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
August 17, 2019
Why Does Catholicism Have So Many Rules?
August 17, 2019 By René Albert
1 Comment
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
August 16, 2019
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
August 10, 2019
Church-Shopping Sucks
August 10, 2019 By René Albert
1 Comment
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
August 5, 2019
Do Catholics Worship Idols?
August 5, 2019 By René Albert
3 Comments
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
July 31, 2019
A Catholic Response To Fundamentalist Allegations Of ‘Vain Repetition’
July 31, 2019 By René Albert
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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
July 24, 2019
Dear Catholics: For The Love Of God, Read Your Bible!
July 24, 2019 By René Albert
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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
July 18, 2019
In Defense Of Mary’s Assumption
July 18, 2019 By René Albert
5 Comments
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
July 13, 2019
Why I Don’t Call Myself A ‘Roman’ Catholic
July 13, 2019 By René Albert
Since reverting to Catholicism after spending over a decade as an Evangelical Protestant, I’ve spent much time reevaluating my Christian worldview. One of the things I recall noticing in the Evangelical community is how the words or ‘Catholic’ ‘Roman’ seems to rouse people to raise their guards up. Aside from major theological disagreements, I’ve found myself bothered by the flippant use of the terms Romanist, papist or even the abbreviation ‘RCC.’ Similarly, I find myself especially bothered when my fellow Catholics… Read more
July 7, 2019
How To Pray The Rosary In Latin
July 7, 2019 By René Albert
In my experiences, it took me a number of years before I learned to appreciate the meditative qualities of the rosary, which I have written about in a separate article. But after returning to Catholicism, I’ve realized I have much to catch up on, even though it was something I grew up with. One of the things I noticed is there is an increasing push for returning to traditional roots and practices — and one of these involves the use… Read more
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