and sisters, but the Catholic Church teaches that Mary was a perpetual virgin...how can you reconcile those seemingly different positions? My Protestant friends say that their church goes by the Bible Alone, but that the Catholic Church has added a lot of man-made traditions to the Word of God...is that true? In 1 Timothy it says that Jesus is our sole mediator, yet we pray to Mary and the Saints. Is that going against the Bible? The Bible says to call no man Father, so why do we call our priests 'Father'? Why do Catholics call Mary the Queen of Heaven? Doesn't God rebuke the Israelites in the O.T. for worshipping a false goddess called the Queen of Heaven? Should we not refer to Mary with that title, therefore, since it is the title of a false goddess? In Romans, chapter 3, it says that none is righteous and that all have sinned, but the Catholic Church teaches that Mary is without sin...could you explain that in light of Romans chapter 3? Why do Protestants not believe John 6 when it says that Jesus' flesh is real food and that His blood is real drink? Many Protestants believe we are saved by Faith Alone and they say Catholic believe they can “work” their way into Heaven. How do you answer that?