This page is designed to show the inconsistencies and outright evils of the EWTN Catholic Faith. I would like to solicit any and all assistance in surfing the EWTN site looking for posts that the priests and EWTN staff place on the site. I need to know quickly regarding any and all posts because EWTN has been known to REMOVE posts that have bluntly proven their Satanic stance. All too often they "preach" their errors to Catholics that frequent their site. However, occasionally their error is so blatant and outright that they erase it quickly. Please... if you run across any StRaNgE posts on this site, alert me asap and I will copy and paste them here so as to prevent them from being removed from before the eyes of Truth seekers.

·        EWTN discusses the "benefits" of burning people at the stake?

·        EWTN states the book of James is NOT considered inspired by Protestants?

The Benefits of Burning Heretics at the Stake.

This discussion was originally posted to, but has now been deleted from EWTN's History Forum:

Burning at the stake -- a different perspective
Question from Don on 05-13-2002:

Dr. Carroll,

In considering the treatment of relapsed heretics (most, but not all, heretics were given the chance to recant before being burned alive), it is obviously important to consider the underlining beliefs motivating such behavior on the part of the Catholic secular and religious authorities.

To those watching someone being burned alive, as well as to the person being executed, it is clear that such a death was a vivid depicture of people's beliefs regarding Hell. In Saint Joan of Arc's Trial of Condemnation, Hell is not referred to as "hell" but as the "eternal fire". The same terminology was later used at the Council of Florence, and is also present in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph #1036).

Does it seem logical that heretics were burned alive, with their mental faculties intact, to give them one last chance to repent before being sent into the "eternal fire"? Could it be that burning an individual at the stake was seen as a merciful death, as a means of giving that person one last chance to save his or her soul before final damnation??? I have read that "burning at the stake was believed by some medieval authorities and scholars to liberate the sinner from his or her formerly damned state and offer some hope of salvation to the now 'cleansed' soul".

The unchanging teaching of the Church is that Hell is the "the unquenchable fire" (#1034) and that it is eternal (#1035). Until the 20th-century, heresy was viewed as a terrible sin, something that the Apostle Paul condemns as damnable (#817), stating in Galatians 1:6-9,

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel-- not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed." Some translations have "eternally condemned" or "anathema" instead of "accursed".

Given such an admonition, what should one have expected of the medieval Church? If heretics were (and are) on a "highway to Hell", does it make sense to mercifully kill a relapsed heretic, so that he or she can "peacefully" pass into the "furnace of fire" (#1034)?

In our time, we have religious freedom, a gift from the deists of the Enlightenment. This is a good thing!! We need religious tolerance. One only need look at the events of September 11 to see that!! Tolerance is good and wonderful! Without it, we would probably be fighting numerous religious and ethnic wars, which would cost millions of lives.

In the end, though, our deep religious tolerance may not be a good thing. In giving people the absolute freedom to decide what they do or do not believe, we may have given them the freedom to "think and feel" their way straight into Hell, forever. In our age of complete relativism where there are no absolute truths, the Church has to operate the best she can, and this means a certain level of conformity to the prevailing social norms -- in this case, religious tolerance and ecumenicalism.

The world of medieval Catholic Europe operated under a set of much different circumstances. They did what they felt was right in the eyes of God. They were not "sinners" and did not necessarily use "poor judgment". Ultimately, Christ will judge all people, including those of the Inquisition. Catholics should not feel "embarrassed" by that outcome. I am not.

This is not to say that burning people alive was justified, even if the individual in question was a genuine heretic who repeatedly refused to recant. I guess that any judgment would need to be made on an individual case. We will all die someday, and I fully and firmly believe that God will judge everyone to ultimately spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. From the perspective of an obstinate heretic who was taken to the scaffold to be executed but who recanted before dying, the Inquisition may have ultimately been a “good” thing, assuming, of course, that the person went to Heaven who would have otherwise gone to Hell, except for the “grace” of the Inquisition. Of course, only God knows for sure.

If you think that the Inquisition was evil or misguided, just consider the state of those countries today where the Inquisitions were the most active – Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Nearly everyone in those countries is Catholic, and consequently, all three of those nations have the most restrictive abortion laws in the world.

Over the course of six hundred years, the Catholic Inquisitions sent between forty to sixty thousand individuals to the scaffold to be burned by the secular authorities. This is less than half the number of abortions done in the United States every month.

Regards,

Don

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-15-2002:

Well stated. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Re:Heretics
Question from Jared on 05-13-2002:

Dr. Carroll, in response to the post by Michael Edwards-Ronning on 5-11-02: I think that the popes during that time felt that the killing of heretics was just. To figure, wouldn't it be a lot better for the general population if a few mainstream heretics were killed, so that the whole population was not "infected" by the heresies of the few? What I am trying to say is that it wasn't a terrible idea. Kill a few heretics to save the eternal souls of the population. That may seem harsh, but that is the basis of my assumption. Thanks.

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-15-2002:

Well stated. I agree with you. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Heresey and Burning
Question from David Betts on 05-14-2002:

Dr. Carroll,

The Papal Bull, 'Exsurge Domine,' of Jun 15, 1520, condemned the errors of Martin Luther and his followers. In the translation of this Bull that I have read, Pope Leo X repudiates the following Protestant teaching:

#33. That heretics be burned is against the will of the Spirit.

This proclamation by Pope Leo X proves the Catholic Church taught that the burning of heretics was acceptable to God. Responsibility for this practice cannot be shifted to the civil authorities, as has been suggested.

You have termed the Reformation a 'Revolt,' which it may have been, but I ask you, what sort of Christian would blindly obey such twisted doctrine ?

Respectfully,

David Betts

Answer by Dr. William Carroll on 05-18-2002:

Traditionally, burning at the stake had always been the penalty for heresy because, as previous posters have pointed out, heresy was believed to consign souls to hellfire. That is why this practice was followed. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Re: Burning heretics at the stake
Question from Leslie Tate on 05-17-2002:

I have read with increasing horror the recent posts condoning the burning of heretics at the stake. It seems that the conservative branch of the Church feels that the Crusades, the Inquisition, et. al. were completely justified. The Church is NEVER wrong, and if you EVER question what went on in those years, I suppose you are branded a what, a heretic?? I do know in my historical studies that, without a doubt, there were many corrupt practices taking place in the Church, and that some of the so-called heretics were really just good people trying to make some changes (such as letting the bible be translated into the language of the people, to be read by the people). Would not these people who state that it was the right of the Church to burn heretics say that modern day "heretics" (Billy Graham, perhaps?) be equally condemned because they are Protestant? I cannot believe that ANYONE who professes to be a Christian would ever condone the torture and burning of heretics. I am losing my faith in the Church if this is the case.

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-20-2002:

Heretics are revolutionaries against the Church, and if they are given a free hand can and will imperil the salvation of millions and begin the upheaval of society. Ask anyone who knew the Communist revolution in Russia or Cuba what horrors revolution brings. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

It is simply incredible that anyone in the modern Catholic Church could in any way endorse or condone the atrocity of the stake and its use to deal with "heretics" in the middle ages, but that is exactly what Dr. Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D, the Catholic expert for the EWTN history forum, has effectively done. God help us, and save us from the men that think like this!

Dr. Carroll then "clarified" his position on burning heretics:

Heretics and Burning
Question from David Betts on 05-20-2002:

Dr. Carroll,

I have stated before my respect for your work on this forum, and sincerely repeat it now. You defend doggedly and with expert knowledge the truths of the Catholic faith.

I join with all those who believe that no justification for burning heretics can be found in the character and teachings of Jesus Christ. The defense of staking that one poster advanced at your forum --that it offers the terrified heretic one final, merciful chance to repent before being cast into hell—will not stand. That man on the stake was robbed forever, at the Pope’s orders, of any chance for the heartfelt repentance that alone pleases God. No confession of grave sin extracted from a man twisting in agony could possibly bring satisfaction to Jesus Christ. We do not need to consult the magisterium of the Catholic Church to know that this is so. Nor is there any possibility that such a gruesome spectacle could elevate public morality or restore men to a right relationship with God. The Popes who approved this horrendous punishment dishonored God far more than the heretics, and fueled the Reformation.

You speak solemnly of the responsibility of central authorities (as in Russia, Cuba, the U.S. government in 1861, the Bishop of Rome throughout history) to resist revolutionaries, drawing an analogy between dangerous political rebels and heretics. But order and discipline are not always worthy of admiration. Life in Russia under the Czars had little to recommend it. Would you have wanted to be a serf? Concerning Cuba, would you deny that the government of that island was corrupt to the core in the years before Castro? Arguably, it still is, but there were powerful reasons for the uprising that took place there. It is not in praise of Lenin and Marx that men in free countries can still reject the rule of the Czars and the sleek hoodlums who once ran Cuba with an iron fist. Common people have a right to fight tyranny. Do you not see that a Pope who passes beyond his supreme authority to identify and excommunicate heretics, into the realm of BURNING THEM ALIVE, has departed from Christ and taken on the mantle of a tyrant?

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-23-2002:

I do not advocate a return to burning at the stake, and I agree that this penalty should not have been imposed. But revolution is the greatest human evil in history, a veritable feast for Satan. I have a book on this subject which gives plenty of examples: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION, which you may obtain from Christendom Press in Front Royal, Virginia by calling toll-free 1-800-698-6649, or at your local library by inter-library loan. If you read this, as I hope you will, please read my account of what happened to Armando Valladares in Castro's Cuba, as unforgettably described in his great book AGAINST ALL HOPE. Anything is better than that! - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Burning of Heretics
Question from Shawn Madden on 05-21-2002:

This is very interesting Dr. Carroll. Your post to Leslie Tate on 5-20 is, at the very least, an apologetic for the burning of heretics in the past, and at the worst, a call to burn present day heretics. I note her mentioning of a present day heretic, Billy Graham, and your lack of any kind of distinction between present circumstances and the past. In fact, it seems that you are using the communist movements in China as an example of why the burning of heretics today would be justified.

I find your response disturbing in the extreme. Folks can say what they wish on EWTN's site about Catholic bashing by protestants but I have yet to read of a protestant justifying or calling for the burning of Catholics.

Some extreme posititions advocating the Catholic past I can see and understand but to dismiss so easily the burning of heretics is, in my mind, unconscionable. I don't think that even the Feenyites go that far.

Shawn Madden smadden@sebts.edu

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-23-2002:

In a recent post I tried to clarify my position on this issue. I certainly do not advocate the restoration of the butning of heretics, because in the present climate of opinion it would hurt the Church, and I do not think it should have been done in the past, because we should not deliberately inflict such great pain, nor deprive the heretic of the oppotunity to repent. But I do understand why it was done in the past, for the reasons that several posters have stated. Billy Graham would have been seen as a heretic in the past, and he is in fact a heretic now, though he does love Christ and has done much good. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Note that he says in the above post:

"I certainly do not advocate the restoration of the butning [burning] of heretics, because in the present climate of opinion it would hurt the Church, ... "

So, if the climate were different, and the Catholic Church held the reigns of power over secular governments again, what could we "heretics" that oppose apostate Catholic teaching expect??

In August of 2002 Matthew Bunson replaced Dr. Carroll in the EWTN History Forum. Note this defense of burning heretics at the stake:

Inquisition
Question from Gregory Dulmes on 09-08-2002:

Why are we always apologizing for the inquisitions? Why should Catholics feel bad that Exsurge Domine condemned Luther for the error stating that the burning of heretics was against the will of the Spirit? I tire of self-righteous critics denouncing the Church on this. Let me attempt a defence:

1) Temporal rulers and states have the legitimate authority to administer capital punishment.

2) At the time of the inquisitions, the states involved were explicitly, formally, officially *Catholic* entities. Kings and emperors were crowned in religious ceremonies. Because the Church rebuilt Europe, these kingdoms derived their authority from the Church.

3) A heretic was both a proliferator of doctrinal error *and a social revolutionary*. To be a heretic meant one was dedicated to overthrowing both the Church and the temporal order, i.e., fomenting revolution.

4) The Church executed no one. The Church's main role was to determine if the accused was actually a heretic or not. He or she was then turned over to the state - sometimes. The state's official punishment for heresy was usually a death sentence.

Hence, since a heretic was both a false teacher and a social revolutionary, he threatened to unleash chaos in society. I have no doubt that, given the rulers of the time (rulers *God* allowed to be) that the will of the Spirit was to give the heretic his just deserts (i.e., *justice*), meaning death at the stake. This does not make God or the Catholic Church cruel or sadistic. Any one who thinks this is cruel can simply review the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when heresy triumphed. The tragedy in lives and souls lost speaks for itself.

Lastly, the inquisitions were not only not bad, but were good. Why? Because they were an advancement over the mob violence and vigilante justice that proceeded them. Everything was usually by the book, carried out by the due 'controlling legal authorities'. If a man was executed, you can at least be sure that the accusations against him were true.

Where am I wrong in this?

Answer by Matthew Bunson on 09-08-2002:

Thank you for your views. They are shared by a great many people who object to the seemingly endless number of apologies demanded from the Church.

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Above facts were originally compiled by Michael Shiefler on... http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/burn-heretics.htm

Check out his main site here ... http://biblelight.net/ http://biblelight.net/

EWTN declares the book of James to be bogus

James and Protestants
Question from Shawn Madden on 01-23-2002:

Your statement "Besides, many Protestants don't accept James at all as inspired Scripture precisely because of your cited verse requiring works" is just flat out wrong and I am curious as to what you base it on. The Protestants I hang out with hold James as highly as any other book in Scripture.

Shawn Madden smadden@sebts.edu

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 01-23-2002:

Shawn, All or most of the Bibles printed for Protestant usage omit the Epistle of James from their New Testament list, following the decision of Martin Luther who claime this Epistle was merely one of straw. However, many of these Bibles list this Epistle separately as an apocryphal work. God bless. Fr. Bob Levis

COPYRIGHT 2002

http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?Pgnu=1&Pg=Forum6&recnu=2&number=236831

Now.. keep in mind before reading the next response by a possible non-Catholic, that this priest OPENLY stated in the previous post that all or most Protestant Bibles do not have the Epistle of James in them…

re:Epistle of James
Question from Megan on 01-23-2002:

Fr. in almost 40 years of regular Scripture study using both Catholic and Protestant translated Bibles of which I have a copy of most English translations, and in any and all commentary or teaching I have heard or read, the book of James (which follows the book of Hebrews in all Bibles) is considered inspired by all. The only questions I have read concerning it stem from comments by Martin Luther but never repeated by any others that I have heard/read in almost 40 years. I do not believe you will not find a Protestant believer, minister or lay, who would say that James is not part of the canon of Scripture. Please document for us anything that definitively says otherwise.

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 01-24-2002:

Dear Megan, All Bibles in my library are Catholic and so unfortunately I can't tell you what other Protestant Bibles say. If you, as a Protestant, find the Epistle of St. James in your Protestant Bible, congratulations, I am very happy that James is included. Historically, this Epistle was not so easily included in he New Testament Canon. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis

COPYRIGHT 2002

http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?Pgnu=1&Pg=Forum6&recnu=4&number=236850

Fr. Robert J. Levis states that "All or most of the Bibles printed for Protestant usage omit the Epistle of James from their New Testament " And after he is asked to prove his comments, he then admits he has NO PROTESTANT BIBLES IN HIS LIBRARY? I thought he said "ALL OR MOST" Protestant Bibles omit the book of James? A comment like this denotes a person who has verified, or at least looked into a Protestant bible to make such a claim as this. And when caught red handed he flipflops his comments to get out of trouble? Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in all your life? Seriously! I have been a Protestant for a little over 20 years now and NOT ONCE have I ever heard a single solitary person declare unto me such silliness as this. And to think, this is a Roman Catholic PRIEST that is called to TEACH and LEAD Catholics to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Notice his "sig file" on the EWTN website… it states the following...

Fr. Robert J. Levis
Fr. Robert Levis is the founding director (emeritus) of the Graduate Catechetical Institute, a pontifical institute at Gannon University. He has produced several resources to teach the Faith to young people including the interactive software "Catalog of Faith" and "Restless Teens & Faith". The latest book for youth by Fr. Levis, "Jesus, the Catechism, & Me", is available through EWTN's Religious Catalogue.

Gannon University
Graduate Catechetical Institute
Erie, PA 16541

This obviously uneducated priest is being used by the Vatican to teach their YOUTH? Pray for the youth that read his literal satanic verses. Pray they open a REAL Bible before long and find out the Vatican is truly the

This page is designed to show the inconsistencies and outright evils of the EWTN Catholic Faith. I would like to solicit any and all assistance in surfing the EWTN site looking for posts that the priests and EWTN staff place on the site. I need to know quickly regarding any and all posts because EWTN has been known to REMOVE posts that have bluntly proven their Satanic stance. All too often they "preach" their errors to Catholics that frequent their site. However, occasionally their error is so blatant and outright that they erase it quickly. Please... if you run across any StRaNgE posts on this site, alert me asap and I will copy and paste them here so as to prevent them from being removed from before the eyes of Truth seekers.

·        EWTN discusses the "benefits" of burning people at the stake?

·        EWTN states the book of James is NOT considered inspired by Protestants?

The Benefits of Burning Heretics at the Stake.

This discussion was originally posted to, but has now been deleted from EWTN's History Forum:

Burning at the stake -- a different perspective
Question from Don on 05-13-2002:

Dr. Carroll,

In considering the treatment of relapsed heretics (most, but not all, heretics were given the chance to recant before being burned alive), it is obviously important to consider the underlining beliefs motivating such behavior on the part of the Catholic secular and religious authorities.

To those watching someone being burned alive, as well as to the person being executed, it is clear that such a death was a vivid depicture of people's beliefs regarding Hell. In Saint Joan of Arc's Trial of Condemnation, Hell is not referred to as "hell" but as the "eternal fire". The same terminology was later used at the Council of Florence, and is also present in the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph #1036).

Does it seem logical that heretics were burned alive, with their mental faculties intact, to give them one last chance to repent before being sent into the "eternal fire"? Could it be that burning an individual at the stake was seen as a merciful death, as a means of giving that person one last chance to save his or her soul before final damnation??? I have read that "burning at the stake was believed by some medieval authorities and scholars to liberate the sinner from his or her formerly damned state and offer some hope of salvation to the now 'cleansed' soul".

The unchanging teaching of the Church is that Hell is the "the unquenchable fire" (#1034) and that it is eternal (#1035). Until the 20th-century, heresy was viewed as a terrible sin, something that the Apostle Paul condemns as damnable (#817), stating in Galatians 1:6-9,

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel-- not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed." Some translations have "eternally condemned" or "anathema" instead of "accursed".

Given such an admonition, what should one have expected of the medieval Church? If heretics were (and are) on a "highway to Hell", does it make sense to mercifully kill a relapsed heretic, so that he or she can "peacefully" pass into the "furnace of fire" (#1034)?

In our time, we have religious freedom, a gift from the deists of the Enlightenment. This is a good thing!! We need religious tolerance. One only need look at the events of September 11 to see that!! Tolerance is good and wonderful! Without it, we would probably be fighting numerous religious and ethnic wars, which would cost millions of lives.

In the end, though, our deep religious tolerance may not be a good thing. In giving people the absolute freedom to decide what they do or do not believe, we may have given them the freedom to "think and feel" their way straight into Hell, forever. In our age of complete relativism where there are no absolute truths, the Church has to operate the best she can, and this means a certain level of conformity to the prevailing social norms -- in this case, religious tolerance and ecumenicalism.

The world of medieval Catholic Europe operated under a set of much different circumstances. They did what they felt was right in the eyes of God. They were not "sinners" and did not necessarily use "poor judgment". Ultimately, Christ will judge all people, including those of the Inquisition. Catholics should not feel "embarrassed" by that outcome. I am not.

This is not to say that burning people alive was justified, even if the individual in question was a genuine heretic who repeatedly refused to recant. I guess that any judgment would need to be made on an individual case. We will all die someday, and I fully and firmly believe that God will judge everyone to ultimately spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. From the perspective of an obstinate heretic who was taken to the scaffold to be executed but who recanted before dying, the Inquisition may have ultimately been a “good” thing, assuming, of course, that the person went to Heaven who would have otherwise gone to Hell, except for the “grace” of the Inquisition. Of course, only God knows for sure.

If you think that the Inquisition was evil or misguided, just consider the state of those countries today where the Inquisitions were the most active – Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Nearly everyone in those countries is Catholic, and consequently, all three of those nations have the most restrictive abortion laws in the world.

Over the course of six hundred years, the Catholic Inquisitions sent between forty to sixty thousand individuals to the scaffold to be burned by the secular authorities. This is less than half the number of abortions done in the United States every month.

Regards,

Don

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-15-2002:

Well stated. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Re:Heretics
Question from Jared on 05-13-2002:

Dr. Carroll, in response to the post by Michael Edwards-Ronning on 5-11-02: I think that the popes during that time felt that the killing of heretics was just. To figure, wouldn't it be a lot better for the general population if a few mainstream heretics were killed, so that the whole population was not "infected" by the heresies of the few? What I am trying to say is that it wasn't a terrible idea. Kill a few heretics to save the eternal souls of the population. That may seem harsh, but that is the basis of my assumption. Thanks.

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-15-2002:

Well stated. I agree with you. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Heresey and Burning
Question from David Betts on 05-14-2002:

Dr. Carroll,

The Papal Bull, 'Exsurge Domine,' of Jun 15, 1520, condemned the errors of Martin Luther and his followers. In the translation of this Bull that I have read, Pope Leo X repudiates the following Protestant teaching:

#33. That heretics be burned is against the will of the Spirit.

This proclamation by Pope Leo X proves the Catholic Church taught that the burning of heretics was acceptable to God. Responsibility for this practice cannot be shifted to the civil authorities, as has been suggested.

You have termed the Reformation a 'Revolt,' which it may have been, but I ask you, what sort of Christian would blindly obey such twisted doctrine ?

Respectfully,

David Betts

Answer by Dr. William Carroll on 05-18-2002:

Traditionally, burning at the stake had always been the penalty for heresy because, as previous posters have pointed out, heresy was believed to consign souls to hellfire. That is why this practice was followed. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Re: Burning heretics at the stake
Question from Leslie Tate on 05-17-2002:

I have read with increasing horror the recent posts condoning the burning of heretics at the stake. It seems that the conservative branch of the Church feels that the Crusades, the Inquisition, et. al. were completely justified. The Church is NEVER wrong, and if you EVER question what went on in those years, I suppose you are branded a what, a heretic?? I do know in my historical studies that, without a doubt, there were many corrupt practices taking place in the Church, and that some of the so-called heretics were really just good people trying to make some changes (such as letting the bible be translated into the language of the people, to be read by the people). Would not these people who state that it was the right of the Church to burn heretics say that modern day "heretics" (Billy Graham, perhaps?) be equally condemned because they are Protestant? I cannot believe that ANYONE who professes to be a Christian would ever condone the torture and burning of heretics. I am losing my faith in the Church if this is the case.

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-20-2002:

Heretics are revolutionaries against the Church, and if they are given a free hand can and will imperil the salvation of millions and begin the upheaval of society. Ask anyone who knew the Communist revolution in Russia or Cuba what horrors revolution brings. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

It is simply incredible that anyone in the modern Catholic Church could in any way endorse or condone the atrocity of the stake and its use to deal with "heretics" in the middle ages, but that is exactly what Dr. Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D, the Catholic expert for the EWTN history forum, has effectively done. God help us, and save us from the men that think like this!

Dr. Carroll then "clarified" his position on burning heretics:

Heretics and Burning
Question from David Betts on 05-20-2002:

Dr. Carroll,

I have stated before my respect for your work on this forum, and sincerely repeat it now. You defend doggedly and with expert knowledge the truths of the Catholic faith.

I join with all those who believe that no justification for burning heretics can be found in the character and teachings of Jesus Christ. The defense of staking that one poster advanced at your forum --that it offers the terrified heretic one final, merciful chance to repent before being cast into hell—will not stand. That man on the stake was robbed forever, at the Pope’s orders, of any chance for the heartfelt repentance that alone pleases God. No confession of grave sin extracted from a man twisting in agony could possibly bring satisfaction to Jesus Christ. We do not need to consult the magisterium of the Catholic Church to know that this is so. Nor is there any possibility that such a gruesome spectacle could elevate public morality or restore men to a right relationship with God. The Popes who approved this horrendous punishment dishonored God far more than the heretics, and fueled the Reformation.

You speak solemnly of the responsibility of central authorities (as in Russia, Cuba, the U.S. government in 1861, the Bishop of Rome throughout history) to resist revolutionaries, drawing an analogy between dangerous political rebels and heretics. But order and discipline are not always worthy of admiration. Life in Russia under the Czars had little to recommend it. Would you have wanted to be a serf? Concerning Cuba, would you deny that the government of that island was corrupt to the core in the years before Castro? Arguably, it still is, but there were powerful reasons for the uprising that took place there. It is not in praise of Lenin and Marx that men in free countries can still reject the rule of the Czars and the sleek hoodlums who once ran Cuba with an iron fist. Common people have a right to fight tyranny. Do you not see that a Pope who passes beyond his supreme authority to identify and excommunicate heretics, into the realm of BURNING THEM ALIVE, has departed from Christ and taken on the mantle of a tyrant?

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-23-2002:

I do not advocate a return to burning at the stake, and I agree that this penalty should not have been imposed. But revolution is the greatest human evil in history, a veritable feast for Satan. I have a book on this subject which gives plenty of examples: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION, which you may obtain from Christendom Press in Front Royal, Virginia by calling toll-free 1-800-698-6649, or at your local library by inter-library loan. If you read this, as I hope you will, please read my account of what happened to Armando Valladares in Castro's Cuba, as unforgettably described in his great book AGAINST ALL HOPE. Anything is better than that! - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Burning of Heretics
Question from Shawn Madden on 05-21-2002:

This is very interesting Dr. Carroll. Your post to Leslie Tate on 5-20 is, at the very least, an apologetic for the burning of heretics in the past, and at the worst, a call to burn present day heretics. I note her mentioning of a present day heretic, Billy Graham, and your lack of any kind of distinction between present circumstances and the past. In fact, it seems that you are using the communist movements in China as an example of why the burning of heretics today would be justified.

I find your response disturbing in the extreme. Folks can say what they wish on EWTN's site about Catholic bashing by protestants but I have yet to read of a protestant justifying or calling for the burning of Catholics.

Some extreme posititions advocating the Catholic past I can see and understand but to dismiss so easily the burning of heretics is, in my mind, unconscionable. I don't think that even the Feenyites go that far.

Shawn Madden smadden@sebts.edu

Answer by Warren H. Carroll, Ph.D on 05-23-2002:

In a recent post I tried to clarify my position on this issue. I certainly do not advocate the restoration of the butning of heretics, because in the present climate of opinion it would hurt the Church, and I do not think it should have been done in the past, because we should not deliberately inflict such great pain, nor deprive the heretic of the oppotunity to repent. But I do understand why it was done in the past, for the reasons that several posters have stated. Billy Graham would have been seen as a heretic in the past, and he is in fact a heretic now, though he does love Christ and has done much good. - Dr. Carroll

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Note that he says in the above post:

"I certainly do not advocate the restoration of the butning [burning] of heretics, because in the present climate of opinion it would hurt the Church, ... "

So, if the climate were different, and the Catholic Church held the reigns of power over secular governments again, what could we "heretics" that oppose apostate Catholic teaching expect??

In August of 2002 Matthew Bunson replaced Dr. Carroll in the EWTN History Forum. Note this defense of burning heretics at the stake:

Inquisition
Question from Gregory Dulmes on 09-08-2002:

Why are we always apologizing for the inquisitions? Why should Catholics feel bad that Exsurge Domine condemned Luther for the error stating that the burning of heretics was against the will of the Spirit? I tire of self-righteous critics denouncing the Church on this. Let me attempt a defence:

1) Temporal rulers and states have the legitimate authority to administer capital punishment.

2) At the time of the inquisitions, the states involved were explicitly, formally, officially *Catholic* entities. Kings and emperors were crowned in religious ceremonies. Because the Church rebuilt Europe, these kingdoms derived their authority from the Church.

3) A heretic was both a proliferator of doctrinal error *and a social revolutionary*. To be a heretic meant one was dedicated to overthrowing both the Church and the temporal order, i.e., fomenting revolution.

4) The Church executed no one. The Church's main role was to determine if the accused was actually a heretic or not. He or she was then turned over to the state - sometimes. The state's official punishment for heresy was usually a death sentence.

Hence, since a heretic was both a false teacher and a social revolutionary, he threatened to unleash chaos in society. I have no doubt that, given the rulers of the time (rulers *God* allowed to be) that the will of the Spirit was to give the heretic his just deserts (i.e., *justice*), meaning death at the stake. This does not make God or the Catholic Church cruel or sadistic. Any one who thinks this is cruel can simply review the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when heresy triumphed. The tragedy in lives and souls lost speaks for itself.

Lastly, the inquisitions were not only not bad, but were good. Why? Because they were an advancement over the mob violence and vigilante justice that proceeded them. Everything was usually by the book, carried out by the due 'controlling legal authorities'. If a man was executed, you can at least be sure that the accusations against him were true.

Where am I wrong in this?

Answer by Matthew Bunson on 09-08-2002:

Thank you for your views. They are shared by a great many people who object to the seemingly endless number of apologies demanded from the Church.

COPYRIGHT 2002 EWTN

Above facts were originally compiled by Michael Shiefler on... http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/burn-heretics.htm

Check out his main site here ... http://biblelight.net/ http://biblelight.net/

EWTN declares the book of James to be bogus

James and Protestants
Question from Shawn Madden on 01-23-2002:

Your statement "Besides, many Protestants don't accept James at all as inspired Scripture precisely because of your cited verse requiring works" is just flat out wrong and I am curious as to what you base it on. The Protestants I hang out with hold James as highly as any other book in Scripture.

Shawn Madden smadden@sebts.edu

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 01-23-2002:

Shawn, All or most of the Bibles printed for Protestant usage omit the Epistle of James from their New Testament list, following the decision of Martin Luther who claime this Epistle was merely one of straw. However, many of these Bibles list this Epistle separately as an apocryphal work. God bless. Fr. Bob Levis

COPYRIGHT 2002

http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?Pgnu=1&Pg=Forum6&recnu=2&number=236831

Now.. keep in mind before reading the next response by a possible non-Catholic, that this priest OPENLY stated in the previous post that all or most Protestant Bibles do not have the Epistle of James in them…

re:Epistle of James
Question from Megan on 01-23-2002:

Fr. in almost 40 years of regular Scripture study using both Catholic and Protestant translated Bibles of which I have a copy of most English translations, and in any and all commentary or teaching I have heard or read, the book of James (which follows the book of Hebrews in all Bibles) is considered inspired by all. The only questions I have read concerning it stem from comments by Martin Luther but never repeated by any others that I have heard/read in almost 40 years. I do not believe you will not find a Protestant believer, minister or lay, who would say that James is not part of the canon of Scripture. Please document for us anything that definitively says otherwise.

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 01-24-2002:

Dear Megan, All Bibles in my library are Catholic and so unfortunately I can't tell you what other Protestant Bibles say. If you, as a Protestant, find the Epistle of St. James in your Protestant Bible, congratulations, I am very happy that James is included. Historically, this Epistle was not so easily included in he New Testament Canon. God bless you. Fr. Bob Levis

COPYRIGHT 2002

http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?Pgnu=1&Pg=Forum6&recnu=4&number=236850

Fr. Robert J. Levis states that "All or most of the Bibles printed for Protestant usage omit the Epistle of James from their New Testament " And after he is asked to prove his comments, he then admits he has NO PROTESTANT BIBLES IN HIS LIBRARY? I thought he said "ALL OR MOST" Protestant Bibles omit the book of James? A comment like this denotes a person who has verified, or at least looked into a Protestant bible to make such a claim as this. And when caught red handed he flipflops his comments to get out of trouble? Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in all your life? Seriously! I have been a Protestant for a little over 20 years now and NOT ONCE have I ever heard a single solitary person declare unto me such silliness as this. And to think, this is a Roman Catholic PRIEST that is called to TEACH and LEAD Catholics to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Notice his "sig file" on the EWTN website… it states the following...

Fr. Robert J. Levis
Fr. Robert Levis is the founding director (emeritus) of the Graduate Catechetical Institute, a pontifical institute at Gannon University. He has produced several resources to teach the Faith to young people including the interactive software "Catalog of Faith" and "Restless Teens & Faith". The latest book for youth by Fr. Levis, "Jesus, the Catechism, & Me", is available through EWTN's Religious Catalogue.

Gannon University
Graduate Catechetical Institute
Erie, PA 16541

This obviously uneducated priest is being used by the Vatican to teach their YOUTH? Pray for the youth that read his literal satanic verses. Pray they open a REAL Bible before long and find out the Vatican is truly the