Rigid legalism offers us an unbearable burden which can and will wear us out if we succumb to its temptation. If we heed its call, it will place more and more demands upon us, until, at last, we find it tries to obligate us to something which we cannot do. For, it is clear, its demands are never-ending, while our potential is limited. So long as we think we must obey its every whim, we will not be able to... Read more
Jesus taught the public through stories. “With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything” (Mk. 4:33-34 RSV). Through stories, we can express our hopes and fears, our thoughts and desires, and work through all kinds of speculations and ideas which we have in our minds. While stories are written and shared, in part,... Read more
The Seventh Ecumenical Council, the Council of II Nicea (787) made it clear that we are to honor God in many fashions, including and especially through the use of images. Idolatry, to be sure, remains a sin, but just because idols use images does not mean the use of images itself is idolatry (just as everything that moves is not a horse). Idolatry has us give the kind of worship and love which is due to God, the absolute, to... Read more
It should not be surprising that for the 60th anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, critics of its implementation once again attacked the notion that the faithful should follow the “spirit of Vatican II.” They show, in and through their criticism, that their understanding of dogmatic theology, and how it is engaged, is limited at best, and heretical at worst. Not only do they want to restrict the Christian faith to dogmatic declarations, they think those declarations must... Read more
“Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited” (Rom. 12:16 RSV). We are to give to everyone, especially those society looks down upon, love and respect. We must support human dignity. Those whom others would like to ignore, must not ignored; their inherent dignity must be made clear so that they can find their proper place in society. Everyone should lovingly engage everyone else; we should all try to treat... Read more
One of the things the Christian faith teaches us is that we are in this together, that we must not look out solely for our own good, ignoring the needs of others. The story of Cain and Abel, in part, shows the spirit of individualism and where it leads. For Cain has no care or concern for his brother; indeed, he is willing to kill his bother for his own gain. In the end, he suffers the consequences of his... Read more
Paul, wanting and needing monetary support for his mission work, didn’t make any demands for it, didn’t indicate that everyone should give him a percentage of their money as a tithe, but rather, he exhorted his audience to give as they saw fit. “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7 RSV). While we could discuss the implications on Paul’s words in relation... Read more
Jesus warned against those who like to emphasize and promote rigorous legalism while acting contrary to the rules they use to control the people. He indicated that they were hypocrites who, despite trying to hide their hypocrisy, could only do so for so long before their it is revealed: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said... Read more
When Scripture talks about heaven, or the heavens, it is hard to deny that many such passages are cosmological, not theological, and they follow an ancient cosmological understanding of the visible sky and what was believed to be in it as well as what could be found beyond it. Many early Christians, therefore, could and would engage that cosmology in their writings, such as when St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote: So, to reveal our thinking more clearly, we shall repeat... Read more
Our actions, more than our words, teach those around us. If our actions are uncharitable, we teach others to act similarly, and have no concern for others; if, on the other hand, we engage others with charity and grace, helping them as we can, we teach those around us, those who look up to us, to follow our example and care for others as well. It is easy to speak well, and to say what should be said, if we... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In