Knights of Columbus and Bible

The Knights of Columbus Religious Information Bureau (Box 363, Perryville, Missouri 63775-0363) is offering "We believe..." A Survey of the Catholic Faith and a workbook free as part of its Catholic Home Study Service. The book is "Revised and Cross-Referenced to the Catechism of the Catholic Church." The 212-page book is by Oscar Lukefahr, C.M., with a Foreword by Archbishop Justin Rigali. The publisher is Liguori Publications, Liguori, Missouri. Rigali is Archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri. The back cover of the book says that "Oscar Lukefahr, C.M., is one of America's most popular interpreters of Catholic faith and the Bible." "We Believe" says:

JONAH PARABLE NOT HISTORIC FACT

"Another approach to the Bible is the `fundamentalist approach,' which states that the words of the Bible must be taken only at face value. If the words say that Jonah was swallowed by a fish and lived in its belly for three days, then such an event occurred. The contextual approach would lead us to study when, where, why, and by whom the book was written and so arrive at the conclusion that Jonah is a parable designed to teach that God loves all nations" (pages 13-14).

MOSES DID NOT WRITE THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

"Like many other parts of the Bible, the Pentateuch was not written at one time by one author. Rather, it includes traditions, stories, and historical data passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation, put into written collections from about 1000 to 550 (BC), and then edited into its present form between 500 and 400" (BC) (page 16).

REJECTS WHAT BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT AUTHORSHIP OF ISAIAH

"The Book of Isaiah was composed by several authors. The first 39 chapters come from the prophet Isaiah (740-687); mindful of God's holiness, he tried to bring Judah back to the Lord. Chapters 40 to 55 were written by an unknown poet during the Babylonian captivity (586-539) and are noted for the Suffering Servant passages foretelling a Messiah who would suffer for God's people. Chapters 56 to 66 contain poems by unknown prophets who wrote in the spirit of Isaiah."

CONTRARY TO JESUS' TESTIMONY, DANIEL DID NOT WRITE BOOK OF DANIEL

"Daniel takes its name from its hero rather than its author, who is unknown. It was written around 165 as an 'apocalypse,' a common literary form from 200 B.C. to A.D. 200, characterized by figurative language, visions, symbols, and stories designed to teach that God cares for the faithful, even in persecution" (page 19).

"We believe" says that Matthew did not write Matthew (page 40), it is uncertain if John wrote the Gospel of John (page 40), we do not know who the John is who wrote Revelation (page 43), "The Bible and Sacred Tradition comprise what the Church understands by a divine revelation (page 45).

ACCEPTS EVOLUTION, REJECTS HISTORICITY OF GENESIS

"God is Father-Creator. Some Christians say that Genesis teaches exactly how God created the world and that the Bible cannot be reconciled with scientific studies of the development of life forms and of the appearance of human beings on earth. But Catholics believe that the Bible teaches the why of creation, while science studies its how" (page 49).

MARTIN LUTHER AND SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE

"In 1517 Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, posted his 'Ninety-five Theses' on a chapel door in Wittenburg, Germany, calling for an end to the abuses in the Church. He wanted reform, not a new church; but poor communications, stubbornness on the part of Luther and his Catholic counterparts, and interference by secular authorities led him to a 'protestant' position, accepting the bible as the only true authority and teaching salvation by faith alone" (page 56).

PRAYING TO THE SAINTS

"We 'pray' to the saints in the sense that we ask them to pray with us and for us" (page 62).

SOULS IN PURGATORY

"Catholics believe that some people may experience death when they are neither cut off from God by serious sin nor perfectly free from all venial sin. They need further 'purification' from sin to achieve the holiness necessary to stand in God's presence where 'nothing unclean will enter' (Revelation 21:27). The Catholic Church teaches that such individuals can be helped by the prayers of others. This belief goes back to Old Testament times and finds expression in the New Testament as well" (page 65).

"The Catholic Church has continued to pray for the dead, and this prayer has brought consolation and peace to the bereaved" (page 66).

"'The reality of judgment, heaven, hell, and purgatory is taught as official doctrine by the Catholic Church" (page 77).

"Catholics also believe in a temporary state of purification after death called 'purgatory'" (page 78).

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONOF MARY

"The Catholic Church believes that Mary was conceived without sin" (page 67).

MARY'S ASSUMPTION TO HEAVEN

"The doctrine of the Assumption is an important aspect of Catholic belief, infallibly taught by the Church. It was defined in 1950 by Pope Piux XII, not on his own initiative but in answer to millions of petitions from all over the world. Like the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of Mary was accepted by Catholics for centuries before it became dogma. This doctrine proclaims that at the end of Mary's life on earth, Christ gave her victory over death, and her body shared fully in his Resurrection as ours will at the end of time. Because Mary never sinned, she was able to experience complete union with her Son, Jesus. This doctrine is a sign of hope because it points the way to heaven for us, who are, like Mary, members of the church" (page 69).

APPARITIONS OF MARY

"The shrine at Lourdes is especially noted for its miracles and the care with which any reported miracles are examined by doctors, non-Catholic as well as Catholic. Anyone who studies these miracles, as they have been described in numerous books and magazine articles, cannot help but be amazed at the evident presence of God's power and grace working through the intercession of Mary" (page 70).