Anti-Catholicism--Inter-Christian Strife Part 1

Jack Chick is a name that every Catholic should be familiar with. It is a name which many Catholics in the South are familiar with, not because they asked, but because they had one of his "masterpieces" stuck on their windshield while at Mass. Why do Catholic’s need to be familiar with Anti-Catholic works you ask? Because ignorance is the breeding ground of a failing of faith. Jack Chick is a standard old-style Anti-Catholic. His tracts are speckled with outright lies mixed with confused or convoluted concocted history designed to slam the Catholic Church. Jack Chick’s theology sprouts out of the independent “Jesus” movement of the 1970’s and is fiercely “non-denominational” and “strictly-ad hears” to sola-scriptura and the idea that “once saved-always saved.” Now an exhaustive examination of Mr. Chick’s tracts was done by Catholic Answers and can be found here. Let’s examine the practical end of Jack Chick’s theology:
***Heresy Warning***

Now let's look at the "Nobody else can Save You" section--at glance no Catholic should have a problem with any of Jack Chick's "Four Steps to Salvation." After all, even if we just evaluate prayers at Mass:

1. "Admit you are a sinner"--fulfilled in the Confiteor and the Kyrie

2. "Be wiling to repent from sin"--fulfilled in the Confiteor and the Domine non sum dignus

3."Believe that Jesus Christ Died for you..."--fulfilled in the Credo and Mysterium fìdei

4. "Accept Jesus Christ into your life as your Personal Savior."--fulfilled Par Excellence in the liturgy of the Eucharist.

There are a litany of other times throughout the Mass where Catholics fulfill Jack Chick arbitrary requirements but I listed the most obvious.

Now we look at Mr. Chick's "What to Pray" section. Now, being sola scriptura to the extreme one might ask how he knows that prayer is acceptible to God since A.) it is not explicitly found in the Bible and B.) it trashes Christ's Church (though Chick would never admit to B)

Then we get to the instructions on what to do now:

Catholics shouldn't have any problems with these except part of number 2 and much of number 3...

Chick frames instruction number two (talk to Christ every day through prayer [in your own words]) as if impromptu prayer is the only acceptable prayer. Then there is 3...the first part is right--be baptized and worship (though it is arguable what he believes about this) then we get to the part where he says you must worship in a "church where 'Christ is preached' and the Bible is the final authority." Now books have been written on the subject, but I'll keep this short and say that Mr. Chick has just been caught in a giant theological contradiction. You can look all throughout Sacred Scripture, and see that scripture is valuable for teaching and correction---but nowhere in Scripture does Scripture lay claim to be the "final authority." You will actually find quite the opposite is true.

Now this is the first posts in a series about Anti-Catholicism because the topic is one which I find very interesting. I find Jack Chick is a prime example because he is 1.) Fairly well known and 2.) Deserving of a simple-minded response since his tracts prey on the, shall we say "under-informed" among us.

*As always share your thoughts, ask a question, make a comment, or give your suggestion for a topic by clicking the "Email a question or Comment" link on the right or just type the addres into the email yourself: josephjcheney@gmail.com (please include in your email whether or not you'd mind me posting parts of your conversation or if you'd like it to remain a private conversation...though I'd never use your name if I did post.)