Radio Replies Volume One: Natural Religion & Revealed Religion

Natural religion is simply the religion a man would be obliged to practice, even if he never received a revelation from God. Man could know by reason alone that there is a God and that He must be acknowledged by a worship dictated by reason as to its form, and by obedience to the natural moral law as manifested by conscience. But this natural religion is not sufficient in the present condition of the human race. God has given to mankind a supernatural destiny higher than any merely natural destiny, and this requires the revelation of a knowledge higher than that which could be attained by the merely natural reason.

Revealed Religion

Even where natural religion is concerned, the lack of ability and of time for study amongst the masses of men, and the differences of opinion and absurd errors even of philosophers where the natural principles of religion and of morality are in question, would argue to the need of some help by revelation. But we could not prove that truths beyond the natural order would have to be revealed, because such revelation supposes a supernatural destiny for man, a destiny dependent entirely upon the good pleasure of God. We simply have to accept the fact that God has revealed supernatural truths beyond the requirements of merely natural religion. Once we have an historical fact, there is no longer room for speculation as to what should or should not be. God has revealed very definite doctrines and moral obligations. It is for us to accept and fulfill them if we have any idea of pleasing God and saving our souls.

87. Do you maintain that your mysterious Bible contains the revelation of God?

I maintain that it contains part of God's full revelation. All that is contained in the Bible has been revealed by God, although further information is given us in other ways. That the Bible contains very mysterious doctrines I admit.

Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C.

"I was brought up as a Protestant, probably with more inherited prejudices than most non-Catholics of these days. My parents were Anglican and taught me the Angelican faith. My 'broad-minded' protestant teachers taught me to dislike the Catholic Church intensely. I later tried Protestantism in various other forms, and it is some thirty years since, in God's providence, I became a Catholic. As for the 'open, free, sincere worship' of a Protestant Church, I tasted it, but for me it proved in the end to be not only open, but empty; it was altogether too free from God's prescriptions."

Eventually, Leslie became a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

In 1928, Fr. Rumble began a one-hour 'Question Box' program on 2SM Sydney, N.S.W. radio on Sunday evenings that was heard all over Australia and New Zealand. For five years he answered questions on every subject imaginable that had been written to him from all over that part of the globe. His first show began with a classic introduction:

"Good evening, listeners all. For some time I have been promising to give a session dealing with questions of religion and morality, in which the listeners themselves should decide what is of interest to them. Such a session will commence next Sunday evening, and I invite you to send in any questions you wish on these subjects . . . So now I invite you, non-Catholics above all, to send in any questions you wish on religion, or morality, or the Catholic Church, and I shall explain exactly the Catholic position, and give the reasons for it. In fact I almost demand those questions. Many hard things have been said, and are still being said, about the Catholic Church, though no criminal, has been so abused, that she has a right to be heard. I do not ask that you give your name and address. A nom de plume will do. Call yourself Voltaire, Confucius, X.Y.Z., what you like, so long as you give indication enough to recognize your answer."

"By the summer of 1937, the first edition of Radio Replies was already in print in Australia, financed by Rt. Rev. Monsignor James Meany, P.P. - the director of Station 2SM of whom I am greatly indebted."

"I have often been mistaken, as most men at times. And it is precisely to make sure that I will not be mistaken in the supremely important matter of religion that I cling to a Church which cannot be mistaken, but must be right where I might be wrong. God knew that so many sincere men would make mistakes that He deliberately established an infallible Church to preserve them from error where it was most important that they should not go wrong."

Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty

I broadcast my radio program, the Catholic Radio Hour, from St. Paul, Minnesota.

I was also carrying on as a Catholic Campaigner for Christ, the Apostolate to the man in the street through the medium of my trailer and loud-speaking system. In the distribution of pamphlets and books on the Catholic Faith, Radio Replies proved the most talked of book carried in my trailer display of Catholic literature. As many of us street preachers have learned, it is not so much what you say over the microphone in answer to questions from open air listeners, but what you get into their hands to read. The questions Fr. Rumble had to answer on the other side of the planet are same the questions I had to answer before friendly and hostile audiences throughout my summer campaign."

I realized that this priest in Australia was doing exactly the same work I was doing here in St. Paul. Because of the success of his book, plus the delay in getting copies from Sydney and the prohibitive cost of the book on this side of the universe, I got in contact with him to publish a cheap American edition.

It doesn't take long for the imagination to start thinking about how much we could actually do. We began the Radio Replies Press Society Publishing Company, finished the American edition of what was to be the first volume of Radio Replies, recieved the necessary imprimatur, and Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen agreed to write a preface. About a year after the publication of the first edition in Australia, we had the American edition out and in people's hands.

The book turned into a phenomena. Letters began pouring into my office from every corner of the United States; Protestant Publishing Houses are requesting copies for distribution to Protestant Seminaries; a few Catholic Seminaries have adopted it as an official textbook - and I had still never met Dr. Rumble in person.

To keep a long story short, we finally got a chance to meet, published volumes two and three of Radio Replies, printed a set of ten booklets on subjects people most often asked about, and a few other pamphlets on subjects of interest to us.

Fr. Carty died on May 22, 1964 in Connecticut.

"Firstly, since God is the Author of all truth, nothing that is definitely true can every really contradict anything else that is definitely true. Secondly, the Catholic Church is definitely true. It therefore follows that no objection or difficulty, whether drawn from history, Scripture, science, or philosophy, can provide a valid argument against the truth of the Catholic religion."

Biographies compiled from the introductions to Radio Replies, volumes 1, 2 and 3.

Source: www.catholicauthors.com

Can you show me a verse or group of verses that can defend your statement?

They are the familiar verses that you guys apparently chose not to believe...

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

If you hear His word and believe on Him, you have eternal life...RIGHT NOW...Not when you hear some future revelation down the road...

Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Jesus is not talking some future revelation to your church...

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

What John preached to people was all the knowledge that was needed to receive salvation and eternal life...And when they believed, they had eternal life...Right then...NOT when some future revelation came along...

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Scripture is given for doctrine and instruction in righteousness...You are suggesting it is not...You are claiming there was more revelation that was required at a later time that would add to the doctrine...You are claiming that righteousness could not be obtained until a future revelation was revealed to your church...

But yet the verse says the scripture was profitable for reproof and correction...And the scripture was so profitable that it would prove itself and correct the sinner unto perfection and thoroughly furnish a sinner unto all good works...

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Now what future revelation could add to that??? Those first Christians had all the information they needed...

"Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

This verse speaks of HEARING Christ's word it doesn't say where ALL of it is to be found.

"If you hear His word and believe on Him, you have eternal life...RIGHT NOW...Not when you hear some future revelation down the road..."

I didn't ask about WHEN I hear Christ's word, I' m asking where can ALL of it be found.

"Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

" John is talking about signs so that we may believe in Christ, he is not talking about where ALL Christ's revelations can be found.

"1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. "

Again the subject is belief not about where ALL of Christ's revelations can be found.

"What John preached to people was all the knowledge that was needed to receive salvation and eternal life...And when they believed, they had eternal life...Right then...NOT when some future revelation came along..."

It is obvious from the verse: "These things have I written unto you that believe", that these people already received revelation about Christ and are now being edified by John's epistle. My question to you is where is ALL of this revelation contained?

"2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

"Scripture is given for doctrine and instruction in righteousness...You are suggesting it is not..."

No I'm not, where did I claim that?

"You are claiming there was more revelation that was required at a later time that would add to the doctrine"

I'm saying more revelation was given along with the Scriptures by word of mouth ie. tradition that gave doctrine:

2Thes:2:15: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle."

"You are claiming that righteousness could not be obtained until a future revelation was revealed to your church..."

I am? Explain..

"But yet the verse says the scripture was profitable for reproof and correction."

Indeed it does, where does it say Scripture is "sufficient".

"And the scripture was so profitable that it would prove itself "

Where does it say that?

"and correct the sinner unto perfection and thoroughly furnish a sinner unto all good works... "

No, it says "..to correct.. that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work."

From this verse you are assuming that Scripture is all one needs from the word profitable that word does not mean sufficient.

Also if you were to believe from this verse that Scripture is all there is to divine revelation than you would have to believe that all divine revelation is in the Old Testament. Paul is here alluding to the Scripture that Timothy knew from his "infancy" the New Testament had not yet been written.

"2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "

Now what future revelation could add to that???"

The whole revelation of the New Testament, because as I said this verse is speaking of the revelations of the Old Testament.

Regards,

Gonzo

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

1Jn 5:13 These things

What things??? The things you just read that were written 2000 years ago...

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Again the subject is belief not about where ALL of Christ's revelations can be found.

WRONG...It's about both...And that's just as obvious as the nose on your face...

"Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

This verse speaks of HEARING Christ's word it doesn't say where ALL of it is to be found.

The verse says they that heard the verse and believe it have everlasting life...RIGHT NOW...That was 2000 years ago...

We're talking a very simple verse here...The 'milk' of the word...This is not a mysterious verse, hard to be understood...

All of the information was found 2000 years ago...And John wrote about it 2000 years ago...There is NOTHING that can be added to that that is required for salvation...

I didn't ask about WHEN I hear Christ's word, I' m asking where can ALL of it be found.

IN THE SCRIPTURE...That is what we call what John wrote...

"Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

" John is talking about signs so that we may believe in Christ, he is not talking about where ALL Christ's revelations can be found.

John is talking about what he wrote...John did not say these signs were performed that you would believe, John said that these events were written down so that you who did not experience then might beieve...

Sure, the Jews required a sign to believe...Do you require a sign to believe???

It is obvious from the verse: "These things have I written unto you that believe", that these people already received revelation about Christ and are now being edified by John's epistle. My question to you is where is ALL of this revelation contained?

Quite clearyly in John's and the other's epistles...

There is no future Revelation that takes place hundreds of year later for the salvation message to be complete...

I'm saying more revelation was given along with the Scriptures by word of mouth ie. tradition that gave doctrine:

Doctrine is the essence of salvation...John made it clear that the doctrine necessary for salvation was complete in his day...And although John doesn't use the word 'sufficient', he makes it clear that what he has written is sufficient knowledge for our salvation...

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Natural Religion

Revealed Religion

Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C.

Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty

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The Radio Replies Series

Chapter One: God

Chapter Two: Man

Chapter Three: Religion

Chapter Four: The Religion of the Bible