THE PROTESTANT’S DILEMMA BY DEVIN ROSE: A REVIEW

Just a writer, who refuses to typecast his blog by giving it a title ^ | March 18, 2014 | Scott Eric Alt

[rwa265]

If a Protes­tant look­ing into the claims of Catholi­cism were to ask me, “What one book should I read, where I can find a quick answer to any ques­tion I have?” I would tell him to read Devin Rose’s new book The Protestant’s Dilemma. I would also rec­om­mend this book to Protes­tant apol­o­gists, even those of many years, well-skilled in polemics. It will remind them of the heavy bur­den of proof they face, and the weak­ness of their posi­tion on point after point. The truth may set them free and bring them home too. (It has happened.)

All this may seem like over­state­ment — the oblig­a­tory praise from one Catholic blog­ger to another. But it is not.

Con­sider first the range of issues this book takes up. There are thirty-six chap­ters, each one on a dif­fer­ent topic, from the papacy to sola scrip­tura, from the canon of the Bible to Pur­ga­tory, from con­fes­sion to Eucharist to infant bap­tism. If some­thing about the Catholic Church trou­bles you, this book has the answer. If you think you have found the point on which Catholi­cism fails, this book will show you why it is one more point upon which Protes­tantism fails.

Con­sider also the brevity. The book is just over 200 pages long, which means that Mr. Rose’s answers get to the root of the ques­tion with­out a knot of aca­d­e­mic detail. It is harder to do than it might seem. This is the book of a man who has spent a long time study­ing the ques­tions that divide Protes­tants and Catholics, and who knows how to present his case in a way that is easy for any­one to under­stand. At the same time, the book is use­ful for the pro­fes­sional apol­o­gist, for it recalls his mind to the basics.

[Carajentzen]

Have you ever been in spiritual need and asked a friend to pray for you? Have a sick mom - “please pray for my mom, she was just diagnosed with cancer!”... There is NO difference here!! Asking Mary to pray for you and petition the throne is just as simple as asking a friend to pray for you... However, arguably, she has a closer relationship to God and Jesus than our friends.

[ealgeone]

Have you ever been in spiritual need and asked a friend to pray for you? Have a sick mom - “please pray for my mom, she was just diagnosed with cancer!”... There is NO difference here!! Asking Mary to pray for you and petition the throne is just as simple as asking a friend to pray for you... However, arguably, she has a closer relationship to God and Jesus than our friends.

Using roman catholic logic why don't we pray to Abraham....he is the father of the Jews...he is held up as an example by Paul in Romans.

Yes, we've all been in a situation where we ask someone to pray for us.

However, the Biblical model is not to pray to the departed saints. We have no examples of Paul, Peter, James, John, Matthew, Luke, or Mark praying to Abraham, Moses, Elijah or any of those fellows.

We have no Biblical model that indicates people in Heaven can hear our prayers either.

However we do have the following:

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; (Romans 8:26, NASB)

Unfortunately the catholic church is attempting to replace the Holy Spirit with another marian doctrine that proclaims her as Advocate and Helper....roles currently filled by the Holy Spirit.

We also have this admonition from Matthew:

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:6-8)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Brethren, pray for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:25

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; (Colossians 4:2-3)

In all of these passages, believers are directing their prayers to God....not Mary, not departed saints.