Long Answer: What is the Difference Between Catholics and "Protestants" ?

A few months ago during the high school Bible Study we had a guest come from another Christian congregation.  Late in the meeting she innocently asked one of the most complicated questions possible:  “What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants?”

Where does one begin?

Reflection: God the Father and the Three Needs of Sons

Here is something I’ve been wanting to write about for a while.  It started as a little mental exercise about being a good father.  Because... you know... there are a couple of boys to whom my ability to be a good father is particularly relevant.

In particular, I was thinking about the various universal and deep emotional needs a son has in relation to his dad.  More to the point, what sort of things does a son NEED to hear from his father regularly - most particularly during his early formative years.  What kinds of words do boys retain deep psychological wounds for want of hearing?

I came up with three:

Short Answers: Jesus Descended into Hell?

Dear Apologist, Why does the Apostles Creed say that Jesus “descended into hell”?

The Apostles Creed is an ancient Christian statement of belief which predates the Nicene Creed.   A Catholic is most likely to encounter it when praying the Rosary, as it is recited at the beginning.  Certain translations of the Apostles Creed say:

“[Jesus] suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into hell and on the third day he rose again from the dead.”  

This part of the creed is a reference to 1Peter 3:18-19, which describes Jesus dying and visiting imprisoned spirits.  The use of the word “hell” - and the prospect of Jesus going there - has confused many English-speaking people into thinking the Son became estranged from the Father and temporarily suffered the plight of the damned.

The reason for this confusion is a mixture of translation choices and the evolution of the English language.  The original Greek says that Jesus went to “Hades”.  Readers in ancient times would have been familiar with Hades being the abode of the dead, the underworld.  It was thought of as a place where the spirits of the deceased dwelt, but not a place of torment.  That word “hades” was translated into Middle English as “hel”.  This word originally had the exact same neutral connotation as “hades”.

However, over time our conception of the word “hell” changed to refer only to the place of eternal punishment and separation from God.  It would be impossible for Jesus, who was God, to experience such a thing.  Thus, some modern translations of the creed now say Jesus “descended to the dead”.  This rendition is friendlier to modern audiences and conveys the correct meaning.

Short Answers: It's the End of the World!

Dear Apologist, What is the rapture?  And what do Catholics believe about the end of the world? 

Conscience, Cooperation, and Moral Philosophy

The past few weeks have seen a spike in the attention given to Christians in the wedding-service industry who wish to refrain from providing their services to same-sex weddings.

The first response people often have is to conflate this specific refusal of service with the complete refusal of all services seen in the Jim Crow Era against African Americans.  I covered this in a previous blog post – showing why that comparison is inaccurate.

Today I wanted to look at two other questions people ask about the issue:

• Is this refusal of service unloving?
• What level of involvement is acceptable for conscientious Christians?

This will involve dipping our toes into moral philosophy.  This realm of philosophy is geared toward making explicit what we all feel in our consciences when confronting moral dilemmas.  It helps draw useful distinctions between what a person can and cannot ethically do.

So let’s dive in.

Short Answer: The Resurrection

Dear Apologist, How do I defend the historicity of Christ's resurrection?

The Crucifixion - What and Why

Today is Good Friday, the day Christians the world over remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Saint Paul described the cross as a “stumbling block”

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” - 1 Corinthians 1:22

He may well have added that it is a stumbling block to 21st Century Americans, who want God to be a harmless and kindly grandfather.  The idea of our salvation culminating in a crazy level of violence directed toward an innocent man is a tough pill to swallow among some audiences.

Today I want to take a look at the crucifixion and ask a few questions:

• How exactly does this event bring about our salvation?
• Why did God choose to do it this way?