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The Counsel of Trent

#1078 - Do Catholics Have Too Many Rituals? (Ben Shapiro Response)

The Counsel of Trent

Catholic Answers

Religion & Spirituality

4.82.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this Episode Trent responds to the viral clip of Ben Shapiro claiming that if he converted to Christianity, he would choose to be Protestant because Catholicism "has too many rituals." Do Jesus' Last Words Refute Catholicism? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpeCWo8yoEs To support this channel: https://www.patreon.com/counseloftrent [NEW] Counsel of Trent merch: https://shop.catholic.com/apologists-alley/trent-horn-resources/ Be sure to keep up with our socials! https://www.tiktok.com/@counseloftrent https://www.twitter.com/counseloftrent https://www.instagram.com/counseloftrentpodcast

Transcript

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0:00.0

Recently, Michael Knowles interviewed Ben Shapiro and asked him, if he ever became Christian, would he be Protestant or Catholic?

0:06.0

A lot of people shared one clip online of Shapiro saying he'd become Protestant because he'd want to be part of a faith that wasn't so full of rituals.

0:13.5

But this single clip took Shapiro out of context as if he were completely dunking on Catholicism. He wasn't.

0:19.4

So in today's episode, I want to set the record straight

0:22.3

and engage the criticism that Catholicism has too many rituals.

0:26.5

Let's look at the relevant clips.

0:28.1

In order for me to become a Christian,

0:31.6

the central pitch of Christianity to me

0:34.0

would be getting rid of all of the rituals.

0:36.6

Right? I mean, that's like the central pitch. You're saying you'd want to mix it up. You got to make it. Yeah, man. Like if, like, I do more ritual than you, right? I'm like, as Jewish as it's possible to be almost. Yeah. And what that means is that if the, I've said this before, Catholicism is more similar to Judaism and Protestantism. Yes. By far. There's no question because Catholicism, and I've said this before, Catholicism is more similar to Judaism and Protestantism.

0:55.0

Yes.

0:56.0

By far, there's no question because Catholicism, as I've said to Bishop Aaron, backfilled all of the ritual

1:01.0

by basically saying faith, faith will save you not works, but also it turns out that if you think

1:06.0

that that that is like a practical way of governing, it turns out that you need hierarchy and actual works.

1:10.0

And like let's give some, you know, credence to James here.

1:14.4

One Protestant on X summarized the conversation this way.

1:17.7

Here, Ben Shapiro admits to Michael Knowles that if he were to convert to Christianity,

1:21.9

he would go Protestant because Catholicism is more or less the same.

1:25.7

Endless rituals done as a way to earn heaven. And he is

1:28.6

completely right here. The entire foundation on which Christianity is grounded on is that Jesus

1:33.6

Christ paid it all. He became our final and all-sufficient sacrifice. There is no more need for

1:39.5

rituals. But that wasn't Shapiro's position. This was more of a joking answer from him.

...

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