It was held by Pharisees in the time of Jesus. In the Babylonian Talmud, translated by Michael L. Rodkinson (1918), one reads at Tractate Rosh Hashana Chapter 1, pp. 26-27: We have learned in a Boraitha: The school of Shammai said: There are three divisions of mankind at the Resurrection: the wholly righteous, the utterly wicked, and the average class. The wholly righteous are at once inscribed, and life is decreed for them; the utterly wicked are at once inscribed,... Read more
Jennifer Benjamin is a friendly and articulate atheist, with whom I have enjoyed several constructive, cordial dialogues. This is one of them, from my Facebook page yesterday. Her words will be in blue. ***** In the notorious tape that Hillary Clinton used to try to bring down Trump, it was clear that what was talked about (even assuming it referred to real events and not just typical male “locker talk”) was consensual. It was referring to classic groupie behavior: where... Read more
Now, of course, we’ll observe yet again, the nitpicking nabobs of negativism, nattering and bloviating about more alleged “proof” that Pope Francis opposes Catholic evangelism. And so I bring Scripture and analogy to bear (as I often do). St. Peter was certainly an evangelist and preacher: the first major Christian missionary, in fact, and the one who delivered the first sermon after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Yet he also wrote: 1... Read more
2 Thessalonians 2:15 (RSV) So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. It’s the fact that Paul is an apostle (and the apostle, according to Protestants) and he is saying, “I have this tradition that I have passed on to you, both in writing and orally. Keep it.” That’s not sola Scriptura, any way you look at it. So the Protestant who defends Protestantism against... Read more
My friend Pete Vere is a canon lawyer, Catholic author, former and/or sometimes apologist, former member of the SSPX, Byzantine Catholic, and ecumenist. Since he is the primary author of this article, taken from several Facebook threads, his words will be in black, and mine in blue (the opposite of my usual custom). Fellow canon lawyer Ed Peters’ words will be in green. Their little debate makes it sound like there are three opinions whenever two canonists are in the... Read more
In one of the Facebook groups I was in for a time, I was asked this question: Does Jesus forgive all sins through his substitutionary atonement or can [a] Roman Catholic priest forgive sin through infant baptism, penance, and the Eucharist? I replied: Why do you feel the need to pit these things against each other, as if they are contradictories? It’s illogical and silly. It’s not Catholics who invented the notion that baptism grants forgiveness of sins. Holy Scripture... Read more
1 Peter 2:17 (RSV) Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the [pagan, anti-Christian, persecuting] emperor. Ecclesiastes 10:20 Even in your thought, do not curse the king, . . . Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, [2] to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men. Acts 23:1-5 And Paul, looking intently at the council, said,... Read more
There are plenty of materials now explaining Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (I have 29 articles in my collection of links defending Francis), but — just as with similar endless complaints and whoppers about Vatican II — nothing is ever good enough for the endless questioners and complainers. First it is said that Amoris Laetitia is unclear, or that it is modernist, or that it is orthodox but so ambiguous that no one can understand it (per the usual... Read more
David Palm’s words will be in blue. He is a traditionalist and friend of mine for some 25 years now. Words of James Scott will be in green. This discussion took place on my Facebook page. ***** One thing I can’t get over is the blatant hypocrisy of the Radtrad crowd. They hate Vatican II because of its alleged “ambiguity” but their complaints about it are often ambiguous. Where in the text is the blatant doctrinal error? In thirty years... Read more
Reformed Protestant anti-Catholic polemicist James Swan specializes in belittling and mocking Catholics, as regards anything to do with Protestant Founder Martin Luther. He has developed a modus operandi that is remarkably uniform (and foolish). I thought I would take an example (a very typical one) of his posts to illustrate his methodology (endlessly repeated in hundreds of similar articles). I’ve been interacting with Swan off and on for 17 years now. I’m very familiar with how he works, and distorts... Read more
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