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Why Catholics are Right
A practicing Catholic defends the faith and offers a passionate response to current anti-Catholic opinion. In Why Catholics Are Right, author, columnist, and practicing Catholic Michael Coren examines four main aspects of Catholicism as they are encountered, understood, and more importantly, misunderstood today. Beginning with a frank examination of the tragedy of the Catholic clergy abuse scandal, Coren addresses some of them most common attacks on Catholics and Catholicism. Tracing Catholic history, he deconstructs popular and frequent anti-Catholic arguments regarding the Church and the Crusades, the Inquisition, Galileo, and the Holocaust. He examines Catholic theology and central pillars of Catholic belief, explaining why Catholics believe what they papal infallibility, immaculate conception, the Church rather than Bible alone. Finally, he explores the dignity of life argument and why it is so important to Catholicism. In this challenging and thought-provoking book, Michael Coren demolishes often propagated myths about the Church's beliefs and teachings, and in doing so, opens a window onto Catholicism, which, he writes, "is as important now as it ever was and perhaps even more necessary."
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2011
47 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Michael Coren
40 books32 followersMichael Coren is an English-Canadian columnist, author, public speaker, radio host and television talk show host. He has been the host of the television series The Michael Coren Show for six years. He has also been a long-time radio personality, particularly on CFRB radio.
He has writen more than ten books, including biographies of H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, and C. S. Lewis. His latest book, Why Catholics are Right, will be published in 2011.
He has writen more than ten books, including biographies of H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, and C. S. Lewis. His latest book, Why Catholics are Right, will be published in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 17, 2011
Reason for Reading: I love Michael Coren's TV show, I am a Catholic and the provocative title did its trick and grabbed my interest. But I would read any book by Coren on religion or politics, though I don't always agree with him on the latter.
This book is unapologetically, in fact, is proudly, Catholic. Written by a Catholic to give a Catholic point of view on Catholic teachings and Catholic issues. Unfortunately, there remains one last prejudice in this world that is fine and dandy to behold and that is anti-Catholicism. Some Christians may feel that prejudice against any form of Christianity is rampant, and while that is true to a certain degree, even some non-Catholic Christians can be as vicious as anyone else in their anti-Catholic vitriol. Search the net; it won't take you long to find one of these "discussions", even in major newspaper comment sections.
Michael Coren's book hits on all the major topics, and even the minor topics, that non-Catholics and the media are so upset, uninformed and plain wrong about. This is a short book so doesn't go into theological academia to prove its points but does go plenty deep enough to get at the truth. Divided into 5 parts Coren deals with the abuse scandal, historical topics, theology, life and a final chapter on "other stuff". Within these 5 topics Coren manages to not only discuss his main topic but carry on from one topic to another related one until the subject has been more than covered, leaving no blank spaces behind. The book is very thorough.
This book is a must have for every practicing Catholic as it is a primer on how to defend our faith in a friendly, intelligent manner against all the uninformed and oftentimes ignorant comments made against Catholicism. The chapter on the abuse scandal which accepts the awful truth and tragedy of what actually happened and explains how it has been dealt with versus the media attacks and vendettas is worth the price of the book alone.
Persons who truly want to understand what Catholicism is about will enjoy this book which will give them bite-size yet meaty information on what we Catholics really believe and why, rather than what you've heard about or think you know about our beliefs.
If you are already anti-Catholic, this book will enrage you and you will hate it as it will prove all your prejudices to be wrong, thus having you believe that the book itself is at fault as you personally could, of course, never be.
My only complaint is that the book has no index. Something that doesn't seem to be a given anymore where non-fiction is concerned. I know this is going to be a book I will refer to time and time again and while the book is set up easily enough to find what you are looking for an index would have come in handy.
A brilliant book that no practicing Catholic should be without. Treat yourself to a copy and while your at it buy a gift copy for a friend, relative or priest. It's that good!
This book is unapologetically, in fact, is proudly, Catholic. Written by a Catholic to give a Catholic point of view on Catholic teachings and Catholic issues. Unfortunately, there remains one last prejudice in this world that is fine and dandy to behold and that is anti-Catholicism. Some Christians may feel that prejudice against any form of Christianity is rampant, and while that is true to a certain degree, even some non-Catholic Christians can be as vicious as anyone else in their anti-Catholic vitriol. Search the net; it won't take you long to find one of these "discussions", even in major newspaper comment sections.
Michael Coren's book hits on all the major topics, and even the minor topics, that non-Catholics and the media are so upset, uninformed and plain wrong about. This is a short book so doesn't go into theological academia to prove its points but does go plenty deep enough to get at the truth. Divided into 5 parts Coren deals with the abuse scandal, historical topics, theology, life and a final chapter on "other stuff". Within these 5 topics Coren manages to not only discuss his main topic but carry on from one topic to another related one until the subject has been more than covered, leaving no blank spaces behind. The book is very thorough.
This book is a must have for every practicing Catholic as it is a primer on how to defend our faith in a friendly, intelligent manner against all the uninformed and oftentimes ignorant comments made against Catholicism. The chapter on the abuse scandal which accepts the awful truth and tragedy of what actually happened and explains how it has been dealt with versus the media attacks and vendettas is worth the price of the book alone.
Persons who truly want to understand what Catholicism is about will enjoy this book which will give them bite-size yet meaty information on what we Catholics really believe and why, rather than what you've heard about or think you know about our beliefs.
If you are already anti-Catholic, this book will enrage you and you will hate it as it will prove all your prejudices to be wrong, thus having you believe that the book itself is at fault as you personally could, of course, never be.
My only complaint is that the book has no index. Something that doesn't seem to be a given anymore where non-fiction is concerned. I know this is going to be a book I will refer to time and time again and while the book is set up easily enough to find what you are looking for an index would have come in handy.
A brilliant book that no practicing Catholic should be without. Treat yourself to a copy and while your at it buy a gift copy for a friend, relative or priest. It's that good!
November 25, 2011
I read this as a counter-argument to Dawkins "God Delusion." Cohen's book doesn't stand up to any form of academic analysis. His explanations are simplistic and unreferenced - he states that Canada has human rights abuses, but doesn't state which one(s) he is referring to (I assumed it was treatment of Aboriginals, but who knows?). His main argument seems to be "Well, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and all other faiths have been bad too, so we are no worse." Weak. Not worth the time
August 11, 2016
I didn't expect to like this as much as I do. Mostly picked it up in search of something to give my daughter, in answer to a question of hers. Found I liked it on its own merits. Set up on five chapters: Catholics and the Abuse Scandal; Catholics and History; Catholics and Theology; Catholics and Life; and Catholics and Other Stuff. I'm skipping around but finding it to be good basic information, although I can't say I'm learning very much. Hopefully the cantor doesn't need a lesson in how to read music. Sadly, the people who would most benefit from this book will probably never take the time to read it. (However, I cannot bring myself to like the title.) To me, being 'right' isn't what it's about.
Read
August 20, 2019I just read this to prepare for an interview with Mr. Coren. We usually think of these books as a form of apologetics but this much tougher. Whether you love the Church, hate it or have no idea what to think I would highly recommend it. He takes on every issue that is used to criticize the Church and hits it head on. You may not agree with any of it but you'll admire the directness.
http://bit.ly/f4BF4y
http://bit.ly/f4BF4y
October 14, 2012
First, the title.. The author's reasoning is basically, replace "Catholics" with any other group (Liberals, Republicans, Virginians, etc.) and it's okay, so why the heartburn when it's "Catholics"? Good point, I think. This book is for Catholics who need a little encouragement in their faith. There isn't the kind of depth of material, or gentleness normally associated in books attempting to convert. The voice of this book comes from a battle-tested, front lines apologist. And I think the true purpose of this book is to answer all of the common objections to Catholicism that automatically show up in any comment box after any online article mentioning Catholicism. If you post, "the Catholic Church teaches..", you will immediately be inundated with, "..but priests rape boys, Popes fathered children, the Inquisition murdered millions, the Crusaders raped and pillaged innocent and peace-loving Muslims, Richard Gere and a gerbil, etc, etc." You hear it so often that, for many people, the sole reason for the Church to exist is for 1970s priests to rape boys, for 1400s popes to have mistresses, for 1000s Crusaders to kill innocents, and that's the only thing of note. Nevermind the Church's millennia of selfless good done for this world out of love, her many saints, hospitals, universities, and scientific achievements (look on wikipedia for who developed the Big Bang Theory). This book gives you confidence in the Faith. It's easy to attack the Church with bumper-sticker length canards, especially when it takes a few pages to respond with the truth. This book gives all the reasoned refutations to all those attacks. I don't think it will convert anybody, but it will help convict those who are already converted. And it won't provide any new information for those who have already read history and actual Church teaching, but for those who are embarrassed by the Faith because of the vitriol she draws from our culture, this book is a gem and Michael Coren is hilarious and succint in this book. Look him up on youtube or Catholic Answers. He's incredibly intelligent and presents the faith in this book and in person with a confidence and joy that is very refreshing to hear.
February 9, 2012
Ever since I first read G.K. Chesterton I have become interested in Catholicism. Chesterton's own book on the Catholic Church and conversion was disappointing as Chesterton seemed to base all of his arguments upon the Church's long existence rather than any other theological arguments. Michael Coren presents an excellent case for "why Catholics are right" in this book. He divides the work into several different chapters all tackling some of the major issues that have stained the Catholic Church's reputation. These include the sexual abuse scandals, the Church's actions throughout history, the Church and theology, the Church and life and lastly the Church and "other stuff" (he goes to town on Dan Brown's horrifically muddled "The Da Vinci Code").
As a conservative Protestant, I found many of Coren's arguments plausible and even convincing. There are certainly many areas that I disagree with the Church, but on certain doctrines such as the intercession of saints I found reasonable explanations. Even within Christian circles it is fashionable to criticize the Catholic Church and this book has given me increased knowledge to defend the Church against attacks that I feel are unwarranted.
There are some issues that I have with this book. For one, Coren assumes that the Catholic Church is the original church and that all ecclesiastical events that happened immediately after Jesus' death can be attributed to the Catholics. I disagree - the Church back then was simply "the Church" and it comprised all of the believers. I think the beginnings of differentiation starts with the schism between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. It seems that an Orthodox writer could just as easily claim credit for ecclesiastical rulings as the Catholics.
As well, I wish Coren would have mentioned the residential schools issue, especially since he is a Canadian journalist and that has been an enormous controversy for decades. Lastly, although it would be impossible (and Coren himself acknowledges this) to write about all the Catholic doctrines, I really wish he would have mentioned two huge ones: the Apocrypha and universal salvation. The inclusion of the Apocrypha in Catholic canon separates it radically from Protestants who do not accept these sacred books and I would have liked to have heard a justification as to why they should be considered "divinely-inspired". As well, there are many Catholics who believe in universal salvation (which is one of the major reasons I could never convert to the Church of Rome) and with all the Internet hullabaloo over Rob Bell's book "Love Wins" (where he claims Catholic thinkers have held to universalist teachings) it would have been interesting for Coren to either defend or refute the universalist belief in the Catholic Church.
As a conservative Protestant, I found many of Coren's arguments plausible and even convincing. There are certainly many areas that I disagree with the Church, but on certain doctrines such as the intercession of saints I found reasonable explanations. Even within Christian circles it is fashionable to criticize the Catholic Church and this book has given me increased knowledge to defend the Church against attacks that I feel are unwarranted.
There are some issues that I have with this book. For one, Coren assumes that the Catholic Church is the original church and that all ecclesiastical events that happened immediately after Jesus' death can be attributed to the Catholics. I disagree - the Church back then was simply "the Church" and it comprised all of the believers. I think the beginnings of differentiation starts with the schism between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. It seems that an Orthodox writer could just as easily claim credit for ecclesiastical rulings as the Catholics.
As well, I wish Coren would have mentioned the residential schools issue, especially since he is a Canadian journalist and that has been an enormous controversy for decades. Lastly, although it would be impossible (and Coren himself acknowledges this) to write about all the Catholic doctrines, I really wish he would have mentioned two huge ones: the Apocrypha and universal salvation. The inclusion of the Apocrypha in Catholic canon separates it radically from Protestants who do not accept these sacred books and I would have liked to have heard a justification as to why they should be considered "divinely-inspired". As well, there are many Catholics who believe in universal salvation (which is one of the major reasons I could never convert to the Church of Rome) and with all the Internet hullabaloo over Rob Bell's book "Love Wins" (where he claims Catholic thinkers have held to universalist teachings) it would have been interesting for Coren to either defend or refute the universalist belief in the Catholic Church.
January 2, 2012
An easier to read apologetic book. It covers issues that I am often discussing, so it gave me great background history in many areas. It also answered many questions I had had in the history of the church.
August 2, 2020
This is as good a short overview as can be had out there, and not quite as pugnacious as its title sounds. Coren has reinvigorated lay apologetics with the scope of this little book, which covers Catholic history, theology, and social teaching in equal measure. He also talks forthrightly (and first) about the sexual abuse scandals that rocked the church worldwide from about 1994 to about 2004.
Asides in this book are almost as informative as the main points. It was good to know, for example, more about where Jesus renamed Simon and why the locale (known now as Banias but then as Caesaria Philippi) mattered. It was also good to be reminded (p. 119-120) that William Tyndale's (Protestant) bible translation had some important defects, like substituting "congregation" for "church," "ordinance" for "tradition," and "images" for "idols." Coren also alludes to the shortcomings of the John Wycliff translation, albeit not with the same detail, in the service of a larger point: "The Roman Catholic Church also had the bible translated into vernacular languages, and the claim that it was Protestants rather than Catholics who first translated the bible into English, French, and Spanish is just plain wrong. The Catholic Church sponsored and oversaw translations but refused to allow people to mistranslate scripture for their own political and religious ends. It was error and not access that the church feared."
The only thing I do not like about this book is its idiosyncratic writing style. Coren hops from one point to another even when the segue between them feels flimsy or forced, and that may be an occupational hazard or holdover from hosting talk radio, which is the job for which Coren is better known, at least in Canada. He also has a few tics, like piling on multiple clauses and deploying unusual parenthetical expressions (the one I remember most vividly is when he interrupted his own thought to write "important this" before finishing his sentence).
That said, this book remains easy to recommend.
Asides in this book are almost as informative as the main points. It was good to know, for example, more about where Jesus renamed Simon and why the locale (known now as Banias but then as Caesaria Philippi) mattered. It was also good to be reminded (p. 119-120) that William Tyndale's (Protestant) bible translation had some important defects, like substituting "congregation" for "church," "ordinance" for "tradition," and "images" for "idols." Coren also alludes to the shortcomings of the John Wycliff translation, albeit not with the same detail, in the service of a larger point: "The Roman Catholic Church also had the bible translated into vernacular languages, and the claim that it was Protestants rather than Catholics who first translated the bible into English, French, and Spanish is just plain wrong. The Catholic Church sponsored and oversaw translations but refused to allow people to mistranslate scripture for their own political and religious ends. It was error and not access that the church feared."
The only thing I do not like about this book is its idiosyncratic writing style. Coren hops from one point to another even when the segue between them feels flimsy or forced, and that may be an occupational hazard or holdover from hosting talk radio, which is the job for which Coren is better known, at least in Canada. He also has a few tics, like piling on multiple clauses and deploying unusual parenthetical expressions (the one I remember most vividly is when he interrupted his own thought to write "important this" before finishing his sentence).
That said, this book remains easy to recommend.
February 21, 2018
The title alone may keep many noses from ever pointing toward this book. That, however, is not to say that the title isn't perfectly apt.
Coren's work succinctly explores the inevitable conclusions that have taken me years to discover about my own faith. His words remind me of why I converted to Catholicism and offer a bold, if at times terse, explanation as to why true Catholicism remains the most uncompromising approach to Christianity.
Rather than tip-toe around uncomfortable topics, Coren dives right in. Chapter one addresses the tragic sex abuse scandal and makes no attempt to minimize the damage and lasting hurt that was caused. Through this chapter and the rest of the book he manages to clarify historical facts, true church teaching, false rumors, and anti-Catholic bias that have shaped the secular world's understanding of the Catholic Church. (I was most surprised by the Catholic leadership, heroism, and opposition to Hitler's rise and power during WWII.)
Although he makes some general arguments about the existence of God and the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth, I don't get the sense that this book was written to be a response to Richard Dawkins, as other reviewers might have been seeking.
I would highly recommend this book to Catholic apologists who find themselves confronted by false assumptions about the faith. This would also be a great read for Christians who are between denominations or are curious about true Roman Catholicism. I would also love to know what my adamant Protestant brothers and sisters think about this one.
Coren's work succinctly explores the inevitable conclusions that have taken me years to discover about my own faith. His words remind me of why I converted to Catholicism and offer a bold, if at times terse, explanation as to why true Catholicism remains the most uncompromising approach to Christianity.
Rather than tip-toe around uncomfortable topics, Coren dives right in. Chapter one addresses the tragic sex abuse scandal and makes no attempt to minimize the damage and lasting hurt that was caused. Through this chapter and the rest of the book he manages to clarify historical facts, true church teaching, false rumors, and anti-Catholic bias that have shaped the secular world's understanding of the Catholic Church. (I was most surprised by the Catholic leadership, heroism, and opposition to Hitler's rise and power during WWII.)
Although he makes some general arguments about the existence of God and the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth, I don't get the sense that this book was written to be a response to Richard Dawkins, as other reviewers might have been seeking.
I would highly recommend this book to Catholic apologists who find themselves confronted by false assumptions about the faith. This would also be a great read for Christians who are between denominations or are curious about true Roman Catholicism. I would also love to know what my adamant Protestant brothers and sisters think about this one.
October 6, 2011
It read like an essay - finding all the reasons why catholics are right. There are many reasons why Catholics are wrong, just like any religion, belief or politics. He tried to choose some key ideas (abuse in the church, crusades, inquisition) which I cannot see as convincing the reader how Catholics are right there which is a shame since there are probably so many other areas of good. The author argues that one really shouldn't question the teachings. People need to think and use their own heads to decide regardless whether it is religion or politics if what is being said is the truth rather than following blindly like sheep.
April 4, 2012
I actually hid this book while I was reading it at work over the past few days. Suffice it to say that the author is a very conservative, orthodox Catholic who lays out the arguments for conservative, orthodox Catholicism. Not too much new here, but Mr. Coren writes well and certainly has the courage of his convictions. Definitely not a "Well, I can see your point of view, too" sort of book.
June 3, 2012
Michael Coren does a great job of not only thwarting misconceptions about the Church on current moral and social issues, but does a great job of doing it with misconceptions about its past in events like the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the about Galileo. A great read for those who believe the Church is outdated and needs to change. Hebrews 13:8 - The Truth will never change. He is eternal.
July 20, 2012
I bought this book after hearing Coren a couple of times on Catholic Answers Live.
The content and central argument are good. (I admit I am already sold on the idea that "Catholics are right." :o)
I don't like the way Coren drifts from one topic to another without providing headlines to help chart the transition. I'm following him OK, but I don't think my students would.
The content and central argument are good. (I admit I am already sold on the idea that "Catholics are right." :o)
I don't like the way Coren drifts from one topic to another without providing headlines to help chart the transition. I'm following him OK, but I don't think my students would.
August 5, 2015
One or two decent chapters, otherwise an ill-digested mass hiding behind a provocative title.
ETA: And since Coren has now left the Catholic Church (again) to become Anglican and has discarded his position on certain social issues I'm just going to say: Bah, humbug!
ETA: And since Coren has now left the Catholic Church (again) to become Anglican and has discarded his position on certain social issues I'm just going to say: Bah, humbug!
February 13, 2012
Easy reading, to the point and clear. A must have for every Catholic, or for those who want to find out facts about history.
February 22, 2014
A forthright and fair defence of Catholicism. I especially appreciated the debunking of much of the falacious pseudo-history about the crusades.
March 6, 2013
Brilliant! Intelligent, witty, and urgently needed in today's world.
October 17, 2018
It's a shame he left the faith and went protestant. Good book though .
May 18, 2023
This is a succinct and well written apologetic. “Why Catholics are right” is primarily focused on misconceptions people have about the Catholic faith, and is useful for a Christian of any tradition as it covers topics that often come up in conversations with non-Christians such as clergy sex-abuse and the crusades. It is more focused on political issues and common false narratives about Christianity than doctrine.
The author makes some very strong arguments, and the church history chapter is particularly good.
Unfortunately the author’s attempt at seamless transitions between different topics is a bit tacky and becomes quite predictable; I would have preferred chapter breaks and perhaps more information on each issue. I also would have appreciated more in-text citations and more detailed footnotes to substantiate the authors’ factual claims.
The author makes some very strong arguments, and the church history chapter is particularly good.
Unfortunately the author’s attempt at seamless transitions between different topics is a bit tacky and becomes quite predictable; I would have preferred chapter breaks and perhaps more information on each issue. I also would have appreciated more in-text citations and more detailed footnotes to substantiate the authors’ factual claims.
December 30, 2011
I would recommend this book to people seeking a better understanding of where the hard core Catholics in their lives might be coming from. Once I got past the author's arrogance (I am am guessing conservative Catholics have a similar gut reaction when reading a Michael Moore book) and the seeming misnomer (maybe, Why Catholics are Misunderstood would have been better?) I found the book to be very helpful. It was not a quick, easy, pleasing read, but it helped me see that my decision to leave the Catholic church was right for me and that maybe my own version of faith wasn't very Catholic to begin with. I found the chapter on life especially readable/ helpful and it gave me insight into seemingly single minded political views of folks who follow a more literal interpretation of Catholicism than I ever did.
November 21, 2012
I was really hoping for more from this book, although on the whole I enjoyed it. It went for several pages without citation, and then took whole page quotations in others. If the author could have processed the information more and made frequent references to sources, I would have found it more convincing. The last chapter in particular seemed so rushed and so busy that it felt like in certain places there were no transitions at all.
That being said, there were a few sections I thought the author phrased quite powerfully. If the author had written one more draft beyond what was published, it probably would have at least three if not a four star book.
That being said, there were a few sections I thought the author phrased quite powerfully. If the author had written one more draft beyond what was published, it probably would have at least three if not a four star book.
April 24, 2013
A bit of apologetics, but mainly just history and stating of clear facts to show how the Church has been poorly misaligned by modern society.
I learned a few factual things from the book, but I didn't really take to it... As he's presenting his arguments, Coren actually sounds kind of long-winded. (Part of that might have to do with my impatience and lack of interest...)
I learned a few factual things from the book, but I didn't really take to it... As he's presenting his arguments, Coren actually sounds kind of long-winded. (Part of that might have to do with my impatience and lack of interest...)
November 4, 2018
Michael Coren's book is an excellent explanation of numerous facets of the Catholic faith and, as one would guess by the title, and argument for why Catholicism is the one true religion. I doubt he'll earn many converts with this book, but faithful Catholics and those exploring the faith will learn a lot--I certainly did.
December 18, 2017
Catholics are so right that Coren decided to leave the Church and become a Protestant. Though some of the arguments Coren makes here can and should be considered when evaluating Catholicism as a whole, I found Coren's points lacked depth. Apparently, he thought so too, in the end.
March 12, 2013
My brother in law gave me this book to read and whilst I am a devout Catholic I could not get into this book.
October 12, 2018
I couldn't get into it. He basically believes in same sex marriage. It's his manifesto.
March 8, 2019
Even the parts I agreed with were poorly laid out and the arguments were riddled with condescension and inaccuracies.
January 20, 2021
This book offers a decent overview of common objections towards Catholicism and the Church's response. As a Catholic, there wasn't anything overly new, however I learnt about the background of the Galileo case and the Protestant reformers' mis-translations.
However, there are several issues with this book. Coren makes numerous claims without an apparent evidenced source, often on important points. I am no expert in academia, but this seems like poor scholarship, especially in a book which is meant to defend the faith. The first two chapters are thorough, however as the book progresses, the author utilises increasingly simplistic explanations and an almost alienating tone. He is literally 'preaching to the converted', which will seem inadequate to non-Catholics who have been promised of the "rational" arguments for the Catholic faith. In some sections, Coren seems to conflate Church teaching with his own opinions, notably in an incoherent tangent on animal rights where he defensively argues human superiority to the neglect of authentic Catholic teaching on care for creation.
A quick search will reveal that unfortunately Coren has left the Church, which is saddening, given his apparent zeal for Christ's Church in this book. Overall, this book may be helpful for Catholics wishing to gain a basic understanding of the anti-Catholic sentiments they may encounter, however I would advise against recommending this to non-Catholics interested in the Catholic Church, due to it's condescending and problematic construction, along with the inconsistency between the author's writing and their current religious persuasion.
However, there are several issues with this book. Coren makes numerous claims without an apparent evidenced source, often on important points. I am no expert in academia, but this seems like poor scholarship, especially in a book which is meant to defend the faith. The first two chapters are thorough, however as the book progresses, the author utilises increasingly simplistic explanations and an almost alienating tone. He is literally 'preaching to the converted', which will seem inadequate to non-Catholics who have been promised of the "rational" arguments for the Catholic faith. In some sections, Coren seems to conflate Church teaching with his own opinions, notably in an incoherent tangent on animal rights where he defensively argues human superiority to the neglect of authentic Catholic teaching on care for creation.
A quick search will reveal that unfortunately Coren has left the Church, which is saddening, given his apparent zeal for Christ's Church in this book. Overall, this book may be helpful for Catholics wishing to gain a basic understanding of the anti-Catholic sentiments they may encounter, however I would advise against recommending this to non-Catholics interested in the Catholic Church, due to it's condescending and problematic construction, along with the inconsistency between the author's writing and their current religious persuasion.
May 18, 2020
Short review: what a disgrace and waste of time! Btw author apologized for this book (see below).
Long review: check this discussion ”Who Speaks for Islam?” which was conducted by
Steve Paikin for his program ”The Agenda”.
Michael Coren was there to defend the book, but he miserably fails to address Shabir Ally's points. This discussion was conducted in 2014.
Discussion: https://www.tvo.org/video/who-speaks-...
However, fast-forward three years later, Michael Coren tweeted below:
------
Rev. Michael Coren
@michaelcoren
I saw Shabir Ally on my flight to the UK. A gentle/devout man. I apologized to him for a book I'd written & regret. He was so, so gracious.
3:43 PM · Aug 11, 2017
Tweet link: https://mobile.twitter.com/michaelcor...
------
My issue with above that the book is still available for sale, provoking people and inciting hatred. And no official announcement has been issued by Michael Coren. Instead, he elaborated in another tweet (reply to his original tweet), saying that ”No, I instead disowned some but not all of that.”
I mean seriously!!! At least you own your readers an updated view of what you think after you have convinced them that a whole religion and population hate them and wants them dead!!
And let's all agree that a tweeted apology won't do for the hatred and misleading content that been published and the endless talks and interviews he did promoting and defending the book...
Long review: check this discussion ”Who Speaks for Islam?” which was conducted by
Steve Paikin for his program ”The Agenda”.
Michael Coren was there to defend the book, but he miserably fails to address Shabir Ally's points. This discussion was conducted in 2014.
Discussion: https://www.tvo.org/video/who-speaks-...
However, fast-forward three years later, Michael Coren tweeted below:
------
Rev. Michael Coren
@michaelcoren
I saw Shabir Ally on my flight to the UK. A gentle/devout man. I apologized to him for a book I'd written & regret. He was so, so gracious.
3:43 PM · Aug 11, 2017
Tweet link: https://mobile.twitter.com/michaelcor...
------
My issue with above that the book is still available for sale, provoking people and inciting hatred. And no official announcement has been issued by Michael Coren. Instead, he elaborated in another tweet (reply to his original tweet), saying that ”No, I instead disowned some but not all of that.”
I mean seriously!!! At least you own your readers an updated view of what you think after you have convinced them that a whole religion and population hate them and wants them dead!!
And let's all agree that a tweeted apology won't do for the hatred and misleading content that been published and the endless talks and interviews he did promoting and defending the book...
October 20, 2017
A compilation of arguments supporting Catholic positions on various social and theological matters as well as an excursion into the distortions of the clergy abuse scandal. This is a cogent series of essays and would be helpful to have at hand for those many occasions on which friend and foe alike may indulge themselves in an anti-Catholic rant. Such rants are exempt from holy diversity and qualify in some circles as virtue signalling.
Let's face it, the Catholic church can really get in the way of a good time. No abortion, no euthanasia, not too much excitement about fetal experimentation, no great enthusiasm for hands-on homosexuality (same as any other fornication), no "magical marriage cure" for pedophilia, and so forth. Teaches only compassion and the primacy of relationship with God.
Spoil sports.
Let's face it, the Catholic church can really get in the way of a good time. No abortion, no euthanasia, not too much excitement about fetal experimentation, no great enthusiasm for hands-on homosexuality (same as any other fornication), no "magical marriage cure" for pedophilia, and so forth. Teaches only compassion and the primacy of relationship with God.
Spoil sports.
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