Conversions

Last updated on: April 19, 2017 at 10:40 pm By voxnovablog

The conversion of Dr. Francis Beckwith, until recently the president of Evangelical Theological Society, to the Church is a noteworthy event. In an interview he made the following point: ‘Something else concerning authority factored into my internal deliberations as well. But I do not think I can conjure up the words to properly express it. So, I will just rely on an elegant insight offered in First Things by a recent Catholic convert, R. R. Reno, which perfectly echoes my... Read more

NFP: Part1 The Church Teaching On Family Planning

Last updated on: June 6, 2007 at 3:10 pm By voxnovablog

In this section, I will let the Popes do the talkin’, so to speak. I will let them explain for themselves why the Church teaches what She does regarding family planning issues. When I decided actually to read the documents myself, I was very surprised as to what She does say. Pope John Paul II had this to say about Natural Family Planning in a 1996 speech to NFP instructors: The moment has come for every parish and every structure... Read more

Brownback backpedals

Last updated on: June 6, 2007 at 1:52 pm By voxnovablog

I couldn’t help but notice that, having spelled out his pro-life worldview and having insisted that the Republican party is “pro-life” by principle, Sam Brownback was a bit unprepared for the professorially attired and frequently interrupting Wolf Blitzer: Would Brownback support a pro-choice Republican nominee for the U.S. presidency (i.e. Rudy Giuliani)? Without explicitly stating that he would support Giuliani and without any hint of qualification, Brownback explicitly stated that he would support whichever candidate earns the Republican nomination. So,... Read more

Number 6’s Speech

Last updated on: April 19, 2017 at 10:40 pm By voxnovablog

Today I am taking a brief break from my series of posts, “Should Catholics Follow The Utopian Vision of Modern Democracies?” To keep the spirit alive, I have decided to post this classic scene taken from the last episode of The Prisoner. Watch the first three minutes of it. Our hero, Number 6, has been offered the chance to lead those who, up to that point, have been trying to imprison him; he is asked to give a speech, to... Read more

Militant, Part 2

Last updated on: June 6, 2007 at 4:40 am By voxnovablog

Part 1: Nonviolence vs. The Just-War Part 2: Justice vs. Mercy Part 3: The War of Mercy (Disclaimer: I hope that this discussion can lead all of us to a closer look at Church teachings, and so I have tried to keep my thoughts focused upon the Magisterium’s teachings. It’s my hope that any discussion provoked by this post will maintain the same mindset. Though we can find truth in many places, why not go to its source – Christ... Read more

Obama and the Catholic League

Last updated on: April 19, 2017 at 10:40 pm By voxnovablog

William Donohue of the Catholic League does not like some of the people who endorse Obama. Some of the religious people, that is. In a recent press release entitled “Look Who’s Supporting Obama”, Donohue claims Obama’s website lists testimonials of “three controversial clergymen” including a Chicago-area Catholic priest. Among the accusations are that these clergymen condemned zionism, and blamed 9/11 on American foreign policy, received an award from the Nation of Islam, befriended Louis Farrakhan, and demonstrated against a gun... Read more

Should Catholics Follow The Utopian Vision of Modern Democracies? II-3 Konstantin Pobedonostsev

Last updated on: April 19, 2017 at 10:40 pm By voxnovablog

For most people, the name of Konstantin Pobedonostsev (1827 – 1907) will be unfamiliar at best or detestable at worst. As a tutor and advisor for Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II, and especially as the ultra-conservative lay Ober-Procurator of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1880 to 1905, Pobedonostsev received little love from the Russian populace. Certainly many of his actions and advice were, as his critics suggest, reactionary, and very few, if any, could readily... Read more

Democratic Musings

Last updated on: June 5, 2007 at 3:09 pm By voxnovablog

I’m still trying to make my mind up about Sunday’s debate of Democratic presidential candidates in New Hampshire. Conventional wisdom places Hillary on top, but I don’t see it: I still find her rather wooden and overly nuanced (but she did net one good line in: quipping about Bush’s diplomacy, she noted the tendency to send Dick Cheney around the world– hardly diplomatic!). Likewise, Obama disappointed. When I read his speeches, I find the rhetoric harking back to a more... Read more

Social Justice and the Lemonade Stand

Last updated on: June 5, 2007 at 2:27 am By voxnovablog

My son, in particular, and daughter were all atwitter over their plans for a lemonade stand this summer. We live on a street that accesses a public beach, and so we have a decent amount of traffic come summer. My son, age 6 and showing signs of capitalism that would make J.P. Morgan blush, had already determined that he was going to sell lemonade for 25 cents. I informed him that since he was going to use my property, we... Read more