St. Stephen’s martyrdom, which we celebrate today, includes a valuable gem in discussing prayer with the LDS, better known as the Mormons. Mormons refuse to pray to Jesus, because they don’t see prayer to Him in the New Testament: So, it is abundantly clear in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount that we are instructed,… Continue reading Mormonism and the Martyrdom of St. Stephen
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
Merry Christmas!
Guido Reni, The Adoration of the Shepherds (17th c.) And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his… Continue reading Merry Christmas!
It’s Time to Kill Santa
Thomas Nast, Santa Claus (1881) Today is Christmas Eve, and we’re at a turning point in the year. For Catholics, the Christmas season begins tomorrow with the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. For secular culture, the Christmas season ends tomorrow, having begun last month around Thanksgiving. At the heart of this debate over… Continue reading It’s Time to Kill Santa
Feminism’s War on Women
Modern feminism tends to conflate gender equality with gender interchangeability, insisting that women aren’t truly free until they’re indistinguishable from men. In the process, the movement has pitted itself against both science, which finds sexual differences throughout the animal kingdom, and women themselves, who tend to be quite comfortable with the arrangement. I recently wrote… Continue reading Feminism’s War on Women
Is Marian Devotion Dangerous?
Scripture prophesies and prescribes Marian devotion, and a careful reading of the New and Old Testament together shows that Mary is given a pride of place rarely (if ever) found in Protestant denominations. But that is not the end of the story. Protestants examining this evidence will sometimes be intellectually convinced, but will encounter a… Continue reading Is Marian Devotion Dangerous?
Does the Glorified Body of Christ Have Blood?
One of the strangest beliefs that I’ve come across through this blog is the idea that the glorified Body of Jesus Christ contains Flesh and Bones, but no Blood. I first came across it in a reader comment; since then, I’ve heard this view advanced by several Protestant apologetics websites, like the popular Calvinist apologetics… Continue reading Does the Glorified Body of Christ Have Blood?
Consecrating Our Lives to God
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman For those of us prone to daydream, the Offertory seems to be the slowest part of the Mass. After the proclamation of the Gospel and the homily, but before the Eucharistic Prayer, there’s a pause in the action, in which the priest stops to receive the bread and wine, and… Continue reading Consecrating Our Lives to God
Are Pro-Lifers Racist for Opposing Abortion?
In some post-election commentary, Nancy Giles (of CBS News Sunday Morning) suggested that pro-lifers were against abortion in order to build up the white race: “It’s been weird to watch white people report on this,” she said. “And, you know, when you just showed that graph of the decline in the numbers, I thought, ‘Maybe that’s why they’re… Continue reading Are Pro-Lifers Racist for Opposing Abortion?
Why is Fish Allowed on Meatless Fridays?
Yesterday, Cardinal Dolan gave his Presidential Address to the USCCB about the need for penance, and the possibility of re-instituting meatless Fridays year-round: What an irony that despite the call of the Second Vatican Council for a renewal of the Sacrament of Penance, what we got instead was its near disappearance. We became very good in… Continue reading Why is Fish Allowed on Meatless Fridays?
Why Conservative Anglicanism is Doomed
On Friday, the Anglican Church announced that the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be the current Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby. This appointment is important, since the Archbishop of Canterbury is the highest-ranking bishop within the Anglican Communion. Archbishop-elect Welby is a complex man: he’s an Evangelical with an admiration for Catholicism, and a traditional-minded bishop… Continue reading Why Conservative Anglicanism is Doomed