Catholic Answers Live

Questions Covered: 08:38 – Is there empirical evidence in biochemistry for your God? 17:28 – If AI had free will, could it be blamed? 22:16 – How does the Church deal with how Fr. Georges Lemaître’s work was used to calculate the big bang? 34:22 – Could science prove the existence of God? Have you read Peter Kreeft? Are spirit and matter distinct and disconnected? 45:37 – I’m a Catholic AI engineer. I disagree with the claim that AI sentience cannot exist. I think it’s something we should be concerned with. 52:36 – I have thoughts on AI not being able to have sentience. Its closer to robots. …

Questions Covered: 17:33 – Should we take every word that Jesus said literally? Ex. Pluck your eye out if it causes you to sin. 30:26 – What are your thoughts on a priest who claimed that feeding the 5 thousand was not literal? 35:46 – What are your thoughts on Jonah? 38:38 – I heard that the sponge they used to give Jesus wine on the cross was a sponge the Romans used to clean up after using the restroom. Is that true? 45:40 – You guys are wrong about the eye of the needle was a gate. 49:58 – Is the miracle of Jesus raising a man from the dead a prefigurement of his death? 52:30 – Saul/Paul was given a new name at his conversion. 53:12 – They used to swaddle lambs so it wouldn’t get blemished. …

Questions Covered: 02:58 – Do you think God speaks to you? 07:22 – I’m actively reading and studying my Bible and one of my top concerns is if the Jewish people were given adequate chance to believe that Jesus was God and that his teachings were true? Obviously the Jewish people have continued on and is that not what God wanted? Any discussion on the topic would be appreciated, thank you to Jimmy and his team! 15:13 – Good evening Jimmy from the UK! I have a question about the Sacrament of Confession. In the Old Testament, people brought animal sacrifices to the priest to atone for their sins, with the size of the sacrifice corresponding to the severity of the sin (If I remember rightly). This is mirrored in the early Church, as confession was a public act, where individuals admitted their sins before the entire congregation. However, this practice evolved into the private, one-on-one confessions we know today, largely due to the influence of Irish monks, who introduced this method in the early medieval period. Some have argued that because the form of confession has changed over time, the Seal of Confession could also be altered. How can I explain this development to non-Catholics (and some Catholics too)? Thank you Jimmy, may God continue to Bless and Guide you all! 20:18 -I’ve watched your Mysterious Worlds episodes on young earth/old earth and the flood, but would it be permissible for a Catholic to interpret Genesis as a poetic narrative describing God’s creation of man and culling of the most evil men in our distant past by 1) reading Adam and Eve being earlier hominids when our ancestors became able to reason instead of being driven by instinct and in turn after sinning against God by eating from a possibly metaphorical tree of knowledge, our brain capacity started to expand causing more difficult births? And 2) reading the flood as being a story about God destroying more sinful versions of our ancestors, causing a population bottleneck as far back as 900,000 years ago? Converting to Catholicism from a secular background, reading the Old Testament as divinely inspired truths seen and expressed through a lens of the contemporary culture when each part of the OT was written removes all the stumbling blocks to finding my faith, but I don’t know if my interpretation stretches what is written too far. 34:56 – How is a narcissist saved if he’s in complete denial about being a narcissist? 37:10 – Is there a philosophical possibility that God exists without omnipotence? I heard an argument from a liberal Christian, Dr. Goff, which posits that a semi-powerful God would solve many theological quandaries, such as the problem of evil. 42:08 – Hello Mr Akin! What do you think of religious orders? 45:20 – Is it a correct understanding of the Catholic Faith to say that when Jesus suffered and died that only his human nature suffered and died and not the divine person?’ 48:06 – How to find the truth in the world of excess information? 49:55 – I would love to know a breakdown of the evidence for and against global warming and in particular the degree to which human activity plays a role in this. I ask this of Jimmy because he may be one of the only people I would trust to give an unbiased assessment. …

Questions Covered: 10:38 – Why was the Ascension “necessary”? 13:05 – Some saints were said to have levitated. Will our resurrected bodies have abilities like levitation, telekinesis, etc.? 17:12 – What if the pope breaks the seal of confession? Is he excommunicated? Who would he be excommunicated from? 21:00 – Is the war in Israel/Hamas prophesied in the Bible? 24:06 – I’d like to know the church’s view on the union dock worker strike? Is it ok to stop working in this situation/what roles does the union play in society? 32:22 – After the bodily resurrection, do we live in Heaven, the new Earth, or some combination of the two? 33:14 – Hi Jimmy. Why were there guards stationed at the tomb of Jesus if Jews only believed in Resurrection at the end the world? Doesn’t this imply that the Jewish authorities at least thought Jesus’s followers believed Jesus could rise from the dead? Do you think His disciples believed he would rise after 3 days? 37:35 – Jimmy Akin. Do you think that Jesus received any grace when he ate the Eucharist? I know He is the source of grace, but He was strengthened by an angel in the Agony in the garden. Curious to hear your thoughts on what is happening in both of these instances, on a metaphysical or ontological level. 42:40 – Are there instructions or limits to cursing? My intuition is that it is bad… but Jesus did curse a fig tree and said woe to whom betrayed Him. Was it OK because He’s God? Furthermore, would it be bad to curse a war and what would be the effect? 51:09 – When death occurs suddenly and the incident is faster than the brain can comprehend (as in the case of a submarine implosion) does God give a grace of awareness to the victim, or is it possible for the soul to be confused at the judgment seat of Christ? …

Questions Covered: 01:30 – Do we need to fast on Holy Days of Obligation? 08:01 – Is it okay for Catholics to read the Left Behind series if viewed as Fiction? 15:11 – Why haven’t problematic catholic influencers been excommunicated? 28:55 – Is my confession valid if I am not given a penance or asked for the Act of Contrition? 35:09 – Can you explain the existence of the Serpent before the fall in Genesis 3:12? 50:00 – I’ve heard that only people who bear the mark of the Antichrist will be able to buy things in the end times. Is this true? …

Questions Covered: 11:46 – What does the Catholic church view as the main problems with to Martin Luther’s Ninety-five theses? 18:01 – Why do Catholics Baptize infants? 29:18 – Is it a permissible view Genesis 18 as a manifestation of the Trinity? 34:25 – I found $600 today, what should I do? 42:00 – What is the Catholic view of organ donation specifically when it comes to brain death? 48:30 – Why is it assumed that Mary died before she was assumed? …

Questions Covered: 03:27 – How can I get across to my confirmation students the importance of going to confession? 11:53 – How did the Magi know that the star of Bethlehem was leading them to the king of the Jews? 16:21 – Does Joe still hate cheesecake or have you repented of that sin? And is Cy going to release a full version of St. Irenaeus and the Goblet of Fire? 22:26 – I heard Catholics say that Scripture has a kind of primacy over Tradition. But that seems to contradict what I’ve read in the Catechism and Dei Verbum. Can you explain? 31:19 – The shroud of turin is one cloth, but one of the Gospels clearly says there’s a separate cloth for his head. Is that a problem? 34:33 – What is the Catholic position on embryos? Are they alive or just tissue? 43:44 – Can you help me explain the role of Mary in salvation history? 48:39 – How can we know God, and in what way is a person able to know God? 52:05 – How can be there different levels of approach to God in heaven? I’m uncomfortable with that idea. …

Questions covered: 05:28 – How do we reconcile parts of both scripture and tradition that seem pessimistic about many being saved with other parts that are more optimistic? 14:48 – Does infallibility produce an infinite regress? 20:48 – How would Joe’s argument against the Protestant view of scripture handle views of perspicuity that are more limited? 29:01 – How do we know that Matthew wrote Matthew and John wrote John and Revelation? We don’t have any other writings to prove that from. 36:01 – What does CCC 841 mean when it says we and Muslims together adore the one God? 47:38 – How do Isaiah 53 and Galatians 3:13 fit into the Catholic view of atonement as opposed to penal substitutionary atonement? …

Questions Covered: 04:13 – Can you share your interpretation of Matthew 5 as it relates to purgatory? 07:38 – If God is all good and loving, it seems unjust to send an unbaptized baby to Hell? 15:14 – How do I share with my mother that the Saints are praying for her, she just needs to ask? 21:41 – Are canonizations infallible? What confidence can I have in this process? 29:40 – Where did we get the idea that Saints can pray for us but not themselves? 33:39 – What is Purgatory? Can we know if we are going to purgatory? 41:31 – Is the suffering in Purgatory close to the level of Hell? Can the souls in purgatory talk to us? 49:10 – Can you explain the Saint prayer to release 1000 souls in purgatory? 52:05 – Is purgatory different from Paradise? How does this impact the thief on the cross? …

Questions Covered: 05:03 – Does the church teach that Purgatory is a process or a place? 13:13 – How can I reconcile purgatory and the final judgment? 19:23 – What is the difference between OCI and RCIA? 24:27 – What is the treasure referenced in Luke 18:25? 32:57 – How do I defend purgatory with a Baptist who don’t have the book a Maccabees? 39:23 – How many Saints pray for us? 45:39 – How do you find out the name of your guardian angel? 50:08 – Can you explain Hallowtide as we prepare for All Saints solemnity? …

Questions covered: 18:35 – I want to know what Father thinks about the long lines for communion and the short lines for confession. 22:20 – How should I engage my siblings who are lukewarm? 36:04 – My husband goes to communion but not to confession. I’m worried about what to tell him. 43:18 -What is the difference between discipleship and a relationship with Jesus? 50:10 – I go to Mass a few times a week and help at the parish. But some people go to Mass every day. Should I be doing that too? 52:30 – How important is it to have somebody else with you when evangelizing? Jesus sent the disciples out two by two but it’s hard for me to find a good partner. …

Questions covered 15:35 – How can I introduce the faith to people who have no previous experience or reference to it? 21:08 – What’s the best way that I can continue to catechize my children? I’m taking them to church but they don’t really participate and they’re bored. 29:28 – A logical exercise for parents who feel guilty about their children leaving the faith. 33:44 – My daughter married a man with two kids and they’ve had two more. I want to tell her she should focus on the two kids she’s had and let the father discipline the older ones. Is that the right thing to say? 36:47 – In the business world “systems thinking” is when we go beyond the “what” and try to look at the “why.” It ties in beautifully with what Dr. Ray is saying. 52:12 – I was kicked out of my parents’ house because they didn’t want to talk to me about the faith. How can I reconcile with them? …

Questions Covered: 01:28 – Was St. Thomas Aquinas excommunicated? Why? 14:37 – What is your opinion on the ethical framework of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son? 24:21 – I heard Jimmy say it is better to exist even if you end up in Hell. How can I compare this to Jesus saying, “The one who betrays me it was better for him not to be born”? 34:42 – What is your opinion on Dousing? 44:35 – Who did Jacob wrestle within the Old Testament? 51:47 – How do blessings work with lay people versus priest? …

Questions Covered: 03:35 – What advice would you give for starting a college apologetics club? 09:22 – Is there Mass in Heaven? 15:03 – What is your defense on John Henry Newman’s idea of doctrinal development? 24:45 – How can I refute once saved always saved and perseverance of the saints with scripture? 34:16 – How did Thomas receive the gift of the Holy Spirit since he was absent in John 20? 41:08 – In the 3rd letter of John, I have read different translations with Church or church. Would the lower-case c translation indicate John talking about a local church not the universal? 46:30 – Is snowflake adoption ethical? 51:59 – Does the long history of sexual abuse in the church make the church an apostate? …

Questions Covered: 03:02 – Why do Catholics have Jesus on the cross instead of just a cross. Also, are tattoos immoral? 16:01 – My wife and I were married in a Lutheran church. She is Catholic. She was told by her priest that she is not allowed to take the sacraments. Is this true? 28:45 – Often I hear complicated ideas when explaining Catholic doctrines. I find it hard to follow, and imagine others do as well. Do you have to understand these things to be Catholic? 44:15 – I’m considering Catholicism. I’m struggling with some Marian doctrines. Is it enough for me to become Catholic to assent to the Church’s doctrines, while not really being sure if I believe in them? 47:40 – What is the Catholic view on dispensationalism? …

Questions Covered: 03:48 – Could we employ some of your arguments against the Evil God Challenge against atheistic naturalism? 08:37 – I like the argument against sola scriptura that scripture doesn’t say everything has to be in scripture. But Protestants respond that Old Testament Jews didn’t have a magisterium, yet they still knew, more or less, what books were canon. If Old Testament Jews were fine with that, shouldn’t we be too? How do we respond to that. 17:17 – Are those who go to Hell likely to eventually go mad from all their suffering? 21:08 – In light of the recent story of the man declared brain dead from whom they were harvesting organs, but then the man showed signs of life: how should Catholics consider organ donation? 29:33 – Convince us that abortions are evil without using religion. 32:20 – Why is the purpose of the uterus disanalogy in the violinist argument successful in refuting it? 43:24 – Is 1 Cor 15:29 a good proof for purgatory? 50:18 – How do we answer the ethical dilemma: a robber comes to your house and makes you choose a family member for him to kill, or else he will kill your whole family. …

Questions covered: 14:42 – Some Protestants are telling me there was no centralized authority in the early church and the bishops of Rome weren’t popes. How would you answer that? 22:32 – What are the other possible interpretations of Isaiah 53? 25:14 – Is it licit to practice cranialsacral therapy? 32:21 – How does the Catholic Church justify what it did in the Inquisition? 44:23 – I think what goes on in my neighborhood during Halloween is demonic. They’re glorifying death. 50:49 – Can you tell me more about the Black Mass happening in Atlanta on Friday? What’s going on there and what should we do? …

Questions covered: 06:05 – Is the story of the rich young man the same story in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, or is it something that happened frequently enough that they all reported similar but distinct interactions? 15:29 – Exodus says half of the ten plagues didn’t impact Israel, but doesn’t say that about the others. Did they impact Israel, and if so, why? 21:15 – The physical human body is sexed male and female. Is the human soul also sexed masculine and feminine? 34:38 – Can you help me understand the Church’s new teaching on the death penalty? …

Questions Covered: 03:48 – How to respond to Catholics recent teaching on infallibility? 15:00 – I question the validity of annulments? 20:04 – How do we reconcile a dogma taught by Pope Pius XI being counter only a few decades later by Vatican II? 29:25 – I struggle with the teaching on life when it comes to cases of rape or incest? 36:46 – What is the point if only 144,000 will be saved? 44:49 – I struggle with the line “I go and prepare a place for you in Heaven” in John 14:3? …

Questions Covered: 05:39 – Why does the Church teach that there in no salvation outside the Church? 13:29 – I struggle with the statistical proof for faith? 19:57 – My friend has a hard time with the Pope. Why are there disagreements? 30:16 – My friend can’t get over the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah and Pope Gregory’s teachings on it? 34:06 – I struggle with the lack of clarity in RCIA classes. Should RCIA members participate in the sign of the cross and other parts of the Mass? 43:56 – My obstacle to practicing is my personal challenge with improving past behaviors and my friend group? 51:28 – My friend struggles with what makes monotheism true? …