Customer Reviews

WHY CATHOLICS ARE RIGHT

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Reason for Reading: I love Michael Coren's TV show, I am a Catholic and the provocative title did its trick and grabbed my interest. But I would read any book by Coren on religion or politics, though I don't always agree with him on the latter.

This book is unapologetically, in fact, is proudly, Catholic. Written by a Catholic to give a Catholic point of view on Catholic teachings and Catholic issues. Unfortunately, there remains one last prejudice in this world that is fine and dandy to behold and that is anti-Catholicism. Some Christians may feel that prejudice against any form of Christianity is rampant, and while that is true to a certain degree, even some non-Catholic Christians can be as vicious as anyone else in their anti-Catholic vitriol. Search the net; it won't take you long to find one of these "discussions", even in major newspaper comment sections.

Michael Coren's book hits on all the major topics, and even the minor topics, that non-Catholics and the media are so upset, uninformed and plain wrong about. This is a short book so doesn't go into theological academia to prove its points but does go plenty deep enough to get at the truth. Divided into 5 parts Coren deals with the abuse scandal, historical topics, theology, life and a final chapter on "other stuff". Within these 5 topics Coren manages to not only discuss his main topic but carry on from one topic to another related one until the subject has been more than covered, leaving no blank spaces behind. The book is very thorough.

This book is a must have for every practicing Catholic as it is a primer on how to defend our faith in a friendly, intelligent manner against all the uninformed and oftentimes ignorant comments made against Catholicism. The chapter on the abuse scandal which accepts the awful truth and tragedy of what actually happened and explains how it has been dealt with versus the media attacks and vendettas is worth the price of the book alone.

Persons who truly want to understand what Catholicism is about will enjoy this book which will give them bite-size yet meaty information on what we Catholics really believe and why, rather than what you've heard about or think you know about our beliefs.

If you are already anti-Catholic, this book will enrage you and you will hate it as it will prove all your prejudices to be wrong, thus having you believe that the book itself is at fault as you personally could, of course, never be.

My only complaint is that the book has no index. Something that doesn't seem to be a given anymore where non-fiction is concerned. I know this is going to be a book I will refer to time and time again and while the book is set up easily enough to find what you are looking for an index would have come in handy.

A brilliant book that no practicing Catholic should be without. Treat yourself to a copy and while your at it buy a gift copy for a friend, relative or priest. It's that good!

Michael Coren has a keen insightful and witty way to defend the Catholic Church. If you have ever seen him on TV, heard him on the radio or read his columns, Coren has a way with language that most will find challenging and enjoyable. A book like this has been needed for a long time. I will be buying a copy for each of my 9 kids, my family priest, our friends and many others.

Interesting sidenote: Despite the fact that this book has been listed as high as no. 6 in Canada on the Best Seller's list, our locak Chapters has interestingly declined to put any copies out on its shelves. Apparently, when I went to buy two copies, they had eight copies altogether, all of which were "in the back" as opposed to being on the shelf LOL

Michael Coren has authored a work critically important to the Church today, for the gathered and the scattered alike. For the gathered, that is, serious Catholics, "Why Catholics are Right" will provide insight into the common arguments and attacks against our faith. This is not traditional apologetics. Coren uses his vast understanding of contemporary western culture and thought and skilfully demonstrates his award winning journalistic prowess as he covers the principal historical and current views which support the Truth of Catholicism, the same Truth today as yesterday. For the scattered, cultural, lukewarm and/or dissenting Catholics, Coren provides compelling, even encouraging reasons to exercise the God given freedom of choice to come back into the Church, or admit oneself outside of the Church, but by all means to stop using the same old tired and simply untrue arguments against the Holy Roman Catholic Church because the Church of Jesus Christ simply may not suit them. It is about being honest really, and "Why Catholics are Right" is the most honest book covering these topics in years.

"Michael Coren has written a case for the Catholic faith that is the rarest kind of book: wonderfully readable, intellectually vigorous and stylish in its force. His chapter on Church history is worth the price alone; but the whole text is alive with fidelity, penetrating intelligence and the irony of our times, expressed with consummate skill. Highly recommended."

Charles Chaput,
Archbishop of Denver

This book is a must read for all Catholics If you are into apologetics this book gives smart intelligent support for the Catholic faith.

Michael Coren is a well spoken and articulate author. He provides arguments that shatter the common misconceptions of the Catholic faith. He arms the reader with no nonsense rebuttal to many attempts to tear down the church as we know it. You won't want to put it down, it renews committment to the faith and spurs determination to evangelize and defend the faith. I read it cover to cover in practically one sitting and then passed it on to other Catholics. I highly recommend this book to faithful Catholics who are seeking to deepen their faith as well as those who have fallen away or are exploring Christianity. It will surely be the reason you find your way back.

This is a great book for anyone who feels that their Catholic faith is constantly under attack but doesn't know how to respond. It has just about everything you need to know in a concise and easy to understand way. I suppose it takes a person in the media to defend the faith against the caricatures and fabrications that are often found in the media. This book is also useful for non-Catholic Christians who would like to grow in their understanding of the Catholic faith.

If you would like to deepen your prayer life, then read The Story of the Soul or The Imitation of Christ or one of the other spiritual classics. But if you would like to respond to criticisms of the faith in a respectful and informed way, then read Why Catholics are Right by Michael Coren. This is the best of its kind and much appreciated.

This is a marvelous book. Witty and fun and informative. It is also one of the few places you will find an acurate discription of the abuse scandal. I hope they start using this in every catholic high school religion course.

Coren hits the nail right on the head. He destroys myth after myth promulgated by critics of Catholisism. His research is exhaustive. Must have taken hours & hours of work to point out the facts versus the fallacies. Who could possibly win a debate contrary to his finding? An amazing book indeed.

This book contains absolutely nothing new to defend what Roman Catholicism was and is. Nor does it contain anything to convince me to return to Roman Catholicism. And it's a shame Mr. Coren - who I generally have a lot of respect for - would choose such a childish title for it. Had he not, I'm sure the book would have been taken much more seriously and sold many more copies outside of Roman Catholics. He might as well have called it: "Why Catholics are Right and why my dad can take your dad."