Q & A of the Catholic Faith: **“Only Catholics Wrote the History?” A Critical Examination of the Claim That Catholic Sources Are Unreliable**

Monday, January 5, 2026

“Only Catholics Wrote the History?” A Critical Examination of the Claim That Catholic Sources Are Unreliable

History and Reality always go together and no one can disprove it.

Is it true that history books and standard references about the Catholic Church cannot be trusted because Catholics wrote them? This apologetic article examines historical methodology, Protestant and secular sources, Church Fathers, biblical principles, and why no global correction exists—revealing whether this objection stands up to reason and evidence.

Introduction: The Objection Explained

A common Protestant objection claims:

“History books and standard references about the Catholic Church cannot be trusted because Catholics wrote, published, and contributed to them.”

From this, it is concluded that Catholic historical claims are biased, unreliable, or even fabricated.

But is this argument logically valid, historically sound, or academically credible?

This article will show that:

The argument commits logical fallacies
Catholic history is confirmed by non-Catholic and secular scholars
The Church’s historical claims are public, falsifiable, and cross-checked
The absence of global corrections is not accidental
Christianity itself affirms testing testimony, not dismissing it by identity

I. The Logical Fallacy: “Genetic Fallacy”

What Is the Genetic Fallacy?

A genetic fallacy rejects a claim based on who said it, not whether it is true.

“Catholics wrote it, therefore it’s false.”

This logic would invalidate:

Protestant history written by Protestants
Atheist science written by atheists
Muslim history written by Muslims

Truth Is Determined By:

✔ Evidence
✔ Corroboration
✔ Manuscripts
✔ Archaeology
✔ Peer review
✔ Cross-disciplinary verification

Not by the author’s religion.

II. Who Actually Writes “Standard References”?

Comparison Table: Authors of Major Historical References

Reference Work	Publisher / Institution	Religious Affiliation
Encyclopaedia Britannica	Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.	Secular
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church	Oxford University Press	Secular
Cambridge History of Christianity	Cambridge University Press	Secular
Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary	Yale University Press	Jewish & Protestant
Early Christian Doctrines (J.N.D. Kelly)	Anglican Scholar	Protestant
History of the Christian Church (Philip Schaff)	Reformed Protestant	Protestant

📌 Fact: Many of the strongest confirmations of Catholic continuity come from non-Catholic scholars.

III. Protestant Scholars Who Confirm Catholic History

Quote Box: Philip Schaff (Protestant Historian)

“The Roman Church… is the oldest and most venerable institution in Christianity.”
— History of the Christian Church

Quote Box: J.N.D. Kelly (Anglican)

“The doctrines of the Trinity and the Eucharist were already firmly established in the early Church.”
— Early Christian Doctrines

These men did not convert to Catholicism, yet affirmed Catholic historical claims because the evidence demanded it.

IV. Early Church Fathers: Pre-Catholic or Already Catholic?

Timeline: Doctrinal Continuity

Date	Source	Teaching
AD 96	Clement of Rome	Apostolic succession
AD 107	Ignatius of Antioch	“Catholic Church”
AD 150	Justin Martyr	Eucharistic realism
AD 180	Irenaeus	Roman primacy
AD 250	Cyprian	One visible Church
AD 350+	Councils	Creed, sacraments

Quote Box: Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107)

“Where the bishop is, there is the Catholic Church.”

This predates:

Protestantism by 1,400 years
The biblical canon by 300 years

V. Biblical Principle: Test All Things, Do Not Dismiss Witnesses

Scripture Refutations

📖 1 Thessalonians 5:21

“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”

📖 Deuteronomy 19:15

“A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

📖 John 21:25

“There are also many other things which Jesus did…”

📖 2 Thessalonians 2:15

“Stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by word or by letter.”

➡ The Bible never teaches:
“Reject testimony because of religious identity.”

VI. If It Were False, Why No Global Corrections?

Critical Question:

If Catholic history is fabricated, why has no international scholarly correction succeeded?

Facts:

Academic publishers accept corrections
Errors are publicly revised
Peer review exists
Competing ideologies actively critique Catholicism

Yet:
❌ No global retraction
❌ No successful academic petition
❌ No manuscript evidence disproving continuity

➡ Silence here is not ignorance—it is defeat by evidence.

VII. Catholic Doctrine Development ≠ Invention

Development vs Corruption (Newman)

“A doctrine develops as an acorn becomes an oak.”
— John Henry Newman

Example: Trinity

Stage	Evidence
Implicit	Matthew 28:19
Liturgical	Didache
Theological	Church Fathers
Dogmatic	Council of Nicaea

📌 Development explains clarification, not contradiction.

VIII. Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

CCC 77–83 – Scripture & Tradition
CCC 84–87 – Magisterium
CCC 890 – Church indefectibility
CCC 113–119 – Historical interpretation of Scripture

IX. Final Apologetic Conclusion

The claim that Catholic history is unreliable because Catholics wrote it:
❌ Is logically invalid
❌ Is academically unsound
❌ Is biblically unsupported
❌ Is historically disproven

The Catholic Church stands not because no one challenged her, but because every challenge failed against the evidence.

Truth does not fear investigation.
Falsehood fears documentation.

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