A reader raised some great questions on Mark Shea’s blog last week about the interplay between Faith and Reason, and Revealed Law and Natural Law. He was trying to rectify two seemingly disconcordant facts: Mark Shea had argued that “all men are created equal” is a proposition rooted in Judeo-Christianity, and not something observable simply… Continue reading Natural and Revealed Law (and Faith + Reason)
Tag: apologetics
What About Civil Unions?
The following post is sort of a hot-button subject, and I’m not sure if I’ve handled it with the amount of tenderness I should have. My concern isn’t that there’s a lurking hatred or anything, but just that this post is one of my more coldly analytical ones (in that I’m talking about canon law… Continue reading What About Civil Unions?
Two Views of Love (or, “Love vs. Luv”)
There are presently two competiting notions of what marriage is. One is the sappy Hollywood version. Marriage is about showing your love for one another, and telling each other you’ll be in love with each other always, forever. To see how successful this is, look at how successful Hollywood marriages are. The other view is… Continue reading Two Views of Love (or, “Love vs. Luv”)
Something to Pray for: The Legal Battle for Marriage
If you’re not aware, the legal battle surrounding California’s gay marriage ban Proposition 8 is inching towards the Supreme Court, and your prayers are very much needly. Briefly: May 2008: The California Supreme Court declared that the California Constitution required that gay marriage be legal. It turns out no one had noticed this part of… Continue reading Something to Pray for: The Legal Battle for Marriage
Two Sides to the Same Coin?
I’m subscribed to Catholic World News’ daily headlines, b/c it’s a quick and enjoyable way to keep up on the news of the Church globally (information I’ve discovered through this channel has been the source of a number of posts here). Anyways, yesterday there were two stories listed one immediately after the other, which left… Continue reading Two Sides to the Same Coin?
Cloudy Nights of the Soul
Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter has a great Christmas post (liturgically, we’re still in Christmas, even though today is the 13th Day of Christmas). One of the highlights: Those wise men did not take their eye off the star. Their pursuit necessitated the perfect balance of faith — plunging into the darkness with only… Continue reading Cloudy Nights of the Soul
Who is James, “Brother of the Lord”?
The name James was pretty popular at the time of Christ, and two of Jesus’ Disciples have this name: James, son of Zebedee, and brother of John (Matthew 10:2), and James, son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3) We call #1 “James the Greater” and #2 “James the Lesser.” Since the various New Testament writers signal which… Continue reading Who is James, “Brother of the Lord”?
Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist (c. 200 – c. 300 A.D.)
A few weeks ago, I posted brief snippets of the writings of the earliest Church Fathers, from the time of the Apostles until 200 A.D., showing what they believed on the Eucharist. Long story short, these men believed that the bread and wine became the Body and Blood of Christ, that this happened at the… Continue reading Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist (c. 200 – c. 300 A.D.)
The Gifts of the Magi
Yesterday was Epiphany Sunday. Although the Epiphany – the 12th Day of Christmas, celebrating the wise men’s visiting the infant Jesus – technically falls on Wednesday, we celebrate it on the nearest Sunday. I love the readings from yesterday’s Mass, because they tell a real story when you compare them. Here’s what I mean: I.… Continue reading The Gifts of the Magi
Protestantism, Church History, and Psychological Defects
Happy New Year Everyone! There’s an interesting dispute going on in the combox of one of my older posts, but I wanted to provide some background first. It seems to me that the average person sort of assumes that the Bible just showed up one day, or at least that the Apostles were passing out… Continue reading Protestantism, Church History, and Psychological Defects