. . . of the Flesh (Sackcloth / Hair Shirts, Etc.) Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, by Pinturicchio (1454-1513). The saint spent four years in the Syrian desert as a hermit, mortifying his flesh and elevating his spirit through study [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (2-19-10) * * * * * * Lately, a great deal of controversy has occurred with regard to the information that has come about concerning Pope St. John Paul II’s penitential practices and self-mortification.... Read more
By the Rivers of Babylon (c. 1920), by Gebhard Fugel (1863-1939) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (2-15-12) *** This article has been re-uploaded under the title, Biblical Evidence for Lent & Practices of Asceticism. *** Read more
[public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (9-4-08) * * * * * A Protestant seriously considering conversion to Catholicism wrote: I am coming to believe that this is one of the most dangerous teachings within the Reformed tradition, because it makes sin to be of little significance. After all, if all your sins have been forgiven – Past – Present – and Future, and nothing can change that – then where is the fear of God within such a teaching? Can... Read more
Martin Luther, 31 December 1525 (age 42), by Lucas Cranach the Elder [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * * * (4-16-08)* * * From Chapter Ten of my book, Martin Luther: Catholic Critical Analysis and Praise * * * * * Luther is often greatly misunderstood on this point, with his soteriological doctrine of sola fide (faith alone) often being criticized by those who don’t properly comprehend its fine points, as somehow recommending that good works in the Christian life are worthless and... Read more
Babies don’t magically appear out of nowhere; from a stork or something. There is actually a causal chain, and the decision to engage in sex also entails a responsibility for a possible new person being conceived. Photograph by “macadam13” [public domain / Pixabay] * * * * * This occurred in the combox of my post, Ten Reasons Why Pro-Lifers Vote for Pro-Aborts. RhiForest appears to be either a humanist or agnostic or atheist, from some of his observations about religion, but... Read more
(Dialogue with a Calvinist) Photograph by Jef Poskanzer (3-13-08) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license] * * * (11-11-09)* * * This is from a combox at the Protestant blog, Growing Grace-full, under a post called “Epistemological Modesty.” * * * * * Protestantism tends towards what I have called the “cult of uncertainty.” It is by no means clear to me at all that making uncertainty a benchmark of exceptional humility is a successful or even sensible endeavor. Nor is... Read more
[Note: this was written right before the presidential election of 2008; hence the many references to President Obama. The moral reasoning remains as valid as it was in 2008] Photo by “piepie” [public domain / Pixabay] * * * (10-29-08) * * * * * My wife has a good friend who is inexplicably voting for Obama. For a Catholic to do that is absolutely against Catholic moral principles. For a morally conservative evangelical Protestant (my wife’s friend) to do... Read more
. . . Persevering in Faith, with Hope Photograph by “Unsplash” [public domain / Pixabay] (10-21-08) * * * * * From discussions on the Coming Home Network forum. The person whose words are in blue is seriously considering returning to the Catholic Church. CHNI Helper and my co-worker, David W. Emery’s words will be in green. * * * * * What is required are faith and the fruits of faith, charity being one of those fruits, just as the Bible says. It... Read more
Portrait of Martin Luther (1528), by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (6-16-08) * * [all words below are Luther’s own] * * Further sources which include full primary and secondary documentation are indicated by numbers after the citations, and listed at the bottom. * * * * * Anointing (Catholic Sacrament of) 6 October 1520 Now I do not condemn this our sacrament of extreme unction, but I firmly deny that it is what the... Read more
. . . and Persecution of Catholics, Too [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (6-1-09) * * * * * [all words below are Calvin’s own; blue-colored emphases are mine] * * * * * Servetus lately wrote to me, and coupled with his letter a long volume of his delirious fancies, with the Thrasonic boast, that I should see something astonishing and unheard of. He offers to come hither, if it be agreeable to me. But I... Read more
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