I understand that some of my readers are probably not into the same music I enjoy. Rock and heavy metal aren’t everybody’s cup of coffee, and that’s totally fine with me. But given that my articles usually revolve around issues of morality, theology and politics, I think it’s time for me to break it up a little bit and talk about something different. I’ve written other articles about my critique of the Christian music industry and how Christian culture views rock and… Read more
April 1, 2019
Are The Apparitions Of The Virgin Mary Real?
April 1, 2019 By René Albert
“And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” – Revelation 12:1 RSV Biblical Evidence For Spiritual Appearances? In an age so far removed from ancient times, it’s difficult to wrap our minds around events considered supernatural or miraculous. For those of us who identify as Christians, it’s easy to accept everything in the Bible at face value. But it’s another thing… Read more
March 29, 2019
Where Does Progressive Christianity Lead To?
March 29, 2019 By René Albert
Since I was young, I took great satisfaction in not conforming to the expectations of others. I’ve always had an ongoing desire to go against the grain and fight the status quo. Although being a ‘trailblazer’ was more an act of defiance, it was what I considered a way of being ‘progressive.’ In high school, I was one of the first students to turn 18 and legally buy alcohol. Yet I prided myself in being among a handful of students… Read more
March 27, 2019
The Problem With Purity Culture
March 27, 2019 By René Albert
4 Comments
As a young Catholic, I experienced much of what Evangelicals refer to as legalism. I believed that I could attain salvation simply by following the rules. Before I reverted back to the Catholic faith, I regularly attended a church with historical Plymouth Brethren roots. Depending on which of the sister-congregations I attended, the environment had varying degrees of conservatism. While I have every reason to be grateful for my friends who led me to faith in Jesus, I’ve noticed an… Read more
March 24, 2019
‘Faith Alone’ Is Not Enough
March 24, 2019 By René Albert
I dated a pastor’s daughter when I was 21, with whom I had long-drawn conversations about faith and religion. As someone who had only became a follower of Jesus a couple years prior, I asked her out of curiosity, “When did you first give your life to Christ?” “I guess I’ve always known Him,” she replied. “I’ve always been saved.” Interesting statement, I thought. How does being born of a religious family automatically make someone ‘saved’ by default? I’ve had friends… Read more
March 20, 2019
Put The Tabernacle Back Where It Belongs!
March 20, 2019 By René Albert
In the parish I grew up attending, the priest would sit directly behind the altar during the Scripture readings. His chair was elevated by a couple steps and was centered below the large crucifix mounted on the wall. It almost seemed like he was sitting on a throne to overlook the congregation. In my adolescent view, it kind of felt like people came to Mass to worship the priest. This was one of the many bothersome observations that motivated me… Read more
March 17, 2019
My Struggle With Communion
March 17, 2019 By René Albert
I attended my first Evangelical communion service at a Christian youth conference when I was 18. After a weekend of high-energy shenanigans, we began to wind down to hear the sermon of the night. The youth pastor brought forth a few loaves of Wonder Bread and hundreds of plastic shot glasses of grape juice. He stretched his hand and prayed over them before distributing it to the crowd of rowdy teens, including myself. At that time I had been debating on… Read more
March 14, 2019
An Open Letter to Church Militant
March 14, 2019 By René Albert
As a fairly new columnist on Patheos, it is an honour to be included in an amazing community of Catholic writers and bloggers. But for those familiar with the online Catholic community, Church Militant requires no introduction. Unlike my previous articles, I write this post as an open response to the latest jab against a couple of my fellow Patheos writers by this popular Catholic ‘news’ site. Because of their latest stunt, I feel prompted to speak out in an… Read more
March 13, 2019
In Defense of Infant Baptism
March 13, 2019 By René Albert
1 Comment
Being a follower of Jesus is like riding a vehicle to reach a destination (cue Carrie Underwood song). Joking aside, when we ride as a passenger we are relying on the driver to bring us safely to our destination — that’s the very definition of faith. Usually when you ride with someone, a good chauffeur will always ensure you’re wearing your seat belt. While this may not be the most water-tight comparison, wearing a seat belt has some similar parallels with the… Read more
March 8, 2019
Is Feminism Compatible With Christianity?
March 8, 2019 By René Albert
Locker-room Talk I remember in junior high school, locker-room talk was quite commonplace. When talking about girls in our class, sometimes I would get ridiculed for hesitating to participate in such sexually degrading talk. I would be lying if I said I was innocent of partaking in such vulgarity, but I was often teased and told I was gay for not sharing in the raunchy humor with my peers. I would sometimes join the conversation unwillingly to avoid being ridiculed in… Read more
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