An interesting GAO analysis, flagged by David Gibson: during 2002-09, almost $1 billion dollars in federal funding went to organizations that perform or promote abortion. Where was the outrage back then? Read more
An interesting GAO analysis, flagged by David Gibson: during 2002-09, almost $1 billion dollars in federal funding went to organizations that perform or promote abortion. Where was the outrage back then? Read more
Part VI-2. Because of the vast, incomprehensible nature of God, as well as the diversity of personal capabilities found amongst us, there are various ways our union with God can be experienced. Sometimes we will find authors expressing one aspect over another, because it is what they have come to experience. At other times, we will find authors which appear to differ from each other, but ultimately end up offering explanations of the same type of experience. We must understand,... Read more
I’m just going to post this and let others comment — I think most would be able to figure out my views on it. Read more
Part VI-1 We have seen how our prayer begins as simple petitions to God. In such prayers, we express our hope in God. But such prayers are one sided, where we go to God only when we feel the need for some help from him. But, if we keep at it, and keep opening ourselves to him, love develops. While this love is probably found in all kinds of prayer, even in the most rudimentary stages of prayer, early on... Read more
Since I have little appetite for vitriolic American right-wing ideology disguised as Catholic teaching, I generally try to steer clear of Thomas Peters’ site. But every now and again, morbid curiosity gets the better of me. And so, here is the latest installment from young Master Peters – the unveiling of a “Catholic Vote” video that is suffused by “awesomeness”! Trust me, you will want to see this for yourself – no comment of mine can possibly do justice to... Read more
I’ve always had an extreme dislike of the way modern religious scholars have treated Gnostic sources as being on equal footing to patristic sources as a means of gauging early Christian faith. Many Gnostic writings are pure, outright fakes, and it’s not as if they tried to hide that fact from the populace. However, this is not to say there is nothing we can learn from the Gnostics, especially some of the earlier Gnostics who seemed to be interested in... Read more
I write this post because I notice the same basic errors repeated over and over again on television and in the movies. One would think that a Catholic advisor would correct some basic problems, but they seem entrenched at this point. Here’s my list – maybe you can add to it: Priests are always walking around the Church, and especially like hanging out near votive candles. If you ever need to talk to a priest, just walk into a dark... Read more
In my previous post (Nauseating ‘News’) I wrote about the nauseating effect that the so-called “news” has on me. The ironic thing about it is this: blog posts going on about the nauseating effects of media are themselves a nauseating form of media. There is no shortage of rebellious Zarathustras decrying convention and throwing-up on their minuscule cyber-audiences with pious indignation. I am one of them. For that, I apologize. As a penitential exercise of sorts, I would like to... Read more
Part V Many writers call contemplative prayer true, or pure, prayer. We must not think that once one has attained such heights, one has achieved all that prayer can achieve. As one becomes a contemplative, one finds that there are many degrees of contemplative prayer. What we begin with tends to be less than where we end up (though, of course, God’s providence can lead someone directly to the highest forms of contemplative prayer, if he so wishes). St John... Read more
In yet another example of how Israel is somehow exempt from the moral law, Senator Chuck Schumer proves once yet that he is possibly the most odious Democratic senator. In an address to some Jewish group, he made the following points about the blockade of Gaza: “And to me, since the Palestinians in Gaza elected Hamas, while certainly there should be humanitarian aid and people not starving to death, to strangle them economically until they see that’s not the way... Read more
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