It’s that time of year again. I’ve got law school finals tomorrow, Thursday, and two next week (although one, thankfully, is a paper). I can definitely use your prayers, particularly for my Thursday Tax final, and I’ll be scaling back the amount of posting that I’ll do. Today, though, it seemed worth the time to… Continue reading LA Episcopalians Appoint Practicing Lesbian as Bishop
Tag: faith
On the Swiss Minaret Ban
If you’re not following your Swiss religious news (I’m sure most of you are, of course), it falls to me to report to you that the Swiss, in a referendum upset, surprised virtually everyone by passing overwhelmingly (with 57.6% of the vote, and the support of 22 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons) a ban on the… Continue reading On the Swiss Minaret Ban
A Good OSAS Discussion
There’s the beginning of a really interesting, not to mention civilized and intelligent, conversation about Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS) going on between DJ AMDG (who believes in it) and Kerath25 (who doesn’t) in the comments section to yesterday’s post. In the post, I argued that Simon the Magi disproves OSAS, because every version of… Continue reading A Good OSAS Discussion
What John’s Baptism Teaches Us About the Sacraments
This upcoming Sunday, we’ll hear that John the Baptist went throughout the “whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). I’m curious as to how Protestants distinguish their own views of water Baptisms from the Baptism of John. In any case, even Protestants who think that… Continue reading What John’s Baptism Teaches Us About the Sacraments
Simon the Magi and Once Saved, Always Saved
Yet another example from the Bible which I think refutes the notion of Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS) is that of Simon the Magi from Acts 8. Simon was a magician who was sort of a big shot in Samaria, popularly known as the “Great Power” (Acts 8:9-11). But then an actual big shot, St.… Continue reading Simon the Magi and Once Saved, Always Saved
The Trouble With Relativism
I. What Relativism IsMoral relativism is an outgrowth of a broader family of relativistic ideas. A number of philosophers, particularly in the 20th century, argued that all of reality was perspectival: that things appeared as they do to us because of our culture, our language, and the various other components which constitute our viewpoint. In… Continue reading The Trouble With Relativism
Has First Things Jumped the Shark?
Alberto Hurtado at Southern Appeal laments what he feels it the loss of edge and relevance in the print version of First Things, as he reflects on how he found himself able to let his subscription lapse. There’s an element on truth in his lament, but it’s not really anyone’s fault: Fr. Richard John Neuhaus… Continue reading Has First Things Jumped the Shark?
Should We Compare Genesis to Current Scientific Theories?
I. The Framework of the DebateAn interesting conversation has been going on over at Mark Shea’s blog: in this case, I think that the comments are actually much more interesting than his original case. The question is about the historicity of the first half (pre-Abraham) of Genesis. The question is generally not, “should we take… Continue reading Should We Compare Genesis to Current Scientific Theories?
LCWR v. CMWS: Which Really Represents Progress?
Continuing the theme that the “progressives” in American Catholicism are those restoring those things which were good and vital which were was tossed out or ignored after Vatican II, I thought I’d turn towards the nuns again. Orders of women’s religious that opt for the habit are booming; those who decline the habit are frequently… Continue reading LCWR v. CMWS: Which Really Represents Progress?
Liberal? Progressive? Heretic?
My aunt, a Benedictine nun, drove me back to the airport yesterday, and one of the things she mentioned on the way back was that the terms “liberal” and “conservative” are problematic in the Catholic context, but perhaps unavoidable. Liberal and conservative are fine terms when the issue is one of a discipline or non-religious… Continue reading Liberal? Progressive? Heretic?