I happened to notice a very interesting piece on the Lutheran blog Here We Stand, from “CPA”, with whom I have had several dialogues. It’s entitled simply “Prayers for the Dead.” CPA opened the article thusly: In what Martin Luther regarded as his final confession of faith in his 1528 work against the Zwinglians, Confession Concerning Christ’s Supper, he wrote as follows: As for the dead, since Scripture gives us no information on the subject, I regard it as no... Read more
Some Protestants claim to have the “fullness of truth,” just as Catholics do. But how does a Protestant know that? How can he be sure, since he falls back on himself, by virtue of the Protestant notion and rule of faith, of private judgment? No Protestant can know this, consistent with their own system, because they have denied the infallibility of the Church: precisely that which was designed by God to provide us with assurance that we have divinely protected fullness... Read more
The Catholic teaching is neither Pelagian (basically, “salvation by works”) nor semi-Pelagian (saved partially by our own self-generated works), though we are constantly falsely accused of this by Calvinists and even in the Lutheran confessions. Calvinists also unfairly accuse Arminian Protestants (including Lutherans) of semi-Pelagianism. Basically, many Calvinists (with their “either/or” mentality) collapse any position that holds to free will and predestination in paradox, as both true (like the Bible does), as Pelagian. It can’t comprehend God predestining alongside human... Read more
This was originally posted on the Coming Home Network board, where I was head moderator from 2007-2010. My esteemed friend and fellow moderator, David W. Emery wrote: You will see me speaking of becoming Catholic, for instance, or better, entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. To avoid confusion, I try to reserve the word conversion for its primary meaning: conversion of heart, as in And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their... Read more
It seems that I am sometimes unjustly associated with others who do not share my ecumenical approach to possible conversions from non-Catholic brands of Christianity. It is a rather well-known fact, after all (for anyone who has followed my work to any appreciable degree) that I never pester people about their possible or actual conversions, or use the situation of a person struggling through issues to “go in for the kill,” so to speak. That’s as far from my method... Read more
In our postmodern culture today, the notions of “tough love” or a rebuke done in love for the good of another, are almost incomprehensible. To disagree with someone now is to “hate” them. It can’t possibly be otherwise, because now people are their opinions (x = y); not separate from them (x has opinion y). The people who commit these horrible acts of tough love must have hidden nefarious motives: so we are informed by the upholders of the secularization zeitgeist and idol.... Read more
. . . That is, He Deliberately Sows Confusion, When it Need Not Be So At All Phil Lawler has engaged yet again in condescending rhetoric regarding Pope Francis, in his latest hit-piece: “Yes, the Pope is a Catholic. But he’s confusing other Catholics.” (4-26-18). Recently (15 days ago), I announced a self-imposed moratorium on articles about Pope Francis, because rational, calm, constructive, factual discussion about the Holy Father is (in my opinion, from now five years of experience) basically no longer... Read more
This is a follow-up discussion with “Grubb” (Reformed Baptist), concerning my previous post, Biblical Evidence Against Contraception. Grubb’s words will be in blue. Words from an older paper of mine that Grubb cites, will be in green. *** I didn’t hear good teaching about having lots of children until about two years ago Which, of course, gives indication of how bad things have gotten in our society, and also, sadly, often amongst Christians. and haven’t been able to convince my wife to have... Read more
Many Protestant polemicists (themselves not coincidentally also often anti-Catholic) have contended that the use of this term is completely arbitrary and essentially a defensive invention of Catholic apologists and polemicists, for their own ends. In fact, the term has a long pedigree in scholarly circles. I aim here to document its use amongst non-Catholic scholars and other social or historical or theological observers. * * *Recently on a public bulletin board, a Protestant argued to the effect that the term anti-Catholic has... Read more
Short answer: no. I explain why, and why I personally believe that she did die. Words of Chris Scerpella will be in blue. *** We are free as Catholics to believe that she died or that she didn’t die. I personally think she did, since Our Lord did. Ludwig Ott classifies the belief, “Mary suffered a temporal death” (p. 207, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma) as “Sententia communior“: an opinion which is still open to debate among theologians: very common, but... Read more
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