Coffee & Crucifix - Page 3 of 8 - Thoughts unraveled about Christianity and Western culture

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

I Long For Catholic Unity

March 6, 2019 By René Albert

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In my article I Long For Christian Unity, I aired my grievances with the doctrinal disunity among Christian denominations. My experiences with chronic, inconsistent biblical exegesis among Protestants are among the biggest contributors to my eventual return to Catholicism. But in spite of boasting about enjoying unity for nearly two millennia, the Catholic Church suffers much internal dysfunction. And now that I’m back in communion with the Church that claims to be founded by Christ Himself, it pains me to… Read more

10 Things To Give Up For Lent In 2019

March 2, 2019 By René Albert

It’s that time of year again! Lent 2019 is just around the corner! Because the times are changing rapidly, so are the things that affect our daily routines. Instead of coming up with the usual sacrifices for Lent like chocolate, sweets or alcohol, I figured I’d come up with a list that is somewhat less cliched and more up-to-date. Well, kind of. One thing I should clarify is this is only a list of ideas. If anything, it’s easier to… Read more

Should Christians Listen To Heavy Metal?

February 25, 2019 By René Albert

My first official exposure to metal music was when I was in the sixth grade. My friends and I recorded our own radio show for a group project. We wrote a script, chose songs to be played between skits and recorded it in an empty classroom. A friend brought Marilyn Manson’s ‘Antichrist Superstar’ album which belonged to their older sibling. We closed the door, cranked the song Beautiful People and danced moronically on desktops while dubbing the song on cassette. I… Read more

Once Saved, Always Saved?

February 11, 2019 By René Albert

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The Culture of Instant Gratification As someone who grew up on a farm, my earliest job experiences involved doing chores. It wasn’t until I was 12 years old when I started to get paid to do work on the farm. I spent my weekends mowing the lawn, pruning trees and piling branches in the middle of the field to burn. Just before my school year had finished, I had enough money saved up to buy a Nintendo 64 gaming console…. Read more

Anti-Protestant Discrimination Bothers Me

January 14, 2019 By René Albert

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As a Catholic blogger, much of my writing content centers around explaining Catholic beliefs in a way that can be relatable for non-Catholic Christians. Given this niche topic, harsh criticism is always to be expected. Most Protestants generally disagree with much of Catholic doctrine, though I think it’s important to understand that not all of them expressively hate Catholics. While most of these allegations come from those who seemingly have an ax to grind against the Church, others are genuinely… Read more

American Evangelical Preaching In Ukraine Gets An Earful From Eastern Orthodox Lady

January 7, 2019 By René Albert

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As the description in the YouTube link says, “Torch of Christ Ministries took to the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine to evangelize to the lost and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. On a day where the whole city was celebrating the orthodox easter holiday, it was only fitting that we were confronted by an orthodox religious woman.” This video is painful to watch. The impression I get from this video is this man knows very little about the culture and beliefs… Read more

Is Prayer Equal To Worship?

January 7, 2019 By René Albert

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Image credit: pixabay.com As a cradle-Catholic who had converted to Evangelical Protestantism in my late teens, one of the factors that led me to consider abandoning the faith of my heritage was the seemingly unbiblical practice of praying to Mary and the saints. After attending a youth Bible camp for a couple summers, I learned from my Christian peers about the implications of prayer. Because the first of the Ten Commandments says, “You shall have no other gods before me,”… Read more

A Response to John Piper on Catholicism

January 1, 2019 By René Albert

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When dealing with Protestant criticisms, us Catholics are often met with a high level of smug cynicism. While they are often well-meaning in their pursuit for truth and sharing the Gospel, it can often be challenging to respond to fundamentally dishonest allegations in a charitable fashion. Meet John Piper John Piper is a Calvinist and prominent figure in America’s network of pastor-celebrities. He is probably one of the most outspoken opponents to Catholic theology in modern times. He often takes… Read more