The End Of Slavery

Last updated on: August 16, 2022 at 2:59 pm By Henry Karlson

On June 19, 1865, General Granger declared some good news in Texas: slavery was no longer permitted in the United States. Following President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Granger indicated that all slaves were to be set free. The institution of slavery was over. In theory, Granger’s announcement did not set the slaves free; officially, they were already free once Lincoln had made his declaration, but in practice, that declaration had to be put into effect, and Granger made sure it was.... Read more

The Pope And Consequentialism: Contra Larry Chapp

Last updated on: June 16, 2022 at 8:26 am By Henry Karlson

Consequentialism is an insidious, error-ridden, ethical theory;; typically, those who follow its reasoning will suggest, one way or another, that the ends justify the means. That is, the morality of an act is determined by what the act accomplishes, that is, the consequences which come as a result of the act. If some good end is brought about by a particular act, then the act can be justifiably done. We should not be overly concerned with the way the act... Read more

Perdition and Salvation

Last updated on: June 15, 2022 at 2:48 am By Henry Karlson

Malice harms and threatens to destroy the one who holds it. Malice turns us away from love, and so, since God is love, so long as we hold onto malice, we cut ourselves off from God. Our malice, our hate, our rejection of love creates a barrier between us and God, and so, we close ourselves off from all that God would love to give us, including, and especially, the grace which we need in order to experience beatitude. For... Read more

We Must Unite The Material And Spiritual Aspects Of Our Being

Last updated on: June 14, 2022 at 2:48 am By Henry Karlson

Human existence is at once spiritual and corporeal. As such, we must engage both aspects of our being holistically so that in doing so, they can work together as one. We must not focus on one at the expense of the other. That is, we must not pursue spiritual contemplations as a way to avoid and reject our physical being and its needs even as we must not become so attached to material being and the good and pleasures available... Read more

All The Saints Who Came Before Us Show Us The Way

Last updated on: June 12, 2022 at 2:49 am By Henry Karlson

The Feast of All Saints is a day on which we honor and respect all those who lived before us, those who lived their lives with holiness, embracing grace, so that through that grace, they were able to become glorified in Christ (and so, participate in and experience the kingdom of God). But it is also a day for all of us. We are to call to our mind the saints who came before us, the grace they received, so... Read more

CRT And Thomas Aquinas: Contra Ed Feser

Last updated on: August 16, 2022 at 2:59 pm By Henry Karlson

Ed Feser announced that he has written a book about Critical Race Theory (CRT), All One in Christ: A Catholic Critique of Racism and Critical Race Theory; it is set to be published this summer. The description found on the back of the book is very telling, for it indicates Feser’s underlying ideology, showing us the problematic hermeneutic he employs against CRT: This book also demonstrates that Critical Race Theory, far from being a remedy for racism, is, in fact,... Read more

The Eucharist: The Sacrament Of Sacraments

Last updated on: June 8, 2022 at 2:48 am By Henry Karlson

Christ, working with the Spirit, brings us all the sacraments. Christ and the Spirit always work together, not only in the way all the persons of the Trinity work together as one in their divine unity. but also in relation to the economy of salvation. This can be seen both in the way the Spirit dwells upon the incarnate God-man, and in the sending of the Spirit by God-man. Christ sends the Spirit into the world so that the Spirit... Read more

Intrinsic Evil

Last updated on: June 6, 2022 at 2:46 am By Henry Karlson

Not all sins are of equal weight. This is because not every action is of equal gravity, nor coming from equal culpability. And so, which should not be surprising, they do not all bring about the same consequences for their engagement. Moral theology provides us many ways to discuss sin, both in relation to objective standards, as well as in our subjective responsibility due to the conditions surrounding our activity. Sadly, much of the vocabulary which has developed to help... Read more

The Spirit, The Church And Pentecost

Last updated on: June 5, 2022 at 2:48 am By Henry Karlson

Jesus promised that he would send into the world another Comforter, another Counselor, one who would abide with it forever. He also said that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be inside us, making sure we never be abandoned and left to go astray without any help or guidance. And this is because the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, would help us realize how we have become united with Christ, and once we discern we are united with Christ, we will... Read more

No One Is Totally Evil

Last updated on: June 2, 2022 at 2:48 am By Henry Karlson

We are naturally good, and, despite whatever sin we might do, no matter what vices we might act upon, we still have some good in us. Those who would suggest we are totally depraved, for whatever reason, dishonor God. Indeed, it would be blasphemous to say God could make something which would end up being totally evil. Those who suggest that every human endeavor is, in itself, sinful, because there is something sinful in humanity, or because only God could... Read more