If God Didn’t Exist, What Would You Do?

Antonello da Messina, Mary of the Annunciation (detail) (1475) If you could “get away with” any sin or sins that you wanted, what would you do? That is, imagine that God could somehow be distracted, that you didn’t have to worry about sin offending Him or being punished. Or alternatively, imagine that God didn’t exist:… Continue reading If God Didn’t Exist, What Would You Do?

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

I went to the vigil Mass last night, and Fr. Belli was fantastic in explaining what the Immaculate Conception is, and why we celebrate it. I don’t have much time today, so let me just say that it’s the feast celebrating the conception of Mary without Original Sin. The reason that we believe that God… Continue reading Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

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?

The Effects of Original Sin: What About Unbaptized Babies?

In two previous posts (here and here), we looked at the possibility of inheriting sin. Based on deeply-rooted cultural assumptions we have here in the West, we think that everyone starts (or should start) tabula rasa. It’s an assumption that ignores lots of complicating factors, like genetics and upbringing, but it’s got some merit: everyone… Continue reading The Effects of Original Sin: What About Unbaptized Babies?

The Biblical View of Inherited Sin

This is part 2 of a three-part series on original sin. This continues yesterday’s theme of exploring the counter-intuitive notion of inherited sin. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the implications of original sin. III. The Problems With the Two Extremes The American view imagines that each of us are autonomous individuals, who spring forth fully formed,… Continue reading The Biblical View of Inherited Sin

Can You Inherit Sin?

I want to do a three-part series on original sin, but before I do, I’d like to thank both of the guys who pointed out the problems with the blog comment feature, and Jess Rezac (who, incidentally, helped design the header) for fixing it so quickly. So… thanks! Feel free to check out her blog… Continue reading Can You Inherit Sin?