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Radio Replies #1
Radio Replies: First Volume
3 vols. 4,374 questions and answers on every conceivable aspect of the Catholic Faith by these intrepid preachers. Clear, succinct, uncompromising, powerful. Best refutation of Protestantism in print. Indexed. Very famous.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
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48 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Rumble
56 books2 followersRev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. was brought up by Anglican parents and was a Protestant in his early years. After some thirty years, he became a Catholic, and eventually 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. He hosted the program for five years, answering questions that had been written to him from around the glove.
He collaborated with Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty on a series of books, Radio Replies. The first edition was issued in Australia in the summer of 1937, financed by Msgr. James Meany, P.P., the director of 2SM.
In 1928, Fr. Rumble began a one-hour "Question Box" program on 2SM Sydney, N.S.W. radio on Sunday evenings. He hosted the program for five years, answering questions that had been written to him from around the glove.
He collaborated with Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty on a series of books, Radio Replies. The first edition was issued in Australia in the summer of 1937, financed by Msgr. James Meany, P.P., the director of 2SM.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 13, 2024
VOLUME ONE OF A THREE-VOLUME SET OF RESPONSES TO CALLER QUESTIONS
Fr. Leslie Rumble broadcast over the radio from Australia, and Fr. Carty from Minnesota; the books in this 3-volume series were questions that they were asked on the air. The other volumes in the series are 'Radio Replies: Volume 2; and 'Radio Replies Vol. 3.' This book was first published in 1938.
About Protestants' worship, they state, "Youi are not wrong in worshipping the same God. You are wrong in so far as you do not do so in the right way... God wants all men to serve Him, and to serve Him in the Catholic Church. The Catholic way is completely right; the Protestant way is more than half wrong." (Pg. 51)
He adds, "Not all the sincerity in the world can be a sufficient substitute for authentic credentials in this matter. An immense power and authority over the souls of men requires solid proof that it is really possessed. Christ proved that He had it. The Catholic Church can prove that He entrusted that power to Her. Founders of other churches had no more than their personal conviction that they possessed such authority..." (Pg. 53)
He also added, "There is no really rational foundation for Protestantism, and if Protestants did soundly reflect upon the subject they would discover this. But there is a rational basis for Catholicism... Impartial study leads a man out of Protestantism. It never leads a man out of Catholicism." (Pg. 59)
In response to a question about "bad Popes," they reply, "The conduct of some Popes in their personal lives it is impossible to justify. They ought to have been thoroughly ashamed of themselves... I have never claimed that the Pope can do no wrong... The Pope is not, and have never claimed to be impeccable. But ... God endows him with infallibility that he may tell us with certainty what we must believe and do in order to save ourselves; whether he lives up to it himself is quite another matter and his own business. It is quite possible to give splendid advice and not live up to it oneself." (Pg. 97)
They add that Alexander VI "certainly was a disgrace to his office... the life led by Alexander disgusts Catholics far more than it disgusts Protestants... History records six or seven [Popes] as having been really unworthy of their office... One in 12 is the proportion of evil men among the Apostles chosen by Christ Himself." (Pg. 102)
They explain, "[The Church says that man's] soul is certainly not the result of evolution, but that it is immediately created by God. There is no dogma regarding the precise mode of formation in regard to his body. But the Church stands to the ordinary teaching that his body had not evolved from lower beings, but that it also was produced by the special intervention of God... no Catholic would be justified in denying the literal Biblical account... He must accept it as more probable than the evolutionary hypothesis." (Pg. 143)
They state that Charles Chiniquy ['Fifty Years in the Church of Rome'] "did not leave the Church voluntarily, but was expelled from it in 1851 by the Bishop of Montreal because the Church could not tolerate his immorality. He pretended repentance, promised to behave himself, and persuaded another Catholic bishop to accept his services. but in 1856 he was again expelled for immorality." (Pg. 221)
About praying to the saints, they reply, "By your very prayer you are attempting to mediate between God and myself on my behalf. I do not criticize the principle of praying for others... I do not criticize your praying for me in violation of your own principles. If the Saints cannot be mediators by praying for me, neither can you. Your prayers would be futile; they could do nothing for me; and you would be wasting your time." (Pg. 289)
Although the modern Catholic Church would probably change some of these answers (e.g., about evolution), this book remains a marvelous and concise compendium of information about Catholic doctrines, that will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic apologetics and dogma.
Fr. Leslie Rumble broadcast over the radio from Australia, and Fr. Carty from Minnesota; the books in this 3-volume series were questions that they were asked on the air. The other volumes in the series are 'Radio Replies: Volume 2; and 'Radio Replies Vol. 3.' This book was first published in 1938.
About Protestants' worship, they state, "Youi are not wrong in worshipping the same God. You are wrong in so far as you do not do so in the right way... God wants all men to serve Him, and to serve Him in the Catholic Church. The Catholic way is completely right; the Protestant way is more than half wrong." (Pg. 51)
He adds, "Not all the sincerity in the world can be a sufficient substitute for authentic credentials in this matter. An immense power and authority over the souls of men requires solid proof that it is really possessed. Christ proved that He had it. The Catholic Church can prove that He entrusted that power to Her. Founders of other churches had no more than their personal conviction that they possessed such authority..." (Pg. 53)
He also added, "There is no really rational foundation for Protestantism, and if Protestants did soundly reflect upon the subject they would discover this. But there is a rational basis for Catholicism... Impartial study leads a man out of Protestantism. It never leads a man out of Catholicism." (Pg. 59)
In response to a question about "bad Popes," they reply, "The conduct of some Popes in their personal lives it is impossible to justify. They ought to have been thoroughly ashamed of themselves... I have never claimed that the Pope can do no wrong... The Pope is not, and have never claimed to be impeccable. But ... God endows him with infallibility that he may tell us with certainty what we must believe and do in order to save ourselves; whether he lives up to it himself is quite another matter and his own business. It is quite possible to give splendid advice and not live up to it oneself." (Pg. 97)
They add that Alexander VI "certainly was a disgrace to his office... the life led by Alexander disgusts Catholics far more than it disgusts Protestants... History records six or seven [Popes] as having been really unworthy of their office... One in 12 is the proportion of evil men among the Apostles chosen by Christ Himself." (Pg. 102)
They explain, "[The Church says that man's] soul is certainly not the result of evolution, but that it is immediately created by God. There is no dogma regarding the precise mode of formation in regard to his body. But the Church stands to the ordinary teaching that his body had not evolved from lower beings, but that it also was produced by the special intervention of God... no Catholic would be justified in denying the literal Biblical account... He must accept it as more probable than the evolutionary hypothesis." (Pg. 143)
They state that Charles Chiniquy ['Fifty Years in the Church of Rome'] "did not leave the Church voluntarily, but was expelled from it in 1851 by the Bishop of Montreal because the Church could not tolerate his immorality. He pretended repentance, promised to behave himself, and persuaded another Catholic bishop to accept his services. but in 1856 he was again expelled for immorality." (Pg. 221)
About praying to the saints, they reply, "By your very prayer you are attempting to mediate between God and myself on my behalf. I do not criticize the principle of praying for others... I do not criticize your praying for me in violation of your own principles. If the Saints cannot be mediators by praying for me, neither can you. Your prayers would be futile; they could do nothing for me; and you would be wasting your time." (Pg. 289)
Although the modern Catholic Church would probably change some of these answers (e.g., about evolution), this book remains a marvelous and concise compendium of information about Catholic doctrines, that will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic apologetics and dogma.
March 25, 2025
This answers in this book did not go deep enough in some cases, and some of the answers sounded like intellectual double-talk, especially when questioned with the more difficult questions. But I hold this on my bookshelf as reference for some of the answers that he presents. At some point, will dissect every part of this book, hopefully with my own answers explained better.
July 15, 2021
An excellent book for Catholic apologetics, covering a wide variety of topics. As a minor criticism, this volume covers several topics that are also covered in the other two volumes (such as Anglicanism and the nature of God); it might be more helpful if the questions covering each topic were concentrated in a single place rather than scattered across all three volumes.
February 13, 2017
I skimmed through this book reading answers to questions that interested me. Each question was generally from a non-Catholic questioning, sometimes uncharitably, our faith. I prefer to read apologetics in a more positive format.
December 5, 2019
78/100 (= 4.3/6) ≈ 4 Stars
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews