#12885 Why Does the Church Oppose Surrogacy? Pro-Life and Ethics - Emily Dinneny

“Where do we see the sacraments in early Church history?” This question opens a discussion on the foundational role of sacraments, while also addressing how the sacrament of marriage can lead to sainthood, the biblical basis for confirmation, and the significance of exorcised salt in baptism. The conversation touches on various aspects of sacramental theology and its historical context. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:01 – Where Do We See the Sacraments in the Early Church? 16:20 – Could you expound how the sacrament of marriage is also a path to sainthood since we see so many examples of celibate people as saints? 22:00 – Is confirmation really in the Bible? 31:46 – What was the role of Exorcised salt in the Sacrament of Baptism prior to the Consilium’s reforms 35:19 – What if someone passes away while going through OCIA or before confirmation and they are never able to receive the Eucharist? Are they at risk of not being accepted into Heaven? 42:39 – What book on John Duns Scotus do you recommend? 45:24 – why do you have to wait so long to make your first confession?

“Why does the Church oppose surrogacy?” This question opens a discussion on the ethical implications of surrogacy, including the recent case of a surrogate mother pressured to abort. The conversation also touches on practical ways to discuss this topic and the complexities surrounding rescue surrogacy for children left in freezing facilities. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 00:49 – Regarding the recent turmoil of the surrogate mother who was told to abort the child 18:23 – How do you approach this topic in conversation? What a practical approach? 29:17 – What are your thoughts on rescue surrogacy for kids who have been left behind in freezing facilities? 41:05 – This subject is why I’m not Catholic. You claim to be pro-life but when it means more babies you oppose it.

“Is the Ark of the Covenant Mary?” This question leads to a discussion on biblical interpretations, including references from 2 Maccabees and Revelation. Other topics include discerning the Holy Spirit’s guidance toward the Catholic Church, the role of the Church in writing the New Testament, and the complexities of papal authority and salvation outside the Church. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:25 – 2 Maccabees 2:5 describes Jeremiah hiding the Ark and Revelation 11:19 shows the Ark. Why do you insist it is Mary? 07:24 – How can I know Holy Spirit is leading me to the Catholic Church? 13:41 – ​​Is it right to say that the Catholic Church wrote the New Testament since the Church came first? 17:30 – How would you show a Protestant the priesthood in the New Testament? 24:41 – Who chooses the Pope? Why have there been various anti-popes? How do we know we have the right one? 41:37 – How do you reconcile no salvation outside the Church with Vatican II’s teaching that those outside the Church can attain salvation, if both are infallible teachings? 46:21 – If the Church says there are dogmas which “must” be believed, why doesn’t it have a list of those dogmas/beliefs?

“Is salvation outside the Church possible?” This question opens a discussion on the relationship between salvation and the Catholic Church, touching on topics such as the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding individuals to the Church, the authorship of the New Testament, and the complexities surrounding the papacy and anti-popes. Additionally, the conversation addresses the apparent tension between traditional teachings and Vatican II’s perspectives on salvation. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:25 – 2 Maccabees 2:5 describes Jeremiah hiding the Ark and Revelation 11:19 shows the Ark. Why do you insist it is Mary? 07:24 – How can I know Holy Spirit is leading me to the Catholic Church? 13:41 – ​​Is it right to say that the Catholic Church wrote the New Testament since the Church came first? 17:30 – How would you show a Protestant the priesthood in the New Testament? 24:41 – Who chooses the Pope? Why have there been various anti-popes? How do we know we have the right one? 41:37 – How do you reconcile no salvation outside the Church with Vatican II’s teaching that those outside the Church can attain salvation, if both are infallible teachings? 46:21 – If the Church says there are dogmas which “must” be believed, why doesn’t it have a list of those dogmas/beliefs?

“What do Protestants misunderstand about the Bible?” This question opens a discussion on common misconceptions, while also addressing related topics such as how to engage with a Sedevacantist friend, the authority of early papal condemnations, and the validity of the Orthodox Church despite their relationship with the Pope. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:00 – What do Protestants misunderstand about the bible? 12:47 – My friend is a Sedevacantist. How can I talk to him and tell him that sedevacantism is not Catholic? 21:20 – Reviewing what clips from movies and series I can use for my Bible classes, there’s a huge gap from Daniel (538 BC) to the birth of Christ. Does anyone know of a movie set in Judea in the Persian/Greek/early Roman period 538 BC-4 BC? 28:57 – Outside of the CCC what suggested readings do you have for learning about what it means to be Catholic? 35:01 – what should I do because I’m really trying to leave 1st Calvary Baptist Church and he tells me the Rosary is not in the Bible!! What should I do? 38:27 – How authoritative are papal condemnations (calling X doctrine “heresy”) by early popes (and/or doctors of the church) in their letters/theological treatises? (For example the Agnoete controversy) 44:03 – Can you explain the different eastern rites specifically the Syro-malabar rite? How can you explain to our Protestants and Orthodox friends that they are also Catholic? 50:31 – How is it that the Orthodox Church is valid if they don’t follow the Pope?

“What do Protestants misunderstand about the Bible?” This question opens a discussion on key theological differences, while also addressing how to engage with friends who hold sedevacantist views, the significance of papal condemnations, and the role of the Rosary in Catholic practice. The conversation spans various topics, providing insights into Catholic beliefs and practices. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 01:00 – What do Protestants misunderstand about the bible? 12:47 – My friend is a Sedevacantist. How can I talk to him and tell him that sedevacantism is not Catholic? 21:20 – Reviewing what clips from movies and series I can use for my Bible classes, there’s a huge gap from Daniel (538 BC) to the birth of Christ. Does anyone know of a movie set in Judea in the Persian/Greek/early Roman period 538 BC-4 BC? 28:57 – Outside of the CCC what suggested readings do you have for learning about what it means to be Catholic? 35:01 – what should I do because I’m really trying to leave 1st Calvary Baptist Church and he tells me the Rosary is not in the Bible!! What should I do? 38:27 – How authoritative are papal condemnations (calling X doctrine “heresy”) by early popes (and/or doctors of the church) in their letters/theological treatises? (For example the Agnoete controversy) 44:03 – Can you explain the different eastern rites specifically the Syro-malabar rite? How can you explain to our Protestants and Orthodox friends that they are also Catholic? 50:31 – How is it that the Orthodox Church is valid if they don’t follow the Pope?

Does the New Testament require baptism by full immersion, or can baptism also be performed by pouring or sprinkling? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Brayden Cook responds to major Protestant objections to the Catholic understanding of baptism. He explains what baptism washes away in infants, whether Paul’s comparison between baptism and circumcision supports infant baptism, and what Mark 16:16 teaches about the necessity of baptism. Brayden also examines whether Cornelius receiving the Holy Spirit before baptism proves that regeneration occurs apart from the sacrament, whether the thief on the cross disproves baptismal necessity, and whether Scripture requires personal belief before baptism. Finally, he addresses how Catholics can say baptism washes away sin while also affirming that it is Christ’s blood that cleanses us from all sin. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:29 – Where does the New Testament authorize pouring or sprinkling instead of immersion?   11:50 – If infants have committed no personal sins, what sins does baptism wash away—and where does Scripture say that Adam’s guilt is removed through infant baptism?  16:45 – Is the Catholic comparison between baptism and circumcision (Col. 2:11–12) really valid, or does the new covenant require conscious faith rather than mere physical descent?  20:55 – If baptism is necessary for salvation, why does Mark 16:16 say that the one who does not believe is condemned, rather than the one who is not baptized?  25:05 – Cornelius received the Holy Spirit before he was baptized (Acts 10:44–48). Doesn’t that prove he was already regenerated and saved before baptism?  36:40 – The thief on the cross was promised paradise without being baptized (Luke 23:39–43). Doesn’t that disprove the claim that baptism is necessary?  46:10 – Don’t Jesus’ words, “Whoever believes and is baptized” (Mark 16:16), establish the biblical order: personal belief first, baptism afterward?  51:21 – If Christ’s blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7), why does the Catholic Church claim that baptism washes away sin? 

If faith comes through hearing the gospel and believing in Christ brings salvation, what does baptism actually add? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Brayden Cook responds to some of the strongest objections to the Catholic understanding of baptism. He addresses what happens to those who never hear the gospel, the biblical and historical evidence for infant baptism, and whether requiring baptism contradicts salvation by grace through faith apart from works. The discussion also examines whether baptism is merely an outward symbol or actually brings regeneration, what 1 Peter 3:21 means when it says “baptism now saves you,” whether being “born of water and the Spirit” in John 3 refers to baptism, and why Catholics baptize using the Trinitarian formula despite Acts describing baptism “in the name of Jesus.” Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:18 – Paul says that faith comes through hearing the gospel (Rom. 10:17). If hearing and believing bring salvation, what does baptism actually add?  11:30 – If baptism is necessary for salvation, what happens to people who never hear the gospel or are never taught that they must be baptized?  20:45 – If infant baptism is apostolic, why is there no unambiguous example of it in Scripture—and what is the earliest historical evidence that Christians actually practiced it?  29:10 – If we are justified by faith apart from works (Rom. 3:28; Eph. 2:8–9), why does the Catholic Church insist that the work of baptism is necessary for salvation?  31:15 – Isn’t baptism simply an outward sign that someone has already been saved, rather than a sacrament that actually causes regeneration?  36:00 – Doesn’t 1 Peter 3:21 explicitly deny that physical washing saves and locate salvation instead in an appeal—or pledge—of a good conscience toward God?  46:50 – If Jesus meant baptism when he said we must be “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5), why didn’t he simply say “baptized”?  51:45 – Why does the Catholic Church use the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:19 when Acts repeatedly describes baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5)? 

“Why didn’t Liber Pontificalis make it into Scripture?” This question opens a discussion on the criteria for canonization, alongside inquiries about the origins of the Star of David and the Catholic perspective on annihilationism. The episode also touches on effective debate strategies and compelling proofs for God’s existence, showcasing a rich variety of topics. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 05:07 – I’m a convert. Why didn’t liber pontificalis make it into the canon of scripture? 11:20 – Where does the Star of David come from? 29:27 – Why do you deny annihilationism? How do Catholics view Matthew 10:28? 49:35 – What is the best proof for God from the Catholic perspective? How do you debate with someone in a way where they will listen to you and not put them down?

“Is Jesus Directly related to King David?” This question delves into the nature of Jesus’ lineage and his connection to the royal line. Additionally, the discussion touches on how to argue from authority without reaching a stalemate, the challenges of the argument from silence in apologetics, and advice for first-time catechists teaching elementary students. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:03 – How is Jesus actually related to King David? Is he just one of many family members, or is he the direct descendent in the royal line? Or something else? 17:24 – How does one argue from authority when they have an intellectual based argument. How do you not end in a stalemate? 28:54 – Can you elaborate on why the argument from silence doesn’t work in your book Evidence for Christ? 41:08 – Did Jesus disobey the commandment to honor his parents when he was found in the temple? 47:51 – I’m starting to teach catechism to elementary kids. What advice would you have for a first time catechist? How does one evangelize one’s parents?