– A Series for Cradle Catholics Rediscovering Their Faith
by Keith Abell RPh MI
Welcome to “In Whom Do You Put Your Trust”, a heartfelt series that grew out of a pivotal moment in my faith journey. Back in 1998, a fundamentalist challenged me with 18 difficult questions intended to shake my Catholic beliefs. Instead of weakening my faith, those questions became a catalyst for deeper reflection, study of Scripture, the early Church Fathers, and official Catholic teaching—and ultimately a stronger commitment to Christ and His one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.
In this series, I revisit each question—not just to provide defensive answers, but to share the wisdom, biblical foundations, historical witness, and grace-filled truths that have sustained me as a Cradle Catholic. These reflections are more than apologetics; they are an invitation to explore what true trust in God looks like in everyday life. Whether you’re wrestling with doubt, feeling on spiritual autopilot, or simply seeking to grow deeper in faith, I hope these writings inspire you to place your trust where it belongs: in Jesus Christ, as He reveals Himself through His Church.
The series is structured around the 18 questions my friend posed, each ending with the same piercing challenge: “In whom do you put your trust?”
Question 1 is the most expansive—it touches the heart of salvation and grace—so I've dedicated **7 separate posts** to it, one for each Sacrament. The remaining questions each get their own post (or combined where related for better flow). Links below will take you to the full responses as they are published.
The 18 Questions – Click to Read the Response
- So when the Church tells you that sacraments are necessary for salvation, and Jesus taught that only belief was necessary, in whom do you put your trust?
(Answered over 7 posts—one per Sacrament)
Part 1: Baptism – Born Again in Christ
Part 2: The Eucharist – The Body and Blood of Christ
Part 3: Confession – Mercy Through the Church
Part 4: Confirmation – Sealed with the Holy Spirit
Part 5: Matrimony – The Domestic Church
Part 6: Holy Orders – Priests Configured to Christ
Part 7: Anointing of the Sick – Healing and Preparation for Glory - When the Church tells you that you can't be sure that you are going to heaven when you die, and God tells you that you can be sure, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When theyou that there is a purgatory before heaven, and the Bible says nothing of the sort, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that you can't interpret the Bible and the Holy Spirit tells you that you can, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that Jesus comes down to the altar, at the beck and call of a priest to be sacrificed, and Jesus said "it is finished" and that by one(!) offering man can have salvation, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that the Pope is infallible, and God tells you that there is none righteous, no, not one; in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Reponse - When the Church tells you that you are saved at baptism, and Jesus tells you that you are saved when you (not your parents) call upon the name of the Lord, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that Mary offered Jesus on the cross, and the Bible teaches that Jesus offered Himself, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that Mary was born without original sin and lived a sinless life, and God tells you that Jesus was the only one who ever did that, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that priests are another Christ, and the Bible teaches that there is one Christ, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you its OK to make graven images, statues, and idols and proudly display them in your churches and homes, and when God commanded you to not do so, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When Jesus said to test the spirits, for there are many false prophets in the world, and the Church tells you they can't be talking about us, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When Revelation 17 talks about the great whore and the Church tells you they can't be talking about us, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that Mary was the co-redeemer of mankind, and the Bible tells you that you are lessening the work that Christ did on the cross, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you its ok to pray to Mary and for the dead, and the Lord God commands you to pray to none other that Him, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that a priest can forgive you of your sins, and Jesus tells you that God is the only one that can forgive you your sins, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - When the Church tells you that Jesus comes to exist in a wafer after being invoked to do so by a priest, and a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ tells you that this is pure folly, in whom do you put your trust?
Read the Response - Conclusion: A true Catholic is an abomination unto God? How so? He tells of the things that are acceptable and unacce/ptable in His Only Holy Guidebook, that He has given us on how to walk a Christian life, on how to be saved, on how to have eternal life.
Read the Final Reflection
This series is ongoing—new posts will be added as they are published. Bookmark this page or subscribe to the blog (via the sidebar) to stay updated. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments on each post, or connect on our Facebook page as we journey together from autopilot faith to intentional discipleship.
May the Lord deepen our trust in Him through His Word, His Church, and His grace. In whom do you put your trust?
God bless,
Keith Abell, RPh MI
Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam
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