My Recent "Intro to New Testament" Talk

I recently gave a speech about the New Testament at a local retreat for high schoolers.  In it, I discuss:

• The creation of the New Testament
• Tips for reading it.
• How to get help.
• A reading of John 9

Here are the slides: [LINK]

Enjoy!!

Was Jesus Thwarted By Ancient Sexism?

A couple weeks ago a student asked why the Catholic ministerial priesthood is reserved to men.  Today I wanted to look at one of the points brought up in that discussion.

In his encyclical “Ordinatio  Sacerdetolis”, Pope John Paul II definitively taught that the Church has no authority to ordain women to the ministerial priesthood.  One of the principle reasons given is the example of Christ, who only chose men to be among the twelve Apostles.

The most common retort is something like this:

"Jesus would have liked to ordain female Apostles, but He knew the cultural misogyny of those times would not have tolerated priestesses or female preachers.  But now we live in more enlightened and egalitarian times.  Thus we can and should ordain women to the ministerial priesthood."

What do we say to that?

Sola Scriptura and the Canon Conundrum

One theme I have returned to several times on this blog is the issue the question of how one comes to know the true content of the Christian faith.  This question forms one of the few – or perhaps the only – bright dividing lines between Catholics and "Protestants".

The “Protestant” position is commonly known as Sola Scriptura, which means “Scriptura Alone”.   While people differ on the details, Sola Scriptura usually entails the following:

“The Bible is the only infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine.  It is sufficient on its own to deliver all the truths of the Christian religion.  Conversely, there can be no binding Christian doctrine which is not taught by Scripture." 

A Catholic would disagree with that.  Instead, he would say:

"It is true that the Bible is the inspired word of God.  However, the Christian faith contains things which are not explicitly taught in the text of the Bible.  Likewise, it is necessary to have an official interpreter and teacher of the faith which is authorized by God pass on and preserve the Christian religion.”  

Today I want to take a look at one of the simplest and most powerful arguments against Sola Scriptura.  It is an argument which uses the Bible itself to show the impossibility and incoherence of “Bible Alone”.

I call it “The Canon Conundrum”.

The Church, the Death Penalty, and the Galactic Emperor

The politics of American political landscape does not offer a one-size-fit for Catholics who wish to adhere to the entirety of what the Church proposes.  Politically “progressive” Catholics often subjugate their faith to politics on matters of abortion, euthanasia, and the natural family. On the other hand, politically “conservative” Catholics often feel a similar temptation in regard to the death penalty.

The Church’s stance on capital punishment is nuanced, but it generally stands in opposition to its use.  This led to a question from one my friends:

Would the Church condone capital punishment for Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars?

That's what we'll look at today.

Catholic Bookmarks

Today I wanted to share an arts and craft project:  Catholic Bookmarks!

Legal Penalties for Abortion: What Should a Pro-Life Candidate Say?

In the United States, the Republican party is one which generally opposes the legality of abortion.  However, most of the print and broadcast media is staffed by people who defend the abortion industry and see it as normal.

As a result, Republican candidates who claim to be Pro-Life are often asked detailed ethical questions about their stance on abortion.  Democrat candidates are almost never asked these questions.  This is grossly unfair, but the dichotomy is as predictable as the sunrise.  Therefore, it would be smart for any Republican who wants to run as Pro-Life to take the time to learn how to answer these questions.

Unfortunately most Republicans are dumb.  Many would rather destroy their careers than spend a day learning the basics of Pro-Life apologetics.  

Recently Donald Trump joined this prestigious group of morons when he fielded a question about the legal implications of the Pro-Life movement.  Would a victory for the Pro-Life movement mean women would be prosecuted?  

His answer was: "Yes."

Outrage ensued.  Particularly peeved were actual Pro-Life groups, who never asked to be associated with this belligerent madman.

So today I want to show how I would answer the question.  The following was mostly recited off the top of my head into a recording device.  Then I transcribed it.