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]