The Catechism

All my life I have had in my hands the Holy Bible.  Growing up sola scriptura I learned that this was the only book I ever needed for my answers.  (Which seems odd to me considering the multi-million, if not billion dollar industry that is Christian self-help books among Protesantism.)  Don't get me wrong, I love the Bible, but I find it raises more questions than answers.  And forget asking Protestants to clarify.  You'll get 30,000 different interpretations!!

For years now I just wanted a book that would explain things clearly and simply and help me understand the Bible verses better and how I should live my Christian life.

I found the Catechism of the Catholic Church (second edition) at my local Goodwill for $1.99.  While I didn't expect much from it, because I am still seeking and the old tapes of doubt still continue to play in my ears concerning the Catholic Church, I can say that this is the sort of book I was looking for!

I love that it was created!  Protestants typically have a Statement of Faith, which briefly discusses core beliefs and a few verses to reference.  It takes up maybe a page, double spaced, on a website.  Everything else seems up to debate and interpretation.  I appreciate that for centuries, reaching back to the earliest we can grab to Christ's ascension, the Catholic Church sat down and established this catechism so keep the church united worldwide.  Sure, there's still human error and interpretation...we are imperfect people with varying life experiences...but for the most part, this is unifying across the world and throughout time!  The answers are there!

It isn't like the Protestant faith which has no unity.  Within the Protestant Faith are tens of thousands of denominations, and today there are splinter groups, cults, non-denoms, house churches, church splits.  Any person can start calling himself or herself a pastor, acquire some credentials somewhere, and start a church based on their opinion and interpretation of the Scripture, or not even really use Scripture at all!  Modern Protestantism has become a booming business and celebrity (ahem, Joel Olsteen).

The Catholic Church is fairly constant, which I like.  It remains an unwavering witness.  If there is Truth, it is Truth established.  It is like God, the same yesterday, today, and forever.  It isn't about my truth, or your truth, or what someone thinks is truth.  It is TRUTH!  How can Protestants, all 30,000 plus denominations, each say that have the TRUTH when it is constantly altered, changing, reinterpreted, part of people's visions and dreams, opinions, research.....changing year after year, decade after decade, century after century?

IF Catholicism is heresy and Protestantism is what Christ really established, I would think there would be more unity.