This occurred spontaneously on one of my Facebook threads. I argued that it was mostly “good”; my dialogue opponent, William C. Michael, thought the opposite (with some eventual minor qualifications). His words will be in blue. ***** The danger of all of the Christian energy wasted on political action is that, eventually, it leads to a let-down, as the Crusades led to the Renaissance. We’re not supposed to be exhausting our energy in politics and when we do, the result... Read more
Be of good cheer! All three rose windows survived. The two iconic towers with their wonderful bells are still standing. Notre Dame can and will be rebuilt. The entire stone frame is still more or less intact. Other cathedrals have been restored: some, with far worse damage (and some even from scratch). The most precious relics were saved, too, by heroic action. I have collected several articles below about cathedral rebuilding and restoration. Images appear to show that Notre Dame’s... Read more
. . . But There is a Particular Time and Place for Such Language My friend, Rebecca Bratten Weiss, co-founder of the New Pro-Life Movement, has written: Unfortunately, just as there is a genuine anti-life attitude on the part of some abortion proponents . . . the readiness to ignore questions of culpability and cry “murder” – serious pro-lifers need to realize just how wrong-headed these views are. But we need to realize, also, that most people who take these... Read more
Copernicus, Tycho, Galileo, and Kepler [see Part One] [Astronomers’ names in the section titles below are linked to Wikipedia articles]***Bruce Scofield, an astrologer, writes in his paper, Were They Astrologers? — Big League Scientists and Astrology: As recently as 300 years ago, many astronomers knew a good deal about astrology. Four hundred years ago many astronomers practiced astrology. Five hundred years ago every astronomer was, more or less, also an astrologer. Further research from more “conventional” scholars affirms that this is indeed a... Read more
John 8:3-11 (RSV) The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst [4] they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. [5] Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?” [6] This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his... Read more
Blessed [soon-to-be-saint] John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) was a (if not the) leading figure in the Church of England prior to his conversion to Catholicism in 1845; a scholar at Oxford who possessed brilliant speaking and writing abilities. His Parochial and Plain Sermons (1834-42), are considered by many the best sermons in the English language, and had “a profound influence on the religious life not only of Oxford but of the whole country” [F. L. Cross & E.A. Livingstone, editors, The Oxford Dictionary of... Read more
The following is a Foreword that my friend, Ryan Grant asked me to write for a new edition of the 1928 volume, The Mariology of Cardinal Newman, by Rev. Francis J. Friedel. [see purchase information] ***** Blessed [soon-to-be-Saint] John Henry Cardinal Newman held to a very high Mariology even before he was received into the Catholic Church in 1845, at the age of 44, after a very distinguished career as an Anglican clergyman and Church historian. As was the case with G.... Read more
Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575) succeeded Zwingli as chief pastor of Zurich, Switzerland, and is widely regarded as the most moderate and tolerant of all the Protestant Founders. He was the author of the Second Helvetic Confession of 1566, and was an aide to Queen Elizabeth of England. Bullinger was also assuredly an anti-Catholic, as were all the so-called “reformers” (to different degrees). Indisputable evidence for that comes from his work Decades (fifty sermons). In the fifth “decade,” second sermon, “On the... Read more
All of the early Protestant Founders accepted the truth of the perpetual virginity of Mary. How could this be, if it is merely “tradition” with no scriptural basis? Why was its supposed violation of Scripture not so obvious to them, as it is to the Protestants of the last 150 years or so (since the onset of theological liberalism) who have ditched this previously held opinion? Yet it has become fashionable to believe that Jesus had blood brothers (I suspect, because... Read more
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Atheist Eloquently & Admirably Denounces Anti-Theism
Martin Hughes wrote an article entitled, “I’m an atheist, but here’s why I define myself by what I love” (Patheos, Barrier Breaker blog, 4-6-19). There is much in it that I enthusiastically agree with, His words will be in blue. ***** It’s difficult to be part of a group whose entire existence is based on the disapproval of something. I’m not defined by the fact that I don’t believe in God. What I don’t believe in ultimately is a black hole —... Read more