Call no Man Father: (Mt. 23:9) And call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven. What is Christ referring to when He makes this statement? Well, to understand one must read what comes before and what comes after. In the verses before 9, Jesus is making a point about the scribes and the Pharisees. He states to the crowds that they should observe them (Pharisees and scribes) but not do as they do. He states that the Pharisees and the scribes want their works to be "seen" by men and that they love to be called Rabbi, or Father, or Master. Jesus wanted the crowds to see that the Pharisees and scribes did not deserve the titles given to them, they were not worthy of them.

Why do Catholics use the term father when speaking to a priest? Just as your earthly father cares for your physical needs and wants throughout your life, a priest also cares for his flock, but in a spiritual sense. A priest is there for parishioners' at rebirth (baptism) and throughout life. When one of his flock is in the hospital he is there, he is there even when the spirit departs the body at death. Let us look at some verses that use the term "father."

(1 Cor 4:15) - For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

(Acts 7:2) - And he said, Men, brethren and fathers, hearken; the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

(Acts 1:73) - The oath which he swore to our father Abraham.

Why do Catholics wear a Crucifix with Christ on the Cross? This is quite a common question non-Catholics ask. They cannot seem to understand why Catholics wear chains with Christ crucified. Non-Catholics believe that Christ is risen from the dead and does not belong on the cross. Christ rose from the dead, but He did not want us to forget what He did for us, and our miserable sins. Only because Jesus died upon the cross does the cross then become a sacred object. If you remove Christ from the cross you get two things, first you get the symbol of ancient Rome, a symbol of suffering and dying-a symbol of punishment. The second thing you get is the small letter "t". Do you think our Lord Jesus Christ suffered indescribable torments for us, not to be remembered on the cross? No! The cross with Christ upon it is a reminder of the love He has for us. The crucifix is also a way to help keep us humble and reminds us not to sin. The crucifix is a reminder for us that it was our sins that nailed Him to the cross.

(1 Cor 1:23-24) Peter states: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

(John 3:14) Jesus states: And as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus Himself tells us that He must be lifted up onto the cross, so that in this way people will believe and have eternal life.

Priestly Celibacy -A priest knows full well before he takes his final vows that celibacy is a part of that vow. The Catholic Church does not force men to become priests, they freely choose this vocation and are well aware that celibacy is one of the requirements. Let us look at some Bible verses that support priestly celibacy:

(Mt. 19:12) - Jesus speaking: For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men; and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom or heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

(1 Cor. 7:32-33) - But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

With God's grace anything is possible. Priests only follow the footsteps of their high priest Jesus, who for his entire life remained unmarried.

Did Jesus drink grape juice or wine? Let us look at some Bible verses that direct us in the proper usage of wine before we answer this question. You will see that the Bible clearly mentions that over drinking is the sin.

(Rom. 14:14) St. Paul states - I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

From the book of Sirach (this is one of 7 books removed from the original Old Testament by Martin Luther) we see that wine is permitted if used in moderation.

(Sirach 31:25-31) - Do not aim to be valiant over wine, for wine has destroyed many, Fire and water prove the temper of steel, so wine tests hearts in the strife of the proud. Wine is like life to men, if you drink it in moderation. What is life to a man who is without wine? It has been created to make men glad. Wine drunk in season and temperately is rejoicing of heart and gladness of soul. Wine drunk to excess is bitterness of soul, with provocation and stumbling. Drunkenness increases the anger of a fool to his injury, reducing his strength and adding wounds (Ignatius Revised Standard)

(Psalms 104:15) - and wine that maketh glad the heart of man.

(1 Tim 6:23) - Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

(Eph 5:18) Paul says: do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery. (Paul does not say not to drink wine but not to get drunk with wine.)

(1 Tim 3:8, 3:3; Titus 1:7) - Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre. (The deacons are not to drink "to" much wine. Meaning that wine is permitted if not in excess.)

Now let us look at verses that concerning Jesus:

(Mt. 11:18-19 & Lk. 7:34) - For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners… (This statement would not make sense if Jesus were merely drinking un-aged wine or grape juice).

(Jn. 2:1-11) - The wedding feast of Canna - to summarize this passage, let us look at verse 10, where Jesus changes water into wine, because the wine has run out. (vs. 10) And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou has kept the good wine until now. What is Jn. 2:10 saying? That the normal procedure for a wedding is to have the "good" wine first, so that by the time this "good" wine is gone they can bring out the "not so good" wine because they will be less likely to notice the difference.

Why do Catholics support Pro-Life issues so strongly? One of the commandments given to Moses by God was, "THOU SHALT NOT KILL." (Exodus 20:13). Catholics believe that at the moment of conception new life has begun. The Bible very strongly acknowledges life in the womb in both the Old and New Testaments:

OLD TESTAMENT

(Eccl. 11:5) - As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

(Gen. 25:22-25) - And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

(Psalm 127:3,4)) - "behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is His reward."

(Isaiah 44:2) -Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee form the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou Jesurun whom I have chosen.

(Job 31:15) - Did not he that made me in the womb maketh him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

(Isaiah 49:1) - Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

(Jer. 1:5) - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

NEW TESTAMENT

(Gal. 1:15-16) - But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood;

(Lk. 1:41) - And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost (Elisabeth's unborn baby greets his unborn savior in Mary's womb).

EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS (DIDACHE) (140 A.D.) -

1 The second commandment of the teaching [2] You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys. You shall no commit fornication. You shall not steal. You shall not practice magic. You shall not use potions. You shall not procure abortion, nor destroy a newborn child. [3] You shall not covet you neighbors goods. You shall not perjure yourself. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not speak evil. You shall not bear malice (8).

Statements from ex-abortionists: (IS THE FETUS HUMAN by Eric Pastuszek)

Question: Based on your past experience with abortions, would you agree that the fetus is a biological human being?

Answer: The baby is discernible by the time the woman knows she's pregnant.

Question: Were there ever any other fetal movements or fetal expressions (during of after the abortion) which confirmed that the fetus was a human being?

Answer: You can see the baby moving. When you perform an abortion under sonography, you see the baby move away when the instruments are inserted into the vagina."

When a Catholic divorces, are they excommunicated from the Church? No, Catholics are not excommunicated from the church if they get a divorce. The Catholic Church realizes that situations arise when a married man and woman can no longer live together, such as in the case of an abusive spouse or harm to the children of this union. The Church suggests in such cases that the two live apart, they are however still married in the eyes of the Church. It is possible for such a couple to have a divorce in the eyes of civil authorities but not in the eyes of God. Only through death is the sacramental marriage dissolved. If both spouses remain separated and do not marry they may receive all the sacraments of the church. If one spouse does remarry then he or she in turn is committing adultery and is not permitted to participate in the sacraments of the church. (Summarized from the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

How does the Bible support issues of divorce and remarriage? Let us look at some Bible verses that support the Catholic beliefs:

(St. Mark 10:2-12) - Summary vs. 11-12: Jesus said: And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

(St. Mark 10:9) - What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

(Romans 7:1-3) - Do you not know, brethren--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law is binding on a person only during his life? Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies she is free from that law and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

What is an Annulment and can Catholics remarry after having an annulment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church views an annulment as follows:

[1629] For this reason (or for other reasons that render the marriage null and void) the Church, after an examination of the situation by the competent ecclesiastical tribunal, can declare the nullity of a marriage, i.e., that the marriage never existed. In this case the contracting parties are free to marry, provided the natural obligations of a previous union are discharged.

The Catholic Church charges those who want an Annulment. Yes, there is a fee associated with the process of an annulment. The fee is for the processing of the application, not for the annulment itself. Like any operation were people work, they must be paid. Those who work for the Catholic Church are paid for their time.