The Lorica of St. Patrick Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of … Continue reading The Lorica of St. Patrick Is As Timely As Ever
Random Selection Favors Religion, or, What Would Darwin Do?
I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live. (Deuteronomy 30:19) An Angry God Random selection appears to have doomed its most enthusiastic promoters to extinction. I want to be clear that I am not taking issue in this post with the theory … Continue reading Random Selection Favors Religion, or, What Would Darwin Do?
Evangelism, Free Will, and the Spiritual Works of Mercy
We live in strange times. Never in human history has it been possible for so many people to live lives so disconnected from reality. Former Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Carlo Vigano has just released a remarkable meditation for Lent which touches on that issue. He starts with a prayer from the Ambrosian Missal, which says … Continue reading Evangelism, Free Will, and the Spiritual Works of Mercy
One H*ll of an After School Activity: Meet the Satan Club
Clearly, their purpose is not to promote a religion in which they assure us they don't believe, and they manifestly don’t model the virtues they claim to advocate.
Our Eternal Destiny: Armed Robbery, or A Warm Place By The Fire?
From the film Little Caesar, 1931 "It's like comparing cats and dogs." Ever heard that expression before? Ever used it? I did, several years ago. I was teaching a 9th grade theology class in a (more or less) Catholic school, and same sex marriage (a hot topic at the time) came up for discussion. I wanted to emphasize that … Continue reading Our Eternal Destiny: Armed Robbery, or A Warm Place By The Fire?
Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
There’s an old joke about a police officer who was walking his beat one night when he came upon a man, apparently drunk, crawling around on his hands and knees on the pavement under a streetlamp. “What are you doing?” asked the officer. “Looking for my keys,” came the reply. “Where’d you lose them?” … Continue reading Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
Practical Apologetics: The Geometry of Faith
outside.” Those of us who have been out and now are in (back in, for some of us) know how true it is. And it stands to reason: as both a worldly and a spiritual entity, the Church cannot be contained within purely physical bounds.
Has Pascal’s Wager Really Been “Debunked”?
I have yet to see an argument that overcomes this stark, simple choice: what’s the worst that can happen if you gamble on God? What’s the worst if you take the other path? Is it really that complicated?
Aborigines, Atheists, and the Authenticity of the Gospels
A few years ago I ran across an amazing story ("Ancient Sea Rise Tale Told Accurately For 10,000 Years") from Scientific American, detailing how aboriginal Australians have preserved, via oral tradition, accurate information about geographical features that have been underwater since the end of the last Ice Age, circa 10,000 years ago. The article is … Continue reading Aborigines, Atheists, and the Authenticity of the Gospels
God’s Existence isn’t a Dark Matter
Like Dark Energy, God cannot be measured with scientific instruments . . . but his effects are very clear.