The lead blogger behind Catholic Eye Candy has determined that he’s not called to be a priest after all, and has apparently left the seminary. He announced on Thursday that he’s closing the blog, although thankfully, leaving it up. He has determined that he is not, after all, called to the priesthood, although he seems… Continue reading Beauty as a Proof for God
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
Douthat on the Lasting Impact of the Sex Abuse Scandal on the Church
Ross Douthat wrote a short article for the Atlantic, where he used to work. Called “The Catholic Church is Finished,” he makes two points. Both are right, and few people seem to grasp both at once, much less articulate them this well: This was the year when the cover-up of priestly sex abuse, a long-simmering… Continue reading Douthat on the Lasting Impact of the Sex Abuse Scandal on the Church
Legalism and Fourth of July
In a catch-22 that the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day might appreciate, the death of Senator Byrd has nearly created a flag code quandary: Obama declared flags fly at half-staff between now and Byrd’s funeral next week, but that would have required the flag to be at half-staff on the Fourth of July (which… Continue reading Legalism and Fourth of July
Pope Benedict on Theological Fads
The pope, who has run in prominent Catholic theological circles for decades, and a brilliant theologian himself, is in a unique position to pass judgment on the theological fads which many Catholics fall prey to. The latest fads are those in which the newest and latest evidence seems to disprove this or that Catholic teaching,… Continue reading Pope Benedict on Theological Fads
On a Lighter Note…
Diogenes notes: After a bizarre traffic incident that led to his arrest, and an even more bizarre appearance in court, a Massachusetts man objected vigorously when someone questioned his sanity. The accusation apparently centered on a claim that the defendant, Alejandro Serra, had identified himself as the Apostle Alexander. “Pope Alexander, not the apostle Alexander;… Continue reading On a Lighter Note…
Kagan, Partial-Birth Abortion, and the “Proper Place” of Science
The big story surrounding Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, is that while she was working for the Clinton White House, she secretly drafted a “scientific opinion” for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists claiming that partial-birth abortions were necessary. In other words: Kagan’s boss, President Bill Clinton, wanted partial-birth abortion to remain legal.… Continue reading Kagan, Partial-Birth Abortion, and the “Proper Place” of Science
Assurance of Salvation and “Evanescent Grace”
Nick, responding to my earlier post on assurance of salvation, brought up a very good point: John Calvin clearly taught something called *evanescent grace* in which God gives a ‘fake grace’ to the Reprobate to make them *think* and act as if they were Saved, and this only so that He could damn them with… Continue reading Assurance of Salvation and “Evanescent Grace”
Two Short Arguments for Infant Baptism
The debate over infant Baptism is precisely one of the reasons that Tradition is necessary. The Bible just isn’t clear whether the Apostles baptized babies or not. There are references to “households” being baptized, but it’s far from clear whether those households included young children or not. And since it was the first generation of… Continue reading Two Short Arguments for Infant Baptism
When Does Human Life Begin?
The central argument motivating the pro-life movement is that a new life begins at the union of sperm and egg, called either “conception” or “fertilization” (there’s been a clever move by pro-choicers to redefine conception as “implantation,” in true Orwellian fashion, so fertilization may be the better term). For the vast majority of people, the… Continue reading When Does Human Life Begin?
Did Jesus Use the Greek Version of the Bible?
Kerath25, in response to my post this morning, asked: I’d heard that there is some evidence that Jesus Himself used the Septuagint. On a simple search, most of the results that I’d come across were people seeking to refute this theory, and I didn’t find any convincing evidence to support the theory that Jesus used… Continue reading Did Jesus Use the Greek Version of the Bible?