When Lazarus was raised from the dead, a crowd formed around Jesus. People thought that Jesus was about to establish his messianic credentials and assume the messianic throne. This is why they came to him. They wanted to be with him when he entered into Jerusalem because they wanted to witness what he was going to do to establish the messianic kingdom. In many respects, their expectations were correct; he truly was going to do what it took to bring... Read more
Marsilio Ficino, the great renaissance philosopher-priest, understood how disingenuous it is to speak up and legislate against murder while promoting that ordinary people should have free access to the means to kill easily anyone they desired. “What more, my friends? The magistrates forbid murder, and allow instruments for killing men to be made everywhere.”[1] If we allow people to possess arms whose sole purpose is to maim or kill others, we should not be surprised, given the opportunity, they will... Read more
Our faith should lead us to being active, looking for and seeking after perfection. But what kind of perfection should we seek? We learn this from listening to and heeding the teachings of Christ: “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Rom. 10:17 RSV). And what is it we learn from Chris? That God is love, and so our perfection is found in and through love: You have heard that... Read more
When seeking and promoting the common good, civil society often must permit various evils, not because it supports them, but because it recognizes that it cannot regulate and enforce each and every good. Sometimes things actually become worse when we try to use positive law to eliminate particular evils, either because those laws do not work (and so the evil will continue), or, as is often the case, they are replaced by something far more sinister, far more evil. This... Read more
Often, out of vainglory and pride, various Christians like to present themselves as being better than others, suggesting, indeed, that they are holier than they actually are. They do this in a variety of ways. Some do this by showing the world what they have studied and learned, trying to make themselves look great through their apparent knowledge; often, not satisfied with merely looking smart, they also belittle others for not being like them, for not knowing what they have... Read more
The world was established with enough resources so that everyone could and should be able to use them to have their needs fulfilled. The goods of the earth are meant to be used by all, which leads to the teaching that there is to be a universal destination or distribution of goods: Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a... Read more
One of the most interesting, and yet, most difficult texts in Scripture is Job. Whether or not one reads it as actual history, it presents to us one universal question, why do innocent (or just) people suffer in the world? After exploring various potential answers, the text says that the real answer is beyond us, that there are too many variables involved, variables which only God alone knows, which is why God alone knows the answer. We must have faith... Read more
We should strive to better ourselves, and to do so every day. We should strive for justice, seeking out how we follow its expectations with prudence, not legalistically. Justice must always be coordinated with mercy, not apart from it. This is why, if and when we do some wrong, we should not use that as an excuse to ignore our call to be better, but rather, we should just accept it as a momentary slip on our part and just... Read more
Wisdom is important in our lives; we must be aware of the situations we find ourselves in and deal with them appropriately, making the most of what we have been given. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:15-17 RSV). There is much evil which goes on around... Read more
Religions can and should be forces of good. Most of them have principles which promote justice over injustice, the common good over private, selfish desires. Religion should lead people to act for the betterment of all instead of trying to escape the world in some sort of quietest retreat. It is imperative that religion is not used for selfish purposes, for when that happens, religion, far from being a source of justice and goodness in the world, easily becomes a... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In