Tag: apologetics

Salvation Outside of the Church

The Catholic Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church. Yet, She acknowledges that it is possible that there are some on Earth who nobody thinks of as Catholic, and yet are saved. This teaching is the source of a lot of confusion and misrepresentation, with a number of people (both… Continue reading Salvation Outside of the Church

Scripture, Tradition, and the Church

As promised, the post for this afternoon is about a critique of Catholicism which Keith Mathison offers from his book The Shape of Sola Scriptura, available in full here. On page 183, he lays out a pretty concise summary of his general thesis: The typical evangelical view, Tradition 0, does not allow for any real… Continue reading Scripture, Tradition, and the Church

Why I Care About “The Shape of Sola Scriptura”

I know I’ve taken Keith Mathison’s book, The Shape of Sola Scriptura, to task on numerous occasions. There are five primary reasons for this: First, this book is all the rage right now amongst certain Reformed circles, and I’ve heard it recommended numerous times. If the book were obscure, it wouldn’t be worth addressing. But… Continue reading Why I Care About “The Shape of Sola Scriptura”

Catholics in the Voting Booth

Yesterday’s second reading includes this gem from Hebrews 11:13-16, All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had… Continue reading Catholics in the Voting Booth

A Thaw in the Ice for Catholics and Orthodox?

Eastern Orthodox relations have been improving markedly under Pope Benedict XVI. John Paul II anxiously awaited a path towards reunion with what he called the “other lung of the Church,” but he was met with a pretty icy response, and was refused entry to visit Russia. In no small part, petty ethnic politics played a… Continue reading A Thaw in the Ice for Catholics and Orthodox?

Freaky Friday and Holy Thursday

The term “transubstantiation” is confusing. Philosophers don’t really use the terms “substance” and “accidents” anymore, and non-philosophers certainly don’t. Or more accurately, the terms “substance” and “accidents” mean totally different things today than they did at the time that St. Thomas Aquinas was using them to capture the reality of the Eucharist. Worse still, when… Continue reading Freaky Friday and Holy Thursday

The Early Church Fathers on The Sign of Peace

Continuing Friday’s sign of peace theme, I had mentioned that the Early Church Fathers had some fascinating stuff on the Sign of Peace. Back then, as noted, it was a kiss. That difference might actually make a difference, because it’s likely the reason that these two examples are routinely overlooked by us, but not by… Continue reading The Early Church Fathers on The Sign of Peace

Pro-Abortion Groups Fighting Back on Healthcare

If you’ll recall, Stupak and Obama claimed that Obama’s eleventh-hour executive order would mean that no federal funds from Obamacare would go to fund abortion. Certain liberal Catholic groups, like CHA, used this as political coverage for support of Obamacare. Then, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, the government tried to pay for abortions. Pro-lifers caught wind… Continue reading Pro-Abortion Groups Fighting Back on Healthcare