St Martin of Tours offers an example for Christians in these times of aggressive secularism. According to a recent CNA article, Professor John Bequette, of the University of St Francis, says that “Martin of Tours challenged a dying Roman culture by presenting a radical Christian counter-culture.” The article says in part: Washington D.C., Nov 10, 2012 / 04:04 pm (CNA).- St. Martin of Tours’ “Christian valor” is an example of how to sustain and rebuild Christian culture in a time... Read more
This Associated Press story by Julie Watson highlights the sacrifices of our veterans and the fact that the freedoms they fight for are endangered here at home as well as abroad. By JULIE WATSON Associated Press Writer November 12, 2012 (AP) A war memorial cross that once stood on a rocky hilltop in a national park before being deemed unconstitutional and ordered removed was resurrected on Veterans Day at the stunningly stark Mojave desert site, capping a landmark case for... Read more
Long before this election, I felt that our religious leaders had focused too much of their attention on helping political parties gain power and too little on preaching and teaching their followers to follow Christ. One of the commenters on this blog made the point that it seems as if we have “two different ‘types’ of Christians.” I believe that is a direct result of religious leaders in the different denominations cutting the Gospels down to fit the party platforms... Read more
Dietrich Bonnhoeffer lived and died in a time when much of the Church, both Protestant and Catholic, failed abysmally. I’ve read that there were actually churches in Nazi Germany who took the cross down from over their altars and replaced it with the Nazi Swastika. Even many of those who did not do this in the physical sense did it in the moral and spiritual sense. There were other Christian leaders who knew the Nazis were wrong and wanted to... Read more
Billy Graham wrote a letter to America after the election this week which I think we should all read. He calls Christians to repentance and prayer. He asks us specifically to pray for America, for our leaders and for one another. He also announced that he and his son, Franklin Graham, are starting a ministry called New Hope. They plan to “bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every possible place in America” during the next year. This dovetails so... Read more
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput says that when it comes to voting, Catholics may not be able to support either the Republicans or the Democrats, now and in the coming years. “The day may come when Catholics can support neither of the main American political parties or their candidates. Some think it’s already arrived,” Philadelphia’s archbishop wrote in a Nov. 6 essay for The Witherspoon Institute. “Serious Catholics” who believe in the Church’s teaching on social and life issues “can’t... Read more
I’ve been saving this. I’m not a seer. I don’t have a crystal ball. But I knew a couple of weeks out that President Obama was likely to be re-elected. I also knew that if I was right, we’d all need leadership from our bishops. I guess they thought the same thing. The USCCB launched a website for religious freedom, FirstAmericanFreedom.com just before the election. We were all so caught up in casting our votes that I thought it would... Read more
That didn’t take long. According to a LifeNews article, Republican political consultants are “calling on the GOP to abandon pro-life issues.” The article goes on to explain all the reasons why this would be a foolhardy move for the Grand Old Party. I’m not going to go through those arguments. I’m not writing this blog for the people who run either of the political parties. What I will say is, I told you so. I’m not prescient. I have no... Read more
What does Tuesday’s election mean to Christians?We have two polarized political parties who have demonstrated repeatedly that their only concern is battling one another. One of them is increasingly hostile to traditional Christians, the other patronizes us. The question: What does this mean for Christians in the years ahead? Will we be able to continue with our many ministries which serve the poor, provide health care and education without bowing before the false idols of government demand? Will we be... Read more
The UK Charity Commission is refusing to grant charitable status to a church because it restricts communion services to members only. Parliament is currently holding hearings on the matter. In a letter to Plymouth Brethren church leaders, the Commission cited a recent court decision to suggest that religion does not serve the public good. “This decision makes it clear that there was no presumption that religion…is for the public benefit, even in the case of Christianity or the Church of... Read more
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