High Desert Showdown

Half a town was up in arms because a Fundamentalist preacher came out loudly and publicly against the Catholic Church. What were local Catholics to do?

In California's high desert, a small town was convulsed by the antics of an anti-Catholic preacher. Townsfolk were beginning to turn against one another. Local Catholics were at wit's end. None of them felt equipped to deal with the man, who was inflaming emotions in a way not seen before. They turned to a nationally-known Catholic apologist for help.

Jim Blackburn, once a Catholic, bluntly explained why he rejected distinctive Catholic beliefs-and why Catholics should too. In public talks he railed against confession, the Virgin Mary, and the Catholic interpretation of the Bible and salvation. Here's what happened when he went one-on-one with a defender of the Catholic position.

Karl Keating is the author of Catholicism and Fundamentalism, Booked for Life: The Bibliographic Memoir of an Accidental Apologist, The New Geocentrists, the How to Fail at Hiking series, and other works. His avocations include backpacking, studying languages, and playing the baroque mandolino. His author website is karlkeating.com.