Reason #513 Why I'm Catholic

A Visible and Identifiable Church

artwork done by the czar

The easiest way to figure out if something exists is to pull into a town and ask someone in the town where you can find it. Well, sort of. When you pull into a town, you will at the least figure out what people really think by their replies.

Example #1

"Where can I find a McDonald's?"

"Right down there, turn left, you can't miss it."

"Thanks!"

Example #2

"I was looking for Lake Minus, do you know where it is?"

"Ain't nowhere around here mister. You must be confused or something."

"Sorry, have a nice day"

Example #3

"I'm looking for a shoe"

"Sir, this is a big town. There are a lot of shoes here. Could you be more specific?"

"I'm looking for a size 9 brown shoe."

"Well, then I would recommend the shop right down on the corner of Ham and 8th St."

"Thanks!"

This is where it gets wierd.

Non-Example #4

"I'm looking for the Church that Jesus talked about in the Bible"

"Huh?"

"The Church, the one that Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against."

"Sir, we have a lot of options in this town. It really depends on what you believe."

"I think we don't understand each other. I'm looking for the Church that is the ground and pillar of truth. I'm not looking to be the ground and pillar of truth. So, if you would, just point me to the Church that Jesus founded."

"Sir, that doesn't exist."

"What?"

"Nope. All we have here is one founded by Brother Paul and another one started in 1902 by the Missionary Brothers of the Holy Snake Handlers."

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Really? Is this all Jesus left us? If so, I give up, I'm going home, taking my legos with me and I'm not sharing. 

This is a sad, sad, sad state of affairs.

Find McDonald's? Check. Determine the lake isn't in this town? Check. Find a shoe store? Check. Find the Church Jesus Founded? No search results found.

If there isn't an ounce of a problem with this picture for you, we are going dutch. Seriously, I'm not buying your lunch and I'm taking back my pickle. 

Let me break this down for you real easy:

• Not one time in Scripture does Jesus ask anyone to write anything down
• This doesn't do harm to Scripture, just establishes from Scripture that the Bible is not the foundation of how Jesus built his Church
• We do notice that He called people (Apostles)
• He told them he was sent by the Father, and that he in the same way was sending them
• He handed off his ministry to them, the prince of whom was St. Peter
• Since more than 10% of their brain cells were working (that's a myth), they followed his example and passed of their ministry to other people

Within just 2 generations, St. Ignatius of Antioch pens, "Wheresoever the bishop (successor of the Apostle) appears, there let the people be, even as wheresoever Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

Got it. Good. That works. I know what to do.

Example #5

"Where is the Catholic Church?"

"Sir, you'll have to drive about 15 minutes that way."

"Thank you."


Problem. Solved.