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Once a Catholic
A clear and simple presentation of the differences between Roman Catholic tradition and the teachings of Scripture. Use this sensitive, thoroughly biblical guidebook for personal reference or as a gift to Catholic family members and friends.
- GenresChristianity
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 30, 2012
A good book from someone who was once a catholic.
September 12, 2024
AN EVANGELICAL EVANGELIST WRITES TO CATHOLICS IN A 'RESPECTFUL SPIRIT"
Tony Coffey "has been ministering to a community of Christians in Dublin, Ireland for more than twenty years. As an evangelist, he conducts missions in Europe and North America, and in recent years he has served in India." He has also written 'Answers to Questions Catholics Are Asking.'
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1993 book, "Once a Catholic is written for Catholics... I have tried repeatedly to put myself in the place of the reader... To keep my attention the book would have to be grounded in Scripture, not opinion. And the writer would need to display a kind and respectful spirit in dealing with doctrines that are sincerely believed by many... I have tried to do just that... Once a Catholic has not been written to fuel the fires of sectarianism or to provide ammunition for overzealous persons who delight in scoring cheap points at the expense of the beliefs of others." (Pg. 12-13)
He states, "We must not make the mistake of thinking that the Scriptures received their authority because some council made a public statement of their acceptance... the early church accepted the Scriptures because it believed them to be from God and saw itself as subject to their authority, and not the other way around. Though the church existed before the New Testament was written, this does not give the church authority over the Scriptures or even authority equal to that of the Scriptures. The church must always be subject to the authority of God's Written Word." (Pg. 39)
He observes, "Whenever I have occasion to go to Mass for a wedding of funeral, I see how closely the Mass resembles the sacrificial service in the Old Testament. People in those days lived in the shadows, waiting for the future time when one priest would offer one perfect sacrifice for all time. Because the Catholic Church does not hold to this biblical truth, it has adopted the practice of holding Masses for almost every occasion." (Pg. 85-86)
He argues, "The testimony of Mary harmonizes with the whole tenor of Scripture. If we could ask her, 'Do you believe in the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception?' she would disclaim belief in that doctrine in the following way... On the testimony of Mary's own words [in Lk 1:46-47], she acknowledges her need for a Savior. Who needs a Savior? SINNERS do. Mary was in the best position to know whether she was a sinner or not. Second, Mary's actions after Jesus' birth show that she believer herself to be a sinner. After the birth of Jesus the time of her purification arrived, and she went to the temple and offered the appropriate sacrifices that were commanded in the law of Moses. The offering of sacrifices made Mary ceremonially clean. They also identified her as a sinner, a fact which she did not deny." (Pg. 123)
He notes, "the book of Maccabees never made any pretense of being inspired by God. In fact the writer quite openly said that he hoped his work didn't have too many flaws in it [2 Macc 15:38-39]... This certainly doesn't sound like a man who is writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No wonder this book was never regarded as Holy Scripture! Yet the Catholic Church clings to it to justify purgatory." (Pg. 140-141)
He argues, "Catholics are generally unaware of the second commandment because the Catholic Church numbers the commandments in an odd manner. If you compare the commandments in the Bible with those in the catechism you will see that the first commandment as recorded in both the Bible and the catechism is identical. However, the second commandment in the Bible (which forbids the making of statues) is omitted from the catechism. How then are we still left with ten commandments in the catechism?" (Pg. 154)
This book---while not the strongest available from an argumentative or exegetical perspective---will nevertheless be of interest to those looking for Evangelical critiques of Catholic doctrine---particularly given its relatively non-polemical tone.
Tony Coffey "has been ministering to a community of Christians in Dublin, Ireland for more than twenty years. As an evangelist, he conducts missions in Europe and North America, and in recent years he has served in India." He has also written 'Answers to Questions Catholics Are Asking.'
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1993 book, "Once a Catholic is written for Catholics... I have tried repeatedly to put myself in the place of the reader... To keep my attention the book would have to be grounded in Scripture, not opinion. And the writer would need to display a kind and respectful spirit in dealing with doctrines that are sincerely believed by many... I have tried to do just that... Once a Catholic has not been written to fuel the fires of sectarianism or to provide ammunition for overzealous persons who delight in scoring cheap points at the expense of the beliefs of others." (Pg. 12-13)
He states, "We must not make the mistake of thinking that the Scriptures received their authority because some council made a public statement of their acceptance... the early church accepted the Scriptures because it believed them to be from God and saw itself as subject to their authority, and not the other way around. Though the church existed before the New Testament was written, this does not give the church authority over the Scriptures or even authority equal to that of the Scriptures. The church must always be subject to the authority of God's Written Word." (Pg. 39)
He observes, "Whenever I have occasion to go to Mass for a wedding of funeral, I see how closely the Mass resembles the sacrificial service in the Old Testament. People in those days lived in the shadows, waiting for the future time when one priest would offer one perfect sacrifice for all time. Because the Catholic Church does not hold to this biblical truth, it has adopted the practice of holding Masses for almost every occasion." (Pg. 85-86)
He argues, "The testimony of Mary harmonizes with the whole tenor of Scripture. If we could ask her, 'Do you believe in the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception?' she would disclaim belief in that doctrine in the following way... On the testimony of Mary's own words [in Lk 1:46-47], she acknowledges her need for a Savior. Who needs a Savior? SINNERS do. Mary was in the best position to know whether she was a sinner or not. Second, Mary's actions after Jesus' birth show that she believer herself to be a sinner. After the birth of Jesus the time of her purification arrived, and she went to the temple and offered the appropriate sacrifices that were commanded in the law of Moses. The offering of sacrifices made Mary ceremonially clean. They also identified her as a sinner, a fact which she did not deny." (Pg. 123)
He notes, "the book of Maccabees never made any pretense of being inspired by God. In fact the writer quite openly said that he hoped his work didn't have too many flaws in it [2 Macc 15:38-39]... This certainly doesn't sound like a man who is writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No wonder this book was never regarded as Holy Scripture! Yet the Catholic Church clings to it to justify purgatory." (Pg. 140-141)
He argues, "Catholics are generally unaware of the second commandment because the Catholic Church numbers the commandments in an odd manner. If you compare the commandments in the Bible with those in the catechism you will see that the first commandment as recorded in both the Bible and the catechism is identical. However, the second commandment in the Bible (which forbids the making of statues) is omitted from the catechism. How then are we still left with ten commandments in the catechism?" (Pg. 154)
This book---while not the strongest available from an argumentative or exegetical perspective---will nevertheless be of interest to those looking for Evangelical critiques of Catholic doctrine---particularly given its relatively non-polemical tone.
September 13, 2012
I am so thankful that a good friend gave me this book when I was dating a Catholic and considering marriage. It was written by a former Catholic who started reading the bible and realized that it didn't line up with the teachings of the Catholic faith. This was a life changing book for me. It would also be a great book to read if you were witnessing to Catholics to know what their beliefs are and how they contradict what the bible says.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews