Let There Be No Divisons Among You

by John MacLaughlin

With clear, compelling logic bolstered by countless Scriptural confirmations, Fr. John MacLaughlin here considers the oft-heard claim that it doesn't matter what Christian denomination you join, so long as you re sincere. Formally known as Indifferentism , this view has in recent centuries taken deep root among Christians. Indeed, indifferentism is the enemy not only of Protestantism and Catholicism, but of Christ Himself, who revealed to His apostles scores of truths about Himself and the way of salvation, never encouraging them to pick and choose among those truths. Not only then, argues Fr. MacLaughlin, is one Christian denomination not as good as another; embracing the wrong one can lead a good-hearted soul into utter unbelief, jeopardizing his salvation. For this reason, Fr. MacLaughlin devotes the second half of this immensely popular book to delineating for readers the two fundamental characteristics that will ever and always be found in the one Church that Christ founded and to which he intends all men and women to belong. Among the things you will learn

Genres: Religion, Catholic

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2017

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let There Be No Divisions Among You is an attempt by the Rev. John MacLaughlin to explain why all Christians should be Catholic or to be more specific Roman Catholic. The book is divided into two parts - There Can Be Only One Church and Marks of the One True Church. In the first part of the book, he speaks primarily of indifferentism, which in layman's terms says that all religions are equal if you lead a good/moral life. To dispute this ridiculous notions, he gives us five examples (in five chapters) that disprove it - Reason, Revelation, the Conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10), the Council of Jerusalem, and St. Paul. This was a solid argument that was well-reasoned and gave concrete examples of how you cannot just pick whatever religion/denomination you want.

Part Two is shorter in span and attempts to show the reader what criteria makes up the one true Church. The Church is normally known for its four marks - one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Oddly, Rev. MacLaughlin choose to reduce his criteria to two - unity and universality. He then focuses on The Church of England and "The Greek-Russian Church" (better known as the Orthodox Church) to explain how they have neither have unity nor universality, unlike the Roman Catholic Church. This was an unfortunate section to read. The author seems very militant in his approach and use of words, constantly using the term schismatic when referring to these two churches. To make matters worse, he is under the impression that the Orthodox Church does not do missionary work. All I need to do is reference Alaska and St. Herman of Alaska to easily dispute that. The author also seems to only reference the Roman Catholic Church, which is is the biggest rite in the Catholic Church, but certainly not the only one.

Overall, I have very mixed feelings about this book, and I honestly expected to when I saw the title. As good as the first half of the book is, the second half is equally disappointing. I believe the author's intentions were good, but his execution in his message left much to be desired and could instead turn people off from converting to the Catholic Church.

This book was provided to me for free by Sophia Institute Press in exchange for an honest review.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book written by Rev. John MacLaughlin. At times, the book itself being very detailed, may become challenging, but when you complete the book you will understand the simple message very clearly. As a Catholic convert, being raised LDS, it is so rewarding to find yet another factual piece of literature that provides you with a true and accurate message. How can anyone separate themselves into believing that the teachings of Christ did not originate with the Catholic Church? To read this book and look further into the lives of the Apostles gives you the insight one would need to believe what is true and what has now and continues to be changed, altered, and fixed to new beliefs and the needs for those to feel that they are part of a group. Let's go back to the teachings of Christ and who Christ gave the keys of his kingdom to - what other information do you need? It is much simpler and clearer than we might see it. Read the book, its fantastic!

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no room for indifference. Either the Catholic Church is true or it is not. There is only one truth and there can only be one true church.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I ever read. Clear, very readable, and very compelling.