HOW TO DEFEND
THE FAITH WITHOUT
RAISING YOUR VOICE
By Austen Ivereigh
Our Sunday Visitor, 2012
160 pages, $13.95
To order: osv.com
If you are known as a well-informed Catholic whose faith goes beyond an hour on Sunday, it’s bound to happen. It could be at the company picnic or some family gathering. Inevitably, you will be asked to explain, defend or justify the Catholic Church’s position on some moral issue of the day.
You scramble for an answer. You point out a or b to add some perspective on the issue. Or, worse, you lose your temper. You’re tired of the trite persecution by your family and friends. Either way, in the end, you didn’t feel like you were a good spokesperson for the Catholic Church.
Enter author Austen Ivereigh and his new book, How to Defend the Faith Without Raising Your Voice, to the rescue. His mission is to equip you to better handle such nerve-racking moments.
"We call these issues ‘neuralgic’ because they touch on nerve endings, those places in the body which, when pressed, cause people to squeal," writes Ivereigh in his introduction. "In our public conversation, they are the points which lie on the borders where mainstream social thinking inhabits a different universe from that of Catholics. Touch on them and people get really annoyed. ‘How on earth can you believe that?’ they ask you."
In 10 chapters, the author dives into such polarizing topics as same-sex "marriage," contraception, assisted suicide, abortion and religious freedom, among others. Each chapter serves as a hands-on guide to what is at the heart of the issue.
He starts with the secular view of the issue. For instance, in his chapter on assisted suicide, he points out that the challenge presented by society is: Why would the Church be against those who are terminally ill from choosing the time of their own death? He then explains the why of what the Church teaches and ends each chapter with a reframing of the issue. In the example of assisted suicide, he writes, "Assisted suicide is a mistaken attempt to avoid pain and suffering. The idea of an autonomous, free, rational choice in favor of suicide is a myth. Rather than condemn people to unnecessary suffering, we need to enhance the quality of our care for the dying."
At times, his explanations of Church teaching are too exhausting, in the sense that one’s defense of the faith is more likely to be in the form of a three-minute sound bite rather than a lengthy campus debate. However, for those who want to master the Church’s position on these topics, the information provided by Ivereigh is concise and to the point. He offers ample quotes from the Holy Father and bishops as well as statistics that support what the faith teaches. He appropriately points out how the Church’s stance is often sympathetic to popular opinion on ethical issues of the day. However, it is the manner in which the popular solution is carried out that is often problematic.
In the end, this positive approach to what the Church really teaches makes one feel proud to be Catholic. His practical lessons on how to tackle these neuralgic topics make this book a must-read for any Catholic who wants to share his or her faith.
Eddie O’Neill writes from
New Castle, Colorado.
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I bought the book after hearing him on the radio and immediately ordered it. It was a quick read and has been really beneficial. So much criticism of the church’s teachings are from a mis-informed critic. The book has helped to engage in a civil and productive discussion with even the most angry critics I know.
It is difficult for me to defend my faith when the priest abuse scandal has brought our church to its knees by the mass media. I can intelligently defend other aspects of my faith, but how does one defend a church whose leaders are so morally corrupt? They have swept this under the rug for too long…
I read this book. It was well intentioned, and I applaud the author for his efforts. But, I found it disappointing at times…it’s been a few months, but one thing I remember was his conservative vs. liberal discussion. He says that the Church is sometimes liberal, sometimes conservative when it comes to politics. It is “conservative”, for example, on the issue of abortion, and “liberal” in regards to the death penalty. I would say a practicing Catholic may never accept abortion, but may or may not support use of the death penalty. I don’t know how “liberal” or “conservative” comes into the discussion. But, regardless, I do applaud Austen for his efforts to portray the Gospel in a positive light in the media.
You defend it by saying that we are al sinful, even priests. They are human too! Pray for our priests! Without them, no Eucharist!
Lin, in addition, inappropriate sexual relations with children was considered a psychological disorder that was correctable by professional counseling. It did not become criminal until the mid to late 1980s when studies demonstrated that psychological counseling did not and could not correct the “disorder.” The bishops’ handling of those cases were in accordance of the law and the current psychological standards up until that period. So, criticism of the hierarchy’s handling of those offenders should be reserved to the period of time post the criminalization of such behavior.
Carol, I agree with what you said in the quote below.
“I would say a practicing Catholic may never accept abortion, but may or may not support use of the death penalty.” To that I would add concerning the death penalty: Based on the seriousness of the capital offense AND the ability to protect the public from further harm.
That is what the teaching SHOULD be based on what the Catechism says. But that is not what the bishops in various state conferences are teaching, or should I say - pushing - in the false name of “pro-life.”
The states are incapable of guaranteeing that capital offenders will never be able to harm people again in or out of prison even when they are held in solitary confinement and have no contact with any other prisoners. All priest should know this fact. All they have to do is Google Operation Black Widow Pelican Bay Prison. They’ll learn of a $3 million dollar federal, state, and local investigation covering 3 years on criminal behavior involving murder, robberies, drug-running operated by prisoners held in solitary confinement in the newest, most high tech prison in California. These were crimes committed on people on the outside of prison. They will also learn that the highest officials of law and prison administration involved in this investigation all said there is no way to prevent such crimes from ever occurring when no more punishment can be enacted on the perpetrators who have nothing but time on their hands and are totally protected from any retaliation.
Stephen, you don’t have to try to defend the indefensible. Some of what we are experiencing is a little unjustified, but much is well-deserved, and it helps to acknowledge that. It helps also to remember that two of our earliest important figures denied Christ three times, and persecuted Christians. I like the quote of Belloc: that the Church has been run with “such knavish imbecility, that were it not the work of God, it would not last a fortnight.”
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My state is wrestling with assisted suicide at the moment. We have an advocate for the disabled who uses a wheelchair for mobility. She points out that everybody suffers at some point. If we’re not ever suffering, we’re not living, and certainly not loving. You know what compassion means, right? “To suffer with.” I know I couldn’t make this argument to the legislature, but since we’re friends here and the specific topic is how to respond when questioned on faith, as Christians we must look to the cross to make sense of suffering. Control is an illusion. My life is not my own to do with whatever I please.
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