The Deception of Church-Branding

August 27, 2019 By René Albert

In a society largely driven by consumerism, I’ve noticed a trend among churches that consider themselves charismatic, modernist, progressive or a combination of the three. In my church-shopping experiences, I’ve been to a number of congregations that typically displayed emotionally-driven worship services. They were usually accommodated with a loud contemporary worship band, a lights show and an abundance of screens with looped background videos. One even had some kind of bird-mascot lead the kids into Sunday school. In some, the... Read more

Political Correctness and Blasphemy Laws

August 23, 2019 By René Albert

Photo credit: Flickr ***CONTENT WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGES*** I have always understood members of the LGBTQ community have endured hostile and unjust treatment throughout history. I grew up in an era when it was common for kids in school to name-call using homophobic slurs. To be called such things was some of the most humiliating and dehumanizing ways to make people feel inferior. Although this sort of injustice is becoming less and less common as society is becoming more accepting, it... Read more

Are Animals Equal to Humans?

August 20, 2019 By René Albert

Growing up in a rural community, I had the privilege of learning how to care for animals, whether it was on my own farm or someone else’s. While I have a small amount of experience with livestock like cattle and pigs, I owned a couple dogs and raised some rabbits of my own. I often heard people joke about whether I was raising my rabbits for food, but the thought of eating my own pets was something I avoided to... Read more

Why Does Catholicism Have So Many Rules?

August 17, 2019 By René Albert

I’m a certified journeyman carpenter with over 15 years of experience in the construction industry. I’ve worked alongside several tradespersons with varying educational and employment experiences – all of who have brought value to the projects at hand. While many workers had their strengths in either book smarts or job site experience, some of the most successful tradespersons I’ve worked with were those who familiarized themselves with the rules of the building codes. Building codes in the construction industry are necessary... Read more

Parallels Between the ‘KJV-Only’ Movement and Radical Catholic Traditionalism

August 16, 2019 By René Albert

I mentioned in many previous articles how I converted from cradle-Catholicism to Protestant Evangelicalism as a teenager. A guest preacher from a Christian summer camp who was instrumental in my dramatic conversion experience had given me a King James Version of the Bible. Upon receiving this gift, he had told me to read no other Bible but that one alone, and that I would come to understand why someday. Despite feeling confused, I accepted the gift as though no felony... Read more

Church-Shopping Sucks

August 10, 2019 By René Albert

Breaking through social barriers is always a challenge, especially when attempting to join new groups. With every community there are always the regular cliques, and sometimes it can feel like there is no way to be fully part of the group unless you look, act, dress, think or believe a certain way. Or sometimes groups can be seemingly too exclusive to come within ten feet of them. In my experiences, sometimes I’ve felt like just an afterthought, whether it was with... Read more

Do Catholics Worship Idols?

August 5, 2019 By René Albert

I love music. I’ve collected CD’s since I was 13. I am well into my 30’s and before I sold them I probably had over 600 albums in my own library, including all my favourite artists ranging from Alice In Chains to ZZ Top. Like most people I know, hearing an old favorite song takes me on a trip down memory lane. Every album I’ve owned reflects a memory or an era of my life, so my personal soundtrack is... Read more

A Catholic Response To Fundamentalist Allegations Of ‘Vain Repetition’

July 31, 2019 By René Albert

After so many years of being in a relationship, the words ‘I love you’ can eventually lose its effect. What used to make a heart quiver in the early stages of a romantic relationship eventually fades into mere words that routinely drop upon passing through the front door. When it comes to Christianity, a typical talking point of fundamentalist Protestantism is the use of ‘vain repetition’ regarding ritualistic prayer or worship. This is taken from the biblical passage, “But when... Read more

Dear Catholics: For The Love Of God, Read Your Bible!

July 24, 2019 By René Albert

In a recent survey published on Crux.com, about 50 percent of American Catholics correctly answered that during the Mass the consecrated bread and wine become the literal Body, Blood and Spirit of Jesus – a teaching termed as ‘transubstantiation.’ The other half erroneously believe the Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine are merely symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ — a view strongly held by the majority of Protestant Christians throughout the world. The survey also revealed... Read more

In Defense Of Mary’s Assumption

July 18, 2019 By René Albert

When it comes to teachings about the Virgin Mary, non-Catholic Christians are usually quite apprehensive of these seemingly wild claims that are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. This is largely because they adhere to an authoritative system called Sola Scriptura, which is Latin for ‘Bible Alone.’ Given the tumultuous history of the Church leading up to the Protestant Reformation and to the modern era, it is completely understandable why those who follow Christ would want to maintain a high standard... Read more