A Detroit Priest, A Controversial Homily, and Romans 8

Recently the diocese of Detroit was in the news due to a funeral homily which a priest gave for a teen who had commit suicide.  NBC news put it this way:

“The Archdiocese of Detroit said a priest is no longer allowed to speak at funerals after he infuriated the family of a teenager who killed himself by raising the question in a sermon of whether people who die by suicide can be granted God’s forgiveness.    According to the teen's father, [the priest] condemned his son instead of celebrating his life.”

His mother was quoted saying:

“Maison didn’t deserve this. He basically called him a sinner in front of everybody. We were just blindsided.”

Since then, the Detroit diocese has reprimanded the priest and apologized to the family. 

Well, the diocese also released the text of the homily.  While the priest did say that suicide is wrong, he didn't dwell on it.  The homily doesn’t fit the harsh description given by the family – and the condemnation from the media and the diocese seems quite undeserved. 

Most of the homily was spent reminding the audience that there is hope in Christ even for suicide victims.  Far from condemning the teen, the priest came very close to canonizing him.

Which brings me to the topic I want to address.  It’s about one mistake the priest did make, and a commonly misinterpreted passage of Romans 8.

The Dueling Truths of Human Nature

The Christian religion is filled with truths which have to be held in tension.  That means Truth A would lead you in one direction, and Truth B would lead you in the opposite direction... but you have to believe both.  As the conservative speaker/columnist Ben Shapiro likes to say, "Two things can be true at once."  

Today I want to look at one instance of this which relates to the status of humanity.  And then we'll think about what happens when we choose one truth over the other.

How Did the Obergefell Decision Work?

Back in 2015, the "Obergefell vs Hodges" decision (OvH) at the US Supreme Court made same-sex marriage a possibility across the country.  Since then the political aspect of the "marriage debate" seems to have died down.

But a week ago a chap told me he thought OvH was a masterwork of jurisprudence.  I replied it was a textbook case of an activist judge legislating his personal ideology from the bench.  Then he was asked me - (well, challenged me) - to prove my assertion from the text of the decision itself.

Today I want to share my analysis of how the decision works and whether Justice Kennedy made a sound decision... or an arbitrary royal decree.

Christmas and Paganism, Oh my!

Dear Apologist, how do I respond to people who say Christmas trees are banned by the Bible?

Rethinking the Nativity Scene [updated]

Nativity Scenes are a staple of this time of the year.  Churches all around the world erect statues of the three wise men, shepherds, and animals surrounding the holy family in a starlit barn.

But sometimes these scenes can lead to needless confusion.  So today I want to ask a few questions, take a fresh look at the text, and re-think what we think we know about the Nativity.

Short Answer: Why are there Churches Made of Bones?

Dear Apologist, why do Catholics collect the bones, hair, and fingers of Saints?

My "Five Rules", a Guide to Navigating Dating Waters

As a high school youth minister, I find myself working with kids in the throes of the turbulent dating scene.  A scene which I, thankfully, departed back in 2010.

The years spent navigating those waters are stressful.  And much of the stress comes from the inability to know the other's mind.  While it is impossible to know the intricacies of every situation, it is fair to say that patterns emerge.

So one of the talks I love to give are my "5 Rules for Dating" (and 1 suggestion).  These are the culmination of all the hard lessons I learned on the way to the altar.  They are clearly told from a guy's perspective, but both sexes have something to learn.  And I think knowing them can save a lot of heartache. 

Short Answer: What's With Jesus not Knowing Stuff?

Dear Apologist, Why did Jesus claim to not know when the world would end?  Shouldn’t He know everything?

The Atonement: Did Jesus Die for Everyone?

Every Christian tradition needs to have an answer to the question: 

"How does the death of Jesus bring about my salvation?"

In a previous post I began looking at a theory of the atonement known as "Penal Substitution".  This is the majority view in the non-Catholic / Protestant world.  And some Catholics, being unaware of their own tradition's understanding of the atonement, will default to this one.

They really shouldn't. 

There are different ways of looking at the atonement, and many compliment each other.  But Penal Substitution cannot be part of that ensemble.

Today we're going to further explain why, by looking at one of the implications of the theory:  The Limited Atonement.

Jesus and the "Scapegoat"

From their earliest ages, Christians are taught that Jesus’ death on the cross brings about our salvation.  But around the time we get to middle school a question occurs to us:

“Why?  What does the crucifixion of the Son of God have to do with my forgiveness?  How does one cause the other?”

In the [past] I laid out the most common Catholic answer to that question.  Namely, Jesus made of Himself a sacrificial offering to God.  He gave His life, suffering, love for humanity, and love for God as an infinitely meritorious gift to atone for the sins of the world.

But that isn’t the ONLY answer to the question.  In fact, most non-Catholic Christians have been taught a very different theory, called “Penal Substitution”.  Many, being unaware of the Catholic understanding, will simply call it THE doctrine of the atonement.  (As if it’s the only one)

Today I want to describe the doctrine and examine one aspect of it – the scapegoat.

Baffling Question: Cross or Crucifix?

They say there is no such thing as a stupid question.

But sometimes a person will ask a question whose answer should be obvious to any reasonable person.  Or perhaps the question has a glaringly bad premise, which would have been realized with a moment of thought.  Whatever the case is… we’ve all had moments where we stare at a person and think:

“Did you really just ask that?”

Today I want to begin looking at baffling questions which Catholics often get from our non-Catholic Christian brethren which elicit that reaction.

Today we’ll do:

“Why do ya’ll keep Jesus on the cross?  Jesus isn’t on the cross anymore.”

My Two Recent Interviews

Hey there! 

I recently had two interview in close succession.  The first was with Catholic Radio Indy.  You can find that one here:  LINK

Can Christian Adoption Agencies Be Defended? - Part II

In a [previous post], I began looking at a defense for Christian adoption agencies which exclusively prefer Mother+Father homes.  These adoption agencies have found themselves under increasingly regular attacks over the past decade - the latest being in New York.

The first essay focused on the logic and implications of the debate.  Namely, if you say same-sex parenting is just as good as Mother+Father parenting, you're saying motherhood and fatherhood are indistinct, interchangeable, and (of themselves) unnecessary.  Plus, it means any belief in the uniqueness of motherhood and fatherhood is a form of superstition and bigotry.

Common sense rebels against that conclusion.  But some would have you believe it has been rigorously proven by modern social science.  That's what I want to begin considering today.

The Scandalous Lesson of Old Testament Kings

Back in the Lent of 2012, my Lenten devotion was to read the Old Testament for a half hour every day.  The Old Testament can be troubling in many ways, but I found a few lessons in there which gave me great comfort.  Lessons which I’ve been reflecting on recently.

Today I’d like to share one of them.

The Pennsylvania Report; By the Numbers

Back in mid-August (2018) the attorney general of Pennsylvania released their grand jury report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.  The full text can be found [here].

It's been the subject of much discussion and reporting, and it seems like every Catholic blogger on the planet has an opinion about it.  What led to the abuse?  Who is to blame? What do we do about it?

I'm interested in those questions, of course.  They are critical to the safety of our kids and the well-being of the Church in America.  But I don't think I have anything useful to add to the matter.

So today I'll do what I'm good at... crunching data.  I've now gone through 800 pages of abuse reports - (a challenging task on multiple levels) - and kept some stats along the way.

Is there anything we can learn from the data itself?

Let's find out.

Three Thoughts on the Recent Catechism Change

Alrighty, I've been looking for some professional, expert commentary on the Pope's recent change to the Catechism and not finding much.  So... here goes.

TLDR: Humanae Vitae

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Humanae Vitae.  This was the papal encylcical which, in the face of mounting pressure to the contrary, reaffirmed the Church's teaching against contraception, sterilization, and abortion.  It is a document which effects my life every single day.

However, it can be a bit lengthy for some folks.  So I've decided to give it the same treatment I give the Epistles in my book, Too Long Didn't Read.  Today I'll be reducing Humanae Vitae down to 1/5 its size for those who want to dip their toes in.

Recent Presentation on Messianic Prophecy:

A little while ago I did a written study on some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.  Recently I gave a presentation to the highschoolers on the subject.  I hope you enjoy!

[For the written version, see this:  LINK]

Short Answer: Does Isaiah say God made evil?

Dear Apologist, Why does God say He “creates evil”?

Chrysostem and Aquinas on Unanswered Prayer

Recently I confessed to a friend that I’m in no ways tempted to Atheism.  It seems absurd for the universe to have not have a first principle for its existence and intelligibility. No... if I’m tempted to anything it is “Deism”.  Deism is the belief that God fashioned the universe but doesn’t interfere with the events therein.

The foremost driver of this temptation is our lived experiences.  Most of our lives, from sunrise to sunset, have no obvious indicators of divine intervention.  The world seems so … natural.  And the presence of God in human affairs seems less than obvious.

Nothing drives this home more than the scandal of unanswered prayer.  We’ve all had times when we’ve asked for something which seemed like an unmitigated good… and then nothing happens.  This seems grossly contrary to the promises which Jesus made in several locations:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” – John 14:12-13

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” – Matthew 21:21

Many times it can seem like Jesus wrote a blank check which cannot be cashed.  So today I wanted to share some thoughts from Saint John Chrysostem and Saint Thomas Aquinas on the subject.

Five Facepalm Inducing Pro-Choice Arguments

Have enough conversations about abortion and you’ll start noticing patterns.  For the most part, the arguments you hear for abortion following these forms:

• Here is a slogan I’ve been taught to repeat: “[insert slogan here]”
• The fetus lacks physical trait [XYZ], and therefore doesn’t count as a true human.
• The autonomy of the woman allows her to do whatever she wants to the baby within her body.
• Here is a tragic circumstance which I think justifies keeping every possible instance legal.

But sometimes you’ll run into arguments which astound you with their lack of sense.  They’ll make you wonder if the supporter of legal abortion is trolling you for fun…  or if he/she really is that clueless.

Here is my list of the 5 dumbest Pro-Choice Arguments: (Yes, I've encountered them all.  A lot.)

Announcing my first Book!

Hey everyone!

About two years ago I began a little project.  It started with summarizing the letter to the Hebrews into condensed snippets, which I jokingly called the "TL;DR version".

Well, after writing my TL;DR version of Hebrews, I began going through the other New Testament epistles.  And before I knew it, I'd written a book-length summarization of each letter - roughly 1/5 the size of the originals.

That work is now available as an Amazon eBook for $3.00 or paperback for $7.00 (out later this week).  I hope you'll consider giving it a look.  If you do read it, please be sure to leave a review!

Check it out [here].

Can Christian Adoption Agencies be Defended? - Part I

Recently I read about some efforts by the ACLU in Michigan to challenge the status of Christian adoption agencies.  Many similar programs have been shut down across the country because of their practice of only adopting children to homes with a mother and father.** That is to say, not because they have bad track records or unacceptable waiting periods, but because their opponents claim they are employing arbitrary bigotry and bronze-age superstitions.

That’s what I want to look at today.  Is there a defense to be made for these Christian adoption programs?  Is there a way to challenge the assertion that they employ bigotry?

**(Wait a minute… abortion-rights-supporters always say Christians don’t care about children after they’re born.  Why do all these Christian adoption agencies exist?  That’s odd... )

My 2018 Bible Talk - 3 Critiques of the Gospels

Two years ago I gave the "Bible Talk" at our parish's youth retreat.  This year I was slated to be the back-up speaker.  So I prepared this presentation just in case.

In it, I explore three critiques you hear about the Bible and why they don't work. Hope you enjoy!

Consequentialism, and the Justifying the A-Bomb

Like most American kids, I learned about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in elementary school history class.  I was shown the image of the mushroom cloud and perhaps a few destroyed buildings.  But then I was shown the fanfare in New York City celebrating the surrender of the Japanese and the closing of World War II.

Regarding the morality of dropping the atomic bomb, I learned – and wholeheartedly believed – the following argument:

“Yes, the atomic bomb killed tens of thousands of people.  That is the horror of war.  However, the other option was to invade Japan.  That would have resulted in a brutal fight against a determined enemy which would likely cost millions of human lives.  So which do you choose?  The option that kills tens of thousands, or the one that kills millions?”

The obvious answer is the one that involves less death.  Thus the dropping of the atomic bomb, while unpleasant and sad, was a justifiable and necessary event that saved millions of lives.

But as I grew in my understanding of the Christian faith, I had to ask myself… is that true?

Answering the "Unanswerable" Clinic Dilemma

Dear Apologist, I was asked a question about having to choose between saving frozen embryos or saving a toddler from a burning building.  I want to choose the two year-old, but I think this undercuts the pro-life assertion about life beginning at conception.  Help!

Good Without God: Can Natural Explanations Succeed?

In a previous post we began looking at moral philosophy.  I began by exploring the concept of God as “the Good”.  Then I explained how this translates into the real, objective moral facts and duties which we intuitively know exist.

Today we’re turning our attention to materialistic, non-theistic attempts to do the same. But before we do that, let's set out the goalpost again.  We are trying to explain the existence of objective moral facts and duties:

“A standard of right and wrong – good and evil – which superintends human actions.  Moral facts which exist independently of human minds, to which we have a duty to conform our lives.”

Can these two most common secular attempts to ground objective morality successfully clear that goal?  Let’s find out.

Did California Really Ban the Sale of the Bible?

Recently there has been some online chatter about a bill in California which would supposedly ban the sale of Christian books and possibly the Bible itself.  Various websites, including Factcheck.org and Snopes.com have said it’s a bunch of nonsense and hysteria.

Today I wanted to take a look myself.

Christian Morality and the "Euthyphro Dilemma"

Conversations between Christians and Atheists often gravitate toward the nature of morality.  Most people intuitively believe in what’s called “objective moral values and duties”.  By that, I mean:

“A standard of right and wrong – good and evil – which superintends human actions.  Moral facts which exist independently of human minds, to which we have a duty to conform our lives.”

Believers have an intuition that something critical gets lost when you subtract God from a moral framework.  And yet today it is becoming more common for Atheists to say this intuition is false – that a fully functioning moral framework is just as possible without God.

Today I want to begin taking a closer look.  What is the Christian intuition pointing to?  How do Christians explain (and defend) their foundations of morality?

Resurrection Contradiction: The Women's Testimony

It's fairly common for people to allege that the New Testament contains contradictions.  This is particularly the case with the resurrection accounts.

Previously we discussed an apparent contradiction involving Luke's usage of giant timeskips.  Today I want to look at the other major one:

When did the women see the angels and Jesus?

Resurrection Contradiction: Luke's Timewarps

Sometimes it seems like things would be simpler if there was only one Gospel.  But the Holy Spirit saw fit to inspire four of them, and Christians have been puzzling over how they fit together ever since.  Particularly in the resurrection narratives.

Today I want to highlight a feature of Luke’s Gospel which explains one of the major apparent discrepancies in the resurrection accounts.  I call it… the LUKAN TIME WARP!!!

Here’s how the Lukan Time Warp works.

• Luke takes a couple related events which have a large gap between them.  
• Wanting to save space, Luke omits everything between those two events.  
• He presents the events as if they occur immediately in sequence.  

In the end, the reader has no idea he did this.  Now let’s look at some examples…

The Pope, Hell, and the Nonagenarian Journalist

I'm probably a bit late to the game here, but I thought I'd do my bit answering a question on the mind of many Catholics....

Dear Apologist, I heard the Pope changed the Catholic teaching on Hell.  Is that true?

Holy Week Reflection: It is Finished, Therefore...

A while ago I wrote about something I call a “Swiss Army verse”.  These are verses of Scripture which seem significant, but whose implications are not fully spelled out in the sacred text.  For that reason, it is not uncommon for folks to use those passages to support whatever personal theological fixation they desire.

Today we are going to take a look at another one; John 19:128-30.  It reads:

“After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (to fulfill the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’  

A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.  When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

What does that phrase mean?  What does it NOT mean?

Holy Week Reflection: Did Judas Receive Communion?

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians has two sections which affect the way we receive communion today.  One is in the 11th chapter, where Paul warns his readers that receiving communion is a dangerous affair.  He says:

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.  For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” – 1 Corinthians 11:27-30

The other is in the 5th chapter, where Paul chastises them for maintaining fellowship with a man in a public incestuous relationship.  Did they want outsiders to think the Church approved of that kind of nonsense?

This has led the Catholic Church to two conclusions.  First, a person who knows he’s guilty of mortal sin should personally abstain from receiving communion.  This is found in the Code of Canon Law section 916.

“A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the body of the Lord without sacramental confession.”  

The second conclusion is that if a person publicly persists in grave sin, that person should be refused communion.  In other words, it goes beyond a person examining himself and deciding not to receive. folks are obliged to say “no” when such a person presents himself for Communion.  This is found in Canon 915.

“Those who are obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”  

One of the most common objections to this practice centers on Judas’ presence at the Last Supper.  It goes like this:

“If Jesus would give Communion to Judas, what right does the Church have to deny it to me?”

That’s what I want to look at today.

Holy Week Reflection: Ecclesiastes and the Cross

As we enter into Holy Week, I wanted to call your attention to one of the strangest books of the Bible: Ecclesiastes.

The book is a lament of the seeming futility of earthly life written by King Solomon. As you read the text, try to imagine Solomon nearing the end of his days, wondering what it was all for.  He purports to bring his vast wisdom to the task of evaluating the ultimate value of worldly things.

Today I wanted to review a couple key passages and ask:

What light can Ecclesiastes shed on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?

Examining Three Questions about the Devil

There’s something fascinating about the villains.  People want to know what makes them tick.  So today I wanted to look at three common questions about the Adversary and give my theories.

Why Not Confess Straight to God?

One of the most common questions asked of Catholics concerns the Sacrament of Confession.  It goes like this:

Why do you have to confess your sins to a priest - why can't you go straight to God?

Now, the Catholic Church does hold that you can have your sins forgiven outside the sacrament of Confession.  However, it does teach that the ordinary way which Christ intended to  bestow the forgiveness of sins was through the ministry of the priest.  So it's an objection which is worth answering.

Today I want to give my take on it by examining three assumptions standing behind the question.  Let's dive in.

The Messianic Secret - Jewish vs Gentile Territories

Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus performing various signs to indicate His divine origin and mission.  Yet, confusingly, Jesus often instructed the recipients of these signs to keep their mouths shut about it.

This is called "The Messianic Secret" and it's one of the odder features of Jesus' preaching.  That's what we'll be exploring today.

The Limitations of Youth Ministry - A Note to Parents

So... today I want to speak specifically to parents of high school kids.

A couple weeks ago I gave a presentation on the existence of God.  The following Monday I was asking some follow up questions at Bible Study.

Here was one of them:

"OK, so let's suppose this God you've described does exist.  How do you know the Christian revelation is the valid one?   Especially when there are other people like Jews, Muslims, and Zoroastrians who say its their religion?"

The kids who've gone off to college will tell you this is the most common question they get asked.  And yet, the response I got that evening from the high schoolers... was mostly silence.

They're not ready for college.

My Presentation on the Existence of God

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to talk to the students about the existence of God and run through four cosmological arguments.  Check it out!

If I was Pres. Trump's Speechwriter...

I learned earlier today that President Trump (still feels surreal to write that) will be addressing the March for Life.  

What might he say?  Or perhaps… if I was one of his speechwriters, what would I put in front of him? 

It would need to be heartfelt, honest, compassionate, and still retain a good bit of polemical zing.  And - let's face it - the thing would need to be a bit self-congratulatory to sound genuine. 

So here’s what I’d float across President Trump’s desk:

Should we Teach the Santa Myth?

One question I’ve brought up at Youth Ministry is whether we as Christians should continue to perpetuate the Santa Myth.  And by the Santa Myth I mean the following:

“Convincing children that there is a man who lives at the North Pole who monitors their behavior and annually distributes presents.”

My position is:  No.  This is both immoral and counterproductive to raising children in the Christian faith.

Today I’m going to defend this claim with a somewhat Thomistic flair.