One of the most difficult elements of Christianity for us to understand, thanks to the way we have been led to think and consider ourselves as mere individuals in modern times, is the way Jesus, the incarnate God-man, is said to have made atonement for our sins. That is, we have a problem understanding his substitutionary atonement for us. It is not possible in a short space to properly respond to all the concerns people can and do bring up.... Read more
As the world burns with the highest average temperatures ever recorded, Republicans continue to play interference in regards to what is needed to deal with climate change. Everyone should be working together to deal with the rising temperatures as everyone will find themselves adversely affected by climate change. We are responsible for what is happening to the earth. Morally, no sound argument can be made to justify ignoring our duty to protect the earth and all the life which lives... Read more
Nostra Aetate is a very important document from Vatican II. This is not because it creates a new theological position on non-Christian religions, but rather, because it revitalizes and confirms an element of Christian tradition which had been neglected and lost in modern times (especially after the Reformation). While Christians obviously do not agree with non-Christians in regard to all their beliefs and practices, Christianity has long accepted that the work of God in and with the rest of the... Read more
Love is at the heart of the Christian message. God loves humanity, indeed, God loves the world and all creation, even after it has been defiled by sin. Sin should not to be viewed as a real, ontological substance. Rather, it the effect which comes about due to a choice, an act of will, and it is established when someone chooses a particular good for themselves at the expense of the greater good, leading to the corruption or destruction of... Read more
James warns us not to take the divine “law” in any of its variations in a legalistic manner. He wanted us to realize it was established for us and our own good, not us, as he made clear in relation to the Sabbath (cf. Mk. 2:27). When we misunderstand the law and try to embrace it in the most legalistic fashion, establishing rules upon rules which all are expected to follow, any violation of it, however minor an infraction, is... Read more
In his video message, which includes his prayer intention for July (2023), Pope Francis tells us: “If you are the same at the end of Mass as you were at the beginning, something is wrong.” [1] He reminds us that when we partake of communion, the transformation which began with the bread and wine should continue in and with us. To properly receive the eucharist, to worthily receive it, as it were, we should be ready for that transformation, so... Read more
While the integral goodness of creation has been marred and hurt by sin, sin has not been able to have it completely destroyed. Creation is good by nature, and that goodness continues to be present to it in its continuing existence. So long as creation exists, that goodness can never be completely snuffed out. To be sure, creation is defiled by sin, with some elements having sin corrupt it more than others, but nonetheless, no matter how wounded it is,... Read more
Christians should look to others, to non-Christians, with hope and love. They should see the zeal others have for their religious faith as a good thing, even if it might in some fashion or another be misplaced. Certainly, such misplaced zeal is not only to be found with non-Christians: many Christians likewise have it, as can be seen in the way it has many of them glorify themselves with triumphalist rhetoric which they use to denigrate others. Zeal is good,... Read more
Many Christians have not gone back to church services after the pandemic. Even if there never had been a pandemic, many of them would have stopped going because they were already becoming disillusioned with their faith community. The pandemic only served as a catalyst to speed things up. Many left, feeling no need to come back. Others believed that the reaction of many fellow Christians, including and especially the leadership of various Christian communities (priests, pastors, et. al.) proved they... Read more
Sts. Peter and Paul were both great men. They were not perfect. They made all kinds of mistakes. They had all kinds of foibles. They failed to live up to their potential many times. Yet, despite all of that, they embraced their mission, their identity in Christ, and in doing so, allowed grace to make them great. One can say that their greatness lay, in part, with the fact that they did not let their failures define them. If they... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In