I think we greatly underestimate the capacity of people being led astray. I don’t know why that is, considering the fact, that millions already are adhering to religions that purport to be “Christianity” and are not. Many, if not most people are sheep, in terms of ideas. They are influenced by what is around them, with relatively little reflection, and simply join the crowd and what is currently fashionable, chic, and popular. That’s why propaganda and mere repetition are so... Read more
“The executioner could not find the martyr’s heart, and the butchery with appalling cruelty was prolonged for nearly half an hour. After this the Puritans played football with his head.” *** [biographical information was obtained in most cases from Wikipedia and/or the Catholic Encyclopedia. The martyrs are listed chronologically by date of execution] [See a gruesome description of the English punishment of being hanged, drawn, and quartered] See related papers: 430 Catholic Martyrs Murdered by Henry VIII (1534-1544) [2-6-08] 312 Catholic Martyrs & Confessors Under... Read more
Some Christian “reformer.” This guy was an inveterate womanizer, too . . . *** One never knows what heresy one will discover next, upon perusal of the history of the Protestant Revolt. I was simply reading a biography of Luther’s successor Philip Melanchthon today and discovered (quite by accident) that Huldrych [or, Ulrich] Zwingli (1484-1531), the Father of the Swiss “Reformation,” didn’t accept the orthodox Christian doctrine of original sin. The author was referring to Melanchthon’s discussions with Zwingli at... Read more
Written in 1995; published in The Catholic Answer (Nov / Dec 1998). [Bible passages: KJV] * * * * * The Mystical Body of Christ, according to Catholicism and universal Christian Tradition before the arrival of Protestantism in 1517, has three levels of existence, and communication and cooperation (in differing degrees) occurs between all of them. Those on earth invoke the prayers of the saints in heaven, honor them as glorified Christians and seek to imitate them. They also pray for... Read more
[biographical information was obtained in most cases from Wikipedia and/or the Catholic Encyclopedia. The martyrs are listed chronologically by date of execution] [Learn more about the English punishment of being hanged, drawn, and quartered] See related papers: 312 Catholic Martyrs & Confessors Under “Good Queen Bess” (Queen Elizabeth: r. 1558-1603) 444 Irish Catholic Martyrs and Heroic Confessors, Persecuted by English Royalty, Anglicans, Cromwellians, Etc.: 1565-1713 Total of all documented martyrs and heroic confessors for the Catholic faith, persecuted by English “head of the Church”... Read more
Discussion with a Catholic woman. Her words will be in blue. ***1. Something occurred to me about your argument against people saying that God can interfere with artificial contraception if he really wanted you to have kids. You said, I could hold my breath and choke myself and say God would intervene if he wanted me to live, but that would be ridiculous. I’m paraphrasing. Remember? Yep. Isn’t it pretty much the same thing when you practice NFP and think, if... Read more
Is homeopathy scientifically established? Even if not, it’s rational to try it. *** 1. I freely acknowledge that there is a great deal of quackery which pretends to be science. This is true even in so-called “respectable” circles. When homeopathy was flourishing in the mid-1800s, “conventional” medicine was routinely engaging in such practices as blood-letting. Scientists (particularly anthropologists) often espoused flat-out racism, based on body type, as late as the 1920s (phrenology). The flourishing eugenics movement at that time called... Read more
The Church: couples can postpone or stop having children, for appropriately serious reasons. The following occurred in the combox of my recent article for National Catholic Register: “Sex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained”. First, I replied to a nice, sensible comment, in agreement (her words in green). Then I responded to a very judgmental person, who made out that I was a virtual pro-abort and modernist. His words will be in blue. I don’t take kindly to being lied... Read more
The debate among equally orthodox Catholics on the death penalty continues . . . *** Dr. Robert Fastiggi has made a series of replies (in the combox), to Dr. Edward Feser’s article, “Capital punishment and the infallibility of the ordinary Magisterium” (Catholic World Report, 1-20-18). Dr. Feser (who seems to have much more time for this sort of thing than Dr. Fastiggi does) has already responded at length. I have collected Dr. Fastiggi’s comments here: ***** I commend Prof Feser... Read more
Satire can be done well, or badly. I critique an example of the latter. ***** First of all, let me preface this by saying that I love satire and sarcasm (done in the right way). I’ve analyzed it, and I’ve often utilized it in my apologetics. I’ve satirized atheists, and caught hell for doing that. I did a very pointed satire of theological liberals, using Silent Night as my vehicle. In December 2017, this latter article was vastly misunderstood when... Read more
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