Reddit reviews The World's First Love (2nd edition): Mary, Mother of God

Hi. I just wanted to update you. It's nearly 1am here, on Sunday morning, and I am just absolutely aghast at the amount of hatred and misinformation in this video. Rather than spend the next month writing a graduate level paper on Catholic Theology, I'm going to say a few things, and give you a few resources that should help you.

First - You should NEVER take a non-Catholic's definition of what Catholics believe. You shouldn't do that with any religion. This man, John MacArthur, is completely misinformed, and he has allowed this misinformation to fuel a level of vitriol that breaks my heart. It's painful to watch that video, because he is so wrong, and his congregation just eats it up. Apparently, he also enjoys being wrong, because according to Google, he's also a Young Earth Creationist.

Second - For someone who is supposed to be going through the sacraments this Easter, you are VERY poorly catechized. Not all, but a lot of his beliefs are part of a basic education in Catholicism, which you should have received as part of your RCIA classes. I don't know if your classes are poorly run, or if you just checked out because you were only doing this for your wife, but regardless, I don't think you've done even a modicum of research into the topic.

Third - You should only convert for yourself, not for anyone else. Not your wife, not your friends, not your parents. It should only be for you. Catholicism isn't just a religion. It's a culture. This isn't like most Protestant faiths, where your religion is like the color of your underwear (only those closest to you know it, and it has no bearing on your daily activities). Catholicism is a way of life. We have a liturgical calendar. We have acts we engage in outside of Mass. We have rote prayers, we have Reconciliation. Catholicism is a culture of humility and self-control, NOT self-aggrandizement. Becoming Catholic is accepting that all of creation exists, and it is not about you. This is extremely anathema to popular culture, and Protestant culture. You cannot come into Catholicism thinking that the exceptions to rules that Protestants made up for themselves are still in play. The Church is consistent, and painfully so.

Now, if you are still with me, and STILL interested in learning the truth about Catholicism, I am happy to provide you with resources.

First, if you haven't I suggest reading or watching the sermons of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.
This is a link to a video where he explains the meaning of the Mass. I recommend you watch a lot of his videos. He was a kind, loving man, and in my opinion, was the Mr. Rogers of Catholicism.

I'm also going to recommend his books, especially World's First Love. It beautifully explains why we venerate (note, I said VENERATE, not worship) the Virgin Mary.

I also recommend the following books by Scott Hahn: Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots, and The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Not to say his other works aren't great, but I think these will help you understand Catholicism as a culture a bit better.

I'd also like to recommend Theology for Beginners by F. J. Sheed, The Feast of Faith by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (aka Pope Benedict XVI), and The Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adam.

This is by no means a definitive list, but it is somewhere to get you started. I suggest you consider taking some time, and praying about this, and actually invest yourself in studying the Faith. I am still waiting for your list of questions, and when I see it I'll be happy to answer them.

Good Luck on your faith journey, and may God be with you.

Here is the mobile version of your link