Catholic Answers
Encyclopedia
Catholic Answers, based in El Cajon
, California
, is one of the largest lay-run apostolates
of Catholic
apologetics
and evangelization
in the United States
. It publishes This Rock, a bimonthly magazine focusing on Catholic
evangelism
and apologetics. It also produces the Catholic Answers Live radio show, which features some of the most prominent men and women in the Catholic Church answering callers' questions.
Catholic Answers operates with the permission of the Diocese of San Diego
. As such, it is listed in the current edition of The Official Catholic Directory, the authoritative listing of Catholic organizations, priests, and bishops in the United States.
in response to a fundamentalist
Protestant church in San Diego
that was distributing anti-Catholic propaganda
in the form of tracts
placed on the cars of Catholics attending Mass
. Its mission statement
explains its purpose:
He first started by writing a modest tract titled "Catholic Answers" to counter the arguments he saw in the anti-Catholic tract. He distributed it on the windshields of the cars in the fundamentalist Protestant church's parking lot. Due to the feedback he received from that tract, he published 24 more tracts.
In 1988 he quit his law practice and turned Catholic Answers into a full time apostolate, with an office and full-time staff.
currently working for Catholic Answers include Director of Apologetics Tim Staples, speaker Jason Evert, Senior Apologist Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers Live Radio Host and Speaker Patrick Coffin, and staff apologists Peggy Frye, Michelle Arnold, Jim Blackburn, Leah Darrow, Matthew Fradd and Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.. Clinical psychologist Ray Guarendi
contributes regularly as a radio guest and speaker.
Catholic Answers Staff Profiles
Notable Catholic figures who formerly worked with Catholic Answers include Mark Brumley, Matthew Pinto, Patrick Madrid
, Rosalind Moss and Gerry Matatics.
16:18, in which Jesus tells the apostle Peter
: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." In the inaugural issue of the magazine, publisher and then-editor Karl Keating stated the magazine's mission: "Our desire is to mirror the Rock which is Peter, which rests upon the Rock which is Christ, and to explain clearly and accurately the Catholic faith."
. This publication promoted five "non-negotiable" issues that were also major political questions in the election cycle. The five non-negotiable issues explained and discussed were abortion
, euthanasia
, embryonic stem cell research
, same-sex marriage
and human cloning
. The term "non-negotiable" is used by Catholic Answers to describe issues that are "intrinsically evil and must never be promoted by law." Catholic Answers maintains that there are many more "non-negotiable" issues but these were "selected because they involve principles that never admit of exceptions and because they are currently being debated in U.S. politics."
"The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics" was criticized for correlating with a Republican
agenda. Critics argued that the publication did not take into account the full breadth of Catholic Social Teaching
, including economic, social justice
, or other life issues. Catholic Answers responded that political candidates can have a range of policy stances on issues that are not "non-negotiable" and still be in line with Church teaching. On the other hand, Catholics must not vote for candidates who take the wrong stance on "non-negotiable" issues.
While "The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics" made no endorsements of any candidate or political party, the organization came under strong attack by liberal
organizations and Democratic Party
candidates as a partisan publication. In 2004 complaints were filed by Catholics for a Free Choice
with the IRS claiming that it was in "blatant violation of its charitable status" in an attempt to revoke Catholic Answers tax exempt status.
An IRS investigation resulted in no action against Catholic Answers; the IRS ruled that the Voters Guide for Serious Catholics could be safely distributed by religious organizations because it did not comprise political intervention:
A new legal entity called Catholic Answers Action was created which has a separate 501(c)(4) tax status.
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is one of the largest lay-run apostolates
Lay apostolate
The lay apostolate is made up from laypeople and consecrated religious who exercise a ministry in cooperation with the Catholic Church. These organizations cooperate with ecclesiastical authorities. They operate "under direction of her pastors" but are not members of the official Church hierarchy...
of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
apologetics
Apologetics
Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers...
and evangelization
Evangelization
Evangelization is that process in the Christian religion which seeks to spread the Gospel and the knowledge of the Gospel throughout the world. It can be defined as so:-The birth of Christian evangelization:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It publishes This Rock, a bimonthly magazine focusing on Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and apologetics. It also produces the Catholic Answers Live radio show, which features some of the most prominent men and women in the Catholic Church answering callers' questions.
Catholic Answers operates with the permission of the Diocese of San Diego
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the western region of the United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of San Diego and Imperial Counties in Southern California, with a Catholic population of 1,981,057...
. As such, it is listed in the current edition of The Official Catholic Directory, the authoritative listing of Catholic organizations, priests, and bishops in the United States.
History
It was founded in 1979 by Karl KeatingKarl Keating
Karl Keating , a prominent Catholic apologist and author, is the founder and president of Catholic Answers, a lay apostolate of Catholic apologetics and evangelization....
in response to a fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
Protestant church in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
that was distributing anti-Catholic propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
in the form of tracts
Tract (literature)
A tract is a literary work, and in current usage, usually religious in nature. The notion of what constitutes a tract has changed over time. By the early part of the 21st century, these meant small pamphlets used for religious and political purposes, though far more often the former. They are...
placed on the cars of Catholics attending Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
. Its mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
explains its purpose:
- Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. We help good Catholics become better Catholics, bringing former Catholics "home", and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the faithFaithFaith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
. '
He first started by writing a modest tract titled "Catholic Answers" to counter the arguments he saw in the anti-Catholic tract. He distributed it on the windshields of the cars in the fundamentalist Protestant church's parking lot. Due to the feedback he received from that tract, he published 24 more tracts.
In 1988 he quit his law practice and turned Catholic Answers into a full time apostolate, with an office and full-time staff.
Staff
ApologistsApologetics
Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers...
currently working for Catholic Answers include Director of Apologetics Tim Staples, speaker Jason Evert, Senior Apologist Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers Live Radio Host and Speaker Patrick Coffin, and staff apologists Peggy Frye, Michelle Arnold, Jim Blackburn, Leah Darrow, Matthew Fradd and Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.. Clinical psychologist Ray Guarendi
Ray Guarendi
Raymond N. Guarendi, aka Dr. Ray, is a practicing clinical psychologist and authority on parenting and behavioral issues active in the Catholic niche media. Guarendi is an advocate of common sense approaches to child rearing and discipline issues....
contributes regularly as a radio guest and speaker.
Catholic Answers Staff Profiles
Notable Catholic figures who formerly worked with Catholic Answers include Mark Brumley, Matthew Pinto, Patrick Madrid
Patrick Madrid
Patrick Madrid , is an American Catholic author, radio host, apologist, the host of several EWTN television and radio series, and the publisher of Envoy Magazine....
, Rosalind Moss and Gerry Matatics.
Catholic Answers Magazine
The organization publishes a magazine called Catholic Answers Magazine, which was titled This Rock until 2011. The magazine deals with various aspects of Catholic theology, practice, apologetics, and evangelization. The magazine formerly published ten issues per year; in 2009, it was changed to six issues per year. The current editor is Cherie Peacock. The first issue was dated January 1990. The original title This Rock referred to MatthewGospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
16:18, in which Jesus tells the apostle Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." In the inaugural issue of the magazine, publisher and then-editor Karl Keating stated the magazine's mission: "Our desire is to mirror the Rock which is Peter, which rests upon the Rock which is Christ, and to explain clearly and accurately the Catholic faith."
The Voter's Guides controversy
Before the 2004 presidential election, Catholic Answers published the Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics. It was produced both in pamphlet form and as an insert to the newspaper USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. This publication promoted five "non-negotiable" issues that were also major political questions in the election cycle. The five non-negotiable issues explained and discussed were abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, embryonic stem cell research
Stem cell controversy
The stem cell controversy is the ethical debate primarily concerning the creation, treatment, and destruction of human embryos incident to research involving embryonic stem cells. Not all stem cell research involves the creation, use, or destruction of human embryos...
, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and human cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
. The term "non-negotiable" is used by Catholic Answers to describe issues that are "intrinsically evil and must never be promoted by law." Catholic Answers maintains that there are many more "non-negotiable" issues but these were "selected because they involve principles that never admit of exceptions and because they are currently being debated in U.S. politics."
"The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics" was criticized for correlating with a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
agenda. Critics argued that the publication did not take into account the full breadth of Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic social teaching
Catholic social teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state...
, including economic, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, or other life issues. Catholic Answers responded that political candidates can have a range of policy stances on issues that are not "non-negotiable" and still be in line with Church teaching. On the other hand, Catholics must not vote for candidates who take the wrong stance on "non-negotiable" issues.
While "The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics" made no endorsements of any candidate or political party, the organization came under strong attack by liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
organizations and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidates as a partisan publication. In 2004 complaints were filed by Catholics for a Free Choice
Catholics for a Free Choice
Catholics for Choice , formerly Catholics for a Free Choice , is a Catholic pro-choice organization based in Washington, D.C. that was founded "to serve as a voice for Catholics who believe that the Catholic tradition supports a woman's moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of...
with the IRS claiming that it was in "blatant violation of its charitable status" in an attempt to revoke Catholic Answers tax exempt status.
An IRS investigation resulted in no action against Catholic Answers; the IRS ruled that the Voters Guide for Serious Catholics could be safely distributed by religious organizations because it did not comprise political intervention:
"[Catholic Answers, Inc.] created, published and distributed the "Voters Guide for Serious Catholics" ("VGSC"). The VGSC asserts that it is intended to help the reader vote for candidates for public office in a manner consistent with Catholic moral teachings. The VGSC identifies five issues it deems to be "non-negotiable" issues and instructs the reader on how to narrow down the list of candidates to those who are acceptable based on the non-negotiable issues. The VGSC does not directly or indirectly make reference to any specific candidate, political party or election. Therefore, the content of the VGSC, standing alone, is not political campaign intervention because the VGSC does not support or oppose any specific candidate for public office [Addendum to Letter 3609P, May 2, 2008]."
A new legal entity called Catholic Answers Action was created which has a separate 501(c)(4) tax status.
External links
- Catholic Answers (official website)
- Catholic Answers' forums
- Catholic Answers' Original Catholic Encyclopedia
- Pure Love Club Catholic Answers' chastity outreach