Interpreting and Applying Amoris Laetitia

Dear Apologist:  What was the Pope getting at with Amoris Laetitia?  What IS the proper application of that document - and how does it fit into existing Church teaching?

The proper interpretation of Amoris Laetitia has been a contentious topic since its release.  Even today there are a handful of Cardinals who – concerned with widespread misreading of the document – have asked the Vatican to clarify and reiterate certain points.

So this will be my best attempt.

Current Events: Much Ado About Dubium...

Dear Apologist, I recently heard some controversy about a "Dubium" which was submitted to Pope Francis by four Cardinals.  Could you explain that to me?

Current Events: The Pope, Abortion, and Confession...

Dear Apologist, I heard recently that the Pope declared that priests could not forgive abortions in Confession?   Could they not before?  Was abortion unforgivable?

Here is the first thing to keep in mind;  If you are getting news about the Catholic Church from secular news sources such as the Associated Press or Reuters, you are only going to be misled.  Those people do not understand the Catholic faith and have no idea how to accurately present it to readers.  The sources you want to get Catholic news from are the National Catholic Register and EWTN. 

Onto the matter at hand.

My Recent Presentations on Martyrdom

I was recently asked to give a couple presentations to our high school youth ministry group.  The topic was martyrdom.

The first presentation focused on the early martyrs and how their deaths gives evidence for the truth of the faith - as well as explaining how it spread.  The second presentation focused on modern martyrs and how their example applies to the challenges we face today.

Presentation 1: Ancient Martyrs

Presentation 2: Modern Martyrs

Looking at 3 Types of Bible Contradictions...

One thing believed by all Christian traditions is the divine inspiration of the Bible.  That is to say, we believe the words of the Bible are the words of God Himself.

So it can be alarming when we read the four Gospel accounts and find apparent contradictions between them.  It would mean at least one of the texts must be in error.

Many people attempt harmonization of the Gospel accounts - and rightfully so.  But other times we have to go back and reflect on what exactly we mean by "inspiration".  What exactly does that doctrine imply?

Today I wanted to look at three types of apparent contradictions in the Bible and discuss what it means for our understanding of inspiration.

Atheism and Pascal's Wager

One thing I do occasionally at my Bible Study is don the persona of an Atheist and challenge the students from that perspective.  The last time I did this, one of the kids (a new guy) raised his hand and confidently belted out Pascal’s Wager.

I… or rather, Atheist Steve… took the kid to task.  Atheist Steve had heard Pascal’s Wager many times before from his Christian friends and was having none of it.

Today I want to take a look at Pascal’s Wager ... and ask whether it is of any use.