$100 Challenge Rules. Need Help

[Brother Adam]

Catechetics Online is forming an official contest with real money involved, but we are looking for help forming rules to make it fair for both Catholics and non-Catholics.

Here is what we have so far, both Protestant, non-Christian, and Catholic input is welcome. I should add that the "pot" has started at $100, but has already grown to $200.

[size=4][b]The $100 Catholic Challenge[/b][/size]

Rules [color="#FF0000"]in Progress[/color]

Responding
1. Responses to this challenge must be submitted to apologetics@catecheticsonline.com [[color="#FF0000"]currently an inactive email address[/color]]
2. Responses must include the real name of one person or organization who is submitting the response with a valid email address.
3. Responses are limited to 5 pages, double spaced, 1 inch margins, Times New Roman font. Any responses going over this limit will be discarded.

Topics
1. This challenge is to prove any of the following:
-- That the Catholic Church has taught strictly contrary to a teaching in the Bible.
-- That the Catholic Church has contradicted itself on matters of doctrine or morals throughout its official teaching history.
2. The top of each response should first include the Bible verse, passage, or pericope. Or it should include the two supposed contradictory statements with as much information about their sources as can be furnished. It should quote or reference the official teaching of the Catholic Church.

Identifying official resources to use.
1. Any one of these resources may be used as official resources from the Catholic Church towards which responses may be directed.
2. The Holy Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official documents of the Ecumenical councils, other writings which the Church has proclaimed in its ordinary or extraordinary competency.

Claiming the Prize
1. Catechetics Online may not be able to respond to every submission, but will do its best to cover every topic or passage submitted. If two submissions cover the same topic or passage, the earlier submission will be accepted.
2. If Catechetics Online is ever overwhelmed with more responses than it can handle to respond to in a reasonable time, the email address for responses may be temporarily disabled until staff members are able to catch up.
3. If Catechetics Online, after consulting Catholic theologians and religious leaders determines that a response has validly identified an area where the Church has taught contrary to the scriptures or has contradicted itself, they will contact the person or organization who made the submission and asked for the name and address charitable organization of their choice for the money which has been placed in the "pot" to go to. A check will be mailed to the organization within 30 days of receiving the name. If the winner does not respond with a charity within 60 days the funds will be given to a charitable organization of CO.com's choosing.
4. The charitable organization must be approved at the sole discretion of the webmaster of Catechetics Online. No charity that supports a moral evil or is strictly anti-Catholic by its nature may be chosen as the recipient of this prize. The organization must have 401©3 status in the United States of America.

Edited May 3, 2007 by Brother Adam

[dairygirl4u2c]

i admire it as a clever marketing ploy. and if they are truly open to seeking truth, i admire that too.
i doubt they're open to the possibility that it contradicted itself. i gotta book by a catholic guy trying to show how the CC didn't contradict itself, but if i do a quick review of his cites and articles, the catechism, and past remarks, i think i gotta good go with "extra nulla sullus" or whatever. the prob of course is i can only show circumstantial evidence, and they won't buy it. it'll boil down to a matter of interpretation.

[prose]

I'll add to that pot.

[thessalonian]

Hey can I play! :

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' post='1263437' date='May 3 2007, 08:29 PM']i admire it as a clever marketing ploy. and if they are truly open to seeking truth, i admire that too.
i doubt they're open to the possibility that it contradicted itself. i gotta book by a catholic guy trying to show how the CC didn't contradict itself, but if i do a quick review of his cites and articles, the catechism, and past remarks, i think i gotta good go with "extra nulla sullus" or whatever. the prob of course is i can only show circumstantial evidence, and they won't buy it. it'll boil down to a matter of interpretation.[/quote]

I don't think it needs to be a matter of interpretation. We want to understand the Bible as it was meant to be understood - in context. As long as one reads the Church documents in context, if Protestants are correct about how evil the Catholic Church is, it should only take a day or two before someone wins the $100+.

[Budge]

The only way to make this test fair, would be to have an impartial judge NOT one that is partial to the Catholic Church.

So how are you going to do that?



I could prove those statements over and over again, but youd all just tell me Im misinformed about Catholicism and point to a 200 foot pile of encylicals and ECF writings.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Budge

[Budge]

Ill post this on my board by the way, tommorow since its late.

[Guest T-Bone]

[quote name='Budge' date='May 3 2007, 08:00 PM' post='1263623'

I could prove those statements over and over again, but youd all just tell me Im misinformed about Catholicism and point to a 200 foot pile of encylicals and ECF writings.
[/quote]

So, basically, you'd be using your own prejudices to reinforce the same prejudices?

[N/A Gone]

[quote name='Budge' post='1263623' date='May 3 2007, 10:00 PM']I could prove those statements over and over again, but youd all just tell me Im misinformed about Catholicism and point to a 200 foot pile of encylicals and ECF writings.[/quote]



Please, do....school is almost done and I would love some good reading.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='Budge' post='1263623' date='May 4 2007, 01:00 AM']The only way to make this test fair, would be to have an impartial judge NOT one that is partial to the Catholic Church.

So how are you going to do that?



I could prove those statements over and over again, but youd all just tell me Im misinformed about Catholicism and point to a 200 foot pile of encylicals and ECF writings.[/quote]

Quoting an ECF is not valid, unless they are a pope making a definitive statement on the faith that all must believe. It would be impossible to have a judge who has no bias, because you are either Catholic, or you are not. I don't think that makes it impossible to be fair though, just more difficult.

[Budge]

[quote]Quoting an ECF is not valid, unless they are a pope making a definitive statement on the faith that all must believe.[/quote]

Who is going to define what Pope is definitive or not? You see thats where the trouble comes in.

RIght now there are things on the books that Pius XI preached in syllabus of errors, that are being conducted NOW by Vatican II popes.

[Budge]

Also the anti-catholic rule, that cuts off everyone who truly disagrees with your church or holds a biblical view of where it stands meaning only milquetoast Revelation 17 Protestants could enter this contest but why would they feel so bothered. You may get a Calvinist to take up the offer...maybe.

I posted your challenge on my board.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Budge

[Aloysius]

the people you call "revelation 17" protestants, ie the majority of protestants, we consider the rational reasonable ones. they seem to qualify as being "revelation 17" protestants by not buying into your conspiracy theories.

[Budge]

Hey I know that.

I expect the world to consider every Bible Christian, to be a crazed radical to be rounded up and thrown in prison or done away with once we get close to the end days. {before the Rapture most Christians believe there will be a time of severe persecution and Christians are facing this now in other nations}

The world LOVES the Protestant and evangelical preachers who preach interfaithism and joining with Rome.

Jhn 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.

I am under no delusions about what it means to be a Bible Believing Christian in this culture, I have won over some folks via love on personal level who are not Christians {I pray they will be one day} who I do love and care about, but most of the world hates Christians, considers them "crazy", "mentally disturbed" etc.


Werent the apostles in book of Acts called crazy or drunk once when under the power of the Holy Spirit?
[b]
Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Act 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.[/b]

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='Budge' post='1264082' date='May 4 2007, 11:49 AM']Who is going to define what Pope is definitive or not? You see thats where the trouble comes in.

RIght now there are things on the books that Pius XI preached in syllabus of errors, that are being conducted NOW by Vatican II popes.[/quote]

Not at all. I'll give you a "for instance". Pope Benedict XVI is about to publish a book on his personal search for the "face of Jesus". The pope is not exercising the Office of Peter by publishing this book, so one could not use it in the contest. The Syllabus of Errors published by Pius XI is published by the Vatican using their ordinary competency.

Also, one must remember that the claim of the Church is that it is infallible on matters (teachings) of faith and morals. So something dealing with canon law, which regularly changes, would not count.

I hope you did not post it at your website as something that is already going on. As is posted in the original post on this thread, the contest is not open yet. We are still working on the rules.