Jump to a Teaching

Foundations

  1. 1 Sola Scriptura vs. Scripture & Tradition
  2. 2 Sola Fide vs. Faith & Works (Justification)
  3. 3 Mary & the Saints
  4. 4 The Eucharist (Real Presence & the Mass)
  5. 5 Papal Authority & Apostolic Succession
  6. 6 Purgatory & Indulgences
  7. 7 Church of Christ-Specific Issues
  8. 8 Calvinist-Specific Issues (TULIP vs. Grace & Free Will)
  9. 14 The Canon of Scripture (Why Catholic Bibles Have 73 Books)
  10. 22 What “Justified” Means (and Paul vs. James)

Sacraments

  1. 9 Confession & Reconciliation
  2. 15 Baptism (and Why Catholics Baptize Infants)
  3. 19 Holy Orders & Priestly Celibacy
  4. 20 Confirmation (Is It an Extra Ceremony?)

Pastoral

  1. 10 Salvation Outside the Church

Practice

  1. 11 Images & Repetition (Statues & the Rosary)

Marian Dogmas

  1. 12 Immaculate Conception & Assumption
  2. 18 Mary’s Perpetual Virginity (and “the Brothers of Jesus”)

Capstone

  1. 13 The Nicene Creed, Line by Line

Church History

  1. 16 The “Great Apostasy” Claim (Did the Church Fall Away?)
  2. 17 The Abuse Scandal (Can This Be Christ’s Church?)
  3. 21 The Church Fathers (Who They Were and How to Cite Them)

Showing reference sheets.

Reference · Teaching 17

The Abuse Scandal — Cheat Sheet

The objection and the response

ObjectionResponse
The abuse and cover-ups disqualify the ChurchAgree they were grave evil. Christ's promise concerns preserving teaching and sacraments, not sinless leaders
Bishops protected abusersOwn it plainly. Do not deflect with comparisons
The Spirit can't be guiding thisJudas, Peter's denial and Ezekiel 34 show unfaithful leaders existed from the start

Key verses

VerseUsed for
Matthew 7:16Objection: judge by fruits.
Matthew 18:6Jesus' severe warning to anyone who harms a child.
Ezekiel 34God's judgment on shepherds who harm the flock.

The one-line argument to remember

Start from agreement: "It was evil, and the cover-ups made it worse. I'm not going to excuse it, and I'd like to tell you honestly how I'm thinking about it."

Nuance to hold onto