While not all of the causes of the Protestant Reformation were theological, some of them undoubtedly were. So St. Edmund Campion, in the eighth of his Ten Reasons against the Reformation, addressed some of these. Specifically, he considers certain “impossible positions” that the Reformers held “on God, on Christ, on Man, on Sin, on Justice, on Sacraments, [and] on… Continue reading Reason #8 to Reject the Reformation: Heterodoxy
Tag: God
How the NSA Wiretapping Scandal Reveals God’s Immanence and Transcendence
A while back, I was in an Eastern Orthodox church that had two large depictions of Jesus. The first was an enormous depiction on the ceiling, showing Christ in glory. The second was along the back wall, behind the altar: it was a depiction of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child in her womb.… Continue reading How the NSA Wiretapping Scandal Reveals God’s Immanence and Transcendence
How Train Cars and Set Theory Prove the Existence of God
Perhaps the strongest argument against atheism is the argument from contingency. In its barest form, it goes something like this: A. All of reality, without exception, breaks down into one of two possible categories: (1) that which is contingent, and (2) that which is non-contingent. Let me explain what I mean by both the terms,… Continue reading How Train Cars and Set Theory Prove the Existence of God
Ten Things I Learned in My First Year of Seminary
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind: classes ended, I had three papers and four finals, I went to Clear Creek Monastery for a few days, and four of our men were ordained deacons. As I make the transition from being in seminary to spending the summer at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, I wanted… Continue reading Ten Things I Learned in My First Year of Seminary
A Catholic Reply to “How to Suck At Your Religion”
An anti-religious (and specifically, anti-Catholic) webcomic is making the rounds on the Internet right now. It’s part of a webcomic called The Oatmeal, and is called “How to suck at your religion.” I have to warn anyone clicking that link that it’s really offensive: profane, lewd, and blasphemous, all at once. Honestly, if you don’t… Continue reading A Catholic Reply to “How to Suck At Your Religion”
Filling the God-Shaped Hole
Pompeo Batoni, Sacred Heart of Jesus (1740) St. Augustine famously wrote in his Confessions, “Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in Thee.” Our hearts have a God-shaped hole, so to speak. When God fills that void, we can be contented. But as Fr. Barron notes in his Catholicism series, we constantly seek to fill that hole with… Continue reading Filling the God-Shaped Hole
Turning the Problem of Evil On Its Head
Atheists are fond of using the argument from evil to debunk the notion of God. It goes something like this: If God is all-powerful (omnipotent), He could stop evil. If God is all-loving (omnibenevolent), He would stop evil if He could. Therefore, if an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God existed, evil would not. Evil exists; therefore, an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God does not.… Continue reading Turning the Problem of Evil On Its Head
The Raising of the Widow’s Son, and What it Says About God’s Love
Given how important today’s Gospel is, it should be much better known. After all, it involves Jesus raising a man from the dead, something which happens extremely rarely, even in the Gospels. It’s Luke 7:11-17, the raising of the widow’s son: Soon afterward He journeyed to a city called Nain, and His Disciples and a large… Continue reading The Raising of the Widow’s Son, and What it Says About God’s Love
Why Does God Call David a Man After His Own Heart?
In Acts 13, during Paul’s first homily to the Gentiles, in Pisidian Antioch, he explains some Jewish history. At one point (Acts 13:22), he says: After removing Saul, He made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own Heart; he will do everything I… Continue reading Why Does God Call David a Man After His Own Heart?
Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?
Yesterday, I was asked one of the best questions about praying to Mary that I’ve come across: why do we pray to Mary in front of the Blessed Sacrament? If we really believe that the Eucharist is Jesus, why focus on His mortal Mother instead of Him, when He’s right there? Let me provide some background.… Continue reading Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?