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Catholic Answers

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Catholic Answers, based in El Cajon, California, is one of the largest Lay apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization in the United States.

It was founded in 1979 by Karl Keating in response to a Fundamentalist Protestant church in San Diego that was distributing anti-Catholic propaganda in the form of tracts placed on the cars of Catholics attending Mass. Some were by anti-Catholic Jack Chick. Its mission statement explains its purpose:

Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. We help good Catholics become better Catholics, bringing former Catholics “home”, and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the faith. We explain Catholic truth, equip the faithful to live the sacramental life, and assist them in spreading the good news.

Catholic Answers publishes This Rock, a 10-issue-a year
magazine, one of the premier Catholic journals of evangelism and apologetics. It also produces the popular Catholic Answers Live radio show, which features some of the most prominent men and women in the Catholic Church answering callers’ questions.

Catholic Answers operates with the permission of the Diocese of San Diego, within the borders of which it resides. As such, it is listed in the current edition of The Official Catholic Directory (aka the Kenedy Directory), the authoritative listing of Catholic organizations, priests, and bishops in the United States.

Staff

Apologists currently working for Catholic Answers include Director of Apologetics and Evangelization Jimmy Akin (http://www.jimmyakin.org), speakers Jason Evert, Rosalind Moss, and Tim Staples, and staff apologists Peggy Frye, Michelle Arnold, Jim Blackburn, and Fr. Vincent Serpa. Clinical psychologist Ray Guarendi contributes regularly as a radio guest and speaker.

Notable Catholic figures who formerly worked with Catholic Answers include Mark Brumley (http://www.ignatius.com), Matthew Pinto (http://www.asencionpress.com), and Patrick Madrid (http://www.patrickmadrid.com).

The Voters Guide Controversy

In the 2004 Presidential Election, Catholic Answers published (both in pamphlet form and in the newspaper USA today) “The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics”. This publication promoted five “non-negotiable” issues that were also major political questions in the election cycle. The five non-negotiable issues explained and discussed were: Abortion, Homosexual Marriage, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Euthanasia and Human Cloning. The term “non-negotiable” is used by Catholic Answers to describe issues that are never morally acceptable under Catholic teaching.

“The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics” was criticized for correlating with a Republican agenda. Critics argued that the publication did not take into account the full breath of Catholic Social Teaching, including economic, social justice, or other life issues. Catholic Answers responded that political candidates can have a range of policy stances on issues that are not “non-negotiable” and still be in line with Church teaching. On the other hand, according to Catholic Answers, good Catholics must not vote for candidates who take the wrong stance on “non-negotiable” issues.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops publishes its own voters guide, Faithful Citizenship, that outlines over 50 issues that they believe should be considered by Catholics before they cast their votes. The Bishops’ document does not use the term “non-negotiable,” but it does characterize the following issues as “never morally acceptable”: abortion, intentional attacks on civilians in war, and the use of weapons of mass destruction or other weapons that cause disproportionate harm or that cannot be deployed in ways that distinguish between civilians and soldiers.

While “The Voters Guide for Serious Catholics” made no endorsements of any candidate or political party, the organization came under strong attack by liberal and mainstream organizations and Democratic Party Candidates as a partisan publication. Complaints were filed with the IRS attempting to revoke Catholic Answers Tax Exempt Status. Debate continues as to the effectiveness of the campaign on educating Catholic voters but Catholic Answers plans to continue the campaign in future elections.

Although the guide has been blamed for being too Republican, all the non-negotiable issues that are condemned in the guide are also condemned by the Catholic Church.

An IRS investigation led to a new legal entity called Catholic Answers Action being created which has a separate 501(c)(4) tax status. Donations to Catholic Answers Action, unlike those to Catholic Answers, are not tax deductible.