Patrick shared an encounter that he had with a retreat group purporting to be a charismatic group, and the leader of which insinuated that to not pray “in the spirit” is to not pray at all. Naturally, Pat was offended. We went back and fourth discussing his piece, and I encouraged him to do his […]
The End Game of Gender-less Marriage
April 4, 2013 by
True story: Last month, there was a writers panel in Sydney, that addressed the topic of marriage. Titled tongue-in-cheek as “Why get married when you can be happy,” some of the participants tipped their cards rather tellingly on what the marriage re-definition issue is really about. The real winner of a quote comes from Masha […]
Gutenberg’s Contraption And The Nostrum of Sola Scriptura
April 4, 2013 by
At the end of the 15th century, mankind was hit with an invention that did more to shape culture, life and education over the next 500 years than any advancement prior, and arguably more than all other advancements combined. The printing press made the dissemination of information quick and easy, and relatively cheap. Book after […]
Genderless Marriage and Arguments from Emotion
March 27, 2013 by
Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good analogy, but this piece by Doug Mainwaring really did a great job, in my opinion, of summing up the totality of the public discourse over the possibility of same-sex marriage. He begins: In our sometimes misguided efforts to expand our freedom, selfish adults have systematically dismantled that […]
The Unfitness of Ideas: Contraceptive Mentalities and Natural Selection
March 26, 2013 by
Before the Supreme Court this week will be the question of “same-sex marriage.” The potential for a Roe v. Wade category of decision making is certainly there: a decision that may echo in American discourse for the next few generations, much as Roe is still. A branch of the federal government, the SCOTUS, has […]
The Westboro Baptists,The Rainbow House, And The Chariot of Orthodoxy
March 22, 2013 by
Confessions: I am a Topekan. It’s a pretty good city, all things considered. Not the best, by far, but good. I’ve grown up “in the shadow” of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) all of my life. -They’ve picketed my Church (“Sodomite Fag Priests Burn In Hell,” apparently) -They’ve picketed my High School (“Sodomite School News […]
Not FARce From The Truth: 8th-Grade Health Class Squirms Throughout Entire Screening Of ‘Miracle Of Abortion’
March 21, 2013 by
The following post from the Onion warranted a re-printing: CANTON, MI—According to sources at Thomas E. Dewey Middle School, all 26 students in Mrs. Flannery’s fifth-period health class squirmed uncomfortably and grimaced in disgust Thursday throughout the screening of a 45-minute educational video titled The Miracle Of Abortion. Sources reported that the film, which uses […]
The Writing on the Ground
March 19, 2013 by
This Sunday’s gospel presents us with the story of the woman caught in adultery (not, of course, the man). The scribes and pharisees come to Jesus to test whether he’ll be obedient to the law of Moses, which prescribed death for such a one, or to Roman laws, which outlawed capital punishment by anyone but […]
The End of the Schism? Constantinople Patriarch First to Attend Papal Inaugural Mass in 1000 years!
March 16, 2013 by
AsiaNews.it declares that Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople will attend the inaugural mass of Pope Francis. This is absolutely historic, as it hasn’t happened in nearly a millennium! Catholic/Orthodox relations have been steadily improving since Vatican II, and in recent years, Popes like John Paul II and Benedict XVI have placed a heavy emphasis on ecumenical dialogue with […]
The Election of Pope Francis I in Pictures.
March 13, 2013 by
He’s the first Francis, the first Jesuit, the first American, etc. His papacy will probably be noted for its accent on humility.