What will proceed below is a simple Question and Answer (Q&A) on the crisis, designed to quickly answer questions for those not familiar with what is happening within the Catholic Church. It's designed for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The purpose is to clear up some common misconceptions, and steer readers toward what is actually... Continue Reading →
Having once been an Evangelical, I was heavily exposed to the "Christmas is Pagan" or "Christmas has Pagan origins" movement in the Western world. The movement is heavily concentrated in the United States, with large pockets in Canada, Australia, and other parts of the Anglosphere. It's primarily a Protestant problem, which was popularized during the... Continue Reading →
We've all heard it a million times. Christians decry the commercialization of Christmas (and rightly so) then feel offended when "Merry Christmas" is replaced with "Happy Holidays." I fully understand the reason for this frustration, but at the same time I think while we're desperately fighting to save a hundred-year old tradition of Christmas shopping,... Continue Reading →
In a previous essay (read here) I outlined the benefits of inculturation and why this is a major factor to understand how Christianity spread into Pagan Europe so quickly and so effectively. If you haven't read that essay yet, I strongly advise you do so before continuing here. For convenience sake, I'll provide a link... Continue Reading →
There is a word in the Catholic lexicon, and most Catholics are unfamiliar with it. It's called ultramontanism. Briefly, the word means "beyond the mountains" and it's a European reference to the Italian Alps that act as a natural northern border between Italy and the rest of Europe. Following the Protestant Revolution, wherein great portions... Continue Reading →
I am a Catholic. The reason why I go to mass is pretty simple. I go to mass solely for one reason and one reason only. It is to worship God. I don't really go for any other reason. That's pretty much it for me. I go to mass because I know that is the... Continue Reading →
It's a popular narrative from the eighth chapter of John's gospel (John 8:1-11). A woman is caught in the very act of adultery. She is dragged before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees, so as to put Jesus to a test. They wanted to see what he would do with her. The Torah (Law of... Continue Reading →
It seems like there are Dummies Guides for everything these days. Browse any book store or library and you'll find them. There is "Religion for Dummies," and "Auto-Repair for Dummies," and "The Internet for Dummies," and "Football for Dummies." The list goes on and on. The point of Dummies Guides is to just simplify seemingly... Continue Reading →
What if I told you that much of Protestant Christianity today is currently in the midst of an identity crisis? I say "much of" because not all Protestants fall into this. There are still a few left who actually know who they are, but sadly, most Protestants today, particularly those living in the Bible Belt,... Continue Reading →
