Kim Bishop is a member of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. This discussion came about on my public Facebook page. Her words will be in blue. ***** Don’t care what your traditions say [about] this [Mary’s sinlessness and Immaculate Conception and in partu virginity] is totally ridiculous. Mary herself admitted she needed a saviour. Jesus was brought into the world like every other baby. I accept that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, but to stay a virgin and... Read more
From my book, A Biblical Defense of Catholicism, completed in 1996 and published by Sophia Institute Press, in 2003; pp. 80-83. The book is available for $2.99 in several e-book formats. ***** The daunting word transubstantiation is easily understood when broken down: trans means “change.” Therefore, the term is defined literally as the process of change of substance. The Catholic Church, in seeking to understand the Real Presence, a doctrine delivered directly by our Lord and St. Paul, gradually developed... Read more
I started out by posting the article, “Hillary Clinton to Receive Planned Parenthood’s ‘Champion of the Century’ Award.” My initial comment on that was as follows: How frightening that this woman almost became our President. She would have put a secularist pro-abort radical on the Supreme Court and the entire legal system of this country would have been vastly different in the next generation. How absurd that folks like Mark Shea thought pro-life Catholics and other Christians could vote for... Read more
The following exchange took place with a fellow Christian and pro-lifer, in the context of a discussion about the fairness of the terminology anti-Catholic. But it can stand alone in its own right, as an examination of words and titles in the vexed and emotional abortion debate. Though I think the discussion of the terms themselves is entirely “objective,” I still mince no words in how I describe abortion and the worldview which condones it. So if such straightforwardness and frankness of... Read more
From my book: Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (2009): available for only $2.99 as an e-book. All passages are KJV unless otherwise indicated. The words below are all from Scripture. ***** Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matthew 6:3-4: But... Read more
From my book: Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (2009): available for only $2.99 as an e-book. All passages are KJV unless otherwise indicated. The words below are all from Scripture, excepting my notes or commentary in italics. ***** Deuteronomy 5:5: (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the work of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;)… (RSV: “to declare to you the... Read more
[initially a reaction to criticisms made by those of various political persuasions, on my Facebook page] The Catholic Church is not officially pacifist (i.e., opposed to all wars or use of lethal force whatsoever, for any reason). It acknowledges the God-given prerogative of states to bear the sword (CCC #2308) and details the criteria of just war (2309-2310). Of course we try to avoid war, as we are strongly urged by the Church to do (2308, 2327). But it’s not... Read more
This is a follow-up discussion, from yesterday’s Dialogue: Pro-Life White Guys & Anti-Southern Prejudice. That dialogue continued further on Facebook (minus my own participation). Deacon Steven D. Greydanus‘ words will be in blue. ***** There has to be a certain willingness to dialogue and subject one’s own views to scrutiny. I don’t think the good Deacon was willing to do that here: as proven by his utter refusal to answer Mike’s basic question to him, that I repeatedly pressed upon him.... Read more
This occurred on my Facebook page, underneath a New York Times article about Roe v. Wade possibly being overturned. Words of Deacon Steven D. Greydanus will be in blue; Mike Johnson’s in green, Michele Verret-Ayala’s in purple, and Nathaniel Sperling’s in brown. ***** Would it be a good thing for the country, though, if Roe v. Wade were overturned now? Certainly, you know I’m pro-life and I think that Roe v. Wade was bad jurisprudence, but it seems like an... Read more
From Peter Kreeft’s book: Christianity For Modern Pagans: Pascal’s Pensees, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993. * For cutting-and-pasting purposes, I will be using the online e-text of the Pensees, translated by W.F. Trotter, whereas Kreeft used the (Penguin) Krailsheimer translation. With that understood, otherwise, I’ll be utilizing direct quotes from the Kreeft book, with pages indicated. Pascal citations will be in blue; Kierkegaard’s words will be in green. Plain black words are Kreeft’s. ***** 111. Inconstancy. We think we are playing on ordinary organs when playing... Read more
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