Catholic Answers Live

“Are Catholics misled by leftist groups?” This question opens a discussion on the naivety some Catholics may have regarding social justice issues. The conversation also touches on the positive impact of refraining from Sunday shopping and draws parallels between personal trials and those faced by Christ, highlighting the diverse challenges and reflections within the faith.

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Questions Covered:

02:00 – I think Catholics have to understand they are being coopted by these leftist organizations. A lot of Catholics are very naive about social justice issues.

07:40 – We stopped going to businesses to do any shopping on Sundays and it has been a good change.

17:30 – Joan’s trial tracks very closely with that of our Lord.

22:00 – I’ve been a widow for 11 years. Before he died my favorite gift to give him was flannel shirts (he was a logger). I still wear his shirts. It has meant so much to me to watch Catholic Answers and the Flannel Panel.

29:40 – Why are companies open on Sundays anyway when they know they won’t get business from a lot of Christians?

Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc? This question leads to a discussion about her life and legacy, alongside insights into Mark Twain’s views and the role of Isabelle Romée. The conversation also touches on contemporary issues, including Amnesty International’s stance on abortion, providing a rich exploration of faith and morality.

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Questions Covered:

06:00 – Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc

16:50 – Mark Twain

21:50 – Isabelle Romée

28:00 – CA books translated

36:50 – Amnesty International and abortion

Does the thief on the cross prove that Confession and the entire sacramental system are optional? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists respond to major objections to the Sacrament of Confession, including whether private confession is a medieval invention and whether the seal of confession dangerously protects criminals. The discussion examines whether penance amounts to works-righteousness, whether Confession encourages a cycle of “sin, confess, repeat,” and why receiving absolution is not an attempt to earn forgiveness. They also address concerns about women confessing sexual sins to celibate male priests, explain why Confession should be understood as good news rather than a burden, and explore what Catholics receive in the confessional that they would miss by simply asking God for forgiveness privately.

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Questions Covered:

01:20 – Doesn’t the thief on the cross prove the whole sacramental system is optional? So why should any of us bother with the sacrament?

06:16 – Isn’t private confession a medieval invention, not something apostolic? (Doesn’t history show the confessional isn’t apostolic at all?)

15:01 – Isn’t the seal of confession a dangerous rule that shields criminals? (How is that not dangerous — protecting criminals and endangering the public?)

22:37 – Isn’t assigning penance works-righteousness that denies ‘Christ paid it all’? (Isn’t penance just topping up a payment Jesus already made in full?)

41:51 – But confession, penance, absolution sounds like works you perform to earn your way back. Isn’t that the opposite of the gospel?

34:05 – Doesn’t confession give a license to sin — sin, confess, repeat? (If it’s that easy to reset, why would anyone take sin seriously?)

44:49 – Is it appropriate for a woman to confess sexual sins to a celibate man? (Is it even against God’s design to have a woman confess her sexual sins to a man — and a celibate one at that? Doesn’t that put her in a humiliating position?)

47:00 – Why is confession good news, not a burden?

50:20 – For the person who says ‘I can just tell God I’m sorry from my kitchen table’ — what does the Catholic receive in that confessional that they’d otherwise miss?

Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest instead of going directly to Jesus? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists respond to major Protestant objections to the Sacrament of Confession. They explain how a priest can say “I absolve you” without claiming to be God, why the priesthood of all believers does not eliminate the ministerial priesthood, and whether John 20 gives the apostles the authority to actually forgive sins or merely announce God’s forgiveness. The discussion also examines how this authority was passed on after the apostles, what the Bible means when it commands Christians to confess their sins, and whether perfect contrition makes sacramental confession unnecessary.

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Questions Covered:

01:51 – Why do I have to confess to a priest — can’t I go straight to Jesus?

5:00 – Because priests are not God, when a priest says ‘I absolve you,’ how is that not the blasphemy the scribes accused Jesus of?

07:45 – Why a special priest at all — aren’t all believers priests? (The priesthood of all believers — doesn’t that make every Christian a priest, with no need for an absolving clergy-caste?)

18:30 – Doesn’t John 20 just mean the apostles announce forgiveness, not absolve? (Couldn’t that just mean they PROCLAIM God’s forgiveness — preach it — rather than personally absolve?)

24:50 – Even if it’s real absolution power God gave the Apostles, why think it passed on after the apostles died? (Where does Scripture say it passes on, instead of dying with the Twelve?)

38:38 – When the Bible instructs us to confess our sins isn’t that a reference to mutual accountability among believers — not kneeling before an ordained man?

49:31 – If perfect contrition already forgives, isn’t the sacrament unnecessary?

“What’s the best defense for Catholicism?” This episode addresses key arguments, including the best argument for the Catholic Bible and how a Protestant can reconcile objections while exploring Catholicism. Other topics include the Church’s stance on heretics, tips for evangelizing secular friends, and navigating challenging biblical passages.

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Questions Covered:

02:00 – What’s the Best Argument for the Catholic Bible?

10:20 – As a protestant, how can I bridge the gap in my objection on the assumption with my interest in Catholicism?

22:00 – Prop 33 from papal bull Exsurge Domine regarding heretics being burned. Does God want heretics to be burned?

29:08 – What tips do you have for a college student majoring in psych on how to evangelize my secular friend?

34:58 – How do we defend against Sola Scriptura rather than solo scriptura?

44:55 – My fiance has several painful chronic conditions. Would having a surgery to relieve her pain go against God’s will for her?

50:15 – Sirach seems to be very anti-woman. Sirach 25:19 seems like a contradiction on the Church’s understanding of women. How do I sort through verses like this?