Recently, I began answering questions for a website called Catholic Questions. I have also asked a couple of questions in the past and can attest to their apologists’ thorough and faithful answers about the Catholic Church’s teachings. I recently discussed this website with its founder, Jim Blackburn.
Conversation With Catholic Questions Founder
When did you create Catholic Questions?
I started Catholic Questions in September of 2020.
Why did you create Catholic Questions?
I was the supervisor of the Q&A department at Catholic Answers for ten years before becoming a freelance apologist, author, and speaker in 2014. Catholic Answers discontinued the Q&A department in 2020, so I started Catholic Questions to ensure that people continued to have a resource for personal, confidential assistance with their questions about the Catholic faith.
Is Catholic Questions associated with Catholic Answers?
Catholic Questions is not officially associated with Catholic Answers, but we are close friends. Since I became a freelance apologist, I have continued to write articles and books for Catholic Answers, I have remained a member of the Catholic Answers Speakers Bureau, and I am still a regular guest on the Catholic Answers Live radio program for 18 years running. Catholic Questions is a sponsor of Catholic Answers Live, and our apostolate will appear at the Catholic Answers 10th Annual Conference in September 2024.
How many apologists do you currently have?
We currently have 7 apologists answering questions for Catholic Questions.
What is the typical response time from the moment Catholic Questions receives a question?
We strive to answer every question we receive within one to two days. Sometimes we are able to answer questions on the day we receive them! Rarely, turn-around time exceeds two days, but we have never failed to answer a question (as far as we know!).
Searching For Answers?
We can all search the internet to find answers to our questions, but sometimes we want something with a little more depth and detail. Or sometimes we just don’t feel like scrolling through site after site to find the precise answers to our questions.
So, if you find yourself in one of these situations, I highly encourage you to use Catholic Questions as your go-to resource for asking questions about the Catholic faith. The apologists are very knowledgeable, and they are loyal to the Magisterium. Please visit the Catholic Questions “Ask a Question” page by clicking on this link.
You may also ask questions by phone at (949) 837-6000, email at [email protected], or mail at P.O. Box 2224, Laguna Hills, CA 92654. Catholic Questions has also created apps for Android and Apple.
The Apocrypha: Is it scripture?
[Comment deleted due to length and because it is not relevant to this article. Mr. Gouda if you’d like to submit an article on the Apocrypha, please see the CS Writer’s Guidelines.]
This is not very helpful. Generally, there is common understanding of morality and virtue and we do not depend on a vote of a majority of priests. Not being dismissive, only once again, “judgement” is not by plurality and the differences within the views of the various Bishops and Cardinals much less the various views of the Curie add so much confusion to what is a simple individual understanding. The Church is so caught up with it’s troubled history and rationale to support what is/not acceptable individual conduct. Most just want to worship and lead moral lives.
(Comment Deleted due to length)
Comment deleted due to length (725 words)
Thank you for your questions. I will answer your first two questions on the Eucharist, and then I will ask you two questions.
1. When Jesus instituted the supper, he had not yet been crucified. How then was the Eucharist his crucified body and blood?
Jesus said, “This is my body which is given for you” (Luke 22:19). First, Jesus did not say, “This is my crucified body.” He said, “This is my body which IS given for you.” Jesus had given His body to the Father on behalf of all humanity from the moment of his conception. And, most especially at the Last Supper, he was already in the process of giving up His body as one, eternal sacrifice.
Now, even if Jesus meant that he was giving His disciples His crucified body, this would not have posed a problem. Being God, Jesus’s divinity is unrestricted by time and his omnipotence allows Him to do whatever He wills. Furthermore, Jesus gave His disciples a glimpse of His glorified self at the Mount of Transfiguration even though His Crucifixion and, therefore, His Resurrection had not happened yet. Accordingly, by the omnipotent God’s eternal Word, Jesus could have transformed bread and wine into His body and blood prior to His Crucifixion.
2. If, as the Roman Catholic Church teaches, that the Eucharist Wine is the literal blood of Christ, then how is that not violating the Old Testament law against drinking the blood of any flesh (Lev. 17:14)?
Leviticus 14:10-16 is certainly a prohibition against eating blood. However, the prohibition is clearly against consuming animal blood. See verses 13 and 15 for context. But an important question arises here. Why would God prohibit the drinking of blood? Verse 11 tells us, “For the LIFE of the flesh IS IN THE BLOOD; and I have given it for you to make atonement FOR YOUR SOULS; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life.” So, if I were and Old Covenant Jew, I would never eat blood.
However, Jesus abrogated this law when he declared all foods clean, including the foods prohibited in the Old Testament. Therefore, I can now eat blood without sinning. I like a juicy steak cooked medium rare, and thanks to Jesus’s fulfillment of the Old Covenant and His lifting said prohibition, I can enjoy a juicy steak without sinning.
Even better, I can also drink Jesus’s blood without sinning. And, since the life is in the blood and Jesus gave his life and blood for our souls, then every time I drink Jesus’s blood, I receive his life for my soul. The Old Covenant prohibition tells us not to eat the life of a creature (its blood) because the creature’s life is inferior to our own and, most especially, to the life of Christ. The prohibition points us to a far more superior life in the blood of Christ.
Now, here are my two questions for you. Which Protestant church should I attend, and why?
what is a soul
sorry…. English is not my first language so please ignore the previous two.
The question is why the name “David” does not appear as a personal name among Jews since the Return of Zion at least until the early Middle Ages.
Thanks
Why does the name “David” not appear as a personal name among any post-Second Temple Jewish individuals at least until the early Middle Ages?
Cur nomen “David” non apparet ut nomen personale apud quaslibet personas post-secundas Templum Iudaicum saltem usque ad mane Medii Aevi?
What are the differences between the Catholic Bible and the KJV?
Hello, Rebecca! The King James Version is one of many English versions of the Bible. The Catholic Church has versions and Protestantism has even more. Translation differences account for the variety of versions. However, the main difference between Catholic versions of the Bible and Protestant versions (including the KJV) is that the Protestant versions lack seven books of the Old Testament and parts of Daniel and Esther. The KJV either relegates the seven books, which it calls apocrypha (dubious), to the back of this version or it doesn’t include them at all. For more on this topic, please check out Catholic Stand author Rory Fox’s articles:
https://catholicstand.com/septuagint-or-masoretic-text-which-is-the-true-version-of-the-bible/
https://catholicstand.com/bible-canon-what-is-the-problem/
https://catholicstand.com/bible-canon-what-is-the-early-church-evidence/
https://catholicstand.com/bible-canon-can-scripture-solve-the-problem/
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do we have to believe what holy Bible says about age of first Patriarchs?
Is Baptism in Adventist Church valid in Catholic?
who wrote it down story of Adam and Eve and Genesis?
Hello Jolanta! First, historians and the Church traditionally teach that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, including Genesis, and that he did so around 1400 b.c.
Second, we do not have to believe in the precision of the first patriarchs’ ages. However, because they lived during the time immediately after God created humanity and, therefore, would not have been exposed to the diseases and numerous other impurities (e.g., in our food, water, and air) that we are exposed to today, I believe they would have lived an exceedingly long time. Also, these people lived before the time in which God generally limited humans’ lives to 120 years (see Genesis 6:3).
Third, after researching the validity of Seventh Day Adventist baptisms, I found that many Catholic dioceses classify them as “doubtful” and instruct priests to investigate the validity of an individual’s baptism on a case-by-case basis. Some dioceses accept their baptisms. If you have a question, please consult your diocese.
I hope this helps. Thank you!
No problem at all.
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You took that well. Merry Christmas, Nate.
Lol! Anything for you, OP. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your respond, which I found very helpful.
Sorry, for the late thank you note.
No idea of the reason, but I have not seen your answers till now.
God bless you, Jolanta
Will it be a sin to attend the blessing of a same-sex couple ?
Good morning, OP! A person can attend the blessing of any person, couple, community, or object. Blessing a same-sex couple is perfectly fine as long as the priest is not blessing the same-sex relationship/behaviors, which, of course, are mortally sinful. Have a good one, OP!
MY QUESTION HERE: I have watch the porn video with some arousal feeling and lustfull thought, but no masturbation.is it venial or mortal sin?
The answer from 5 priests:
-2 chief priests of the Church: venial sins, because the masturbation sin can be mitigate.
-1 another chief priest : 0nly the 18plus movies are venial sins.
-2 other asian priests: all of them are mortal sins.
When I read in Catechism of Catholic Church: The actor
who do the porn,and the Webb master who spread the porn are condemned with the mortal sins, the other
audiences not condemned. Give me the right answer.
THANKS A LOT. I have scrupulosity,and only trust on the
priests answers.I my opinion, I think the first 2 priests are right.RTHANKS A LOT.
Good morning, sir! Catechism paragraph 2396 states, “Among the sins GRAVELY contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.” So, pornography, whether making it or watching it, is mortally sinful. In fact, it is intrinsically so. We know this not only because the catechism say so, but because common sense tells us that pornography (and lust in general) directly opposes the dignity of those made in the image an likeness of God. And if it opposes the dignity of the image, it opposes the One by whom the image is made, God. Therefore, every person is responsible for staying away from or turning away from pornography and lust.
Next, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell” (Matthew 5:27-30).
In other words, lust will cause you to go to hell, which is why Jesus says it is better for you to cut off your right hand rather than go to hell. So, find a way to cut out that which leads you to watching pornography. Use computer filters, see a counselor, go to confession once a week seeing the same confessor, etc.
Next, St. Peter writes, “Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11). That which wages war against the soul is mortal, and lust does exactly that. Therefore, you must wage war against it and cut it out from your life.
Finally, the last two priests who said intentionally viewing pornography is a mortal sin are correct. You should make one of them your regular confessor and fight against this. Stop making excuses. If you make pornography a gray area, you will lose the battle and send yourself to hell. Also, go to Mass regularly and take the Eucharist, which is heavenly food for your spiritual journey. Just don’t take it in a state of mortal sin.
Thank you for your question, and may God give you strength to successfully overcome this sin!