There are some people who think Catholics are not Christians. I don’t know how they come to that conclusion, but an equally outrageous notion is that Catholics don’t read the Bible. When we lived in Bible-belt country, on occasion I would hear Christian people emphasize that they went to a Bible-based church. I thought, “What other kind of base could there be?” I suppose they could have been comparing their churches to those offbeat religions that blend Western and Eastern... Read more
We all have moments of doubt, maybe even long periods of doubt about the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. What keeps me believing, though, are the miracles. If there are miracles, there has to be a God. Sometimes Christianity and the existence of God seems so silly. Some unseen, almighty being created and controls everything? What a laugh! That’s okay for ignorant primitives trying to explain natural phenomena, but not educated people. Let’s get real about that... Read more
There is a serious need to teach pro-life feminism. As we approach potentially profound changes in abortion laws and the inevitable cultural upheaval, we need to correct the misconceptions about what helps women achieve equality. One way to answer this need is to develop a college-level course (or courses) in pro-life feminism. Perhaps if we create courses in pro-life feminist history, women’s bodies, political activism, and related studies, there could be a minor in pro-life feminism. A college course would... Read more
Having just celebrated Catholic Schools Week, I want to pay tribute to Catholic education and emphasize how critical it is not only to the future of our children, but to the future of our culture. There is an excellent article on this subject, “Why Catholic Schools Matter,” by Jack Butler that appeared in the National Review on February 3, 2022. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/why-catholic-schools-matter/ Butler comments that there is “always something a bit countercultural about attending Catholic school. To attend Catholic school is... Read more
Do you sing at Mass? You should! The music is not just background accompaniment to the experience of Mass. Rather, Catholic hymns are an integral enhancement of the liturgical message. The music carries a meaningful link to the message of the readings. These follow a different theme at each celebration. For example, on the Feast of the Epiphany, the first reading comes from Isaiah (60:1-6)—he predicts the coming of the nations to the light of Christ “bringing gold and incense.”... Read more
Kneeling during a Catholic Mass has always seemed to me to be an important act of worship. I always wondered why Protestants didn’t kneel, and after researching the question, I am more convinced that kneeling is a needed act of humility. History of Kneeling in Church There is actually a lot of history, and perhaps myth, behind the practice of kneeling. For starters, there are 23 references to kneeling in the Bible. The instances all deal with respect, worship, supplication... Read more
When over a fourth of children in the United States are growing up in fatherless homes, there is a need for St. Joseph as a model for men as men and fathers. This fatherlessness is a serious crisis because, according to the National Center for Fathering (using data from reliable government and education sources): 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. So are 90% of all homeless and runaway children, 85% of all children who show behavior disorders, 80%... Read more
Aldous Huxley’s classic novel Brave New World predicted a dystopia that has somewhat come to pass. As Catholics, and as a democratic society, we need to re-examine Huxley’s world and seriously consider changes to avoid his outcome. Huxley’s future world was set in 2540, but in a later work he remarked that we were moving toward his dystopia faster than he anticipated. Indeed, instead of 500 years, it has taken less than 100 years for some of his fears to... Read more
The most damaging lie of abortion advocates is that women need abortion to be successful in their endeavors. Their bodies and fertility have thus been targeted as impediments to be overcome rather than gifts to be celebrated. Oddly enough, a movement that claims it is fighting for women’s “rights” has denigrated the remarkable abilities of women’s bodies. Being able to construct a whole new human is a superpower that only women have. We should be in awe of that fact!... Read more
The elimination of religion is something that many governments have pursued. So far, none have succeeded, at least not permanently. Over 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has been repeatedly and viciously persecuted and banned, but it is still here. Why do various political systems want to eliminate religion? In Marxist theory, it is necessary to substitute the state as the be-all and end-all of people’s lives. Otherwise, the Church is a rival for control, money and the loyalties of citizens.... Read more
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